I should probably apologize to Laurel Sulak.
I think maybe she still is 29 now that I've thought
about that for a moment. I know this, she's a
whole lot younger than Dave. I'm sure she would
want me to point that out. Two weeks from today
is a very important day for us as a church. It's
our third anniversary. We want to encourage you
to be present on that day and to invite others
to come with you as we celebrate together what
God has done in the three years of our ministry
together as Grace Church Roseville. We have so
very much for which we wish to thank God. On
that day, I'll be speaking in the morning, and
then in the evening, Dr. George Brusharber, president
of Bethel College and Seminary, will be our speaker.
In addition to him, in the evening, we will hear...
a music concert by Dick and Zoma Edstrom. This
will be a fun day, and one which I hope you will
include, of course, on your calendar of upcoming
events. This is 1984, and of course we hear a
great deal about that. We are reminded that George
Orwell wrote a fiction regarding a totalitarian
government which had complete surveillance of
the population. and controlled the population
through that surveillance. He entitled his book
1984. So we think about our relationship to Big
Brother as it's put. From the very beginning
of the Church of Jesus Christ in the book of
Acts, believers have struggled with their relationship
to human government. For after all, we recognize
a sovereign who is above all earthly sovereigns,
and we belong to a kingdom which is not of this
world. And yet, we must live here, witness here,
do the will of God here. How are we to relate
to human authorities around us, considering our
dual citizenship? This was a matter of concern
in the early church, and therefore we find several
statements in the New Testament relating to it.
In Titus, for example, you will notice in the
third chapter, in verse 1, these words. Remind
them to be subject to rulers, to authorities,
to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.
In 1 Timothy, chapter 2. And verse 1, he says,
First of all, then, I urge that in treaties and
prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made
on behalf of all men, for kings, for all who
are in authority, in order that we may lead a
tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and
dignity. And Peter also, in the second chapter
of his first epistle, reminds us that we are
to obey the authorities that are over us. And
so in the early church, as those men were writing
under the inspiration of God's Spirit, the believer's
relationship to Big Brother was a matter of concern.
As we come to our text today, which actually
is in Romans chapter 13, we need to remember
the historical background to the text. Paul is
writing to the Romans in about 56 or 57 AD. Suetonius,
who is a Roman historian, tells us that Emperor
Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because
they were constantly rioting at the instigation
of Crestus. which many scholars believe to be
a variant spelling of the name Christ. In other
words, the preaching of the Christ in the Jewish
community in Rome by the early church created
riots, and that brought the displeasure of the
Roman government. Claudius caused them to leave
Rome. He expelled all of the Jews. He said, get
out of the city if you can't get along among
yourselves. In Acts chapter 18 and verse 2, we're
reminded that Aquila and Priscilla had just come
to Corinth from Italy because Claudius had commanded
all the Jews to leave Rome. And so there was,
in the background of these believers in Rome,
a problem of conflict with the Roman government.
And it is with that in mind that the Apostle
Paul writes these words in Romans 13, beginning
in verse 1. Let every person be in subjection
to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and those which exist
are established by God. Therefore he who resists
authority has opposed the ordinance of God. and
they who have opposed will receive condemnation
upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of
fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you
want to have no fear of authority? Do what is
good, and you will have praise from the same.
For it is a minister of God to you for good.
But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it
does not bear the sword for nothing. For it is
a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath
upon the one who practices evil. Wherefore, it
is necessary to be in subjection, not only because
of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For
because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers
are servants of God, devoting themselves to this
very thing. Render to all what is due them. Tax
to whom taxes do, custom to whom custom, fear
to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Believers
are to be submissive to governing authorities
over them. That is the general principle and
command of Scripture. We see that in verse 1.
In the rest of the text, there are several insights.
which help explain to us why we should be in
submission to governing authorities and how we
are to be so. The first insight is the assurance
that God gives us in verse 1. And that assurance
is that it is God himself who ordains human government
and authority. We find the origin of that back
in the book of Genesis, chapter 9. I invite you
to look there. Why is there human government?
Is it because evolution has simply produced the
need for it in the process of time? Hardly. It
is because God, the Creator, established the
principle of human government immediately after
the flood in Noah's day. In Genesis chapter 9,
beginning in verse 5, God says this to Noah.
And to us through him. And surely I will require
your lifeblood. From every beast I will require
it. And from every man, from every man's brother,
I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds
man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed.
