Reading: Rom 8:14-18
Text: Rom 8:15-16
Introductory Thoughts
* We have been, for some time now, discussing the reality of Biblical salvation, contrasted with the traditional idea of “say the words and you are saved.”
* Believe it or not, this idea of “say the words and you are saved,” has a real theological name: it is called fideism, and also sometimes called assensus, and it has a long theological history—in Roman Catholicism.
*There was a Protestant cult in England in the 1700s and 1800s that taught the same thing, they were called “Sandemanians,” or “Glasites.”
* My favorite name for this heresy, however, is “easy-believism,” because that term best conveys the main error. The problem is, that those who teach this idea think that believing is easy, that it is easily within the grasp of lost men and women. Nothing could be further from the Truth.
* Faith is simple, but it is not easy, because those who need to believe in Christ for salvation have one huge problem—they are dead in trespasses and sins, and only a jolt from heaven, only conviction by the Holy Spirit, only the power of God can call them forth from their spiritual tombs.
* Saying “I believe,” is easy; having some degree of intellectual faith, admitting there is a God, etc., that is easy. Hey, the Devil believes to that extent. The Devil knows for sure who Jesus is, and the Devil could mouth the words of a sinner’s prayer—it is within the power of any intelligent creature to do that—but the Devil is not saved and will not be saved.
* The question is the reality of salvation, knowing that God has done a work in your life and saved you. How are you to know this is really the case? Our text tonight explains to us how we are to know. God lets us know the reality of our salvation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
1. Not the Spirit of Bondage—God as Judge vs. God as Father—15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
a. The Spirit of Bondage—the prime motivator of the lost person.
Eph 2:1-3 "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
b. The Spirit of Bondage, the spirit of humanized works religion—
(1) Human religion is all about bondage.
Gal 4:8 “… when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
(2) Christ frees us from the bondage
Gal 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
c. The Spirit of Bondage to fear—the undeniable, often undefined, dread.
Heb 2:14-15 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
(1) The bondage of mortality, of impending death
(2) Some ways the lost handle the dread bondage to death
(a) Human Religion
(b) Denial
(c) False Bravado—
“...Live fast, die young, and have a good-looking corpse…”
“…Looking death in the face…”
Yeah, like death is afraid of YOU.
(d) Resignation
(3) Death is the ruler of every lost man and woman. Death is their king. Death awaits them, ready to overwhelm them in everlasting defeat. They cannot avoid it, cannot really delay it, and cannot bear to think of it—but its reminders are all around us.
(4) And if you are lost and here tonight, death is your ruler, your king, and your destiny.
* Death awaits you with open arms.
* Death is patient, Death has all the time in the world
* Death waits to overwhelm you, to consume you, to conquer you.
* If you are lost tonight, you have no hope, no way of withstanding death. The best athlete cannot outrun it, the richest man cannot buy his way out of it, the smartest attorney cannot argue his way out if it. Death is the ultimate ruler of the lost.
* If you are lost tonight, when your time comes, Death will defeat you, and will usher you into an eternity of living death—separation from God and from all that is good, and there is nothing you can do about it from within your own resources.
* There is no part of death that is good news for the lost person.
d. “But don’t Christians die too? Yes, but death has no sting for the believer. There is no part of death that is bad news for a saved person.
(1) God’s People do NOT fear Death.
1 Cor 15:54-58 " 54 … "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
(2) Death, for the true believer in Christ, is a no-lose proposition.
** 2 Cor 5:1-9
(a) If we stay, we minister unto God and serve Him on Earth.
(b) If we Go, we minister unto God and serve Him in Heaven
(c) “But, I really am not serving God on Earth…” Then check yourself out, because the one you serve here is the one you will serve in eternity.
e. Really NO FEAR for God’s people.
2 Tim 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
2. The Spirit of Adoption—but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
a. But—The Spirit of Adoption must be contrasted with the spirit of bondage, again to fear.
(1) You have not received that spirit of Bondage.
(2) Everything is therefore different for the believer.
(a) No fear of death
(b) No bondage to the world or human religion.
b. Adoption in the Bible—but you received the Spirit of adoption
(1) Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s sister
(2) Esther was adopted by Mordecai
(3) Mephibosheth was adopted by David.
c. Adoption in Roman Times, and its meaning—but you received the Spirit of adoption
“…For some people today the concept of adoption carries the idea of second-class status in the family. In the Roman culture of Paul’s day however, an adopted child, especially an adopted son, sometimes had greater prestige and privilege than the natural children. According to Roman law, a father’s rule over his children was absolute. If he was disappointed in his natural sons’ skill, character, or any other attribute, he would search diligently for a boy available for adoption who demonstrated the qualities he desired. If the boy proved himself worthy the father would take the necessary legal steps for adoption. At the death of the father, a favored adopted son would sometimes inherit the father’s title, the major part of the estate, and would be the primary progenitor of the family name. Because of its obvious great importance, the process of Roman adoption involved several carefully prescribed legal procedures. The first step totally severed the boy’s legal and social relationship to his natural family and the second step placed him permanently into his new family. In addition to that, all of his previous debts and other obligations were eradicated, as if they had never existed. For the transaction to become legally binding, it also required the presence of seven reputable witnesses, who could testify if necessary, to any challenge of the adoption after the father’s death….(MacArthur, Romans)
d. Adoption itself is a legal declaration—“…you are my son…”
(1) Adoption happens at the same time as justification
John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
(a) Justification by faith—not acceptance, but faith
(b) Saving Faith defined
* Rom 10:8 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus confess = say the same thing. Agree with God about Who Christ is, and, by the way, with who YOU are…
* and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Faith—pistueo, trust in, adhere to, rely upon.
Heart faith—deep down faith. Not something which human beings can generate on their own.
*10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(c) Heart faith—something only God does.
Jer 17:9-10 ""The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart…”
Acts 16:14 "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. …… The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul."
Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?""
Acts 8:36-37 "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.""
Eph 4:18 "having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;"
(d) So, saving faith involves agreement with God about Who Christ is (which means we must also agree about who we are), and heart faith in What The Father has done in Christ has done.
(2) Part of God’s Sovereign plan
Gal 4:4-5 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Eph 1:4”… He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…"
Rom 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(3) God’s eternal plan for us is more than just saving us from Hell
(4) God’s plan for us includes making us into the image of His Son, which goes beyond restoring what we lost in the Fall of Adam and Eve.
3. The Spirit’s Work in Adoption— Rom 8:15 "… by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
a. The Cry of the Heart—Rom 8:15 ".. by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.""
Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!""
b. The Holy Spirit is the One who turns the declaration of adoption into an internal reality—16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
c. The Spirit Teaches us—What is it that the Spirit teaches us about adoption?
(1) We are now near to God, and He to us.
(a) Before Christ came into our lives, we were not near—
John 3:36 ""He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.""
Rom 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,"
Eph 2:11-12 "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."
(b) A lost person has no basis to approach God, except salvation through Christ alone.
(2) There is a family relationship for the believer; the born again Christian can approach God.
Heb 7:19 "for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."
Heb 10:18 "Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..."
