Leveraging the law

Paul, when he saw that he was in peril of being turned over to the Jews, appealed to Caesar (Act 25:11). He often leveraged his Roman citizenship to preserve his life and advance the gospel (Act 22:28, Act 16:37). Some might think it would have been more noble for Paul to conceal his identity and rely on God alone, but God builds us into who he needs including arranging our citizenship. Nehemiah relied on the king for protection and provision (Neh 2:7), while Ezra chose to rely on God alone (Ezra 8:22). There is no shame in leveraging the worldly powers for the sake of the heavenly kingdom. It is a matter of personal conviction and God’s leading.