Government: God’s Sword-Bearing Servant

Romans 13:1-5

March 23, 2003

            This morning I want to take a bit of a detour from our regular study in 1 John, and I want us to spend some time this morning in the book of Romans, chapter 13.  Romans 13:1.  The reason I want to do this is because of recent world events and how they affect our every day lives.  We are now living in a nation and a world that is divided over the issue of war.  Thousands, if not millions, of people were on the streets of cities around the world either voicing support for or protesting against the U.S. led war with Iraq.  As Christians we have a role and responsibility to respond appropriately, biblically, and truthfully to the events of our world.  How we react as Christians is exceedingly important for two reasons.  One is that the glory of Christ’s name will either be magnified by our response or hidden by our response.  As Christians we will either respond to our government’s decisions and this conflict in a way to brings glory to the name of Jesus Christ, or in a way that causes others to blaspheme Him.  It is always our aim to live to His glory, and to act and react in such a way so as to magnify His glorious name.  So we must understand how to react because of our commitment and duty of bringing honor to our Savior. 

            Secondly, we must understand our role as Christians because of those who do not believer who will be seeking answers.  How we understand God’s Word in relation to these events will determine whether people seeking truth during this time will be able to find it coming from us.  It is not enough to have a political opinion about the war.  In fact, it is rather quite meaningless to have a political stance regarding this war.  It is, however, necessary and essential to have a biblical response to world events as they unfold day by day to honor the name of Christ and to be a light to a dark and lost world.

            There are several passages in the New Testament about the role of government and the role of the believer’s interaction with government, but the one I want to focus on this morning is in Romans 13:1-5.  So, if you haven’t already, please take your Bibles and find Romans 13:1-5 as we read our text for this morning’s message.  Romans 13:1-5.  Read text.

            The book of Romans is perhaps one of the most comprehensive, in-depth theological explanations of salvation by grace through faith.  It is utterly systematic in its approach, and many have called it Paul’s crown jewel, his masterpiece, and the finest work Paul ever penned.  Paul wrote Romans to a group of believers living in the capital of the Roman empire, a group of believers made up of mostly Gentiles, with perhaps a few Jewish members.  The audience of the letter is primarily Gentile Christians living in the metropolis of Rome.  Paul had never met these Christians, he longed to visit them and fellowship with them, and he was deeply concerned that they understood the Gospel.  He takes great pains to explain the Gospel and its ramifications.  He begins the letter with the memorable words in chapter 1, verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.  Paul’s heart’s desire and passion was for these Roman believers to fully understand their calling as children of God and its ramifications for everyday living.  Romans soars to the heights of theological argument and discourse, and it descends to the place where the rubber meets the road of practical application.

            In chapters one through eight we see very clearly what our salvation means, how we receive it, and God’s eternal plan with regard to it.  And if you have read the book of Romans and studied it you are doubtlessly familiar with chapter eight, one of the most glorious chapters in the Bible, in which Paul asserts that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  If we are in Christ we are His, and there is nothing in all of creation that can ever change that, which means there is only one thing in existence that could change that, and that is God Himself, because He is the only being that exists who is not part of creation.  And Paul makes it unmistakably clear in 8:28 and following that God will never forsake His people who have been foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified.  God is faithful, and if He did not spare His own Son, we can rest assured that He will complete our salvation and freely, with Christ, give us all things. 

            But this raises an objection.  And that objection is the Jews.  How we understand the nation of Israel and its relationship to God is essential to our eternal security.  And the objection that is raised is, “What about Israel?  They were God’s people once, but now they are separated from the love of God in Christ.  So, Paul, how do you reconcile that with your teaching of eternal security in Christ?  If God cut off the Jews, how can we be sure He won’t cut us off as well?”  Paul’s answer to this objection is found in Romans 9:6 where he says, But it is not as though the word of God has failed.  “Don’t think for a minute that God’s word or His promises have failed because Israel is cut off from Christ.  Don’t think that God is now operating on plan B because Israel has rejected the Messiah.  The word of God has not failed.”  And he goes on to say in verse 6, For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.  His point is simply this: The nation of Israel had rejected the Messiah, but not everybody who is an Israelite is really an Israelite.  There is an Israel according to the flesh, and there is an Israel according to the promise.  And he demonstrates that through chapter nine, which raises the issue of predestination and election and the sovereign work of God in the world.  And in the end the reason Paul gives for the rejection of the nation of Israel is God’s eternal decree and plan and purpose.  God’s plan had not failed because Israel as a nation had rejected the Messiah.  In fact, the opposite is true; God’s plan is going forward as planned so that all the nations of the world might receive mercy from God.  And Paul ends chapter 11 with these words in verses 33-36, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor?  Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen. 