James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
(3) In times of deepest need, we can go to Him, run to him, cling to Him. Rom 8:16 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"
Mark 14:34-36 "Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.""
d. The Witness of the Spirit—The Witness of the Spirit is NOT merely a subjective “inner voice” that tells you that your salvation is secure.
(1) “I know I’m saved because God told me I am…” Maybe He did, and maybe He did not. Does God lie? Does God contradict Himself? If God saves a man or a woman, He begins to change them, He will chastise them, He will work in their life.
(2) Some will say, “But you must cooperate.” Yes you must, and God knows how to get you to cooperate—kind of the same way my earthly father had to adjust my attitude, only much more effective than even he was. And, if no desire exists within you to cooperate, you are not His anyway.
(3) “Brother Charley, where did you get the idea that God would act in that way?” The Bible—See Jonah, Peter, Paul, David, Job, Moses, etc. etc., etc.,
(4) “God told me I’m saved.” If there is no evidence in your life, if there is no change in your life, if there is no desire to really follow God in your life, somebody may have told you that you were saved—and somebody lied. (So it wasn’t God.)
(5) The Witness of the Spirit is NOT some supernatural sign to look for—tongues, fire, etc.
(6) The Witness of the Spirit is NOT merely some increased personal piety and religious emotion.
e. The Internal Witness of the Holy Spirit—not subjective things, but objective realities, desires, longings, new interests.
(1) A true desire for God, Godly Things, and God’s Word
Rom 8:15 "… by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.""
Psa 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You."
Psa 119:20 "My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times."
Isa 26:9 "With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."
1 Pet 2:2 "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,"
(2) A yearning for God’s Presence
Psa 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God."
(3) A tenderness to sin
Psa 51:3-4 "For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."
(4) A love for the fellowship of God’s people
Psa 122:1 "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD.""
Psa 26:8 "LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells."
Psa 84:10 "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness."
f. The External Witness of the Holy Spirit
(1) Fruits of Repentance— Mat 3:7-8 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,"
(2) The contrite heart of the soul set free.
Psa 34:18 "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit."
Psa 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise."
Isa 57:15 "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Isa 66:2 "… on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word."
(3) The Fruit of the Spirit—new ways, new doings, new actions, new walk.
Gal 5:22-24 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Applications
1. How does God let you know that you are really saved?
a. Assurance is a thing of faith, but like faith, it is based on evidence—
2 Cor 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
Heb 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
b. What is the evidence in your life?
2. For some, the evidence will be that God is working in your life—you can praise Him for that, and take comfort in that wonderful assurance.
3. For others, the case may be doubtful. You see some hopeful signs, but there are big problems—pray that God would work in your life to make your calling and election sure.
4. For still others, the evidence is sure, but it is sure that you are NOT a child of God. Tonight, God may have convicted you of your lost condition—come to Christ even now!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Live In Love
Rom 13:8 “…Owe no one anything except to love one another…”
1. Context—
a. Honoring God by honoring human government
b. Honoring God by paying taxes
2. What does “owe no one anything…” mean?
a. MAC says: “…pay all your debts, and the one debt you'll always pay and never really have paid is the debt of love...”
b. Important contextual note:
(1) Ancient Israel was not a financial society, but primarily an agricultural one.
(2) The Roman Empire had a finance system, though crude by modern standards
c. Biblically, it takes this text too far to outlaw all borrowing and lending.
(1) Business practices in general
(a) Diligence
(i) (Prov 13:4) "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."
(ii) (Prov 22:29) "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men."
(iii) (Prov 10:4) "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich."
(iv) (Prov 6:6) "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,"
(v) (Prov 10:5) "He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame."
(vi) (Prov 31:13) "She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands."
(vii) Faithful stewards—(1 Cor 4:2) "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
(b) Honest in business—
(i) (Prov 11:1) "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight."
(ii) (Deu 25:15) ""You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you."
(iii) (Lev 19:36) "'You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt."
(c) Examples of integrity
(i) Daniel—(Dan 6:4) "So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him."
(ii) Moses—(Acts 7:22) ""And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."
(iii) Joseph—(Gen 39:6) "Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. …”
(iv) Moses
(v) Joseph
(2) The Bible recognizes at least three types of lending.
(a) Lending or leasing for business and investment purposes—Jesus recognizes the validity of this, and commends those who are diligent.
(i) (Mat 21:33-41) now, in this parable, Christ’s main object is to address working in the Kingdom’s work, but the background is a business situation that all of His hearers would have understood.
(ii) Mat 25:14-30—This is similar to the situation above.
(b) Lending to the poor when they are in desperate need
(i) (Deu 15:7-11)
(ii) Mat 5:42—the poor are not to be turned down— unless
(A) (2 Th 3:11) "For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies."
(B) (Psa 37:21) "The wicked borrows and does not repay…”
(c) Lending tangible goods to be returned—
(i) (Exo 22:14) ""And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good."
(ii) (2 Ki 4:3) "Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors; empty vessels; do not gather just a few."
(iii) (2 Ki 6:5) "But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed.""
d. Except—love
e. Love one another—this is a debt we owe all believers.
(1) John 13:34 ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another…”
(2) Rom 12:10 "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;"
(3) Rom 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another…”
(4) Rom 15:7 "Therefore receive one another…”
(5) Rom 15:14 "…able also to admonish one another."
(6) 1 Cor 12:25 "…have the same care for one another."
(7) Gal 5:13 "…through love serve one another."
(8) Eph 4:2 "… bearing with one another in love,"
(9) Eph 4:32 "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."
(10) Eph 5:19 "speaking to one another…”
(11) Eph 5:21 "submitting to one another in the fear of God."
(12) Col 3:13 "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
(13) 1 Th 5:11 "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another…”
(14) Heb 3:13 "but exhort one another daily…”
(15) Heb 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…”
(16) James 5:16 "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…”
(17) 1 Pet 1:22 “…love one another fervently with a pure heart,"
(18) 1 Pet 4:8-10 "And above all things have fervent love for one another…9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling…. 10 As each one has received a
(19) gift, minister it to one another…”
(20) 1 Pet 5:5 “…all of you be submissive to one another…”
(21) 1 John 4:11-12 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."
3. The Law in the New Testament
a. Introductory Thoughts—1 Tim 1:8-11
(1) Which Law is The Law?
(2) Moses Law?
(3) Conscience?
(4) Nature?
(5) Where does the Gospel fit in?
b. The Problem: Theological Positions instead of Bible Exposition.
(1) Theological systems are the stuff that false doctrine is made of, even relatively good systems
(2) The only system we need to be aware of is to carefully examine and exposit what the Word says.
(3) The positions of various preachers and theologians on the law are probably more influenced by their system of belief than are their positions on other doctrinal issues.
c. The Positions
(1) The ultra-dispensational position—The law is not for today in any sense.
(2) The Adventist position—The law is for today, even the dietary laws
(3) The Theonomist position—the Law is for today in most senses, even to rule society
(4) The Legalist position—the law is for today, based on what I pick and choose.
(5) The Typical Christian in the Pew Position—confusion.
