Book of Romans - Ch. 13, vs. 1-8 (12/26/2004)

Romans the 13th chapter this morning. We know from history that Christianity was just growing and the powers of the world began to take notice of it.

It's hard for us to imagine that but we know it's true.

It was not unlikely that this letter to the

Romans might fall into the hands of the Roman government and whenever that happened it was right not only that they should see that Christianity was no favor of sedition but likewise that they should have an opportunity of reading their own duty and obligations.

Verse one, let every soul be subject unto the right higher powers and it makes a very important statement there is no power but of God.

The powers that be are ordained of God.

That proves that God is the origin of power and the supreme governor of the universe.

He delegates authority to whomsoever he will and though in many cases the governor himself may not be of God yet civil government is of him.

For without this there could be no society, no security, no private property.

All would be confusion and anarchy and the habitable world would soon be depopulated.

But the question's been asked, what if that ruler, governor, president, what if he's an immoral man?

Does that not prove himself thereby to be unworthy of his high office?

And should he not be disposed? What do you think?

David, what do you think? All right.

Greg, what do you think,

Greg? Well, the answer is no.

If he rule according to the Constitution, nothing can be just, can justify rebellion against his authority.

He may be irregular in his own private life, he may be an immoral man, disgrace himself by improper conduct, but if he rule according to the law, if he makes no attempt to change the

Constitution nor break the compact between him and the people, there is therefore no legal ground of opposition to his civil authority.

And every act against him is not only rebellion in the worst sense of the word, but is unlawful and absolutely sinful.

It's so easy. If there's a man in an office and we don't approve of the man, we won't vote for him, or we would vote to get him out.

But while he is in that office, he is legal according to God.

Every soul, every person in the church, it means even the leaders, including the preacher.

This is a problem that we face. Well, in some of the churches, they face it.

The old pharisaical syndrome is still with us. Higher powers, those that are above you in government, of the church, of the civil offices, everybody answers to somebody, somewhere, sometime, and we all answer to God.

Powers that be are ordained of God. There is no office anywhere unless it is authorized of the

Heavenly Father. Now that's a little hard to accept on my part, some places in this world.

Joy, let me ask you a question. Is God disturbed by what is happening here on earth?

Does that disturb God? Russell, what do you think?

Is God disturbed by everything that's going on here on earth? Hmm. Well, Greg, what would you say?

David? He is not disturbed because he is sovereign.

He controls it all. It's true that the world system belongs to Satan, but according to Proverbs 16 .33,

turn to that please, Proverbs 16 .33, and Russell, you read it to me.

What does all that mean? And you get that from the lots cast into the lap.

Greg, what do you get out of that verse? All right,

David, how would you explain this to a teenager, this verse?

That's right. The lot is cast into the lap.

That's like the lady's apron only this one is closed. It's closed over the eggs that she has in her lap, in her apron.

It's closed and nothing's going to get to it. Nothing's going to change it. Nothing will add to it or take from it.

Everything is according to God. God is the one that has ordained all things and is continually guiding by who?

The Holy Spirit. Now, why is that not guiding by Jesus, David?

Is that right, Russell? Well, who is it here with us?

The Holy Spirit is guiding everything toward Jesus Christ. We must remember that Christianity is not a movement to improve government, to help society, or to clean up a town.

The gospel is the power of God unto what?

Salvation. Salvation of who?

The called ones. David, can you find in Paul's writings any place where he preached about the deplorable conditions of the

Roman jail? I hear lots of that today on television, radio.

Well, I want you to understand something. Our business is to get the word out.

It is not to save souls. That's not our business.

Whose business is it, Russell? This country,

America, is in the hands of those who do not understand the spiritual heritage that we have.

I have noticed, this week at least, that there has been more references to God, more prayers offered on television, not talking about God or praying so we could see, but there's been a rise in the

God as it is spoken in this world. Well, a spiritual truth cannot be reasoned out to an understanding.

It must first be believed and obeyed before a

Christian can understand it. Remember that. Two, whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Now, first of all, whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God.

How many here ever complained about the weather? Well, I didn't see

David's hand, but then I can't see. What are you doing when you complain about the weather?

Yes, to complain about the weather is to complain about God.

Damnation or judgment, either here by the

Lord's use of earthly laws and most certainly before him for judgment.

Everyone will face the Lord someday. Three, for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.

Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.

The rulers don't affect you as long as you obey the law, but for those that go against the law they are a terror.

What does terror mean, Greg? That's not what?

That's right. Romans 4, for he is the minister of God to thee for good, but if thou do that which is evil, be thou 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.

This is a very hard saying, especially under some presidents, some we've had recently.

