How Do We Relate to Government
In Romans 13, Paul addresses the authority of government and how Christians should respond to it. Paul provides an overview that guides us in how we should operate within any form of government. Christians at this time were suffering heavy persecution from the authorities. Paul himself, being a citizen of Rome and Israel, was imprisoned and beaten by both governments. Yet even in experiencing opposition from the state, Paul doesn’t want believers to lose sight of God’s role in establishing governments. Therefore, we honor God through our citizenship. We need God’s grace and wisdom to understand how He wants us to live as citizens under governing authorities.
The central point of the passage is this: God is sovereign over all. We look at it with 3 applications.
- Trust God
- Do What is Right
- Pay Your Taxes
Trust God (Romans 13:1-2)
Paul begins with a positive command (generally submit to governing authorities). Although government brings order, rarely does a government perfectly reflect God’s will for humanity. No form of government is balanced or safe enough to compensate for sinful leaders.
The great message of the Bible is that we look to God, not people. Arthur Boers, author of Servants and Fools: A Biblical Theology of Leadership, had this to say on the subject of leadership: “In the Bible, rulers, great and small, almost invariably are self-serving, self-worshiping, self-loving.” When looking at the Old Testament, almost every reign from each king of Israel was evaluated as being bad. Most of what the Bible says about leadership is negative since most leaders are prone to being corrupted by their influence and power. This is important to understand – helping us to not misunderstand: God is not endorsing or approving of the governments he appoints. We trust God in obeying our flawed authority structures because He is the ultimate governing power that will never fail us.
Do What is Right (Romans 13:3-5)
We must not disobey God, even if the government tells us to. Paul tells us that if we are to suffer at the hands of the government, it should be for the right thing. Paul places a greater importance on our conscience before God over our civic duty to the government. In the following chapter, Paul will mention how everyone will stand before the judgment seat of God and bow before Him. If we must disobey the government for the sake of our accountability to God, then we can find comfort and hope in knowing that we are ordained by God to bring about good, do what is right, and work for godly change.
Pay Your Taxes (Romans 13:6-7)
In a broader sense, our aim is to live peaceably by being good citizens. Despite the flaws of government, God has a purpose for it. Anarchy is not to be desired. Even if we participate in a system that is mainly secular, who we place our focus on determines how we interact with the government. We can be good citizens while also being faithful servants to God. The grace of God empowers us to not idolize or demonize our leaders, but to trust in the sovereignty of God to help us honor them as God-appointed ministers.
