Respecting Authority, Honoring Conscience: A Christian Response To Lawlessness

Respecting Authority, Honoring Conscience:

A Christian Response to Lawlessness

Romans 13:1-7

Intro: The Confusion We Face

Brothers and sisters, we gather this morning in troubling times. Many of you have seen the news reports from Minnesota, where protesters have disrupted peaceful church services, claiming to stand for justice while breaking the very laws that protect our freedom to worship. Some of these protesters have even invoked the name of Jesus Christ, comparing their actions to our Lord cleansing the temple.

And I know that many believers are confused. They're asking themselves: How should we as Christians respond to such lawlessness? What does the Bible teach us about respecting authority? And are there times when we must stand against unjust laws? These are not easy questions, beloved. They require us to think carefully and biblically.

This morning, I want to bring some clarity from God's Word. We're going to look at Romans chapter thirteen, verses one through seven, and we're going to discover three important truths: First, God's design for government and our duty to respect it. Second, why the protesters' use of Jesus clearing the temple is a dangerous misapplication of Scripture. And third, how we as believers should respond through prayer, peaceful engagement, and faithful conscience.

My prayer is that you will leave here today not with more confusion, but with biblical clarity and practical wisdom for living as faithful Christians in a world that increasingly rejects Christ and God's order. So, let’s open our Bibles together to Romans chapter thirteen, and we’ll take a look at…

1. God's Design for Government

Rom 13:1-4 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. [3] For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; [4] for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

Now, church, these are strong words. Paul is writing to Christians living in Rome. At the time of this writing, Rome didn’t have a Christian government, it was pagan and would soon become the driving force of persecution of the church. Yet Paul says clearly: Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. Why? Because there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

This is a foundational biblical truth that we must understand: God Himself has ordained human government. After the flood, God established the principle of human government in Genesis 9:6 where He gave mankind the authority to execute justice and restrain evil. Government is not a human invention that arose from some social contract. It is a divine institution, ordained by God for the good of humanity.

Now, why did God establish government? Paul tells us in verse three: For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Government exists to restrain evil and promote good. In verse four, Paul calls the governing authority "minister of God to you for good " and says the ruler "does not bear the sword for nothing." This means God has given government the authority to punish wrongdoers, even to the point of capital punishment.

Think about what this means. When a police officer puts on that badge, when a judge takes the bench, when a governor signs a law—they are acting as ministers of God, whether they know it or not. They are God's servants to maintain order, protect the innocent, and punish evildoers. This is why we must respect law enforcement officers. This is why we must honor our judges and elected officials, even when we disagree with their decisions.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "But Terry, what about corrupt officials? What about unjust laws? What about leaders who abuse their power?" These are valid questions, and we'll address them in a moment. But first, we must establish this biblical foundation: God has ordained government, and our default posture as Christians must be submission and respect.

Paul was writing to Christians who would soon face persecution from the very government he told them to obey. Yet he still commanded submission. Why? Because the alternative to government is not freedom—it's chaos. It's anarchy. It's every man doing what is right in his own eyes, which the book of Judges clearly demonstrates for us leads to disaster.