What if man uses his God-given authority to try and make us do something contrary to God’s instructions? The disciples in Acts 5 faced this situation and their actions show us God’s will in the matter.
The high priest and those with him put the apostles in prison for teaching and healing in the Lord’s name. The angel of the Lord opens the prison doors and says to the apostles, “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” This the disciples do. They are arrested and brought before the high priest who says: “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?” Peter and the apostles respond, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” After discussing the matter among themselves, the authorities beat the disciples and again command them not to speak in the name of Jesus. They let them go and the disciples continue to teach and to preach Jesus Christ.
God is the ultimate authority. If man abuses his God-given authority and commands a person to disobey God, then the instruction for the person is—we obey God rather than man. This does not give liberty to refuse authority because one does not agree with the judgment of the authority or because the authority is acting unjustly. We do not submit if the act of submission would make us disobey God, that is, make us sin.
The perfect example of submission to the cruel, unjust abuse of authority is the Lord’s submission to Pilate. He could and did submit (without disobeying God) to Pilate’s abuse of authority in un-righteously condemning him to death. May His example ever guard our hearts and consciences from rebellion against the authorities He has established and lead us into the healing path of obedience and submission.