The Christian And Civil Government

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July 19, 2015, just almost a year ago,
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Pastor John MacArthur addressed his flock at Gray's Community Church, which what
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I, in my estimation, feel was a historic message in light of what's going on in our culture.
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And this is what he said, and I quote, The two greatest attacks of terror on America have been perpetrated by the
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Supreme Court. Not by any Muslim, but by the Supreme Court of the United States.
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The first one was with the legalizing of abortion. Subsequent to that, there have been millions of babies slaughtered in the wombs of their mother.
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It's incalculable to even comprehend that. The blood of those lives cries out from the ground for divine vengeance on this nation.
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The second great act of terror perpetrated by the Supreme Court was the legalization of same -sex marriage.
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Our country is being terrorized by the people most responsible to protect it.
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Close quote. If that wasn't enough, at this past year's
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Shepherds Conference, Lincoln Duncan and Al Mohler and Pastor John MacArthur were sitting down for some
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Q &A, and Al Mohler said the following, In the political sphere of things, because there is no other category, anyone who is not
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Roman Catholic and not Jewish is automatically politically classified as evangelical.
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Well, they may not believe in the gospel or submit to the word of God. That's the political classification.
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And Mohler goes on to highlight how our worldview as a Christian who believes in the gospel, who submits to the word of God, is not just different from the world we live in.
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It's radically antagonistic. It shows up in the lunchroom at your job.
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It shows up at the neighborhood barbecue. It shows up in the news every day that we see.
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And it's showing up in churches even as well. In that Q &A,
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Mohler continued to say that he had heard of some parents who were around the dinner table with their 10 -year -old son discussing the issues of the day,
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LGBT, with the lesbian, gay agenda and transgender and all of that.
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And they were discussing from a Christian worldview, what does the Bible say? And their 10 -year -old son looked at the father and said,
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Dad, this is hate speech. Earlier this month in June, if that wasn't enough, the director of the
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ACLU in Atlanta, Georgia resigned because of this. The article wrote, quote, her young daughter shared a restroom in Oakland, California with three transgender women with deep voices.
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My wife and I faced this back in 93, 13 years ago when we were trying to have children and we lost our first son by the name of Jonathan.
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He was born prematurely at five months in our home. So we went locally to this place we found to find a headstone epitaph for our son.
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And we were talking with the director of this place. And she had shown us some books as we were talking about children and the joy of having children and our struggle to have children.
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She showed us some children books that were coming out back in 93 of a little child being raised by two fathers.
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Welcome to America. Please turn with me in your
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Bibles to 1 Peter 2. I have a lot to say to you today, and it's not a put two parts series.
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I have to squeeze it all in today. So what I've done in light of that, I brought my Memorex cassette tape, which as you know, there's 45 minutes on each side.
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That's 90 minutes, but there's that extra minute. So it's 92 minutes. You'll be laughing now, but when you look at your clocks in about an hour, you'll have to repent of that laughter.
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Let's read 1 Peter 2, beginning in verse 13. 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 coverup 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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My goal is not to give you a political sermon. That's outside the calling for which God has called any pastor.
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Our goal here is always to exposit the scripture. But at the same time, as I tell people in the membership class here at BBC, I understand that people come from different church backgrounds.
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And sometimes people make the mistake of interpreting their Bible through the lens of their church experience.
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Rather, the right thing to do is to interpret your church experience through the lens of scripture.
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And so as I walk you through this passage, that's what this passage is going to do. It's going to serve as a lens through which we can see what's going on in our country today.
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The purpose for which Peter wrote the book is found in chapter 5, verse 12, where he writes,
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By Silvanus, a faithful brother, as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God.
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Stand firm in it. It's similar to the book of Hebrews that Pastor Mike has been walking us through.
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If you remember the overview of that, the writer of Hebrews, his main theme, his authorial intent, as it were, was a word of exhortation.
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Hebrews chapter 13, verse 22. So here Peter is given a word of exhortation. But specifically about what?
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About the true grace of God. If you notice in verse 10 of that same chapter 5, he refers to God, one of my favorite expressions referring to God, the
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God of all grace. And he exhorts us here and to the original recipients, as we will see, to stand firm in this grace of God.
