Romans 13:1-7 | Authority (pt 1)
Romans 12-16 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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SERMON TITLE: Authority (pt 1)
SCRIPTURE: Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 7-20-25
TURN MIC ON / WELCOME
As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our series in Romans this weekend. And we’re in the practical application section of Paul’s letter. You may remember that — after eleven chapters of rich theological truths — Paul gets to the so what beginning in chapter twelve? Meaning he addresses how all of the theology that’s found in the first eleven chapters is to play itself out in how we live. Or — at least — how it should influence the way we live? That’s the journey we began earlier this year with Paul’s big “therefore” statement — when he writes…
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
In light of the theology he’s taught us — Paul nows tells us to live our lives as sacrificial offerings to God — where our lives are acts of worship that make our God look glorious to the world. And the particular way our lives can make God look glorious to the world — that Paul addresses in our verses for today — leads us to what will most likely be the most controversial subject I’ve ever preached on as the pastor here — more controversial than the gift of prophecy or predestination — more controversial than church membership or infant baptism. Paul’s showing us what not being conformed to this world looks like in some of the touchiest parts of life. So this is all incredibly practical stuff — for it shows us how the Christian faith actually changes us.
With that — if you have your Bible — please turn with me to Romans chapter thirteen. We’ll be in Romans chapter thirteen today — looking at verses one through seven. There Paul writes…
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Now what this text teaches us is pretty straightforward — though it can be incredibly challenging to understand. Today we’ll cover what Paul is saying — at a high level — as we remind ourselves of the situation in which he’s writing these words — while also exploring an incredibly important doctrine we must believe in order for what Paul’s teaching us to make any kind of sense. Next week we’ll return to this passage because — though it’s pretty straightforward — applying this text is where things get hard. So we’ll spend next week talking about implications of this text for us and how we’re to live differently both — when we’re in authority — and when we’re under — or in submission to — authority. Then — the following and hopefully final week looking at these verses — we’ll address the authority questions that everyone asks: When do we obey authority and — the more popular question — when can we disobey authority?
Now — if you’re here and wouldn’t call yourself a Christian — know that — for the next few weeks — we will be talking politics — but not how you might think. When we talk about submitting to authority — one area of life where this can’t be ignored is in the area of government. That’s why I said this may be the most controversial subject I’ve ever preached on because — generally speaking — politics is a religion in our country. And we’re a nation with many who are fully devoted followers of the Republican and Democrat religions — I mean — parties. So — warning — politics is going to be brought up. Yet submitting to authority applies to many other areas of life beyond politics — the home, the church, the workplace, and so on — so we’ll touch on these areas of life over the next few weeks as well.
So next week we’ll focus on those in authority and those under authority and — the week after that — we’ll address some of the many implications and scenarios and “what about’s” that you’ve probably thought of when it comes to submission and authority. I wish I could get right to these question this week — but we have to lay some biblical groundwork first — and my guess is that you’ll thank me for breaking this up over multiple weeks rather than trying to address it all in one really long sermon.
So here’s our goal for today. Today I want to — first — explain the text: what is Paul saying and what was going on in Paul’s world when he wrote these words. Then I want to focus on an important doctrine this text teaches us that we must first believe in order to have any hopes in knowing how to apply what this text teaches.
What is Paul saying? And an important doctrine for us to believe.
PAUL’S POINT
First — what is Paul teaching us in this text? Let’s just read the entire passage again.
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
So — first — what is Paul saying? Well he starts with a mandate: “Let every person” — meaning every single person — meaning you and me — “let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” In making this mandate, Paul is placing an obligation on his original readers — and given that this is in the Bible — the obligation applies to all Christians — including those of us who follow Jesus today. We who live in the United States. Christians who live in the United Kingdom. Christians who live in China. And Christians who live in North Korea. This mandate applies to all of us. Which — as I said a few moments ago — shows us why what Paul is saying is both straightforward — and — incredibly challenging.
As one pastor writes…
Romans 8–16 for You Submit in Everything?
The strength of this statement intensifies when we realize that Paul was talking of a very non-Christian government—the pagan Roman empire. The “authorities” Paul has in view were at best unfriendly, and at worst actively hostile, toward the church. The increasingly secular west is only just beginning to experience the level of hostility that first-century believers faced; the 21st-century persecuted church experiences it every day. It is this type of “state” which Paul tells the Christian to submit himself to. The default position of the Christian (every Christian) to the state (any state) is to submit.
So this mandate isn’t to rattling when you’re a Christian living in the United States with the individual you voted for in the White House. We go all cray cray when the other party’s candidate wins — “not my president” — so let’s take a step outside of our small United States of America world and think of the Christians who live in North Korea. How can Paul make such a mandate and it apply to Christians living in North Korea?
