Fixing Fallacies: Life In Christianity - Part 2

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:13-17

Fallacy = Misconception or Mistaken Beliefs

Previously:

The God of Christianity

The Ruler/Authority of Christianity

The Church of Christianity

Entering Christianity

Life in Christianity Part 1

Paul Showed Us that Life in Christianity is about Being a Transformed Servant

Now We are Going to Look at Romans 13:1-7 and See What Paul Tells Us about Life in Christianity

Fallacy 1: Christians Don’t Have to Submit to Government Authorities

There is Much More to Say on this Topic than I will have Time to Say

And Some of this will be Hard for Some of Us to Take

But I Ask You to Please Open Your Hearts to What it Means to be a Follower of Christ

Many Christians have a Christian Nationalism Way of Thinking

Christian Nationalists Believe that America was Founded on Christian Principles and Must Continue to be Governed by Christian Principles

That America is Defined by Christian Principles and the Government Should Take Steps Toward Keeping it that Way

Christian Nationalists Advocate More for Christian Power and Authority in a Nation

True Christianity Advocates for Christian Principles in a Nation

Christian Nationalism Sees the Health and Growth of the Kingdom of God as Dependent on “Christian” Leaders Being in Power and “Christian” Laws on the Books

True Christianity Sees the Health and Growth of the Kingdom of God as Dependent on Christians Spreading the Good News to Others

I Think We Would All Rather have Righteous Christians in Power in Our Government

But We Can’t be of the Mindset that the Future of the Church and the Kingdom Depend on that being the Case

Christian Nationalists Want America to be like Old Testament Israel

Israel was Governed by God’s Laws as God’s Holy Nation

Christian Nationalists View America as a Sort of Holy Nation of God that Should be Governed by God’s Laws as Well

And if it Begins to Stray from that, it is the Right (or Even the Responsibility) of Christians to Take Back Their Government, by Force if Needed

On January 6th, We Saw this Belief System Played Out

Christian Nationalism Leads to Violent Insurrections and Refusal to Submit to Governmental Authorities They Disagree with

So Here’s the Question: Is this What Christ Intended for His People?

For His People to be Known as Those Who Defy Their Authorities When They Disagree with Them?

For His People to be Willing to Fight for Their Rights, Freedoms, and Christian Culture in a Temporal, Worldly Kingdom?

Do Christians Have to Submit to Governmental Authorities?

Romans 13:1–7 NASB95

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Paul Says that Every Soul/Person Must be in Subjection to Their Governmental Authorities

Why?

Because God Gave Governments the Authority that They have

So if We Disobey Our Governments, We are Disobeying God

We are Guilty of Sin Against God if We Do Not Submit to Our Governmental Authorities

God has Established Governments as His Servants to Punish Those Who Do Evil

Notice the Connection Between the End of Romans 12 and the Start of Romans 13

Christians Aren’t Supposed to Take Matters into Our Own Hands

That’s Why God has Established Governments

To Favor Those of Good Behavior and Punish Those of Evil Behavior

But What if a Government Doesn’t Favor Those of Good Behavior and Punish Those of Evil Behavior?

Is a Christian Authorized to Disobey (Live in Insubordination to) that Government?

Notice that Paul Doesn’t Give Any Disclaimers

He Doesn’t Say, “If your authorities are righteous, submit to them, but if they are unrighteous, you don’t have to.”

Or, “If you agree with your authorities, submit to them, but if you disagree with them, you don’t have to.”