For in the image of God he made man. And as for
you, be fruitful and multiply. Populate the earth
abundantly. Then skip down to verse 12. becomes
at this point God's symbol of this covenant,
what we call the Noahic covenant, the covenant
with Noah, which establishes the principle of
human government. This is its origin. Now, why
did God establish human government? Human government
is necessary because man left to himself would
live in anarchy and chaos and degeneration. and
total selfishness. There would be no safety for
human life. Indeed, human life would practically
be impossible if it were not for the ordination
of human government and authority which God gives
us in Genesis chapter 9. God established the
principle of human government, and now he raises
up rulers and governments to accomplish His purpose
in history. Would you turn now to the Old Testament
book of Daniel? And turn in Daniel to the second
chapter. We're going to pick out two verses.
Verses 20 and 21. And Daniel answered and said,
Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
for wisdom and what? Power belong to him. And
it is he who changes the times and the epochs.
He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives
wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.
Turn over now to Daniel chapter 4. Look in verse
17. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had
an unusual vision and asked Daniel to interpret
that. And in part of the statement it says, the
sentence that is given upon Nebuchadnezzar is
by the decree of the angelic watchers, that is
the holy ones, the angels. And the decision is
a command of the holy ones in order that the
living may know that the Most High is ruler over
the realm of mankind. and bestows it on whom
he wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men.
Nebuchadnezzar was a very arrogant man, and claimed
for himself even the position of deity, claiming,
I have made this great Babylon. And therefore
God pronounced upon him seven years of a mental
disorder. Seven years when apparently he lived
like an animal in the royal parks of Babylon.
They did not know what to do with their insane
king. And so he lived there in the wilds, under
the heavens, with no roof, for seven years. And
at the end of that time, he was humbled. And
he came back to his senses. Down in verse 34,
it says, And here it is quoting Nebuchadnezzar,
I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven
and my reason returned to me and I blessed the
Most High and praised and honored Him who lives
forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion
and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted
as nothing. but he does according to his will
in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth. What do we see revealed here in
the book of Daniel? It is simply this, that it
is God who orders human history. He raises up
a ruler, and when he is finished with that ruler,
he lays him aside. Witness the rise and the fall
of Antropov in the Soviet Union, even in recent
days. It is God who rules over the kingdoms of
men. This does not mean however that God approves
of the specific actions of governments or rulers.
In other words a government may be an oppressive
and corrupt government. Because it is it does
not mean that God has put that corrupt in the
government. God is not responsible for the sin
of man. But God does raise up kingdoms and rulers,
and within the spheres that he establishes, within
the boundaries that he establishes, he allows
man then to rule. And so whether a communist
government is in control, or a rightist dictatorship,
or perhaps a democracy, It is God who raises
up government. Please understand that there is
no form of human government that is perfect,
not even democracy. There is no form of human
government which can guarantee freedom from injustice,
cruelty, and oppression. In fact, God's form
of government is not communistic or democratic.
But God's form of government is theocratic. God's
idea of government is theocracy. That is His
direct rule over man. And that is what will be
established in the kingdom age. And yet now,
in this age, in this time, God allows leaders
to rule within the limits that He sets for them.
Ultimately, through the action of that ruler,
God's will is accomplished and will be realized.
But God is not responsible for perhaps the cruelty
or the injustice of that human ruler. And so
we have this assurance as we think about subjecting
ourselves to human government. Whatever is over
us is ordained of God. God is bigger than human
government. Please remember that the Apostle
Paul was writing in a time when an emperor was
not only the ruler, but he was the God. He was
the absolute despot of the whole empire. And
the Apostle Paul says that as believers in that
day, they were to submit themselves to Caesar
and to his government. The same would be said
to us in the United States of America or to believers
in China or in the Soviet Union or any other
country that you can think of. Why do we submit?
Because we have this assurance that God is bigger
than government, that God is in control. Now
he goes on to give us an argument as to why we
should submit ourselves. The argument is threefold.
He says in the last part of Romans chapter 13
and verse 1, those governments, those authorities
which exist are established by God. Therefore,
he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance
of God. Argument number one as to why we should
submit. To resist authority is to resist God's
appointed order, and thus God himself. To rebel
against God's instituted authority is to rebel
against the Lord himself. We see this exemplified,
for example, in David in the Old Testament. God
had raised up Saul in answer to the plea of the
people. But then Saul, because of his disobedience,
was rejected by God, and God ordained David.
