The Civil Duty of A Christian
The Civil Duty of A Christian
Romans 13:1-7
June 15, 2008
We have concluded the 25 commandments Paul gave in regard to being
“a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God;”
Each of these were given under the idea of how to worship God.
However, even those 25 commands
Do not reveal an exhaustive list of how to worship God.
We do not come at this thing like the Rich Young Ruler
Asking which commands we have to obey in order to be pleasing.
OBEDIENCE IN GENERAL IS PLEASING
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
And so this morning, as we continue in Romans,
We are still studying how to be a worshiper of God.
And this morning, our worship can be summed up in one word: SUBMISSION
The Christian life is all about submission.
Of course we are required to submit to Christ…
Christ walked in submission to the Father…
Children are to submit to their parents…
Wives are to submit to their husbands…
Christians are called to submit one to another…
And we are called to submit to the governing authorities…
Submission is woven into the fabric of our lives.
Without it, things turn to chaos, and nothing gets accomplished.
When everyone seeks the authoritative role,
And the servant role is neglected, disorder literally breaks out.
It is a problem has persisted even to our present day.
People want the glory…
Everyone wants a say in the decisions…
Less desirable roles of service are neglected…
Fewer and fewer people want to withdraw to the shadows
And serve in quietness and humility.
And that is backwards of what Jesus taught.
Matthew 20:24-28 “And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
The call of Christianity is a call to let go of your personal rights,
And to seek the betterment of others.
And we studied that quite thoroughly over the last few weeks.
But this morning, the lesson on submission continues.
13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities;”
I have called this sermon: “The Civil Duty Of A Christian”
Perhaps you have thought about this before.
How active should I be in civil matters?
Should I lead a protest?
Should I sign the petition?
AS A BELIEVER, WHAT IS MY CIVIL DUTY?
While it is fine and well to take advantage of opportunities
Such as voting, or campaigning, or even running for political office.
There is only one mandate given
As the absolute civil duty of a Christian.
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.”
WHO ARE THEY?
It ranges from a local mayor to the President of the United States…
It ranges from a general in the military to a security guard at the mall…
It ranges from superintendant of schools to the teachers aid in your room…
Everywhere we look in our lives, there are those who are placed in authority over us, and we are called to submit to them.
And let me just say, WHAT A NEEDED SERMON IN AMERICA.
America today has a genuine disdain for authority.
· Children REJECT the authority of their parents…
· Wives USURP the authority of their husbands…
· Radio talk shows MOCK the authority of our political leaders…
· Students DISREGARD the authority of their teachers…
IT IS ALL EVIL, IT IS ALL UNGODLY,
AND IT IS A HORRIBLE WITNESS FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
And sadly this anti-submissive doctrine
Is even creeping into the Church.
ILLUSTRATION: Every time I have ever heard this verse come up,
I have always heard this clause immediately put with it.
“Well, we are told to submit to the governing authorities, but not if they tell us to do something that goes against God’s Law.”
I have never heard this verse mentioned,
Where it was not immediately followed by that clause.
It’s like before we even take a second to evaluate submission,
We are already looking for reasons why we don’t have to submit.
LET ME ASK YOU.
DO YOU SEE THAT CLAUSE ANYWHERE IN THIS PASSAGE?
“Well no, but I know it says it.”
WHERE?
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”
Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
Paul then told Titus:
Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”
Funny, I can’t find that clause listed anywhere in my Bible.
LISTEN TO ME:
Submission is a one sided command, and it is given
Without the slightest qualification to the one in authority.
It doesn’t matter if husbands are good, bad, or indifferent…
It doesn’t matter if parents are overbearing, unfair, or unloving…
It doesn’t matter if God’s commands seem harsh or are illogical…
It doesn’t matter if you like your teacher, your boss, or the president…
Our command is simple.
SUBMIT – let God take care of the rest.
And so, as we dive into this text this morning,
Remove from your mind any reasons why you think
You don’t have to do something the Bible unequivocally commands.
Paul gives 3 reasons why we are to submit to the governing authority,
And as we study please understand
That our obedience is the worship that God is looking for.
