A Christian Citizen – Part 1

Introduction
I preached a sermon on obedience at a church one time and afterwards a man came up to me and said it was a good message. I thanked him and told him I appreciated the positive feedback because I wasn’t sure how people would react to a message on a subject like obedience.

I’ll never forget what he said: “I figure if a preacher doesn’t step on a few toes or ruffle some feathers he hasn’t done his job.”

Well, if that’s true, I suspect I’m going to do my job and then some in this two-part series. I’ll be surprised if the next two articles don’t step on a few toes or ruffle a few feathers. Romans 13:1-7 covers some of the most controversial subjects possible: government, politics, taxes, capital punishment and war.

Before we finish next time, we’re going to answer numerous questions, including:

Is capital punishment moral or immoral?

Is participating in warfare right or wrong? For that matter, is war itself moral or amoral?

Do we have to pay taxes, even to a corrupt government?

Is it okay for a Christian to serve in government? What about a Christian serving in the armed forces?

Do we have to obey a government even when we don’t agree with what it’s doing?

I want you to know ahead of time that it’s not my goal to offend anyone or make someone angry—I’m only the messenger. My only goal is to tell you what I believe Scripture teaches about these controversial topics.

By the time we get to our passage in Romans 13, the apostle Paul has written eleven chapters of doctrine and then, in chapter 12, he switches from doctrine to how Christians are supposed to live. He tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, to use our spiritual gifts and then spends the rest of the chapter telling us how to relate to one another. That includes loving our enemies. Then we get to Romans 13. Let’s read all seven verses, even though we’ll only have time to look at the first verse in this article. Verses 2-7 will come next time.

Rom. 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Rom. 13:2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Rom. 13:3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Rom. 13:4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Rom. 13:5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

Rom. 13:6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Rom. 13:7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

The Role Of Government
The first thing we see in verse one is that Christians are supposed to submit to the governing authorities. The King James Version says “higher powers,” but it means the same thing: Government. Civil government. “Governing authorities” or “higher powers” is a broad reference to lawmakers and law enforcement personnel. The actual titles of governing authorities differ from culture to culture. In the United States, lawmakers would include such people as the president, senators, representatives, governors and mayors.

Law enforcement and peace-keeping personnel in our country would be police officers, judges and soldiers.

So Christians are supposed to submit to the governing authorities.

And why should we submit? Because God Himself established government. More than that, it says that the governing authorities have all been established by God.

Now let’s look at Genesis 9. This is immediately after the flood and only Noah and his family—eight people in all—have survived. After destroying what Scripture described as “wicked” and “evil” humans, God makes a covenant with Noah that includes several significant changes. For the first time God tells humans that they can eat meat.

Prior to that, men were vegetarians. And then, in verses five and six, the Lord does something He’s never done before. He delegates authority to humans. He establishes law and order. He establishes government. Genesis 9:5-6.

Gen. 9:5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.

Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

From that point forward, God delegated authority to maintain law and order—to make sure justice is carried out. That authority for government applies to us as well in the 21st century.

Eccl. 8:2 Obey the king’s command…

1Pet. 2:13-14 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors…

Titus 3:1-2 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

For those who may still have doubts about the authority of human government, even Jesus Himself said that God established government. In John 19:11 the Lord said this to Pilate, a governing authority: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above…”

In other words Jesus said that Pilate, as a member of government, was empowered by God. All governing authorities are. We have no alternative but to recognize that government is ordained by God.

R.C. Sproul offers this explanation for why God created government:

“The first responsibility of government is to preserve, to maintain and to promote human life. So government exists to make the continuity of life possible, because in a fallen world people are left open to anarchy, which really means the unlimited and unrestrained power of the strong over the weak. And so the human institutions of government that are set up are necessary because of evil.”

Regardless of the reason, God delegated authority to men to judge criminal matters and punish offenders. As someone once said, “Any government is better than no government.”

Our Role As Christian Citizens
Paul’s instructions in Romans 13 were undoubtedly hard to swallow for some Christians, especially Jewish believers, who were chafing under Roman rule.

