Pilgrim Living and Earthly Authority

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Our Lord, our souls, upon your word, your written word, that has such a wonderful spiritual work of grace in our souls.

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We pray you instruct us and inspire us, our God. We pray that our faith would be enhanced, our devotion, our

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God, would be deepened, our resolve, our God, would be quickened to live for you and serve you.

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Help Jason now, Father, fill him with the Holy Spirit, and fill us with the Holy Spirit as we attempt to listen and understand and apply rightly your word.

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We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Good morning, everybody.

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Let's just quickly pray. Our Father, we do thank you for this morning, and we ask,

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Lord, for your blessing now as we go to your word. We pray, Lord, that we would understand what the text says, that we would understand how to apply it in our lives.

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Give us wisdom, Lord, give us guidance, and we pray that you would be honored. Thank you,

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Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. One of the common themes that runs throughout the whole of scripture is the importance of having an eternal perspective.

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As Christians, the Lord God has called each one of us to live in the light of eternity.

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Colossians 3, verses 1 through 4, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

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When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

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The Lord God has called each one of us to live with an eternal perspective.

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As sojourners, we must live not only in the here and now, but also in the there and then.

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We must live in the reality of eternal life. We must live in the reality that one day we will stand before the

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Lord God and our faith will become sight. Our minds must be set upon these things, on the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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Beloved, while we live in this world, we are not to be of this world, nor are we to be conformed to this world.

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We are not to be molded to this world. We are not to be patterned according to this world.

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We are not to be shaped to this world. We are not to love the world, nor are we to love the things in the world.

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The reason being, we do not belong to this world. We are not of this world.

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As Christians, we are sojourners. We are exiles. We are aliens.

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We are strangers. We are foreigners. This world is not our home, and thus the

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Lord God calls us to live as pilgrims, temporarily sojourning in a foreign land.

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But to what extent? How far do we take this mandate to live as pilgrims?

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And how are we to live and respond to the world around us? How are we to live and respond to the social structures that exist in the world?

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How are we to respond to secular institutions? How are we to respond to secular authority?

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As citizens who belong to another kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, what do we do with our earthly citizenship?

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Do we renounce it? Do we ignore it? Do we embrace it? As pilgrims, what is the correct response to secular and earthly authority?

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Please turn with me to the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 13 through 17.

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Here in this passage, Peter maps out an appropriate response to secular and earthly authority.

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Let's read the text. 1 Peter 2, verses 13 through 17. Be subject for the

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Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

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For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

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Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover -up for evil, but living as servants of God.

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Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor.

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Here in this passage, Peter gives us six elements that will help guide us in our response to secular institutions and earthly authority.

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We see the command for submission, the motive for submission, the extent of submission, the reason for submission, the attitude of submission, and the application of submission.

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The command, the extent, the motive, the reason, the attitude, and the application. Now let's take a look at these in closer detail.

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First Peter 2, verses 13. Be subject for the

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Lord's sake to every human institution. Now the central thought that runs throughout the remainder of this passage is submission.

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Peter commands believers to be subject. Now the Greek word translated subject is hupotasso, which carries the literal meaning of arranging under or placing under in an orderly fashion.

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And this term was often used by the military to describe troops falling into rank and ordering themselves into proper battle formation.

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For a military campaign to be successful, what needs to happen? Troops need to follow orders.

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Troops need to be subject to the chain of command. Individual soldiers are not at liberty to make their own assessments.

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They're not at liberty to proceed as they see fit. No, soldiers must follow directions.

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They must follow their orders. Victory in battle rarely comes from disorder and chaos, but by systematic planning, by execution, which begins at the top of the chain and follows right on down to the bottom.

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Soldiers must fall into rank and subject themselves to the chain of command. Well in a similar manner,

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Peter borrows this military terminology and he applies it to the church. How are we to respond to the social structures that exist in the world today?

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Believers are to fall in line. Believers are to be submissive.