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Now the book is outlined in three sections. The first section, which begins in chapter 1, verse 3, after the first two verses of the introduction, to chapter 2, verse 10.
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Chapter 1, verse 3 to chapter 2, verse 10 is about salvation. Then from chapter 2, verse 13 to chapter 3, verse 7, the theme is submission.
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And then from chapter 3, verse 8 to the end of the book, the theme is on suffering.
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That's the overall outline of the book of 1 Peter. So, for instance, if you were up here like Dr.
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Pradeep was a few weeks ago, being grilled by us, and we asked you what is the key verse of the book of 1
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Peter, you would be saying chapter 5, verse 12. What's the outline of 1 Peter? Salvation, submission, suffering.
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That's what Peter's message is in this book, to stand firm in the grace of God by looking at it through the lens of salvation, submission, and suffering.
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In our text this morning, we find ourselves in the middle section of the book, under the heading of submission.
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Notice, of course, in verse 13 where we began, be subject for the
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Lord's sake. Here it's being subject to every human institution, as he says in verse 13.
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Notice in verse 18 of chapter 2. Servants, be subject to your masters.
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Chapter 3, verse 1. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands.
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So this whole middle section is about submission. Submission, in our text this morning, in the state as a citizen.
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Then verse 18, on submission at work as an employee. And chapter 3, verse 1, submission at home as a spouse.
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But Peter does something interesting. If you look back in verses 11 and 12, he gives us a hinge as he takes us from the first section of the book where he highlights
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God's salvation in our lives. And this is the door on which the hinges, as he enters into this section that we're currently in on submission.
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Verse 11 and 12, I'll read that. Peter writes the following. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
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Keep your conduct among the 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. And as we get into this deeper, we will see what
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Peter meant by speaking against you as evildoers. But what I want to just highlight here is that this is a transitional statement
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Peter makes from the first section of salvation into this section that we're in about submission.
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Notice what he says in verse 11. We're sojourners. New American Standard says aliens.
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An alien is somebody who lives in a place without the right of citizenship. We're American citizenships, but to use
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Paul's words, our citizenship is ultimately where? In heaven.
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And because of that, we eagerly await a savior from there. As Paul writes in Philippians 3.
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And Peter builds these people up to encourage them in the midst of severe persecution, when they're being spoken of against as evildoers.
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Notice even back in verse 9 and 10 what he says about them before he enters through the door into the section of submission, what he says about salvation, verse 9.
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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.
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Why? That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
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Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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In the midst of persecution, when people were speaking evil against these persecuted Christians, Peter is taking their eyes off their problems and showing them the
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Lord and what he's done. You're a chosen race, he says. You've been called by God out of darkness into light.
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God has shown you his mercy. If you go back even to chapter 1, where he begins this epistle, beginning in verse 3.
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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He begins the epistle with doxology. He's writing to persecuted Christians.
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Just give me something practical, Peter. How about doctrine? Doctrine of salvation.
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Bless God because he has caused you to be born again and you have an eternal inheritance because though you are sojourners and aliens, you have a citizenship in heaven.
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I mean, Peter is directing their attention, their spiritual eyes, to the Lord and his great salvation in the midst of persecution.
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It's almost to use the Apostle Paul's words from Ephesians 2. And he has raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
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So rather than looking at their persecution, at their current circumstances, he takes their eyes and sets them on the
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Lord and his marvelous and glorious work of salvation. They're flying high. They're like coming back from a shepherd's conference with a spiritual boost in their arm.
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But they could be so heavenly -minded that they might be of no earthly good as he enters into this section of submission.
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MacArthur writes about this in the following way. Quote, We are aliens in the world. Our alienation is demonstrated by the fact that we abstain from fleshy lusts, according to verse 11, and according to verse 12, in that we do good deeds.
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So the character of our lives shows our alienation. We are different than the world, he says.
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We are in the world, yet not of the world. But the result of that could be an indifference to the society around us, an utter disregard for the authority around us.
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And so Peter is quick to add immediately in verse 13, Submit yourselves for the
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Lord's sake to every human institution. The fact that you are citizens of heaven, that you live on a different level, that you live on a higher plane, that you answer to a higher authority, does not mean that you can treat with indifference the institutions that are here on earth.
