“THE powers that be are ordained of God.”Rom. 13:1.
But though divinely ordained, civil government has its limitations, for “we ought to obey God rather than men.”Acts 5:29.
As civil government is ordained of God, and as it has its limitations, it follows that they too are divinely ordained. “Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.”Rom. 13:3.
When therefore rulers become a terror to good works, it is by usurpation, not by rightful authority. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
As civil government is ordained of God, and its limits marked by a self-evident line, it is clear that within its own sphere there can be no conflict between man's civil government and God's moral government.
As legitimate, civil government administered by men, and moral government administered by God occupy different spheres, there can be no conflict between them.
Therefore it follows necessarily that the ambassador of Christ is accredited not to civil government but to individuals whom he beseeches to transfer their allegiance, not from God-ordained civil government to God, but from the government of Satan to that of God.