Romans 13:1-7 (2)

God’s Authority and Our Response

Bible Passage: Romans 13:1–7

Summary: In Romans 13:1–7, Paul articulates the theological imperative for Christians to submit to governing authorities, emphasizing that all powers are ordained by God. This passage teaches that civil authorities play a significant role in God's plan for humanity, acting as both agents of justice and instruments for maintaining societal order. Importantly, Paul outlines the balance between obeying civil law and recognizing God's higher authority, providing a nuanced understanding of Christian civic responsibility amid a potentially oppressive regime.

Application: This sermon serves to guide Christians in understanding their role as citizens of both heaven and earth. It challenges believers to evaluate how they interact with secular authorities, encouraging a spirit of obedience while also fostering a commitment to justice and righteousness. Particularly in a time of political divide, this message encourages unity and responsible citizenship, urging believers to influence society positively while remaining steadfast in their faith.

Teaching: The teaching will emphasize that while Christians are called to respect and obey earthly authorities, that submission is rooted in the acknowledgment of God's ultimate authority. This understanding invites believers to discern when civil disobedience may be necessary, anchoring their decisions in Scripture and prayer. The call to be 'salt and light' in the world includes active participation in societal issues while upholding Christian values.

How this passage could point to Christ: Seeing Christ's example is essential here, as He walked in submission to earthly authority while fulfilling His mission. His teachings and actions provide an essential model of how to engage with authority constructively, illustrating that ultimate loyalty lies with God. This connection highlights that believers are empowered by Christ’s Spirit to act justly in all areas of life, including politics.

Big Idea: Submission to God’s ordained authority is both a responsibility and a calling for Christians, shaping their interactions with society and guiding their decisions towards justice and righteousness.

Recommended Study: In preparing this sermon, consider exploring the historical context of Roman governance at the time of Paul’s letter and how it affected early Christians. Use your Logos library to investigate how early church fathers interpreted Romans 13 and the implications of civil obedience during times of persecution. Looking into theological works on the relationship between church and state can provide a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggle between divine authority and governmental power.

1. Recognizing God's Sovereignty

Romans 13:1-2

Perhaps begin by exploring how all authority is established by God, encouraging listeners to see governmental structures as part of God's divine order. This point could highlight the importance of recognizing God's sovereignty and encourage trust in His plan, even when authorities seem flawed or unjust. By focusing on the divine origin of authority, the message might inspire believers to submit respectfully, while maintaining a discerning spirit that seeks alignment with God’s righteousness.

2. Respecting Authority’s Purpose

Romans 13:3-4

You could focus on the role of government as a servant for good, urging Christians to live peaceably and lawfully. Highlight the purpose of punishment for wrongdoing as a deterrent, reinforcing the idea of justice and protection within society. This could encourage believers to actively support laws and leaders that promote Godly values and justice, while also being agents of peace in their communities.

3. Revering with Conscience

Romans 13:5-7

Maybe draw attention to the call for conscience-driven obedience beyond fear of punishment. This section could suggest that true law-abiding behavior is rooted in a sincere desire to live out God's principles, not merely avoiding penalties. Emphasizing the importance of taxes and respect for leaders, this point might help believers see every civic duty as an act of worship and testimony to their faith in action.

Introduction

Romans 12 begins this application section. Now, remember, Romans was a letter, written with the intent that it is all read in one sitting. When you read it, especially starting in chapter 12, you will see that it starts with self, then it moves to our relationship with others in the church, then in Chapter 13, it goes from relationships in the church, to our relationship with the government, to our neighbors, and then back to self, and our relationships in the church in Chapters 14 and 15.

Focus on the Inner Man

And what should that tell us? It should tell us that we should look at ourselves far more than we look at other people.

            Why is that so hard for us? I mean, I can tell you everything wrong with everyone else, but what I need to do is I need to focus on myself and my own issues. Because, let me tell you something, I have plenty I need to work on before I am too hard on anyone else.

            And think of it this way…Jesus always taught us, if not by His words, by His life, that if we want to win the world to Him, then we are going to have to do it through love. We are going to have to do it through genuine living.

            Now there’s that word genuine again…to be genuine means to live without putting on a mask, without drawing attention to yourself, to do things and to serve people out of love and not out of self-adoration.

            That’s like when I preached at the pastor’s conference Monday, and I told them that I have met other pastor’s and other people that think that they are God’s gift to this green earth, and if you don’t believe that they are the best thing that’s ever happened to the world, just ask them and they will tell you that they are.

So, let’s break into Chapter 13 here with the understanding that the focus is on you in your own heart, and from your heart, branching out into the church, and then into the world.

Romans 13:1

Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

That makes my American blood boil. By nature, we are revolutionaries. We separated ourselves from another nation, and then we set up our nation in states, and we broke it down all the way to the local municipality.

            And, at times, people compare our governmental system to that of Rome…and, in many ways it is similar. But by the time this was written, Rome wasn’t a republic, Rome had morphed into an empire, and they were ruled by an Emperor.