But there was not an immediate switch of power.
A transfer was several years in coming. And during
that time that Saul was reigning and David was
nonetheless anointed, David submitted himself
to Saul. Indeed, he called Saul the Lord's anointed.
And when he had the chance to kill Saul so that
he could assume power, Power that God had promised
him. He did not do it. He called Saul the Lord's
anointed and said he would not touch that man.
He knew that God had his own way and his own
time of removing that authority. David was submissive
because he did not want to rebel against the
Lord, against God's appointed order. A second
argument. To resist authority places one in danger
of punishment. That's what he means in the last
part of verse 2. They who have opposed will receive
condemnation upon themselves. Primarily the thought
is the condemnation of the human authority. Punishment.
He goes on in the following verses to call human
government God's servant. the minister of God.
In fact, he even uses the word deacon here. He
says that human government is the deacon of God
for a society. He says that human government
bears the sword and not for nothing. In other
words, there's a purpose to it. That sword is
to enforce law, to preserve human life, order,
and righteousness. God has given to human government
executive and criminal jurisdiction. We as believers
are not to seek personal vengeance for wrongs
done against us. We saw that back in chapter
12 and verse 19. He says, never take your own
revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath
of God. Now there is a consummate sense in which
the wrath of God will come at the judgment of
those who have wronged us when they stand before
God. But he is also leaving room here for the
wrath of God to be fulfilled upon those who have
wronged us through the medium of human government.
If we have been wronged, we can appeal to the
government as God's deacon. God's minister who
bears the sword for a purpose. Ah, you say, but
what about an unjust government? Again, may I
remind you of the government in which Paul wrote
these words? He himself had suffered injustice
at the hand of local government. In Acts chapter
16, it records that he was beaten. As a citizen
of Rome, he was beaten before any hearing was
held that is against Roman law. And he called
the magistrates of that city of Philippi to account
for it. And they were fearful. But as he was
about to be beaten, he did not stand up and argue
and oppose. He simply allowed it to take place,
though it was unjust, though it was illegal and
unlawful. He allowed it to take place and then
in the end used it. for the glory of God. He
upheld this principle that he writes here, that
we are to be submissive to government. The general
principle he tells us is this. Human government
is established by God for the praise and protection
of those who are good and for the punishment
of those who are evil. Therefore, to resist authority
places one in the possibility of punishment.
By the very government that God has established
over him. And then there's a third argument that
we see. It is to resist human authority offends
the conscience. Notice at the end of verse 5
he says we're to obey not only because of wrath,
but also for conscience sake. In other words,
we are to have a sensitive conscience as believers.
He wants our consciences then to be... void of
offense, both toward God and man. And if our
consciences were going to be clear, he says,
we have to obey the government that God has placed
over us. And so we are to obey human government,
to have a clear conscience, to avoid judicial
punishment, and to evidence submission to God's
plan and authority and order. We come now to
the application of our text, verses 6 and 7.
He explains here what our civic responsibility
is as children of God. And basically, he says,
we are to render what is due. The word render
means to pay back. And the idea is that since
the government gives to us protection, an order
for our society. We are to pay back to the government
what it says in terms of taxes and obedience.
Notice that he says very clearly, render tax
to whom tax, custom to whom custom. I recognize
that we don't enjoy paying taxes. And I recognize
that we live in a state where taxes are very
high. And there are times that we become disgruntled
about that. But that disgruntlement should never
lead us to the point that we fail to render to
the government what is due. Jesus Christ himself
practiced this. I would remind you of this by
turning to Mark chapter 12. And here we have
a verse that is very often quoted. Let's look
at the context. Mark chapter 12, beginning in
verse 13. And they sent some of the Pharisees
and Herodians to him, Jesus, in order to trap
him in a statement. Now that's the context of
what's taking place here. And they came and said
to him, Teacher, we know that you are truthful
and defer to no one, for you are not partial
to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is
it lawful to pay a poll tax to Caesar or not?
Now here was the trick. The Jews hated the poll
tax. That was a way in which Rome enforced a
domination of them as a people. And the Jews
absolutely despised it. And so the Herodians
thought they had him. How was Jesus going to
answer this? For if he answered and said, you
should pay the tax, then the Jews would turn
away from him. They hated the tax so much. But
on the other hand, if he said, don't pay the
tax, Then they could turn him into the government.
