Subject to Government
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Turn in your bible to Romans 13...
Last week we began this look at Romans 13 to seek understanding about the Christian’s relationship with government. So far we have seen where authority itself and government on Earth comes from. It comes from God. As the author of all things, the creator and sustainer of life, the everlasting sovereign ruler over heaven and earth, God gives authroity and he takes it away.
I introduced you last week to the idea of three spheres of government. The Family, the Church, and the state. We saw how they function independently and breifly touched on how they relate to each other. The one continuous thread that run through each sphere, is that each one is to serve, and use their authority unto the glory of God.
Now this morning, we are going to look at what it means to be subject to governing authorities. Then we will breifly look at why, but that part if spelled out very nicely for us. And then we will see some implications, or what it means for us to be subject to governing authroites. Lets read Romans 13:1-5....
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
First, we need to look at what it means to be subject to…
I. Be subject
A. Subject is used in a number of ways in the scriptures. The word Paul uses for “subject” is actually a farily common word in the new testament and it is intresting that it almost always seems to follow a certain pattern.
However, for us to get a grasp on this word will help us as Christians tremendously... Because submission is characterized as a dirty word in our culture today. It is seen as a weak thing to do.
But in reality, this is a word that is often in the form of a command. Meaning, God tells his people, as a part of their walking in newness of life, a part of living in the grace of God revolves around submission. In fact Paul’s address in Romans 13:1 is “let every person”… which in the greek means something to the tune of “let every soul”.... Therefore, being in subjection to governing authorities is not an issue of patriotism, or agreeing with who is in authority, being in subjection to governing authorities is an issue of your soul...
Now subjection, can also be translated submission, or to put oneself somewhere…Often times people, wrongly, mind you, wrongly tie this word directly to obedience. But I want to show you this morning that submission in the scriptures has something to do with obedience, but more so to do with order.
Early in Jesus’ minsitry the disciples were sent out on a mission by Jesus. And when they returned from their mission they were excited. Why were they excited? They were excited Luke tells us in chapter 10, verse 17…
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
Jesus had to corral them a bit when he follwoed up just a few verses later by saying
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Does this mean that the demon obeyed them? Yes it did… But why? Were they obedient because they love the disciples? No. Were they obedient because they repected the disciples? No. They were obedient because the demons had no authority over the ones sent by Jesus… IT snot a direct matter of obedience…
Next, Consider in the same way Paul tells us about the condition of the Earth in Romans 8:19-20
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
In the garden when the Lord cursed the Earth, it wasn’t that the earth wanted to be cursed. It wasn’t that it wanted to be futile. But God made it such a way, because he created it. He had authority over it and it just became as it was commanded. So the submission even here isn’t a direct connection to give up a will…
Wrongly this is how obedience is undestood, as blind obedience. Does submission mean blind obedience? No I don’t think it does.
First subpoint here, Submission means to “arrange under” in a heart of humility rather than blind obedience. Turn over just a few pages to Ephesians chapter 5…
Paul addresses the church as a whole here in this letter… So He tells them…
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
The church submits to one another. What does that mean? second subpoint here, Submission deals with relationships to people. Not with people, but to people. Who are you to them? Who are they to you?
In the church there is not one person who is signified as better or more important thn another, or desrving of more reverence or honor than another. The pharisees used to sit at the best seat at the table because they thought they were more important than anyone else, and they expcted people to trea them as such. The Romans government demanded worship and immediate obedicne. Is that what we see here in Ephesians?
No. We are not all little rulers in the church. But we see each other as more important than oursleves. The second commandment. Love your neighbor as yourself. This then is humility. The act of putting soeone above yourself. Paul continues drawing this out in the context of the husband and wife relationship in the 2next verses...
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Does this mean blind obedience? That anything a husband demands his wife to do she should just do it? No. Skip down to verse 33…
However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
The word for “respects” is “fear”… Let the wife see that she fears her husband. The word has to do with reverence. Looking up to. Looking to for help or guidence. Willing to yeild out of love and respect. Let me show you from Peter’s first letter too..