(6) The Biblical Position: What we will examine today
4. The form of the Law
a. The Ten Commandments
(1) One God
(2) No Idols
(3) Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain
(4) Honor the Sabbath
(5) Honor Father and Mother
(6) Don’t Murder
(7) Adultery
(8) Theft
(9) False Witness
(10) Covetousness
b. The basic worship law—Ex 20:22-26
c. The case Law—examples and instructions to explain the administration of the law in the theocratic society of Israel.
(1) Example #1 Ex 21:12-15
(2) Example #2 Ex 22:1-4
d. The Dietary Laws, the sanitary laws, the clean and unclean—Lev 11:1-8, ff
e. The Ceremonial Laws—Lev 2:1-3
5. The Law for today, as modified by the New Testament.
a. Key verses—Mat 5:17-20
b. The Dietary Law is canceled by command of Christ Himself.
(a) Mk 7:14-23
(b) Acts 10:14-15
(c) 1 Tim 4:4
c. The Law of the Sabbath is canceled Specifically—Col 2:13-17
d. These are fulfilled in Christ.
(1) The Ceremonial and sacrificial laws are canceled because Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
(a) Col 2:16-17
(b) Mat 27:50-51
(c) Heb 9:7-8
(d) Heb 10:19-20
e. The other nine commands (other than the Sabbath), and the case laws that explain them are still in effect, as stating God’s views on morality and lifestyle
6. The Law re-stated in the New Testament
a. One God—1 Tim 2:5
b. No Idols—(1 John 5:21 KJV) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
c. Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain--(1 Tim 6:1 KJV)
d. Honor Father and Mother—Jesus re-iterates this command verbatim, as does the Spirit through Paul—Eph 6:1-3
e. Don’t Murder—Gal 5:19-21
f. Adultery—Gal 5:19-21 (which includes the case laws of the Old Testament outlawing all sorts of sexual perversion, such as bestiality, homosexuality, incest, etc.)
g. Theft—Eph 4:28
h. False Witness
i. Covetousness
7. The Purpose of the Law Today
a. The Law and the Unbeliever—
(1) the unbeliever is responsible to obey the law as given above, and will be judged in accordance with the law. Rom 3:19-20
(2) The Law convicts the sinner of his sin—Rom 7:9
(3) The Law helps lead the sinner to Christ by showing the sinner his need of salvation—Gal 3:24
b. The Law and the Christian—
(1) First, the ridiculous position:
(a) The Law has been done away—the whole law, not just those parts which have been fulfilled.
(b) Therefore the constraints of the law are no longer valid.
(c) Under grace, we should learn to follow God from our hearts. (True if properly understood, but we do need a teacher—the law)
(2) This sounds good, but it is not true!
(3) The moral dimension of the Christian life remains, Sin is still sin, Right and wrong still exist
c. Now, The Truth…
(1) The Believer is saved from the penalty of the law
(2) But violation of the moral law is still a sin, which grieves the Holy Spirit and causes a break in communion with God.
(3) Therefore, the Law, as given and expounded in the Bible, and as modified in the New Testament, is the teaching instrument and guide for a Christian (and indeed the whole world) as a standard of obedience. This is so because the Law is an eternal statement of God’s will for human behavior—1 John 3:4
(4) If you are Lost, the Law shall condemn you, buy if you listen to it, you will discover your need of salvation
(5) If you are saved, the Law teaches you the kind of lifestyle God demands of a believer
8. The Law’s verdict—3:19-20
a. Whatever the law says—“let God be true, and every man a liar…..” Rom 3:4
b. Those under the law—this is everyone!
(1) The Jews had the law written on tablets of stone—Exodus 20
(2) The Gentiles had the law engraved on their hearts—they had the conscience that God gave them—(Romans 2) they had the witness of the book of nature (Ps 19)
c. The Law of God tells us to shut up
(1) Man says, “Well, I don’t think it’s anybody’s business who I sleep with…” 1 Cor 6:9-20— God says, Shut Up!
(2) Man says, “I have an alternative lifestyle, there is nothing wrong with what I do…” Rom 1:18-32, 1 Cor 6:9-11—God says—Shut up!
(3) Man says, “I am a good Missionary Southern Baptist, there is nothing wrong with me…” Mat 7:21-23—God says—Shut up!
(4) Man says, “A woman can do what she wants to with her body, there is nothing wrong with abortion—“God says—shut up! Luke 1:39-45, Ps 139
(5) Man says, “I don’t feel guilty about anything……….” God says—shut up! Rom 3:23, 6:23
(6) God says, shut up, and admit our guilt!
d. And finally, the statement toward which Paul has been heading since the beginning of Romans—3:20
e. No one can fix their own problem
f. The Law and Grace-- “Christian” Legalism is a false doctrine!
(1) The Law and salvation—19-20
(2) The witness of other scriptures as to Law and grace
(a) The Law Cannot Justify/ Works Cannot Save è Only Faith can justify—Gal 2:16-21, 3:1-2
(b) Only Grace can save—Eph 2:8-9
Legalism is heresy—Col 2:16-23, Gal 1:6-9
1. Context—
a. Honoring God by honoring human government
b. Honoring God by paying taxes
2. What does “owe no one anything…” mean?
a. MAC says: “…pay all your debts, and the one debt you'll always pay and never really have paid is the debt of love...”
b. Important contextual note:
(1) Ancient Israel was not a financial society, but primarily an agricultural one.
(2) The Roman Empire had a finance system, though crude by modern standards
c. Biblically, it takes this text too far to outlaw all borrowing and lending.
(1) Business practices in general
(a) Diligence
(i) (Prov 13:4) "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."
(ii) (Prov 22:29) "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men."
(iii) (Prov 10:4) "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich."
(iv) (Prov 6:6) "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,"
(v) (Prov 10:5) "He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame."
(vi) (Prov 31:13) "She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands."
(vii) Faithful stewards—(1 Cor 4:2) "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
(b) Honest in business—
(i) (Prov 11:1) "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight."
(ii) (Deu 25:15) ""You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you."
(iii) (Lev 19:36) "'You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt."
(c) Examples of integrity
(i) Daniel—(Dan 6:4) "So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him."
(ii) Moses—(Acts 7:22) ""And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."
(iii) Joseph—(Gen 39:6) "Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. …”
(iv) Moses
(v) Joseph
(2) The Bible recognizes at least three types of lending.
(a) Lending or leasing for business and investment purposes—Jesus recognizes the validity of this, and commends those who are diligent.
(i) (Mat 21:33-41) now, in this parable, Christ’s main object is to address working in the Kingdom’s work, but the background is a business situation that all of His hearers would have understood.
(ii) Mat 25:14-30—This is similar to the situation above.
(b) Lending to the poor when they are in desperate need
(i) (Deu 15:7-11)
(ii) Mat 5:42—the poor are not to be turned down— unless
(A) (2 Th 3:11) "For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies."
(B) (Psa 37:21) "The wicked borrows and does not repay…”
(c) Lending tangible goods to be returned—
(i) (Exo 22:14) ""And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good."
(ii) (2 Ki 4:3) "Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors; empty vessels; do not gather just a few."
(iii) (2 Ki 6:5) "But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed.""
d. Except—love
e. Love one another—this is a debt we owe all believers.
