Our Relation to Government 121009

Romans 13:1-7, 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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 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, 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. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also ‍for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ‍Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

I have moved ahead in Romans because of the upcoming elections. Every election is important and our responsibility to vote should be taken seriously. However, I particularly have struggled with this election. I have never voted for one party only but have almost always split my vote in national elections. The problem with this particular election is what some have called "The Mormon Moment" in history. In fact, I have said publicly that I cannot, in good conscience, vote for a Mormon. I have put a lot of thought into what I am about to say. If we wait for a solid evangelical Christian to run for President before we vote we may not have that opportunity in our lifetime. If I lived in Utah, in most elections, I probably would have the choice of voting for a Mormon or not voting at all. I am not endorsing either candidate. What I have to say applies to both equally.

The Bible speaks a great deal about subjection to authority: in the church, in the home and with regard to government. We are going to focus on three areas of responsibility. We need to remember that responsibility is a key part of citizenship. We are going to look at the responsibility of government leaders; the responsibility of citizens; and, the responsibility of churches. Now let us look at…

The responsibility of government leaders.

God's servant. Isaiah, writing 150 years ,or so, before the birth of Cyrus the great prophesies about him. Cyrus was the king of Persia who conquered Media creating the Media-Persian Empire. He then went on to conquer several more territories. He was a pagan. In other words, he did not know Yahweh, the God of Israel. Yet, he was used by God in many ways. We need to remember that Yahweh is King over all the earth and always has been. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens on this earth without God's knowing it and guiding it for his own purposes. Here, we are told that a pagan — an evil man — is going to be used by God in the future to punish nations and restore Judah and Jerusalem before they were destroyed. Let's read…

Isaiah 44:28-45:5, who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem,” ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,

As Paul tells us, in Romans 13, that all authority ultimately comes from God. The Bible affirms that there is no authority except God grants it. Whoever is elected president in November is under the authority of God and has been placed there by God for a purpose that only God might understand. We need to pray for our president and other elected leaders and, if given the opportunity, encourage them to put their faith in the living Lord Jesus Christ. Rulers are not just servants of God they are tools of God to maintain order on earth. Government leaders have the responsibility to maintain the peace and protect the nation. I suspect that Paul wrote this passage in the hopes that the Roman secret police would read it and pass it on to the Emperor. A government leader is…

An avenger bearing the sword. Look back at our text, Romans 13:2-5, Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 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, 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. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

I know there is corruption in government. I know that many times there is corruption in the police forces. Paul knew that too! He had experienced being arrested for his faith, being beaten, and having a bribe solicited from him. Nonetheless, we should thank God for the presence of police and courts to help maintain order. Without them the world would be a very scary place to live in. The breakdown of government is a popular theme among fiction writers and has been throughout history. The government leader is a servant of God, an avenger who bears the sword and should…

Be subject to God. Now we come to the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, 150 years later, found in Ezra 1:1-4, In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

In this proclamation of Cyrus he recognizes some interesting things. Yahweh, the God of heaven, "gave" him all the kingdoms of the earth. If Yahweh gave him the kingdoms then Yahweh is the King of kings and Lord of lords. As such, Cyrus, who considered himself the ruler of the earth, was subject to the God of heaven. He conquered nothing that God didn't give him. It was God that subdued nations before him. In this proclamation he recognized that he was subject to God. Remember, the Bible teaches that government leaders are God's servant, an avenger bearing the sword and as such is subject to God's rule. They should be careful how they act because the God who set them up can take them down! Now, what about…

The responsibility of citizens.

First of all citizens are to Be subject. to government. Read with me, 1st Peter 2:13-17, Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Notice how we are instructed to be subject, not for our sake, but for the Lord's sake, to every human institution. Whatever level of government we come in contact with is designed by God to punish those who do evil and reward those who do good. This is God's will for government. I know, this doesn't always happen, at least not the way we think it should. Remember, GOD IS IN CHARGE! So, wherever possible, we are to be subject to government.

In the next section of the sermon I will give you a basis for dealing with governmental iniquity.

Citizens are to be subject to the government and they are to…

Do what is good. Turn with me to, Philippians 2:14-16, Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

All of these passages we are using today are filled with truth that we need to make our own. This particular passage is written by Paul from prison! In one form or another, he had been held prisoner for more than two years. That imprisonment was unjust. Yet God used it for his glory. It was in God's plan that Paul preach the gospel in Rome. It was also God's plan that Paul not be killed in Jerusalem. So, before the crowd in Jerusalem could kill Paul for preaching the gospel, God had the Romans arrest him. To keep him away from his enemies God kept him in jail until it was time to go to Rome. Then God let the Roman government pay for his transportation to Rome. After that, Paul was kept in captivity and guarded by the Emperor's private guard. Paul witnessed to them and led some to Christ so that at the end of the Philippian letter he could say, "All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household."

