Submissive Obedience

Introduction: Teenagers are always trying to find the loop-hole in your rule. If you say, “Don’t stand or walk near the edge of that cliff please.” They will reply, “What if I see someone about to fall, can I try to save them?”

It is amazing how many Christians try to find the same loop-holes in God’s will. “I know normally God doesn’t want us to do this, but it is different in my case.” It is rarely different.

All of us have a natural bent toward rebellion.

Basic Command

Who is exempt from this command? - No one

What does it mean to submit to something?

accept or yield to a superior force or stronger person

subject to a particular process, treatment, or condition

surrendering to

to place under the power, authority, or will of another

We need to have a biblical understanding of submission.

When we submit to God we are acknowledging that we are giving ourselves over to His will and purposes.

It also means that we will do everything in our power to further His will and purposes.

In this case we submit ourselves completely because of who God is in all of His holy perfection.

When we submit to each other it always comes with an acknowledgement that we are all sinners and our submission to God comes first. Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” (The exception's never lead to sin.)

Examples

To each other - Ephesians 5:21 “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Wives to husbands - Colossians 3:18 “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

To rulers and authorities - Titus 3:1 “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,”

To human institutions - 1 Peter 2:13–14 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”

To our elders - 1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

To Church leadership - Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

To God - James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Why should we submit?

For the sake of function.

So our families can function

So our churches can function

So our societies can function

For the sake of Christ

The most important aspect of submission is the way that it pictures Christ.

In meek humility Jesus Himself submitted to the will of His heavenly Father.

Submitting to His heavenly Father led Him to submitting to earthly authority as well.

To His earthly parents.

To Pilate and Herod

To the soldiers who arrested Him.

When we respond to authority with meek, humble obedience we can be a picture of Christ to a lost and dying world.

This is not weakness

It is great strength

The Source of Governing Authority

God Ordained Institution (v. 1b)

Romans 13:1b “For there is no authority except from God, and those (authorities) that exist have been instituted by God.”

This goes back all the way to Genesis 9:6 ““Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”

Instituted by God - the result of this truth is that we cannot reject government as a concept or institution.

God Ordained Judgment (v. 2)

Romans 13:2 “Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

To resist these authorities is to resist God

The result of resisting God-ordained authority is judgment.

The Purpose of Governing Authority

This is a description of the ideal scenario when government is functioning as God intended it to.

Approval of what is good

Romans 13:3–4 “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, 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.”

When government is operating biblically then those who properly submit to its authority should be the recipients of those good things that the government is providing.

Police protection

Military protection

Infrastructure

Terror to what is evil

Romans 13:3–4 “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, 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.”

When government is operating biblically then those who resist its authority by law breaking should fear reprisal.

They do not bear the sword in vain or for no reason.

God has ordained that those in governmental authority can use violence as a means of carrying out their God ordained purpose.

They carry out God’s wrath on the wrong doer.

The primary purpose is to serve as a deterrent to those who would consider criminal actions.

The Response to Governing Authority

Subjection

Romans 13:5 “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”

Why?

To avoid the wrath of God.

The wrath of God may be unpopular, but it is no less true.

We should remind ourselves from time to time that how we feel about something has no impact on its truthfulness.

The wrath of God may be extended through governing authorities.

They bear the sword with God’s approval.

For the sake of conscience

The way that Paul words v. 5 seems to indicated that he views this as the greater motivation for submitting ourselves to the governing authorities that God has placed over us.

The writer who put together what many consider the preeminent commentary on the book of Romans says that “conscience” “refers here to the believer’s knowledge of God’s will and purposes.”

Christians should intrinsically know what Paul has taught.

They know that even secular rulers serve as God’s servants.

Think of the Old Testament examples of great human rulers who either knowingly or unknowingly furthered God’s plans.

Nebuchadnezzar

Cyrus

Examples

Taxes

Matthew 22:20–22 “And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.”

Even Jesus told us to pay our taxes.

Revenue

May refer to custom fees.

It is hard to know exactly what type of payment Paul had in mind here.

Respect & Honor

Goes beyond simple monetary payments.

Not only should we pay them what we owe but we should respect and honor them.

Sometimes based on their actions and beliefs the greatest honor we can bestow on them is to simply be silent about them.

Professing believers struggle with this every election cycle.