It is even more difficult for me when I realize that the man in the office is there because of God, and he's doing the work of God within the office.

He's doing exactly that which was ordained to do.

Wherefore, ye must need be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience's sake.

Russell, is there always in your mind a little voice telling you the right thing to do?

Should we listen to that voice, David? The conscience of a child of God is the voice of God.

You be careful which voice you listen to. You know, we ask lots of times, or we say lots of times, well,

I don't know what to do, and I answer, you know what not to do.

Just don't do that which you know not to do. And little by little, since you're doing something all of the time, little by little, by process of elimination, you will grow closer to God.

Just don't do that which you know not to do. It's the only thing that will totally remove the guilt that we have when we violate our conscience.

We come up with guilt. Now, I can't see who's here, so I'll just ask

Joy, where do we get this feeling of guilt?

We do? Well, is that right,

Russell? Where do we get this feeling of guilt when

I do something wrong? Well, when

I said we, I'm talking about the Christian. Okay, then we sin when we violate our

God -guided conscience. Is that right, David? Now, since I immediately feel sin, or I feel guilty, and it was applied to me by God through the

Holy Spirit, and since he installed that feeling of guilt, how can

I remove that feeling of guilt, Greg? Well, how do

I go about getting that? That's right.

And if you really confess to God, it produces repentance.

So the guilty feeling comes because we violated our God -guided conscience. Confessing to God can remove that if it's truly confessing.

Now, what does Satan do, David? All right, suppose

I've gone through the, I have confessed,

I have a clear conscience, and then a year later, Satan comes to me with that same thing.

What am I to do? I'm to tell him to get out of here.

He's got a counterfeit, because I confessed that a year ago, and it's gone, and he will come back.

Don't doubt that, but just take the position of it is a counterfeit.

You cannot burden me down with that. Yes. That's right.

That's right. Oh yes,

I've confessed to everyone. So, I'm clear. If you have guilt about it, confess it.

If you don't have guilt, if you can fellowship with God, then do it.

Well, I'm sure it's possible, but he certainly convicts me of all of those for which

I need to confess. That is growth.

As we uncover our sins, we won't do them anymore. We confess them.

We won't do them. Now, I'm sure we all commit sin if we understood what sin was, and we commit it every day, but it doesn't bother us.

When I was a child at home, just a new

Christian, 13 years old, I was very conscious of everything that I did, and to this day there's some things that I can think of that I confessed them, but the word slipped out and the phrase was uttered.

That goes on, the repercussions of that. I can't stop that, but all of my life has been made up of growth, and all that is is uncovering new sins to forget.

And to confess. Yes. That's right.

Absolutely. That's right.

Yes. Any other questions? Six. For this cause, pay you tribute also, for they are

God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Tribute. The annual tax levied upon houses, lands, persons, any payment extracted for protection.

Ministers. This is the same word that is used for ministering angels.

Here we find that these ministers hold a divine appointed office.

Render, therefore, to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to custom is due, fear to whom fear, however, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Now, tribute, we are to pay even though we don't like the way they use the money.

They'll be held responsible to God for that. Customs. We pay toll for bridges and roads.

But we come to the word fear. Fear to whom fear is due.

Render fear. Now, David, what does he mean to render fear to whom that one, the fear is due?

In a court of law, we rise when the judge comes in and sits down.

Now, why, Russell? But it's the position, the office.

This fear is for the one accused. A person is being tried for murder.

Now, you retire to the jury room and you have to decide, did he kill the person or not?

Always keep in mind that it is the law that convicted him.

It is the law that tried him. I could care less of the lawyers debating, but is the law, does the law say that he should die?

Don't be afraid to reach that decision if he's guilty. Do as the law demands.

It's not you personally, you're acting in place of the law, in lieu of the law.

The law can't talk. You can. Oh, no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

We're going to stop on this verse, but I want to talk a little bit.

Paul has been showing the duties, duty, reverence, and obedience, which all

Christians from the highest to the lowest, to the civil government, whether he be the president or state officer.

Here he shows them their duty to each other, but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government.

To the first, they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, tribute.

To the latter, they owe nothing but mutual love. And those offices which necessarily spring from it.

Oh, no man, the church member who makes debts and does not meet them, violates this commandment.

Do not live on credit. Pay your bills when due, or don't buy the item.

There should be a law making it more difficult for young married people to get into debt.

It's the easiest thing to get into debt. Love one another.

The debt of love increases the more you use it. And one last question, is love a cause or effect?

Greg? All right.

David, is it a cause or effect? Russell? Joy? Strange as it may seem, it is both.

Cause and effect. Greg, dismiss this please.