The Christian and Government, Part 1 (Romans Sermon 98)

This morning, we’re going to be looking at Romans 13:1-7 and talking the Christian and government. In 73 BC, a slave from Thrace named Spartacus was being trained at the gladiatorial school in Capua. He escaped with 70 or 80 other gladiators, men who are being trained to fight with the sword in the Coliseum in Rome. They seized knives from the cook shop, and they captured also a cartload of weapons and they camped on Mount Vesuvius and were joined by other rural slaves in open rebellion against the Roman Empire. Over two years, Spartacus led this rebellion, an astonishing uprising of slaves right in the heartland of the Roman Empire. At its height, the revolt included 120,000 escaped slaves who are in open defiance and rebellion against the authority of the Roman Empire.

Initially, the Roman government took Spartacus too lightly. But eventually, they realized the threat and they recalled all of their strongest commanders from the field and brought them back to the Italian Peninsula, from the distant shores where they are fighting. For example, Pompey and his legions marched overland from Spain and came down that way. Lucullus and his legions landed at Brundisium, on the Italian heel, and they trapped Spartacus and his slave army and converging, they crushed him totally. And as a reprisal and as an example to other slaves, they crucified 6000 of them along the Appian Way leading all the way to Rome. And there, ended Spartacus’ open rebellion against the Roman Empire.

Almost exactly a hundred years later, Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem being proclaimed as the coming Savior, the Messiah, the King with palm branches but then he was arrested later that week and arraigned before the Roman governor, the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. The interview between the two of them is recorded in John 18:

“Pilate went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ And Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. As it is, my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king then,’ said Pilate. Jesus said, ‘You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born and for this, I came into the world: To testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ said Pilate. And then he went back outside and said to the Jews, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Now, Jesus spoke the truth, he was and is a king. But he also said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” it doesn’t derive its origin from this world, it’s not coming from this world, it doesn’t follow the world’s patterns. “If it were,” Jesus said, “my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.” Now, as providence and the sovereignty of God and his zeal for the glory of his Son would have it, Jesus’ kingdom advanced over the next three centuries and spiritually conquered the Roman Empire, to the glory of God. But it would not advance in the ordinary way, it would not advance by killing but by dying. It would not advance by hatred but by love for enemies.

Spartacus’ revolt is man’s way. Jesus’ kingdom is God’s way. And part of that is the command in Romans 13 for Christians to be in happy, glad subjection, submission to God-ordained authority, to government. And in this, Paul is giving us another aspect of that supernatural Christian life that we’ve been talking about, the life that results from the doctrine that we studied over many years, Romans 1-11, that explains the gospel of Jesus Christ, the foundation of our right relationship with God. And then answers that great question, “How then shall we live?” Part of that is Paul’s answer here in Romans 13, “How shall we live in reference to secular governments?” And Paul here in Romans 13:1-7 gives two basic commands. We’re going to look at one of them today and another with some implications the next time we look at this text.

The first command is basically submit. The second command is give to government what you owe it, whether taxes or honor or respect. That is what Paul commands.

I. Government in the Bible: Basic Principles

Now, let’s talk first of all about basic principles from Scripture about government. We start with this one, God actively rules heaven and earth. He reigns over all things. Acts 17:24, it says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is Lord of heaven and earth,” the Apostle Paul says. Also in Psalm 103:19, it says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” He is sovereign, he is king, he rules over this earth.

Secondly, and this is not in your outline, somehow it got deleted, but the second principle I want to give you is that God delegates some of his authority to created beings. He gives his authority to created beings and they are to use that authority. Genesis 1:16, it says that God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, that’s the sun; the lesser light to govern the moon. In like manner then he creates human beings in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule…” “Let them rule, over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God delegates to created beings some of his authority. This is true also in the heavenly realms, which we cannot see, we cannot perceive it by five senses, but we know of archangels, ruler angels who ruled over other angels. There is order in the heavenly realms, and this is reflected even in terms of Satan’s kingdom, which is spoken of in terms of rulers and authorities, and powers, and dominions. There is order in the heavenly realms, though we cannot see it. So also, there is order here on earth. Ephesians 6:1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” So, God delegates some of his authority to created beings.

Thirdly, God will judge both governors and citizens, both governors and the subjects of their reign for how they carry themselves. God holds created beings accountable for their actions. He will judge kings for how they govern. He will judge their subjects or citizens for how they respond to the government. A clear example of this is in Ephesians 6:9 where it says, “Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them since you know that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and there is no favoritism with him.” In other words, masters, you’re going to stand before your master some day and give an account for how you treated your slaves, and so therefore, handle it properly. God will bring to judgment both kings and subjects based on how they handle the relationship.

Fourthly, God actively and sovereignly rules over governments day-to-day. He doesn’t just delegate to them and then lets it go. But he is actively guiding human history, ruling over all things. Jesus is the King of Kings, isn’t that marvelous? To know that he is actively reigning over governments, no matter how wicked they may seem to us, and they are wicked, still Christ reigns. It says in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, he directs it like a watercourse whichever way he chooses.” And I like this in Daniel chapter 7, a great chapter, Daniel. Daniel has a vision of the sea and up out of the sea come beasts one after the other, four beasts. Each of these beasts represents a human government, a human empire one after the other, the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire coming up out of the sea, one after the other. They are beasts, and he looks at it.

