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Submit to Government
Romans 13

• No chapter in the Bible has been so abused throughout history as Romans 13.

• Adolf Hitler used the first part of this chapter to keep the churches in Germany in line.

• When the German pastors were deciding whether to follow the directives of Adolf Hitler, even when they knew that many of his policies went against their conscience, many pointed to the first verses of Romans 13 to justify their decisions.

• Men like Dietrich Boenhoeffer and others defied these decisions and went underground with the confessing Church because they did not believe that these verses were meant to subvert one’s faith in Jesus as Lord to the state.

• But what are our responsibilities to the state and federal government?

Vs. 1
• The Greek word here is a military term meaning “absolute obedience to the superior officer.”

• If we just take this verse out of its context, it would seem that Paul is saying that we should always be subject to the government because it is set up by God.

• But remember, no verse stands alone; it is always subject to the whole of scripture, and it is important to gain God’s heart on a matter through searching other similar passages from the rest of the Bible.

• The scripture is clear that we are to obey our civil leaders except in one exception:  when the command or law of the government would require disobedience to the Lord.

o Ex.  Remember when the nation of Israel was in Egypt, after Joseph had died, a new king took over and made a law that the midwives should kill the Jewish babies.

Exodus 1:15-17
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

o These midwives feared God more than they feared a king, even at the risk of their lives.

o Remember in the time of Daniel that King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image on the plain of Dura in Babylon and commanded that everyone fall down and worship at the image, and whoever didn’t fall down and worship would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:13-18
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. So they brought these men before the king.               14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

o Again, at the very risk of their lives, these men listened to their conscience and did not let the laws of the land supersede obedience to God.

o Paul is writing while Nero is in power, a mad despot.  And Paul himself kept preaching the gospel of Christ even when the Roman government told him to stop.  He was imprisoned and beaten countless times for breaking the laws not to proselytize.

Acts 4:18-20
So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

o Eventually, Paul was even killed because he would not stop sharing his faith.

• So, what does our verse mean?  The key phrase is “for there is no authority except from God, and…authorities… are appointed by God.”

• This means that if there are laws that go against God’s laws, then we are called to resist those commanded.

• In the context, Paul is speaking of the general laws that are set up because we have to have laws in the land.

• Most laws of the land do not call us to disobey God.  They are in place for our protection and the protection of others.

Vs. 2-3

1 Peter 2:13-15
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.     15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

• Ex.  If we didn’t have laws, policeman, stop lights, etc., we would probably be dead before we got home today, and if you made it home, what would be left?

• We have to have state and federal government, because we can’t self govern!

• The issue is not left or right politically, but up or down!

• If we aren’t a people who can self govern, I mean self government of our character and self restraint, we will perish as a nation.

• Smaller government can only happen if we become a people of self government.

• We have a bigger and bigger government, because we cannot self govern.  We don’t have godly character and love for our neighbors, so we need more and more police, prisons, laws, insurance, policies, etc.

• The key to self government is not Washington D.C. but the Church.

• Ex.  The problem is not “no prayer in schools, no prayer in schools” but “no prayer in the church, no prayer in the church.”

• We need a revival!  A revival rests with the Church.

• Ex.  Paul’s point is that you will have nothing to worry about if you are obeying the law.  If you are driving down Powers and you see a Police car and you are traveling 45 mph, you have no need for terror, but if you are going 75, you might have reason for concern.

• Ex.  If you are doing your taxes correctly, you have no need to worry about an audit from the IRS.

Vs. 4
• Our government officials are “God’s ministers.”

• Our magistrates, our police, our mayor, our governor are “ministers of God.”

o I am a minister of God in the spiritual realm.

o But they are God’s ministers in the civil realm.

o We will all stand before God and be responsible to Him.

o Both will be held accountable in how they vote and legislate.

• Ex. If you get pulled over by a policeman you should thank him, yes, thank him for protecting you from yourself.

• We have bigger and bigger government because we are people who no longer have self control, or self government.

• We decry the largeness of government, but there is a direct correlation between our lack of faith in Christ, our lack of self government, and the growth of our federal government.

• The only answer is Christ; a spiritual awakening that transforms individual lives!

• Ex.  The Welsh Revival at the turn of the 20th century was so powerful that it upset the civil government.  So many miners got saved that they could no longer get their mules to obey because they only used curse words to command them.  The bars and clubs closed down.  The police had nothing to do and they were fired.  Revival upsets the government apple cart!