Just a few years after Paul wrote this command to submit to the governing authorities—and it is a command, not a suggestion—Nero was emperor. And as emperor, he blamed Christians for burning much of Rome and persecuted them in horrible ways. Nero immersed many believers in tar, lit them and used them as living torches during his orgies. Other believers were sewn up in animal skins and thrown to hungry and ferocious dogs to be torn in pieces.

Does that mean that the Roman government was ordained by God? Does that mean that governments like Adolf Hitler’s during W.W.II was ordained by God?

Scripture is clear that God has delegated the meting out of justice to human governments. Does that mean that He approves of evil and corrupt human rulers? Of course not. But it doesn’t change the fact that God wants men to govern themselves.

At this point we need to remind ourselves that God is actively involved in governmental affairs. In Daniel 2:21 it says that God “…sets up kings and deposes them…” Listen to Jeremiah 27:5-8.

Jer. 27:5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.

Jer. 27:6 Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.

Jer. 27:7 All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him.

Jer. 27:8 ” ‘ “If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand.

God put Nebuchadnezzar into power, even though he became very corrupt later on. Listen to what Daniel 5:20-21 says about Nebuchadnezzar.

Dan. 5:20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

Dan. 5:21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.

So we see that in addition to ordaining government to keep law and order, God is also actively involved in governments of the world. He sovereignly decides who rules and even uses the evil actions of evil men and women. Perhaps he allows rulers like Hitler to reign in order to judge the world or groups of people. He told the nation of Israel, for instance, that when they turned away from Him that He would hand then into the hands of tyrants.

Having said that, there’s no way we can know why God allows certain things to happen. We only know that God has ordained government. We also know that in Romans 8:28 it says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”

So does this mean that Christians still have to submit to corrupt governments? Let’s look at some Scriptural examples of how the people of God dealt with corrupt leaders and governments.

In the Old Testament we can read about how David, prior to his becoming king, repeatedly referred to the wicked King Saul as the Lord’s anointed. In fact, David had opportunities to kill Saul but never did, even though the king himself had tried to kill David, who was innocent of any wrongdoing. And why did David pass up killing Saul when he had the chances? Because Saul was king and David understood that God Himself had anointed him. David was patient and let God work out the circumstances.

But what about the New Testament? How did Jesus and believers in the early church handle corrupt leaders and governments?

Even though Herod ordered all boys under the age of two living near Bethlehem killed in an effort to kill Jesus, and even though he later beheaded John the Baptist, and even though Jesus was illegally arrested, tried and crucified, the Lord NEVER advocated overthrowing the government. He NEVER commanded His believers to rebel against the governing authorities.

But you may argue that of course Jesus didn’t do that. He came to seek and to save, not to change society. He had a mission of dying for the sins of mankind.

But what about His followers? How did they deal with a government that was so corrupt, a government as we just saw, that even murdered babies?

In Acts 16 we read that Paul was falsely accused of breaking Roman law. As a result he and Silas were brutally beaten, thrown in prison and put in stocks. And what did Paul do in response to this blatantly illegal act? Did he slander the government or break the law trying to get out? No. Acts 16:25 tells us that he and Silas prayed and sang in jail.

Georgi Vins is a Russian pastor who suffered a great deal in the former Communist Soviet Union. He says that no matter how much Christians were persecuted and abused during that time, they were determined to obey every law, whether it was just or unjust.

They, like the apostle Paul, apparently believed what it says in 1 Peter 3:17 and 1 Peter 4:15-16.

1Pet. 3:17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

1Pet. 4:15-16 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief, or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Does that mean that Christians have to always obey human government? Again, let’s look at some examples in Scripture for us to follow.

In Exodus 1 pharaoh ordered that Jewish midwives kill all Jewish male babies. Verse 17 says, however, they “feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.” And then in verse 20 it says: “So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.”

In Daniel 1, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel all refused to eat what King Nebuchadnezzar commanded. God had given the nation Israel very strict dietary laws, and so the four young men only ate vegetables. Verse 15 says that “At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.”

In both of these examples—and there are many others—God’s people obeyed the government unless they were told to do something against God and His Word. That’s when they drew the line and disobeyed the governing authorities. And notice that God blessed their obedience to Him. “God was kind to the midwives” and Daniel and his friends “looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.”

