Different Things God is teaching Me

OF FEARFUL, FALSE SUBMISSION & LOVING, RIGHTEOUS RESISTANCE

[Disclaimer: This is not an article indirectly talking about mask ordinances but mainly concerning the preaching of the Gospel and the civil resistance that often comes against it.]

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"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." ~Romans 13:1-2

God's very own Word should not be a stumbling block to His people, when ignorant and/or wicked men seek to twist them for the purpose of justifying their sinful devices. [2 Peter 3:16] The last verse in Hosea [14:9] says,

"Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them."

We are not to be transgressors who stumble in the ways of the Lord, but rather walk in them. Therefore, let us properly understand what God is teaching us and the boundaries He has laid.
Various people who are ignorant of Scripture, have conveniently pulled the first two verses of Romans 13 out of context without mentioning the next verse that comes after [verse 3]:

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil..."

The question, "Must I submit to civil (and sometimes, even church) authority in such and such a case" is easily solved. The definition of authorities rightly set by God are those who are a terror to evil works. Such authorities like those in China's government (and in Acts 5:27-28) who constantly resist the spreading and independent preaching of the Gospel, are clearly not set up by God since they are a terror to good works, the preaching of the Gospel. If they were not a terror to the good work of the Gospel, they would have been a legitimate authority; sent and set up by God.

Then the innocent [yet carnal disguised as spiritual] argument-logic is raised in: Submitting to authorities, trusting that Divine Authority will change their mind and heart, thereby justifying our first cause/desire. [See Proverbs 21:1] For example, a pastor of so many years over his local flock, feels called to minister to the lost and immature in Africa, yet two or three elders shoot down his calling and verbally bar him from it; should the pastor still submit to the elders/authorities over him, trusting God is able to change their hearts? The answer should be very obvious in the light of harmonized Scripture. Not all submission to authority is godly and not all resistance to it is ungodly. When do we resist authority? When authority becomes a terror to good works, the good things of God.

Is all resistance ungodly? God has not called us to surrendur to strongholds, submit to arguments, and bow down to every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Him...on grounds that if we would have faith in His Divine Authority and Sovereignty, He can turn the tables. Such obedience in submission is direct disobedience and violation of His calling on us, His followers. (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
There are plenty of examples of godly resistance in the Old Testament (and also throughout post New Testament history). Elijah, Ehud, Amos, David, Rahab, Daniel and his friends, Jeremiah, etc. Probably the most classic of them is in Exodus 1 when the Hebrew midwives not only resisted the Pharaoh over them in the organized abortion of male children, but also lied to him.

"But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. ...Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them." ~Exodus 1:17, 20-21

Clearly, our first allegiance goes to God and not to human authorities. Scripture cannot be broken [John 10:35] thus, God is not going to contradict Himself, His Word, with a misunderstood/false meaning of Romans 13 when He has already declared, "You shall have no other gods before me." [Exodus 20:3] This includes authorities; no authorities come in place before God, all flow from and are below Him. [1 Chronicles 29:12, Ephesians 1:20-23] God has the final say, not civil (nor even church) government, and He is not going to directly work through such authorities that would hinder, violate or quench His gospel.