#1 THE STATUS THEY POSSESS
Romans 13:1-2
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”
Now this is one of those verses where God went the extra mile for you.
He could have delivered this command just like He did the previous 25
And given you no explanation whatsoever.
He could have just said, “be in subjection” and went straight to verse 8.
But He didn’t.
Instead, He will do a little work on explaining himself.
And the reason is because, “there is no authority except from God,”
“authority” at its core comes only from God.
He is the ultimate authority.
He commanded light to come from darkness.
He commanded land to rise out of water.
He commanded birds to fly and fish to swim.
All authority is His.
It is God then, who divvies out authority as He chooses.
Remember what Jesus told Pilate?
John 19:10-11 “So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."
All authority comes from God.
· The only reason a parent has authority over a child
is because God gave parents authority.
· The only reason a husband has authority over his wife
is because God gave husbands authority.
· The only reason government has authority over the people
is because God gave the government authority.
And then Paul gives a second explanation.
“and those who exist are established by God.”
While the first statement speaks of general authority,
This statement speaks of specific authority.
In general, leaders have authority…
In general, parents have authority…
In general, husbands have authority…
But here Paul moves to the specific and explains that it is
No accident that your present leader is in that authoritative role.
Is not by accident that George Bush is President of the United States.
It was not by accident that Bill Clinton was President before him.
They were both “established by God”
Our leader is not the one exception to the rule.
He would not be in power, if God had not brought him to power.
Daniel 2:21 "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.”
Daniel 4:17 "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men."
There has never been a person who rose to any authority
Except that God chose to allow him to do so.
(President, Senator, Principal, Teacher, etc.)
And then look at Paul’s reasoning.
(2) “Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
DID YOU CATCH THE POINT?
If God gave them authority…
And God put them in authority over you…
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO OPPOSE THEM?
YOU ARE ULTIMATELY USURPING GOD’S AUTHORITY,
FOR ALL AUTHORITY IS HIS.
ILLUSTRATION: Suppose you are a child that is in the backyard doing something you are not supposed to do, and your mother sends your brother to tell you to stop.
At that moment, your mother has given her authority to your brother, and even established him as the authority of the moment.
IF YOU DISOBEY YOUR BROTHER, WHO ARE YOU REALLY DISOBEYING?
And so you get the picture.
You may think it is no big deal to mock the president…
You may think it is no big deal to mock the police…
You may think it is no big deal to mock your teacher…
You may think it is no big deal to mock your religious leaders…
JUST REMEMBER, YOU ARE MOCKING GOD
Remember David’s refusal to attack Saul?
Later, even after Saul was nearly dead, and a fortune hunter decided to take Saul’s head and bring it to David:
2 Samuel 1:14-16 “Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'"
If you continue in the story of the Kings, you will find some wicked Kings.
One of the most wicked is a King named Jeroboam.
God actually told him that He would destroy his entire lineage.
And then Baasha actually killed off Jeroboam’s line.
You would think that was a good thing.
However.
1 Kings 16:7 “Moreover, the word of the LORD through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani also came against Baasha and his household, both because of all the evil which he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck it.”
MEN HAVE NO RIGHT TO REJECT GOD’S ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY.
And Paul is clear, “they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
It is disobedience, and punishment is just.
BUT I KNOW IT’S ON YOUR TONGUE:
WHAT IF THEY COMMAND YOU TO DO SOMETHING UNBIBLICAL?
What if they command you to quit evangelizing?
What if they command you to quit praying?
What if they command you to quit reading your Bible?
Well first, I would want to ask,
DID YOU DO THOSE THINGS WHEN IT WAS LEGAL?
But anyway…
What if they command you to do something unbiblical…
THEN WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY?
You mean we have to obey the command to quit praying?
THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID.
I said we have to submit.
Daniel received a command not to pray. Yet Daniel was submissive.
HOW? He submitted to the punishment without revolt.
Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo received a command to bow to an idol.
Yet they submitted.
HOW? When the punishment was delivered, they did not revolt.
