Week 7
Obey God Rather Than Men
Acts 5:25–32
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:25–32 (NKJV)
The apostles stand before the council because they continued teaching after being commanded to stop. Their disobedience to rulers flows from prior obedience to God.
Scripture ordinarily calls believers to honor authority. Precisely because authority has a God-given place, it must not claim the place of God.
Peter answers plainly rather than contemptuously. Courage does not require insult; it requires clarity about whom the conscience finally serves.
The apostles’ message remains centered upon Jesus—killed, raised, exalted as Prince and Savior, and offering repentance and forgiveness.
They do not make themselves the heroes of the confrontation. They are witnesses, and the Holy Spirit bears witness through them.
Civil disobedience can be corrupted by ego as easily as compliance can be corrupted by fear. The test is not whether resistance feels brave, but whether God has actually commanded the course.
When obedience to God conflicts with human demand, believers may accept consequences without surrendering truth or hating those who impose them.
Form the conscience now through Scripture, prayer, and the church. Then speak with respect, obey with steadiness, and trust the risen Christ with the outcome.
In Conversation with Richard Wurmbrand
Wurmbrand served in a setting where the state sought to control the church’s speech and loyalty. His witness illustrates the necessary limit of every earthly authority.
The apostles define that limit without making resistance their gospel. Their subject is still Jesus—crucified, raised, exalted, and offering forgiveness.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Sovereign God, form my conscience beneath Your Word and free me from both rebellious pride and fearful compliance.
When authorities act rightly, teach me honor. When they demand what belongs to You, give me clarity, respect, and steadfast obedience.
Fill me with Your Spirit so that my witness remains centered upon the risen Jesus. Amen.
Stand with Christ This Week
Faithfulness begins here.
Return often to Acts 5:25–32. Let courage grow from a clearer vision of Christ, never from confidence in yourself.