The Road to Romans 2016!
Hey, this Christian thing is hard!
Romans 13:1–7 (NLT)
1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
5So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.
7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
The Road to a transformed life in Jesus!
Don’t forget we transform not just conform! And some times transforming means change! We can conform and never change.
The foundation is love!
Love like:
• Its genuine
• Its honest
• Its not lazy
• It comes from the right place
• Its patient
• Its prayful
Love acts like:
• Its doesn’t persecute
• It loves regardless of feelings
• It doesn’t judge
• It repays evil with good
Love is hard, and Paul waste no time in building on the foundation of what Gods love looks like.
We reflect our love for God in trusting Him. And Paul gives us yet another good example of learning to trust God!
The way I see it we can take one of two views on the authority’s that are placed over us!
1. We rule over them
2. They are put in place to rule over us
So today we look at those two different views and wat God has to speak to us about it!
How do you respond to those God has placed in authority over you in your life?
1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
• What does Paul’s theology of divine sovereignty mean when it comes to authorities?
• Well, if the only ones who rule are those God has placed in authority, then the person unwilling to submit is not just shaking a fist at the ruler, but at God.
• In Paul’s mind, you cannot separate the one from the other.
Practically in means:
• God is in control of everything
• And if we believe that than every one in every position is place there by God
• And if that is so, then we need to submit to those God has put in place
A hard pill to swallow!
• This is where the love for God that we have grows in to trusting him in all things
• It means not conforming to this world, but transforming to understand God is in control
• It was hard then (in Paul’s day) and it is still today!
Two Views on Authority: Despite what we might think, God has a hand in appointing ruling authorities. If we really believe in God’s supremacy and divine sovereignty, Paul reminds us we ought to consider how this theology shapes our respect for government officials.
Don’t take this the wrong way
2So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
• This has nothing to do with the man or women in office, its has to do with honoring God!
• He uses examples of punishment, because if we are trying to love others and honor others we shouldn’t be punished, but it doesn’t mean we wont!
1 Peter 2:18–20 (NLT)
18You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.
19For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.
20Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
• Don’t miss the point, its not about pleasing Man, its about honoring God
• We always honor God first, if that means standing against oppression, in civil disobedience we do.
o But always in peace
o Always with he right heart
o Always out of love
o And always following God word, not our needs
If we condensed Paul and Peter’s teaching about authority from Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:21–24 into basic rules of engagement, here’s what we would get:
1. Honor God above all else, even human institutions.
2. Submit to authority, since it is placed there by God.
3. When it is not possible to do both, then expect to suffer for honoring God over human authority.
Two Views on Authority: If God has indeed appointed those in authority over us, there are important ramifications. If we choose to resist these authorities, we are at the same time choosing to resist God.
I have to pay them too!?!?!?!
5So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.
• This comes back to it all belongs to God
• I we get transformed, the we start to see God is in control of everything
o the government
o your money
o your stuff
• We get in trouble when we insert our needs in the mix
• We don’t not pay taxes because we feel we deserve it more
• The same way we don’t tithe based on our approval of the church we attend
• We do it because it honors God, and puts Him his rightful place as ruler over everything
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