Christian Governance-&-Government-3

‘For The LORD’S SAKE’—1Peter 2:13—3:12

A. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&- GOVERNMENT--III—1Peter 2:13-17

So far in our study of 1Peter we have examined the fact that

Christians are...CONSIDERED ALIEN(1:1-2)...

We’ve examined...WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD—(1:3-12)

Discovered God’s means of...UNLEASHING Your SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor—(1:13-21)

And we’ve found the importance of LOVING THE BRETHREN(1:22—2:12).

Now we are going to see how those truths play into the scheme of SUBMISSION...the give-&-take of relationships in our world.

And particularly, the role Submission plays in the Christian’s relationship with government.

Attention:

County Employees

A fellow stopped at a rural gas station, filled his tank, & took a break by his car while drinking a soft drink.

As he relaxed, he watch a couple of men working along the roadside.

One man would dig a hole two or three feet deep & then move on. The other man came along behind him & filled in the hole. The men worked right past the fellow with the soft drink & went on down the road. Overcome by curiosity, the fellow headed for the first man.

"Hey there," he said to the men. "Can you tell me what's going on here with this digging?"

"We work for the county in the Roadways Improvement Department,” one of the men said. We’ve been blessed with a grant from the state.

"But one of you is digging a hole & the other is filling it up. Isn't that a waste of the money?"

"Well," one of the men replied, Me, Rodney, & Marvin, we’re the Tree Installment team. I dig the hole...Rodney puts the tree in the hole...& Marvin fills the hole. But Rodney’s out sick today.”

A typical stereotype of Government inefficiency!

Americans have a love-hate relationship with government.

We typically assume that any government work is easy, pointless, & hindered by layer upon layer of what we call ‘red tape’—Cumbersome self-defeating, contradictory, & burdensome laws—which plays itself out in making citizen’s lives miserable.

Peter pressed the importance of Christian submission to secular governance.

Peter expected the submission of Christians to secular governance.

Christian submission is linked to secular governance.

What is the relation between Christian obedience to secular governance?

OR

How are Christians to properly relate to secular governance?

6 facets of Christian governance.

We’ve found previously that CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-GOVERMNMENT addresses...

1. The SUBMISSION Of GOVERNANCE(:13a-c)

2. The REACH Of GOVERNANCE(:13d-14a)

3—Christian Governance-&-Government addresses...

The MISSION Of GOVERNANCE(:14b)

Explanation:(:14b)Emissaries of punishment & praise

2:14b—“or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good.”

“...for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good.”

2:13-14 reveals 3 essential purposes for government—MNTC

1)Restrain evil.

2)Punish wrongdoing.

3)Promote (public) good.

Why are Christians to submit to those heads of state who are seeking to maintain good over evil?...

Because this is what God has ordained to occur for the furtherance of His witness. He has set them in place(Rom. 13:1) with the intention of ministering to mankind in general & specifically to His people for “good.”(cf.-:15)

Rom. 13:1—“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, & the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

Governments are intended for honoring good works & being a terror to evil works.(Rom. 13:3-4).

Rom. 13:3-4—“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, & you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

Evil vaunts itself with the intent of expelling that which is “good.” And thus doers of evil must be punished. “Evildoers” are a detriment to all that is “good” in any government.

Government gets in trouble when it reevaluates & renames good as evil & evil as good(Isa. 5:20; Prov. 17:13).

Prov. 17:13—Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.”

Isa. 5:20-21—“Woe to those who call evil good, & good evil; Who put darkness for light, & light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, & sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”

Mat. 6:21-23—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

As a lamp, the eye chooses what your heart will ‘feast’ upon.