My friend possibly had to break the town curfew to be baptized.\u00a0 Is this an Acts 5:29 issue or a Romans 3:8 issue?\u00a0 I have a feeling I’m taking that a bit too seriously, but the law is the law. Although I doubt that law was created to stop youths from going to a church building to obey the gospel.<\/p>\n\t
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men”<\/em>” (Acts 5:29).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The authority for man’s laws is derived from God. “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<\/em>” (Romans 13:1). So while we are to be subject to the government because God set governments in place, their laws cannot supersede God’s laws because the government is under God.<\/p>\n
There is an urgency in becoming a Christian because we do not know how long we have on this earth. It doesn’t do a person any good to know what he ought to do and then put it off. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin<\/em>” (James 4:17). When Paul was taught the truth the question asked was why are you sitting around? “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord<\/em>” (Acts 22:16). When the Philippian jailer was taught the gospel in the middle of the night, we see there was no delay in responding. “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized<\/em>” (Acts 16:33).<\/p>\n
What was done was correct. To suggest anything else is wrong. The best time to be saved from your sins is now. “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” <\/em>” (II Corinthians 6:2).<\/p>\n
Besides all of this, in the United States, the first amendment prevents the government from interfering with the free exercise of religion.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: My friend possibly had to break the town curfew to be baptized.\u00a0 Is this an Acts 5:29 issue or a Romans 3:8 issue?\u00a0 I have a feeling I’m taking that a bit too seriously, but the law is the law. Although I doubt that law was created to stop youths from going to a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[52,310],"class_list":["post-32819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-baptism","tag-government"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36589,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-something-a-sin-if-its-illegal\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":0},"title":"Is something a sin if it’s illegal?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is something a sin if it's illegal? Answer: Sin is breaking God's law. \"Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness\" (I John 3:4). One of God's laws is \"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25606,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-government-that-taxes-its-citizens-at-99-be-followed\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":1},"title":"Should a government that taxes its citizens at 99% be followed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you think that Christians should obey the tax law, even if the rules required that taxpayers must donate 99% of their income in taxes? Answer: This is a facetious hypothetical argument. The implication is that if the answer will object in the extreme, then it is justified to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15825,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-driving-over-the-speed-limit-sinful\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":2},"title":"Is driving over the speed limit sinful?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is driving over the speed limit for any reason sinful? What if someone says that they can drive over the speed limit if it helps them to get to worship service on time. Or what if there's an emergency and someone needs to speed to the hospital? I see\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1300,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-we-do-when-the-government-is-involved-in-our-child-rearing\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":3},"title":"What do we do when the government is involved in our child rearing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What do we when outside government authorities are involved in our child raising? \u00a0 Answer: This becomes a difficult question to answer well because much depends on the reason the government has seen fit to interfere. The best that I can do is answer in general and hope that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31806,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-if-a-government-gives-false-reasons-for-going-to-war\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":4},"title":"What if a government gives false reasons for going to war?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am wondering what the Bible says concerning going to war for unjustified reasons? What if a country deceives its people and claims reasons for going to war, but there is evidence that does not justify war? How do Christians and Christians in the military handle this type of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51149,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-breaking-government-laws-keep-us-out-of-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":32819,"position":5},"title":"Will breaking government laws keep us out of heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: No doubt, a Christian realizes the seriousness of sin. It's ugly. What do you think about everyday things we get into like speeding, even a mile over, texting while drivings, and not wearing a seatbelt? 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