God's Law and Order

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack ran a little later in the program will tell you how you can get the best of 2021 message series 1st hears Dr. Graham's message God's law and order more and more we are seeing in our generation. This battle between light and dark. I don't know about you, but as I observe what is going on in America today and around the world. I see this battle between right and wrong heating Christ and Antichrist, and it is so essential that we be spiritually prepared for this battle and in our text before us. Romans chapter 13 verse seven verses we see what God says about law and order about crime and punishment, and yes about Jesus and judgment. Verse one says 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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but too bad when you have no fear of the one who is in authority then do what is good and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.

For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience for because of this, you are also to pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God. It did not say the preachers are the ministers of God. In this case, but the authorities those placed in authority are ministers, servants of God attending to this very thing wraps it up in verse seven page you all what is owed to them taxes to whom taxes are revenue to which revenue is owed and respect to whom respect is of honor to whom honor is of we live in a time which we are seeing decreasing respect for authority.

We know that Satan is in the middle of this. Satan is the ultimate rebel in an archivist and we are seeing the death of civility and debate and decency and discussion. As a result we are seeing self destruction. One man said this, where there is no truth, only power remains.

This is the reason we are speaking of God's truth in these days because once truth T is lost God's truth revealed in God's word.

Once it is lost once truth is gone, only raw power remains first point I want to make to you is under the heading law and order. The first four verses that we just read describe that the fact that order comes from God himself. God has put in to every human being and inexpressible desire to bring order into society. It is written into the consciousness of a human being because it comes from God. Many people who do not even know Christ or who may not even believe in God are concerned with law and order, concerned with crime and punishment policies and politics their lawyers and governors and politicians and police and others who again may not have a personal faith in Jesus Christ. But innately, instinctively within every person. There is created by God and a desire for order rather than tell you now. God is the God of order when he created the world when he created the universe. He put everything in order and that includes justice, God is the God of law and order of justice and he has establish rules to regulate society. He gave them in his word, the 10 Commandments themselves of the framework for freedom in all societies. If we just live by the 10 Commandments you would need any other laws he gave us these commandments, and he also because he is a God of judges justice. He is a God of judgment he holds everyone accountable to keep his law and therefore he judges sin.

There is retribution because of rebellion against God's law, the Scripture says God is not mocked what every person so he will also reap. So God gave us law through government and without it you have chaos you have confusion you have anarchy and yes you have violent but not only has God established law and order for the sake of law itself, but also because of love.

The generous welfare of God for humankind for society. Love requires law and order because you love your children, you establish guidelines and rules for your family. That rule is based upon a relationship and God loves you. God loves people. Therefore, he has placed rules restraints within the culture to restore and to renew society when it is broken and God establishes authority.

Therefore, and we are to be subject right here in the Scripture verse one sin again. Let every person be subject that is obedient to authority, law and order is the framework for freedom if there were no rules without retribution there would be no freedom in society without boundaries without boundaries. Freedom cannot prevail and so God has given us law and order. How many of you have heard someone say well you cannot legislate morality and maybe you heard someone say that you might even have said that yourself. While it is true that you cannot make people obey the law or even to obey God. While it is true that you cannot legislate morality. In that sense it is also true that you can legislate against immorality. In fact, laws are given to us, including the 10 Commandments that legislate against what is wrong and therefore to punish wrongdoers you see that.

Certainly there are things that are wrong and there is legislation. You know this, there is legislation that is there to prevent and to protect against and borrow decision verse two says that he who resist authority, is opposed to the ordinance or the institution of God. When you do the crime. The crime is against God. We can seek to change the government. We can appeal for better laws.

We can protest we can politics we can elect new leaders in America, but we are to never defy what God has divinely decreed the only time we are to disobey the decree of man as if that law defies the law of God, we must obey God and not man. And that's conscientious objection, of course – appropriate in Scripture. In Scripture's Christians are commanded to live in submission to the authorities of all time authority that God is placed over us. There are three primary institutions that God has established. One of course in first is marriage, home and family.

