City Life Church San Diego
Welcome to the City Life Church Podcast, where faith meets action in the heart of Mt. Hope. We are a diverse family of God, united by Jesus, led by Scripture, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are committed to caring for both the spiritual and tangible needs of the lost and hurting. Through inspiring messages and practical lessons, we seek to equip and encourage you to live out God’s calling in everyday life. Join us as we grow in faith, serve our community, and share the hope of the Gospel with the world.
City Life Church San Diego
Romans 13:1-7 Submission without compromise
We explore the paradoxical relationship between being citizens of God's Kingdom while living under earthly government authority, delving into Paul's guidance in Romans 13 about submission to governing powers.
• Kingdom living means submitting to God's design even when it conflicts with our personal desires
• Christians should subject themselves to governing authority because it comes from God
• Submission doesn't mean blind obedience but acknowledging the government's ordained role
• The government serves as God's minister to maintain order and administer justice
• When governments act unjustly, Christians appeal to God's higher moral law
• Personal vengeance belongs to God; Christians break cycles of evil through righteousness
• Supporting government through taxes acknowledges their role as civil ministers
• Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven while we maintain earthly responsibilities
"My whole routine has changed. We used to be able to just go out whenever we felt like it, and now we're planning our days around diaper changes and nap time and bottles."
Amen. I love our intro. Jose has done a great job. It's such a vibe, so shout out to Jose. I especially love the part where he says Jesus came to bring freedom to the oppressed and the oppressor. That's countercultural and I love that. Well, good morning church. It's good to be with you guys this morning. This is my first time preaching in a long time. My first time preaching since my beautiful wife gave birth to our daughter, jenea, and yeah, you can clap for that.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you, having kids and fatherhood has been one of the most joyous and beautiful things that I've ever experienced, but it's also been the most challenging thing, the most life-changing thing. Life-changing people use that term loosely. People might say tacos are life-changing or a movie is life-changing, but there's nothing and I mean this when I say it that has changed my life more than having a child. My whole entire routine has changed. Jen and I used to be able to just go out whenever we felt like it, and now we're planning our days around diaper changes and nap time and bottles. We used to be able to just enjoy and do things whenever we felt like it, and that's no longer the case. I find myself growing and stretching in ways that I'm not used to. On my TV is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and dancing fruit. My house has been inundated with play toys and jungle gems and baby clothes all over the place. We're considering things that we've never considered before, and we have responsibilities that we've never had before. We have a camera that we're constantly checking Is she sleeping enough? Is she sleeping too much? Is she breathing Because she's been sleeping too long? And so these are things that we consider more than we ever have before.
Speaker 1:My daughter's adorable, but she doesn't know better, and so she does this thing when she's hungry, and maybe all babies do it, or maybe it's just my genetics, but mine or my wife's genetics. So when she's hungry, she does this thing where you make the bottle and it's time to feed her, and you put her in the position to feed her and she's crying, and then she'll move her head like this and you're trying to feed her the bottle and she's going like this and she's avoiding the very thing that you're trying to use to feed her, and so she finally well, she doesn't settle. You have to like, like, grab her by the back of her neck and like, put the bottle in and we're playing this game, and then she finally latches onto the bottle and then she goes, and then she drinks from the bottle, and so she finds rest when she settles, when she gets the nourishment that she needs. But she fights for a while before she actually does that. And so this, to me, kind of reminds me of our Christian walk, right when God is like this ultimate parent. He knows exactly what we need to thrive, he knows exactly what he calls us to do. He created all of this. He knows the nourishment that we need, and sometimes we're like an infant. We just fight and we cry and we do things that we're not supposed to do until we finally settle in him and find rest.
Speaker 1:So we've been in this series of Romans, and so, if you've been with us, romans 1 through 11 is a beautiful picture of the gospel. Paul's laid it out, he's laid it out fully for us, and so we've been in Romans for a long time. But I just encourage you, if you ever have a day or an afternoon that's free, if you just read through Romans or listen through it in whole. It's so beautiful. And so Paul explains the gospel ad nauseum, and then he says because of all that God has done for us because of the sacrifice and the cost of the gospel. He says that we are to give ourselves over as a living sacrifice, because of the mercy of God. So last week, pastor Doe did a great job explaining how we're to care for one another, sacrificially yielding to one another despite our unique culture, backgrounds and differences. He explained that our unity in Christ is bigger than our individuality. And so today we're going to be in Romans 13, and we're going to continue with this theme of sacrificial kingdom living. Last week was about how we treat each other, and so this week is going to be about how we how we are to act as citizens in our community, in our state and in our country, and how we're to move the kingdom forward while being under the subjection or under the power of of the government. And so by now you should be in in Romans 13. We're again looking at verses one through seven.
