Here & Now
Notes
Transcript
Fear, Love & Trust In God In All Things
10.22.23 [Romans 13:1-7] River of Life (22nd Sunday after Pentecost)
2 Pt. 1:2 Grace and peace are yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Amen.
There are three ways a person reacts to discovering that they’re in the middle of a minefield. The first is fear paralysis. A wrong step means the end, so you don’t move a muscle. But you cannot wait out a minefield. The second is the mad dash. But just because you are being decisive, doesn’t mean you’re making the right decisions. The 3rd way is a levelheaded approach. Slow and steady. Observing little details. Crawling on your belly. Radio for help. Listening well.
Today’s topic and text are a spiritual minefield—especially here & now. Rm. 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. Many are overly-confident in their own skill, intelligence, knowledge, and logic. But a Christian must be shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove. Doves are not birds of prey but symbols of peace. Snakes don’t look to pick fights, but they won’t concede their home. We can’t look to national norms, cultural convictions, or historical practices to direct us. Even our own hearts and minds can lead us astray. We must humbly approach this according to God’s Word and trust in him.
Because this is a spiritual minefield. A wise person is careful, methodical, humble, and conscientious. So we need to step slowly, calmly, and carefully. We want clarity, guidance, and safety. We need to be willing to crawl on our bellies and listen well.
Thankfully, God’s Word gives us everything we need. Paul speaks clearly Rm. 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. He goes on to tell us that rebellion warrants judgment. He advises us: instead of giving the governing authorities trouble, give them what you owe. Rm. 13:7 If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
It almost sounds like Paul is giving practical advice. Don’t break the rules and you won’t get in trouble. What’s spiritual about that? Wouldn’t any ruling body tell you the same? But look at the greater context. Rm. 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Rm. 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Rm. 13:9 Love your neighbor as yourself. Rm. 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor.
God is telling us that being subject is an important aspect of the Christians’ role in a greater society. So what does that mean for us?
We may equate this with obedience. But as God maps out our role in society, he doesn’t say Obey your government. And for good reason.
Being subject, or submitting, to the governing authorities is much more than just outward obedience, but it also a little different. What Paul writes is: Every soul to the authoritative powers above them must submit. Why include the soul? Why talk about a person’s inner spirit when it comes to our role in society? Outward, civil obedience is not enough. Why not? Isn’t that all the governing authorities demand? Yes. But God’s standard is higher. Worldly powers say don’t murder. God says don’t even hate. Live as doves. Be the presence of peace.
God commands us to submit in material things and in spirit. We owe concrete things--taxes & revenue--& abstract things--respect and honor. Rebellion brings concrete & abstract consequences, too. We ought to submit Rm. 13:5 because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. Our actions and our attitudes matter to God when it comes to submitting to the governing authorities.
It’s hard for us to submit, fully. It’s hard because we are sinful and prideful. We don’t like being told what to do. It’s also hard because we are Americans and we have a very different relationship to our governing authorities than most people throughout human history.
Americans are historically insubordinate. Our country exists because a conglomeration of colonies banded together to rebel against king and crown. That founding impacts our attitudes. The form of government our founding fathers established was a direct response to the ills they identified in other places. So they created a hybrid form of governing that is still hard to pinpoint. Are we a republic? A democracy? When you’re not sure what to call your government, it’s easy to misunderstand your role.
Many feel like our elected representatives work for us. After all, we choose them through our votes. We pay their salaries with our tax dollars. And if we don’t like the job they’re doing, we replace them. In fact, this view is so pervasive, we hear it from these officials themselves. On the campaign trail, some of them tell us they will fight for us. They will work for us. They describe themselves as public servants.
In a sense that is right. It’s good. They serve in a public way. It’s even Biblical to speak of service. Rm. 13:4 The one in authority is God’s servant for your good. It’s wonderful when the governing authorities let a verse like this guide them in office. But governing authorities do not work for you. This is immensely important for us to understand in these politically charged times. The President and the Governor don’t report to you. They're God’s servants.First and foremost, they are each accountable to God.
You’re not submitting if you don’t honor or respect those on the other side of the aisle. You’re not submitting to the governing authorities if you are apathetic or anarchistic. You’re not submitting if you say you’re honoring & respecting the office, but not the individual. Then you’re ultimately loving and trusting a golden elephant, donkey, or timber rattlesnake. Your political rivals are still God’s servants.
Submitting in spirit means we must willingly pay our taxes. Governing officials dedicate their time to this work. They deserve our support.
Submitting means I cannot tell the government to leave me alone or stay out of my business. It also means I cannot tell them they owe me anything more than upholding the law. Submitting means I must honor and respect those I did not select. It means that I honor and respect the laws of the land, even if I think they’re foolish or pointless.
