March 21, 2022

Romans 13:1-7 (HCSB)  A Christian’s Duties to the State 
13 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.

Joel Robertson
 What is authority? Where does authority come from? These are the questions we should soberly ask when we read these verses. If authority does not come from God, it is not authority at all. If authority is in opposition to God, we must follow God. We can see in Acts 4:19 and Acts 5:29, Peter and the other apostles speak to the Jewish leaders on whom to obey, God or men. It will be clear to us when we are to obey men, because it will be aligned with what God dictates. Authority should promote good works. What are good works? This is another question we must ask when we read these verses. Good is not defined by us, but only by God. Brothers and sisters let us not rush to judgment in what we feel is right or wrong in how we obey the authorities God has placed over us, but let us test everything through the Holy Scriptures, by the Holy Spirit, and through prayer and fasting.

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