His justification comes in his next sentence where he states that “there is no authority except from God.” This will be the foundation for the doctrine we look at later in this sermon — but this biblical truth — this doctrine when believed — is how Paul’s mandate is obeyed. Without a firm understanding of this doctrine — that all who are in authority are there because God has put him or her there — we will not obey this mandate. We won’t live the changed life that our faith says we can live. For the fuel for our “being subject to the governing authorities” — whether we live in the US, the UK, China, North Korea — or — the Roman Empire in which Paul lived when he wrote these words — is believing that “there is no authority except from God.”
Paul not only lived under the rule of the Roman Empire — he’s writing this letter to Christians who live in the city of Rome — the city where the Roman Emperor lived. So — earlier — when Paul wrote…
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
…these Christians in Rome would’ve immediately had questions about how all of this “not conforming to the world” stuff applied to their relationship with Caesar. It’s like Paul said to them, “Don’t be conformed to the Caesar worshiping world that you live in the midst of.” And they’re probably all like, “Well how does that work?”
Nearly twenty years earlier, Jesus was asked nearly the same exact question — but the people asking were trying to trap Jesus. Here’s what happened.
13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Here’s Jesus’s point: Pay taxes to Caesar, but don’t worship him. And worshiping him can include an absolute allegiance and unqualified obedience to him — but — as Christians — there’s only One we worship. The early Christians understood this and constantly ran into trouble when the leaders of the Roman Empire realized that the Christians believed they were required to submit to an authority higher than the emperor. And — in fact — this higher authority was judge of the emperor and his government.
We Christians — here in the US — have blended the Christian faith with the political party religions I mentioned earlier — and we’ve lost our distinctness as Christians. Something we should long to reclaim if we really want to live a life where we give to Caesar the things that are his without giving him the things that are God’s.
The Westminster Confession of Faith — our denomination’s doctrinal standard — states…
God, the supreme Lord and King of the whole world, has ordained civil authorities to be over people under him for his own glory and the public good. For this purpose he has armed civil authorities with the power of the sword to defend and encourage those who are good and to punish wrongdoers. (WCF 23.1)
And it cites our verses — in Romans chapter thirteen — as reference — and also First Peter chapter two, which says…
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
We read commands like this from Peter and immediately are concerned with the lack of a loophole. Every human institution — including the emperor. Peter and Paul agree. But the Christians living in Rome would’ve been just as shocked as you by such a statement because the Roman emperors they’ve lived under were no King David types. These weren’t godly, God-fearing, emperors.
By the time Paul writes Romans, things were still fairly peaceful for Christians in the Roman Empire. Yes, the Jews were persecuting them, but the Roman Empire had yet to amp up its persecution of Christians. That comes a few years after Romans in written. But — as we see in Acts eighteen — which takes places about five years before Paul writes Romans — some Christians had gotten kicked out of Rome for some reason. So the relationship between the Christians and the government was deteriorating. Paul would have been aware of all of this tension — so would Peter.
Which is why Peter and Paul both have to explain why such submission is required of God’s people. Peter says we’re to submit “for the Lord’s sake” and Paul says we submit “because all authority is established by God.” Our response to authority will either reflect positively or negatively on Jesus. That’s what’s at stake.
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
And now we turn to the important doctrine of our text that will give us confidence to submit to those in authority — when we live here in the US or in nations where Christians are persecuted. The doctrine our text highlights is the sovereignty of God. One of my biblical resources defines the sovereignty of God as…
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia Sovereignty of God
The biblical teaching concerning the absolute, irresistible, infinite, and unconditional exercise of God’s self-will over every area of His creation.
We find God’s sovereignty in verse one of our chapter — where Paul writes…
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
God — in being sovereign — has established every government that has ever existed. All governments today and all governments throughout history. And — in being sovereign — he has also brought to an end every government that has ceased to exist.
As one pastor has said, God’s sovereignty has implications “for war and peace, dictators and totalitarianism, concentration camps and gulags, revolts and revolutions, laws and law enforcement, political activism and civil disobedience, elections and lobbying, voting and paying taxes, speed limits and seat belts, stop signs and baby seats.” (John Piper)
But it’s not just Paul who claims God’s sovereignty over those in authority. For we read…
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.
And…
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
Or take the prophet Habakkuk who’s book begins with…
1 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision. 2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. 3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. 4 The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.
I’ll paraphrase for you: God, things are not good! And here’s God’s reply to Habakkuk.
5 The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. 7 They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like. 8 Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey. 9 “On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. 10 They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them! 11 They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.”
Be honest. If you were Habakkuk how would you have responded to God? The God you believe in — does he have this kind of sovereignty over the nations? Can he raise up cruel and violent people to bring about his judgment — even if the judgment is on his chosen people? That’s what he says to Habakkuk. For God — in being sovereign — can use any and all human authority to accomplish his purpose. A wicked nation, an evil ruler, a candidate from the other political party — all of them can be used by God to execute his judgment here on earth.