It’s also interesting to note that if you study these two passages carefully, you’ll see that in each case God’s people were respectful to the authorities. While firm in their commitment to obey God and not the government, they didn’t badmouth anybody. They were polite and respectful even though they refused to obey the governing authorities.

Now let’s look at Acts 4:19-20 and read about when the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem warned Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” How did they react? What did they say and do?

Acts 4:19-20 …”Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Then one chapter later, in Acts 5:28-29, Peter and John kept preaching and there was another confrontation with the Jewish leaders.

Acts 5:28-29 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!

Peter and John remembered what the Lord had said in Acts 1:8: “…you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

The apostles didn’t have a choice. God had commanded them to be His witnesses.

John MacArthur says this:

“In most matters we are to respect and obey civil laws and ordinances, and we are to do it ungrudgingly. Even when conscience leaves us no alternative but to disobey human authority, we do so with respect and with willingness to suffer whatever penalties or consequences may result.”

In addition to obeying the governing authorities because God ordained government and commands us to, and in addition to obeying because otherwise there would be anarchy, there’s another very important reason for us to submit to the governing authorities.

And that’s for our witness. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

1Ths. 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Law breakers and disobedient rabble-rousers don’t attract the attention of outsiders or unbelievers. God commands Christians to be model citizens, NOT activists that deliberately—and sinfully—break the law, even when the law is not fair.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t try and change the law legally and peacefully. In our country it’s legal to write letters to our politicians and to editorial pages. It’s also legal in some cases to protest peacefully.

But the bottom line for Christians is to be model citizens so people see our good works and ask us to give a reason for the hope that we have.

Government’s role is to maintain justice. It’s concerned with law and order. The church’s role is completely different. Our duty—the primary duty of every Christian is to make disciples of every nation. Our primary duty is not to reform government. In fact, Christians who spend more time working in the political arena than the spiritual arena have their priorities mixed up.

Yes, we are the conscience of our society. But our highest priority must always be to advance the kingdom of God in any way we can. As one commentator said, we can improve government and society all we want, but its unsaved citizens will still go to hell.

It’s okay to do what the law allows, writing letters to our congressman, legal and peaceful protests, etc., but nothing illegal. We’re supposed to be model citizens. Why? Because we want people to see our good works and ask us why we have the hope that we do.

By the way, there’s nothing in Scripture to prohibit a Christian from serving in government. Daniel and Joseph were Godly men who were very powerful governing authorities. So for those of you who are public servants, that is an honorable profession.

Conclusion
Principle number one is that Christians are supposed to obey our government.

Principle number two is that the only time Christians can disobey government is when it wants us to go against what God wants us to do.

Principle number three is that while it’s okay to try and reform government and our society the most important job of EVERY Christian is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

While each of these principles are pretty clear, applying them in real life isn’t always easy, is it?

For instance, according to my son’s Christian history book, the United States of America fought for its independence from England in the Revolutionary War because of heavy taxation and generally unfair treatment by Great Britain.

Yes, five colonists were killed in what was popularly called the “Boston Massacre,” but that seems more the result of hot tempers and bad judgment on both sides. And the war itself didn’t start for another three years.

Maybe Patrick Henry most effectively summed up the reasons why the colonists rebelled against the English governing authorities: “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Did Jesus rebel because of a corrupt and morally perverted government? Did the apostles rebel because of being jailed illegally? The answer, or so we’ve seen in Scripture, is that the ONLY time Christians disobeyed was when the government’s orders were in direct conflict with God Himself.

What do you think? Were Christian colonists right in disobeying the English because of taxes, being treated unfairly and believing they didn’t have liberty?

Regardless of whether Christian colonists were right in fighting the British, there’s no question that the Lord has blessed the United States and watched over it for many, many years. And there’s no doubt, for anyone who looks at the true history of this country, the United States was very much a Christian nation.

By the way, for those of you who think that I’m not being patriotic by questioning whether the Revolutionary War was Biblically correct, that’s not the case at all. I’m just doing what good preachers do: step on some toes and ruffle some feathers.