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We who feel we are above the system need to learn how to live within the system. So that leads
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Peter into the discussion of verses 13 to 17, and the matter how we are to conduct ourselves as citizens.
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He first takes them, their eyes off of this earth, to the heavenlies, in God's glorious and majestic salvation.
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But now he brings them back down to earth, in verse 13. And verses 11 and 12 are the hinge where we leave one room and go into this room on submission.
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This section outlines itself very easily, and this is where we're going with it, from verses 13 to 17.
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The text outlines itself. There's a mandate, and then he gives three motivations for that mandate.
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And on the second motivation, I'm going to take some time to address some objections that naturally arise out of this text.
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So first of all, what's the mandate? What's the command? Verse 13. Be subject, for the
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Lord's sake, to every human institution. Be subject. Like any mandate or command of Scripture given by God himself, he's not giving us a suggestion.
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This is not an option. This is not a matter of good, better, and best. This is a divine directive to be obeyed.
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In disobedience to the commands of God, in God's eyes, is sin. But the great thing about the
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Christian who, in light of what God has done that Peter highlights in the first section, in light of our salvation, in light of the fact that God has caused us to be born again, in light of our eternal inheritance, in light of the fact that we are sojourners, citizenship in heaven, we obey.
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Why? Because we have to? Because we want to. 1
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John 5 .3. And this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not what?
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Burdensome. Jesus said it himself, if you love me, you will obey me.
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We obey the Lord out of love for what he's done for us. The term for being subject in the
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Greek is a military term. Caleb would love this. It means literally to arrange the divisions of a troop in military fashion.
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And here's the key. Under the command of a leader. To be under the command of a leader.
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And that's what Peter is saying to these Christians. Be submissive. That's the mandate.
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But he gives three motivations. And that's what I love about the word of God. God never gives us a command without properly motivating us.
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That's why as we study, as you well know, the epistles of the apostle Paul, they're in two.
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Romans 1 through 11, then chapter 12 on. Ephesians 1 to 3, chapter 4 on. First we have the indicative.
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What God has done for us in Christ Jesus, right? And then the imperative. In light of what he's done, what are we to do?
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Because otherwise, if God does not give us a proper motivation, you and I will fall into legalism.
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To just obey for the sake of obedience without having the proper biblical motivation is legalism.
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So what's the first motivation here that Peter gives? To be submissive or to subject ourselves to every human institution.
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Here it is. Number one motivation. The sovereignty of God. This is number one.
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The mandate is to be subject. Three motivations. The first motivation, the sovereignty of God. Here we go again.
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The sovereignty of God. You just can't get away from the sovereignty of God. It bleeds through every page of Scripture.
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Now how do you get the sovereignty of God from this, you may ask me? Sounds like you're Let's take a look.
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Be subject, what's he say? For the Lord's sake. To understand what
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Peter means by that, let me highlight three words for you. The word for, every word, every jot and tittle in the
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Scripture is significant, is it not? The word for is significant in the New Testament because there are certain
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Greek words that are used for that term. For example, the word uper or iper, as I would say it, or andi, is the term that's translated for in many places of the
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New Testament. And it means in the place of, in the stead of. I mean, it's so significant, we get our theology of substitutionary atonement from that three -letter word for in the
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English three -letter word, which is iper or andi. So it is very significant.
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But in this instance, that's not the word that Peter uses. He uses the word thea for the
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Lord's sake. The term sake here in the ESV is not necessarily the best translation because we're not submitting for the benefit of the
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Lord. We're not submitting for his benefit. And the Greek term for Lord, secondly, is the term kirios, which means master.
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He is the one who has authority. He is the one who gives authority. He is the one who is sovereign.
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And the third key word, as you will, in verse 13C is the word institution. The word institution, the
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Greek term for the word institution in the entire New Testament is always and exclusively used to refer to God, to God's work, to God's enterprises.
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It is never used to refer to anything of man. Always exclusively used of God.
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For example, 2 Corinthians 517. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
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That's the term institution, creation, thesma. And then verse 18 of 2 Corinthians says, all this is from God.