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Listen, submission does not mean that one is better than another, or important, or worthy of more honor… it does not mean that government is more important than you, that the master is more important that the slave, that the husband is more important than the wife etc… Submission has to do with authority, and ordering ourselves in relationship to it.
Ok back to Romans 13 and lets try to ties this together…
Paul helps us understand this in Romans 13:2 by stating a negative. Look at verse 2… whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed. Resists. Oppose, to stand over in rebellion to what God says is best. Literally, to “arrange against” rather than being yielding…
Now, I want to deal with governing authroities..
II. To the governing authorities.
A. What does Paul mean by governing authroites? Many of you go straight to Govenrment. And I have even said that the context is the State government. Which is true. But ROmans 13:1 is a principle Paul is woring out. He often does this. He will state a principle that can be used in multiple ways, and then use it in a specific way. Governing authroities are differnet to all of us… Paul works this out in Romans 12… We all have been given a calling in life that is differnet that others. You might have a boss, or you might be that boss. You might be single, or you may be married. You might be a child, or you might be an adult. You might be an elder in the church, you might be a government official. Etc
But here is my second heading for you this morning…
Romans 13:1 calls for us to be subject to all governing authorites in the spheres of authroity we fall into. Children, submit to your partens. Wives, Submit to your husbands. Husbands submit to God.
Church members, submit to your elders. Elders, lead in submission to God realizing you are in submission to everyone else in the church as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Citizens, submit to your government. Godvernment, submit to God.
Many of you ask though, but what if they are doing something that isn’t Godly? We will deal with that a little more next week. However, I want you to understand in the context of government, as in our state government…
i. We are to subject ourselves to the government… Look at the text. The context is state government here… And many Jews would have bawked at this.. So Paul gives us reasons… v1 God set them in place. v2 you resist them and you resist God v3 They are a terror to good conduct. (we want police! and courts! and law!) v4 they are God’s servant for good v 5 and an avenger of wrongdoing.
This also means that governing authroites in our lives are to be respected. Your parents, your husband, your elders, each other… But yes, even to the government. My friends, have you been disrespectful to the government? Do you tear your government? this is wrong for us to do. An I am just as guilty. But We are to be subject to them. verse 5 not only to avoid God’s wrath, but for the sake of your conscienous.
I understand, our government at a federal level is weak. It is a often un organized, broken, foolish. etc. But I can be that way too.. Just because you act is a foolish way, do we deserve to be mocked? We often here this in the home. How could I follow my husband, he is a child. And I will grant, it is a sin nature of men to be passive, and often times childish. But is their sin deserving of your public ridicule?
My friends, subject yourself to your government in this way,
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Pray for your government. Pray for they. You want to do something about the bad government? Stop mocking them, and stock ridiculing them, get on your knees and pray…
Lastly, yet above all, we must sear this into our brains…
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
All things have been subjected to Christ. Why do we choose to worry ourselves to the point of fear and trembling as to who is in the white house? Yes it matters. but not that much. Jesus said, do not fear those who can kill the body. That includes governments. Paul says, would you have no fear of the one in authority? Then do good…They do wield the sword on God’s behalf, but remain blameless in their eyes. That does also mean don’t fear satan, he has power to bring harm on us. However, all things are subject to Christ. Rules, powers, authorities, they were all put to open shame as Jeuss hung on the cross. My friends, Jesus is King over all the earth. He is king over your marraige, your singlenss, your job, your taxes, your government and your eternity.
Fear him then, who can kill both body and soul in hell… That is God alone.
Some ending questions for you then… Do you have a reverence for your father in heaven? Have you subjected yourself to him first? What area in your life has God been calling you to subject to Him, to submit it to Him, and to bring it into order…
By the blood of Jesus Christ, you may have your sins forgiven today. Come to Chrsit, the king of kings and Lord of Lords, let him wash you, submit to him and see to it that you are no longer living in rebellion of God. And this is where obedience comes in. We obey God, and submit ourselves to authoirty in these ways because in our gratitude that GOd saves us. That God would take sinners like us and give us life, we desire to glorify him alone.
My friends, because of the Love of Jesus, and the gret grace with which you depend, Honor Everyone. Lover your brothers and sisters in the church. Honor your governing authroites. Fear God.