Honor, Submission, and Paying Taxes
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
You have to pay your taxes, sorry.
You have to pay your taxes, sorry.
What does this passage have to do with chapter 12?
12:2 we are told to “not be conformed to this world...”
It is hard for us to understand the implications of this command.
The Romans Emperor was considered god of the Roman Citizens.
So if you are a new Christian in Rome, how can you worship Jesus as Lord and Savior and still support the Romans government?
Paul is speaking into a real life issue for the Church in Rome
How they live as citizens will effect their ability to be witnesses for Christ where they live.
So he tells them “You have to pay your taxes.”
Why we struggle with this passage.
Why we struggle with this passage.
Our reaction to this passages comes from 2 places:
Our democratic form of government-
We have the opportunity to vote in the candidates we think most represent us
not the case in the Roman Empire or in other countries around the world.
When you have a say (to a point) in the laws of the land, submission is hard for us to understand.
If our candidates are in office, we can follow this well, but if the opposition is in office, submission, honor, and respect just don’t come easy.
The modern tendency we have toward villainizing those that disagree with us.
It is far to common in our culture to move quickly from a simple disagreement to saying the person you disagree with is evil or stupid.
“If you believe ________ then you are a bad person...”
“Our disagreements may frequently hoarsen our voices, but they rarely sharpen our thinking, much less change our minds.” Brett Stephens
So the thought of submission, honor, and respect of those in authority just doesn’t compute in our modern society.
This is why is so important to us.
How we live this verse will effect our ability to
How are we as believers to relate with the societal institutions around us?
How are we to relate to authority in a way that doesn’t compromise our obedience to God?
That answer is in the greek word “hypotasso” which means “to place under” or to “submit”
We SUBMIT as CITIZENS.
We SUBMIT as CITIZENS.
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.
“Let EVERY PERSON be subject to the governing authorities.”
Not a select few people.
Not only those who agree with those in charge.
Not only when it is advantageous to us.
“Let every person BE SUBJECT TO the governing authorities.”
Means to Submit
It is to acknowledge that certain institutions or people have been placed over us and have the right to our respect and deference.
It doesn’t mean “do everything the government tells you to without question.”
There is injustice and evil in every governmental system in the world.
Submission means to respect the position of those in authority over us even when it is necessary that we do not obey them.
“Let every person be subject to THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES.”
Our submission is to those that have been placed in leadership over us.
President, representatives, governors, mayors, law enforcement, judges...
We are citizens of this city, this county, this state, this country, and for that reason, we must abide by the rules and submit to the authorities that have been given to us.
Paul isn’t contradicting himself from 12:2, not conforming to the world doesn’t mean we live in anarchy.
It means we do not accept the ways and institutions of this world as ultimately true and complete.
Rather we live in light of the mercy of God and, with transformed minds, we give ourselves to Him as sacrificial servants
One of the ways we do this is through submitting ourselves to the governing authorities over us.
We SUBMIT as SAINTS.
We SUBMIT as SAINTS.
We SUBMIT as SAINTS.
We SUBMIT as SAINTS.
The verse continues with the reason for our submission...
romans 13 1-
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.
“There is no authority except from God”
“There is no authority except from God”
Jesus said the same thing to Pontius Pilot in
11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
roman 13 2
Paul connects our submission to human authority to our submission to God.
He doesn’t just do this here though:
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Wives are to submit to
Wives are to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord”
5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
Slaves (or employees in our day) are to submit to their masters (bosses) “as they would to Christ”
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Children are to obey their parents “in the Lord” because it is RIGHT/righteous.
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.
Church members are to submit to leadership in the church.
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
1 thess
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
We as a church family ought to submit to one another out of our devotion to Christ.
This is the theme of the previous verse, DON’T THINK OF YOUR SELF AS MORE IMPORTANT.
In each case, we must recognize the rightful leadership role that another human being has in our life.
In each case, we must recognize the rightful leadership role that another human being has in our life.
recognize the rightful leadership role that another human being has in his or her life.
And by doing so we are recognizing the primary authority in our lives, Jesus Christ.
Submission is the way of life for those who are in Christ.
If you have a problem with authority, then you will have a major problem being a Christian.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
phil 2
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
phil 2
If we truly are IN CHRIST then our lives will be marked by submission.
To be IN CHRIST means more than not going to hell.
It means that He is gradually taking over in our lives, molding an shaping us more and more to be like Him.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
You might not see how paying your taxes has anything to do with following Jesus, but it has ALL to do with it.
If Jesus is not LORD of ALL, He is not LORD at ALL.
If Jesus is not LORD of ALL, He is not LORD at ALL.
That is a quote from Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China for 51 years.
Taylor understood that to truly be a Christian it had to be more than just simply praying a prayer and going to church on Sundays.
It has EVERY DAY IMPLICATIONS.
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.
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,
To be “transformed in mind” by the work of Jesus means that the laws of the land are seen for what they are.
They are for the promotion of good and when they are followed we should expect to be “approved”.
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. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
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.
Paul is saying “
And thus we have our reason for
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
Why should you be subject to the governing authorities?
Because God is behind every authority (good or bad) in every aspect of our lives.
A life of sacrificial worship
How we live our every day lives speaks to how much we are truly devoted to Jesus as Lord of our lives.
And because submission to the authorities around us is ultimately submission to God’s complete authority in all of our lives.
And the mission of our lives is to listen to the one who has been given ultimately authority as Jesus says of Himself in
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
matt 28
and so the purpose of our obedience is the remainder of that verse.
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.”
matt 28 19-
We pay our taxes, honor and respect those in authority over us in order that the other might know how great and how powerful, and how incredible Jesus really is.
I want to end with the extended quote from Hudson Taylor on the implications of -21.
“How are we going to treat the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to this command? Shall we definitely drop the title Lord as applied to Him, and take the ground that we are quite willing to recognize Him as our Saviour, so far as the penalty of sin is concerned, but are not prepared to own ourselves ‘bought with a price’, or Him as having any claim to our unquestioning obedience? Shall we say that we are our own masters, willing to yield something as His due, who bought us with His blood, provided He does not ask too much? Our lives, our loved ones, our possessions are our own, not His: we will give Him what we think fit, and obey any of His requirements that do not demand too great a sacrifice? To be taken to heaven by Jesus Christ we are more than willing, but we will not have this Man to reign over us?
“How are we going to treat the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to this command? Shall we definitely drop the title Lord as applied to Him, and take the ground that we are quite willing to recognize Him as our Saviour, so far as the penalty of sin is concerned, but are not prepared to own ourselves ‘bought with a price’, or Him as having any claim to our unquestioning obedience? Shall we say that we are our own masters, willing to yield something as His due, who bought us with His blood, provided He does not ask too much? Our lives, our loved ones, our possessions are our own, not His: we will give Him what we think fit, and obey any of His requirements that do not demand too great a sacrifice? To be taken to heaven by Jesus Christ we are more than willing, but we will not have this Man to reign over us?
The heart of every Christian will undoubtedly reject the proposition, so formulated; but have not countless lives in each generation been lived as though it were proper ground to take? How few of the Lord’s people have practically recognised the truth that Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all! If we can judge God’s Word as much or as little as we like, then we are lords and He is the indebted one, to be grateful for our dole and obliged by our compliance with his wishes. If, on the other hand, He is Lord, let us treat Him as such. (“Biography of James Hudson Taylor” by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor [Hodder and Stoughton/OMF, 1985], pg. 439-440)
The question I leave you with today is: Is Jesus Lord of all?
If He is not, He is not your Lord AT ALL.
Submission begins when we realize how lost we are without Him.