And it says, concerning that fourth beast, interpreted to be Rome, it says this, in Daniel 7:23-26, “The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, it will be different from all the other kingdoms and it will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The 10 horns or 10 kings who will come from this kingdom, after them another king will rise different from the earlier ones and he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and he will oppress his saints, and he will try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time. But, then the court will sit and his power will be taken away and he will be completely destroyed forever.” You see the active rule of heaven over these evil kingdoms. The best example of this is in the death of Christ.

In Acts chapter 4, the church met together to consider the escalating persecution by the Jews, the Sanhedrin, and by the Romans. And they prayed about it, and in their prayer they quote Scripture. Psalm 2, “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Indeed, they say Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in the city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel to conspire against your holy servant, Jesus. [Listen] They did what your power and will had determined ahead of time should happen.” God actively rules over human governments day-to-day.

Fifth, good government is a blessing from God. That’s the basic idea of Romans 13, good government is a blessing from God. Listen to the preamble of the Constitution, it says there, “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” Well, that’s a list of blessings. Those are good things. All of them can be supported in Scripture. That’s why the Constitution was written, that’s what the government was for. Good government is a blessing from God.

Well, how so? Well, first, it restrains chaos and evil. Do you know that today is the three-year anniversary of the conquest of Baghdad by the troops, the American troops? Today, April 9, 2003, Saddam’s statue was pulled down, perhaps the most visible symbol of the toppling of his regime. But even a wicked government has this good effect, it restrains evil and chaos. Do you remember what happened after the government was toppled, the anarchy that ruled in Baghdad? While the military was still pursuing military targets and there really was no police force in Baghdad, Washington Post wrote a story about a month later, May 13, 2003, and this is what it said, “The reports of carjackings, assaults, and forced evictions grew today, adding to an impression that recent improvements and security were evaporating. Fires burned anew and several Iraqi government buildings and looting resumed at one of former President Saddam Hussein’s palaces. The sound of gunfire, rattled during the night, many residents said they were keeping their children home from school during the day. Even traffic was affected as drivers ignored rules in the absence of Iraqi police, only to crash and cause tie-ups.”

“Police officers, prohibited by US forces from carrying anything other than a side arm, are wary of confronting antagonists who can outgun them. The overall situation is further complicated by a disabled court system and a lack of functioning jails. Carjackings have been particularly frequent. A furniture salesman, Abdul Salam Hussein, [probably no family relation, I would hope anyway] said he watched through the picture window of his store as gunmen chased down a Peugeot sedan on a busy square, ordered the occupants into the street and sped away. They had weapons, he said. No one could do anything to help.”

Now, the government of Saddam Hussein’s was a wicked government, evil. It’s better that it’s not there, but in the absence even of that evil government, look what happens. People’s wickedness floats to the surface, people take advantage of the situation. We saw the same in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As you see pictures or reports of looters going all over the place, and then private citizens guarding their possessions with weapons and willing to gun down anybody who steps on their property. It’s anarchy. So even bad government restrains evil and chaos. Without government, might makes right and anarchy rules.

1 John 3:4, it says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, sin is lawlessness.” Without government, you’ll see that all over the place, sin is lawlessness. Now, some intellectuals in the West have openly espoused anarchy based on a utopian view of society and an overly optimistic view of human nature. “We can get along without government,” they say. Well, the problem is Romans 3:10-18 has already diagnosed the human heart. “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves, their tongues practice deceit, the poison of vipers is on their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now you take government away and this is what you have. You’ll see it lived out right in front of you.

Without government, people’s sin nature runs wild and loss of life, liberty, and property, without due process of law occurs constantly. Without government, we Christians who are basically sheep-like, peace-loving kind of people would have to hide in the hills, as in the days of the Book of Judges with Gideon and just venture forth to see what’s left in the streets to eat and then go back up in the hills. It would be a very dangerous place to live.

Secondly, government also demonstrates God’s passion for justice. Governments, police, court systems give daily picture of judgment day. Every night, on the local news, you can see somebody getting arrested, or somebody being arraigned, or somebody being convicted, or somebody being brought off to prison and these images are in our minds all the time. They are a picture of judgment day, aren’t they? We see it everyday, it’s just a display of God’s basic nature to bring things to justice, to deal with things. The court was seated and the books were opened, it says in Revelation 20. Well, we have a picture of that because of government.

Thirdly, government promotes order and peace. With the natural tendency of humans to evil being checked and restrained, then a basic level of peace and order can be established, and this enables people to live orderly and peaceful lives.

Fourthly, this order and peace is essential to the gospel advance. How can we preach the gospel if there’s rioting and looting in the streets? If you’re cowering up in the hills and you’re not sure where your next meal is going to come from, how are you going to share the gospel with your neighbor? It’s going to be hard. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul talks about this in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, he says, “I urge then, first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and for all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness, this is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Do you see how Paul connects government and the orderliness of society with the advance of the gospel? God’s desire is to get people saved, and so you got to pray for governments that they would do their job well so that we can advance the gospel. So we need the quiet orderliness that government provides so that we can share.

Now, fifth, order and peace is also essential to general productivity. Governments maintain infrastructure, like roads and bridges and ports and emergency things like 911, hospitals, ambulances, fire departments; these things come from government. Good governments also manage economic opportunities in a way conducive to the general welfare. Now this enables Christians to obey Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, where he says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” Without government keeping everything under control, you can’t do this. God can’t put your daily quiet life on display, your hard work with your hands. Instead, again, you’d be running and cowering and trying to survive the day. And so as a result, good things happen with the order of government.

And government encourages love and good deeds. It says in Romans 13:4, “The ruler is God’s servant to do you good.” So, good government is a blessing from God.