No police officer has to demonstrate he is one of the good ones for me to obey. The president does not need to earn my respect. He does not even have to behave in a way that is honorable for me to owe honor. He, or she, is owed these things because they Rm. 13:1 have been established by God. They are God’s servants Rm. 13:4 for your good. This is not our job-description for them. This is God’s declaration. He has established their authority. It is for our good.
Perhaps we want to argue with that viewpoint. What about wicked and ruthless leaders? What about the immoral and corrupt laws? What about Hitler and Stalin? Rm. 13:1 There is no authority except that which God has established. They may not rule in a way that is God-approved, but the power they wield is God-ordained. We are not called to only to honor and respect good governing authorities, but even the wicked ones. In fact, Paul was writing with evil in mind. Their current Roman emperor was Nero. In the next decade or so, he would systematically persecute Christians. He made it a capital offense to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. Paul, himself, would be beheaded because of his faith. Why do you think Paul said Rm. 8:35 we face death all day long, we are...sheep to be slaughtered?
That makes our arguments weak & excuses painfully thin, right? More often than not, our reluctance to submit is more about our ego than our soul, more about our savings account than our spiritual convictions, & more about our opinions than our faith. At times, however, it may seem like a terrible burden and tragedy for Christians to submit to the governing authorities. But God promises two things. This is for your good. Rm. 12:21 Good overcomes evil.
How can God make such a bold claim? There’s anecdotal evidence in the Old Testament. Consider men like Daniel, Shadrach et al. In Babylon, in captivity, they respectfully stood against the governing authority. Shadrach et al were thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den for praying to the Lord. All four were miraculously spared by the Lord. Of course, many faithful folks have been executed by wicked authorities.
Yet, even in these moments, good triumphed over evil. Look at Jesus. Jesus had religious governing authorities and political ones. The chief priests hated Jesus & arrested him illegally, under cover of darkness. When they tried him, they hired false witnesses. Yet, Jesus continued to be respectful. He even honored the haughty high priest, Caiaphas. When they brought him before Herod & Pilate, Jesus remained respectful. When Pilate told him Jn. 19:10 Don’t you know that I have the power to free you or crucify you? Jesus responded Jn. 19:11 You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. He never fought against the soldiers, when they beat and crucified him. But for Jesus, who never sinned & who had all authority in heaven and on earth, there was no escape. The nails were driven through his hands and feet like anyone else. He was mocked. Insulted. His crucifixion was excruciating. Shadrach et al were spared, but not the Son of God. The wrath of a holy God against sinners was poured out on him and only him.
This was for our good. He took our place for every time we have been disrespectful and insubordinate. He was executed, though he did nothing wrong. But he did not stay dead. Good triumphed over evil. On Easter Sunday, Jesus showed that death had no power over life. God used contemptuous chief priests and an insecure Roman governor to bring about our salvation. Jesus is God’s greatest proof that he ultimately governs all things for our good. We can fear, love, and trust in God above all things, even when evil seems to reign.
The God who suffered for our good, who died for our salvation, tells us to submit. Often doing the right thing is rewarded in this life. Good governments do not punish good citizens for upright conduct.
But what about when they do? Do we still submit? Submission is more than outward obedience, but it is also a little different. Paul has been careful to speak of this in a hierarchal context. Governing authorities are God-established, God-instituted, God’s servants. We submit because they are above us, but we do so, knowing they are below God. Submission is also a matter of conscience. When Paul preached Christ, he knew how Rome regarded Christianity. But his submission was guided by his conscience. Where God & government diverged, Paul went God’s way--no matter what. He had to obey God rather than men. He trusted that even when he was punished by men, he would be protected and rewarded by God.
For us, it a lot like when your parents left you with the babysitter. You listened to her because she was given authority from your parents. If she told you to do something against their will you would hesitate. You’d speak up. She was in charge, but not infallible.
The same is true of our governing authorities. God has placed them in charge, but they are not infallible. It is God’s will that by doing good we as his children will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 1 Pt. 2:16 We are free in Christ. So we live as free people. But we never leverage our freedom as a coverup for evil behavior. We must be innocent as doves. But we should also live as shrewd as snakes.
There is ground we should concede and ground we cannot. We know where our home is. Our citizenship is in heaven. Anything that threatens that demands a response. At the same time, we also know that God’s design for this world and for society is unsurpassed. It is for our good. We want the good of society, too. We want our country to prosper and flourish—not just economically, but intellectually, and spiritually. God has blessed us with mechanisms to encourage that.
In our country today, we have the right and the responsibility to encourage the governing authorities to honor God’s commands with our votes. Especially the second table of the Law. We want to live in a world where the sanctity of life and marriage are prioritized over the pursuit of individual happiness. We want to live in a world where the truth and personal property are honored and defended. We want these things because this is God’s design. And God’s design charges the governing authorities with upholding this design. Let us pursue what is right in God’s sight and trust that he will commend us in eternity. He has promised good will overcome evil. Amen.