Responsibility to Government

Introduction

Freedom does not mean the absence of constraints or moral absolutes. Suppose a skydiver at 10,000 feet announces to the rest of the group, "I'm not using a parachute this time. I want freedom!"

The fact is that a skydiver is constrained by a greater law--the law of gravity. But when the skydiver chooses the "constraint" of the parachute, she is free to enjoy the exhilaration.

God's moral laws act the same way: they restrain, but they are absolutely necessary to enjoy the exhilaration of real freedom.

-- Colin Campbell in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.

[Sub-introduction]

I. Be in Subjection (rank under) (1-3)

A. Authority is God’s alone

Authority and dictatorship are not the same thing, and all of us need authority; we need the authority of law, ... the authority of parents, the authority of teachers. And this doesn't mean blind obedience: it means ... we all need guidance. ... [W]e are children in the eyes of God. It's very important in organised society that we are adults, making free choices, but we should have the humility to recognise that we are in many respects children. ...

- Charles Moore in Third Way. Christianity Today,

B. Government is appointed, or determined by God

1. To resist government is to resist the authority of God

2. Those who resist will receive condemnation

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God."

-- James Madison

C. Our conduct should determine how government treats us.

1. Rebellion brings the sword

2. Compliance brings praise

II. Civil Leaders are God’s servants (4-5)

A. Leaders are ministers of judgement for wrongdoers

B. We should obey them to avoid punishment, and because our conscience tells us that it is right.

III. We are to support our civil leaders

A. With taxes

B. With our respect

C. With honor

IV. We Are Responsible to choose good leaders Deut 16:18

18“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Governments, like clocks go from the motions men give them. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad. But if men be bad, the government will never be good. I know some say, "Let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them." But let them consider that though good laws do well, good men do better; for good laws may lack good men, but good men will never lack good laws, nor allow bad ones.

-- William Penn.

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 1.

V.