Bible Text: Romans 13:1-7 | Pastor: Eric Danielson | Series: Romans 12-15 | How are we supposed to treat people who are in governing authority? Does it matter which party they’re from? Does it matter whether they are leading us toward God?

Download sermon pdf…

Relating to Governing Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

We are working our way through the last few chapters of Romans, seeking to understand God’s will and how he wants us to live our lives so that we represent Jesus well to the people around us, and this morning we get into a sensitive but very timely subject – a Christian’s relationship to their governing authorities. How are we supposed to act toward our governing authorities in order to follow God’s will and represent Jesus well? This is a major issue for every American Christian to have to work through because of the unique dynamics in our nation.

I see a all kinds of factors at play that affect the way we relate to governing authorities in America. One is the polarization in politics that has created an enemy mentality. Rather than seeing all governing authorities as public servants who have differing opinions about policies and direction, we see them as either the good guys or the bad guys – allies or enemies. So there’s this enemy mentality toward certain governing officials, and when you have an enemy, you see them as someone who is to be fought against and defeated. Another factor is that we are a free nation and have a Constitution that protects individual rights and freedoms that allow people to speak out against and resist governing authorities to a certain extent without major repercussions. So when people see their governing authorities as an enemy and don’t like what they’re doing, they aren’t afraid to make it known. It’s very common for us to act very rudely and defiantly toward certain governing authorities.

Right now it’s election season and there’s a lot of mudslinging going on. I found a few examples of attack ads that have been used in the past few years…

(Show pictures)

These kinds of messages are very common before and after elections. We put them on signs in our yards or on bumper stickers and share them on Facebook. We can say pretty much whatever we want to say in order to speak our minds and make our opinions known, so it has become normal for people to be disrespectful, insulting, slanderous, and disobedient to governing authorities.

For Christians I think there’s another dynamic as well – because we’ve had a strong Christian influence in our nation’s history and we have a definite moral standard in Scripture, when our governing authorities seem to be leading us away from Judeo-Christian values and toward sinful practices we see Satan’s influence behind it. So we can fight against certain governing authorities like we fight against Satan, and that makes it easy to justify defiant, rude, disrespectful, and rebellious behavior and think God is on our side.

How do you act toward governing authorities? What do you say about them? What do you post on Facebook? What kind of bumper stickers do you have?

Today we’re going to see what God’s will is for us in this area. It’s a complicated topic, but it deserves our attention so we represent Jesus well to the people around us and don’t have the opposite effect and drive them away from him.

The book of Romans was written to Christians living in Rome which at the time was governed by an Emperor and a Senate. Nero had just come to power as a 16 year old boy and neither he nor the Senate were Christians. As you read about their society it was full of sin and immorality, and Nero is especially known for his cruel persecution of Christians, though it hadn’t started yet. So, when Paul writes to the church in Rome about how they should treat their governing authorities, it’s important to know that their authorities were not Christians; they were not leading people to follow God’s will. And this is what Paul wrote to them…

Read Romans 13:1-7.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

If you are going to live according to God’s will and represent Jesus well to the people around you, this is how Paul says you need to live in relation to your governing authorities. Remember, Paul is talking about Nero and the Roman Senate in these verses – godless, immoral, and corrupt. And Paul says that the Christians were to be subject to them. I looked up that word in the original language and here’s the definition: “to subject oneself, to obey; to submit to one’s control; to yield to one’s admonition or advice.” So there’s this willing acknowledgment that they are in a position of authority over you as a citizen and you agree to respect that authority, to obey the laws and ordinances, to cooperate with their leadership for the good of society.

It doesn’t mean that you allow them to have complete control over your life. They are not God and we shouldn’t treat them that way. When Peter writes about this in 1 Peter 2:16, he says, “Live as people who are free.” We need to keep God on the throne and keep governing authorities in their rightful place – they have been given authority in civil matters and in the governing of society, but not in everything. So, if a governing authority tells you to do something that violates God’s will or causes you to disobey him, you can’t go along with it. You can’t obey a law that causes you to disobey God, but you should still show respect and honor to your governing authorities.

I was reminded of Daniel’s example. Daniel was forcibly taken from his home and brought to a pagan immoral nation with a wicked, violent Emperor. And as you watch Daniel’s behavior toward his governing authorities, you see that he was subject to the emperor – he gave honor and respect and acknowledged that he was in authority over him. But when told to eat food that would violate his beliefs, he respectfully asked permission to refrain and was allowed to do so. Later on he was commanded to pray to the Emperor and not to God. He did not rise up in rebellion with a defiant attitude, he continued to act in a respectful and honorable way, but he also did not obey that command. And because of that God used him in a powerful way.

I think that’s a good example of what Paul has in mind when he calls us to be subject to our governing authorities. He wants us to be like Daniel. He describes it more fully in Titus 3:1-2. This was written about 10 years later when Nero had become a more prominent leader but still hadn’t turned against Christians. Paul writes: “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” So here you see a bigger picture of what he has in mind.

That’s what’s supposed to describe our relationship with our governing authorities.  How does that compare with you? How does that stack up against what you post on Facebook or stick to the bumper of your car?