Historical Context

Way back in ch. 1, we discussed that Claudius, an emperor of Rome exiled the Jews from Rome. He kicked them out.

Now, history goes that Claudius kicked them out because they rioted too much. So, now Claudius is not in charge, Nero has taken over as emperor, but the people are still angry at the government.

And Paul is writing here, in v. 1… Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

Now, Paul didn’t just write it, he lived it. At the time when he wrote this letter, he hasn’t been to this church. He says in ch. 1, that he has a desire to come see them, but that he has been hindered…and in Paul’s eyes, he has not been hindered by circumstances or by man, but he has been hindered from going by God.

            Paul Arrives in Chains

But when Paul does finally arrive in Rome, he arrives in chains. Acts 28:17 says…

But the reason that Paul was able to get there without being killed first was because he was a Roman citizen. In Acts 16 Paul makes an appeal to due process…Acts 16:37.

            Paul’s Legal Battles

Now, Paul faced all types of legal battles in his journey’s, and never once does he take on the role of a revolutionary. What Paul did instead is that he went through due process time after time.

            The Jews were out to kill him, it was so bad that as a Roman prisoner they were moving him only at night…and Paul stayed a prisoner in the Roman system, moving in and out of the prison system until he was beheaded by Nero about 10 years after he wrote these words here in Romans 13:1

            A Time of Relative Peace

When the church at Rome got this letter, they were at a time of relative peace. It wasn’t that bad on a governmental level. However, the Jews had just been exiled and then allowed to return, so there were some hurt feelings.

            That time of peace didn’t last long for Christians. 64 AD, there is a great fire that sweeps through Rome, and because of the mounting tensions between the Christians and the government or Rome, the Christians were blamed, and they were persecuted.

            The mounting pressure to get rid of the Christians did not come because they were revolutionaries trying to overthrow the government. It wasn’t because they were a bunch of loud mouths screaming and hollering on the internet…it was because they refused to recognize the emperor as God. It was because they refused to recognize things like pedophilia and sexual freedom. It was because they refused to quit gathering for worship, even if they had to do it in secret.

            Revisit

We are going to revisit this distinction on when it is appropriate to stand against the government, and when it is counted as sinful.

Romans 13:2

Romans 13:2 “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

This seems like a point of common sense. If you speed, and they give you a speeding ticket, it’s not persecution. It’s literally you bringing judgement on yourself. If you resist arrest and you are thrown in jail…it’s not the cop’s fault, it’s yours.

            Paul didn’t resist arrest. He simply said, I am a Roman citizen, you will bring me through due process, and then he submitted to that process. He didn’t make a scene; he didn’t make matters worse by behaving like a spoiled child. He just calmly and readily accepted the consequences that the government gave him and then allowed due process and justice to take place. As in, Paul did what he was supposed to do and allowed God to handle the details.

            Does that mean that we need to sit down and take whatever the government gives us? It depends. If you’re wrongfully convicted, praise the Lord, we live in a nation where due process can take place, and you can appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if its necessary.

            But what I am saying is that if you act like a spoiled brat when you get in trouble instead of like a sensible adult, you’re going to get it worse.

Romans 13:3-4

Romans 13:3–4 NKJV

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Paul made friends with everyone in the prison system and everyone that judged him, and he used that as an opportunity to witness to them. He didn’t make it worse by acting out and spitting and complaining.

            John the Baptist was the same way…even though he got beheaded, the Bible says that Herod went down to see John regularly. He like the guy. Like Paul says here in v. 3, “do what is good and you will have praise from the same.”

            So, we got these revolutionary Jews and these hardened Christians with all of their rights and privileges, and Paul is saying… “if you act in a way that is contrary to the gospel, they are going to execute their wrath on you.”

Romans 13:5

Romans 13:5 NKJV

Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.

It’s not just about trying to stay out of trouble. It’s about having a clear conscience before God. I apply it this way…if I have to wonder if it’s right or wrong…it’s usually wrong. Now, I say usually, because sometimes we get to wondering and we find out that we haven’t violated any laws or whatever…but when we have to justify it…when we have to use circular reasoning for us to feel good about it…we are just talking in circles until our conscience is dulled.

       Legislating Morality

There are some people that think you can legislate morality in the world. Basically, that by law and fear of punishment people will do what they are supposed to do…not so. It doesn’t even work that way in your own home, how in the world is it going to work coming from the government.

            I will tell my kids, and my daddy told me, and you told your, and your daddy told you…if you do that I am going to whoop the fire out of you. Then what’d you do? You did it anyway. Yeah, he whooped you, and it stung on the outside, but inside you were thinking, “and I’d do it again.” That’s who we are as humanity.

Sometimes, by using law and punishment, you can stop an outward action…but God is not primarily interested in actions, He is primarily interested in the heart. Actions are a reflection of the condition of the heart. If you get it right in your heart and in your conscience, it will not overflow into action.

            Only by internal sanctification given by the Holy Spirit can morality exist, not by some external force.