Bad government is a curse from the devil. He’s a governor, he’s a king, he’s a ruler, and he rebelled against God, not God-ordained authority, he rebelled against God. And so bad government is in the image of the devil. And it is essentially rebellious, it promotes evil and chaos.

I was reading a book about the history of the civil rights recently and a civil right leader quoted Saint Augustine and he said, “Without justice, government is nothing more than a band of armed robbers.” In other words, without justice, a government itself becomes a lot like anarchy. Look at, for example, Nazi Germany in 1938, October 9th and 10th, what’s called Kristallnacht in which government permission was given to anti-Semites to roam the streets, destroy Jewish businesses, arrest Jewish people without any charges, hold them, bring them to concentration camps and they were executed without a trial. How is that different than the anarchy I was just describing? Very little different.

And so, bad government is a curse from the devil. The key passage on good government being a blessing from God is Romans 13, we’re looking at this morning. The key passage on bad government being a curse from the devil is Revelation 13. It’s a good kind of parallelism there. Romans 13, government is a blessing from God. Revelation 13, evil government is a curse from the devil. There it shows in Revelation 13:1-2, the dragon stands on the shore of the sea. The sea in Daniel 7 represents the churning of the nations and up out of the sea come these beasts in Daniel 7. Well, Revelation 13 picks up on the image, and there the dragon, Satan, is standing by the sea, and he looks out over the churning sea and up out of the sea, comes a beast. It has 10 horns and seven heads with 10 crowns on its horns and on each head a blasphemous name. “The beast I saw resembled the leopard but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and throne and great authority.” That’s government, but it’s wicked government, it’s from the devil, Revelation 13.

Now, the future of bad human government is the reign of anti-Christ. Anti-Christ will reign over this beast, this wicked human government. He is the man of sin mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2. He sets himself above all things, even wanting to be worshipped himself and he will be destroyed by the breath of Christ and by the splendor of his second coming. Amen and amen. And at last, human government will be finished. But that’s the future. We have yet a future of bad human government.

So summary, Romans 13, government is established by God, the government official is God’s servant to do you good. Revelation 13, government usurped by the devil is wicked. The wicked government is the beast from the sea. The final form of wicked human government is that of the anti-Christ whom Christ will destroy.

II. Command #1: Submit to Human Government

Now, the question before us is, How shall a Christian live in all this? What are we to do? And that’s what Romans 13:1-7 is about. Two commands: 1) Submit to human government and 2) Give to human government whatever you owe it whether taxes, or respect, or honor.

Now let’s look at this first command, submit to human government. What is the command? Well, everyone, it says, must submit himself to the governing authorities. Now, what is submission? What do we mean by submit? Well, it means willingly and gladly to accept a subordinate position because it is pleasing to God. That’s what it means. Willingly gladly to accept a subordinate position because it’s pleasing to God. It’s the order of God’s universe. Gladly to accept it. It means to yield, to put yourself under, to bend the neck under the yoke as it were, and to do it gladly.

The basic concept then in Romans 13 is that Christianity and good citizenship actually go together. Christians were not like Spartacus, a subversive threat to the Roman Empire nor are we a subversive threat to any earthly government. That’s not our means, our goal, we’re not trying to overthrow government, rather submit. Now, as we’ll see later, it means more than just grudgingly acquiescing to laws. It means more than that. It means being glad about it, gladly submitting. It has a gladness, a realization that to submit to God-ordained authority is an act of worship to God himself.

Now, I’ve seen bumper stickers around like, “Question authority.” We have an attitude in our country of questioning and perhaps, even mocking government leaders. There’s a whole industry, the political cartoon industry, that openly mocks whoever’s in charge: Republican, Democrat, it doesn’t matter. There’s a whole industry of mocking of whoever’s in-charge. And you’ve laughed at some of those comics, I have too. Alright, because you got politics, so do I. And you’re like, “Yeah, that’s right.” But at the heart of it, there’s a disrespect. Alright?

Now, maybe you’re not ready to organize armed revolt against the United States government. Not ready for the rest of your life to do that. But yet in your heart and mind is there not some murmuring about authority? I see it, for example, at the airport when you have to take off your shoes and your belts and take your laptop out of your bag and open it up and your personal things fall out on the floor, maybe they don’t. I mean, by now you should know where to put those and that won’t happen, but I see in facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, open attitudes, rolling of eyes, sighing, comments, even accusations, how little we like to submit to God-ordained authority. We don’t like to be told what to do. And one thing I’ve noticed is how Romans 13 just takes place, rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. You give those people a hard time, they will give you a hard time. And so, “Would you step over here, ma’am? Thank you. We’ll get to you in a minute. Or maybe 30.”

But I’ve seen it happen. The ones that are really chafing, arguing, complaining get pulled aside and we’ll deal with you in a minute, etcetera. And they have the right to do that. But at heart, we have a hard time with submission, we don’t like it. Now, submission is not demeaning, not in any way. Jesus, in Luke 2, submitted to Joseph and Mary, his earthly parents. It doesn’t mean that God loved Joseph and Mary more than Jesus, it means that Jesus honored the order that was set up. It’s the same thing commanded of Christian wives to their husbands or of children to parents. It doesn’t mean that God loves the one in authority more than he loves the one submitting. Not at all, it’s just order. It’s the way it’s set up. That’s the command.

Now, to whom is the command given? Well, literally in the Greek it says every soul. Every soul should be subject to the God-ordained authorities. Every soul, so that’s everybody. It’s comprehensive. Now, of course, Romans is written to Christians, so especially Paul has in mind, Christians should submit gladly to government.