Speaker 1:I'm going to butcher this, but we have Bibles in the back. We have amazing Bibles in the back. So if you don't have a Bible, feel free to grab one. We have them in different languages. We have them in Tagalog, I believe, spanish, haitian, creole and English. So if you don't have a Bible. Get a Bible in the back. Uh, tenemos biblies bilinguis desponibles al costado del salon. Uh, bom genie. Uh, I'm gonna say this one more time bom genie. Oh no, gen beep, creo ayacin, I practice that, uh, so just ask for your grace there. And um, one thing that I appreciate that our church does even more so now that I have a little one is we recognize that we have kids in our church and they're going to make noise, and so if at any point your kiddo makes a noise or is loud, we encourage that. We have a saying in our church, a crying church Amen, all right. Romans 13, verses 1 through 7. If you're there, say amen, all right.
Speaker 1:Let every person be subject to governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment, for rulers are not a terror to the good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you're wrong, or if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. He is a servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience, for because of this, you also pay taxes, and for the authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing. The authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing. Pay all. Pay to all what is owed to them. Taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to who honor is owed.
Speaker 1:Let us pray, father, we thank you for your word, even when it's challenging. You're the great author of this world and we depend on you to know how we are meant to live. You designed everything in a way that you saw fit and sometimes we don't understand. Help us today. Help us to understand who you are and your call in our lives. Help us to live in a way that brings you honor and glory. Help us to live for you, even when it costs us. God, we ask for your help. We ask for your help with jobs, with parenthood, with our illness, with anxiety, with disease. God, we give our finances to you. We give our bodies to you. We give everything to you. God, guide our thoughts, help us to meditate on your word today and let anything that's said that's not from you be forgotten. We love you and we pray. All of this in Jesus' name, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:I've been fascinated with this theme of the kingdom of God. It's a theme that's woven throughout scripture, and it's God's ultimate plan to restore all of creation back to himself, back to a new Eden. Graham Goldsworthy wrote a book called Gospel and Kingdom, and he defines God's kingdom as God's people in God's place, under God's rule, and under God's rule and blessing. And this is the vision that when Jesus came. He came to fulfill this. His mission wasn't about politics, or wasn't political or military in nature. He wasn't here in military power. His mission was about love and sacrifice and redemption. He came to restore the lost and establish this new kingdom in the hearts of those who would follow him. And as believers who follow Christ, as disciples of Christ, we're called to be agents of this restoration. To be a part of God's kingdom means we need to learn exactly what it means to submit. We need to learn the skill of subjection. We need to learn how to subject ourself. In God's kingdom, he sets the standard, he governs and he blesses those who walk in obedience.
Speaker 1:Every time I read Genesis and maybe you're like me there's something in my gut that wrenches. It's like a yearning that's within me. Um, when I see the picture of God's original design, we see. We see in the garden of Eden, a world where humanity lived in in perfect harmony with God, free from sin, death and brokenness. God's original design was perfect. Humans actually walked with God. There was no murder, there was no deception, there was no death. There was no murder, there was no deception, there was no death, just perfect harmony. Perfect harmony, living under his guidance. Isn't that what we want? Isn't that what you want? Harmony, peace, no death, no decay, no injustice, peace, joy and perfect unity with God. The promise of scripture is that one day this will be restored, but for now, on this side of heaven, we wait. And while we wait, we're still in this world.
Speaker 1:There's a common misconception amongst Christians that once we're saved, we should detach from the world. We are no longer in the world. While it's true that we're not of this world, we're still in it. We still go to work, we still go to school, we still interact with one another. We still interact with society. We're still a part of a community. We still have neighborhoods and towns that we're a part of. We're meant to interact with our culture today.
Speaker 1:So what changes isn't where we live, but it's how we live. No longer do we live for ourselves, but now we live for God, because Jesus sacrificed for us. We now have a call. We have a call to sacrifice for the good of others. This is why, in Romans 12, after explaining the gospel, paul says because of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true worship, friends. When we sacrifice ourselves for the good of others, that's worship to God. Often we think worship is just listening to music, but worship is what we do in practice. If we consider ourselves citizens of God's kingdom, then we must live as such Right here, right now, today. Our faith isn't just personal. It should be evident in how we interact with our communities, both in public and in private.
