Sojourners and exiles (who are born again and citizens of heaven, 1 Peter 1:3–4) may think themselves to be above general society and so free to ignore whatever human institutions exist in a given community. To do so, however, would simply augment the suspicion that naturally exists in a community toward those who are different in any way (and being born certainly makes you different from the unborn). Augmented suspicion in turn feeds the negative talk about the Christians in the community. That is why the Lord would have his people be subject…to every human institution that exists in the community, whether governors, police, school boards, hospital boards, chambers of commerce, or otherwise. The same would be true in relation to human institutions concerning, say, dress code or tidiness around the house. His people’s conduct should not stand in the way of a glowing reputation or in the way of God’s reputation.

If anyone was ever a sojourner and exile in his community, it was surely our Lord Jesus Christ. The human institutions that existed in his day were all staffed by (and sometimes organized by) sinful people, all of whom did their tasks in weakness. Yet Jesus, perfect man and true God that he was, did not defy the norms and structures of his society but subjected himself to existing codes and habits (understanding, of course, that he never sinned against God in so doing). A clear example is given in Luke 15:1, where Jesus extended value to tax collectors (associates of the hated Romans) and prostitutes (untouchables by the standards of decent society) by eating with them. In fact, through his perfect obedience also to the command to be subject…to every human institution, Christ atoned for our transgressions against this instruction. His people now need to follow his example.

The freedom we have in Christ (i.e., freedom from bondage to sin and Satan, and so freedom to serve God and neighbour) does not give Christians license to make our own rules or ignore the rules and norms of general society. Peter would have God’s people live as people free from the narrow and limiting restrictions of a this-world view on reality (the womb) and so be people who look beyond the here and now to the delights of the inheritance to come (1 Peter 1:4). What they are specifically not to do is whatever society sees as evil, for Christians are God’s servants in this world.