(1) John 13:34 ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another…”
(2) Rom 12:10 "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;"
(3) Rom 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another…”
(4) Rom 15:7 "Therefore receive one another…”
(5) Rom 15:14 "…able also to admonish one another."
(6) 1 Cor 12:25 "…have the same care for one another."
(7) Gal 5:13 "…through love serve one another."
(8) Eph 4:2 "… bearing with one another in love,"
(9) Eph 4:32 "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."
(10) Eph 5:19 "speaking to one another…”
(11) Eph 5:21 "submitting to one another in the fear of God."
(12) Col 3:13 "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
(13) 1 Th 5:11 "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another…”
(14) Heb 3:13 "but exhort one another daily…”
(15) Heb 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…”
(16) James 5:16 "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…”
(17) 1 Pet 1:22 “…love one another fervently with a pure heart,"
(18) 1 Pet 4:8-10 "And above all things have fervent love for one another…9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling…. 10 As each one has received a
(19) gift, minister it to one another…”
(20) 1 Pet 5:5 “…all of you be submissive to one another…”
(21) 1 John 4:11-12 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."
3. The Law in the New Testament
a. Introductory Thoughts—1 Tim 1:8-11
(1) Which Law is The Law?
(2) Moses Law?
(3) Conscience?
(4) Nature?
(5) Where does the Gospel fit in?
b. The Problem: Theological Positions instead of Bible Exposition.
(1) Theological systems are the stuff that false doctrine is made of, even relatively good systems
(2) The only system we need to be aware of is to carefully examine and exposit what the Word says.
(3) The positions of various preachers and theologians on the law are probably more influenced by their system of belief than are their positions on other doctrinal issues.
c. The Positions
(1) The ultra-dispensational position—The law is not for today in any sense.
(2) The Adventist position—The law is for today, even the dietary laws
(3) The Theonomist position—the Law is for today in most senses, even to rule society
(4) The Legalist position—the law is for today, based on what I pick and choose.
(5) The Typical Christian in the Pew Position—confusion.
(6) The Biblical Position: What we will examine today
4. The form of the Law
a. The Ten Commandments
(1) One God
(2) No Idols
(3) Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain
(4) Honor the Sabbath
(5) Honor Father and Mother
(6) Don’t Murder
(7) Adultery
(8) Theft
(9) False Witness
(10) Covetousness
b. The basic worship law—Ex 20:22-26
c. The case Law—examples and instructions to explain the administration of the law in the theocratic society of Israel.
(1) Example #1 Ex 21:12-15
(2) Example #2 Ex 22:1-4
d. The Dietary Laws, the sanitary laws, the clean and unclean—Lev 11:1-8, ff
e. The Ceremonial Laws—Lev 2:1-3
5. The Law for today, as modified by the New Testament.
a. Key verses—Mat 5:17-20
b. The Dietary Law is canceled by command of Christ Himself.
(a) Mk 7:14-23
(b) Acts 10:14-15
(c) 1 Tim 4:4
c. The Law of the Sabbath is canceled Specifically—Col 2:13-17
d. These are fulfilled in Christ.
(1) The Ceremonial and sacrificial laws are canceled because Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
(a) Col 2:16-17
(b) Mat 27:50-51
(c) Heb 9:7-8
(d) Heb 10:19-20
e. The other nine commands (other than the Sabbath), and the case laws that explain them are still in effect, as stating God’s views on morality and lifestyle
6. The Law re-stated in the New Testament
a. One God—1 Tim 2:5
b. No Idols—(1 John 5:21 KJV) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
c. Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain--(1 Tim 6:1 KJV)
d. Honor Father and Mother—Jesus re-iterates this command verbatim, as does the Spirit through Paul—Eph 6:1-3
e. Don’t Murder—Gal 5:19-21
f. Adultery—Gal 5:19-21 (which includes the case laws of the Old Testament outlawing all sorts of sexual perversion, such as bestiality, homosexuality, incest, etc.)
g. Theft—Eph 4:28
h. False Witness
i. Covetousness
7. The Purpose of the Law Today
a. The Law and the Unbeliever—
(1) the unbeliever is responsible to obey the law as given above, and will be judged in accordance with the law. Rom 3:19-20
(2) The Law convicts the sinner of his sin—Rom 7:9
(3) The Law helps lead the sinner to Christ by showing the sinner his need of salvation—Gal 3:24
b. The Law and the Christian—
(1) First, the ridiculous position:
(a) The Law has been done away—the whole law, not just those parts which have been fulfilled.
(b) Therefore the constraints of the law are no longer valid.
(c) Under grace, we should learn to follow God from our hearts. (True if properly understood, but we do need a teacher—the law)
(2) This sounds good, but it is not true!
(3) The moral dimension of the Christian life remains, Sin is still sin, Right and wrong still exist
c. Now, The Truth…
(1) The Believer is saved from the penalty of the law
(2) But violation of the moral law is still a sin, which grieves the Holy Spirit and causes a break in communion with God.
(3) Therefore, the Law, as given and expounded in the Bible, and as modified in the New Testament, is the teaching instrument and guide for a Christian (and indeed the whole world) as a standard of obedience. This is so because the Law is an eternal statement of God’s will for human behavior—1 John 3:4
(4) If you are Lost, the Law shall condemn you, buy if you listen to it, you will discover your need of salvation
(5) If you are saved, the Law teaches you the kind of lifestyle God demands of a believer
8. The Law’s verdict—3:19-20
a. Whatever the law says—“let God be true, and every man a liar…..” Rom 3:4
b. Those under the law—this is everyone!
(1) The Jews had the law written on tablets of stone—Exodus 20
(2) The Gentiles had the law engraved on their hearts—they had the conscience that God gave them—(Romans 2) they had the witness of the book of nature (Ps 19)
c. The Law of God tells us to shut up
(1) Man says, “Well, I don’t think it’s anybody’s business who I sleep with…” 1 Cor 6:9-20— God says, Shut Up!
(2) Man says, “I have an alternative lifestyle, there is nothing wrong with what I do…” Rom 1:18-32, 1 Cor 6:9-11—God says—Shut up!
(3) Man says, “I am a good Missionary Southern Baptist, there is nothing wrong with me…” Mat 7:21-23—God says—Shut up!
(4) Man says, “A woman can do what she wants to with her body, there is nothing wrong with abortion—“God says—shut up! Luke 1:39-45, Ps 139
(5) Man says, “I don’t feel guilty about anything……….” God says—shut up! Rom 3:23, 6:23
(6) God says, shut up, and admit our guilt!
d. And finally, the statement toward which Paul has been heading since the beginning of Romans—3:20
e. No one can fix their own problem
f. The Law and Grace-- “Christian” Legalism is a false doctrine!
(1) The Law and salvation—19-20
(2) The witness of other scriptures as to Law and grace
(a) The Law Cannot Justify/ Works Cannot Save è Only Faith can justify—Gal 2:16-21, 3:1-2
(b) Only Grace can save—Eph 2:8-9
Legalism is heresy—Col 2:16-23, Gal 1:6-9
Sunday, March 22, 2009
God and Caesar pt 2
Romans 13:2-7
1. Why Does God Want Order?
a. The Purpose of man—Gen 1:26-28—fill the Earth with people
b. The Evangelization of the World—Acts 17:24-31
c. Because order expresses His character.