Getting back to the subject in hand, Paul gives instructions to the Philippians (and to us) to do all things without grumbling or questioning. To be blameless and innocent unblemished children of God in the midst of a crooked and twisted world. Wow, that sounds like good marching orders for us today! We certainly live in a crooked and twisted world! So, we are to be subject to government by doing what is good. And we also are to…

Pray for those in authority. Let's look at 1st Timothy 2:1-3, First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

Our prayers, of all types, are to be made for all people. And Paul begins at the top. We are to pray for kings and those in high positions. I really wonder over the past years how much evangelical prayer has been offered for President Obama. I must confess I don't pray often enough for him. What should be the purpose of our prayers? To influence foreign policy? To influence economic policy? That God would surround him with godly men and women who would influence him? Well, I'm sure that's all good but that's not what Paul talked about! We are to pray for them so that we can live peaceful lives — so that we can be godly in the midst of this world. So apparently our prayers for government leaders should influence government leaders to treat us better. That should improve our prayer life.

We've looked at the responsibility of government leaders and we looked at the responsibility of Christian citizens. Now let's look at…

The responsibility of the churches.

Church is not just a place to go and enjoy yourself. Nor is church an organization that the government should bow down to. The church, any church, or every church, should be a responsible part of the community. As a church there are certain things we should do. We should…

Keep the peace. Let's look at Hebrews 12:12-14, Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

"Drooping hands and weak knees" is not a medical diagnosis. It's a spiritual diagnosis that probably is representative of most Christians. Lethargic, apathetic, dull-minded are all identifiers of the average Christian. Weak kneed, namby-pamby wimps would characterize most Christians. If we will make straight paths for our feet, remember God's word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet, then we can strive for peace with everyone. We should make every effort to honor the God of peace by being peacemakers wherever possible. Too often Christians are thought of as being cantankerous complainers rather than diplomatic peacemakers. We need to change that! Let's focus on keeping peace and…

Honor government. Return with me to 1st Peter 2:13-17, Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

I don't hear Christians speaking about the government in an honorable way very often. In this passage Peter tells us to be subject to the government for the Lord's sake. We're to live as free people and not use our freedom wrongly. In fact we are to honor everyone but especially the Emperor. In our case, The President! Remember, Peter was asking them to honor the Emperor that in due time would have him executed along with the Apostle Paul.

All of these passages have made a pretty strong emphasis on being subject to government and being at peace. It's not always possible to do that. In fact, there are times when we have to…

Resist evil. Let's see what Peter and John did in Acts 4:18-22; So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

What was their crime? They were preaching to a crowd of people in the vicinity of the Temple. They had the attention of the crowd because they had healed a man who had been lame from his birth. Peter, taking the opportunity, explained to the crowd what happened and who had done the healing. It was the name of Jesus that had made the man well. For that they were taken before the religious court and instructed not to speak or teach anymore in the name of Jesus! Their answer was simple, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." I don't believe that they expected to get away with it. They were willing to bear the punishment but they were not willing to be silent. They were determined to speak what God had shown them.

After that, the Apostles became much more active in their preaching. They simply prayed for boldness knowing that it would get them into trouble with the authorities. And very soon they were arrested again. Read with me Acts 5:27-32, And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The religious leaders of their day were jealous of the success of the gospel. They thought they had the power to stop them. These religious leaders had no idea what they were dealing with. These men who stood before them were men who were willing to die for their Lord. In fact, all of them, except John, would die a martyr's death. Not only did they refuse the instructions to no longer preach they took the opportunity to share the good news with their judges that this Jesus whom they had crucified was now exalted by God as leader and Savior. If they would come to him, in repentance, even they could receive forgiveness of sins. Never miss an opportunity to tell the truth about Jesus.

Not only are we to resist evil wherever we see it and be bold in doing it we must also act when we observe wrongdoing. Paul instructed us as to what to do when we observe wrongdoing. Let's read Ephesians 5:11-13, Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

First, we are to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. If we are not careful we can find ourselves drawn into the wrongdoing going on around us. To avoid that, second, we need to expose the wickedness for what it is, SIN! There is way too much compromise in the Christian life today. Too often we excuse sin because we're afraid to speak out, or worse still, because it is occurring in our own family. We should expect our governmental leaders to oppose evil and we should set them the example. The early church prayed for boldness we need to pray for the same thing in our lives, in our families, in the church and community.

Since we do not live in a theocracy, and won't until we get to heaven, we simply have to follow the light that we have. I certainly am not qualified to tell anyone how to vote. However, I would encourage everyone to do some research, find out which candidate comes closest to your own core values, and then go to the polls and cast your ballot. Whatever we do on election day we do need to remember to be subject to government, to do what is right, to pray for those in authority and resist evil wherever it is found no matter what the cost. Pray, wait on God, and then follow the light God gives to you. We must always remember that God is ultimately in control. For those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. "All things" include government! Though we are citizens of earthly nations, ultimately we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven,

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.