Expound: Romans 13-14:13 - Part A

When Paul wrote this. There wasn't a Democrat or Republican sitting in Rome was not a Democrat there was an AutoCorrect Nero high risk spotted and yet Paul says let every soul be subject to Christians respond to governing board complex topic. But God gives clear commands in his work today on connect with Skip Skip shares with the relationship as a believer should be with the government. Right now we want to tell you about a resource that will help you unlock the riches and mysteries in God's word. This world record has again confirmed that the Bible is the best-selling of all time, research, and portions of Scripture been translated into nearly 3500 different languages but there's a difference between having access to and allowing it to change her life to death about practical Bible study from skip.

I think observation was legal interpretation which must lead to application somebody once but if you want to meet in the street you take good Bible truths and shoe leather on them for the rubber meets the road.

You do what Jesus said to increase the effectiveness of your personal Bible study. I think how to study the Bible and enjoy it. This practical guide is thanking you when you get $25 or more to help keep teaching ministry on the air. Get your copy today and take the mystery out of studying Scripture, 819 to 18 or get online securely connect.com/offer Romans chapter 13 as we join Skip today's message. Romans is all letter a group of Roman believers long to go to Rome finally went to Rome, the way he thought he would go to Rome but he wrote this letter and the letter after his introductory remarks all began speaking in chapter 1 verse 18, all the way to chapter 3 verse 20 about the wrath of God revealed from heaven, then from chapter 3 verse 21 all the way through to chapter 8 verse 39 is the next section where he speaks about the grace of God. He sets the wrath of God. Our first so that we can appreciate the second great section.

The grace of God undeserved unmerited favor.

Then, beginning in chapter 9 verse one to chapter 11 verse 36 is the third great section of the plan of God than chapter 12 verse one to verse to the end of the book. Chapter 16 is finally the will of God. That's the section we are in and as we get chapter 13 we get to AR for some difficult little section of Scripture because Paul tells us our relationship.

The relationship of the Christian to the government and and what our attitude is to be toward governing authorities and automatically when when we hear that when Christians, especially in America here that you were sort of found it in this country with a hands-off attitude when it comes to the government a separation clause that we have in our Constitution, but he begins by saying let every soul be subject to the governing authority when I was a kid. The motto in my culture, the motto and my brothers culture that I was a kid there were teenagers. But I remember when the motto question authority became kind of the standard fair what you do with authority. We don't believe that you question it. You fight against you do your own thing you challenge authority. Here the apostle said, let every soul.

Your soul, my soul, our souls be subject to governing authority. The difficulty is when you have a governmental structure that is not godly, which is most of the time you see when Paul wrote this. There wasn't a Democrat or a Republican in sitting in Rome.

It was not a Democrat there was an AutoCorrect Nero tyrant just spotted ruler and yet Paul says let every soul be subject to governing authorities that government authority that Paul has in his mind sitting in Rome is the very one who will eventually take Paul's head off with an ax. Paul will be beheaded at the hands of Caesar.

Nero eventually the New Testament has as its background. That kind of tyrannical social structure.

When Jesus was born he was born into that structure, not just Caesar in Rome but Herod in his room. The Herod family. The they ruled as tyrants. They ruled as despots. They rolled hand in glove with the Roman government. It was Herod the great who in hearing that a king of the Jews was going to be born or was born in Bethlehem that he ordered all the children two years of age and younger to be exterminated all the male children to be decimated to be murdered. Jesus was born into that kind of governmental structure.

Now when people discovered his claim. The reality that he was the Messiah. They had been anticipating the Messiah, but Jesus was not the Messiah they were expecting they were expecting a political ruler a political rebel, somebody would overthrow the Roman government overthrow the social structure set up the kingdom of God by force upon the earth. So Jesus comes on the scene.

He is not what they expect. He doesn't come to bring social reform. He doesn't come to bring political reform. He does not meet their expectations.