Because of the dynamics of our nation, people are often subject to the governing authorities that belong to one political party, but not the other. When the other party is in authority, people see them as the enemy and are often defiant, disrespectful and resistant. This is not the way it should be among followers of Christ. When it comes to how we respond to our governing authorities it doesn’t matter which political party they come from. It doesn’t matter whether we agree with their policies and direction or not. It doesn’t even matter if they’re leading us toward Judeo-Christian values or away from them. If they are in governing authority, Christ has called us to be subject to them. If Paul could tell his readers to be subject to Nero and the Roman Senate, he can tell us to be subject to our President and our Governor, regardless of their party, and I’m sure we have the easier situation in which to do this.

Paul isn’t the only one who taught this way. Peter did too. And of all the disciples, Peter seems to have the personality to be the leader of a resistance movement against a corrupt Roman government. But he wrote a letter near the end of Nero’s reign, when the persecution against Christians was heating up, and this is what he said…

Read 1 Peter 2:13-16.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

That’s how you’re to act when you live under an Emperor who’s persecuting you.

Jesus taught the same thing. When asked whether or not the Jews should pay unjust and hated taxes to Caesar (the Roman Emperor), it says in Mark 12:17: “Jesus 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.” They marveled at him because he was so different than the self-proclaimed Messiahs that had come before him. They tried to lead the people in a revolt against Caesar and Rome. Jesus did not. Jesus did not teach the people to rise up and resist the corrupt governing authorities of his day that were leading the nation away from God.

He never did anything to rebel against them. He spoke out against the religious leaders who were leading people astray, but not the governing authorities. When he was wrongfully arrested by them and stood trial before Caiaphas the High Priest, and Pilate the Roman Governor, and Herod the Israelite King, he was silent. And when they tried to find evidence of insurrection against him, they couldn’t find anything. Luke 23:13-15 says: “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.’”

The Bible is clear about how we are to act toward our governing authorities – We are to be subject to them.

But why should we? Especially if they are leading our nation further and further away from God and supporting wicked practices. Why should we be subject to them? It feels like that’s giving in to Satan. It feels like you’re just letting evil win. Why would Paul and Peter tell their readers to be subject to Nero and the Roman Senate?

Paul gives several reasons back in Romans 13.  In verses 1-2 he says that we should be subject because God is the one who instituted governing authorities in the first place. Government is God’s idea and he established it for our good – to provide order and peace and prosperity in society. And even though sinful humans often screw it up, it’s a good gift that God ordained. So we need to do our part to follow God’s design even if those in authority are messing it up.

In verses 3-4 Paul says we should be subject for the sake of being at peace with our governing authorities. One of the functions God’s given to them is to bear the sword and punish wrongdoers, so if we are defiant and disobedient toward them, we will bring punishment upon ourselves.

In verse 5 he says we should be in subjection for the sake of conscience. If God has appointed them and commanded us to be subject to them, the only way to have a clear conscience before him is if we to what he tells us to do. To disobey is to incur guilt and a guilty conscience. For this same reason Paul says in verses 6-7 that we should pay our taxes. Taxes are part of the equation and in order to have a clear conscience we need to pay them.

So Paul gives all these reasons, but there’s one reason that I think is more important than all – it’s the underlying reason Paul gives for why we should obey all of the instructions in Romans 12-15. In all these things we’re learning, Paul is teaching us how to live according to God’s will so that we will represent Jesus well in our lives here on earth. He wants our lives to demonstrate the beauty of Jesus and point people to him. God is at work carrying out his mission through the church, even where corrupt, immoral, godless governing authorities are in power (which is pretty much everywhere on earth), and he wants us to act in ways that accurately represent Jesus to draw people to him.

Peter brings this up in 1 Peter 3:13-17: “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

So even in a situation where the governing authorities are causing you to suffer for practicing righteousness, we are to continue to act in a way that honors Christ, to do good, to have a clear conscience… Why? So that people will see a major difference in us compared to everyone else. Everyone else gets involved in the defiance, insulting, slanderous behavior because they are putting their hope in a worldly government that is failing them. But we put our hope in Christ, so we can have hope even when our government fails us. And when people ask us about that hope and why we’re different, we can tell them of Jesus – with gentleness and respect.

It’s that kind of behavior that demonstrates how awesome Jesus is and shows how shameful the behaviors of the enemies of the gospel are. It’s that kind of behavior that turns people to Christ, not away from him. God wants people to be surprised by the respect we show to our governing authorities – especially when we don’t agree with them. We don’t have to agree with or approve of the direction they are leading us. We can certainly speak out against sin and injustice and evil practices. We can certainly advocate for righteousness and biblical values. But we should always be respectful and honorable in everything we do. We should not engage in the same kinds of behaviors as everyone else. When we engage in those things we are ruining the reputation of Jesus, shutting doors to the gospel, and destroying our witness.

Where are you at in all of this? The past 6 months have probably been pretty revealing and election season can be pretty revealing too. Perhaps you can see that you’ve been conforming to the pattern of the world in this area. I urge you as Paul does in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Allow God’s Word and God’s Spirit to transform and renew your mind today. Turn away from the worldly pattern and walk in obedience to Christ.