Studying His Word and His Works

Listen to the study here: Romans 13:1-3

Read here: Romans 13

Review

• Calvin on the theme of Romans: “Man’s only righteousness is the mercy of God in Christ, when it is offered by the Gospel and received by faith.” Romans 1:17 and elsewhere.
• IMPORTANT: Paul wrote the letter to the saints (1:7), and the letter is about the gospel, which is a reminder we need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily. 
• Luther: Simul iustus et peccator = At the same time, righteous and a sinner! Romans 3:23-25
• In Ch. 1-3 Paul shows us our unrighteousness, and God’s wrath against that, and then switches to Christ’s righteousness as our covering, the propitiation of our sins (Romans 3:25) as the final sacrifice for sin, fulfilling the promise to Abraham, who had faith before any works
• Faith being “counted” or “credited to our account” as righteousness is mentioned 11 times in Chapter 4! If “none are righteous” as Paul wrote in Romans 3:10, then this saving faith must be a gift from God.
• Ch. 5, We now have peace with God, access to God, and hope, because of what Christ did for us while we were weak(v. 6), sinners (v. 8), and enemies (v. 10). Christ did this “at the right time,” (v. 6), connecting Christ’s work on the cross and God’s plan of redemption to real history (not just a myth or legend).
• Atonement(5:6-11): Jesus satisfying God’s wrath for us through His sacrificial death on the cross.
• Ch. 5 and 6 describe federalism, this idea of one man making a difference, for righteousness (Jesus) or wickedness (Adam). 
• Ch 6 ended with lots of words pointing to the new road we are now on with Christ, the sanctification road.
  • Service is the key word, “slaves” used 8 times
  • “Present yourselves”(5), “Leads to”(5)
• Sproul: “our regeneration, our rebirth was the work of one Person, God. It was not a joint venture; but from the moment we take our first breath of regenerated spiritual life, it  becomes a joint effort.” the work of one Person is what salvation is about. The joint venture is what sanctification is about. Ch.6 ends and we continue into Ch.7 describing what this “sanctification road” looks like to walk down. We were on the sin road that leads to death, but now we are on the grace road that leads to eternal life.
• Chapter 8 is describing the assurance we have as Christians in salvation. Deus pro nobis – God for us. It is a reminder of God’s sovereignty over our salvation, and God’s infinite wisdom, in the creation, fall, redemption plan he has for not just us, but the whole world. Ultimately, God, not us, foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies and glorifies. There are many verses (Romans 2:4, John 3:16, etc) that point to God’s patience with everyone, His love for everyone, that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), so I believe there is some free will in there somewhere, perhaps an ability to answer the call, or not. But, even if we answer the call, it is God who initiated. Even if we are crying out for God, “feeling our way to Him” like Acts 17:27 says, we are only doing this because He has already called. We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS, not on our own of course, but “through Him who loved us” from before time began. 
• Chapter 9 continues on the point of election, which, if you think about it, Paul has been discussing since Romans 1:1 when he said he was “set apart”. Paul continues to hammer the point that it is God’s free will, not ours, that matters most. It’s good to keep in mind the complexity of God, as he is not just electing, but he is doing a bunch of things simultaneously and eternally. He is electing, foreknowing, predestining, calling, justifying, glorifying, answering prayer, “giving them over to a debased mind” (Romans 1:28-32) while also being kind as a means to lead people to repentance (Romans 2:4), showing mercy to some and hardening others (9:18). It’s like God is working on an eternal and therefore infinite scale, but also an instantaneous and therefore infinitesimal scale. Pastor John Macarthur, who went home to Jesus recently, described this as a parallelism, God’s sovereign election running alongside the “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” of John 3:16. It is Euler’s “every instant,” of God initiating, so the saved are always indebted to Him. And it’s also Paul’s “unceasing anguish” for the lost in 9:2, something we should ask God to give us, too. And something that clearly shows that God predestines us to a team, His team, and we are working with Him to save sinners. He’s just team captain and MVP. He gets all the glory!
  • Also remember that Paul references almost 50 OT verses in Chapter 9 alone. He is retelling Israel’s story in many places to serve as a reminder of God’s sovereign will over nations, but also individuals like Pharoah, Moses, Jacob and Esau, etc. Some want to say election is only about nations, or only individuals, but this is another both/and. 