            The response of Paul to God’s plan of salvation by grace through faith for all the nations to the glory of God is simply, “To God be the glory.  Amen.”  And at the height of his exultation in the wisdom and knowledge of God, Paul becomes utterly practical in chapter 12.  Our response to our salvation, our great, wise, loving, merciful, glorious salvation in Christ is in 12:1, Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  Because of God’s overwhelming mercy toward us who believe, present yourselves as living sacrifices to God, which is the meaning of worship.  Let your bodies be His in everything because of His great mercy in Jesus.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Don’t be conformed to this world, Paul says, but be transformed, rise above it!  And do it by renewing your minds so that you show with your bodies, the living sacrifice, what God’s will is.  Because of God’s great mercy you have a delightful duty to live for the glory of God with your bodies and with your minds.  And now the rest of Romans is an exposition of what that means.  From this point forward we find exhortation after exhortation to help us be living sacrifices for Jesus. 

            One of those explanations is the text we have already read – Romans 13:1-5.  If you want to be a living sacrifice for Jesus and be transformed to transcend this world system, you have to understand God’s ordained system of human government, and you have to understand it so you can respond to it appropriately.  And all of this, let me remind you, is built on the infinite mercies of God that Paul is building on from chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.  Because of the mercies of God toward us we are to live in a right relationship and understanding toward our government. 

            So what I want to do this morning with this text is three-fold.  First, I want to explain the command Paul gives in this text to us as Christians.  What is it that we are to do because of God’s mercy?  Second, I want to show you why this command is given.  Paul tells us what to do and then he goes on to tell us why this command is logical and makes sense.  And finally I want to give you three practical steps to put into place as a result of this text in the world in which we live. 

The Precept (v. 1)

            First, let’s look at the command in verse 1.  Paul states it clearly there, writing, Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  This is a simple, universal command.  Every person, everyone without exception, has a duty to be submissive to the governing authorities.  The command is straightforward; it is a command in the present tense, meaning that it is to be continual action.  We are to be subject to our government.  Paul does not give any exceptions to this precept in this passage, but it is clear from other Scriptures that if the government is commanding us to violate Scripture, then we cannot and must not obey the governing authorities, but we must obey God.  But if the government is asking us to do anything that does not violate God’s revealed will in His Word, then we are to be subject to it.  That is the principle, the command, the precept that Paul would have us obey as living sacrifices for Jesus.  Be obedient to those who rule over you in government positions, who have a superior rank in government.

The Purpose (vv. 1-5)

            Why?  What is the purpose of the command?  Why is Paul concerned with this?  I think there are at least two reasons why Paul is concerned about this.  One is because he does not want to be misunderstood.  He has already told these believers to not be conformed to this world system, and he doesn’t want them to assume that this means ignoring the government.  Paul’s command to not be conformed to the world is not a loophole to rebel against governing authorities who govern this world.  But it is possible that some of his readers may have been practicing this very thing, seeing themselves as above government since they belonged to the kingdom of God.  That is a reason that is implied and not explicitly in the text. 

            Above that reason is the reason that Paul directly gives in verse 1.  He writes, For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  The reason, Paul says, I want you to be subject to government is because government is established by God.  It is one of God’s institutions in this world.  We know of several institutions that God has set up in this world.  One is marriage.  God has ordained family relationships.  Another is the church.  God has set up His church in this world.  But a third is government.  Part of God’s plan is government and governing authorities to govern this world’s affairs. God has set up a system in which men have authority and power over other men.  It is plain that there is no authority except from God.  No one rises to a position of power outside of God’s providence and control.  No one has any authority on this earth who did not receive it from the hand of God.  And those which exist are established by God.  All the authorities that do exist God has set up.  God has ordained the government of this world.  The word translated established literally means appointed.  All governing authorities that exist are appointed by God.  They rule by divine appointment, and they cease ruling by divine appointment. 

            Perhaps no better illustration of this exists than is found in Daniel 4.  In Daniel 4:28 we find King Nebuchadnezzar walking on his palace in the midst of the great and powerful city Babylon, and in verse 30 we read, The king reflected and said, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”  This display of pride and misunderstanding of government had severe consequences for the king, for God spoke to him and said in verse 31, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field.  You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.  This king was made to realize that his kingdom and authority did not originate within himself, but they came from God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  And this is the point Paul is making.  Nebuchadnezzar did not receive authority and power except God allowed him to have it and gave it to him. 