Speaker 1:So our text today is kind of paradoxical. It's clear, it's straightforward, but it requires nuance in its application. It calls us to submission in a way that might challenge our natural instincts and cultural expectations. As Christians, we're meant to be model citizens, not because we put our ultimate trust in human government, but because our highest allegiance is to God. He's in full control of all things, including those that are in positions of authority. So Paul is diving into the world of politics and how Christians are supposed to behave and respond to the government. So I'm very excited today that I get to talk to you guys about politics and religion, and then we'll finish with money and taxes. So, god help me.
Speaker 1:Paul's going to define for us three things the role of the government, the power of the government and the Christian stance towards the government. So he does this in reverse order, and so that's how we're going to break down the text today. I'll use the words submit and subject interchangeably. They mean the same thing in this passage, and different translations use these words. So this brings me to my first point the Christian stance towards government. Christians should subject themselves, because all governing authority comes from God and as servants of God, we submit to his authority. Verse one and two again say let let everyone submit to the governing authority, since there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose will reap judgment on themselves.
Speaker 1:So when I first read this Dale and I actually went back and forth in the office it sounded to me like Paul was saying we must obey the government no matter what. And so, dale, what about would you be able to preach this text anywhere? Like, yeah, we obey what the Bible says. Clearly here Paul is saying that we're to obey the government no matter what and that we must follow the law. And so Paul.
Speaker 1:But Paul isn't actually advocating for mechanical obedience or or blind obedience. Instead, what Paul is is saying submission is a posture. It's not. It's not. It's not just being obedient for obedience sake. It's a posture that reflects our identity as servants of God. When we submit, it means that we respect and acknowledge that the government has been given a role by God to maintain order and peace. In Romans 12, 10, paul says love one another with brotherly affection, now do one another in showing honor. Mark 10, 45.
Speaker 1:Jesus says for the son of man has has come not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And so, as Christians, we are to reflect Jesus's work right. So just as we serve and submit to others out of love and obedience to Christ, we also are to submit to governing authorities, by acknowledging that their role, or acknowledging their role in maintaining order and peace and it's ordained by God. And so this is the lens that we're meant to interpret Paul's words. Again, it doesn't mean blind obedience.
Speaker 1:If Paul were commanding us to obey every law without question, wouldn't that contradict so many great examples in Scripture where there was faithful people of God who disobeyed Pharaoh and his command to kill the Israelite newborns? He was blessed because of his disobedience. Rahab defied the king of Jericho by hiding the Israelite spies and she was woven into the lineage of Christ. She became part of the family of Jesus. Woven into the lineage of Christ, she became part of the family of Jesus. Mary and Joseph fled from King Herod's decree to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem. This ensured Jesus's survival and they were blessed In each of these cases. They were blessed not because they defied the government itself, but because they refused to take part in injustice.
Speaker 1:So what Paul is saying is submission means acknowledging the government is ordained by God to establish law and order. Martin Lloyd-Jones puts it like this Paul is not saying that every particular occupier of an exalted position has been ordained by God, but what he does say is that there should be governments, there should be law, there should be order. The office is ordained by God, not necessarily always the person, though in some cases the person is and there's no particular type of government that's prescribed, only governance itself. So Paul warns us that when we resist authority, it's resisting God's design for order. It doesn't mean that we submit to injustice, but rather it means we're not living in rebellion, doing what we see fit or see what's right in our own eyes. The government is within its rightful. When the government operates within its rightful role, it has God's approval to enact justice. We see this sometimes, where we get fines, imprisonment sometimes, and there's various forms of judgment. This is by God's ordination. They're allowed to do this when they're acting properly.
Speaker 1:Ultimately, our submission to authority is just a reflection on our trust in God's sovereignty. When we submit rightly, we honor God. Here's the problem. Sin has corrupted everything, including our relationship between authority and submission. If you're like me, sometimes when you hear about authority you might cringe a little bit. Brokenness exists in families and marriages and government and exists in our own hearts, and because of this, we often resist submission, choosing to do our own will instead. And so this is the choice that we all face Do we submit to ourselves our emotions, our desires, our pursuit for justice for ourselves it might feel good in the moment, but we pay the price later or do we submit to God's perfect kingdom plan?
