CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT

ROMANS 13:1

A. "LET EVERY SOUL BE SUBJECT UNTO THE HIGHER POWERS. FOR THERE IS NO POWER BUT OF GOD; THE POWERS THAT BE ARE ORDAINED OF GOD"
  1. The admonition of our text is timely and deserves our prayerful consideration:
    1. Paul, that wise builder, affirms that civil government is ordained of God
    2. That Christians must be subject to the powers that be
  2. That civil government:
    1. Is one of the Divine functions to protect them that are good
    2. And it is to deter those who are evil B. THE CHRISTIAN AS A CITIZEN
  3. Recognizes the necessity of government:
    1. There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God
    2. This is not to be understood that every ruler is ordained of God; the Pharaoh's that persecuted God's people were not ordained of God
    3. It does mean, however, that God ordained government to serve His purpose
  4. Civil government serves a threefold purpose:
    1. For the protection of life and property
    2. For the repression of crime
    3. Governors, writes Peter, are appointed for the punishment of evil doers" - I Pet. 2:14. For the rewarding and encouragement of virtues
    4. "Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same."
  5. Christians recognize the responsibility of rulers:
    1. They are called "ministers of God"; Examples: God spoke of Cyrus as, "my shepherds, and shall perform all my pleasure" - Is. 44:28
    2. It is one of our civil duties to pray for our rulers - I Tim. 2:1-2; Ezra 6:10; 7:23
    3. The good of the ruler has always been the deep desire of God's people; Daniel's attitude is a worthy example - Dan. 4:19; 6:10
    4. We must ever keep in mind that God is still governor among the nations Ps. 22:28; Dan. 5:21 C. THE CHRISTIAN RECOGNIZES HIS OWN RESPONSIBILITY IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT
  6. Note these instructions:
    1. Obedience to law and order - "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers" Rom. 13:1
    2. Said Jesus to the Jews, "Render, therefore, to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor" (v. 7)
  7. Particular exceptions:
    1. No public edict has a right to coerce any man's conscience
    2. Let the ruler attempt to promulgate a law that sins against obedience to God's moral law, a line must be drawn; Examples: When Nebuchadnezzar sought to force the three Hebrews to worship the image he had made, they refused and rightly so - Dan. 3:17-22; when Darius forbade the worship of the God of heaven for a period of thirty days, Daniel ignored the decree and rightly so - Dan. 6:10-22. When the rulers of the Jews attempted to stop the preaching of Christ, the apostles refused and rightly so - Acts 4:19; 5:29
  8. Thus the Bible draws a line between our duties toward civil power and those to God alone:
    1. If a civil law seeks to cause me to transgress the higher law, my moral duties to God; it is clear that I must not yield my loyalty to God under any circumstances
    2. But so long as the civil law remains in it's God directed sphere, we must be subject to such a law; and a true Christian will be a loyal citizen
  9. The Christian conscience and civil government:
    1. A bible Christian thanks God for the care and protection given to him by the civil power
    2. It is the intent of a true Christian to be a law-abiding citizen
    3. But if and when civil government attempts to interfere between the Christian and God, then the answer of the Christian must be, "We ought to obey God rather than man"


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