Sunday Morning Service

Romans 13 (Click scripture reference for audio access)

"The Christian And The Government"  •  7.22.12  •  Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship

Intro.

- Romans 12 began the section on the application of the mercies of God in life and I believe that we have already experienced a wonderful dose of practicality.

- Paul's thesis statement in Romans 12:1 is that once the mercy of God is acknowledged, then a logical response is to that mercy is to live a sacrificed life.

- That life is lived as a member of a body, submitting to the organism, expressing the gift one is given, sacrifically loving one another without hypocrisy. Paul, what happens when we leave church?

- That is where Romans 13 comes into play. How does a living sacrifice live before the watching world? It's the shortest chapter in Romans, but don't let that fool you!

Text

• Romans 13:1,2 : "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." : Every single person in the church must determine to be subject to the governing authorities.

- Historically, you will recall through our studies in Acts, that a strong anti-Jewish current had begun to flow in the Roman Empire. Eventually, Claudius expelled Jews from Rome.

- An element among the Jewish people at the time had begun to employ force in their resistance, some even carrying small daggers that they employed in large gatherings.

- It's possible that Paul had this in mind when he penned this statement. You will find that this was not an isolated call to the church at Rome. Most epistles contain a similar statement.

- God's people are to submit themselves to the civil authorities that stand over them!

- Please notice what is missing from Paul's statement. There is no immediate qualifier. "Be subject to them if you like or agree with them or if you like or agree with their dictates."

- There is no immediate qualifier, but we would be foolish to believe that there is an implicit absoulte! This does not require us to obey without question or obey toward any end.

- There are times when we are to practice civil disobedience, most notably, when God commands us to do or not do something that the governing authorities require of us.

- We are to obey God rather than man! We are to stand when every one else bows, but In general, Paul is telling us that it's appropriate for us to subject ourselves to them.

- The word "subject" or "submit" means to arrange oneself under, to yield to. It was used in the military of troop arrangement. Fall in under those who have risen above you in power.

- Why is this the case? Primarily because the authority that exists comes from or out of God.

- Government is God's idea. The ones in authority are there having been appointed by God! This is a difficult consideration.

- We might cry out in offense, noting the seeming godlessness of certain leaders. We need only search through the scriptures to see that God has always been doing this.

- He raised up the Pharaoh in Egypt. He raised up Artaxerxes in Persia. The nation of the Assyrians and Babylonians were His hammer against the people of Israel and Judah respectively.

- Some Kings were put in power to humble the people of God, some to reveal His power and some to help God's people, most notably Cyrus who took care of the bill to rebuild Jerusalem!

- We have the governing authorities that God knows that we need. As to their godlessness, know that the people in Rome would laugh us to scorn!

- Roman Emperors, the Caesars, were cruel tyrants, who gained their thrones by wicked measures. The Holy Spirit is saying through Paul that God has ordained them!

- On that account, because that is true, those who resist authority, resist the very ordinance of God! To disobey or to battle against authority is to put yourself in a position to fight against God.

- Those who do inevitably bring judgment upon themselves from the authorities, as well as indirectly, from the Lord.

- I might further add that Paul is meaning to say this: Visible authority given by God and adhered to by Christians, reveals a submission to God in a tangible way!

- People around you can see that you have obeyed God by how you obey authority!

• Romans 13:3,4 : "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. 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." : The NLT version renders verse 3 this way, "For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right."

- This is generally true, as Paul knows that there were corrupt and terrifying officers of the government. Paul himself saw however, that governing officials were often given to protect his life!

- Rulers have not been set in their place to be a terror to those who do good, but to be a terror to those who do evil. Government, by it's existence, restrains the evil that people would like to do!

- As a Christian person, doing good leads to eventual praise from them and a platform!

- Good works, done in the name of Jesus, will bring recognition to the act and to the Lord.

- Authority is meant to be God's arm to serve you for this purpose. However, if one would do evil or would move in a direction that would cause trouble, know that God has an answer for that!

- Governing authority is a minister of God for those who do good as well as a minister to avenge or execute wrath as well!

- This might be a warning to those in the church who were contemplating a more aggressive form of response.

- The governing minister is one who is given the power to judge, even to the point of performing capital punishment! Usually, criminals were beheaded and God endorses that function.

• Romans 13:5-7 : "Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." : A Christian is to be submit himself to the government as well as support it. Whenever the government would require their obedience, a Christian must be obedient.

- Wrath is one issue, but also for the sake of our conscience. Obedience to the government keeps our conscience clear. We don't have to look over our shoulder all of the time!

- Does your conscience bother you when you are living unlawfully? It should, so don't!

- We pay our taxes so that our consciences can be clear and that the ministers of God, the authorities, can be ready to minister to us.

- For that reason, give to all their due. Whatever you owe to an office, pay it!

- If it's taxes or customs, respect or honor, pay it. Give it. Grant it! "Taxes" refer to annual housing taxes. "Customs" refer to the termination or completion of use.

- Toll booths, licenses for gaming, toll roads, are all monies required after you use them. We are not to be thieves in regard to these areas.

- Beyond monetary considerations, Christians are to have proper attitudes. Some offices require our respect. Notice, it is the office and therefore the officer.

- Because I respect the office of the President of the United States, I respect the officer who holds that office. I do my very best, in spite of the fact that I did not vote for him, to call him President.