Now, Paul gives us then seven reasons listed, we’ll go through them quickly.

First, government is by divine decree. Look at verse 1, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. All authority originates from God.” Or it’s not authority at all. Right? I cannot boss around somebody else’s kids. I have no authority, it’s not been given by God. Alright? And they’ll prove it if I try, right? If I try. You’re not the boss of me. Well, that’s true, I’m not. It’s not been set up by God that way. But I am the boss of some kids and God has set that up. So, all true authority originates from God and that is true of government as well, no matter what form the government takes. Whether it’s representative democracy, like the US or a constitutional monarchy, like in Great Britain or perhaps a dictatorship, like under Idi Amin in Uganda.

By the way, I looked up his title. You want to hear what Idi Amin’s title was? This is amazing. “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Dr. Idi Amin VC, DSO, MC… ” I didn’t take time to figure out what those are, some awards he had given himself, I think. “King of Scotland,” the Scottish I don’t think knew about that, but at any rate, “King of Scotland, Lord of all the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.” What a long title. Perhaps the government is communism, perhaps it’s fascism, perhaps socialism, perhaps an absolute dictator tyrant like Nebuchadnezzar. All these forms of human government can be, and have been perverted by human wickedness and sin, and yet God establishes authority.

Now, the scriptural support for this concept is you look at Nebuchadnezzar, he’s an evil man, a bad king, bad ruler. But the angel spoke right before when he was warning, “If you don’t change your ways and stop being oppressive to the poor, I’m going to judge you.” He changed his mind into the mind of an animal, Daniel 4. Well, when the warning was given, the angel said this, in Daniel 4:17, “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.” Including you, Nebuchadnezzar.” And so, there is no king except that God established them in their position.

Psalm 75:6-7 says this, “No one from the east, or the west, or from the desert can exalt a man but it is God who judges.” “He brings down one and he exalts another,” Psalm 75. So the authorities that exist have been established by God. Now, what about wicked governments? Well, even they have been given authority. The beast from the sea, the one that’s referring to the Greek Empire. It says in Daniel 7:6, “After that I looked and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard, and on its back, it had four wings, like those of a bird. This beast had four heads,” Listen, “and it was given authority to rule.” Who gave it authority? All authority comes from God.

Then even the devil leads Jesus up to a very high mountain and shows him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And what does the devil say to Jesus? “All these have been given to me and I can give them to anyone I want.” Well, who gave them to the devil? Even Jesus, in the great commission, what does he say? “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Ask Jesus who gave it to him? It is his heavenly Father. And so Jesus has all authority, and it comes from God. It’s all given.

Secondly, rebellion therefore against government is rebellion against what God has instituted, verse 2 teaches this. To rebel against government really is to rebel against God himself. The essence of sin is that we have joined Satan’s general rebellion against God, and therefore, the essence of salvation is to come back under God’s rule, come back under his reign. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Gladly, the angels obey all the way, right away with a happy spirit. And so also, we come back under that and are glad to submit to whatever God has instituted. We’re not fighting against it anymore.

Thirdly, those who rebel will be punished. Verse 2, “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.” At one simple level, this refers to the fact that if you take up rebellion against government, the government will make you pay, the government will come after you, the government will arrest you. If you park in a loading zone, you’ll get your car towed and pay a $50 fine. That’s at a low level. If, on the other hand, you smuggle concealed weapons onto an airplane, it could be 10 years in prison or a $5000 fine. So if you rebel against the authority, the authority will bring its judgement to you.

This is an obvious point the night that Jesus was arrested. You remember 600 soldiers with torches, lanterns, and weapons come out to arrest the Galilean carpenter. Jesus orchestrates in John 18 a safety net for his disciples to run away. He tells them that if they are looking for him, then let the others go. Everyone takes it except one person, Peter. And what does Peter do? Surrounded by 600 soldiers, he reaches for his sword and cuts off the high priest’s servant’s ear. This is a bad idea. Okay? I mean, let’s just think pragmatically about it. Peter, if you want to survive the night, put your sword away for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you see them all?

Let’s put it in modern language. Let’s say there’s a hostage crisis in an American city, and the entire city SWAT teams and special forces are all called out surrounding this building, 600 of them. You got snipers up on the rooftops, you got people behind cruiser cars, it’s a horrible scene. They’re calling through the bullhorn, “Come out!” And out staggers a guy with a trench coat, the chief of police screams at him to get down on his face immediately. Suppose that guy reaches inside his coat and pulls out a gun? What do you think’s going to happen to him? Will he last even this far? He’ll be riddled with bullets.

So, if you rebel against what God has instituted, you’ll bring judgment on yourself simply even at the human government level. Let’s speak at a higher level. Even if government never catches you, God sees all things. And if you rebel against what God has established, and government doesn’t punish, God will punish, you will see what you have done. That’s what Paul says.

Fourthly, government serves to restrain evil, so you shouldn’t rebel against it. We’ve already talked about this. But look at verse 3, it says “Rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and he will commend you.” Now, this is amazing, the Apostle Paul is speaking of the Roman Empire, hardly a virtuous government system. Hardly. And yet he says this, that he is God’s servant. To do what is right and he will commend you. Paul himself was a victim of many injustices.

Do you know that Felix in Acts 24 said, basically, what was said about Paul, he’s innocent. But because he wanted to do a favor to the Jews, he leaves him over, then Festus inherits it, and then Festus and Agrippa confer and said, “If this man hadn’t appealed to Caesar, he could have been set free, he was doing nothing wrong.” Therefore, he is the victim of injustice, and yet he’s writing, submit to authority, submit, do what it says. He is saying, “If I have done anything deserving death I do not refuse to die, I will go to my death, if that’s what you decide, but I still want to make my case.” That’s his attitude. So what he says is, rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.