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It's used exclusively of God, not of man ever in the New Testament, except here for the
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Lord's sake to every human institution. Then why here is it used of a human institution, not of God's work or institution?
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Because every human institution is ultimately God's institution. This is what
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Paul said in Romans 13 verse 1. This is Peter's way of saying it. Paul said there, 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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God is sovereign over every human institution. We learned last week,
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Hebrews 1, right? That Jesus, the conquering Jesus over his enemies, seated at the right hand of God, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet, he's a conquering king.
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He's not squirming on the throne. He knows exactly what's going on under every human institution.
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That's the first motivation for obeying this mandate. The second motivation, because they are sent by God for the purpose of punishing those who do evil and praising those who do good.
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Because they are sent by God for the purpose of punishing those who do evil and for praising those who do good.
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Verse 13, I continue in the second part, whether it be to the emperor, a supreme or to governors.
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And here it is in verse 14, as sent by him for two full purpose. On the one hand, to punish those who do evil and on the second hand, to praise those who do good.
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That sound like a commentary on our country? Here are two objections that naturally arise from this statement.
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The first objection, and here we're going to do some Bible study work together. First objection, if this is the purpose for what a sovereign
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God has set leaders in place for in the civil government, the natural question that arises is this, what if the rulers are unjust?
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Of course, we can't relate to that, right? What if the rulers are unjust? Good question.
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Calvin and his commentary on first Peter knew that this would be a natural question and objection by the readers.
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And he writes this quote, it may, however, be objective here and said that kings and magistrates often abuse their power, exercise tyrannical cruelty rather than justice.
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Such were almost all the magistrates when this epistle was written. And here's his answer to this.
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I answer. He continues that tyrants and those like them do not produce such effects by their abuse, but that the ordinance of God ever remains in force as the institution of marriage is not subverted through the wife and husband, though the wife and husband were to act in a way not becoming them.
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And he closes this section by saying this. However, therefore, men may go astray, yet the end fixed by God cannot be changed.
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End quote. The end is fixed by God and it cannot be changed, even with cruel and tyrannical leaders.
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I'm going to walk with me into the courtroom to answer this objection from scripture. Pretend we're in the courtroom and I'm going to bring before you exhibits
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A through D. What about tyrannical rulers? What if they are unjust, though God sends them for this particular purpose?
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Exhibit A to answer this objection. Nero. This is the context of our book.
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The emperor that Peter's referring to is Nero. He came into power at the age of 17 in A .D. 54.
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He was a declared homosexual. He committed suicide at the age of 31. It was actually under Nero's reign that Peter was martyred.
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The Christians were already under severe persecution. Nero, in his maniacal mind, he burned down Rome and blamed it on the
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Christians who were already persecuted. So that upped the ante on their persecution. According to one
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Roman historian, it was reported that Nero rolled Christians in pitch, then set them on fire while they were still alive, and used them as living torches to light his garden parties.
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So when Peter writes here, the emperor, in verse 13, this is the emperor who was there at the time.
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Exhibit B. Nebuchadnezzar. Turn with me to Daniel chapter 4. And we'll come back to our text.
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This is to highlight the exhibits and answer to the question, or the objection rather, what about tyrannical rulers?
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Daniel chapter 4. This is exhibit B. Nebuchadnezzar. Beginning in verse 17.
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You will notice in this portion of Scripture as I read it, one of the repeated phrases, repeated three times, is the following.
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The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will. The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom
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He will. Daniel 4. Beginning in verse 17. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know what?
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That the Most High, here it is, rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will, and sits over it the lowliest of men.
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Jump to verse 24. This is the interpretation, O King. It is a decree of the
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Most High. Remember what a decree is. It's given by the sovereign from before eternity passed. It cannot be changed, as Calvin said.
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It is fixed. And what is the decree? Continuing in verse 24. Which has come upon my
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Lord the King. Verse 25. That you shall be driven from among men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the
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Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will. Verse 28.
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Jump there. All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. What a surprise, right? It's by the decree of God.
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Of course it's going to happen. Verse 29. At the end of 12 months, he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said,
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Is this not this great Babylon, which I have built with my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?
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While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven.
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Oh, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The kingdom has departed from you. You shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until what?