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Believers are to be subject. We're not to be characterized by rebellion or insurrection or civil disobedience, but by humble and willing submission to our secular and earthly authorities.

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Quickly turn with me to the book of Romans, Romans 13 verses 1 through 7. Now this passage is a sermon in itself, but I want to point out a couple of things that Paul mentions in regards to our relationship to the government.

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Romans 13 verses 1 through 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.

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Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

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For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is an authority?

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Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good.

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But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a servant of God, an avenger who carries out

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God's wrath on the evildoer. Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid

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God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

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Pay to all what is owed 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.

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Now in all the scriptures, this passage contains the clearest and most precise teaching on our relationship and our responsibility to the governing authorities.

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And Paul states it very clearly. No matter what form of government you may live under, be it a democracy, a monarchy or a dictatorship, no matter how moral or immoral it may be, no matter how just or unjust it may be, no matter how hospitable or inhospitable towards Christianity it may be, every

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Christian is commanded to maintain a submissive attitude towards their governing authorities.

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Paul refers to all governments and all government officials as servants of God and as ministers of God.

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Secular authorities serve by God's divine decree. In fact, there is no authority except from God and those who exist have been instituted by God.

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Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.

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Now, this can be a very hard truth to swallow. The Lord God has ordained our current president.

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He is a servant and a minister of God. The Lord God ordained our previous president.

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He was a servant and a minister of God. And in the coming months, the

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Lord God again has already ordained our next president and he will be a servant and a minister of God.

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There is no authority except from God and those that exist have been instituted by God.

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Proverbs 8, 15, by me, kings reign and rulers decree what is just.

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By me, princes rule and nobles, all who govern justly. Proverbs 21, 1, the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the

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Lord. He turns it wherever he wills. Daniel 2, 20, blessed be the name of God forever and ever to whom belong wisdom and might.

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He changes times and seasons. He removes kings and he sets up kings.

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He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. After the

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Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed and arrested, he was sent to the Jewish authorities for questioning. And then he was led to the governor's headquarters and he stood before the

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Roman authorities. He was unjustly accused. He was unjustly arrested.

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He was beaten. He was flogged. He was mocked. His trial was illegitimate. And there he stood, bloodied, before Pontius Pilate.

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John 19, so Pilate said to him, you will not speak to me? You not know that I have the authority to release you and authority to crucify you?

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And how did Jesus answer? You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.

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Authority comes from above. And there is no authority except by God.

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And those that exist have been instituted by God. Those that exist have been ordained by God.

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Those that exist have been specifically handpicked and chosen by God.

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Now this is a far more difficult truth to accept when you live in a country that is hostile towards the

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Lord Jesus Christ. This is a difficult truth to accept when you live in a country whose government officials are actively and systematically seeking to put you and your family to death for your faith and confession in the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, God is sovereign over those hostile governments.

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God is sovereign over those hostile government officials. God is sovereign over their policies.

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God is sovereign over their procedures. God is sovereign over all. And God is using all of these things and everything for the good of the church and for His glory.

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Government is an institution of God. Corrupt government is an institution of God.

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It is valid regardless of place, circumstance, difficulty, or any other consideration. God sovereignly created and absolutely controls the universe and everything in the universe with no exceptions and no limitations.

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Isaiah 46, he writes, remember this and stand firm. Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

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Remember the former things of old. For I am God and there is no other. I am

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God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.

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Saying, my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose.

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Calling a bird of prey from the east and the man of my counsel from a far country, I have spoken and I will bring it to pass.

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I have purposed and I will do it. Beloved, the decrees of God, His will,

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His purpose, His counsel will most assuredly come to pass. And the authority and power that any person, any group, or any society might possess is authority and power that has been divinely bestowed by God Himself.

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The Lord God is sovereign over every human institution. The Lord God is sovereign over all.

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And thus, the extent of our submission is to be to every human institution.

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For the Lord God is over every human institution. First Peter 2 .13

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and 14, be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.

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Even if every human institution was openly opposed and hostile to the

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Lord Jesus Christ, believers are still called to be subject to them.