2. Reminder and Review
a. We are to be subject to the rulers and be law abiding and peaceful—Except in matters of faith and conscience—
(1) (Acts 4:18-20) "And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.""
(2) (Acts 5:27-28) "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!” 29 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."”
b. Examples
(1) Daniel and his friends refusing to eat non-kosher food
(2) Example—Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace
(3) Example—Daniel in the Lion’s Den
(4) Example—Esther coming to the court uninvited
c. Reason 1 for the submission—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(1) (Psa 62:11) "… power belongs to God."
(2) Sometimes Satanic powers are lent a measure of authority—but “… there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (1 John 5:19) "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
(b) (Luke 4:5-7) "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ….""
(3) But eventually, God reclaims the power He has lent for His own purposes.
(a) (John 16:11) ""of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."
(b) (John 14:30) ""I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
(c) (John 12:31) ""Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."
d. Reason 2—God has appointed the rulers who rule—“…the authorities that exist are appointed by God…”
3. Resistance and Its Limits—(Rom 13:2) “…Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…”
a. ATR Comment
He that resisteth (ho antitassomenos). Present middle articular participle of antitassō, old verb to range in battle against as in Acts 18:6, “he that lines himself up against.”
Withstandeth (anthestēken). Perfect active indicative of anthistēmi and intransitive, “has taken his stand against.”
The ordinance of God
b. Resistance—again, except for the exceptions
(1) By Whomever—is wrong
(2) Resists = “rebels against—(1 Sam 15:23) "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.""
(3) Ordinance—what God has put in place, be it a system, a government of men, or whatever.
(4) What if the government becomes oppressive and evil? God sets up kings and tears down kings—and dynasties, and empires
(1 Sam 2:6-10) "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. {7} The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. {8} He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He has set the world upon them. {9} He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. {10} The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the Earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."
(1 Sam 12:8) "When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
(Prov 8:15-16) By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. {16} By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.
(Isa 45:1-7)
(Dan 2:21) And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
(Dan 4:17) “… the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.'
c. Those who resist outside the acceptable limits imposed by God will be judged and punished—by God, by man, or both in concert!
d. The distinctions are vital to see—1 Pet 2:11ff
4. Human Government—(Rom 13:3-4 (Rom 13:3-4) 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, and you will have praise from the same. {4} For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
a. Note, Paul is not talking about unjust rulers, crooks, tyrants, murderers, etc. These have always existed in human government—but Paul is relating Government as it should have been and how it ought to be.
b. Rulers—Again, these rulers have a responsibility from God whether they know Him or not.
c. Good vs. Evil works—
(1) again, often the rulers are just the opposite of what they should be
(2) Government should be a terror to the evil and a blessing to the good—but most of the time they are not.
d. Terror –Who should be afraid, and who should NOT be afraid
(1) Who should be among the Not afraid—the meek, the righteous, the godly
(2) Who should be Afraid—evil doers
(a) Again—it is often the reverse in our messed up society
(b) It has often been the reverse in History
(c) So, what happens? God raises up someone else, just like He raised up David—but note, even though he was anointed by God to be the King of Israel, David waited until God had acted providentially
e. Pleasing the authority
(1) The goal is for believers to be harmless in their day to day lives.
(Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
(Phil 2:14-16) "Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."
(Mat 10:16-18) ""Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles."
(1 Th 4:10-12) "and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."
5. Human Government’s Primary Task
“…4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.. ..”
a. The Servant for Good
b. The Sword of Authority, defense, and retribution
(1) God reveals that wars and violence are judgments against societies suffering thereby
(2) God desires that nations defend themselves
(3) The man with the sword is the minister of God
(4) The Man with the sword is the avenger of God against evil doers.
c. We MUST submit—
d. Two reasons for submission
(1) Wrath—you don’t want the ruler angry with your attitude and actions
(2) Conscience—you don’t want GOD angry at your attitude and actions.
e. Taxes—“… 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing…”
(1) Just like the support for the pastor, God’s minister, known as government, must be paid and kept up.
(2) But what if the taxes are unjust and ruinous?
(a) In Jesus’ day, taxes were punitive and ruinous.
(b) Tax Collectors were cheats and crooks, and wealthy
(c) And many Jews revolted against or resisted the taxes
(3) either way, they must be kept up.
f. Honors—“…7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor…”
6. Now, What About the US?
a. We have rights
b. We have no allegiance to a man, but to a republic, a constitution, a flag.
c. It is our right and indeed responsibility to overthrow unjust governments
a. The fly in the ointment—our unique form of government
(1) We have no human sovereign—we have two non-human Sovereigns that all recognize
(a) Our first Ruler, to whom we swear allegiance is our Republican form of government and the flag that represents that republic…
(i) “..I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all…”
(ii) But this pledge does not have the force of law behind it. Instead, it is a personal promise which most of us scarcely ever think about, even as we say it.
(b) Our legal ruler, one which can result in our imprisonment for violating its provisions, is a small tract of only a few thousand words—the US Constitution
(2) In essence, each citizen is part of the Sovereign voice of the people, and we are entitled to various rights, such as the right to protest and petition, the right to say nothing to the police, the right to require a search warrant, etc.
“…We, the people of the United …, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America..”.
(3) And, if we go back to the most basic of our documents, the Declaration of Independence, some shocking possibilities result.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness…. it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
(4) So, implicit in our citizenship is the right to rebel—to overthrow the government—there is no other government I am aware of which has such a provision, except for Turkey, whose army is obligated to overthrow and destroy any government that tries to do away with Turkey’s pure secular (non-Islamist) government.
(5) So, when we read Romans 13, some of the provisions are hard to pin down because of the unique nature of our government.
1. Why Does God Want Order?
a. The Purpose of man—Gen 1:26-28—fill the Earth with people
b. The Evangelization of the World—Acts 17:24-31
c. Because order expresses His character.
2. Reminder and Review
a. We are to be subject to the rulers and be law abiding and peaceful—Except in matters of faith and conscience—
(1) (Acts 4:18-20) "And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.""
(2) (Acts 5:27-28) "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!” 29 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."”
b. Examples
(1) Daniel and his friends refusing to eat non-kosher food
(2) Example—Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace
(3) Example—Daniel in the Lion’s Den
(4) Example—Esther coming to the court uninvited
c. Reason 1 for the submission—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(1) (Psa 62:11) "… power belongs to God."
(2) Sometimes Satanic powers are lent a measure of authority—but “… there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (1 John 5:19) "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
(b) (Luke 4:5-7) "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ….""
(3) But eventually, God reclaims the power He has lent for His own purposes.
(a) (John 16:11) ""of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."
(b) (John 14:30) ""I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
(c) (John 12:31) ""Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."
d. Reason 2—God has appointed the rulers who rule—“…the authorities that exist are appointed by God…”
3. Resistance and Its Limits—(Rom 13:2) “…Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…”
a. ATR Comment
He that resisteth (ho antitassomenos). Present middle articular participle of antitassō, old verb to range in battle against as in Acts 18:6, “he that lines himself up against.”