There was one occasion when the Pharisees and the Herodian's came together. They both hated each other. They came together to trap Jesus, the Herodian's were loyal to Herod, they believed in supporting the Roman government. They believed in paying taxes to support that structure were very loyal to that Roman governmental structure. The Pharisees did not believe in paying taxes hated the Romans hated the Herodian's and yet, on one occasion they got together and they were both on the same side because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

So the Herodian's Pharisees came together to trap Jesus and they said we like to know the answer to this question, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not they thought they had them because if he said no don't pay taxes. It's a tyrannical government and is a tax evasion is not obeying the laws and and that the Romans would in the Herodian's as their proxies would be not in favor of that it would want to arrest him and and tell them based on that and if they said yes you should you should pay taxes to Caesar, and you should do whatever Herod says to do then the Pharisees would have a case against him so they came to Jesus asking the question and he answered it masterfully.

So much so they dared not not ask him any more questions. He said show me a coin elected to coin a symbol whose whose mug is on this going, whose faces on whose inscription they said Caesar's in the coin back said good give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God. That's how he answered that question so wisely, but again he was not what they expected.

Let every soul be subject to governing authorities. For here's why there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Well, we have trouble with that. It means that the policeman who wrote you a ticket last week because you were speeding was sent there by God.

The governor, the president, the Congress, the house, the Prime Minister's of a country. The Kings are put there ultimately by a sovereign God. Now we have to rest in that is much as we may not like it. Go back to. Not literally but go back in your mind to the book of Daniel, the book of Daniel.

We are told that Nebuchadnezzar came and attacked Jerusalem and it says in verse two of chapter 1 the Lord gave Joe Joya Kim, the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Ultimately God assumes responsibility for the plunder takeover and burning of the city of Jerusalem, which he predicted through his prophets because of the falling away the apostasy.

As we have been discussing on weekends of the nation of Israel.

When Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, and he put a statue in the plain of Dürer and commanded that everybody bow down to it, and three of the Hebrew children did not do it.

We are told also that during that era that Nebuchadnezzar walked around his palace and he looked over Babel and he said is this not the great babble in which I have built and something happened to him. He started growing his his nails out like clauses hair started growing out. He started eating grass like an animal started going crazy outliving out on the field. The dew of heaven for seven seasons pass over him and Daniel came to him and said, until you realize that the most high rules in the kingdom of men and places over it whom ever he chooses and in the book of Daniel is as God puts over them. The basest of man. The worst sort of politician.

So when you go back eight that politician. The Lord might use them to put him over you. I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, but again, keep in mind that when Paul wrote this Caesar Nero Herod the great, those were the bad actors but they were in place as governmental authorities and Paul says there really is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves to be subject uses a very important word use the military work who Picasso means in and in a military context, you get underneath in your ranking before your commanding officer in a nonmilitary context. It it suggests the bearing of a burden or the voluntary carrying of a load so I think I did this understanding, the ultimate sovereignty of God, get in line under his jurisdiction and show support with your heart right before God to governmental authorities. Whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on them selves 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, you will appraise from the same and and here's a phrase I do have problems with. But I believe it for he that is the ruler the Herod's the Caesar Nero's can fill in the blank. I'm not going to do that you can put any politician, modern or a present or past, he is God's minister while the word Paul uses DR cannot us get the word deacon from servant from God's servant God's minister is the same word that the apostles used in describing an officer of the church, a minister servant is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, be afraid, be very afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. That is his weapon eyes for a purpose, for he is God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake.

Shortly after the flood right around Genesis chapter 9 is when most Bible scholars will say God established God began to institute human government after the flood, God gave the mandate that whoever sheds man's blood, by him. Blood must be shed, or you said that man's blood by whoever said that blood is guilty and a capital punishment I would be the consequence so human government is considered by theologians to be what's called common grace, common grace, grace is a term that refers to God's blessing or grace or favor on humanity that is not purely salvific.

That is not for salvation purposes on breathing air is is a common blessing. A common grace. The beautiful rain, the ability to appreciate nature common grace. Jesus put it this way the sun shines on the just and the unjust. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. That's common grace.

