Be a Good Citizen for Jesus Christ
The Book of Romans
Romans 13:1-7
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared September 24, 2021)
MESSAGE:
*I know that we are in all kinds of trouble right now, but I still love this country! There is no place on earth I would rather live. We have been blessed by God in many ways, and by His grace we have been a blessing to the whole world. It all goes back to the goodness of God. His mighty hand was instrumental in the founding and preservation of our nation.
*In 1620, 102 devout Christians sailed for America headed to the Virginia Colony. But instead of landing in Virginia, their battered ship first sighted land far north in what is now Massachusetts. And the Pilgrims decided that rather than risk a journey to Virginia, they would set up their own government where God had blown their ship.
*Before landing at Plymouth, they signed the Mayflower Compact. Melvin Newland explained that "The hardy souls who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 fled from tyranny and oppression. And in the Mayflower Compact which they signed beneath the swinging lantern in the cabin of their ship, they proclaimed that they had come to the new world for 'the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.'" (1)
*Most of the men and women who helped create our nation were godly Christians who worshiped the God of the Bible, just as we are here to worship today. That's why our national motto is "In God We Trust." And that's why our Pledge of Allegiance says: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
*"One nation under God." These words "under God" were added to our Pledge in 1954 by a joint resolution of Congress, and they were signed into law by President Eisenhower. But the words "Under God" were taken from Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address.
*On July 1st - 3rd in 1863, a bloody, 3-day battle raged in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the turning point of our Civil War. Around 8 thousand men were killed, over 27,000 were wounded, and another 11,000 men were captured or missing. Four months later, President Lincoln made his now famous address to dedicate the cemetery at Gettysburg. Lincoln closed with these words:
"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, UNDER GOD, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (2)
*The biggest problem with our government today is that so many of our leaders have no desire to live under God. But God has truly blessed America, and God wants us to be a blessing to America.
*In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls us to be salt and light in our world. There Jesus said:
13. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
*The Lord wants us to be the salt and light in our world, and Romans 13 teaches us that this includes being good citizens. God wants us to be good citizens for Jesus Christ, and His Word shows us how.
1. FIRST: WE HAVE TO GET INFORMED.
*For example, God surely wants us to get informed about His plan for government. We see this truth vs. 1-3, where Paul wrote:
1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
3. 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, and you will have praise from the same.
[1] HERE THE BIBLE SHOWS US SOME OF THE GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GOVERNMENT.
*And vs. 1 says, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Please understand that this Scripture does not mean God appointed Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, or the Russian Communist Joseph Stalin, or the Communist rulers in China. Ungodly, cruel, corrupt politicians have been one of the worst plagues of mankind.
*Take Lavrentiy Beria for example. Beria was the most ruthless and longest-serving secret police chief in Joseph Stalin's Communist reign of terror in the Soviet Union. Beria's famous boast was, "Show me the man and I'll show you the crime." He led the expansion of the slave-labor camps and secret detention facilities for political prisoners. I have seen estimates of 100 to 148 million people killed under brutal Communist dictatorships, including 65 million in China and up to 60 million in the nations once controlled by the Soviet Union. (3)
*And yes, God is ultimately in control of everything, but wherever there is sin in our world, God's perfect will is not being done. And as Hal Lindsey said years ago: "Satan is alive and well on planet Earth."
*Think about it this way: If God had appointed Adolf Hitler, then the Allies in World War II would have been sinning by going to war against Hitler. Verse 1 isn't telling us that God appointed monsters like Hitler. No. It is telling us that God created government to help the world operate in a fruitful and orderly way. So, governments are responsible to God. And they always get into trouble when they put themselves above God.
*One of the best places to see the responsibilities of government is in our Declaration of Independence:
"IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . ."
*Our Declaration of Independence says that governments are responsible to the people. That is because one of the main reasons God instituted government was to secure our God-given rights. And we all need to learn about the responsibilities of government.
[2] WE ALSO NEED TO LEARN ABOUT RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT.
*This is why the first part of vs. 1 says, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities." The NIV says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities."
*It’s the idea of having respect for authority, and that can be hard for us to do. It certainly was for me. Looking way back, I am so thankful that God allowed me to work for the Air Force, when we went back to Georgia in 1977. During those 6 years, my boss, Henry Hearn taught me to respect authority. It was the first time since I was a little kid that I truly respected authority. And God wants us to learn about respect for government.
[3] HE ALSO WANTS US TO LEARN ABOUT THE REWARDS OF GOVERNMENT.
*Verse 3 tells us that "rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same."
*At its best, a government does good things for its people. It protects us from the bad guys and defends our freedom. At least, that is what government is supposed to do. And we need to be informed about the rewards of government.
[4] BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNMENT.
*The problem is that governments aren’t always good, are they? No. For most of history in most parts of the world, most governments have been horrible. And we could talk for hours about all of the ungodly things that are wrong with our government today.