Withstandeth (anthestēken). Perfect active indicative of anthistēmi and intransitive, “has taken his stand against.”
The ordinance of God
b. Resistance—again, except for the exceptions
(1) By Whomever—is wrong
(2) Resists = “rebels against—(1 Sam 15:23) "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.""
(3) Ordinance—what God has put in place, be it a system, a government of men, or whatever.
(4) What if the government becomes oppressive and evil? God sets up kings and tears down kings—and dynasties, and empires
(1 Sam 2:6-10) "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. {7} The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. {8} He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He has set the world upon them. {9} He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. {10} The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the Earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."
(1 Sam 12:8) "When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
(Prov 8:15-16) By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. {16} By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.
(Isa 45:1-7)
(Dan 2:21) And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
(Dan 4:17) “… the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.'
c. Those who resist outside the acceptable limits imposed by God will be judged and punished—by God, by man, or both in concert!
d. The distinctions are vital to see—1 Pet 2:11ff
4. Human Government—(Rom 13:3-4 (Rom 13:3-4) 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, and you will have praise from the same. {4} For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
a. Note, Paul is not talking about unjust rulers, crooks, tyrants, murderers, etc. These have always existed in human government—but Paul is relating Government as it should have been and how it ought to be.
b. Rulers—Again, these rulers have a responsibility from God whether they know Him or not.
c. Good vs. Evil works—
(1) again, often the rulers are just the opposite of what they should be
(2) Government should be a terror to the evil and a blessing to the good—but most of the time they are not.
d. Terror –Who should be afraid, and who should NOT be afraid
(1) Who should be among the Not afraid—the meek, the righteous, the godly
(2) Who should be Afraid—evil doers
(a) Again—it is often the reverse in our messed up society
(b) It has often been the reverse in History
(c) So, what happens? God raises up someone else, just like He raised up David—but note, even though he was anointed by God to be the King of Israel, David waited until God had acted providentially
e. Pleasing the authority
(1) The goal is for believers to be harmless in their day to day lives.
(Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
(Phil 2:14-16) "Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."
(Mat 10:16-18) ""Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles."
(1 Th 4:10-12) "and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."
5. Human Government’s Primary Task
“…4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.. ..”
a. The Servant for Good
b. The Sword of Authority, defense, and retribution
(1) God reveals that wars and violence are judgments against societies suffering thereby
(2) God desires that nations defend themselves
(3) The man with the sword is the minister of God
(4) The Man with the sword is the avenger of God against evil doers.
c. We MUST submit—
d. Two reasons for submission
(1) Wrath—you don’t want the ruler angry with your attitude and actions
(2) Conscience—you don’t want GOD angry at your attitude and actions.
e. Taxes—“… 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing…”
(1) Just like the support for the pastor, God’s minister, known as government, must be paid and kept up.
(2) But what if the taxes are unjust and ruinous?
(a) In Jesus’ day, taxes were punitive and ruinous.
(b) Tax Collectors were cheats and crooks, and wealthy
(c) And many Jews revolted against or resisted the taxes
(3) either way, they must be kept up.
f. Honors—“…7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor…”
6. Now, What About the US?
a. We have rights
b. We have no allegiance to a man, but to a republic, a constitution, a flag.
c. It is our right and indeed responsibility to overthrow unjust governments
a. The fly in the ointment—our unique form of government
(1) We have no human sovereign—we have two non-human Sovereigns that all recognize
(a) Our first Ruler, to whom we swear allegiance is our Republican form of government and the flag that represents that republic…
(i) “..I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all…”
(ii) But this pledge does not have the force of law behind it. Instead, it is a personal promise which most of us scarcely ever think about, even as we say it.
(b) Our legal ruler, one which can result in our imprisonment for violating its provisions, is a small tract of only a few thousand words—the US Constitution
(2) In essence, each citizen is part of the Sovereign voice of the people, and we are entitled to various rights, such as the right to protest and petition, the right to say nothing to the police, the right to require a search warrant, etc.
“…We, the people of the United …, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America..”.
(3) And, if we go back to the most basic of our documents, the Declaration of Independence, some shocking possibilities result.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness…. it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
(4) So, implicit in our citizenship is the right to rebel—to overthrow the government—there is no other government I am aware of which has such a provision, except for Turkey, whose army is obligated to overthrow and destroy any government that tries to do away with Turkey’s pure secular (non-Islamist) government.
(5) So, when we read Romans 13, some of the provisions are hard to pin down because of the unique nature of our government.
God and Caesar
Romans 13:1
(reading: 13:1-7)
1. Theological and Historical Context—
(Mark 12:14-17) "When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 "Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him."
a. There are no Christian nations
b. America is not Israel
(1) America is not Israel because Israel IS Israel!
(2) America is not Israel because the Bible never states her to be Israel
(3) America is not Israel, because the church is NOT Israel
c. America is not the Church
(1) America is not the church because there has been only one time when there might have been a majority of born again citizens—the Great Awakening—and we cannot be sure even there.
(2) America is not the church because America has no signs of being the church
(a) As a nation, we have no biblical statement of beliefs
(b) Our nation is not indwelled by the Holy Spirit
(c) We do not excommunicate heretics from the nation, only from the church—and that out of style now.
(d) We have no pastor for our nation, nor deacons, etc.
d. What then, is America?
(1) America was and is a land where the Christian faith in all its forms, (true, semi-true, false, and cultic) has been a major influence
(2) America is a land where many people came because of religious freedom.
(3) America is a land where many of its leaders have been Christian men and women, even today
(4) America is a nation used by God for the greatest outreach of the Gospel in history. From these shores, beginning in the late 1700s, millions of missionaries flocked to all parts of the Earth to win souls and establish churches—this is the meaning of a city shining on a hill.
(5) America is a land where the true and Biblical Christian faith has met opposition, political, moral, and spiritual, and were limited persecution occurred from the earliest time forward.
(6) America is a land of incredible wickedness, from slavery to Jim Crow laws, to drugs and the devastation of the 21st century, her behavior has to have reeked in the nostrils of God!
(7) And this wickedness has always existed side by side with incredible righteous acts by courageous and Godly men and women.
(8) But—and remember this—at its bottom, America is a worldly nation, created by God (Acts 17:24-27) for His purposes (Is 46:8-11, Daniel 2:19-28), and like every other nation in history, it will someday pass out of the way in a manner, by a means, in in such a time as chosen by God.
e. The fly in the ointment—our unique form of government
(1) We have no human sovereign—we have two non-human Sovereigns that all recognize
(a) Our first Ruler, to whom we swear allegiance is our Republican form of government and the flag that represents that republic…
(i) “..I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all…”
(ii) But this pledge does not have the force of law behind it. Instead, it is a personal promise which most of us scarcely ever think about, even as we say it.
(b) Our legal ruler, one which can result in our imprisonment for violating its provisions, is a small tract of only a few thousand words—the US Constitution
(i) The Officer’s Oath…“I, Charles Thomas Buntin, do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.”