We commonly enjoyed together with your Savior.

Not government, though it can be a burden is given is seen as a common grace because it has a twofold purpose. Number one to protect the community and number two to punish criminals. So next time you get pulled over by a police officer and they notice that you been doing 25 miles over the speed limit. The last few miles and they can write you a ticket. No warning at ticket you really should thank them. You should thank the officer because the officer is writing you a ticket pulled you over because he is there to protect your life. He understands. Obviously you don't. You and I when we get pulled over word to dumb to protect ourselves. So that's why we hire it out in the police whom we hire are there to protect your life. So think the officer for stopping you in writing the ticket or watching over the community there part of the common grace the common blessing you know it's worse than a bad cop no cop if you were to defund the police as some propose you should. We should, you probably would make if there were no police on the street, you probably would make it home from church. Eventually that would be the case there would be total anarchy without laws and without those to uphold those laws enforce those laws as part of common grace common blessing God's minister. Now I will say this when I was younger I did not think this way. We had where I live right down the street from us a couple of police officers. CHP's California Highway Patrol's who just love their job a little too much love the authority had brought and in particular did not like motorcyclists.

Well, my brother Bob and I were riding motorcycles up and down the street every day for months for years not always abiding by the law.

We were kids. So, at age 13, 14, 15, I Marty riding a motorcycle in California on the streets. The officer would pull us over. We felt unduly hassle us.

That began a very uneasy relationship that I had with law enforcement. It wasn't good. To this day because of all those altercations add to this day, whenever I see a black and white. A police officer or sheriff state trooper Mike I white knuckle the steering like I grab it's instinctive. I may be doing on and I looked at doing the speed limit. That's not always not even often, but when that happens is like right the first time I got pulled over in the car I was 15 I had my learners permit didn't have a license. I was pulled over by California Highway Patrol in San Bernardino, California, and he said can I see your license. I didn't have a license again. I had learners permit so he said in our youth that was illegal.

What I was doing right mobile music and I see your license and I said officer.

I forgot my license at home. He said are you a vase you have a license of yes or no I I'm I'm unregenerate at the time. I'm unsaved so give me a little bit of a break. Do you expect a hope when a unsaved person to act unsaved blackberry. I acted very unsaved, so I lied and said I am a I have a license because okay what's your address.

I told my correct address. My parents phone number very competently and he said okay I'm in a check. I want to check our records.

If you're lying and you don't have a license you're in big trouble is sure, no problem. Go ahead and call my folks.

Now I was hoping, dare I say even praying that that wouldn't happen, which it did not happen, but here was the kicker for me at the time I got pulled over and and he said do you know how fast you're doing. I said zeros doing the speed limit was that was a problem he said them you're impeding traffic. In other words, he said anything explain this to me you need to go the flow of traffic. If you are in this left lane and you are slowing down.

That's your your slowing the flow of traffic. That's dangerous.

We call that impeding traffic now probably only in the state of California do you get a ticket for going to slow because I notice a lot of people in New Mexico impede traffic all day long and it seems to be sort of the affair but there was a problem here.

If you do the opposite you get a ticket that is under no I wipe ensure there is nothing to do it all with this message except when confessing my sin to you that I had an uneasy relationship with the with police officers. Now I thank God every time I see them. Therefore, verse five, you must be subject, not only because of wrath, not only because you get in trouble not only because you might get a citation, not only because you might go to jail if you commit a severe enough infraction but also for the sake of your conscience or because of this you also pay taxes, who now that now Paul, now you're getting really close to home here because of this you also pay taxes, for they that is, those government tax collectors that they are God's ministers. Now it's really difficult to swallow.

Now he saying the IRS are God's ministers, for they are God's ministers and notice attending continually to this very thing that I agree with they do attend continually to this very thing.

There's no end to the creative ways they come up with the taxes, render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due customs to whom customs to pay your taxes.

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