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It's important to remember to whom Peter was writing. He was writing to the elect exiles of the dispersion.

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Christians who were scattered all across Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

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And at this time, there were pockets of persecution all throughout this region. At this time,

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Nero was the Roman emperor in power. And his reign brought great suffering and intense tribulation to Christians.

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John Fox in his book, Fox's Book of the Martyrs, describes the suffering of this time.

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In 67 AD, Nero ordered the burning of Rome. The fire lasted for nine days.

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And when the blame turned to Nero, Nero blamed the Christians. And Nero came at the

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Christians with a new vengeance. Nero contrived all manner of punishments for the

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Christians that the most infernal imagination could design.

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In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts and then they were attacked by dogs until they expired.

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And others dressed in shirts made of stiff wax were fixed to stakes and set on fire in his gardens in order to illuminate them.

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This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire. In the course of it, St. Paul and St.

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Peter were martyred. And it was during this time, this time of intense suffering and great injustice, that Peter commands believers to be subject to every human institution.

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The depth of their depravity does not matter. The extent of their corruption does not matter.

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It does not matter how wicked, how perverse, or how anti -Christ an institution may be.

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Those who have been called out of darkness to live under the authority of God must likewise live under the authority of man, with one exception.

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The only exception to being subject to civil authorities is when obedience to those authorities would require disobedience to the

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Lord God, or disobedience to the Word of God. In Acts chapter 5, the apostles were performing great signs and great wonders in the name of the

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Lord. And the Jewish authorities vehemently opposed them and they rose up against them.

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They arrested them and they put them in prison. And during the night, an angel of the Lord appeared and he opened the prison doors and he set the apostles free.

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Acts 5 29, someone came in and told them, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.

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Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

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And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying,

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We strictly charged you not to teach in this name. Yet here you have filled

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Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered,

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We must obey God rather than man. The command to be subject to every human institution is to be followed, unless to do so would be to contradict the

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Lord God. Unless to do so would be to contradict the Word of God. If your earthly authority demands that you violate the

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Word of God, our response should be like Peter and the apostles. No, we must obey

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God rather than men. Submission is a very difficult task, but it's especially difficult to submit to those who are ungodly or to submit to those who are corrupt or selfish or prideful or to those who are seeking to hurt you and your loved ones.

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So what is it that should drive our submission to every human institution?

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What should be the motive behind our submission? Look at verse 13.

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Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake.

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Beloved, our motivation to be subject to every human institution is the Lord Jesus Christ.

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It is for his sake that we submit. Jesus Christ is our motivation. In this passage,

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Peter neatly connects all of our social and political relations into one overarching relationship with the

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Lord God. You see, the Bible is not primarily a manual on right and wrong.

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The Bible is not a self -help book. The Bible is God's revelation of himself as creator to his creation.

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The Bible is God's revelation of himself to you, which reveals how you are to live your life in light of his character for his purposes and for his glory.

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Galatians 219, for through the law, I died through the law so that I might live to God.

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I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

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And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.

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The chief end of man, the primary aim and the end goal of all life, the one singular purpose in life is to live to God.

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It is to live for God. This means that we must live every moment of every day for the sake of the

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Lord God. This means that we will live every moment of every day, Coram Deo, before the face of God.

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First Corinthians 1031, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

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Second Corinthians 5 -9, whether we're at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

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Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ is our life. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

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You no longer live, but Christ lives in you. As believers, we are to walk in such a way that our lives glorify the

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Lord God. We are to walk in such a way that our lives shine brightly before men, so brightly that even the ungodliness, the ungodliest man may see our good works, see our good deeds and glorify the

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Lord God. King David was a man after God's own heart, but he was also a man who sinned.

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King David took another man's wife and he committed adultery with her, and she became pregnant.

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So King David tried desperately to cover up his sin, but his cover -up failed. So in an effort to conceal his sin,

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King David committed murder. The Lord God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke

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King David for his sin. In 2 Samuel 12, David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the

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Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin, you shall not die.