(ii) The Enlisted person’s oath— I, Charles Thomas Buntin (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
(iii) Those with a moral objection are allowed to leave out the last clause
(2) In essence, each citizen is part of the Sovereign voice of the people, and we are entitled to various rights, such as the right to protest and petition, the right to say nothing to the police, the right to require a search warrant, etc.
“…We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America..”.
(3) And, if we go back to the most basic of our documents, the Declaration of Independence, some shocking possibilities result.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
(4) So, implicit in our citizenship is the right to rebel—to overthrow the government—there is no other government I am aware of which has such a provision, except for Turkey, whose army is obligated to overthrow and destroy any government that tries to do away with Turkey’s pure secular (non-Islamist) government.
(5) So, when we read Romans 13, some of the provisions are hard to pin down because of the unique nature of our government.
f. The world of Jesus’ day
(1) It was a Roman World, during the period of the Empire
(2) Jesus was born into a subject province ruled by one of the most wicked men in history, Herod the Great.
(3) When Christ was born, the Emperor was Octavian Caesar, aka Caesar Augustus—an absolute ruler, but considered to be an honorable and effective ruler.
(4) When Christ Died, He died under the rule of Tiberius Caesar, a pedophile, a paranoid, murderous, vile, evil man
(5) The initial missionary outreach was done under Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. In fact, the emperor at the time this chapter was written was Nero!
(6) No human being had any rights except the very elite, and their rights were tenuous at best.
(7) There were millions of slaves in the Roman empire
(8) Homosexuality and pedophilia were not even frowned upon.
(9) Newborn babies who did not meet the approval of the father of the house were set outside to be eaten by wild animals and die.
(10) So when we look at this passage, let us never forget the times in which it was written.
g. Most of our world for most of all times—
(1) No rights
(2) No guarantees
(3) Oppressive, evil governments
(4) Oppressive, evil rulers
(5) Degradations of every kind are rampant visited upon the people by the rulers.
(6) Corruption, exorbitant taxes, and outright theft by people in power.
(7) And there were groups seeking the violent overthrow of Rome—they went by various names, but the NT calls them zealots.
(a) MacArthur’s Comment:
Now also among the Jews were a group of people known as the zealots. Do you remember the zealots? They believed there was no king but God period. And there should be no taxes paid to anyone but God, so they defied the government every way. They wouldn't submit, and they wouldn't pay taxes.
They embarked, the zealots did, on violent action. They started groups. They became murderers, careers of murder and assassination. They were known as dagger-bearers. They were fanatical nationalists I should say. Sworn to terrorism all their life long. And they had a great influence on the Jews. That's why when Jesus came along and the Jews saw His power, they wanted immediately to make him king. Why? Because they wanted the ultimate revolt. The ultimate war to take place, and they would fight and win against Rome.
Now this kind of attitude, this kind of constant fomenting attitude against Rome, is ultimately why the event of 70 AD happened. Finally the Romans took all they could take, and in 70 AD they came in and just wiped out Jerusalem. They killed 1,100,000 Jews. Massacred them. To stop the incessant revolt and revolution.
This is not a Godly attitude. And that's what Jesus meant when he said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And that's what Paul meant when he said, "Live peaceably with all men." We're not to be concerned with issues of the state and the government as a priority. We're to be busy living Godly lives as the conscience of a nation, and preaching God's word. And not starting revolutions and protesting, and making trouble.
(b) (Mark 15:7) "And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion."
(c) (Luke 6:15) "Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;"
(d) (Acts 5:36) ""For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing."
(e) (Acts 5:37) ""After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed."
(8) And he people sought to make Jesus King (as Satan had tried also to do!) (John 6:15) "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone."
h. But Jesus, in fact, ignored all politics, and He did not organize politically—and His apostles followed the example.
The issue of the Christian's relationship to government is a very important issue. It has been through all of the church's history. Christian's have always had to face this issue, and even to struggle with it. Where the church has found itself in all kinds of places, in all kinds of governments, under all kinds of rulers, with all kinds of perspectives and forms of leading and ruling. And so Christians have always had to deal with this matter of: How do you respond to your government? (MAC)
2. The Christian and Divine Providence—(Rom 13:1) "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
a. Subjection to Authority— “…Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities…”
(1) This is an imperative, a command—ATR—
(a) ὑποτασσέσθω— passive “…be subject…” submit to, obey, be under the authority of; take a subordinate place (1 Cor 14:34)
(b) “…To line up like soldiers under the authority of a superior officer…” (MAC)
(2) We are to be harmless to the rulers of the nation—1 Pet 2:11-21
(3) We are to pray for our rulers—(1 Tim 2:1-3) "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,"
(4) We are to be subject to the rulers and be law abiding and peaceful—
(a) (Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
(b) (1 Th 4:11-12) "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."
(5) Except in matters of faith and conscience—
(a) (Acts 4:18-20) "And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.""
(b) (Acts 5:27-28) "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!” 29 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."”
(c) Examples
(i) Daniel and his friends refusing to eat non-kosher food
(ii) Example—Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace
(iii) Example—Daniel in the Lion’s Den
(iv) Example—Esther coming to the court uninvited
b. Reason 1 for the submission—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(1) Because God is the basis for all power, in Heaven or on Earth—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (Psa 62:11) "… power belongs to God."
(2) Sometimes Satanic powers are lent a measure of authority—but “… there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (1 John 5:19) "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
(b) (Luke 4:5-7) "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ….""
(3) But eventually, God reclaims the power He has lent for His own purposes.
(a) (John 16:11) ""of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."
(b) (John 14:30) ""I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
(c) (John 12:31) ""Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."
(d) (Ezek 28:14-17) ""You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. … 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; …”
c. Reason 2—God has appointed the rulers who rule—“…the authorities that exist are appointed by God…”
(1) (Acts 17:24-26) ""…"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings…”
(2) Compare—Is 46:9-11, Is 40, Is 44, Dan 2:19-28
(reading: 13:1-7)
1. Theological and Historical Context—
(Mark 12:14-17) "When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 "Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him."
a. There are no Christian nations
b. America is not Israel
(1) America is not Israel because Israel IS Israel!
(2) America is not Israel because the Bible never states her to be Israel
(3) America is not Israel, because the church is NOT Israel
c. America is not the Church
(1) America is not the church because there has been only one time when there might have been a majority of born again citizens—the Great Awakening—and we cannot be sure even there.
(2) America is not the church because America has no signs of being the church
(a) As a nation, we have no biblical statement of beliefs
(b) Our nation is not indwelled by the Holy Spirit
(c) We do not excommunicate heretics from the nation, only from the church—and that out of style now.
(d) We have no pastor for our nation, nor deacons, etc.
d. What then, is America?
(1) America was and is a land where the Christian faith in all its forms, (true, semi-true, false, and cultic) has been a major influence
(2) America is a land where many people came because of religious freedom.
(3) America is a land where many of its leaders have been Christian men and women, even today
(4) America is a nation used by God for the greatest outreach of the Gospel in history. From these shores, beginning in the late 1700s, millions of missionaries flocked to all parts of the Earth to win souls and establish churches—this is the meaning of a city shining on a hill.
