Sermon notes June 29th, 2025

 ROMANS 13

Romans 13:1                                                   New King James Version

1   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.

• Those who have been justified by faith are obligated to be subject to human government. Actually, the obligation applies to everyone, but the apostle here is concerned especially with believers. God established human government after the flood when He decreed, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed” 

Genesis 9:6                                                     New King James Version

6   “Whoever sheds man’s blood,                                                                By man his blood shall be shed;                                                                  For in the image of God He made man.                                          “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed;                                      For in the image of God He made man.

• This decree gave authority to men to judge criminal matters and to punish it’s offenders.

In every ordered society there must be authority and submission to that authority. Otherwise, you have a state of anarchy, and you cannot survive indefinitely under anarchy. “Any government is better than no government”. So, God has instituted human government, and no government exists apart from His will. This does not mean that He approves of all that human rulers do. He certainly does not approve of corruption, brutality, and tyranny! But the fact remains that the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Believers can live victoriously in a democracy, a constitutional monarchy, or even a totalitarian regime. No earthly government is any better than the men who comprise it. That is why none of the world’s governments are perfect. 

BUT:

• The values and principles reflected in the U.S. Declaration of Independence resonate with the biblical ideas of innate human dignity, natural human rights, government by consent self-governance, seeking to set right any wrongs and having a revolutionary spirit.
• God Bless the United States of America

The only ideal government is a beneficent monarchy with the Lord Jesus Christ as King. It is helpful to remember that Paul wrote this section on subjection to human government when the infamous Nero was Emperor. Those were dark days for Christians. Nero blamed them for a fire which destroyed half the city of Rome (which he himself most-likely have ordered). He caused some believers to be immersed in tar, then ignited as living torches to provide illumination for his sinful parties. Others were sewn up in animal skins, then thrown to ferocious dogs to be torn to pieces

• Again, Praise God for the United States of America

Romans 13:2-14                                              New King James Version

2   Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 

3    For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 

• As a rule, people who do what is right need not fear the authorities. It is only those who break the law who must fear punishment. So, if anyone wants to enjoy a life free from tickets, fines, trials, and imprisonments, the thing to do is to be a law-abiding citizen. Then he will win the approval of the authorities, not their censure.

ROMANS 13:4

4    For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 

• The ruler, whether president, governor, mayor, or judge, is a minister of God in the sense that he is a servant and representative of the Lord. He may not know God personally, but he is still the Lord’s man officially. Thus, David repeatedly referred to the wicked King Saul as the Lord’s anointed (1 Sam. 24:6, 10;) In spite of Saul’s repeated attempts on David’s life, the latter would not allow his men to harm the king. Why? Because Saul was the king, and as such he was the Lord’s appointee.

1 Samuel 24:6-10                                       New International Version

6   He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 

7   With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

8   Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 

9   He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 

10  This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’

ROMANS 13:5-7

5    Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 

• What this means is that we should be obedient subjects of the government for two reasons—the fear of punishment and the desire to maintain a good conscience.
• The fact that believers are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) does not exempt us from responsibility to human government. We must pay whatever taxes are levied on their income, our real estate, and our personal property. We must pay the required customs on merchandise being transported from one country to another. We must demonstrate a respectful fear of those who are charged with enforcing the laws. And we must show honor for the names and offices of all civil servants (even if they can’t always respect their personal lives).

ROMANS 13:8

8   Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 

• Basically, the first part of this verse means “Pay your bills on time.” It is not a prohibition against any form of debt. Some kinds of debt are inevitable in our society: most of us face monthly bills for telephone, gas, light, water, and more. And it is impossible to manage a business without contracting some debts. The admonition here is not to get into arrears (overdue accounts).
• But in addition, there are certain principles which should guide us in this area. We should not contract debts for nonessentials. We should not go into debt when there is no hope of repaying. We should avoid buying on the installment plan, incurring exorbitant interest charges. We should avoid borrowing to buy a product that depreciates in value. In general, we should practice financial responsibility by living modestly and within our means, always remembering that the borrower is a slave to the lender (see Prov. 22:7).
• The one debt that is always outstanding is the obligation to love. The word used for love in Romans, is agapē, which signifies a deep, unselfish, superhuman affection which one person has for another. This otherworldly love is not activated by any virtue in the person loved; rather, it is completely undeserved. It is unlike any other love in that it goes out not only to the lovable but to one’s enemies as well.
• Love found its perfect expression on earth in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Our love to God manifests itself in obedience to His commandments.
• The man who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law, or at least that section of the law which teaches love for our fellowmen.

ROMANS 14:9-12

9   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 neighbor as yourself.” 

• The apostle singles out those commandments which forbid acts of unlove against one’s neighbor. They are the commandments against adultery, murder, theft, perjury, and coveting. Love doesn’t exploit another person’s body; immorality does. Love doesn’t take another person’s life; murder does. Love doesn’t steal another person’s property; theft does. Love doesn’t deny justice to others; false witness does. Love doesn’t even entertain wrong desires for another person’s possessions; coveting does.
• And if there is any other commandment. Paul could have mentioned one other: “Honor your father and your mother.” They all boil down to the same dictum: Love your neighbor as yourself. Treat him with the same affection, consideration, and kindness that you treat yourself.

10   Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11   And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 

• The rest of the chapter encourages a life of spiritual alertness and moral purity. The time is short. The Dispensation of Grace is drawing to a close. The lateness of the hour demands that all lethargy (a lack of enthusiasm) and inactivity be put away. Our salvation is nearer than ever. The Savior is coming to take us to the Father’s house.

12   The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 

• The present age is like a night of sin that has just about run its course. The day of eternal glory is about to dawn for believers. This means that we should cast off all the filthy garments of worldliness, that is, everything associated with unrighteousness and evil. 
• And we should put on the armor of light, which means the protective covering of a holy life. The pieces of armor are detailed in Ephesians 6:14–18. They describe the elements of true Christian character.

Ephesians 6:14-18                                          New King James Version

14   Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

15   and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16   above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

17   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 

18   praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

ROMANS 13:13-14

13   Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 

• Notice that the emphasis is on our practical Christian Walk. Since we are children of the day, we should walk as sons of light. What does a Christian have to do with wild parties, drunken brawls, sex orgies, vile excesses, or even with bickering and envy? Nothing at all.

14   But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

• The best policy we can follow is:
• First, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that we should adopt His whole lifestyle, live as He lived, accept Him as our Guide and Example.
• Secondly, we should make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. The flesh here is the old, corrupt nature. It incessantly cries to be pampered with comfort, luxury, illicit sexual indulgence, empty amusements, worldly pleasures, dissipation, materialism, among many other things.
• We make provision for the flesh when we buy things that are associated with temptation, when we make it easy for ourselves to sin, when we give a higher priority to the physical than to the spiritual. We should not indulge the flesh even a little. Rather, we should “give no chances to the flesh to have its fling” (JBP).
• This was the very passage that God used in converting the brilliant but carnal Augustine to Christ and purity. When he reached verse 14 he surrendered to the Lord. He has been known in history ever since as “Saint” Augustine.