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Until you know this, that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
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Immediately the word was fulfilled. Which word? The word of God. It was fulfilled immediately against Nebuchadnezzar.
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He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.
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Verse 34, it continues. At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me.
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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.
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All the inhabitants of the earth, I love this, are accounted as what? Nothing. And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his sand or say to him,
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What have you done? The filter, the lens of our biblical
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Christian worldview is at the Most High rules. And his will will be accomplished, and none can stay his sand.
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Jeremiah chapter 27, if you will, continuing on Nebuchadnezzar, highlighting the answer to our question in this second exhibit of Nebuchadnezzar, that the
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Lord is sovereign. See, the second motivation Peter gives us is because we are to obey, because of the purpose for which
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God sends the rulers. But in case, as we're seeing, they are unjust and cruel and tyrannical, we have to go back to motivation number one.
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God is sovereign. Look what God himself says in Jeremiah 27, beginning in verse 8. This is
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God speaking. Almost highlighted with your highlighter. It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth with the men and animals that are on the earth.
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And I give it to whomever it seems right to me. God doesn't consult anybody.
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Verse 6. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Yes, the tyrannical
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Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon, notice how he addresses him there. My servant, my servant,
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God says. And I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes.
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Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this
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Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with a sword, with famine and with pestilence, declares the
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Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. God is sovereign over every human institution and every leader, including as it was then
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Nebuchadnezzar. Jump to chapter 29 of Jeremiah. Remember, when
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I was a young Christian in college, some of you will remember this. You might not want to admit it. But I remember
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Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, not for calamity.
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I remember I was given it in one of those little Passodon cards. Who remembers that? Should I take a show of hands? Which all those
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Passodon cards were intended to be encouraging, but they completely took the word of God out of context all the time.
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Well, what is the context of what God says in verse 11 of chapter 29 in Jeremiah that he knows the plans that he has for us?
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He was talking to the nation of Israel under captivity. And notice what he says beginning in verse 4.
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Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles, this is during the exilic period, when
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I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. What does he tell them to do? Verse 5. Build houses, live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce.
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Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons. Give your daughters in marriage that they may bear sons and daughters.
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Multiply there and do not decrease. Verse 7. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the
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Lord on this behalf for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
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A Christian biblical worldview through the lens of scripture says I will pray for where I'm living.
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Yes, I'm not of this world. I am an alien. I'm a sojourner. My citizenship is in heaven. But while I live here,
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I will seek the welfare of the city knowing that God is sovereign over the leaders. Third exhibit.
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Exhibit C. What about tyrannical rulers? Exhibit C gives us another answer. Cyrus. Turn to Ezra chapter 1.
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Ezra chapter 1. King Cyrus. The first three verses of Ezra chapter 1.
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Cyrus was not a king of the nation of Israel.
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He was a king of Persia. And it says beginning in chapter 1 verse 1, In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, watch this purpose clause, that the word of the
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Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. You see, God's end will be accomplished.
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Even if it is for kings like this and leaders who are tyrannical. That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.
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Continues, The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing.
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Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
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Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the
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Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. You know what's happening there?
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It's Proverbs 21 verse 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. That's what's happening there with Cyrus.
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That was Exhibit C. What about tyrannical rulers? Then the last one,
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Exhibit D is Assyria. Turn with me briefly to Isaiah chapter 10. Isaiah chapter 10.
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I told you I'm going to work you with some Bible study work. Isaiah chapter 10. This is very, very interesting.
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Notice what God is doing here and what he's saying because we know what God says by decree will come to pass.
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Isaiah chapter 10 beginning in verse 5. I'm going to stop after the reading of the first sentence or the first phrase even.
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Isaiah 10 verse 5. Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger.
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Stop there. Does that strike you as odd? God, the eternal
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God, the sovereign God who rules heaven and earth is pronouncing divine judgment. Woe to Assyria.
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Yet it says in the very next phrase that Assyria is the rod of his anger. And he continues.
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And the staff in whose hands is my indignation. I send it, Assyria, against the godless nation.
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In this case, it was the nation of Israel and commissioned against the people of my fury.
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God is commissioning a godless nation, Assyria, against his own people.
