Thoughts on Romans 13 (part 12)

The issue of how believers and local churches should respond to the government is urgent, and will not be going away any time soon. We should be thankful that recent events have brought this question to the forefront of our minds.

However, this is not the first time in history that Romans 13 has been used in a way which, in my opinion, is not true to the context. Just obey (never mind biblical exceptions), and just love (never mind biblical definitions).

These issues are complex, and Christians may come to different conclusions at different times. I believe that it’s important to look at how believers through history have wrestled with their biblical response to government. It’s important to listen to various sides of the issue. In some ways we are in a unique situation today, but in other ways we’ve seen it all before.

The purpose of this series was not to give all the answers for the context in which you live. Nor is it to affirm or condemn the choices that various believers and churches take in various situations. And if the past few months have taught us anything, they have taught us that there are other questions that need to be answered biblically before some decisions can be made. What does the Bible say about living under liberty or tyranny? What exactly is the church and its purpose (and yes, the Bible has far more to say than just Hebrews 10:24-25 and Matthew 18:20 – two passages which have, in my opinion, been horrendously misused!)?

But getting back to Romans 13, here are some applications that I would like to suggest, based on our study:

1. Honour and obey the authority established by God in each sphere. We talked about the importance of the apostles’ teaching on spheres of authority, mentioning civil government, family, church, employment, and even self-government. By the way, if you want to be challenged, take a look at this thoughtful declaration from pastors in China, written to their government.
2. Pray for our leaders. Again, this applies to all spheres of authority. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
3. Do good works in the community as citizens. Remember God’s challenge to the Israelites in exile, that they should even be concerned about the foreign city in which they lived – “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7) Yes, we are finally citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20-21), but there’s a lot of good we can do while we’re here!
4. Be willing to suffer under bad government. (1 Peter 4:12-19) And this refers to two different things. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that we should be suffering for doing evil! But sometimes we should be willing to submit to bad laws. We desire peace. Our desire is to “be subject” to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1). Sometimes that means submission even when it’s unjust, and even when obeying causes us harm. So sometimes we should submit to bad laws – sometimes. And this is one point at which things get complicated. Because we also must be ready to suffer for obeying God rather than men. “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” (Acts 5:41) That is, right after they were beaten. As Peter later wrote, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” So in summary:

• Willing to suffer when there are bad laws and/or bad government.
• Willing to suffer for not obeying, when we believe we should not.

And so open up your hands, grasp the wood (don’t worry about the slivers), take your cross, and join the death march. This world is passing away. We are going on to something far better.

5. As a local church, be united in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. This is so important. We’re all struggling with these questions. The world wants us divided and fighting, that we may be weak and debilitated. Yes, we disagree about certain things. We should have convictions, especially regarding important matters. We need to speak the truth, even truth about matters that aren’t “spiritual”. But among those who believe that God’s Word is our authority, among those who are trying to follow the Scriptures, we disagree and then we study together. We disagree, and then we pray together to our Lord. Don’t avoid people who disagree – we’ll never learn anything that way. Keep talking, keep studying, and do not let the world encourage you to attack a brother or sister. Everything is moving so fast – have patience with one another. As Peter wrote after his discussion of authority, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8) Amen!
6. Obey the Lord, share the gospel, make disciples. Use your time on this earth well! We have our orders from the Lord. And remember – He is Lord of all. #6 does indeed include calling our leaders to repentance. We must choose Christ’s path if we desire the good of our community. (Psalm 22:25-28 ; Matthew 28:18-20; Psalm 107.31-32; Acts 5:29; Hebrews 10:24-25)
7. Trust in, rest in, and rejoice in, the Lord Jesus. Again, He is the one with all authority, even when it doesn’t seem like it to us. And trust leads to rest, and rest leads to rejoicing. (Matthew 28:18-20; John1:11-13; Matthew 11:27-30; Philippians 4:4-6)

And that is a good reason to close with the wonderful words from Matthew 28:18-20. Don’t you love the first phrase? “And Jesus came…”

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20