On government
“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.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.
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.
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. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.”
Romans 13:1-7
Here is a clear statement to Christians
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities”
I hear Christians today speaking against the government and that’s their right in a free and democratic society. Still we are to submit to the governing authorities.
Remember Paul made this statement in the time when the government was entirely pagan When the emperor Nero ruled a man who was one of the worst persecutors of Christians. Kenneth L. Barker, writing a commentary in Zondervan NIV Study Bible writes
“submit. A significant word in vv. 1–7. governing authorities. The civil rulers, all of whom were probably pagans at the time Paul was writing. Christians may have been tempted not to submit to them and to claim allegiance only to Christ. established by God. Even the possibility of a persecuting state did not shake Paul’s conviction that civil government is ordained by God.”
Kenneth L Barker
As Christians we should be praying for those who govern us no matter what their political stipe is. Remember God used a pagan emperor to fulfill scripture. He had a Roman emperor call a census that took Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem so that Jesus could be born.
He used the “pax Roma” the Roman peace, a time when it was relatively safe to travel around the world to spread the gospel in the first century. To spread it from beyond from its beginnings in Israel to every part of the known world.
Throughout history there has never really been a Christian government. God has always used secular governments to help spread the gospel.
As Christians we should be praying that those governments allow us opportunity to spread the gospel.
The apostle Peter writes,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’
1 Peter 2:9-12.
Even if the governments persecute us if we must remember the words of Peter to,
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
We must live lives that point people toward Christ. Francis of Assisi wrote two things all Christians should remember,
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
Francis of Assisi
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today”
Francis of Assisi
Please think about it.
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