And so they say in verse 15, Shall we pay or
shall we not pay? But he, knowing their hypocrisy,
said to them, Why are you testing me? Bring me
a denarius to look at. And they brought him one.
And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription
is this? And they said to him, Caesar's. And
Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar's. and to God the things that
are God's. And they were amazed at him. You see
what he did? He actually turned their question
on them. Because he says, you see, this is Caesar's
picture. Therefore, you should render to Caesar
what belongs to him. Tell me, who and where would
they find the inscription or the image of God?
Upon themselves. So he was saying to them, you
render to Caesar what belongs to him, but give
God yourself. He belongs, you belong to him.
You see the principle that Jesus upheld on another
occasion? He paid the tax. Peter went out and
found the coin necessary to pay it in the mouth
of a fish. Should I avoid paying taxes if I can
legally? Certainly. If the government allows
you to deduct from your taxable income or to
deduct directly from your taxes through some
means, then it's not wrong to take advantage
of that. It's lawful. The government allows you
to do that. But it is wrong for a Christian to
evade taxes as much as it's wrong for anybody
else. But doubly so for a Christian as one who
is under God's law. You say, but what if my tax
money is used for a purpose I don't like? What
if my tax money is used to build nuclear weapons?
I don't like nuclear weapons. What if my tax
money is used to support a war I don't like?
It makes absolutely no difference what the money
is used for, as far as God is concerned. We are
to render to Caesar what is Caesar's. We are
to pay our taxes. So you've got about six weeks
to work on that. Beyond that, he says, Now going
back again to Romans chapter 13. We are to render
fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. In other
words, we are to give respect and honor to those
who are in positions of authority over us. Not
just because of their prestige and their influence.
But because of our awareness of their role as
God's deacons, God's servants, we are to respect
the person who holds the office, even though
we may disagree with that person. We are to give
respect and honor to governmental authorities.
questions that come to mind after a message like
this. Should a young man refuse to register for
the draft if he is a pacifist? Should a church
provide sanctuary for illegal aliens and defy
the government? Should a church obey an ERA provision
mandating women in the office of elder? These
are questions that we confront in our society,
or will confront, I believe, in days ahead. Should
a Christian school give certain reports to the
state government? To answer those questions,
we need to look at some of the principles involved
in Scripture. So let's ask another question that's
more general. Is it ever appropriate? for a Christian
to resist the state? The answer to that is absolutely
yes. There are times when it is appropriate.
But we should never resist merely because of
a personal objection. We should only go to the
point of resistance. when the glory of God or
the command of God is violated, when the state
usurps God's authority, then we are allowed by
God to resist the state. An example of that is
Daniel 1, when he and the three other young men
determined in their hearts that they would not
defile themselves with the king's meat, which
he had ordered them to eat. But because it would
defile them ceremonially, they said, no, we will
not eat this. They said that in their hearts.
But then wisely, they looked for an alternative.
So instead of a direct opposition, it was an
indirect opposition. And God blessed that alternative
in that case. Let me apply that in a way that
might be applied. There are some Christians,
I am not one of them, who are pacifists. and
therefore they do not believe that they should
enter military service. Rather than making a
big deal of opposing that, I would suggest to
them that they take the opportunity to work in
public service, which I understand to be an option
for those who do not believe in going into the
military. It seems to me that is a similar thing
to what Daniel did. It's at least an application
of it. However, in Daniel chapter 3, we find
a different occasion. On this occasion, Nebuchadnezzar
builds the great image and demands that everyone
bow down at the sound of the music and worship
the image. So again, the state usurps the authority
of God. And those three young men did not look
for an alternative this time. Apparently there
wasn't one. And so instead of bowing down, they
stood up, they remained standing, and they were
quickly pointed out as disobeying the government.
