The Role Of The Government, The Response Of The Christian Series

ROMANS 13: 1-7. GOVERNING AUTHORITIES

PAUL HAS SHOWN US PREVIOUSLY HOW TO RESPOND TO THE MERCY OF GOD TO OFFER OURSELVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES INN THE CHURCH AND TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER SEEKING TO FAN INTO FLAME THOSE GIFTS WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND TO DEVELOP MORAL TRAITS WHICH ARE CHRIST LIKE TO ONE AND ALL .

IN CHAPTER 13 GOD’S DEMANDS UPON US GO FURTHER; PAUL TURNS HIS ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE CHURCH AND OUR INNER TRAITS TO THE ROLE OF GOVERNING AUTHORITIES AND LIVING OUT OUR LIVES BEFORE THEM.

1. GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE GOD GIVEN V1-2

• ESTABLISHED BY GOD V2

• DURING THE OFFICE OF TONY BLAIR, ALISTAIR CAMPBELL HIS PRESS SECRETARY WAS ONCE ASKED ABOUT CHRISTIAN FAITH AND POLITICS AND HIS FAMOUS REPLY WAS, “WE DON’T DO GOD.” WHAT HE SAID WAS IN IGNORANCE BECAUSE GOD’S WORD TELLS US THAT THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE IN THAT POSITION ONLY BECAUSE OF GOD.

ALL GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD FOR THOSE GOVERNMENTS WHO OVER STEP THE MARK IN NOT FULFILLING THEIR PUBLIC OFFICE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE GOD. NATIONS FALL WHEN THEY FORGET THEIR GOD GIVEN OFFICE.

OUR SOCIETY WAS BUILT UPON A CHRISTIAN HERITAGE RIGHT THROUGH THE MONARCHY TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS. OUR MONARCHY AT THE CORONATION VOWS TO SERVE GOD AND COUNTRY - THE HOUSE OF LORDS STILL CONSISTS (SPIRITUAL LORDS CONSISTING OF 26 BISHOPS BRINGING A SPIRITUAL AND MORAL INPUT) – CHRISTIAN MPS ARE NUMEROUS IN PARLIAMENT STILL TODAY. YET WE ARE SEEING AN OUT AND OUT ATTACK AND GRADUAL EROSION OF OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE. ALL THIS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY GOD....... WE SHARE WITH THE USA. BUT ALL GOVERNMENTS ARE ESTABLISHED

• AND THEY ARE GODS SERVANTS V 4

GODS SERVANTS THIS WORD (LEITOURGOS) IS USED IN OLD TESTAMENT FOR THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE TEMPLE (EZRA 7:24) WHEN PAUL SPEAKS OF THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS IN THIS MANNER HE IS BESTOWING GREAT HONOUR UPON THEM AS MINISTERS OF GOD.

SO ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE ACTUALLY ACCOUNTABLE YES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO GOD, WHETHER THEY BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THE SERVICE THEY DISCHARGE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEM BY GOD AND THUS ARE GODS SERVANTS. (THINK ABOUT IT)

SO WE HAVE SEEN THAT GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD ARE GODS SERVANTS WE ARE NOW GOING TO LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUNCTION OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT WHICH IS INSTITUTED BY GOD, MAY BE SAID TO BE THREEFOLD.

1. GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE FOR OUR GOOD V3 - 4.

SO WHAT DO THEY DO?

A) GOVERNMENT ADMINISTER PROTECTION : V3-4

THE MOMENT ADAM SINNED IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CIVILIZATIONS WOULD NEED SOME FORM OF RESTRAINT AND RULE TO PROTECT CITIZENS FROM THEMSELVES. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS FUNCTION IS SEEN IN ACTS 21:27-37 ROMAN SOLDIERS STEP IN AND SAVE PAUL FROM BEING MURDERED BY HIS OWN ENRAGED COUNTRYMEN IN JERUSALEM.

WE NEED PROTECTION FROM OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROPENSITY TO DO WRONG TO BREAK THE LAWS THAT BE, WHETHER THAT IS TO STEAL, KILL, FIGHT, LIE, DEFRAUD, BULLY, SPEEDING .... YOU NAME IT, WE DO IT! .OUR PRISONS ARE FULL TO OVERCROWDING. WE NEED PROTECTING FROM OURSELVES AND ONE ANOTHER.

ON 14 FEBRUARY 1989, A FATWA REQUIRING SALMAN RUSHDIE’S EXECUTION WAS PROCLAIMED ON RADIO TEHRAN RUSHDIE AN INDIAN-BRITISH NOVELIST AND ESSAYIST HIS FOURTH NOVEL, THE SATANIC VERSES (1988), WAS AT THE CENTER OF PROTESTS FROM MUSLIMS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES. SOME OF THE PROTESTS WERE VIOLENT AND RUSHDIE FACED DEATH THREATS AND A FATWÂ (RELIGIOUS EDICT) ISSUED BY AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI IN 1989, THEN SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN. ON 7 MARCH 1989, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRAN BROKE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OVER THE RUSHDIE CONTROVERSY. A BOUNTY WAS OFFERED FOR RUSHDIE’S DEATH, AND HE WAS THUS FORCED TO LIVE UNDER POLICE PROTECTION FOR YEARS AFTERWARD.

THAT IS A HIGH PROFILE INCIDENT WHERE ONE GOVERNMENT OVERSTEPS THE MARK AND ANOTHER PROTECTS. BUT ALL OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROTECTING ARM OF THE LAW UPON OUR LIVES AT SOME POINT – I AM SURE , THE GOVERNMENT PROTECTS – IF A GOVERNMENT WASN’T THERE OUR NATION WOULD FALL INTO ANARCHY SO GOVERNMENTS PROTECT AND THAT IS FOR OUR GOOD.

B) GOVERNMENTS ADMINISTER PUNISHMENT V3-4

BOTH PAUL AND PETER BRING THIS OUT. PAUL WRITES THAT DULY APPOINTED HUMAN OFFICIALS ARE TO BE REGARDED AS GOD’S SERVANTS TO “BEAR THE SWORD,” THAT IS, TO IMPOSE PUNISHMENT UPON CRIMINALS (VV. 3, 4). PETER TELLS US THAT GOVERNORS ARE “SENT BY HIM FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF EVILDOERS” (1 PET 2:13, 14).

GOVERNMENTS HAVE THE GOD GIVEN MANDATE TO ADMINISTER JUSTICE UPON EVIL AND ALL WRONG DOING. PAUL IS ASSERTING BY THE TERM BEAR THE SWORD THAT GOVERNMENTS MAY ADMINISTER JUST SENTENCES ON CONVICTED CRIMINALS EVEN THE DEATH PENALTY GODS COVENANT WITH NOAH IS STILL IN FORCE TODAY:

GEN 9:6 AND FROM EACH MAN, TOO, I WILL DEMAND AN ACCOUNTING FOR THE LIFE OF HIS FELLOW MAN. 6 "WHOEVER SHEDS THE BLOOD OF MAN, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED; FOR IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HAS GOD MADE MAN.