Relating to Government God's Way: Submission to Government - 1 Peter 2:13-17

Introduction: This message comes at a time when our nation and the world is in an identity crisis. We are not just seeing persecution on the horizon, we are seeing it in now. As we speak Pastor Coates is in jail for refusing to stop assembling on Sundays. They have said that they will let him go if he will sign a document where he agrees to not set foot on the church property to preach the gospel.

Background:

The fact is, the churches that Peter were writing to were facing very similar steps toward persecution.

Proposition: God wants us to relate to government in such a way that preserves the Christian’s testimony and glorifies God.

Interrogative: How does God want us to relate to government?

I. God wants us to submit to government whenever we can (13-14)

1 Peter 2:13-14 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”

A. The Reference to Our Position as a Sojourner - 13 (“Therefore”)

B. The Concept

1. Meaning of “Submit yourselves” (same word as subject in Romans 13)

Romans 13

13 Let every soul be a subject to the governing authorities.

a. Submit means recognizing the government as having authority delegated from God.

For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

b. Submit means not resisting government authority.

2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 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. 4 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.

c. Submit means arranging ourselves under authority, not motivated by punishment, but motivated by morality.

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

d. Submit means we willingly pay our taxes to the government.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

2. To every ordinance (instituted authority) of man - what are they?

Marriage/Family

Genesis 2:24 - 24 fTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

b. The Church

Matthew 16:18 - Revelation of the Church

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and pthe gates of Hades shall not 7prevail against it.

c. The Government (Genesis 9; Romans 13)

The New King James Version Chapter 13

13 Let every soul be asubject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists bthe authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will 1bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? cDo what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 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. 5 Therefore dyou must be subject, not only because of wrath ebut also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 fRender therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

The New King James Version Chapter 3

3 Remind them ato be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, bto be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

C. The Inclusion (Varied Government Formats)

To the king as supreme

Or to governors

D. The Role and Method

1. Punishment of Evil-doers (lawless): to those sent by him for the punishment of evil doers.

a. The previous passage showed that the persecuted Christians were being accused of lawlessness and rebellion against government

b. The government’s role is intended to punish lawlessness.

1Peter 2:12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 3:16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.2. For the praise of those who do good

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a 7busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

2. Reward those who do good (what is good?)

a. Doing good is defined in Genesis

b. God gave us authority to do certain things (authority/rule) (inalienable rights)

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over 7all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man ain His own image; in the image of God He created him; bmale and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them,

1. Right to function as a family

“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth

2. Right to work (enslave the earth)

and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that 8moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; eto you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to fevery beast of the earth, to every gbird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is 9life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

3. Right to life - Genesis 9

9 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: a“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 bAnd the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 cEvery moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you dall things, even as the green herbs. 4 fBut you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; gfrom the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every iman’s brother I will require the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood,

By man his blood shall be shed;

kFor in the image of God

He made man.

7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply;

Bring forth abundantly in the earth

And multiply in it.”

4. Right Worship - (Exodus)

Human rights are moral principles or norms[1] that describe certain standards of human behaviour and are regularly protected in municipal and international law.[2] They are commonly understood as inalienable,[3] fundamental rights "to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being"[4] and which are "inherent in all human beings",[5] regardless of their age, ethnic origin, location, language, religion, ethnicity, or any other status.[3] They are applicable everywhere and at every time in the sense of being universal,[1]

https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3506&context=wlulr

Application:

When can/should we submissively disobey government, Biblically?

When the government requires us to disobey God’s commands.

Example: Required abortion,

2. When the government prohibits us from obey God’s commands.

3. When the government impedes or hinders the God-given rights (authority) of another institution ordained by God.

Example: A government says that you can only

Transition:

II. God wants us to relate to government to do God’s will (15)

The New King James Version Chapter 2

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

A. The Reason: For this is the will of God

B. The Purpose:

1. that by doing good (submitting to whatever laws you can)

2. you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men

By submitting to government, Christians demonstrate that they are good citizens, not anarchists. Hence, they extinguish the criticisms of those who are ignorant and revile them. Such ignorance is not innocent but culpable, rooted in the foolishness of unbelievers. To refer to unbelievers as foolish is no denigration of their intellectual capacities. Peter hearkened back to Proverbs, where the foolish are morally debased. They are foolish because they do not fear the Lord and walk in his ways (Prov 1:7), and hence their ignorance is culpable.57

Transition:

III. God wants us to relate to government with the right motivations (16-17)

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A. Submit as free from sin.

1, 2 Peter, Jude (1) Submit to the Government (2:13–17)

Believers have been ransomed by Christ’s blood (1:18–19) and are no longer subject to the futile lifestyle characteristic of this world.60 Hence, the submission of believers is never servile or rendered out of weakness.

B. Submit without using using liberty to hide sin

The New King James Version Chapter 17

24 tWhen they had come to 8Capernaum, those who received the 9temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

25 He said, “Yes.”

And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from ustrangers?”

26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a 1piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

C. But as bondservants of God

IV. God Wants Us To Relate to Government in light of relating to everyone. (17)

A. Honor all Men

B. Love the brotherhood

C. Fear God

D. Honor the King