Alba 5-29-2022
GOD'S MINISTERS – THE GOVERNMENT?
Romans 13:1-7
A teenager once wrote this letter to Ann Landers: “I am a 15 year old and my biggest problem is my mother. All she does is nag, nag, nag. From morning till night it is, Turn off the TV. Do your homework. Wash behind your neck. Stand up straight. Go clean your room. How can I get her off my case?” (Signed) Pick, Pick, Pick.
Ann’s Response: “Dear Picky: Turn off the TV. Do your homework. Wash behind your neck. Stand up straight. Go clean up your room.”
Being subject to authority is a hard thing for some people. But God has instituted three different institutions of authority: The Family, The Church, and The Government.
Romans chapter 13 tells us that God has chosen to bless mankind and provide for our protection and safety by instituting human government. God is the one who established government.
This is not a scheme of Satan to trick and bind us, but an establishment from God. Does Satan uses governments and rulers for his wicked schemes? Of course. There are wicked governments.
Consider what was going on in Rome at the time the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians there. And consider who was the ultimate governing authority. It was none other than Nero.
Nero became emperor at age 15, and at age 22 he had his mother murdered, followed three year later by the divorce (and later murder) of his wife. It is thought by many historians that the great fire that swept Rome in AD 64 was instigated by Nero, who blamed it on the Christians.
Since Romans chapter 13 tells us that God has instituted government, some accuse God as having personally put into office every blood thirsty tyrant, every crooked politician and every immoral and bribe taking public official.
The fact that any leader, as a sinful human, takes authority and abuses it, the principle still is that government is to be in charge of society. And the one who rebels against government reaps judgment upon himself.
Let's turn to Romans 13:1-7 where we learn the purpose for government. It 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.
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.
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.
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.
It is important that we realize that it is God who established civil authority. The apostle Paul says it in verse one of this chapter. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except…”
Except what?... That which comes, “from God.” “And the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” God is the one who established government.
And do you notice a continuing phrase mentioned in these verses? What is it? (Government is God's minister). Isn't it amazing that phrase is applied to the authority of government?
These verses in Romans chapter 13 present the clearest biblical teaching concerning the God given origin and God intended purpose of human government.
No particular form of authority is specified: imperial, monarchical, oligarchical, republican, democratic. Whether this authority is exercised in a noble or in an oppressive manner, whether it was attained in a legitimate or in an illegitimate way, God can accomplish His work and His will in all kinds of government.
Every authority in this world belongs to God. God is the source of all authority and power in this world. Every other authority and power comes from Him.
Remember that Pilate said to Jesus, “Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. (John 19:10-11)
God has ordained the position of authority. but not necessarily the person in the position. Proverbs 29:2 says, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Still, we are told to “submit” or “be subject” to the authority. It is the same term used in Ephesians 5:21 stating the obligation for us to submit or be subject to each other, and wives to husbands, and in Ephesians chapter six, children to parents. Submission to authority is God’s will for us.
Also these verses teach is that government officials are to be servants of God. Three times it says that they are God’s ministers.
It is interesting that in the original text the word used here for minister or servant is diakonos. That is the same word used in reference to deacons who serve the church and as ministers of Christ.
In other words, just as God established those who serve the church as deacons, He also established the servants of government to serve as ministers for the public good.
We are to be subject to the authority of government because it serves as God's minister instituted by God to do good, and to punish wrongdoers.
The first purpose is to do good. Romans 13:4 says that...
1. Government is God's Minister to Us for Good
There are times we are not sure that is true. President Ronald Reagan once quipped, “I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’.”
Still, even in Jesus’ time, the government—while corrupt—did offer roads, water, police, and sometimes relief for the poor.
Take a moment and think about what the government does for us. We have state and federal highways. It is the government that provides libraries, schools, and universities. Those in authority provide law and order through police departments and the justice system.
William Barclay says it this way: “To the state ordinary people owe a wide range of services which individually they could not enjoy. It would be impossible for every man to have his own water, light, sewage, transport system. These things are obtainable only when men agree to live together.
“And it would be quite wrong for a man to enjoy everything the state provides and to refuse all responsibility to it. That is one compelling reason why the Christian is bound in honor to be a good citizen and to take his part in all the duties of citizenship.”
Verse six says we pay our taxes so that government can do its proper function. When Jesus was approached by scribes and Pharisees with a trick question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes," [I wish He had said no!]
He knew if he said yes or no, He would be condemned either way.
But you don’t back our Lord into a corner. Jesus pointed to a coin, and the picture of Caesar on it, and said to render to him what is his and to God what is His.
This ingenious answer leaves both Caesar and God on their respective thrones. We do have an obligation to both our heavenly and earthly citizenships.
Today our culture is very confused, very distracted and very divided in determining what is right and what is wrong. But we can be thankful that here in the United States we have a constitution that, if we keep it, protects our liberties.
