The Responsibility of Christian Citizenship
CCCAG, October 27th, 2024
Scripture: Romans 13:1-7
Introduction
Does anyone want to fast forward to November 5th yet? Just be done with the elections.
It’s exhausting. I had 24 spam calls on my phone this last Tuesday, and many of them were political robocalls.
As exhausting as they are, presidential elections have always fascinated me.
As most of you know, I grew up spending the school year in Kenosha, and my summers in Hayward.
Because the vast majority of the people in Kenosha worked in union manufacturing, or in jobs that were close to the union shops, Kenosha was a Democratic Stronghold.
In Hayward, the opposite was true- mostly Republican or at least very traditional and conservative.
So throughout my childhood and teen years, I lived in two very different environments and heard the arguments from both sides. In fact, whenever we went up to Hayward for deer hunting, we all had to agree that political discussions were off-limits.
That tactic made sense to me for a long time- keep your opinions to yourself and don’t rock the boat.
As much as we might want to do the same thing- be a political turtle- pull our heads inside our shells and just stay safe, Jesus has not called to that.
We do not hide our light under a basket- we let it shine so all can see Jesus.
So what does that look like?
What does God ask from those of us who follow Jesus in relation to earthly governments?
Should we just let the world go its way, and we go ours?
Should we just be separate and satisfied with what Jesus has done for us and stay out of politics? The whole system is so corrupt, so fallen, and so wicked that there is no redeeming it.
Should we ignore our national earthly citizenship and just focus on being a good citizen of heaven?
We will discuss those questions this morning, and the Apostle Paul addressed them in this chapter of Romans.
Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is guiding Paul to write this scripture to a church in a city that was the Capital of the Roman Empire-
That government- Actively killed Christians
-Promoted pagan worship that included throwing babies in bonfires.
-Enforced worshipping the emperor as God
-Allowed all kinds of perversion to be celebrated and encouraged.
Some of this sounds a little close to home, doesn’t it?
Yet, God established HIS Church in the middle of that mess- to stand for his truth and spread the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
So God wants us to be engaged, so let’s see what the bible has to say about our responsibility when it comes to interacting and living under human government.
Rom 13:1-6
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
NIV
Prayer
This scripture in Romans teaches us a few things, and the first thing I want to talk about this morning is that-
I. God has established human government
There are many different kinds of governmental systems in existence today.
You have monarchies in which people are ruled by a king or queen
You have theocracies- where a religious system, usually Islam, controls the government.
You have socialism which is in most of Europe and Canada where the government directly runs many industries and limits freedoms
You have communist governments like China where the government controls every aspect of your life.
You have dictatorships like North Korea, where one man has absolute control over everyone.
Then you have the US. What kind of government do we have?
Most Americans will say it’s a democracy. That’s not true in the strictest sense. Democracy runs on the will of the people- in other words, the majority rules.
The crowd is in control.
That’s not what we have, and it’s important that we understand that.
Democracy is not what the founding fathers envisioned for us.
Most of them hated the idea of pure democracy.
A little history-
John Adams, who wrote the Massachusetts Constitution. That was the framework for our national constitution. In a speech, he said this about democracy-
“Remember Democracies never last long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.”
Another very powerful statement about democracies comes from Benjamin Franklin who was quoting a Scottish judge and historian, says this-
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (services, gifts) from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.”
History has shown this to be true of democracies…
EVERY SINGLE TIME
Pure Democracy isn’t a good idea for a form of government because the direction of a Democracy is based on the current emotion of the crowd.
Pure democracy fails to consider the fallen nature of humanity, especially when that fallen nature connects with other humans having a fallen nature and they become a crowd.
Crowds are very very fickle and easily, easily swayed.
Example-
Remember, the same crowd who cried Hosanna to Jesus on Sunday screamed crucify him on Friday.
Something we all just witnessed in the last few years-the George Floyd riots- all based largely on lies and exaggerations perpetuated by a media that has blinded themselves in leftist ideology.
We all saw the damage that happened.
So, America was never designed to be a true democracy in which the crowd rules.
So what are we? What are we as biblical Christians in America, supposed to be submitting to?
A. Clarify US government- not a democracy
1. Constitutional Federal Republic
The most appropriate way to define the United States form of government is as a constitutional federal republic. This definition captures the key elements of the U.S. political system:
Let me break it down-
1. Constitutional: The government operates under the framework of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines the powers, structures, and limits of the government. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and all laws and governmental actions must conform to it.
This is why whenever someone takes an oath of office in America- be it a town clerk, a military member, or a local/state/national political office they are swearing an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. It’s the framework of the government we live under.
The second part of this description-
2. Federal: The U.S. is a federation of individual states, each with its own government and authority, but united under a central (federal) government. Powers are divided between the national government and the states, with some powers shared and others reserved for one or the other.
The third definition says this-
3. Republic: In a republic, the citizens elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf. It is a representative form of government, meaning that while citizens do not directly vote on every issue such as they would in a pure democracy, they choose leaders to represent their interests.
This is why these elections matter- to pick the right people who will put the country first, and their own ambitions second, and the mood of a crowd dead last.
So that’s the end of the civics lesson, but in order for us to obey what the bible teaches, we need to understand the kind of government that we live with in America.
So, what does the bible say that our responsibility is in representing God’s kingdom while living as a good citizen of our nation?
1. Recognize God's Sovereignty Over Governments (v.1-2)
Romans 13 opens with a strong statement: “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” (v.1). This immediately reframes how we see political powers and our government
The first thing we see is that-.
? God is Sovereign: It’s important to remember that God is not passive or uninvolved in worldly affairs. Every government, no matter how just or unjust it may seem, ultimately exists under God’s sovereign rule.
