Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:1-7, NRSV)
In today’s age this is a difficult reading to swallow sometimes. We do nto always see the government as a body that is in existance because of God. But the underlying theme here is that we, as Christians, should be thankful for the government.
For with out the government there would be anachy and rampant evil…
And we also know from our readings of the Hebrew Scriptures that sometimes God gives us good authorites as a blessing and sometimes there are not so good authorities for times of testing or judgement…
But we as Christians should respect authorites and hold to what they are telling us to do. Even in Paul’s day when the Roman Empire did not use the money collected from taxes for godly purposes they were told to pay taxes. So in our day when we are to honor our leaders even if (when) they are not always fully admirable.
Be who God has called you to be, to be the change we need in this world!
aSacredRebel 
The quoted verse needs to be understood in context…..context and setting. A government composed of wicked leadership which approves of and finances abortion, and which celebrates perversity and homosexual marriage is unworthy of respect. Peter said we must follow God not the rules of man. If one is a Christian, consider yourself a pilgrim on earth, as those who came before you. We once had a Christian nation, but not today, and in fact we can expect persecution in the future…..yes….even in America. Look at the events in the news….look at Houston and the lesbian Mayor’s attack against pastors and the First Amendment. Other examples abound…as the Fascist and intolerant homosexual community marches against the faith….trying to force everyone to accept and celebrate their sinful lifestyle. Forces in our own government are helping them along. No. I do not respect a wicked government, and The Lord does not want His people to respect evil and sinful practices.
Who is to say God did not put these Leaders in power? God used all kinds of Leaders throughout the scriptures to influence His people in many and various ways.
Yes….it is true that God may allow wicked rulers to be in power. Sometimes it is a test of our faith to determine if a true believer will follow the ordinances of an evil leader, or stand up for righteousness. It is a way of purging wheat from weeds, and God has done this throughout history. As I have watched the decline of our country over the past decades, I have wondered how many professing Christians have accepted the ideas of post modernist theology and feel comfortable with a blasé and neutral position about issues like abortion, same sex marriage, and morality? The answer has been….a multitude. Most “go along” to “get along.” Those who refuse get little or no support from other Christians, and in fact, liberal Christians often share the same carnal values as the worldly and secular humanists of our day. Some want “Jesus, religion, and the world” at the same time, but this cannot be, my brother, because the narrow way is the only way…and the broad road of the world leads to spiritual destruction.