*So, no matter how much we respect our government, we must never put government above God! And when government tells us to disobey God, we should disobey government.
*Two Old Testament examples come from the story of Moses' birth in Exodus 1-2. Starting in Exodus 1:15, the Word of God says:
15. 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.
18. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?''
19. And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.''
20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
21. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
22. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.''
*Those midwives and God's people were greatly blessed, because the midwives disobeyed an ungodly government.
*Then in Exodus 2:1-6:
1. . . A man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.
2. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
3. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.
4. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river. And her maidens walked along the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children.''
*Moses grew up to become one of the greatest prophets and leaders who ever lived, because his parents disobeyed an ungodly government. And when government tells us to disobey God, we should disobey government.
*A great New Testament example is in Acts chapter 4. There Peter and John were on trial at the high court for preaching about Jesus. And Acts 4:15-20 says:
15. . . When they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16. saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.''
18. And 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.''
*Church: God wants us to respect government whenever possible, and resist government whenever necessary. But we can't do that unless we are informed.
*Unfortunately, there are a lot of lies promoted today by the mainstream media, so you must find other sources on TV or online to help find the truth. We need some good news sources, but the best news source of all is the Word of God! So, measure the news you see by the standard of God's Word. And measure what our government does by the standard of God's Word.
2. GET INFORMED. THAT'S HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN FOR JESUS CHRIST. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GET INTEGRITY.
*This is God's message for us in in vs. 3-5:
3. 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, and you will have praise from the same.
4. 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.
5. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.
*God wants us to do the right thing. He wants us to live with integrity, and He gives us two motivations here.
[1] THE FIRST MOTIVATION IS PAIN OF PUNISHMENT.
*Hey, that’s a good reason to do the right thing! I found that out when I was a little boy. Fear of punishment can go a long way!
*Do you slow down when you see blue lights in the rear-view mirror? Most of us do. Most of us better! Pain of punishment is a good reason to do the right thing.
[2] BUT A MUCH BETTER MOTIVATION IS CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
*Paul stressed this in vs. 5, where he said: "Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake."
*When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God gives us a new nature, a Christian conscience, Christian character. And character counts. Character counts when we're 18, and when we’re 80. Doing the wrong thing always hurts, and doing the right thing always helps.
3. LIVE WITH INTEGRITY. THAT'S HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN FOR JESUS CHRIST. AND GET INVOLVED.
*Do everything you can to be Christian salt and light in this world. The Apostle Paul pointed us to this truth in vs. 6-7, where he said:
6. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.
7. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
*These verses give us a picture of Christians who are involved. But how should we get involved? One sermon on these verses had these 3 points: Pray, Pay, and Obey. (4)
*That’s a great plan for getting involved. We should pray for our government leaders. Paul put it this way in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:
1. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2. for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4. who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
*We should pray. We should most definitely pay our taxes. And we should obey righteous laws. But what about voting? Should Christians vote? Most definitely. That's one of the ways we can be the salt and light in our society. And there is no doubt that Bible-believing Christians have made a difference in past elections. And if the Lord leads you to do it, also run for political office, serve in the military, or become a police officer.
*What else should we do to get involved as good citizens? Most of all, we should trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was talking to Christians in these verses. He was talking to people who knew that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that 3 days later, Jesus rose again from the dead. Paul was talking to people who had opened their hearts to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He was talking to people who are citizens of heaven first, as well as citizens on earth. And hopefully, the citizens of Heaven will be the best citizens on earth. That's God's plan anyway.
*What should we do to get involved as good citizens? We should trust in the Lord, and we should take a stand for the Lord. Paul says in vs. 7 that we should give honor to whom honor is due. And no one deserves honor more than the Lord Jesus Christ! So, take a stand for Jesus!
*President Ronald Reagan certainly did. This witness was in the form of a letter Reagan wrote to his dying father-in-law. His father-in-law was a pioneer neurosurgeon named Loyal Davis. Loyal was also an atheist, and just days away from death.
*Here is President Reagan's letter from August 7, 1982:
"Dear Loyal,
I hope you'll forgive me for this, but I've been wanting to write you ever since we talked on the phone. I am aware of the strain you are under and believe with all my heart there is help for that.
First I want to tell you of a personal experience I've kept to myself for a long time. During my first year as Governor you'll recall the situation I found in Calif. was almost as bad as the one in Wash. today. It seemed as if the problems were endless and insolvable.
Then I found myself with an ulcer. In all those years at Warner Bros., no one had been able to give me an ulcer and I felt ashamed as if it were a sign of weakness on my part. John Sharpe had me on Malox and I lived with a constant pain that ranged from discomfort to extremely sharp attacks.