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Nevertheless, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the

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Lord to blaspheme, the child shall die. King David's sin resulted in tragic personal consequences.

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The child died. But his sin also caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.

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King David's conduct did not glorify God, but rather it dishonored

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God. And it caused ungodly men to dishonor God. It caused ungodly men to blaspheme his holy and righteous name.

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Beloved, the manner in which you live your life, how you live your life, how you conduct yourself, how you respond to the authority that the

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Lord God has placed over your life, it can either be a glory and an honor to the

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Lord Jesus Christ, or it can be a great dishonor to the

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Lord Jesus Christ by causing the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Again, it matters how you live.

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Our submission to the earthly institutions of this world, no matter how evil and corrupt they may be, give glory and honor to the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Because it is a tribute to his authority. It's a tribute to his sovereignty.

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It is a tribute to his majesty. Our submission to earthly authority honors the

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Lord God's authority. And it is for this reason, for the Lord's sake, that we obey and submit to every human institution.

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But this reason is not the only reason. Peter gives us another reason, a very practical reason why we are to be subject to every human institution.

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Look at verse 15. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

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Our submission to secular and earthly authority will silence the ignorance of foolish people.

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Our submission to secular and earthly authority will shut the mouths of our critics.

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The Greek word translated ignore is agnosia, which means to be without knowledge.

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In the New Testament, the word refers to those who lack the knowledge of God, or to those who lack spiritual discernment.

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But the term also carries with it the idea of a willful and hostile rejection of the truth.

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The term actually suggests culpable ignorance. It's not just a lack of knowledge.

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Their ignorance is their own doing. Peter further characterizes our critics as foolish people.

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Foolish people are senseless. They're unwise. They're without reason. Foolish people are those who lack sound judgments.

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Those who do not employ a full understanding. Charles Spurgeon remarked,

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Ignorance, you see, is a noisy thing. An empty drum makes a loud noise when it is beaten.

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And empty men, like empty vessels, often make the most sound. How then are we to silence this noisy ignorance?

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By argument? No. For it is not amendable to argument. Ignorance is to be silenced by doing well.

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Holy living is the best reply to infidel talking. Beloved, our critics, the critics of the church, the critics of the

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Bible, the critics of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be silenced. Not only by what we say, but by what we do.

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Our critics must be silenced not only by our lips, but by our lives. By letting our actions speak louder than our words.

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This topic came up in the previous passage, 1 Peter 2, verse 12. The actions of every follower of Christ should reflect the inner work of God in their lives.

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In other words, the things that we do should be reflective of the inner transformation and work of the

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Holy Spirit in our lives. 1 Peter 2, verse 12. Keep your conduct among the

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Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify

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God on the day of visitation. Beloved, the only life that will silence the ignorance of foolish people is a consistent, honorable, and faithful life.

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Do you remember what the Greek word translated honorable means? There's no direct English equivalent, but it refers to something that is beautiful, something that is surpassing, something that is attractive, something that is commendable and noble.

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The term speaks of something that is excellent, something that is good in its purest and highest sense.

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Beloved, is your life honorable? Do your actions reflect the work and majesty of God in your life?

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Do your actions reflect the grace of God? Do they reflect the goodness of God?

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Do they reflect the mercy of God, the love of God? Alexander McLaren, who was a

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Scottish preacher, wrote, the world takes its notions of God most of all from the people who say they belong to God's family.

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That's us. They read us a great deal more than they read the

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Bible. In fact, they see us, they only hear about Jesus Christ. Beloved, the world is watching.

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The world is watching you, the world is watching your response to suffering. The world is watching your response to difficulty.

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The world is watching your response to injustice. The world is watching your response to abundance and to blessing.

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Listen, the world is watching you to see if your life lines up with your confession.

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Do you respond in a biblical manner when you're wronged? Do you respond in a biblical manner when you are hurt, or when you are ridiculed, or when you're made to feel stupid?

