Thank you for joining today as we seek God’s wisdom together. Let us begin with prayer.
“Lord Jesus, I ask that you take the words in this blog and breathe life into them. Apart from your anointing they are just words on a page. I ask that you quicken our hearts to hear, see, and act upon what you are trying to teach us by the Power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Romans 13: 1-7 (NLT).
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and they will be punished. 3For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, or course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5So you submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. 6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”
That is a mouth full and a lot of it probably not very comforting to those who are at odds with the government today. Knowing that half my audience probably falls on the side of MAGA I will tread the issue with care. The issue according to Paul is really a matter of trust. Are we going to trust that the creator of the universe is able to accomplish anything that is or could be an obstacle to the furthering of the kingdom of God. Because that is what we as Christians are here to do. Sure, it is nice to live in a place of the world that we are free and not under an authoritarian government. We enjoy the benefits of not having our lives at stake for merely speaking about Jesus in public as is the case in other parts of the world. This was the case in the early church. Their faith made them a danger to both the Jewish religion and the Roman government.
Therefore, Paul here is telling the believers don’t be among those who would incite rebellion against the Roman authorities. Not only would that be foolish in the literal capital of the empire of Rome. But it would bring harm to others outside of the city. If the Christians were willing to incite rebellion in the city, what more could be done outside the city and in all the empire. Therefore, Paul reminds the believers in Rome and by proxy us as well that authority figures are placed in power by God himself. You might say well this one believes contrary to God or that one is in direct opposition to all Godly principles. But Paul is saying that it does not matter if You trust God then obey the laws of those put in authority over you. Now, certainly denial of your faith is not part of this category. You should never do that. However, paying your taxes, respecting the military, showing respect to the government, and being a good citizen are required of those who believe. If we truly believe that God is in control and His will is being done, we must trust Him.
How do we trust him? We obey those He has put in authority over us. We render unto Caesar what is Caesars. We pray for our leaders and ask God to change hearts, even our own hearts if that is required for His will to be done. We recognize that everything that occurs does so for a reason and nothing that happens is outside the eye of our Omniscient (All Knowing), Omnipresent (Everywhere at the same time), and Omnipotent (All powerful) God. He literally knows all things past, present, and future. He sees all things that are occurring everywhere in the Earth, below the Earth, and in the cosmos. Lastly, He has the power to overcome any force that stands against Him. He does not need our help to overcome the plans of the enemy. Sure, He wants us to stand up for what is right. Speak truth when wrongs are being committed. But this does not mean fighting battles in which He has not told us to fight. If Jesus is Lord of all, as we confessed when we committed our lives to Him, then He is in control of everything. We must trust that He has a plan and pray for His will, not our own, but His will to be done in earth as it is in heaven.
If you have not yet given your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do so now. The world is a dangerous place, and the Bible teaches things are going to only get worse from here. The good news is that this is not our heaven, this is not where we will spend eternity with Him. This is merely the place where we each get the opportunity to choose to follow Him of our own free will. No one can make the decision for you; it is one you must make on your own. If you want to make Jesus the lord and savior of your life pray this prayer aloud with me right now where you are: “Jesus I confess that you are the Lord of all, I believe that you came to the earth, lived a sinless life, suffered and died on a cross for my sins, I believe they buried you in a tomb, and on the third day you rose again from the dead so that I might spend eternity with you. In Jesus Name, Amen.” If you prayed that prayer, I encourage you to contact us so that we might stand beside you and hold you up as you begin your journey with Him. If you have felt the Lord tugging on your heart in regard to the message relayed today. I urge you to confess your sins and ask Him to put you back on the path that His will has set out before you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Thank you for joining me today as we searched the scriptures for What the Word is Saying to us Today. I pray that God would send His Holy Spirit into our lives anew and fill us again with His love and His purpose for us.
“Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.”
Comments