Then there is the church and the third institution that God has given human beings is governed so you had marriage, family, church and had government and therefore under the authority of God are to live in law and order your listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message God's blind order. We hope you enjoyed today's message and were excited to share that for a limited time to get to PowerPoint will be doubled up to $150,000 thanks to a generous matching grant to say thanks for your gift today will send you the most popular and encouraging messages from this past year together in one collection called the best of 2021. So, now you get double Banamex and request the best of 2021 as I thanks: 800-7954 627-1800 795-4627 can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 313131 a note to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.overarching.

Now let's get back today's message guides law and order. First Peter 213 to 70 you know if you know your basic civics and many young people unfortunately do not know basic civics are not being taught not only the patriotic history of America and our generation, but they're not taught a six civics. In some instances, but America is a nation of laws. We are a nation based upon laws to be lived out in freedom. First Peter 213 be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good this is the will of God, that by doing good.

You should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people live as people who are free but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil by living as servants of God. Verse 17 says honor everyone love the brotherhood, fear God and honor the emperor.

I would define that as good citizenship law and order were told in Titus chapter 3 verse one that were not to malign art. Our leaders are to speak evil against those who are in public servant Christian your parent don't speak evil of the police officers who surround us speak evil of leaders don't malign the best directly out of Scripture because these are ministers back to Romans 13. These are ministers ordained of God to serve our community to serve our nation second point that I want to make is that of crime and punishment. We talked about law and order established authorities by God, but what about crying and punishment because in Romans 13 it talks about the judgment of God that is mitigated mediated between the service of God. The ministers of God, that is, those who enforce and execute the law. Romans 13 tells us that there is punishment that is delivered by new authorities delegated by the government and that crime has consequences and, therefore, that consequences are punishment whether it be in fines or in greater cases of law and beyond misdemeanors, the breaking of moral law and the nations laws. There is imprisonment and even capital punishment for things I want you to write down about punishment, what it is. Punishment is preventative. There is in the very fact that people are punished. The reality that it can be a and should be a deterrent to crime itself is preventative of other crimes. If you commit a crime and you are punished in jail are even in death for a murderous crime is preventative crime being from a committed again by you.

Punishment is corrected is corrected in society for the welfare of society and is corrected in the individual who rebels against the laws of God and of the nation. Punishment is also punitive and that it is punishment for the punishment itself, and that includes the death penalty and capital punishment which is taught in this very Scripture. He does not bear the sword in vain sword in this case is an instrument of death and execution. The sword obviously reference here is the sword of capital punishment. The terror and the fear of death due to capital crimes such as murder, God said this in Genesis 96 whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed for God made man in his own image now that is a principal in God's word before the law of Moses before the laws of Israel is a principle of life and death that is written in the very foundation of civilization. But back to Romans 13. The New Testament is teaching us that the sword is to be born as an instrument of death. Those who break God's standards and laws and the laws are to be establish. The laws are to be equally applied and the laws are to be executed.

Romans 1219 says this 11, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. So God has established this law and order with crime and punishment, not there's never a place for personal vendettas or vigilantism because God has established government and one of the means of government. The most important functions of government is to establish capital punishment. Say wait wait wait wait, what about the Bible verse, the 10 Commandments in Exodus chapter 20 what it says you shall not kill. The sixth commandment says thou shalt not, you shall not murder. Scripture allows for the protection of your property, or of yourself and your body and and in self defense that the Scripture allows for just war, but you shall not murder means you shall not take another human being's life. Lawbreakers are to be justly punished by the God ordained authorities said.

We bear not the sword in vain. Yes, the Bible teaches capital punishment. We do not celebrate when any person dies is a tragedy when any person dies. But that does not limit the law's requirement and God's requirement of justice, law and order belongs to God. This is not man-made. This is God made his Bible believing Christians. We affirm. Justice must be enforced. Again, not vigilante, not personal vendettas. We let it go and we let God through his assigned governing authorities where to never avenge ourselves, but leave wrath and judgment to God. There's no place for private or personal vengeance. But God has established.