Did PAUL try to overthrow the Jewish authorities for imprisoning him?
No, he sang in prison.
Did STEPHEN throw rocks back at the Sanhedrin for stoning him?
No, he prayed for them.
Did JESUS threaten Rome while they were nailing Him to a cross?
No. “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He
uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges
righteously.”
Jesus even gave us this command.
Luke 21:12-14 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;”
DO YOU GET THE POINT?
We are called to submit and we are not permitted to rebel,
Regardless of the type of leaders they are.
We are called to submit because of the status they possess.
#2 THE SWORD THEY PRESENT
Romans 13:3-4
“For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good (i.e. submit) and you will have praise from the same.”
And then Paul lists their job.
(4) “for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”
The idea is clear to understand.
The governing authorities have been given authority as literal ministers of God to reward good behavior
And punish bad behavior, even to the point of death.
And because they provide such a service,
You and I ought to be subject to them,
If for no other reason, than out of fear.
Notice what he said in verse 4, “But if you do what is evil, be afraid;”
Fear is a God-given motivator
That the governing authorities have a right to use.
Every time you speed in your car, you ought to have fear of getting a ticket.
Every time you cheat on your taxes, you ought to have fear of getting audited.
Every time you talk back to your teacher, you ought to have fear of getting punished.
They provide a service of reward and punishment,
And for this reason you ought to submit.
Submit because of the status they possess, because of the sword they present
#3 THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDE
Romans 13:5-7
“Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience sake.”
Paul just implied that if you are a Christian,
And you disobey your governing authority,
IT SHOULD OFFEND YOUR CONSCIENCE AND MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY.
Certainly because you have disobeyed God’s command,
But also because you are harming a person who is put there to serve you.
Notice what Paul says in verse 6
(6) “For because of this you also pay taxes, FOR RULERS ARE SERVANTS OF GOD, DEVOTING THEMSELVES TO THIS VERY THING.”
In verses 3 and 4, Paul gave some legitimate functions of the government.
(3) They praise people for doing good
(4) They do good to their subjects
(4) They are an avenger on those who do evil
And here Paul says this is what they devote themselves to.
Government was created by God TO BE DEVOTED
To rewarding the obedient and punishing the wicked.
In other words, by serving God, they are serving you.
Now, whether or not they do that is God’s concern.
But because they are providing this service for us,
We should submit to them.
And so you and I ought to feel guilty when we don’t honor them for it.
And beyond that Paul even gets specific
About the type of honor they deserve.
He already mentioned it in verse 6, “For because of this you also pay taxes,”
And then look down in verse 7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
And when Paul says “what is due”,
That does not mean that you only have to honor the ones that you like.
They deserve it because they have been established by God,
They have been given authority by God to punish,
And their service to God is a service to you.
Therefore we owe it to them.
I don’t care if you like them…
I don’t care if they do a good job in your estimation…
I don’t care if they have a completely different set of moral values…
As believers we have no right to usurp the authority
That God has placed over us.
BUT WHAT IF THEY ARE CORRUPT?
What if the government is using my tax money to fund the homosexual agenda?
What if the local government is using my tax money to put in stop signs that I don’t agree with?
WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY?
“tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
If you want an example, look at this one.
Matthew 17:24-27 “When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?" He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?" When Peter said, "From strangers," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are exempt. "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."
That tax was a government approved tax that Rome allowed Jews to take for the funding of the temple services.
· Should God have to pay the tax in His own temple?
· Was this not the type of false religion that Jesus came to expose?
· Was it not money going to the temple Jesus was about to cleanse?
· Was it not the religious leaders who would pay 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus?
Yet, He paid it anyway.
The point is that you and I are called to submit to those
Whom God has placed in authority over us.
And this is what it means to worship God.
Submit to them because God placed them there.
Submit to them because they provide a service.
Submit to them because they deserve your honor.
This is how a Christian responds to civil authority.
Do it because Jesus came to this earth in the form of a servant…
Do it because Jesus did it when He submitted to die for you and Me…
Do it to tell God thank you for the wonderful mercy He has given to us…
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”