Preacher's
Ponderings
Righteous
Government- Romans 13
(from our
weekly bulletin)
Romans
13:1-3—Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the
ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.
It seems
that every time someone, such as myself, attempts to encourage our Christian
brothers and sisters to resist or protest an unconstitutional, unlawful, or
otherwise corrupt government policy, we hear someone proclaim, "What about
Romans 13? We Christians must submit to government, any government. Read your
Bible, and leave me alone”, or words to that effect.
These
days of apostasy and the resulting ignorance of this Laodicean age, has left
God’s people with a severe lack of knowledge and understanding of God and His
Word. So, this pondering is introduced by one of the Authorized King
James Bible’s many texts on the subject.
Vs 3
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is
evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister
of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Wherefore ye must needs be subject,..
Do our
“Christian” (term used loosely!) friends who use these verses to teach
that we should not oppose any political leader or any un-Biblical law, really
believe that civil magistrates have unlimited authority under God to do
anything they want without opposition?
The
“Wherefore” (“for this reason”) is there for a reason!
What if the government’s agenda is for calling evil good and good evil? What if
the government turns anti-Christ like China, likewise the Arab nations ...and
the current government America as well?
What if
our president decided to resurrect the old monarchical custom of Jus Primae
Noctis (Law of First Night)? That was the old medieval custom when the king or
governor claimed the right to sleep with a subject's bride on the first night
of their marriage. Would our sincere Christian brethren sheepishly say, "Romans
Chapter 13 says we must submit to the government"? I think not! And
would any of us respect any man who would submit to such a law? I
would not!
So,
there are Biblically-set limits to human authority. A father, for example, has
Biblical authority as head of his home, but does this give him power to abuse
his wife and children? Of course not! An employer has Biblical
authority on the job, but does this give him power to control the private lives
of his employees, or order him to do something contrary to the Bible? No! A
pastor has overseer-authority in the church, but does this give him power to
tell church members that they must submit to him, even when the pastor's
directs that which is un-Biblical? Of course not.
All human
authority is limited in nature by God. No man has unlimited authority
over the lives of other men. Lordship and sovereignty is the exclusive domain
of the Creator, Jesus Christ. By the same token, a civil magistrate has
God-given authority in civil matters, but his authority is limited, and those
limits are Biblically defined.
Observe
that Romans Chapter 13 clearly limits the authority of civil government
by strictly defining its purpose:
"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but
to the evil . . . For he is the minister of God to thee for good . . . for he
is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth
evil."
Note
that civil government must not be a "terror to good works."
Governments lose power and authority if or when it terrorizes good
works or good people. God gave boundaries to human government. Any
government that oversteps that divine boundary has no divine authority
or protection; and no right to continue to exist!
Jesus
told Pilate he (See John 19: 10, 11) could have no power at all unless it were
given to him from above. Make no mistake, the sovereign authority in all
the universe and on the earth is the Lord Jesus and His Word we call the Bible.
We, His children of
His kingdom are bound by,
and will be judged by our obedience to, His Word. Mt 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul
and body in hell. RSB