In that particular case, it was one of outright
refusal. God chose to deliver them. God does
not always choose to deliver His people in that
way, for Hebrews 11 says that there were some
who were sawn asunder, stoned, etc., etc. That
brings me to this point, that if it is appropriate
for us to resist the state, then we must be willing
to bear the consequences. of that position of
resistance. And not be ashamed to do so, but
as 1 Peter 4 .16 tells us, we should glorify
God in whatever punishment is meted out upon
us. I think Dr. Bruce puts it well when he says,
the state can rightly command obedience only
within the limits of the purposes for which it
was divinely instituted. In particular, the state
not only may, but must be resisted. when it demands
the allegiance due to God alone. We see the same
principle, don't we, in the example of the apostles
in the early church when they were commanded
by the authorities to stop speaking in the name
of Christ, and they said to the authorities,
whether it is right for us to speak or not, you
decide, but we cannot help but speak the things
that God has told us to speak. How far can a
Christian go in voicing his opinion to the state?
I don't believe that God is telling us that we
need to be as quiet as mice, that we should never
raise objection to the government's policy or
action, at least in our country, because within
our system of government there is built that
liberty for us as citizens to voice our opinions.
That is our prerogative. And indeed, I believe
that we would be failing as Christian citizens
if we did not voice our opinions. But we must
voice them legally in the way that is allowed.
Then the question, should a Christian ever be
involved in a subversive or revolutionary activity
seeking the overthrow of established government?
The answer to that is very simple. No, never.
And today there are those who are Christians
involved in this kind of thing, especially in
Central America, Latin America, through what
is called the liberation theology, which is neither
theology or liberation. It is Marxist dogma wrapped
in Christian terms. Christians are never to be
involved in the overthrow of established government,
not even in the case of injustice or oppression.
We are allowed to work within the law that is
established by the land, but we are not to seek
by subversion the overthrow of the government.
The early Christians give us the example of this
when they did not seek the overthrow of Rome.
Our main concern is not the earthly kingdom under
which we live, but the heavenly kingdom that
we represent in this world. If a clear issue
is involved, in which there is a direct conflict
between God and the state, that I believe that
nonviolent resistance may be utilized, again,
with a willingness to pay the consequences, just
as those apostles did for preaching in the name
of Christ when they had been commanded not to
by the authority over them. They paid the price
by beating and imprisonment. But you say, what
about a Christian who's in the military and is
ordered to create or to assist subversive activity
in another country? Well, the primary responsibility
of a Christian is, of course, to God and to his
own country of citizenship. And I believe that
in a case in which he is under the authority
of his government and is commanded by his government,
to be involved in such activities I've mentioned,
that it is right for him to obey his government.
He is not doing what he is doing as a Christian
for God's kingdom, but he is doing what he is
doing as a soldier who happens to be a Christian
under the authority of his own country. Now the
same kinds of... Principles that I've talked
about can be applied to those other questions
I asked earlier. And I would not expect that
we would see unanimous agreement, even among
ourselves, as to how those principles might be
applied. But make no mistake about this, that
God is not silent in his word regarding our relationship
to the state and the government authorities over
us. You see, the point really is this, that we
are to be a people in subjection. God has placed
all of us in different spheres of authority.
And we are to be submissive in each one of those,
whether it's in the home with a husband -wife
relationship or parents and children or in the
local church or in the government or in the employer
-employee realm or in the sphere of... being
a part of a college and being a student in that
college. In each sphere, God puts His authority
over us, and our responsibility as Spirit -filled
believers is to be submissive, as unto the Lord.
And then when conflict does occur or seems imminent,
we are then to seek God's Word and ask for direction
in the application of the principles of His Word.
I would close this morning with this question.
Is your attitude one of obedience and submission?
We live in a world today in which the prominent
attitude is one of rebellion and resistance and
anarchy. I will do my own thing because it pleases
me to do that. That is not to be the attitude
ever of a Christian. The attitude of submission
is that which glorifies God. Is Jesus Christ
the Lord of your life? Are you in submission
to him? Are you in submission to the other authorities
that God has placed over you? Are you seeking
to know him, to grow up in him and his word,
and then to consciously give every area of your
life to his control? Are you a person in subjection?
Heavenly Father, I pray that we will understand
today. your teaching regarding our relationship
to the state, but even more than that, I pray
that we will understand the spirit, the attitude,
which is to be involved in that relationship
and in other relationships to authorities, the
attitude of submission, subjection. Father, wherein
there are areas of rebellion in our lives, areas
that we refuse to deal with and submit to Christ's
lordship or to the authority that you've placed
over us, then focus on those areas and bring
conviction there that we may understand that
we need to repent and be submissive. Lord, have
your way in our lives today as you've expressed
your will in the word. In Jesus' name, amen.