Rebellion Against God Is Sin

"Whenever you see confusion, you can be sure that something is wrong. Disorder in the world implies that something is out of place. Usually, at the heart of all disorder you will find man in rebellion against God. It began in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day."  - A. W. Tozer, American Christian pastor (1897-1963)

We (humans) have always had a problem with authority. It is evidenced everyday in the fighting of a parking ticket in court, or seeking satisfaction for being reprimanded at work by a superior, as examples. 

Many might see these as simple acts of rebelling against authority. That is, we are standing up for our rights, or defending ourselves. But when we do this to God it becomes something different. It is "rebellion against God."

Put very simply, rebellion refers to an open opposition to authority. When we rebel against, or are in open opposition to God Himself, we defy his authority; which often leads to serious consequences.

It is our inherently sinful nature that causes us to do so. Genesis 3:1-6 provides us with the account of the first sinful rebellion against God. To rebel against God's authority is always foolish and futile, not to mention sinful (Isaiah 1:2). 

If nothing else, we have always been creatures of habit. This is especially true when it comes to rebelling against God's authority. In the OT, the Israelites repeatedly rebelled against God, even after they had seen His mighty works many times.

Joshua and Caleb strongly encouraged the people not to rebel against God in Numbers 14:9. They stressed the importance of obeying and trusting in His promises. But, it was to no avail. 

Their continual rebellion resulted in the Israelites wandering the desert for forty years (Numbers 14:33-34). Rebellion against the authority of God takes a dark, ominous turn in 1 Samuel 15:23. 

In this verse, the OT prophet, Samuel, likens rebellion to witchcraft, carefully pointing out its seriousness. This carries over into the NT where the apostle Paul cautions against the rebellious nature of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). 

Paul pleads that believers should live by the Spirit and not satisfy their sinful natures. The conflict of selfishness and pride (a part of our rebellious nature) can cause us to sin against not only each other, but against God Himself.

What does this mean in our approach to authority today? Fortunately, God has provided some guidelines regarding the hierarchy of command within our civilization. Let's briefly examine this.

Romans 13:1 declares that believers are to "submit" to earthly government. However, this submission doesn't always equate to our "obedience" of governing authorities.

Within God's-ordained order of governing authorities, rebellion against it is considered sin. Still, this does not mean we are to blindly follow the governing authorities, especially if they unrighteously go against God’s authority (see: Acts 5:29). 

No doubt, complying with the truth can be difficult, especially if one has to challenge those in authority. But a total and unauthorized rebellion against any God-ordained authority can lead to anarchy and societal collapse.

A better alternative would be for the differing sides to meet and respectfully offer solutions for consideration. Perhaps increasing the possibility of peaceful and amicable options that might have gone unnoticed otherwise (Matthew 5:23-24).

I'd like to quickly note other examples of God's chain of authority as it applies: to the husband, or head of the family (Ephesians 5:23); the wife and children (Ephesians 5:22; 6:1; Colossians 3:18, 20), and even the church (1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 13:17).

We all carry the seed of rebellion in our hearts. This is demonstrated in our tendency to rebel against anyone who does not respect our rights. Therefore, we must find ways to settle our differences through peaceful avenues, as advocated in the Bible (Romans 12:18; Matthew 18:15-17). 

Scripture: Psalm 78:8; Proverbs 24:21; Isaiah 65:2; Romans 8:7; Romans 13:1-2

Prayer:  Dear Lord, don't let me be rebellious and self-sabotaging today; instead I mercifully ask that you place Your Spirit upon me. Amen.

Blessings always,

Breanna