I believe Paul is speaking here proverbially. Have you ever read Proverbs and you think you read something, you say, “Well, that’s not always true.” That’s the way the Book of Proverbs is, you read it and you read something, it’s not always true, it’s just proverbially true. Like Proverbs 16:12 says “Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness.” Well, is that always true? Do all kings always detest wrongdoing? No. And so, yes, in Nazi Germany, it isn’t true that rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. That wasn’t true, but it’s generally true.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re driving at night and you’re coming around a bend, and this has happened to me within the last year. Suddenly, you’re stopped by a road block. The police are there, they stop you, and they ask for license and registration. I hadn’t had time to accelerate and start to speed. Not that I would do that. Ever. Okay? But at any rate, I was well under the speed limit and I was stopped, I had absolutely zero fear of that encounter. None. But if I had been hauling a $100,000 dollars’ worth of cocaine and it was in the trunk and I come around, what do you think my heart rate’s going to be doing at that moment? What am I going to feel as I see the surprise road block right around the bend? Rulers hold terror for those who do wrong, but no terror for those who do right. That’s the point he makes.

Fifthly, government serves to promote good. “Do you want to be free,” he says, “from the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you for he is God’s servant to do you good.” For example, there’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it was given in 1996 to Rosa Parks for her part in the Civil Rights Movement. President Bush has given some out. It’s a commendation from government for those who do right. Also, as we’ve noted that he is God’s servant to do you good in the infrastructure, in creating peace, domestic tranquility, supporting an infrastructure for commerce, etcetera. He is God’s servant to do you good as we’ve already mentioned.

Sixthly, rulers are empowered by God to inflict punishment for disobedience. Look at verse 4, “But if you do wrong,” he says, “be afraid for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Now, next time I preach on this, I’m going to talk about six difficult ethical questions about government. What is the extent of a Christian’s submission to government? Should a Christian ever rebel against government? What about the American Revolution, what happened there? Alright? What about war? Should we fight or not? These kinds of questions, talk about it next time. I wanted an easy message this time. Is it okay? So, we’ll deal with all the naughty, gnarly, difficult questions next time. Alright?

But the death penalty is one of them, and this is one of the major passages on the issue of the death penalty. He does not bear the sword for nothing. There’s a threat and punishment here.

And then finally, conscience demands it. Verse 5, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities not only because of possible punishment, but also because of conscience.” Conscience is that part inside you that tells you to do what’s right and to avoid doing what’s wrong. If this week, you cut corners on your taxes, don’t do the right thing… You know, you’re doing things that you should not do, your conscience is going to kind of spark up against you and tell you, “Wait a minute, don’t do that.”

Isn’t it amazing the providence of God I’m preaching on taxes this week? But because of conscience, you should do what’s right and not do what’s wrong. Christians, Paul says, are to submit to the government even if it’s the Roman Empire for seven reasons. Christians then are not looking to overthrow Nero or any other Roman emperor. They’re not to agitate against the empire as a whole, they were to submit, they were to obey, they were to be good citizens, to fit in, they were to mind their own business and work hard with their hands, they were to advance the gospel by lifestyle and by witnessing. But they were to go beyond mere submitting, as we’ll talk about next time. They were to be actually glad to pay taxes. They were actually to be glad to render honor to whom honor is due.

III. Application

Now, what application can we take from this? Well, first, as you’re doing your return this week… Okay, you want me to get real practical? Look on it as an act of worship. Can you do that? You said, “Now we are in that section, we’re talking about the supernatural life. I can’t do it.”

I was telling my son this week, I said, “Doing taxes is an unusual job. It’s the only job I know we have to slave hard in order to pay money.” How does that work? You know what I’m saying? So you’re working so hard so that you get the privilege of paying the government. But basically, if Romans 13:1-7 is true, do your taxes as an act of worship to God, for him setting up this government that protects you from anarchy, praise him for it, but realize there is in this world the beast from the sea.

And look forward to the day when Christ will set up his kingdom, Lord of heaven and earth, openly ruling better than any government ever has. A perfect government. Worship Him and yearn for that day and submit to his rule now spiritually. If you’re not a Christian, if you have never trusted in Christ, Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” “Submit to my government. Let me be king of your life, and you will find rest for your souls.” Close with me in prayer.

These are only preliminary, unedited outlines and may differ from Andy’s final message.

Introduction: Spartacus and Christ… Two Different Approaches to the Roman Empire

In 73 B.C., a slave from Thrace named Spartacus was being trained at the gladiatorial school in Capua. Spartacus escaped with 70-80 gladiators, seizing the knives in the cook’s shop and a wagon full of weapons. They camped on Vesuvius and were joined by other rural slaves, overrunning the region with much plunder and pillage

Over the next two years, he led an astonishing uprising of slaves in the Italian peninsula, defeating one Roman army after another. At its height, the revolt included 120,000 escaped slaves in open rebellion against the Roman Empire.

Initially, the Roman government took Spartacus too lightly… but eventually they realized the threat and recalled in their strongest commanders from the distant shores where they were fighting. Pompey and his legions marched overland from Spain, and Lucullus and his legions landed at Brundisium on the Italian heel and trapped Spartacus and his slave army. They crushed him totally, and crucified 6000 slaves along the Appian Way

There ended Spartacus’s open rebellion against Roman authority.