            Therefore, since God is the one who gives authority to governments, it is necessary that we obey them, because by obeying them we are obeying God Himself.  If God has decreed that governments should have authority and if God has set them up, then we of necessity must obey them if we are to obey God.  God has appointed governing authorities, and every governing authority that exists is established and appointed by God, and might I add, may be removed at any time by God as well. 

            The implications of this reason are clear.  The reason we are to obey the government is because the government is established by God.  And the implications are that if we disobey, we rebel against God.  Paul says this very thing in verse 2.  Look at it.  He writes, Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God.  If we break the law, if we rebel against our government, we oppose the ordinance of God.  We go against God’s establishment.  And it is never acceptable for the Christian to oppose God.  So Paul’s logic is impeccable here.  Submit to governing authorities.  Do it because God has established them, and if God has established them, to rebel would be to rebel against the very ordinance of God.  So Paul is saying to obey the government so you don’t set yourself in opposition to God Himself.  And in saying this Paul is trying to spare us judgment.  He continues in verse 2, and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 

            Don’t think that disobedience to governing authorities is a light matter.  If you oppose the ordinance of God you will receive condemnation or judgment upon yourself.  You will receive judgment.  And the idea is that you will bring it upon yourself.  So this is the system.  This is the establishment of God, the ordinance of God.  We are to be subject and in submission to our governing authorities because God has appointed them as our governing authorities, and we don’t want to rebel against God. 

            Why has God set it up this way?  Why does God promote some men to positions of power and have others in subjection?  Why do we have men governing nations and states and cities and national coalitions?  Why does all this happen?  Paul tells us in verses 3 and 4.  God has established government for two purposes.  There are two reasons God has put in place governments in this world, and may I also add that any time a government steps out of bounds and violates these two purposes, they invite and welcome and will at some point receive the judgment of God Himself for not upholding God’s ordained purpose for government.  If a government violates the ordinance of God it can be sure that God’s judgment will come down upon it at some point if it does not repent.  We saw that with Jonah and Nineveh.  We saw it with the nation of Israel over and over.  And we have seen wicked, oppressive governments overthrown over and over again throughout history.  God’s judgment will visit a nation whose government does not uphold God’s purpose for government.  And I believe we are in part seeing that very thing even now. 

            Let’s look at the first reason for governing authorities in verse 3 and 4.  Paul says, For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.  Do you want to have no fear of authority?  Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good.  The first reason God has established government is to promote righteousness.  To promote righteousness.  God has ordained that governments protect and promote good behavior.  They are not meant to be a cause of fear for people who live by God’s Word.  Government, when functioning according to God’s divine ordinance and standard, will be a comfort for the Christian, not a cause of fear or terror. 

            Obviously there have been and will always be governments that are corrupt, oppressive, and persecute Christians, which will climax someday with massive tribulation and suffering as wickedness grows worse and worse throughout history.  Even in Paul’s day governments were not always just and fair.  There are exceptions, but Paul’s point is not to give the exceptions here, but to put forward the divine standard.  The divine ordinance of government is meant to protect the innocent, to preserve the rights of the afflicted and needy, to care for those who practice good deeds and to promote good behavior by praising it.  In fact, governments are called a minister of God.  A servant of God.  Government, even when run by unbelievers, is a minister of God for good.  Sometimes, perhaps more times than not, the government is an unwitting minister of God,  but nevertheless, it still serves God. 

            Not only are governments established to promote righteousness, but they are also established to punish wickedness.  To punish wickedness.  This is made clear in verse 4.  Paul says, But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.  Governments exist to punish evil.  And if you are an evildoer, Paul says, be afraid.  Fear.  Be terrified, because the government has been given a sword from the Lord, and the government does not bear that sword for nothing.  God has not given the government authority with the sword for a show.  The government is in fact meant to wield that sword when it is necessary to punish evildoers. 

            This text is not an easy text for people to understand or accept.  This text, I believe, authorizes government to inflict physical suffering and even death on those who practice wickedness and rebellion against God.  The reason I believe this is because of verse 4, where Paul wrote, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.  That phrase brings me to the conclusion that governments have every divine right to bring wrath on lawbreakers.  I do not think Paul is talking about eternal wrath here.  The reason I don’t think Paul means eternal wrath is because the government is the one who is administering the wrath, not God.  The government is the one who is the avenger of wrath on the evildoer.  Make no mistake, the evildoer will suffer wrath at the hand of God, but here the text is saying that governments have the divine authority to wield the sword of wrath upon those who practice evil.  John Calvin, in his always interesting style, said it like this, “Contend then do they with God who think it unlawful to shed the blood of wicked men.”  The government is God’s servant when it destroys wicked men.  It does no violence to the divine law by bring vengeance and wrath upon those who are habitually wicked and rebellious against the law of God.

