This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. “Honor your father and mother so that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth.” The forth commandment is the first and only commandment that has a promise attached to it. When we honor those whom God has placed over us, things go well. As children, we spent time listening to our parents. Now that we are adult and perhaps, our parents are with the Lord, does this commandment apply to us and our Christian lives? The obvious answer is yes. This commandment points us to all those whom God has established to have authority over us. In our lessons for today, we are given the gift of the governing authority which God has blessed us with. You heard me right, our government is established by God and he gives us this government for our good. When you submit to the governing authority, you are actually submitting to God’s authority.
Objection to the governing authority is nothing new. But before dismissing governmental authority, we need to be reminded what or rather whom we are dismissing. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Not once but twice Paul emphatically states that all governing authorities are established by God himself. Whether it is a Pharaoh, a king, Caesar, or even the President of the United States of America, God sets up governments and every leader. If you object and reject something or someone whom God has established, who are you really rebelling against? “2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
But surely you have not rebelled or are currently leading a rebellion against your government! How many of you have ever talked down about a representative? How many of you said, not my president or not my senator when the one you voted for was not elected? Check you Facebook feed and see how well you stick up for government officials whether they align with your political ideals or not. “7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” But you might be thinking what the big deal is. I have free speech! How much this phase is used to disrespect and dishonor politicians! And Christians are fast to use this cop out too!
Just because our laws give you the right of free speech, it does not give you license to say whatever you want. Not only are you dishonoring the governing authority, but you would be dishonoring the one who established the governing authority. God can pierce into your hearts and see the truth behind your “free speech”. He knows your heart’s attitude when you tear down your government leaders.
If this is not enough to make you tremble before God nothing will! If you continue to spread harmful and hateful things about government authority, then you should expect punishment. “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Saying hateful and harmful things will get you nothing but trouble. And in the end you are dishonoring God who set up every authority, even those who you do not like.
Imagine if God takes us all to task over our treatment of his established authority! Who could stand before God? There is but one who could stand righteous before our God and it is neither you nor me! It was for this reason why Jesus came into this world. And think about it. Jesus could have called out Caesar for his atrocities. Jesus could have removed Pilate from the governing position in Jerusalem. But Jesus honored the governing authority. Even paying his taxes! “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Jesus even honored the governing authority by allowing them to crucify him!
And he did all of this to cover up our sins against God’s authority! Jesus knows your sinful heart better than you do. He knows when you hate a government official that God has established. AND he still died on the cross to remove that stain of hatred from you and took it as his own. Then he took his perfect obedience to God’s authority and gave you the credit. All this Jesus did to free you from the punishment of rebelling against the Lord’s authority. And he has set up a new heart that wants to honor, respect, and submit to God’s authority.
This is our Savior God who has given us governing authorities! He cannot give us bad things! In fact, he establishes governing authority for our good.
For our good?! This may be hard to see especially since the governing authorities are made up of sinful human beings. We have countless examples of government authorities committing atrocities throughout history.
For our good?! Even our government promotes sin in the face of God and his people! What good are they when sin permeates everything they do?
Remember Paul is to Roman Christians during Nero’s reign. Even with a pagan hostile government good will come from God’s authority. The government is primarily interested in keeping law and order. “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 you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” However, even when the governing authority turns on God’s people, we continue to pay them honor, respect, and even taxes. We submit to their authority not for the sake of the governing authorities themselves, but because God established them, and Jesus saved us. And even when they come down up us, when we give them honor and respect and calling on God to forgive them, we are testifying to them about the Savior God.
These are all opportunities that God gives us as we live life God’s way! Every time we pay our taxes… Every time we pay revenue… Every time we respect and honor our governing officials …Who are we really doing it for? We submit to God’s Authority! When Jesus paid for our sins and released us from our guilt, he freed us to submit to God’s authority. Only good comes from our God. Even when we face persecution, God will be there to watch over us. And the Lord will take care of everyone who hurts or harms his people. What the Lord builds up, he will take down. That is his job not ours. We are to submit to God’s Authority.
Living life God’s ways means to submit to the ones he sets over us whether it is parents, church leaders, or the government. When we submit to them, we are truly submitting to God’s authority. Amen.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. Amen.