- That is how we show our respect. Paul continues by saying that there are those who deserve honor, which refers to value or deference.

• Romans 13:8 : "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.'" : Listen to the NEB's translation of verse 8: "Discharge your obligations to all men." The NIV is similar: "Let no debt remain outstanding."

- Be one who pays all that you owe to anyone that you owe something to. Why?

- So that you are free to pay what you will always owe: Love to one another!

- This is an intriquing statement that Paul makes. The freedom from debt of any kind, frees people to concentrate on the debt that they truly owe.

- Some are in debt for the right reasons, an investment, a home or a school loan. However, too many are in debt because they just have an issue with coveting! Owe no man anything but love!

- That needs to be our concern and priority because when we perform that, we have fulfilled the law! It is complete. It has reached it's capacity. Paul explains how in the next verses.

• Romans 13:9-10 : "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." : These five commandments appear in this order in the LXX and all deal with our relationship with one another.

- We will only care about this second table after we have obeyed the first table, which deals with our relationship with God. Only then can we relate properly to each other.

- Adultery is an unloving act against one's spouse, against a family, against a community. People think that it's love that prompts such activities, but nothing is further from the truth.

- If you would consider such a thing, consider it no more! Run, flee, confess to the Lord and be free from it! Murder, premeditated, non-sanctioned killing is prohibited.

- Removal of another person's property regardless of it's value, is anti-love.

- The same is true with lying or coveting, which is the desire for that which another has. These are all unloving actions. If we love our neighbor as ourself, we have loved, then no harm is done!

- Nobody who is busying themselves in the action or desire to love one another has time for any of these infractions! Love for each other builds up and blesses.

• Romans 13:11,12 : "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." : The motivation to submit to authority is that the season for God's judgment is before us! Paul says "Wake up!"

- The night is nearly gone and the day is starting! What is Paul referring to? He is painting us a picture that we all recognize, the dawning of any day!

- But for Christians, it is our salvation that is dawning. It is the time when we see the fruit of the seed that has been planted in our hearts, the fulfillment of the hope of Christ's return to judge.

- Frequently throughout the Bible, the phrase "day of the Lord" speaks of the time when Jesus will return to make everything right! He will return to judge!

- Regardless of your belief eschatalogically, Christ's return is closer than when you first believed!

- And because all of what God said and fulfilled about His first coming, you can assure yourself that His track record won't fail with regard to His second coming!

- That day, like the dawning of a new day, is right here! The phrase "far spent" is used of a blacksmith lengthening out a piece of metal to it's final and full length.

- The darkness of the night has progressed as far as God is going to allow it. The day is what naturally follows.

- Paul tells us to wake up and cast off the works of darkness. Throw off those things that are associated with the night and put on the armor of light!

- Think of this in a military context. You are a soldier out on the town for a night and you get carried away.

- As the night gives way to the daylight, you know that the clothes you are wearing will not fit the type of person that you are!

- It's interesting because the clothes that we are wearing indicate a military position. Who wears armor beside those who are engaged in battle?

- Some Christians believe that they are sailing on the Love Boat! This is no pleasure cruise! We are in a war! Never think otherwise!

• Romans 13:13,14 : "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Let us walk properly. Let us walk in a decent manner.

- The ASV has it "Let us walk becomingly." There is a way to walk in this world for the Christian with this knowledge, that is becoming of a Christian.

- Our manner of life is not one that should be marked in revelry. This word was used to describe those who gathered in drunken groups, stumbling loudly around the city.

- Our manner of life is not to be marked with revelry or drunkenness. This speaks of the kind of drinking that is just for the quickest consumption of alcohol.

- Paul also lists lewdness, which is the bed of immorality. Any bed shared with anyone who is not legally your heterosexual spouse, is sin. It's not to be named among us.

- From there Paul speaks of lust. This word speaks of shameless indecency, unbridled excess. It is one of the lowest terms in the New Testament. This speaks of a person who has no bottom!

- Everything that one should be ashamed of, this person is not. He has lost that faculty.

- Our manner of life is not to be filled with strife or wrangling, debating or contention. Finally, Paul employs the word "envy" or jealousy!

- If any of these fit your life, we are to cast them off as we would cast off any unfit garment! They are not clothes that we should be wearing! Instead, we are to put on Christ!

- In a real sense, we have put on Christ at our salvation. When we believed upon Christ, God deposited His righteousness into our account. Now, we are to affirm that by living that way!

- We are to act like people who have been redeemed and there is a vast difference to be sure!

- Paul does not give us a great big list of things that we are to put on. He simply says that putting on Jesus means giving the flesh no space to operate!

- Make no provision for the flesh. Don't plan for it. Don't give it any forethought!

• Romans 13:14 (NLT) : "And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires."

- Those who put on Christ are not looking to find ways to give satisfaction to our fleshly cravings! We don't want to be found living that way when He comes!

Conclusion

- We must submit to government, not because we like it, but because we love God! Therefore we participate and support our government properly.

- We must love one another, not because we want to, but because we love God! We can't claim that God's love is in us, unless it is seen coming out from us! Love your neighbor.

- We must live properly, not because we don't have fun, but because we love the God who will soon appear! We want Him to find us doing what He wants us to do!