            Paul here, by the way, is not talking about corrective action.  There are those who would be against this type of government action because it does not correct bad behavior, in their opinion.  They might even suggest this just reinforces that violence is acceptable.  This is not what this text suggests.  There is a point where wrath and vengeance falls.  It is not meant to be a corrective measure.  It is meant to be punishment.  It is meant to be wrath.  It is meant to be vengeance.  It is meant to protect the innocent from evil men, not to deter evil men.  Perhaps it will deter some wickedness because of fear, but even if does not, that is not the point nor a valid argument against the sword of the government.  The sword of the government is not to give rehabilitation to the offender.  The sword of the government is to bring wrath and vengeance upon the offender.  This is not easy to accept in our post-modern world, but it is the clear teaching of Scripture.  And I will say more about this in a minute when we get to practical applications of this text to our current world condition.

            Governments exist to promote good, punish evil, they are ordained by God, and we are to obey them.  Paul sums it up in verse 5 when he writes, Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.  Not only should believers be in subjection to the governing authorities because they have the divine prerogative to execute wrath on wicked men, but they should be in subjection because of conscience.  This sums up the first four verses.  Governments exist by God’s appointment and we, as believers, do not want to violate the ordinance of God.  That is being subject for conscience’ sake.  Governments also exist to bring wrath on evildoers, and that is being subject for the sake of wrath, or because of wrath.  Two good reasons to obey our governing authorities – wrath and conscience. 

            Now, how does all of this relate to our present world scene?  I want to briefly outline three practical applications of this text.  I don’t often do this, but I find it a burden that I must share this morning as opportunity presents itself to us to preach the Gospel, and I want us to be able to do it with clarity, conviction, and boldness as we discuss this war with those around us.

            Application number one: Bring the holiness of God to bear in your discussions of this war and the current world scene.  Bring the holiness of God to bear in your discussions of this war and the current world scene.  God uses governments to execute justice and vengeance on wicked men, and when God’s judgment falls, it often falls severely.  It is an example and illustration of the holiness of God.  God will not stand for His name to be forever blasphemed.  He will not allow wicked men to continue their reign of terror forever, but God’s judgment must fall.  He has established governments for this very purpose, and a government does no wrong by executing divine justice, which is its calling from God.  When people wonder why blood must be shed, we must explain to them with as much compassion as we can that blood must be shed because men are so utterly wicked and sinful and God is so completely holy, that God’s judgment must fall on sin.  God cannot tolerate sin forever, and there is a time when, if a government fails to serve God as God has commanded, God’s judgment falls.  It may fall from another government, and even a government that is also sinful and corrupt, as we saw with Israel so many times.  God judged their sin and wickedness with other governments bearing the sword, even though those other governments were also sinful. 

            May this also serve warning to our government and to us – God’s judgment may one day fall on our country if we do not seek Him first and fulfill the responsibilities God has given government.  Do not allow the opportunity to magnify the holiness of God pass you by.  God’s holiness demands wrath on wickedness.  We are seeing a small glimpse of that wrath executed by God’s sword-bearing servant.

            Secondly, pray for our leadership, recognizing them as servants of God.  Pray for our leadership, recognizing them as servants of God.  Our president, our congress, our senate, our military leaders, all of these officials serve God, whether they know it or not, and it is our duty to pray for them because of the position they hold.  They are fulfilling their obligation given by God to judge wicked men and bring vengeance upon them, and we are bound to pray for them.  Pray that they might have wisdom in executing the task.  Pray that they might have pure motives seeking to preserve righteousness.  Pray that they would use necessary force and not wield the sword outside of God’s prescribed use.  Our leaders need prayer at this time, and may we pray for them because they are serving God as His ministers, even if they are unaware of it.

            Third and finally, practice obedience to our laws as examples of recipients of mercy.  Practice obedience to our laws as examples of recipients of mercy.  Be model citizens, especially during this time when many are participating in civil disobedience because they disagree with this war.  Do not break our laws when they do not contradict God’s law, and do not break them especially when they are upholding God’s ordinance and place for government.  Now we should be model citizens, upholding the laws of our government as much as possible under God’s Word because we have received the mercies of God. 

            God has commanded us to be in subjection to our governing authorities.  He commands this because He Himself has appointed them for the purpose of promoting righteousness and punishing wickedness.  May we, during this turbulent time in our world, honor God by recognizing His holiness, praying for our leaders, and being submissive to our rulers, which is our spiritual act of worship as recipients of the mercy of God.  Let’s pray.

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