Speaker 1:Well, I experienced this firsthand. If you were here when I preached last, maybe a year ago, I shared how a situation where my wife and I were coming home from my grandmother's house and I might be indicting myself again, but we'll cut this I shared how I was on the freeway coming home and there was a car that pulled up behind me and just obnoxiously decided to tailgate me. And so here, here's the thing my wife will tell you, she'll confirm I I usually don't have road rage Like that's not me, that's not who I am. Um, I'm usually the one that's like hey, chill out, like it's not that serious, and but this? But this time? This time was different. This car was riding my butt, and I think I might have shared that. I was playing worship music at the time too. I was playing Maverick City, I was vibing, and so this car was riding me for a while, and so what I did? We're cutting this. I slammed on the brakes, and I slammed on the brakes and it forced the car behind me to change lanes. And so the car changed lanes and tried to get in front of me to cut me off, and from that point we were, we were off, and so I'll spare the rest of the details and further indictment. But we went back and forth at an unsafe speed, and so this is somewhat of a praise report, because I can say that my road rage is in remission, by God's grace.
Speaker 1:But in that moment I completely lost control. See, we can choose who we submit to and how we submit, but in that moment I subjected myself to anger. I allowed myself to be governed by my flesh, and when I did that I put my wife in danger. I put not only that car that I was in the altercation with in danger, but all the cars around me were also in danger. I was blinded by my own desire to seek justice for myself, and I wasn't pulled over, but I could have been, and if I was and I got a ticket or worse, it would have been justice served. So let me be clear this is not the way that I should have responded. This is not the way that God calls me to love my neighbor.
Speaker 1:True submission is sacrifice. It often means we have to die to ourselves. In that moment I could have just changed lanes and let the car pass me, but I chose not to because it would hurt. And so true submission usually hurts in the moment, but in the long run it produces fruit for us, fruit that lasts forever. And that's what Paul is saying in Romans 12, verse 14. In light of all that God has done, we're called to be living sacrifices. That means sacrificing to our pride To live peaceably with one another, sacr, sacrificing our comfort to submit to God's design. It means even sacrificing our personal desire.
Speaker 1:Sometimes, when earthly authorities enact laws that we might disagree with but aren't a matter of injustice or ethics, we just don't like them. Let me just say my brother in law lives in Las Las Vegas and so often we'll go and visit him, and I absolutely hate. When we get to the park you're on the freeway. You have to drive through the strip. The speed limit on the strip, on the freeway, is like 40 miles per hour and I hate that I'm a California driver, like that is so dumb to me. But I'll tell you, there's times where we drive and you see the strip, there's a lot of distraction. There's the new Raiders stadium there, there's the sphere and all the hotels and lights, and so you see people that are distracted, and so that's why they enacted the law. So there's a reason that the law is there. I just don't like it, but God caused me to.
Speaker 1:When authorities enact, just adjust or enact on. When excuse me, when authorities act unjustly, we're to appeal to God's higher moral law. We stand firm. Again, we don't. We don't have blind obedience, because while we're called to be the best citizens in this world, our ultimate citizenship is in the kingdom of God. Our ultimate citizenship is in the kingdom of God. So Paul is writing this.
Speaker 1:Romans is written during the time of the Roman Empire, and Paul is not just writing this when things are flourishing and the government is just amazing and perfect. No, the Roman Empire was often unjust and oppressive, especially to Christians. So why does Paul urge believers to subject to governing authorities? Because the government at its core is designed by God to maintain order and administer justice. It's not perfect, far from perfect. We're all far from perfect. So our government therefore can't be perfect, but it's perfect. It's purpose is to uphold peace and restrain evil. Even flawed governments serve this function to some degree. Um, and this brings me to our second point, the power of the government. We subject ourselves because the government has been ordained by God to bring about judgment when peace and order are threatened.
Speaker 1:The text says do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good and you'll have its approval, for it's God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason, for it is a servant of God, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit not only because of God, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience. Simply put, paul is saying if you do right, you'll have nothing to worry about. If you do wrong, you'll be punished. The government doesn't have power, for no reason. They're to punish those that cause turmoil. So, for these reasons, submit yourself to avoid punishment, but also because we are Christians who peacemake and peacekeep.
Speaker 1:Now I'll say this is an ideal sense. So what are we supposed to do when the government misuses its power? When the government fails to meet its call and there is injustice, we should always appeal to God's higher order. There are several times the government has instilled fear for no reason. I'm somewhat talking in code, but sometimes the government instills fear for no reason, for unjust reasons. So this was the exact reality for the early church.
Speaker 1:I talked about how the Roman Empire persecuted Christians. It was corrupt. In fact, the emperor at the time, or the ruler at the time, nero, was one of the most violent and unstable leaders in history. He was famous for his cruelty. He murdered his own wife, his mother, and he persecuted Christians. Yet Paul still called the church to subject themselves to governing authorities, not because Nero was righteous, but because God had ordained the government to maintain peace and order.
