Morning Message Text: Romans 13: 1-7
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
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 you will be commended.
4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Morning Message:
Today’s scripture, on its surface, seems to suggest to us that we should blindly submit to our governing authorities and trust God to make sure they do the right things. There is some truth and substance to that line of thinking, but as usually is the case, we need to look deeper. I want to say this now, early enough in my message that you will hear it. I know that at some point I will lose your attention. I will explain my reasoning for my position later, but for now let me just say this: As a Christian it is your responsibility to VOTE. If you are not registered to vote you have two days to take care of that; if you are registered, and as a responsible member of the Christian faith, VOTE. Maybe this doesn’t seem like a proper topic for Sunday morning worship. Let me assure you it is. I believe in a God who is in complete control of all things, but I also believe in a God who from the very beginning of creation gave mankind free will and the ability to choose.
I try to see God’s hand in all things. It is very easy to look back in history and find fault with the decisions which others made. Seldom do we look to find the God-given wisdom that our forefathers possessed when they formed this great nation. A nation of the people, by the people, and for the people. Some called it an experiment in democracy, I believe that the decisions which were made in forming this union were ordained and inspired by God. It would have been easy for the founders to say: This is a Godly nation, so we will just trust that God is in control and He will work everything out. What the founders did was take God’s guidance and form a government that would have to be responsive to the voices of its people. No one takes the time anymore to look at what our forefathers did and the Godly wisdom. As Presbyterians we should understand the logic behind our government because it is something that we claim to believe. We believe that God gives all of us a piece of the puzzle and that God speaks through every Christian. We are all called to contribute and be a part of the one Body of Christ. If we want the right leaders, God has given us the ability and the free will to choose them.
Let’s look at the Psalm for today. Verse 14 and 15; “For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.” This could be talking about us today. God has not forgotten us; his judgment will be for what is righteous, and the upright will follow it. God will judge between right and wrong, but we also have a part in this because God calls us to follow his judgment. He leads us in the way that is right and allows us to make the choice.
Now listen to verse 16, “Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?” The answer is: God will. He will take care of the battles, but we need to be willing to enter into the conflict. Now don’t take that the wrong way. This is not a call to any kind of physical battle. It is simply a call to stand firm in your faith and be a part of God’s plan. We are not called to sit on the sidelines and watch as everything around us goes up in flames. As Christians we have so few opportunities to express what we believe without being criticized. When we vote, if we vote according to what we believe, that is our one opportunity to speak out without saying a word. Do you know how blessed we are? Do you fully understand what a privilege it is to have the right to vote? Can you even imagine what Christians in many other nations would give to have the rights that you have?
We are called to responsible, not blindly submitting to the government. The Bible is clear that Christians are responsible to obey civil governments as a general rule. However, if the government ever commands us to do something that violates God’s law, or forbids us from doing something that God commands, we are to obey God rather than man. As believers, we need to be very certain there is clear-cut, incontrovertible divine principle involved before we engage in civil disobedience. Perhaps a couple of examples will be helpful. Consider the story of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1: 15-17. These midwives were commanded by the king to kill any male Hebrews at birth. What did they do? “The mid-wives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they left the boys live.” They obeyed God rather than the king! Another illustration comes from Daniel 6: 7, 10. An edict came down that no god should be worshiped or petitioned except King Darius for 30 days. Daniel’s response was to go home, kneel before an open window, and pray to God where all could see. Daniel defied the government because the command would have forced him into idolatry.
I want us to pay close attention to verses 3 and 4. “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 you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are
God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Oh, how times have changed. In this new form of government where criminals are given cashless bail and left back out on the streets over and over again, it seems like the opposite is happening. The innocent are constantly at risk and being harmed by the lack of government control and their unwillingness to punish crime. I saw a story on the news a few days ago where, as the police officer was arresting a man for breaking into a store, the man said to the police officer, “Could you hurry up and book me today so that I can be released on bail tomorrow.”
When the Bible was written there was no such thing as a democracy. It was a time of kings and dictators. No one really had a choice about who their leaders would be. Obeying your leaders was not a real choice, it was a matter of life and death. God was in control as He always has been. I want you to notice something very important about these scriptures.
They very clearly define what God’s idea is for the government and ruling bodies. To protect the people. Every decision that is made by our leaders should be with the safety and security of the people they are serving. God’s word will never tell you who to vote for and neither shall I. We have no idea who is godly and who is not. I believe that God’s word speaks to each of us. We have the great privilege of living in a free nation with the right to choose our leaders. God created this nation that way, and we have a responsibility to be a part of the decision. I trust that if you pray about it, God will help you make the right choices. This is the Christian thing to do. VOTE.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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