  • Romans 9:6 is key (I think) to understanding a lot of Ch. 9-11. We need to keep going back to this, that “not all Israel belongs to Israel.” What Paul is getting at here is that true Israel are believers, regardless of nation or ancestry.
• Chapter 10 also discusses election, as well as Macarthur’s “parallelism”, or even the “3 strands are not easily broken” analogy in Ecclesiastes 4:12. That’s more what some of Chapter 10 is describing, because God could just yell the gospel down from heaven if He wanted, but he chooses to use us, weak on our own but strong in Him. Ch. 10 describes a deep, personal bond God has with believers. Paul also describes Israel’s history of disobedience, how they did not hear the gospel, but in Ch. 11 again reminds that God preserves a remnant.
• In Chapter 11, there is one tree, with branches being broken off and grafted in. One body of covenant believers, and broken branches are those who had the outward signs like circumcision (OT) or baptism (NT) but no belief, no Holy Spirit-given gift of faith, no imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Chapter 11 hints that God works through individuals of course, but also nations, and that He is not done with ethnic Israel. He used Israel’s “stumbling” to lead the Gentiles to salvation, and these verses say he will eventually use the Gentiles to lead Israel to salvation. Paul also reiterates that salvation is by grace, not works, that God is merciful in spite of man’s disobedience. Paul ends Ch. 11 with what Calvin called “finitum non capax infinitum,” meaning, “the finite cannot grasp the fullness of the infinite.” Stay humble, don’t think you have to figure everything out about God because you can’t! It’s also important to note that all Paul says in Ch. 11 is that God still has a plan for Israel. The only emphasis Paul makes in Ch. 9-11 is on their salvation, on a mission mindset, which is something modern evangelical churches should refocus on. Getting away from blind political support for Israel, and praying for and getting the gospel to Jew and Gentile in the region. 
• Chapter 12 saw a switch from mostly describing God and his character, to application for believers. To discipleship. Verses 1-2 describe the importance for Christians to turn from the world, the “spirit of the age” and present themselves to Christ. With the Holy Spirit in you now as a Christian, He WILL renew your mind, whether you like it or not, but it is a joint effort, it is clear it is not robotic, you have choices to make, to turn and present (v. 1), or not, to think with sober judgment (v. 3), or not, to do everything in verses 9-21 that you can as a Christian, or not. Verses 3-8 focused on spiritual gifts, which make us unique in the body, while verses 9-21 describe things that all Christians can be, regardless of gifts. Ch. 12 ended with a Proverbs 25:21-22 reference to smother evil with good, and a judicial system that upholds 10 Commandment based laws is one way. All three spheres (family, church, civil government) executing justice and mercy in accordance with their positions is a good thing.

Intro

• Key words: God, authority, resist (3); those, good, will (2). Ch. 13 begins with another reminder of God’s sovereignty, that His will > our will. Of the importance of setting up a civil magistrate that administers godly justice and mercy, that smothers evil by heaping burning coals on its head(12:20). 
• We ended Ch. 12 looking at how lived-out Christianity has a defensive posture, not offensive. The Bible describes three “spheres of influence” or magistrates: The family, the church, and the government. Some of what Paul was referring to in 12:9-21, especially verses 17-21, is the defensive stance against evil that the Christian church and family have. Ch.13 describes a godly government’s strategy.
  • Here is a brief summary of the three spheres of influence, their primary roles, and Bible references:
    • Family: Nurturing, education, stewardship (Gen 1:28, Deut 6:6-7, Eph 5-6).
    • Church: Spiritual leadership and discipline (Matt 16:18-19, 18:15-17; 1 Tim 3:15; Heb 13:17).
    • Civil Government: Public justice and order (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14; Deut 16:18-20).
  • The Bible doesn’t use the word “spheres”, that was developed over time, and used by the Dutch reformer, Abraham Kuyper, known for famously quoting “there is not one square inch over which God does not say ‘Mine.’” Kuyper’s point is that God’s sphere of influence is infinite and eternal. This is also similar to “circle” analogies some pastors use, which are basically spheres within the bigger church sphere. Augustine, Calvin and other Protestants helped develop the “spheres” idea, grounded in Scripture.