This went on for months. I had a bottle of Maalox in my desk, my briefcase and of course at home. Then one morning I got up, went into the bathroom, reached for the bottle as always and some thing happened. I knew I didn't need it. I had gone to bed with the usual pain the night before but I knew that morning I was healed. The Malox went back on the shelf.
That morning when I arrived at the office Helene brought me my mail. The first letter I opened was from a lady — a stranger — in the Southern part of the state. She had written to tell me she was one of a group who met every day to pray for me. Believe it or not, the second letter was from a man, again a stranger, in the other end of the state telling me he was part of a group that met weekly to pray for me.
Within the hour a young fellow from the legal staff came into my office on some routine matter. On the way out he paused in the door and said: "Gov. I think maybe you'd like to know — some of us on the staff come in early every morning and get together to pray for you."
Coincidence? I don't think so. A couple of weeks later Nancy and I went down to L.A. and had our annual checkup. John Sharpe, a little puzzled, told me I no longer had an ulcer but added there was no indication I'd ever had one. Word of honor — I never told him about that particular day in Sacramento.
There is a line in the bible — "Where ever two or more are gathered in my name there will I be also."
Loyal I know of your feeling — your doubt but could I just impose on you a little longer? Some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ the ancient Jewish prophets predicted the coming of a Messiah. They said he would be born in a lowly place, would proclaim himself the Son of God and would be put to death for saying that.
All in all there were a total of one hundred and twenty three specific prophesys about his life all of which came true. Crucifixion was unknown in those times, yet it was foretold that he would be nailed to a cross of wood. And one of the predictions was that he would be born of a Virgin.
Now I know that is probably the hardest for you as a Dr. to accept. The only answer that can be given is — a miracle. But Loyal I don't find that as great a miracle as the actual history of his life. Either he was who he said he was or he was the greatest faker & charlatan who ever lived. But would a liar & faker suffer the death he did when all he had to do to save himself was admit he'd been lying?
The miracle is that a young man of 30 yrs. without credentials as a scholar or priest began preaching on street corners. He owned nothing but the clothes on his back & he didn't travel beyond a circle less than one hundred miles across. He did this for only 3 years and then was executed as a common criminal.
But for two thousand years he has … had more impact on the world than all the teachers, scientists, emperors, generals and admirals who ever lived, all put together.
The apostle John said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life."
We have been promised that all we have to do is ask God in Jesus name to help when we have done all we can — when we've come to the end of our strength and abilities and we'll have that help. We only have to trust and have faith in his infinite goodness and mercy.
Loyal, you and Edith have known a great love — more than many have been permitted to know. That love will not end with the end of this life. We've been promised this is only a part of life and that a greater life, a greater glory awaits us. It awaits you together one day and all that is required is that you believe and tell God you put yourself in his hands.
Love
Ronnie"
*Nancy Reagan was with her father Loyal when he died, and she said that he did turn to God at the end of his life. Two days before his death on Aug. 19, 1982, Davis sought out a hospital chaplain, and prayed with him. (5)
*That great witness from President Reagan came just in the nick of time. And thank God for the faithful witnesses He put in our lives!
CONCLUSION:
*Christians, we are first and foremost citizens of Heaven. But 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that God has left us here as ambassadors for Christ. So, let’s do what Ronald Reagan did, and take a stand for Jesus Christ! Nothing can help our country more than that!
*And as we go back to the Lord in prayer, let's pray for our country, and pray that God will help us be the good Christian citizens He wants us to be.
(1) SermonCentral.com sermon "Blessed Is the Nation Part 1" by Melvin Newland - Psalm 33:12
(2) Sources:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address
(3) Sources:
-"Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime" - by Michael Henry - Published 2:49 pm Wednesday, May 9, 2018
https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2018/05/09/show-me-the-man-and-ill-show-you-the-crime/
-"Lavrenti Beria Executed - Stalin's security chief was executed on December 23rd, 1953" by Richard Cavendish - Published in History Today Volume 53 Issue 12 December 2003
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/lavrenti-beria-executed
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_communist_regimes
-"How Many People Did Joseph Stalin Kill?" by Palash Ghosh - @Gooch700 - 03/05/13 AT 8:55 AM
https://www.ibtimes.com/how-many-people-did-joseph-stalin-kill-1111789
-https://www.victimsofcommunism.org/
(4) Original source unknown
(5) Here as handwritten, with misspellings, etc. Sources:
-"A private letter from Ronald Reagan to his dying father-in-law shows the president’s faith - The story behind Ronald Reagan's lost letter about God" - By Karen Tumulty - Columnist for The Washington Post - September 14, 2018 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2018/09/14/ronald-reagans-letter-to-his-dying-father-in-law-annotated/?utm_term=.7b0298949943
-https://www.wnd.com/2021/06/private-letter-ronald-reagan-dying-father-law/
-https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/september/rare-discovery-how-president-reagan-revealed-his-faith-and-gave-comfort-in-private-letter-to-dying-father-in-law
