By Angie Benjamin
The Christian and government.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For
there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are
appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance
of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
The connection between Romans 12 and Romans 13 is clear. If
the Christian is not to seek personal vengeance, it does not take away the
government's authority to punish wrongdoers.
Every soul certainly includes Christians. Paul simply says
that we should be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and the
authorities that exist are appointed by God: We subject ourselves to governing
authorities because they are appointed by God and serve a purpose in His plan. God
appoints a nation's leaders, but not always to bless the people. Sometimes it
is to judge the people or to ripen the nation for judgment.
Whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God:
Since governments have authority from God, we are bound to obey them - unless,
of course, they order us to do something in contradiction to God's law. Then,
we are commanded to obey God before man (as in Acts 4:19).
Those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. God uses
governing authorities as a check upon man's sinful desires and tendencies.
Government can be an effective tool in resisting the effects of man's sins.
ON BEING GOOD CITIZENS
Do what is good, and you will have praise: Paul's idea is
that Christians should be the best citizens of all. Even though they are loyal
to God before they are loyal to the state Christians are good citizens because
they are honest, give no trouble to the state, pay their taxes, and - most
importantly - pray for the state and the rulers.
CHRISTIANS AND GOVERNMENT
Therefore we must be subject, not only because of wrath but
also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are
God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to
all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to
whom fear, honour to whom honour.
We must be subject to government; not only because we fear
punishment, but because we know it is right before God to do so.
CHRISTIANS AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS
Our obligation to love.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who
loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not
commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not
steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not
covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this
saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Love
does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
On a personal level, the only "debt" we are to
carry is the "debt" to love one another - this is a perpetual
obligation we carry both before God and each other.
Love your neighbour means to love the people you actually
meet with and deal with every day. It is easy for us to love in the theoretical
and the abstract, but God demands that we love real people.
"No man can compass the ends of life by drawing a little line around himself upon the ground. No man can fulfil his calling as a Christian by seeking the welfare of his wife and family only, for these are only a sort of greater self." (Spurgeon)
Love is the fulfilment of the law: It is easy to do all the
right religious "things" but to neglect love. Our love is the true
measure of our obedience to God.