  • Currently in America, there is talk of “Christian Nationalism,” which I still don’t understand completely what the fuss is about, because who wouldn’t want  “one nation, under God”? The idea is literally in the pledge of allegiance. It’s printed on our money! In God We Trust. But, because of the controversy, let me qualify what I mean here by Christian Nationalism. What I mean is, how are we going to answer the following question: Who is going to be the best at administering justice and mercy? At smothering evil with good? At prioritizing peace? Who will do that best? Jews? Muslims? Nazis? Marxists? Atheists? No, of course Christians, and history proves this.
  • We can see the 3 spheres within our US government system. One clear place is in the Bill of Rights, where the 1st Amendment declares church and state as separate spheres of influence, and the 2nd amendment which respects an individual’s right to defend against evil and maintain peace per Romans 12:18 (keep peace if possible)  and Luke 22:36 (sell cloak and buy sword). The spheres of influence list above has other verses highlighting the roles of Church and state. And, Romans 13:1-7 is some of the best regarding state functions. The Bill of Rights has been in place since 1791.
  • Remember how Paul is constantly referencing the OT? Jesus came to fulfill the law described there, not abolish it. The OT makes it very clear the standard is separation of church and state. It wasn’t the priest’s job to uphold the 10 commandments, it was the state’s job. The priest declares the truth and the state upholds it. There are only two, Melchizedek and Jesus, who were and are both priest and king (Hebrews 7). There were actually never supposed to be kings over Jerusalem, but God appointed a king due to their hardness of heart(I Samuel 8:4-6). Saul was the first king, and right away he tries to be priest and king and performs a priestly sacrifice (I Samuel 11), after which God rejects him as king. King Uzziah did something similar, and we discussed him in Romans 12:3-8, about the importance of “staying in your lane” regarding spiritual gifts. We talked about wicked Pa’ao coming to Hawaii and doing the same thing, acting as both priest and king, resulting in centuries of civil war and a dumbing down of Hawaiians. Interesting that Hawaii and other Polynesian islands had this Jewish priest/king separation, as did many other nations. So, all that to say, this is a normal and natural separation. And both roles can come from the Bible. In other words, it is NOT against separation of church and state to have biblically rooted laws. Imagine thinking, “okay, this is too much religion inside the state, so we reject ‘do not steal, do not murder, do not lie’, etc. Those are bad laws because they are in the Bible and therefore violate separation of church and state.” Imagine how evil that would be if someone did that! Anyways, American government is set up using these and other biblical principles. America was founded as a Christian nation. 
  • In an 1892 Supreme Court case, the Church of the Holy Trinity vs. The United States, the court declared the United States is “A Christian nation.” Justice David Brewer, who said this, later wrote that he did not mean that Christianity was legally established as a state religion, but that Christian principles heavily informed the nation’s ethics, institutions, and legal assumptions. Note also the court did not declare the USA a “Judeo-Christian heritage,” etc. It’s a nation built on Christian principles. To me, that is what “Christian nationalism” means. 
• Verse 1, be subject to the governing authorities. God put them there, which Paul states also in Titus 3:1, and Peter testifies to in 1 Peter 2:13.
  • We can conclude that if God put them there, then they are part of enacting God’s vengeance on earth. Paul was leading into this back in 12:19, and the directive of not to avenge yourself. But we also need to remember the “if possible” of verse 12:18, which we will discuss more later. 
  • Being born sinners, we are bred for disobedience. Adam and Eve had a choice, they chose poorly and brought condemnation to all humanity, an actual spiritual and physical change and a curse to the very earth and its creatures. We are sinners, but so are those who are in authority. Imagine if those in authority hated God, and thought His laws were stupid. By what standard would they judge things? Their own. Yet God set them in place. They have been instituted by God. If God is sovereign even over games of chance (Proverbs 16:33), if those He has called are also predestined (Romans 8:29-30), if His free will is greater than our free will, then it makes sense He is the one who lets rulers rule, even ones we despise. 
  • As Christians, with the “joint effort” we now have with the Holy Spirit in us, we CAN obey God, not perfectly but we can present ourselves in a direction of obedience. We can renew our minds in a direction of obedience. Remember, Ch. 12-16 are more about application. About discipleship. When we apply what we know now about God and about Christ in us, that works out in our lives as obedience to those in authority, like the police, our boss, etc.
    • It also means, as Christians, we shouldn’t need much correction. For those in authority, we should make their jobs easy. As a teacher, I have class rules, and I’ve had the same rules for dozens of years. Turn your homework in on time. Show your work. Correct your mistakes. Students who obey the rules make my job easy. Students who disobey cause me to spend more time correcting, writing, explaining, re-explaining, contacting parents, etc. Obedient students are easy. This is actually how our American government was designed, for Christians who want to obey.
