When Government Permission Replaces God’s Truth
By My Rooted Soul Counseling
October 14, 2025
We live in a time when laws and public opinion shift faster than the seasons. What was once called wrong can now be celebrated, and what Scripture calls holy is often mocked. For many, the temptation is to measure right and wrong by what the government allows — as if legality equals morality.
But God’s Word has been here long before any nation, culture, or opinion. Truth does not change when laws do.
“We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29
1. The Confusion Between Legal and Moral
When governments legalize something, people often assume that makes it right. But legality is not the same as righteousness. Earthly laws tell us what’s permitted; God’s law tells us what’s true. As believers, our conscience and character are not shaped by court rulings — they’re shaped by Scripture.
2. The Desire for Justification
Sometimes people cling to government approval because it feels like permission. When the law supports what we want, it becomes easier to quiet conviction. Yet Romans 1 reminds us that humanity’s greatest temptation is to trade God’s truth for a lie — to call evil good and good evil when it suits our desires.
Paul states…
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” — Romans 1:14-17
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. — Romans 1:21
3. Misunderstanding Submission
Romans 13 tells us to honor governing authorities, but not to replace God’s authority with theirs. Governments are meant to promote justice and protect the innocent. When they begin to bless what God calls sin, they step outside their God-given boundaries — and the believer’s loyalty must remain with the Lord.
4. Courage in a Shifting Culture
Obeying Scripture in a permissive society takes courage. You may feel misunderstood or even isolated for standing firm. But your faithfulness is not in vain. Every time you choose obedience over approval, you are aligning your heart with eternity — not popularity.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
5. Rooted in a Higher Authority
At My Rooted Soul Counseling, we help clients find peace by returning to their true foundation — God’s unchanging Word. Healing, identity, and moral clarity grow when we remember: governments may shift, but God’s truth stands firm forever.
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” — Isaiah 40:8
Closing Reflection
Ask yourself today:
Do I let legality define my morality?
Where have I sought permission from culture instead of direction from Scripture?
How might I live more rooted in God’s truth rather than the approval of men?
When our roots are grounded in the eternal Word, no cultural storm can uproot us