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He continues in verse 6. To capture booty and to seize plunder and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
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Now this is amazing. This really highlights the sovereignty of God even more. Verse 7. Yet it,
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Assyria, it does not so intend. Nor does it plan so in its heart.
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What? Assyria, this godless nation, is not planning this. It's not the intentions of their heart,
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God says. Yet I'm going to have them do it. Hmm. Verse 12.
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Jump there. So it will be that when the Lord has completed all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will say,
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I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness. Wait a second.
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God is sending Assyria to bring judgment on his people, Israel. And Assyria doesn't even intend to do it in their heart.
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And then God's going to turn around and punish them for doing it. Jump to verse 24.
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Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, all my people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with a rod and lifts up his staff against you the way
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Egypt did. For in a very little while, my indignation against you will be spent and my anger will be directed to their destruction.
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There you have it. God sends rulers in civil government to punish those who do evil, as Peter says in our text, and to praise those who do good.
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The objection is, what about if they're tyrannical, like these rulers that we see here in scripture? You have to go back to motivation number one.
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The Lord is sovereign. His decree will stand. The end will not be changed. A second objection
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I want to answer before I finish with our last motivation. A second objection many people raise, and rightly so.
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Well, what about civil disobedience? What about civil disobedience?
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I said earlier that the text says in verse 13, it's a mandate, it's a command. Be subject.
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And the motive is always that of love for the Lord and what he's done for us. That's what he spent the first two chapters talking about in terms of his salvation.
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That's why we do it. So to not obey is sin. But when the civil government tells us to do something that God tells us in his word not to do, or when the civil government tells us to not do something that the word of God tells us to do, to obey the civil government at that point is sin.
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You don't have to turn there. The author himself knew what he was writing about. From his own experience,
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I guarantee you that when he's penning these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter was thinking of this.
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Acts 4. They called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
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They commanded them, that's the word charged. Don't teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.
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If the government says don't proclaim the name of Jesus, we don't obey.
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We obey our master. Peter knew this very well. Even later on in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 5, when they had brought them a second time, they set them before the council.
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The high priest questioned them saying, we strictly charge 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, we must obey
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God rather than men. That's Acts 4 .20
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and Acts 5 .29. What about Daniel as another exhibit of civil disobedience?
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Turn with me if you want to Daniel chapter 6. Back to where we started in this little study to answer our objections.
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Daniel chapter 6, verse 7. All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the councilors, the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction.
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This is King Nebuchadnezzar again. That whoever makes petition to any God or man for 30 days except to you,
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O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Verse 10. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem.
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He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously.
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Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Verse 13.
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Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah pays no attention to you,
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O king, or the injunction you have signed but makes his petition three times a day. Verse 20.
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As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living
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God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions? Then Daniel said to the king,
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O king, live forever. My God sent his angel and shut the lions mouths and they have not harmed me because I was found blameless before him and also before you,
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O king, I have done no harm. Nebuchadnezzar knew by his own testimony that Daniel served the
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Lord continually, didn't stop even in the midst of the injunction to worship what
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Nebuchadnezzar had erected. And the last exhibit on civil disobedience, Daniel chapter three, go back a couple of chapters.
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Of course, you don't have to turn there, but in Daniel chapter one, verse seven, the king changes the names of these three young Jewish boys whose names had to do with the true
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God of Israel, Yahweh. The Lord is gracious was one of their names.
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Who is like the Lord was the second name. The Lord is my helper, but he changed their names because he wanted to show that he,
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Nebuchadnezzar, was greater than the most high God. But as we read early, he found out the hard way. Daniel chapter three, verse eight.
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Therefore, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward, maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever.
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You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, stop there for a moment.
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Who made the decree in this case? God? No, the king makes a decree. Okay. That's from Nebuchadnezzar.
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Every man, I continue, who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, liar, triage on harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image.
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Whoever does not fall down, verse 11 and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain
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Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men,
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O king, pay no attention to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
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Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought.
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So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
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Now, if you're ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, liar, triage on harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made well and good.
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But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?
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And watch their answer. Verse 16, they said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
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If this be so, our god, whom we serve, is able, he is able, to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand,
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O king. Verse 18, but if not, be it known to you,
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O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
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God only knows where our country is going, but I can let you know that using
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Pastor MacArthur's words from the message he gave last year, we will not bow.