Speaker 1:Romans 12, 17 through 21,. Paul says Hinge yourselves. Instead, leave room for God's wrath, because it is written vengeance belongs to me. I will repay, it, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for in doing so you'll reap, for in doing so you will be heaping fiery coals on his head Human nature is, especially when we're wronged. It tells us to retaliate, but Paul, in Romans 12, clearly says that vengeance is not our role. It belongs to God, and so that's hard. Romans 13, 4 just reminds us that the government doesn't carry power or the sword for no reason to punish. It's God's servant and avenger to bring wrath on the wrongdoer.
Speaker 1:As Christians, though, we're called to trust that God's ordained authority through the government. We're called to trust God's ordained authority through the government rather than taking matters into our own hands. Now, I know this is hard, especially in our context. If you haven't noticed, I am black, and in black culture I was raised with the belief that you always fight back. In fact, my mom, she, used to tell me if anyone hits you, you better hit them back, and if you don't, you're going to have to deal with me, and so this was true. I'll spare a story, but she locked me out of the house one time because she wanted me to fight back for someone that I was afraid of. Um, so, but what she was doing? She wanted to ensure that, uh, I wasn't raised to be someone that was easily bullied. She was trying to teach me self defense and to stand my ground.
Speaker 1:But, as, as Christians, we have a different belief. We're concerned with a bigger picture. We're concerned with a bigger picture. We're concerned with kingdom advancement. We're not just concerned with settling personal scores or winning small battles. We're focused on breaking the cycle of evil. Paul calls us to something higher, something that transcends our nature. We're to leave vengeance to God's hands and trust his justice. I'm feeling a little bit Pentecostal. Can you turn to your neighbor and say righteousness exposes injustice. When someone wrongs, you touch your neighbor. When someone wrongs you and you respond with love and forgiveness, it often convicts them and opens doors to reconciliation. It's what Jesus modeled for us. When he was abused and mistreated and wronged, he didn't respond evil for evil. Instead, he went to the cross and died for the very people that persecuted him. That's the radical nature of the kingdom.
Speaker 1:John Lewis shares in his book Across the Bridge talks about the civil rights movement, how they were often confronted with violence, and yet they chose a non-violent resistance. Why? Why would they do that? Because they knew their mission was bigger than responding hate for hate. They were exposing injustice through righteousness, fighting for justice, peace and reconciliation, even when their own lives were at risk. They trusted that the government, though it was unjust in many cases, was still a part of God's sovereign's plan. And in peaceful protest, they were calling out the government.
Speaker 1:We don't sit back passively when wrong is being done. The passage says that the government is God's servant. That means that they also sit under God's authority and God's rule. They have a purpose, which is to bring about peace and justice, and when the government fails to do so, they're putting themselves in direct opposition to God. So this is why we have the responsibility to advocate for justice, stand up for what's right. We can hold the government accountable when they fail to uphold their duty to uphold peace. So again, what does this look like for us? We submit to the government as God's ordained authority to bring about peace and justice. We don't take vengeance into our own hands, trusting that God's system of judgment will ultimately prevail. We choose the higher path of love and forgiveness when wronged, which can convict others and lead them to reconciliation. It's not always easy to live this out, but as we do so, we're participating in God's kingdom work, just like John Lewis did when he marched and just like Jesus did when he died on the cross. And when the government falls short of its responsibility. We're to trust God's justice to ultimately prevail. We continue to seek peace, to stand for righteousness and to live in a way that reflects God's kingdom.
Speaker 1:All right, I'm going to do something. You don't have to raise your hand, but just know I know. Have you ever driven next to a police officer and you notice you're not wearing a seatbelt and you do this thing like you try to grab the seatbelt at the bottom and like put the seatbelt on and slide it on so you don't be so you're not seen? Have you ever done that? A fun fact when I was a kid I actually did that. The officer saw, pulled my mom over and I got the ticket and I had to do community service. Yeah, I was in Houston. I'm just exposing myself to y'all. Um, what about this? Have you done this? Have you been on your phone, maybe texting or on a phone call, and you see an officer and you try to put it in your lap without being noticed? You don't have to admit it, I know you've done it. What about this one? Maybe you're going a little bit fast and you see a cop just parked on the side and you try to tap your brakes. You don't want to press it too hard because you don't want to seem like you're braking real quick and you don't want to seem like you're looking like you were speeding in the first place, but you tap it and you slow down. Have you done this before? You got that on camera? I got blackmail on all of you guys.