This doesn’t mean that every action of a government is godly, but it means that nothing happens outside of His control.
Because our God is sovereign, in submitting to the government's authority we are really submitting to HIS authority.
? That is why the bible calls us to Submission: The bible uses the word “submit” That word is uncomfortable for us, especially in situations where governments act unjustly or impose policies that seem counter to our Christian values.
However, submission here doesn’t mean blind obedience or endorsing wrongdoing but recognizing the role God has given government in maintaining order.
The bible’s command to submit is rooted in the understanding that God, in His divine wisdom, has allowed this authority to exist. Rebelling against it is, in some way, rebelling against God’s established order (v.2).
When a person does rebel against that authority- verses 3-4 are applied
2. Governments as God's Servants for Justice (v.3-4)
The Bible continues by describing the primary function of government: quick reminder of what our central verses said-
“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.” (v.3-4).
? The government’s job is to promote Good and Restrain Evil: Government is meant to promote justice, protect the innocent, and restrain evil. While we know human governments often fall short of this ideal, The bible is reminding us that this is their God-given purpose. Even secular authorities are meant to reflect, in some way, God’s justice.
? God’s Servant for Good: Notice how The Bible calls the governing authority “God’s servant.” Even those in power who do not acknowledge God are, in some sense, working under His providence. This does not excuse corruption or injustice, it does not excuse them promoting an evil policy like abortion, but it helps us understand that God uses even imperfect institutions and imperfect people to bring about His purposes.
There are dozens of examples in the bible of God using imperfect people to accomplish his will
God used a pagan king Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and it’s temple.
God used a stuttering murderer to give us the 10 commandments.
God used an uneducated cussing fisherman to be the chief among the early disciples
God uses the Christian church, with all of our mistakes, scandals, and imperfections to represent HIS kingdom here on earth.
What that tells us about how we interact with human government- God is big enough even to work with and through the messes we create.
As Christians, we should support governments when they fulfill this role of justice.
We are to be law-abiding citizens who contribute to the good of society. We should be known as people of peace, order, and integrity.
The bible defends this idea in verse 5
3. The Role of Conscience and Responsibility (v.5)
“Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.”
Let me define the word conscience. In the biblical sense, conscience is a God sense- meaning we are aware of God’s truth and standards of right living, and then act accordingly.
So when the bible calls us to act according to our conscience, it’s assuming it’s speaking to people who are disciples and followers of Jesus Christ.
? So when we submit to government For the Sake of Conscience: Our submission to the government isn’t merely out of fear of punishment. As believers, we are driven by a deeper motivation—our conscience before God. We obey the laws of the land because we are called to live in righteousness, not simply because we fear the consequences of breaking the law.
The second part of this-
? A Testimony to the World: When we live as responsible citizens, it reflects well on our faith. It shows the world that Christians are not anarchists or troublemakers, but people committed to order and justice, recognizing that we live under God’s ultimate authority.
The last section is probably the least popular part of this scripture-
4. Pay What Is Owed: Taxes and Respect (v.6-7)
Paul ends this section with a practical application: “For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them... taxes to whom taxes are owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (v.6-7).
? Taxes and Civic Duty: Paying taxes is one way we participate in the life of our society. It’s a way we contribute to the common good, funding services that protect and benefit the community. Even in the Roman Empire, where taxes were often burdensome and rulers were far from godly, the bible still instructed Christians to fulfill this civic duty. In the Gospels, even Jesus paid his taxes.
? Even when those taxes supported the killing of Christians.
? Respect and Honor: Paul calls us to respect and honor those in authority, even when we disagree with them. This doesn’t mean we agree with every policy or decision, but it means that we recognize their position and treat them with the dignity their office requires.
That is the expectation give to us in Romans 13, but what happens when-
5. When Obedience to God Conflicts with Obedience to Government
While these verses emphasize submission, Scripture also provides examples where obedience to God takes precedence over obedience to human authorities.
In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles declared, “We must obey God rather than men,” when ordered to stop preaching the gospel.
What this shows us is that there are-
? The Limits of Submission: When the government commands us to do something that directly contradicts God’s Word—whether it is to deny Christ, commit injustice, or forsake our calling to righteousness—we are called to resist.
? The vast majority of the time- like 99.999999% of the time, this resistance should be done in a nonviolent way that reflects our Christian character, with love, prayer, and integrity.
? Saying that, when the government abuses its power to the point of being completely unjust and wicked, Christians might have to consider overthrowing it and reestablishing a just government.
That’s what happened in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. However, last resort.
The final point to this is that we be-
? Faithful Witnesses: Christians have historically been powerful witnesses when they stand against unjust laws, not with violence, but with unwavering faithfulness. From Daniel refusing to bow to the king’s statue, to the early Christians who faced persecution, our ultimate loyalty is to God.
Romans 13:1-7 calls us to navigate a delicate balance.
We are to submit to secular authorities, recognizing that they are part of God’s plan to maintain order and justice.
At the same time, our highest allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and when there is a conflict between God’s commands and human laws, we must stand with God.
So after all of that, how should a Christian vote this election?
No, I’m not giving you a name- I gave you a sample ballot so that you can research for yourself
First- look at the character of the person. There is a truth we learned in psychology classes-
Past behavior is the greatest predictor of future behavior, so that should be considered.
Second- You look at their policy positions and they line up with biblical principles
Finally, you ask God in prayer- what is YOUR will, and let it be done.
And I actually mean it- pray.
We say we will pray about this, and it’s almost cliche- something we talk about all of the time but never actually do.
Listen, in these last days, if you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9b
Prayer, and devotional bible reading are your strength and what will get you through.
As your pastor, I implore you to be become people of prayer- who set aside that time with God to strengthen you for what is coming.
Prayer