      • John Quincy Adams, founding father and 2nd US President, famously said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
      • George Washington, in his Farewell Address as America’s 1st President, said the same: “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
      • Sproul: “Christians are called to be extraordinary models of civil obedience.”
        • In Luke 2:1-3, look what Mary and Joseph did. They made this huge journey while she was about to give birth, just to obey Caesar Augustus’ census, so he could tax them! 
      • When is it okay to disobey?
        • Taxation without representation, if that is your law, like England at time of Boston Tea Party. England was breaking their own law to represent those they taxed.
        • When you are told not to preach the gospel. Acts 5:29 helps here, that believers are called to obey God rather than men. If the civil magistrate, which should uphold God’s commandments, doesn’t, that is when we disobey. And it’s not maybe, it’s “must” obey God, not men.
        • So, obey except
          • When authorities command us to do something God forbids, or
          • Forbid us from doing something God commands.
          • This is easy to say but sometimes hard to do, which is why Jesus saves us and we don’t save ourselves.
      • Verse 1 also reminds that there is no authority except God-ordained authority.
        • The Father has given the Son all authority on heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, the universe is a theocracy, not a democracy.
          • All earthly rulers, just like us, will be asked one day how we executed authority. 
        • Sproul: “We often overlook the fact that at the heart of the biblical message is a political message. We live in a kingdom where the supreme political authority is vested in Jesus Christ.”
          • We could say God’s policy is obedience or death. Faith lived out is obedience, that is what it looks like. Obedience to God is the fruit produced by faithfulness.
        • In this letter to the Romans, Paul is making it clear that God appointed the Roman authorities, like it or not. Righteous or not. Sproul says Paul faced a vicious and unjust execution by Nero’s decree. More than likely, he went willingly, knowing the decree came ultimately from God, for whatever reason we may never know. Whatever the case, Paul trusted the Lord’s vengeance would prevail. 
      • Finally, let’s think a little more about the US Constitution. How does it start? “We the People of the United States….” In America, who are the God-ordained governing authorities? We are. Not just the President and a few cabinet members. Us.  
• Verse 2, whoever resists the authorities resists the ordinance of God, bringing judgment on themselves.
  • But resisting authorities is what the American colonists did, and they did it by concluding British common law gave them the right to resist. People still debate to this day whether the colonists had a right to resist, and the reason they still debate is what is says in Romans 13. I would say they did have a right to resist because England was breaking their own laws.
• Verse 3, rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to evil. But what if they ARE a terror to good works, what if they are backwards here? If they are, then we do have a right to resist.
  • Sproul: “The whole point of civil government is to restrain evil, by force if necessary.”
    • This is what they are supposed to do, but if they don’t, if they promote and protect evil, this is when we resist. If they are a terror to good, to biblical justice, to peace and mercy. 
  • A senator once told Sproul “I don’t believe that the federal government has the right to force its people to do anything.” Wow! No wonder we have problems with domestic terrorists, illegal immigration, murder through abortion, etc.
    • Obviously, government, the civil magistrate, has the right to enact and enforce laws. Groups get together to make policy, policy being a set of guidelines or standards. These groups we call political parties. In the USA, political parties cannot enforce their policies. Turning policy into law is the job of the different branches of state and federal government: senate, congress, presidents and governors. Enforcing laws is then the job of other government agencies. 
    • The senator in Sproul’s story had basically reduced the government down to a political party, which has no authority to make or enforce laws! Weird that this person would get elected.
  • Remember how Ch. 12 ended? Overcome evil with good. Heap burning coals on evil by doing good. And then Paul jumps right into the civil magistrate’s responsibility to be the “coal heapers,” to be “terrorists to evil.” To leave a legacy like that of Hiram Bingham, one of the first missionaries to Hawaii, “loved by the good, hated and dreaded by the wicked.” 
  • Next week, we will look more at what enforcing laws means in Romans 13, what the “God-given power of the sword” looks like (Rev. 19:11-16).
    • Let’s end with a quote from Edmund Burke in 1770, a British statesman who warned Parlaiment that mistreating the American colonies would lead to rebellion: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
• Up next: Romans 13:4-5