Should Christians Ever Break the Law?

You probably follow the law most of the time. You pay your taxes, don’t bother people, and obey most of the traffic laws. But is there ever a time when it’s ok to break the law? This is an important question for Christians that is clearly answered in the Bible.

Generally, God Expects Us to Follow the Law

After all, God is the one who instituted governments. One basic principle is that God expects us to follow the law. God doesn’t say that obedience to the law is conditional on whether or not we like those in power. Jesus said to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. In other words, it’s right that the government can demand something of you.

Romans 13:1,6-7 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God… Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Romans 13:1-7 teaches us that we are subject to the government. God established governments and we are to give them what we owe them: respect, taxes, etc.

But What Happens When God and Government Disagree?

In Acts 5, the apostles are spending most of their time teaching and healing people in Jerusalem. In fact, they are getting so popular that people outside of Jerusalem are coming to hear them. This incites jealousy among certain religious leaders, and the high priest and members of the Saduccees group from the Sanhedrin arrest the apostles. In a miraculous turn of events, an angel releases the apostle from prison and they go right back to teaching the people about God.

Perplexed, the council brings the apostles back before them. They say, we told you not to teach about Jesus!

Look at Peter’s response:

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Here Peter gives us the basics of civil disobedience for Christians. We generally submit to the government, unless the government disobeys God. For instance, it is illegal to have Bibles in some places in the world, yet Christians smuggle them in so that people can learn about Jesus. In other places it is against the law to have a church, so Christians meet underground in illegal churches. In the past, some people have recognized social injustices that are occurring and Christians, empowered by their faith, have peaceably protested or boycotted to demonstrate that God has called us to be people who are not prejudiced against race, gender, genealogy, etc.

We need to submit to authorities whether we like them or not, unless it comes to choosing between obeying the law and obeying God. As Christians, we are constantly striving to live a life that honors God.