Romans 13:6-7

I am not what you would call a libertarian. I believe that taxes are good, and so do you. Those roads you drive on, that Medicare you have, the parks and recreation areas that you enjoy, those are all installments of the government.

            That doesn’t mean there isn’t waste, but taxes do serve a purpose. Whether or not those taxes are being used appropriately is a whole nother story.

      Focus on our Relationship

            However, the primary focus of this text is not on the government, but is on our relationship to the government. And Paul is saying here, “pay your taxes.” In America, it’s not illegal not to pay taxes, but it is illegal when you don’t file them or attempt to evade taxes by using some sort of backhanded approach.

            Do it Legally

            Don’t get me wrong, there are all sorts of legitimate tax write-offs and avenues for to  save on taxes, and in some cases eliminate taxes all together, but there is a fine line between legal and illegal, and Paul is saying that for conscience sake, make sure you do it legally, don’t cheat on your taxes.

The Role of Government

# 1 - The governing authorities are established by God

Romans 13:1

Romans 13:1 NKJV

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

All throughout the Old Testament, every governmental power was established by God, whether it was in judgement or in victory.

            Even the evil king Saul was established by God. God says, “serve Me and Me only.” The people say, “we want a king to serve!” God says, “you don’t need a king, you have Me.” The people say, “we want a king!” So, God gives them a king, and judgement ensues.

            The nation of Babylon carried out God’s judgement against Israel. The Seleucid empire did the same. Every governmental system and authority is established by God.

            If America has come under judgement, if we have a president that brings hard times, count it as God’s judgement. It could be that God allowed the will of the people to take place…it could mean that God established certain rulers to teach us a lesson. Either way, they are put there by God.

            Do Christians have a responsibility to be patriotic? Yes. I think that a Christian that doesn’t vote is just asking God to judge our nation. A Reflection of the People

I have long believed this about American politics, that the president that is elected is not a driving force in the culture, but that elected representatives are a reflection of the culture.

            That is, if you want to change the political atmosphere, then you have to do the ground work. You have to get on your knees and you have to pray…and you have to get on your feet and you have to witness.

            The Culture

We say this, “well our culture is just so bad.” Well what is culture without people? When we hear that word culture, we think of some abstract reality…when culture is really this…the heart of the people. The values that people hold. The morality and the character that people possess. Can I tell you, that negligence of patriotic duty when it comes to elections is a character trait? Negligence of spiritual duty when it comes to prayer and evangelism is a character trait. It is a cultural phenomenon that is brought on by each individual.

            The reason that the culture surrounding our nation is the way that it is, is because we have allowed it to be. Instead of taking action, we just want to sit in our recliners and church pews and complain about the state of the world. Instead of taking a stand, we just want to go where we know we shouldn’t go with a bad attitude. It’s a vicious cycle of never ending erosion of the Christian character.

# 2 - The Government is Supposed to Punish Evil

Romans 13:3 NKJV

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

When any government neglects to punish what God has said is evil, they are not fulfilling their God given duty. It cannot be something that is politically convenient, it has to be something that God calls evil, and that evil has to be punished.

            Legislating Morality

I said earlier that you cannot legislate morality, and that is true, but you can legislate order. You can punish evil. I am in favor of the death penalty for certain crimes. I am in favor of jails. I am in favor of policing traffic. Why?

            157 has a speed limit of 65 and most drive 75, I can’t imagine what they’d be driving like if there were no speed limit. So, next time you get a ticket, don’t complain, just say, I am glad that some people aren’t allowed to drive 100 mph on the road, and I willingly broke the law, and I am going to pay what I owe.  

# 3 - The Government is to Promote Goodness

Romans 13:4 NKJV

For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

A good government will promote growth and prosperity, they will protect innocent life, they will provide national sovereignty and declare borders, they will provide security against threats, both domestic and international, and they will uphold the rule of law and the recognition of God as the creator of the universe.

            Any government that falls short of those things is a failing government.

            The Role of the Church

So, where do we fall? Because our government does not protect innocent life, it does not recognize God and His moral standard as the basis for all life…so what do we do?

            Well…take a lesson from Paul. So long as the government does not cause us to worship a false god, does not cause us to embrace sin and perversion, and does not prevent us from gathering, we ought to do what they say, and we ought to live in our reality.

Things I will do

            I will pay my taxes, even if they are outlandish. I will follow speed limits and accept the consequences if I don’t. I will abide by the law. If I want to change the laws, if I want to change distribution of my tax dollars, I will follow proper legal procedure to do so, I will not take matters into my own hands.

Things I won’t do

            I will not worship another god, no matter if the government mandates it or not. I will not lay down and accept sexual perversion and the murder of innocent life. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the name of fertilization or bodily autonomy, I will not support the murder of innocent life. I will not let the government tell me that I cannot gather as a church.

            The Difference

What’s the difference in what I will do and what I will not do? When Paul is writing here about the relationship between the Christian and the government, he is writing with the caveat that he will do everything the government requires, unless it violates the commands of God.

Prison, fine. Taxes, fine. Beheaded, fine. Obeying men rather than God…no way.