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We can say like they did, God is able, but if he doesn't, we will not serve anybody but the
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Lord of heaven. Last motivation as we close, back to our text in chapter 2 of Peter.
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Be subject for the Lord's sake. Motivation number 3, why? Look at verse 15, because it is the will of God to silence the critics.
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It is the will of God to silence the critics. 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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Two interesting terms, ignorance and foolish. The term ignorance in the Greek is not just lack of knowledge.
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It's a willful and hostile rejection of the truth of God. It's not just being ignorant the way we use the term.
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It's a willful and hostile antagonistic rejection of the truth of God. Foolish, the term foolish literally means from the
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Greek, senseless, without reason, lacking mental sanity.
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Remember what Nebuchadnezzar said after, my reason returned to me. God's calling these people foolish, without reason.
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But how are we to silence them? Notice what the text says, that by doing good, by doing good.
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This is not the idea it's good to be good and all of that. By doing good, he says, to these persecuted
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Christians. It's what the context is. Look at chapter 3, verse 1.
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Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word.
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How? By the conduct of their wives. But there's a caution here that Peter gives, and that's found in verse 16.
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You silence the critics, these ignorant and foolish people, by doing good, but be cautious, verse 16.
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Don't use your Christian liberty as a cover -up for evil, but rather use your Christian liberty to live as slaves of God.
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The term in verse 16 is servants of God. Literally in the Greek, it's a slave of God. That's a parallel to the
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Greek term for Lord, kiros. He's our Lord, kiros. We are his slaves, thulos.
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Don't use it as a cover -up for evil. He says the same thing later in chapter 3, verse 16 and 17.
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Having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, which was happening to these persecuted
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Christians, and will happen to us, those who revile your what? Good behavior in Christ may be put to shame, for it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be
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God's will, than for doing evil. That should be our motive.
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And then Peter finishes this section with verse 17, which is basically a summary statement of all that he's been saying.
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The command, the mandate, and the three motivations. And he encapsulates it by saying in verse 17 of our text,
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Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, oh and yes, and by the way, don't forget
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Nero, honor the emperor. This maniacal madman, but remember that God is sovereign.
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Peter ends where he began. But ultimately, who should this point us to?
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The Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what Peter does in our text. Look at verse 22.
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He says of Christ, He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
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When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
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Remember when he was in the garden of Gethsemane praying intensely, and then the soldiers came to arrest him and Peter cut off one of their ears.
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What did Jesus say to him? Don't you realize I can appeal to my father? And he will send 12 legions of angels, more than that, 72 ,000.
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But he says, I'm not doing this so that the scripture might be fulfilled. He did not revile in return because he knew where he was going.
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Verse 24. He himself bore our sins. Christ is our sin bearer.
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Somebody had to bear our sin. And the only one who could was the one who it says in verse 22. Peter writes, who committed no sin.
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Only the one Jesus who committed no sin can be our sin bearer. He continues in verse 24.
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He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
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By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
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Peter refers to Jesus later on in 1 Peter 5 as the chief shepherd. Pastors are basically under shepherds.
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The shepherd of the flock of its church is Jesus Christ. That is why he himself said,
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I am the good shepherd. John 10. I lay down my life for the sheep. Have you turned to the shepherd and overseer of your soul?
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Have you trusted in the only one who is your sin bearer, who has committed no sin?
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On the day of election, there might be Republicans and Democrats separated.
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But on the day of judgment, there's going to be another separation. Jesus says in Matthew 25,
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When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
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All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates his sheep from the goats.
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He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King, King Jesus, will say to those on his right,
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Come, you who are blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
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Then he will also say to those on his left, Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.
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These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
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On that day of separation, will you be with the sheep or with the goats?
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Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word and the riches that are in and for your
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Spirit, the author of Scripture who is able to illumine the Scriptures to us. Father, help us to stay the course as individuals and as BBC, as a flock, as a body, that we would conduct ourselves in a righteous behavior with the right lens of a biblical worldview that you are sovereign over civil government leaders.
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And that, Father, we will stay the course even when we are told not to proclaim the name of Jesus or to serve other gods.