Vs. 5
• We obey the laws of our land because when we do, we are obeying God.

• Keep your conscience clear by obeying the law.

• So we don’t obey the speed limit or drive drunk or steal from the store because it’s the law, and we might be punished.  But because we are disobeying God, we fear God and then do right to honor Him.

Vs. 6
• Now, I really don’t like this verse very much!

• Ex.  The tax that the Romans exacted was really heavy on people: especially in the conquered territories, which was the vast majority of the Roman Empire, and included combined income and property taxes.

• Jesus taught that taxes should be paid, even to a pagan government.

Matthew 22:17-21
“Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius.        20 And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

• Don’t give them more than you need to, but you should pay your taxes.

• Ex.  Do you know the IRS has a conscience fund where people can pay taxes that their conscience is convicting them about.  Between $50-100 million comes into this fund every year.  But my conscience is fine.

Vs. 7
• “Render” translates a Greek word signifying the payment of something owed, not a voluntary contribution, and this word is reinforced by the word “due.”

• God is a God of order, in a civil government.

• Remember how Paul started the letter to the Romans: we have two addresses:

Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…

o You are in Christ and in Colorado Springs.

o We live in both realms and God has order for both.

• God wants us to show honor to those in authority.

• Ex.  We are to honor our government authorities, military, school officials, teachers, fireman, policeman, doctors and nurses—would all of those who serve in these capacities please stand.

• Let’s honor them for their service to us.

• Now Paul shows us the key to self government.

Vs. 8-10
• If everyone in Colorado Springs just followed this law, there would be no need for prisons, government regulations, police or fire departments.

• This is not a regulation against borrowing money.  The rest of scripture permits and regulates borrowing money for your needs, as long as you are paying it back.

o If you have a loan to the bank for your house, and you are making your payments that is an equitable relationship.

o What is stupid is when you are in debt up to your ears with credit cards and can’t make the payments.

o That is called irresponsibility!

o Ex.  Now I will let you know that if you are using the credit card to do business and carrying a monthly payment, you are not showing wisdom.  18% interest is throwing your money away.  Don’t carry such debt if you want to be a wise steward of what God has given you.

• Paul’s point is that you pay people back on time and follow through on your obligations.

• Paul’s point is that we are the best citizens in our community when we are loving the community.

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

• Ex.  I am wondering how we can show God’s love more here in Colorado Springs?  I spoke to Lionel Rivera, our mayor, about our church committing next summer to serving our city, and he was really excited.

• Love fulfills the Law!  Love even fulfills the civil law!  When you obey the laws of the land because you love God, the entire community gets blessed.

Vs. 11
• The word here is not “chronos” or chronological time, but “kairos,” knowing the season you are in.

• Paul is saying, “Are you aware of the time you are living in?” 

• Are we going to have another Josiah, Manassah ruling over us?  We have sowed the wind, we will reap the whirlwind.

o God is judging our nation.

o America is not in the end times prophecy; we will perish, it will come.

o Are we sleeping as a Church?

o 10 virgins, had to be awakened when the Bridegroom came.

o Christ’s return is nearer than yesterday.

Matthew 16:2-3
He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 3 and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.”

• Jesus is saying that we should be able to discern the signs of the times.

• So awake out of your apathy and lethargy.  The signs are pointing to His soon coming.

• I believe we are living the last days.  It keeps me focused, keeps me from materialism, and keeps me from spiritual dullness.

• Ex.  Look at the laws that are systematically taking freedoms away from our witness, banned prayer in schools, abortion on demand, growing threats in the Middle East, all pointing to the end of the age.

Vs. 12
• So put on the armor of God everyday!  You will increasingly need it.

• Ex.  Put on the armor of God.

Vs. 13-14
• The greatest defense against sin is a strong offense and proactive holy living.

o Ex. If you struggle with the internet, put on a block;

o If you struggle with pictures in magazines, throw out the magazines;

o If you struggle with materialism curtail the trips to the mall and start giving more of your money away;

o If you can’t control your spending with credit, cut up your cards;

o If you struggle with drinking, fill your time with serving others instead of going to the bar.

• Put on Jesus:  start doing the 2-3-2 Plan, start serving others, volunteer, give your life away!