Our Relationship to Authorities; Putting On Christ

INTRO

Our word for the book of Romans is Justifier. Jesus has justified our sins. Once we put our faith in Christ, we are justified. In Romans 12—16, we see how we can live out the theological foundational truths of Romans 1—11. In Romans 12, we talked about our relationship to God, to other believers, and to our enemies. In our relationship with God, we have the renewing of our minds that allows us to experience the will of God. In our relationship with other believers, we learned we aren’t better than someone else and we can’t think more highly of ourselves than someone else. All of us play an important part in the body of Christ. In our relationship with our enemies, we have to feed them, love them, bless them, pray for them, and take care of them. All of these are possible because of our relationship with Christ. According to Warren Wiersbe, the entire thirteenth chapter addresses our relationship to the state.¹ When Paul wrote this book, Nero was in power. Paul encouraged believers to submit to governing authorities. God put this in place: every believer is to be subject to the authorities.

TEACHING

Romans 13:1: Believers must submit to governing authorities, for they have been instituted by God. Even when we don’t like them or agree with them, we have to submit to them because God put them there. The question we have to ask is what does submission look like? The reality is submission is never easy. Nelson’s Commentary said, “Human nature tends toward resistance and even rebellion, especially if the government is imposed, incompetent, and/or corrupt.”²Nelson’s Commentary offered four things to understand about submitting to authority. First, we have to understand God is the ultimate authority.³ The government as an institution has been established by God to serve His purposes. God raises up and takes away the leaders.

Romans 13:2: Those who resist authority are resisting God’s command and will experience judgment (v. 2). According to Nelson’s Commentary, the second thing we have to understand is “both followers and leaders are ultimately accountable to God.”⁴Nelson’s Commentary continues, “Submission to human authority reflects our submission to God’s authority.”⁵

Romans 13:3-4: Third, Nelson’s Commentary states, “God uses government to carry out His good purposes on earth.”⁶ God designed it so the government could rule and regulate and help take care of people, not to dominate them. Nelson’s Commentary continues, “Without question, some governments sometimes persecute those who do good.”⁷ Paul experienced that with Nero. But mainly, those who are criminal, and who do not obey the law are those who should fear the government. In other words, as long as we stay in the lanes, then we’re fine. But when we do wrong, then we need to be afraid because the government, as God’s avenger, will bring wrath on the one who does wrong (v. 4).

Romans 13:5: Fourth, Nelson’s Commentary states, “Obedience is a matter of inner convictions as well as external law.”⁸ “Our motivation to obey must go beyond fear of punishment. As believers, we serve the highest of all authorities, God Himself . . . only when the government commands us to do what God prohibits can we disobey.”⁹ This goes back to Romans 12. Some of us conform to this world because we don’t know what the Word of God says to discern what is right or wrong. If we don’t know God’s Word, then we just blend into the world.

Romans 13:6-7: For this reason, we have to pay our taxes because we believe the Word of God is true, because we believe these people are God’s authorities, and because the Word of God says we’re supposed to pay taxes. In addition to paying taxes and tolls to those whom we owe, we are commanded to show respect and honor to those we should respect and honor (v. 7).

Romans 13:8-10: These verses transition from obeying the government to loving others. “Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law” (v. 10). So, what is our relationship to the government and to the state? We love them.

Romans 13:11-14: We do this for Jesus’ sake. We can’t play games of hating people and not liking them and trying to cheat the system. Christ is coming back! Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed (v. 11). We can’t play this game of being conformed to the world. We have to wake up and renew our minds. We have to ask God how we can show love. We don’t have time to be mean to others, to be against our government, to be against our neighbors who vote differently from us. As believers, we have to get our act together. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 14). We are called to reflect Christ to this world. Don’t make any plans to satisfy fleshly desires—don’t be conformed to the world. Instead, we must put on Christ, put on truth, put on righteousness, put on peace, so we will reflect Christ. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we have to do it when we’re dealing with the government as well.

CLOSING

God is the ultimate authority. As followers and leaders, we are ultimately accountable to Him. God uses government to carry out His good purposes on earth. Ultimately, obedience is what matters. We have to be obedient to the Word of God wherever we’re at. That means loving them (authorities) and looking like Jesus.