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Do you respond in a biblical manner when life unjustly comes down hard upon you, or upon those whom you love?

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The way you live and your response to these things will either fuel the fires of criticism, or extinguish them and snuff them out completely.

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The way you live and your response to these things can be your greatest weapon in silencing your critics, but on the flip side, it can also be your greatest hindrance and your greatest vulnerability.

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To the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil.

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Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the

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Lord is. And what is the will of the Lord? Well, in the context of this morning's passage, the will of the

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Lord is that you obey, submit, and be subject to every human institution for the

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Lord's sake. This is the will of the Lord. Peter continues this discussion by also reminding his readers to live with the correct attitude.

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Take a look at verse 16. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God.

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What is the correct attitude in which we are to live? We are to live as those who are free.

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We are to live as free people. Well, meaning what? What does it mean to live as people who are free?

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Is this referring to our personal freedom? Is this referring to our political freedom? In what sense are we free?

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Peter's referring to our redemption. All men are born enslaved to sin.

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All men are born in bondage to sin. Sin is every man's master, and we live under the control and dominion of the adversary, but God.

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Ephesians 2 .4, but God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he has loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

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By grace, you have been saved. In Christ, we have redemption through his blood.

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We have the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. We have been purchased.

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We have been ransomed. We have been bought with a price. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.

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We have been set free, and thus we are no longer subject to the bondage and futility that is characteristic of the world.

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First Peter 1 .18, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

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As a result of the redemptive work of Christ, we are free from sin's condemnation.

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We are free from the penalty of sin. We're free from the power of sin. We are free from the bondage and control of the adversary.

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We are free from the bondage and control of the world. We have been freed from the sting and power of death.

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Romans 6 .22, but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit that you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

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First Corinthians 7 .22, for he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed man in the

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Lord. Likewise, he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. Galatians 5 .13,

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for you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another.

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Our freedom from sin, our liberty, does not give us a license to sin.

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Our freedom does not give us a license to abuse the standards that the Lord God has established. Yes, we are free, but we are free to be a slave, a slave of righteousness, a slave of Christ.

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Martin Luther wrote, a Christian is a perfectly free

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Lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

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The key to that paradox is God, freed by God from slavery to all human institutions and sent by God freely and submissively into those institutions, all for his sake.

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Freed by God from slavery and sent by God freely as a slave.

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Don't let your liberty become license. Don't use your freedom in Christ as a pretext, as an excuse for doing wrong.

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Rather, live as a servant of God, live as a slave of God, and use your liberty, your freedom to love and to show goodness and grace to others.

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Christian freedom is the freedom to serve and to do good. Peter concludes this passage with four rapid fire commands.

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What is the application in all this? Verse 17, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear

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God, honor the emperor. These four commands show us exactly what submission looks like in practical everyday terms.

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Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor.

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Command number one, in our submission, we must strive to honor everyone.

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To honor is to prize, to honor is to value. It means to attribute worth or merit to something or to someone.

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In our everyday lives, believers are to consider all men to be of value and worth. In our everyday lives, believers are to treat every person with dignity and respect.

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All men are deserving of honor, from the best of men to the worst of sinners.

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You don't have to agree with their lifestyle, you don't have to agree with their words, you don't have to agree with their deeds, but you must accord them respect and honor as a fellow human being.

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Regardless of their age, their race, their sex, their religion, their social standing, their economic standing, their sexual identity or their politics, believers are to show everyone the respect that is due them according to their value as those who have been made in the image of God.

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All men are deserving of honor because all men are made in the image of God.

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Command number two, love the brotherhood. The Greek word translated love is agapeo, which means to love unconditionally.

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It means to love sacrificially as God himself loves. And this love is not sentimental, it's not emotional, it's not based on impulse or feeling, but rather it is a volitional act desiring another's good.

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It is a volitional act desiring another's greatest good. It is not based on one's affection, but on a decision of the will.