The government and those who execute the laws as enforcers and executors God or and by the way, God himself will deal with evildoers himself is not over when the judgment comes here because divine wrath is poured out upon on repentant sinners.

One final point I closed just a couple minutes Jesus and justice.

We talked about law and order. We talked about crime and punishment, but what about Jesus and justice, Jesus, and judgment. Jesus affirmed capital punishment is a where is that in the garden before his own execution before he was delivered to be executed for the sins of mankind, impulsive, pugnacious Peter was in the garden with him that night when Jesus is praying and surrendering his will to the will of the father and when the arrestors came to take Jesus away Peter what he needed to grab the sword and started swinging the first one in line for this fisherman, not that good a swordsman he swung wildly and nonoffice the high servant of the priest God and Peter cut off his ear and that's when Jesus said Peter stop it. If you live by the sword you want what Jesus said is what Genesis 96 is say what Romans 13 is say you take a life in your life will be taken biblical is our worldview. Scripture says in Numbers 3533 if there's blood polluting the land, you shall not pollute the land which you live for blood pollutes the land and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it except by the blood of the one clear it may not be your more emotional or personal charge. What is the biblical position to say so hard yes will hell is harsh. Nobody likes to hear much about judgment and we should never speak of judgment without tenderness, but there is a terrible breakdown of society when murderers and criminals of extreme type are allowed to run free breakdown of law and order will destroy a country quicker than Jesus knows this, Jesus himself took our judgment on the cross he died the hands of wicked men and there is only one cure for breaking the law. The laws of God. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God.

Another 623 is eternal life. The only cure is repentance and redemption in Jesus Christ. So why did Jesus do, he took our death, and he took our Helen.

He took our monologue right but he died is a lot like listening to PowerPoint with Jack Tran in the message God mind order prepared to step into my 28th year of ministry. Generous partners like you are enabling PowerPoint to harness technology to take the gospel into closed countries and hard-to-reach regions.

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Succumb now to have your gift doubled by the next and request the best at 2021 as I thanks: 800-7954 627-2000 795-4627 can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131 and note to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.March pastor. What is your PowerPoint for today. I know many right now have been victims of violent crime. We live in a world of terrorism and we seen, of course, violent crime on our television screens in the reporting of news and yet many of you have actually been the victims in your own family of this kind of treachery and terrorism and even murder my father was murdered in 1970 I was college student and I saw the impact this had upon our family. Critically my mother. We all dealt with that in different ways in our family, but ultimately we did trust God with the consequences of that murderous act. So what we did as a family is number one turn to God in prayer and to trust him and ask God for healing in our own lives and God enabled us to deal with it though, it still certainly is in our hearts and our minds and our memories, but we had a choice to make.

And that is are we going to live in bitterness and anger or fear or are we going to number one trust God and then with the person who did this crime.

We had a decision to make. There also in that is to live are we going to live in hatred and animosity and anger towards this one. Are we going to give this one to God. We gave him to God. So, to those of you who are listening to me today and maybe you have been wounded, broken, hurt by violent crime. So I would just pray for you.

Number one that God's peace would be upon you, and that his grace would strengthen your life that you would move past the past and giving this to God and trusting the process is to work that God has established. I would say to Christians everywhere that is important that we as believers think biblically on this issue that we have a worldview that is not created by society of the culture or the whims of the day, but that we establish our faith in our viewpoint based upon biblical instruction.

That's why I brought this message. That's why I pray that it will be an encouragement to you not only teaching you the training you Christian discipleship and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint your gift will be double and will send best of 2021 message series is our thanks. Call one 800-7954 627-1800 794627 can also text the word PowerPoint 31313 text PowerPoint 3131. Join us again next time.

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