Speaker 1:So even these small things that we do every day, they violate the law that God ordains us to submit to. We're called to, even in these things, be in submission to Christ. I'm preaching to myself here. We honor God when we honor order, when we do things out of rebellion, we're begging for justice to be served. I think of, I think for us, many of the problems that we face is we do the small things and think we don't get caught and think God doesn't see those. But he does. We might try to justify it, but what God means when he says we're to submit, it's even in the things that we deem as small. I don't know about you, but I don't want to face God's wrath when we're the unjust party.
Speaker 1:So, as we reflect, the role of the government is to bring about peace and justice. We understand that our submission is not passive, it's not about passive obedience, but it's a posture that we are to take. We're trusting that God has a sovereign plan and he's created all things and he's redeeming all things to himself over time. We submit because we recognize that it's been ordained by God to carry out his purposes. The government and when the government does its job, it's a tool. It's a tool for justice and order in the world. Paul doesn't call us to just submit. In an abstract sense, though, he tells us that a part of our role in supporting the system is ensuring that it can continue to do its work. Which brings me to my third and final point the role of the government.
Speaker 1:The government is a minister of God. Therefore, like other ordained officials of God, we must give to them all that is owed to ensure its sustainability. Verse 6 says this. And for this reason, you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's servants continually attending to these tasks. Pay your obligations to everyone Taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor and honor to those you owe honor.
Speaker 1:This text makes it clear Since authorities are God's ministers who give their full time to governing, that means that, as citizens of God's kingdom, we have a role in supporting the government Financially To help maintain peace and justice. Those who serve the community, whether pastors or government officials, are to be financially supported by those that they serve. Government officials are ministers of God who dedicate their time to civil service, and taxes are collected to sustain these operations. Paul compares the tithe system, which supports spiritual, spiritual matters, to the tax system, which supports civil. Both are necessary for our well-being and for the functioning of our society. The government sustains systems that allow our cities and our states and our countries to function, and this requires communal giving. And this requires communal giving.
Speaker 1:While there are certainly underserved communities, paul emphasizes that, as believers, we still must fulfill our role in supporting the system. We have to fulfill our role. The state has a responsibility to God and will ultimately answer to him for any injustice and injustice or mismanagement. As believers, we call out injustice and corruption. We advocate for a reform where necessary, we advocate for our communities and our cities. We advocate for the allocation of funds. We can even be a part of the government. We can be a part of our PTA associations. We can have a part in a say, we can vote. We have a say in our government. We have the right to speak up and hold the government accountable when it falls short.
Speaker 1:I'm getting ready to close soon. Uh, martin. Martin lloyd jones says uh, jews in rome struggled to accept roman rule because of their belief that kings should be chosen from their own people. This is in reference to Deuteronomy 17, 15. The teaching was meant to ensure that God's law was upheld, but it also created tension when Gentiles were in authority. For Jews, it was a challenge to accept non-Jews as rulers over them. Paul calls us to a new unity, a new identity in Christ together, one that includes both Jew and Gentiles under God's authority. And so we're called to submit. Honoring God includes honoring the government and paying what we owe to the officials, what we pay to the officials who dedicate their lives to the greater good of the community. All right, as I close.
Speaker 1:By nature, we are unable to fulfill God's commands. Just as a dog barks, we sin. By nature. No matter how hard we try, we fall short. Paul reminds us that without Christ, we are slaves to sin, incapable of saving ourselves. Sin incapable of saving ourselves.
Speaker 1:But this is where our hope lies, friends. God, in his infinite wisdom and sovereignty, knew our hopelessness and had a plan to rescue us. The plan was costly. Jesus, the perfect and sinless one, took upon himself the death that we deserve because of our sin. And in the same way that the government is established to maintain order and justice, jesus came to establish a greater eternal kingdom, one where justice, mercy and peace reign.
Speaker 1:And just as we honor and support the system that sustains our society, we're called to honor the ultimate authority, christ, who gave his life to restore us to God. Our hope is that, while we fall short in our responsibilities at times to honor the government and to honor each other, that Christ has perfectly fulfilled God's plan for us. His sacrifice enables us to live out our calling with a renewed heart, empowered by his grace. Let us remember that the ultimate reason we honor the government and all appointed authority is not just for earthly peace, but to honor the one who saved us and called us to a greater purpose. We honor God in all that we do, giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Let me pray for us, father, god, thank you. Thank you for your kingdom.