Here’s my sermon outline for Romans 13:1-7 that I preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville. You can listen to the audio here.
Romans 13:1-7 “God and Government”
Intro: Imagine our world today without any governing authorities or government in place. Would it be a nice place?
-No policeman, no organized fire departments, no rules for driving on roads, or selling food or clothes
-Because of sin, this absence of government would result in far more pain, destruction, death and misery
-In many ways, our government officials and laws of land are a tremendous blessing to us.
-How does God call Christians to relate and respond to governing authorities, even authorities who are not Christian?
*Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
-CONTEXT: Theme of Romans is the GOSPEL!
-Rom 1-11: Gospel Explained (Bad news, Good news, Faith, New results)
-Rom 12-15: How do we live it out?
-12:1-2: The Christian life is a worshipping life; 12:3-8: The Christian life is a humble life.
-12:9-16: The Christian life is one of genuine love; 12:17-21: The Christian life is one of overcoming evil with good.
*TODAY: The Christian life is one of willing submission to governing authorities.
-Here we learn how Christians are to relate to secular governing authorities
-CLARIFICATION: I don’t preach ‘political sermons’ but through books of Bible
-But this sermon touches on how we as Christians view and relate to government
-It challenges us to live differently and think differently. We need to hear it. We need God’s grace to live it out.
*Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
1. The Christian is called to submit to governing authorities (13:1-4)
-The call to SUBMIT (13:1) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
-“every person”: All Christians and all people.
-“governing authorities”: Those who are in power (President, Governor, Mayor, Legislators)
–“be subject”: To obey and do what they say; to SUBMIT to their leadership.
–OVERALL: It is a posture of submission and willing obedience
-We see it in Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17
SCHREINER: “The intention in Romans is to sketch the normal and usual relationship between believers and a ruling power.”
-It is the call to love our neighbor as ourselves, applied to the governing authorities
-IMAGINE, you were in government, how would you like your constituents to treat you and your leadership?
-The Christian is called to a posture of willing submission to governing authorities. *CAEVET: -There are times when it is wrong to submit governing authorities: when they require us to disobey God or sin.
-Hebrew mid-wives; Daniel; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; Acts 4:19
-Christians in history (Martyrs in Rome; Christians in Nazi Germany; Khmer Rouge 75-79)
–But the usual & normal relationship Christians are to have to a ruling power is willing submission.
2 Motivations to help us submit to governing authorities (13:1b-4)
I. MOTIVATION #1. God has put government leaders in place (13:1b-2)
-No Authority except from God: For there is no authority except from God,
-God is sovereign over all authorities! (Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus)
-God has instituted who will be in power: and those that exist have been instituted by God.
-No accidents on God’s part
-God even ordains wicked rulers to bring about judgment on wicked people (Calvin)
Moo: “From a human perspective, rulers come to power through force or heredity or popular choice. But the “transformed
mind” recognizes that behind every such process the hand of God”
*UNBELIEVER: Jesus saves you to know this one God. He made you, and you can know Him!
-Implication of 1b…Since this is true (2): 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed,
-If we resist the governing authorities, we are actually RESISTING GOD!
-It is serious to be seditious and actively work against governing authorities
-Consequences for Seditious, Anarchist Position (2b): and those who resist will incur judgment.
-“judgment” here likely refers to the judgment from governing authorities, which is about to be mentioned.
II. MOTIVATION #2. God intends these governing authorities for our good (13:3-4)
God has a good purpose in instituting governing authorities. It is for our good in this life!
-Rulers are a terror to bad conduct: 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
-When rulers are doing what they should, they punish evildoers and this motivates other not to commit evil
-“terror to bad” conduct, not “good conduct”
-They prevent further evil from happening.
-If we do not want to fear gov. (3b): Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
-Generally speaking, if we follow the law, we don’t have to fear them.
-The government actually praises those who work for the public good.
-Government Officials are God’s SERVANTS for our good (4): 4 for he is God’s servant for your good.
–SURPRISE: “God’s servant”=They are performing a role for God, even if unknowingly
–MANY laws that have come about and are enforced for good of people
-“for your good”=Generally, when things are going as they should, they bring about our good!
-Laws against racial discrimination; Drunk Driving; Fraud; Protection of life and freedoms
-But some should be afraid (4b) But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
–“if you do wrong”: Those who choose to do wrong should fear the government’s just punishment
-“bear the sword”: Reference to capital punishment or physical means of punishment and deterrent
-“Servant” of God (4c): For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
-2nd reference here to governing official as “servant of God”
-“an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer”: God works through human means to bring judgment on EVIL.
-God punishes evil partly in this life and through human means and human agents.
-Could be used to support use of force (police with guns) and capital punishment today.
*Summary: It is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities. God has put them in place and God has a good purpose for them, to bring about blessings on people. Normally and usually, this is how we ought to live as we seek to honor Christ.
*Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
APPLICATION:
-Are we willingly submitting to the laws of the land?
-Do you view those in government this way? Do see God has put them in place? Do you love them? Pray for them? Or do you fear?
*Submitting to governing authorities does not exclude working for change: vote and participate in government. (Wilberforce)
2. REITERATION: It is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities (13:5-6)
Paul circles back to the main instruction and reminds of the rightness of this approach, along with an application for us.
-It is right to submit to governing authorities: 5 Therefore one must be in subjection,
-“must be in subjection” because of what we just considered in v 1-4
-Not Only for Obvious Consequences (5b): not only to avoid God’s wrath
-When obey the law, we do avoid God’s wrath exhibits through human agents.
-But we also obey for another Reason (5c): but also for the sake of conscience.
-“conscience” is the moral compass God has given us, so that we might do what is right.
-We need our conscience fine-tuned and corrected by Scripture
-We learned the right way to view government, and thus we need to submit to government due to conscience
-An Application (13:6) 6 For because of this you also pay taxes,
-Christians are called to pay taxes.
-Matt 22:15-22
-Rome collected taxes to fund roads and public services, but also to fund pagan temples.
-IL and IRS collect to fund public services, but also things we might disagree with as Christians.
-Ministers of God (13:6b): for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
-3rd time that Paul refers to governing authorities God’s agents: “ministers of God”
-Today we might say: Bill Foster, JB Pritzker, Joseph Biden, are ministers, servants of God
-They might not believe or follow Him, but God works through them for our good!
APPLICATION:
-Pay your taxes. Don’t lie or deceive or try to sneak out of it, but pay your taxes.
*Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
3. As Christians We Give What is Owed to Everyone (13:7)
The right response as Christians to give what is owed (7) 7 Pay to all what is owed to them:
-4 Areas:
1 taxes to whom taxes are owed, (fed and state taxes); 2 revenue to whom revenue is owed, (other kinds of taxes)
3 respect to whom respect is owed, (to our leaders); 4 honor to whom honor is owed (to governing officials)
–QUESTION: Do you show respect and honor to governing authorities? Do you do it in your heart? Do you pray for them?
*CONCLUSION: Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
GOSPEL APPLICATION:
-We have been saved to live for another king: perfectly just, righteous, good, loving, and kind.
-We express our love and devotion NOW to the true king but submitting to Earthly powers and paying our taxes
*Part of faithfully following Christ includes submission to governing authorities.