Take King Jeroboam —a wicked man who wouldn’t listen to wise advice. Where’s God’s sovereignty when a wicked man becomes king? It’s right here.
15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
King Jeroboam’s decision leads to the division of the nation of Israel — one nation will become two. And this all happened so that the word of the Lord would be fulfilled.
Centuries later — when King Nebuchadnezzar — who had defeated and conquered the people of God — has a dream about a large statue that only the prophet Daniel can interpret — Daniel tells him…
37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.
This pagan — people of God conquering and enslaving king — has been given kingdom, power, might, and glory by the God of the people whom he has conquered. How about that? For — as Nebuchadnezzar will later be told…
25 seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
A truth about God’s sovereignty that — not only a pagan king needs to learn — but a truth we all need to learn. Nebuchadnezzar’s nation will eventually fall to Persia and its king — Cyrus — who the prophet Isaiah recorded these words of God nearly two hundred years before Cyrus would reign as an earthly king.
1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. 2 This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. 4 “And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. 5 I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, 6 so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. 8 “Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the Lord, created them. 9 “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ 10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, ‘Why was I born?’ or if it said to its mother, ‘Why did you make me this way?’ ” 11 This is what the Lord says— the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: “Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. 13 I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people— without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
You see — there’s comfort found in this doctrine. Because God is sovereign — because he’s directing the hearts of those in authority — even when those in authority make decisions you disagree with — you can still trust in God’s sovereignty. And — more important — you’re still to submit to his sovereignty. For — if God had lost control over those leading Babylon or Persia or Israel itself — or if he’s lost control over those who lead North Korea or Iran, China or Afghanistan or those leading the Democrat or Republican Party — then he’s not sovereign. And a God who’s not sovereign isn’t a god worthy of anyone’s worship. For only a sovereign God can give you a confidence like Joseph — who was able to say…
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
These are the words Joseph said to his brothers who sold him into slavery hoping to make his life miserable so they’d never have to see him again. God “intending it all for good” is Joseph’s way of describing God’s sovereignty.
Earlier in Romans — Paul describes God’s sovereignty this way.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
“All things work together for good” — all things — including those who are in authority. I mean — if as Paul goes on to say…
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
And…
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Don’t miss — and maybe this time it’ll feel a little heavier to you — but don’t miss, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we’re regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” in the midst of all of these wonderful — hope-giving — inspiring truths.
Even when those in authority kill you and slaughter God’s people — God’s sovereignty doesn’t waver. Because — in all circumstance — those whom God has put over you in authority is part of his good plan for you.
CONCLUSION
For God — being sovereign — can not only use pagan unbelieving kings to accomplish his will — God has even anointed them and empowered them to fulfill his righteous purpose. Again — this should not surprise us — especially those of us who follow the One who when…
10 Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above…”
Though Pilate may not have recognized where his authority came from — Jesus knew. And Pilate’s authority — which he used to crucify Jesus — was completely under the sovereign power of God. And more important than Pilate’s authority or the power of any leader of any nation is the authority of Jesus Christ — who is the Sovereign One. For he — after having defeated death by the sovereign power and authority of God — said…
18“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
For Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords and is reigning and ruling and orchestrating all things so that his will is accomplished — in the world — and in your life.
And here’s what I hope you’re hearing — for this is where this little mini-series on authority is going to take all of us who follow Jesus: My hope is that we’ll all begin to see — with greater clarity — how our view of authority — both when we’re in authority — but especially when we’re under authority — our view — and more importantly — our obedience to the authority God has placed over us — at home, at work, in the church, in our nation, and so on — I hope we’ll all see how our obedience to the authority our sovereign God has placed over us is a reflection of our submission to him more than it’s about our submission to them. Your obedience to authority — if you believe Jesus — or your lack of submission — reveals more about your submission to God than it does to whoever he’s placed over you.
The “therefore” life Paul is showing us — is a life that’s submitted to the authority of the only Sovereign God — which displays itself by submitting to the authority he has placed over us. Even when we live in North Korea. Or China. Or the UK. Or here in the US when the person we voted for didn’t win the election. Let’s pray.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, you are sovereign — in control — orchestrating your plan and purpose for your creation. Nothing nor no one is outside of your sovereign authority. No king or queen. No prime minister or president. And none of us. For you are God — you are sovereign — and we are not.
Holy Spirit, our sin has caused us to distrust and rebel against authority — including yours. We believe ourselves to always be right, to know what’s best, to not be accountable to anyone, and so on — all lies. Forgive us of such arrogance and pride.
And — Jesus — all authority in heaven and on earth is yours. And we trust you to do what is right, what is best, and what is for our good. You’ve never given us a reason to doubt your goodness or trustworthiness — so we choose — right now — to trust. And it’s so hard — for we want control. So thank you in advance for being patient and gracious with us. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.
BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)
May you go submitting yourself to the authority of the One who is Sovereign — trusting that he is working all things out for the good of his people. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