Think about the People Paul was Writing this Letter to

They were Christians Living in Rome

Rome was Not Governed by Christian Values

They had Wicked, Prideful, Homosexual, Murderous Emperors Who Exercised Their Power and Authority However They Wanted

Paul is Telling Christians Living in a Much Worse Place and Time to be Submissive to Their Rulers

That Doesn’t Leave Us with Any Good Excuses to be Rebellious Against Our Authorities Today

This is What God has Always Expected of His People

He Didn’t Want the Children of Israel to Take Up Arms and Battle Against Their Egyptian Slaveowners

When Israel was Taken into Babylon to Live as Exiles, Jeremiah Sent this Letter to Them:

Jeremiah 29:4–7 NASB95

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’

God Didn’t Tell His People to Fight for Their Independence, Freedom, Rights, or to Change the Laws of the Land to the Law of Moses

He Told Them to Build Houses, Plant Gardens, Get Married, Start Families, Pray for the Welfare of Their New Home (which would Include Their New Governing Authorities)

Daniel Obeyed These Teachings While Living in Babylon

He Ended Up Serving as a High Ranking Official in Babylonian Government

And When the Persians Came in and Took Over Babylon, Daniel Didn’t Fight for the Rights and Freedoms of Babylon

He then Submitted to His New Persian Authorities

His Allegiance was to God, Not Any Earthly Government

And His Loyalty to God Led Him to Subjection to His Authorities

The Jews Seemed to Expect a Messiah (Anointed King) that would Come in and Lead the Jews to Freedom from Their Oppressive Government Authorities, Rome

But When the Messiah Arrived, He Told Them to Pay Their Taxes and be Humble, Submissive Servants

When Standing Before the Crowd that was about to Call for His Crucifixion, He was Standing Beside a Known Insurrectionist, Barabbas

Jesus Stood in Stark Contrast to Such a Person

Jesus Didn’t Come to Defeat Rome and Bring the Jewish Kingdom Back to Power

He Came to Establish His Own Kingdom

So are We to be Submissive and Obedient to Our Authorities No Matter What?

Well, Again, We can Look to Daniel and His Friends

They were Submissive in Everything Except When They were Commanded by Authorities to Disobey Their Ultimate Authority

They Would Not Eat Unclean Foods, Bow to a Golden Image, or Pray to the King as Commanded

We can Also Look to the Apostles

They Showed Us Twice in Front of the Jewish Authorities (Sanhedrin) that it is Better to Obey God than Man When Man Tells Us to Disobey God

Acts 4:19 NASB95

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;

Acts 5:29 NASB95

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

And Notice How, When They Disobeyed Their Governments in Order to Obey God, They Accepted the Punishments Issued to Them

Part of Being Submissive to Our Governing Authorities is Humbly Accepting Punishment for Disobedience

From the Beginning, Christians have Fled from Persecution or Endured Persecution

But Never have Followers of Christ Fought Back Against Persecution

It’s Not Our Place to Fight Back Against a Nation or Authority that has a Different Agenda than Us

Our Place is to Serve in the Kingdom of God, which Sometimes Calls for Us to Suffer for God’s Glory

1 Peter 3:13–17 NASB95

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Just like Daniel, We are Exiles in a Foreign Kingdom Awaiting the Day When the Fullness of God’s Kingdom is Established

Philippians 3:20–21 NASB95

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

We are Citizens of Heaven Before We are Citizens of America

While Living in this Foreign Land, We Must Submit to Any Authorities Who are Over Us

It is God’s Will for Us to Do so

Paul Said We Don’t just Do it because of the Punishment that it will Bring on Us, but Because it is the Right Thing to Do (for Conscience Sake)

It Doesn’t Matter if We Disagree with Them

It Doesn’t Matter if Our Leaders and Their Agendas are Wicked

It Doesn’t Matter if the Person We Voted for is in Power or Not

We Owe Our Authorities Taxes, Customs, Fear, and Honor

Because that is What God has Commanded

Will America Always be a Country that is Governed by Christian Principles?

The Fact is, it Never has been a Country that was Fully Governed by Christian Principles

And that has Absolutely No Bearing on the Success of God’s Kingdom, which should be Our Ultimate Concern

If We Want a Country Governed by Christian Principles, that will Never Happen by Electing the Right Leaders, Passing the Right Laws, or Supporting a Certain Political Party

A Righteous, Christ-Centered Nation will Only Come from Christians Actively Living and Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