About one hundred years later, a Jewish carpenter stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea… handed over by his own people on the charge of leading a similar insurrection. He was arraigned before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate:

John 18:33-38 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” 35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Jesus spoke the truth that He WAS a King… but He also said “My kingdom is not of this world… if it were my servants would fight for me.”

Jesus’ Kingdom would advance, conquer the Roman Empire and one nation after another for two thousand years

But it would not advance by killing… it would advance by dying

At the core of that would be humble submission to God-ordained authorities like the Roman Empire

Spartacus’s revolt was man’s way Jesus’ Kingdom is God’s way

In Romans 12-16, we see the daily life applications of the doctrine of the Gospel Paul laid out in Romans1-11… it answers the key question: “How then shall we live?”

Romans 13:1-7: How should a Spirit-filled Christian live with secular governments?

I.   Government in the Bible: Basic Principles

A.  God Actively Rules Heaven and Earth

Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

B.  God Delegates Some of His Authority to Created Beings

Genesis 1:16 God made two great lights– the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”– which is the first commandment with a promise– 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

C.  God Will Judge Both Governors and Subjects

1.  God holds created beings accountable for their actions

2.  God will judge Kings for how they govern

3.  God will also judge subjects of each kingdom for how they lived under the king

4.  Clear example of this

Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

D.  God Sovereignly Rules Over Both Governors and Subjects

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Daniel 7:23-26 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.

Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

E.  Good Government is a Blessing

Preamble of the Constitution: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

1.  It restrains chaos and evil

Even a bad government does this. When Saddam Hussein, a noteworthy tyrant and dictator, was deposed by the invasion force, anarchy ruled in Baghdad for a period of time.

Washington Post story, May 13, 2003:

“Reports of carjackings, assaults and forced evictions grew today, adding to an impression that recent improvements in security were evaporating. Fires burned anew in several Iraqi government buildings and looting resumed at one of former president Saddam Hussein’s palaces. The sound of gunfire rattled during the night; many residents said they were keeping their children home from school during the day. Even traffic was affected, as drivers ignored rules in the absence of Iraqi police, only to crash and cause tie-ups.”

Police officers, prohibited by U.S. forces from carrying anything other than a sidearm, are wary of confronting antagonists who can outgun them. The overall situation is further complicated by a disabled court system and a lack of functioning jails.

Carjackings have become particularly frequent. A furniture salesman, Abdulsalam Hussein, said he watched through the picture window of his store as gunmen chased down a Peugeot sedan on a busy square, ordered the occupants into the street and sped away. “They had weapons,” he said. “No one could do anything to help.”

The anarchy in Iraq immediately following Saddam’s ouster is a clear example of how government restrains evil.

a.  Thus without government, might makes right and anarchy rules

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

b.  Some intellectuals in the West have openly espoused anarchy based on a utopian view of society and an overly optimistic view of human nature

c.  But Romans has already done a clear diagnosis of the true human condition

Romans 3:10-18 “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

d.  Without government, people’s sin nature will run wild and loss of life, liberty and property without due process of law will occur constantly

Illus. We saw the looters in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and those with guns ready to defend their meager possessions to the death

e.  Without government, Christians would have to cower in fear and hide in the hills, or organize themselves into roving bands of armed warrior just to obtain food, clothing and shelter

2.  Government also demonstrates God’s passion for justice

a.  Governments, police, court systems give a daily life picture of future judgment day

b.  Every night on the local news, there are stories of criminals arrested or tried or convicted for crimes… this puts the fear of God in people who would otherwise be lawless

c.  Most governments establish similar moral codes to the Ten Commandments… laws against murder, stealing, rebellion, bearing false witness

d.  Governments are therefore a reflection of God’s passion for justice

3.  Government promotes order and peace

a.  With the natural tendency of humans to evil checked and restrained, a basic level of peace and order can be established

b.  This enables people to live orderly and peaceful lives:

4.  This order and peace is essential to the spread of the gospel

1 Timothy 2:1-4 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

5.  This order and peace is also essential to general productivity

a.  Governments maintain infrastructure… like roads and bridges and ports; also emergency structures like 911 and hospitals and ambulances and fire departments

b.  Good governments manage economic opportunities in a way conducive to the general welfare

c.  This enables Christians to obey Paul’s command to work hard and mind your own business

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

6.  Good government encourages love and good deeds

a.  Most governments use some of their tax money for the relief of the poor

b.  Most governments also reward benevolence and good deeds in some way

7.  The key passage: Romans 13

Romans 13:4 [The ruler] is God’s servant to do you good.

a.  Some believe Romans 13 is overly optimistic about human government

b.  However, this brief survey shows the truth of what Paul says

F.  Bad Government is a Curse

1.  It promotes chaos and evil

2.  The very fears we have about anarchy become realized with wicked government

Illus. Kristalnacht, Nazi Germany: organized state terror against peaceful inhabitants… Jews, living in Germany

On the nights of November 9 and 10, gangs of Nazi youth roamed through Jewish neighborhoods breaking windows of Jewish businesses and homes, burning synagogues and looting. In all 101 synagogues were destroyed and almost 7,500 Jewish businesses were destroyed. 26,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps, Jews were physically attacked and beaten and 91 died

Thus does legally established government become almost exactly like anarchy

Karl Liebman, a Jewish lawyer living in Frankfort-am-Main, described one particular night:

At night in the building where he and his wife lived he could hear “the tromp of hobnailed boots” and knocks on his neighbors’ doors, followed by “the screams and protests of the women” as his neighbors were dragged off by storm troopers to concentration camps. “They came to every door in our apartment house but mine” he recounted, adding “maybe they forgot me”.