(5) America is a land where the true and Biblical Christian faith has met opposition, political, moral, and spiritual, and were limited persecution occurred from the earliest time forward.
(6) America is a land of incredible wickedness, from slavery to Jim Crow laws, to drugs and the devastation of the 21st century, her behavior has to have reeked in the nostrils of God!
(7) And this wickedness has always existed side by side with incredible righteous acts by courageous and Godly men and women.
(8) But—and remember this—at its bottom, America is a worldly nation, created by God (Acts 17:24-27) for His purposes (Is 46:8-11, Daniel 2:19-28), and like every other nation in history, it will someday pass out of the way in a manner, by a means, in in such a time as chosen by God.
e. The fly in the ointment—our unique form of government
(1) We have no human sovereign—we have two non-human Sovereigns that all recognize
(a) Our first Ruler, to whom we swear allegiance is our Republican form of government and the flag that represents that republic…
(i) “..I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all…”
(ii) But this pledge does not have the force of law behind it. Instead, it is a personal promise which most of us scarcely ever think about, even as we say it.
(b) Our legal ruler, one which can result in our imprisonment for violating its provisions, is a small tract of only a few thousand words—the US Constitution
(i) The Officer’s Oath…“I, Charles Thomas Buntin, do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.”
(ii) The Enlisted person’s oath— I, Charles Thomas Buntin (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
(iii) Those with a moral objection are allowed to leave out the last clause
(2) In essence, each citizen is part of the Sovereign voice of the people, and we are entitled to various rights, such as the right to protest and petition, the right to say nothing to the police, the right to require a search warrant, etc.
“…We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America..”.
(3) And, if we go back to the most basic of our documents, the Declaration of Independence, some shocking possibilities result.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
(4) So, implicit in our citizenship is the right to rebel—to overthrow the government—there is no other government I am aware of which has such a provision, except for Turkey, whose army is obligated to overthrow and destroy any government that tries to do away with Turkey’s pure secular (non-Islamist) government.
(5) So, when we read Romans 13, some of the provisions are hard to pin down because of the unique nature of our government.
f. The world of Jesus’ day
(1) It was a Roman World, during the period of the Empire
(2) Jesus was born into a subject province ruled by one of the most wicked men in history, Herod the Great.
(3) When Christ was born, the Emperor was Octavian Caesar, aka Caesar Augustus—an absolute ruler, but considered to be an honorable and effective ruler.
(4) When Christ Died, He died under the rule of Tiberius Caesar, a pedophile, a paranoid, murderous, vile, evil man
(5) The initial missionary outreach was done under Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. In fact, the emperor at the time this chapter was written was Nero!
(6) No human being had any rights except the very elite, and their rights were tenuous at best.
(7) There were millions of slaves in the Roman empire
(8) Homosexuality and pedophilia were not even frowned upon.
(9) Newborn babies who did not meet the approval of the father of the house were set outside to be eaten by wild animals and die.
(10) So when we look at this passage, let us never forget the times in which it was written.
g. Most of our world for most of all times—
(1) No rights
(2) No guarantees
(3) Oppressive, evil governments
(4) Oppressive, evil rulers
(5) Degradations of every kind are rampant visited upon the people by the rulers.
(6) Corruption, exorbitant taxes, and outright theft by people in power.
(7) And there were groups seeking the violent overthrow of Rome—they went by various names, but the NT calls them zealots.
(a) MacArthur’s Comment:
Now also among the Jews were a group of people known as the zealots. Do you remember the zealots? They believed there was no king but God period. And there should be no taxes paid to anyone but God, so they defied the government every way. They wouldn't submit, and they wouldn't pay taxes.
They embarked, the zealots did, on violent action. They started groups. They became murderers, careers of murder and assassination. They were known as dagger-bearers. They were fanatical nationalists I should say. Sworn to terrorism all their life long. And they had a great influence on the Jews. That's why when Jesus came along and the Jews saw His power, they wanted immediately to make him king. Why? Because they wanted the ultimate revolt. The ultimate war to take place, and they would fight and win against Rome.
Now this kind of attitude, this kind of constant fomenting attitude against Rome, is ultimately why the event of 70 AD happened. Finally the Romans took all they could take, and in 70 AD they came in and just wiped out Jerusalem. They killed 1,100,000 Jews. Massacred them. To stop the incessant revolt and revolution.
This is not a Godly attitude. And that's what Jesus meant when he said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And that's what Paul meant when he said, "Live peaceably with all men." We're not to be concerned with issues of the state and the government as a priority. We're to be busy living Godly lives as the conscience of a nation, and preaching God's word. And not starting revolutions and protesting, and making trouble.
(b) (Mark 15:7) "And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion."
(c) (Luke 6:15) "Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;"
(d) (Acts 5:36) ""For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing."
(e) (Acts 5:37) ""After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed."
(8) And he people sought to make Jesus King (as Satan had tried also to do!) (John 6:15) "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone."
h. But Jesus, in fact, ignored all politics, and He did not organize politically—and His apostles followed the example.
The issue of the Christian's relationship to government is a very important issue. It has been through all of the church's history. Christian's have always had to face this issue, and even to struggle with it. Where the church has found itself in all kinds of places, in all kinds of governments, under all kinds of rulers, with all kinds of perspectives and forms of leading and ruling. And so Christians have always had to deal with this matter of: How do you respond to your government? (MAC)
2. The Christian and Divine Providence—(Rom 13:1) "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
a. Subjection to Authority— “…Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities…”
(1) This is an imperative, a command—ATR—
(a) ὑποτασσέσθω— passive “…be subject…” submit to, obey, be under the authority of; take a subordinate place (1 Cor 14:34)
(b) “…To line up like soldiers under the authority of a superior officer…” (MAC)
(2) We are to be harmless to the rulers of the nation—1 Pet 2:11-21
(3) We are to pray for our rulers—(1 Tim 2:1-3) "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,"
(4) We are to be subject to the rulers and be law abiding and peaceful—
(a) (Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
(b) (1 Th 4:11-12) "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."
(5) Except in matters of faith and conscience—
(a) (Acts 4:18-20) "And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.""
(b) (Acts 5:27-28) "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!” 29 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."”
(c) Examples
(i) Daniel and his friends refusing to eat non-kosher food
(ii) Example—Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace
(iii) Example—Daniel in the Lion’s Den
(iv) Example—Esther coming to the court uninvited
b. Reason 1 for the submission—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(1) Because God is the basis for all power, in Heaven or on Earth—“… For there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (Psa 62:11) "… power belongs to God."
(2) Sometimes Satanic powers are lent a measure of authority—but “… there is no authority except from God..”
(a) (1 John 5:19) "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
(b) (Luke 4:5-7) "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ….""
(3) But eventually, God reclaims the power He has lent for His own purposes.
(a) (John 16:11) ""of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."
(b) (John 14:30) ""I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
(c) (John 12:31) ""Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."
(d) (Ezek 28:14-17) ""You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. … 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; …”
c. Reason 2—God has appointed the rulers who rule—“…the authorities that exist are appointed by God…”
(1) (Acts 17:24-26) ""…"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings…”
(2) Compare—Is 46:9-11, Is 40, Is 44, Dan 2:19-28
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