Also, The founding fathers established freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, right alongside of freedom of speech. And believe it or not, our Government was the first to print and distribute Bibles in the United States.
Government can be good, and God intends that it be His minister to us for good. Governments do their work best when they encourage good behavior and highlight and reward moral acts and godly behavior.
If government is not accomplishing that purpose, in our country, we have the right and freedom to seek change.
Still the biblically stated purpose for government is that it is to be God's minister for our good. And the second purpose for government is to restrain evil. Verse four tells us that...
Government is God's Minister for Vengeance
The connection between Romans chapter 12 and Romans chapter 13 is clear. The Christian is not to seek personal vengeance, but it does not take away the government’s authority to punish wrongdoers.
Evildoers are not free to do all the harm they please, without restraint and without fear of any kind of punishment.
While we are not allowed to take vengeance against those who do us wrong, God has established civil government to be His agent to be the avenger to see that such vengeance is carried out.
Government is supposed to make sure that evil does not rule the land. Evil is to be suppressed by the laws and power of government.
So government gives us laws to live by. When governments fall, the first thing that happens is rampant lawlessness. The laws are there to restrain the evil heart.
It has been said that you can’t legislate morality. It is true that laws will not make people to be moral. Morality is a heart issue. However, you can legislate against immorality.
You can’t make a law requiring someone to love someone else, but you can make a law against killing someone else. And you can legislate consequences for those who do.
Verse four says that, “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.”
The most powerful purpose for government is the God given duty of the government (nation, state) to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
When that murderer killed 19 innocent children and two teachers in that grade school this past week, it was pure evil. And justice was served quickly and appropriately by law enforcement officers when they used their weapons to stop him by taking his life.
Scripture says the sword is not used in vain. Law enforcement and the military have swords. Today we call them guns and rifles. They do not carry them in vain.
It is likely that those of you who have served in our military were put in the situation that you had to use your “sword”. And you did not use it in vain.
What is the purpose of the sword? It’s not a weapon to inflict a fine; it’s not a weapon to spank someone; it is a weapon to take a life. God says the government has the right to take a life in bringing punishment.
Soldier terminology is used a lot in Scripture. Even many of our songs talk about Christian soldiers. It is a God ordained position.
A soldier who is subject to a commander is obligated to obey lawful orders, and obligated to prevent unlawful actions. Often the men and women who serve in the military carry guilt for the things they had to do.
But the reality is that they were under orders from the government which God uses to wreak vengeance on the evil doer. If they do not follow orders, they would be among those, “whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God.” (verse 2)
If you were in the military, you were serving God when you obeyed government orders. This scripture teaches us that the state has been placed in society by God, and whoever opposes its authority opposes God. Ultimate authority belongs to God. And His Word tells us that all other authority is under Him, even the authority of government.
So it is God’s servant and sword to punish evildoers to leave people free to have “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Verse five says we must be subject to government, “not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.”
Christians submit, subject, themselves to the authorities not only because of what will happen to them if they do not, but because it is right. The failure to do one’s duty in relation to the state is to violate one’s conscience as well as to invite punishment.
We please God when we submit to civil authority because He established that authority. However when that authority is disobedient to God, we please God when we obey Him rather than man.
Yet even the apostle Peter who said, “We ought to obey God rather than men”, also wrote in 1 Peter 2:13-14, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”
Notice it says, “For the Lord’s sake.” Godly submission is to be given to the One who ultimately deserves honor, the Lord Himself. Government, and its representatives, are merely representatives whom God uses to minister to us.
On this Memorial Day weekend, when I consider those in the military service today, and the veterans from past years, three words come to mind: courage, commitment and dedication.
Those brave men and women who lost their lives in service to our country deserve the honor we pay to them at this time. They gave their all.
And as followers of Jesus we also need to have courage, commitment and dedication to His cause.
Because our ultimate allegiance is to God who made us and bought us back from our sinful rebellion by the blood of Christ Jesus our Savior, shed on the cross.
The government that herded Christians into the coliseum to be slaughtered for the enjoyment of 50,000 fans was eventually changed by the prayers and preaching of those Christians.
Although Jesus never participated in actual earthly legislation or government, He forever changed culture and governments by His truth. And one day He will return and BE the government.
CONCLUSION:
Little Johnny was going to a public school and he was doing very poorly in math. So his mother decided to put him into a Catholic school.
When she got his report card at the end of the term, his grades in math had improved tremendously. So she asked him why. He replied, “When I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they meant business!”
There are reasons why I almost didn't tell that story. But the one reason that I did is this: That when we see Jesus on that cross, we know God means business!
Under the authority and law of God the penalty for our sins is death. And God upheld His law and that penalty, and passed the sentence that those who sin shall die.
Our only hope is in Jesus, because Jesus took that penalty for us when He died on that cross in our place.