3.  Here there is little difference between anarchy and government

4.  The key passage for government gone wicked: Revelation 13

a.  The future of bad human government will be the reign of the antichrist… the beast from the sea

Revelation 13:1-2 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

b.  The reign of antichrist is clearly described also in 2 Thessalonians 2… the “man of sin” who sets himself up to be worshiped by all the nations on earth

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

Summary:

Romans 13: Government is established by God; the government official is God’s servant to do you good

Revelation 13: Government is usurped by the devil… the wicked government is the BEAST FROM THE SEA… the final form of wicked human government is that of the Anti-Christ, whom Christ will destroy

Question: How is a Spirit-filled Christian supposed to live related to human governments while on the earth?

Romans 13:1-7 gives two great commands

1)     Submit to Human Government

2)     Give to Human Government whatever you owe it: taxes, respect, honor

II.   Command #1: Submit to Human Government

A.  What is the Command?

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities

1.  Submission

a.  Means willingly and gladly to accept a subordinate position

b.  To yield, to put oneself under, to bend the neck under the yoke

c.  Basic concept: Christianity and good citizenship go together

d.  As we’ll see later, it means more than grudgingly acquiescing to laws, rules, regulations

e.  It has a gladness to it… a realization that to submit to God-ordained authority is an act of worship to God Himself

Illus. People tend to have a rebelliousness toward authority that comes out in many ways… bumper stickers like “Question Authority” are evidence of this… even clearer to me is the grumbling and complaining and angry looks that people at the airport security checks give to the guards doing the security… rolling eyes, sluggish obedience, under the breath comments or even open complaints

True submission means being glad to obey because God commands it

2.  Submission is NOT demeaning or insulting

a.  This is the same thing commanded of wives toward their husbands and of children toward their parents

b.  It does NOT mean that God loves the one in authority more than He loves the one that submits

Luke 2:51 Then [Jesus] went down to Nazareth with [His parents] and was obedient to them.

This is the exact same Greek word… hupotasso… and the fact that Jesus submitted Himself gladly to His parents’ authority proves forever that God does not love the one in authority more than the one who submits

3.  To whom is this command given?

a.  Paul’s expression is strong and comprehensive

b.  Lit. “Every soul”… it is a universal command

c.  Obviously since Paul is writing to Christians, it is first and foremost for all Christians

d.  No one is exempt from submission to God-ordained authority

B.  Paul’s Seven Reasons Listed

1.  Government is by divine decree (vs. 1)

2.  Rebellion against government is rebellion against God’s institution (vs. 2)

3.  Those who rebel will be punished (vs. 2)

4.  Government serves to restrain evil (vs. 3)

5.  Government serves to promote good (vs. 3-4)

6.  Rulers are empowered by God to inflict punishment for disobedience (vs. 4)

7.  Conscience demands it (vs. 5)

C.  Paul’s Seven Reasons Explained

1.  Government is by divine decree (vs. 1)

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

a.  All authority originates from God

b.  This is a universal principle… this is something God has done in the world

c.  This is true no matter what the form of government is… what form it takes

i)  Perhaps a representative democracy like the USA

ii)  Perhaps a constitutional monarchy like the United Kingdom

iii)  Perhaps a dictatorship like that of Idi Amin in Uganda

Idi Amin’s personal title: “His Excellency President for Life Field Marshal Al Hadji Dr. Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, King of Scotland, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular”

iv)  Perhaps communism or fascism or socialism

v)  Perhaps an absolute emperor like Nebuchadnezzar

All these forms of human government can be and have been perverted by human nature Yet all these forms of government reflect some aspect of God’s delegated authority

d.  Scriptural support for this concept

Daniel 4:17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’

Psalm 75:6-7 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. 7 But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

e.  What about wicked governments? Even they have been “given” authority

[Concerning Alexander the Great & the Greek Empire:] Daniel 7:6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

Luke 4:5-6 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

f.  Even Christ’s authority is GIVEN

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

g.  we will discuss later whether a Christian’s submission to government is absolute… or are there limits

Basic concept: All authority in heaven and on earth comes from God ultimately

2.  Rebellion against government is rebellion against God’s institution (vs. 2)

Vs. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted

a.  To rebel against government is to rebel against God Himself

b.  The essence of sin is that we have joined Satan’s general rebellion against God

c.  The essence of salvation is to restore us back to glad submission to God’s rule

Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In heaven, God is fully, happily, immediately obeyed… He is trusted fully, delighted in totally, obeyed completely

On earth, God is resisted, opposed, murmured against, disobeyed, disrespected, ignored Rebellion against God-ordained authority is a subset of this overall rebellion

3.  Those who rebel will be punished (vs. 2)

Vs.2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

a.  At one simple level, this refers to the fact that government itself will arrest you and bring legal consequences against you

i)  With every law is established a penalty for breaking the law

ii)  Parking in a loading zone might get you towed with a $50 fine

iii)  Carrying a willfully concealed weapon onto an airplane might be punishable by a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to $5000

b.  This is the obvious point when 600 soldiers came armed to the teeth to arrest Jesus; Peter pulls his sword out to fight for Jesus… Jesus made an obvious statement:

Matthew 26:52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Imagine a SWAT team surrounding a building where there is a hostage crisis… imagine 600 specially trained Police personnel, pointing their guns at a man who staggers out of the front door… the Police chief screams at him to fall on his face or he’ll be shot. What do you think would happen to that man if he quickly reached inside his coat and brought out a gun?