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And it is dispensed even if it is not received or returned. It's the highest form of love because it is the love of God.

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First John 3, 23, and this is his commandment that we believe in the name of his son,

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Jesus Christ and love one another just as he commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandment abides in God and God in him and by this we know that he abides in us by the spirit whom he has given us.

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As Christians, we must love one another. As Christians, we must love our fellow

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Christians. We must determine, we must to decide to deliver the highest good regardless of the cost to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Not all men are honorable, but guess what? Honor them anyway.

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Not all the brothers are lovable. Not all the brothers are even likable, but love them nonetheless.

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We must determine, we must decide to deliver the greatest good regardless of the cost.

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Love them with the same love that your father God loves you. Beloved, there are no escape clauses attached to these verses.

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Honor everyone, love the brotherhood. Commandment number three, fear

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God. As Christians, we are to live in the fear of God. We are to live in the fear of the

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Lord. Now fear does not necessarily mean terror and fright, but it conveys a sense of awe, a sense of reverence.

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First Peter 117 says, and if you call on him as father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.

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To live in the fear of the Lord is to live with a sense of awe and respect at the character of God. God is our father, but God also judges impartially according to each one's deeds.

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So to live in the fear of the Lord means that you will have such a high reverence and high regard for the

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Lord God that it will impact every area of your life, recognizing that God is the judge.

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Fearing God is an inclination of the heart which is generated by God in the hearts of his children whereby we out of reverence for God will take great pains not to displease the

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Lord God, but earnestly endeavor to please him in all things. To live in the fear of the

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Lord is to worship him, adore him, respect him, obey him, submit to him, trust in him, and love him all throughout the time of our exile.

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We must honor everyone, we must love the brotherhood, we must fear God, and lastly, command number four, we must honor the emperor.

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The same respect that is due all men is also due the emperor, or the king, or the prime minister, or the president.

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As believers, we must show honor and respect for whoever is ruling over us. We must show honor and respect to the leaders of our country, for they are the servants and ministers that have been appointed by God.

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And there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

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So if you are resisting the authorities that God has appointed over you, then you are resisting the

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Lord God himself. Proverbs 24, 21, my son, fear the

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Lord and the king, and do not join with those that do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

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Fear the Lord and the king. Do not join with those who do otherwise.

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Render to all what is due them. You may not agree with your earthly leaders.

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They may stand in stark contrast to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they are

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God's agents. They carry out God's purposes, and they are worthy of the respect that God mandates.

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Honor everyone, love the brother, fear God, honor the king.

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As pilgrim Christians who are sojourners and exiles in this world, always remember this world is not our home.

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This life is not our best life. This world is a training ground for the next.

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So live in light of these truths. Live in light of eternity. Live in light of our reigning

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King Jesus. Live in light of your heavenly citizenship, and set your minds on the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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Beloved, the command of the Lord is clear. Be subject. The motivation of the

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Lord is clear. Submit for the Lord's sake. The extent of our submission is to be to every human institution.

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The reason for our submission is to silence our critics. The attitude of our submission, we are to live as free men, freely serving the

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Lord Jesus Christ. And the application of submission, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear

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God, honor the emperor. May the Lord God help each one of us be this kind of citizen.

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Let's pray. Our Father, we need your help in living out these commands because it goes against our nature.

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Lord, it's hard to submit to those who are ungodly. It's hard to submit to those who are hostile towards Christ, who are hostile towards the church and the scriptures.

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But Lord, you are over all these things, and these men serve at your command.

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And Lord, that is something that we need to remember. The only hope that this country has is the

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Lord Jesus Christ. It's not in a man, it's not in a policy. So Lord, help us look at the things that are happening around us through the lens of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, through his sovereign reign. And we pray, Lord, that we would honor all men, that we would seek to be kind and gracious and gentle.

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We pray, Lord, that we would fear you, that we would honor the emperor, that we would love the brothers.

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Lord, help us in all of these things. We pray that you would guide us and lead us as we leave here today.