The obvious point is that those who rebel against government will suffer immediate consequences

c.  At another level, even if the rebel is never caught or prosecuted by the human government, God Himself has noted the rebellion and will bring judgment on the rebel as with all other sins

4.  Government serves to restrain evil (vs. 3)

Vs. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

a.  Government functions to restrain evil as we’ve already mentioned at length

b.  Government brings terror to the wrongdoer, to the criminal, to the wicked man

c.  Living clean and legally makes us free from fear of government

d.  KEY: Paul here is speaking about the general, lawkeeping purpose of the government

e.  AMAZING because Paul himself was the victim of many injustices by the Roman government

f.  I believe Paul is speaking in generalities like the Book of Proverbs

i)  Clearly the law-abiding Jews whom Hitler and the Gestapo persecuted in the Nazi regime did not experience this…

“Rulers hold no terror for those who do right but for those who do wrong.”

ii)  Clearly Christians in Muslim countries who convert from Islam and who then face the death penalty for their faith did not experience this…

“Rulers hold no terror for those who do right but for those who do wrong.”

iii)  Clearly Jesus had done no evil, but He was crucified

Pontius Pilate repeatedly said “I find no fault in Him”

Yet He condemned Him to the slow, shameful agonizing death on the cross

“Rulers hold no terror for those who do right but for those who do wrong.”

iv)  Hermeneutically the Book of Proverbs gives us generalities… things that are generally true

Proverbs 16:12-13 Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness. 13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.

It is not ALWAYS TRUE that “kings detest wrongdoing”… but it is still a proverb

It is not ALWAYS TRUE that “kings take pleasure in honest lips”… but it is still a proverb

So also it is not ALWAYS TRUE that rulers hold no terror for those who do right but only for those who do wrong… yet Paul’s point remains… Government exists to restrain wickedness and evil

1 Timothy 1:9-10 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers– and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine

v)  For the law-abiding citizen, a surprise road-block and license check holds no terror… but if you are trying to smuggle cocaine into the inner city, your heart rate will skyrocket in terror when you come around the bend and see the flashing police lights

5.  Government serves to promote good (vs. 3-4)

Romans 13:3-4 Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good.

a.  Again, Paul is speaking proverbially

b.  Government frequently commends those who do right

c.  Presidential Medal of Freedom is one way the American Government seeks to COMMEND those who do right

At a White House ceremony on Wednesday, June 23, 2004, President Bush honored thirteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom… private citizens whose outstanding service to the people of the United States of America was noteworthy to the extreme degree

One of them was Dr. Arnall Patz, one of America’s greatest ophthalmologists. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Patz discovered the cause of infant blindness among premature babies… he also developed the use of the first argon lasers used in the treatment of diabetic eye disease and other retinal disorders

He was honored for his service to humanity by this government award

Rosa Parks was awarded the same Medal of Freedom in 1996 for her courageous role in the Civil Right Movement

So… government has the power to commend people who do right

d.  Also government does us good in more ways than merely giving out commendations and awards

e.  Government enriches our lives with roads, bridges, good hospitals, safe borders, reasonable traffic laws, just rulings, etc.

6.  Rulers are empowered by God to inflict punishment for disobedience (vs. 4)

Romans 13:4 But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

a.  As already mentioned, government has been given authority from God to punish disobedience

b.  This power is openly established after the Flood:

Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

c.  The “sword” Paul mentions clearly represents the ultimate penalty the government can inflict: death

d.  Government then becomes “an agent of wrath to inflict punishment on the evil doer”

e.  Much debate on the death penalty in our age, and we will save some of that to the final section… ethical questions concerning government

f.  Amazingly… tradition has it that Paul himself was executed by beheading… as a Roman citizen, he could not have been crucified as Peter was; but sometime lat in A.D. 67, under the authority of the Emperor Nero, a Roman sword flashed through the air and ended Paul’s life

7.  Conscience demands it (vs. 5)
Romans 13:5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

a.  Paul’s final reason for submitting to human government is because conscience demands it

b.  Conscience is that internal part of you that pushes you to do what is right

c.  Therefore, when you run a red light, or cut corners on your taxes your conscience will smite you and convict you and force you

d.  Both conscience and government are general revelation provisions God has made to keep this pressure cooker called human civilization from blowing its lid because of sin before God is finished with His sovereign plan of salvation

Summary: For seven reasons, Paul is commanding the Roman Christians to submit themselves to the government

Christians were not looking to overthrow Nero or any other Roman Emperor… or to agitate against the Empire as a whole

They were to submit, obey, be good citizens, fit in… mind their own business, work hard with their hands, and advance the gospel by lifestyle and by witnessing

But they were also to go beyond merely submitting: they were actively to support human government by paying taxes and revenue and respect and honor

III.   Command #2: Support Human Government

Romans 13:6-7 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

A.  Pay Taxes

B.  Show Appropriate Respect and Honor

C.  Underlying Attitude: Worshiping God

IV.   Six Key Ethical Questions

A.  Limits to Obedience: Is submission to government absolute or are there limitations?

B.  Limits to Opposition: Is organized opposition to government ever permissible?

C.  Capital Punishment: Does government have the right to take human life?

D.  Christians Participating in Government: How much and in what manner may a Christian participate in government?

E.  Persecuted Christians: What should Christians do about governments who persecute Christians?

F.  Christians and War: Should a Christian fight for secular governments? If so, won’t that lead to the absurdity of two Spirit-filled Christians killing each other?