Grace and peace to you, Church. Thank you, Brandon and Robin, for allowing me to preach the word this morning. If you would turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13, we'll be looking at verses one through seven. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. That's the way I feel this morning. So as you get there, we'll read the text and we'll pray. Romans chapter 13 beginning in verse one. Let every person be subject to the 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 good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is an authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. for he is the 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 for the authorities or ministers of God attending to this very thing. Page all what is owed to them. Taxes to whom taxes are owed. Revenue to whom revenue is owed. Respect to whom respect is owed. Honor to whom honor is owed. Let's pray together. Lord, we are in need of much light this morning from your Holy Spirit. From your word. The unfolding of your word gives us light, Lord, and we need divine assistance to understand these things. Much is going on in our culture. Much has gone on in our lives over the last few years that has made us recalibrate, maybe has even challenged our understanding of our duties under the kingdoms of this world. Lord, would you grant the hearers ears to hear minds to understand and submissive hearts to the word? These things are very challenging, Lord. And would you grant the preacher this morning unction? Would you grant the preacher humility? And would you help his words to be clear in Christ's name? I pray. Amen. Well, there's an old maxim that is universally known in our culture. It's a maxim that if you transgress it, it will take the oxygen right out of the room. It'll make the food in your mouth taste bitter. What's that maxim? Never discuss politics at a dinner party. A man's religious beliefs are as deeply personal to him as his political beliefs. Both touch the government of man. Touching upon these things touches upon his very soul. Both touch the core issues that he's reluctant to give up, personal autonomy, personal sovereignty. These topics expose the philosophical outlook of a man's life. They are pervasive in everything. They touch the throne of his heart. But if not handled correctly, these things can lead to diabolical results. How then is a Christian to view politics? More specifically, how is the Christian to view government? Is it per se sinful, as some in the Christian tradition have said in the past? Is the government sovereign apart from God? Where does government get its authority? Does government, according to America's founding document, truly derive its, quote, just powers from the consent of the governed? Or is it something altogether different? What if we disagree with our government? What if the government becomes destructive to the ends of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Is this a social contract that we can break? Does the Christian have a right to revolution? The text before us has much to say regarding man's responsibility to the government and what the government is. It's a controversial text. It's widely debated in the Christian world. And there are many, many interpretations out there. The basics, I think, are generally agreed upon. In most cases, we would agree that the central and basic fact of this text encourages obedience to the civil authorities. There's much to be said about those things generally. But there is, however, a central question to which I'm convinced this text drives us to answer. It's a question Paul was dealing with in the life of the Roman church. It is the question of armed revolt against the government. The question of revolution is the main point of this passage. Any other teaching you read, any other commentary you read, any other sermon you hear, that leaves that fact out has missed the point. Is all revolution forbidden by God in this passage? Well, what we're going to do in the next 45 minutes is solve all the world's problems, and in five points. So we're going to cover this text in five points. Most of you have an outline, right? I put a lot of stuff on there. I know it looks intimidating, but I want you to be able to go home and wrestle with this, okay? I don't want you to miss this, okay? So we're going to cover our text in five points. First, we're going to talk about the duty prescribed to the Christian. Second, we're going to talk about the command grounded. Third, the exception granted. Fourth, the warning stated. And fifth, the ultimate example given. I hope you know where we're going by that last point. Well, as we seek to understand the context of Paul's instruction, there's a few facts that we need to know about the background, the milieu of the Roman church. What historically identifiable circumstances threatened the church such that Paul was moved to speak in this way? Well, we need to look no further than the New Testament. Thank you, Jason. We learn from the early pages of the New Testament if you're paying attention as you read, that Jewish zealotry had a serious issue with the rights of the Roman government. It was posing problems to the Christians in Rome. Jews had a generally rebellious attitude toward Rome. This was the context in which our Lord ministered. One writer puts it this way, he ministered in a context of open conflict between Palestine and Rome and frequent eruptions of particular acts of revolutionary violence against Rome by the National Liberation Movement. The Jews did not know how to live well in light of that government. Think of this. In John 8, the pride of the Jews made them admit they were the offspring of Abraham and they had never been enslaved to anyone. Right. They had itching questions for Jesus regarding taxes over and over again. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? These questions were meant to trap him between governmental authority and ecclesiastical authority. There were several seditious movements recorded in the Book of Acts. Jews rose up against Roman rule. Acts chapter five is one such place. In Acts 18.22, Acts 18.2, forgive me, Acts 18.2, Claudius commanded all Jews to leave Rome because of insurrection. Deeply embedded in this was probably a proof texting by these zealots. You know, all those zealous fringe groups have their proof texts. Deuteronomy 17.15. You may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother. And then finally, for your consideration, think about Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 on retaliation. It's a direct reference to civil law. These interactions with the authorities and with the people show a deeply flawed Jewish mindset. You've heard it was said of old, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, but I say to you, these instructions are not simply a correction without a context. The teaching found as its background the Roman occupancy of the Jewish state. Now during the writing of Romans, there were around 50,000 Jews in Rome, and many were Christians. Jewish nationalism and its ideas can be seen as a large part of the context behind Paul's instructions to the Romans. Think about Romans 14, about not passing judgment on a brother regarding his diet. Those things were working in the church at the time. Not only this, but Christians generally may have struggled to hold right views of freedom. After all, we confess the kingship of Christ, right? The lordship of Jesus. What we need to do is we need to draw the line and have a distinction in our minds between disobedience to the government, which loyalty to Christ would demand, think of Acts chapter five, and obedience to the government, which the same loyalty to Christ requires. So getting these distinctions right in our brains is very important for living rightly in a fallen world. So we've arrived at the central question. Is armed revolution permitted by God for the Christian? Now answering this question I hope will help us answer many other questions and especially give us the ability to give an answer to the culture. We've seen the news. Brian Kemp deploys or at least makes ready 1,000 National Guard for the riots in Atlanta. I don't think those Humvees were armed with biblical counselors. Those men had guns and for a reason. So I believe this to be the main point Paul is addressing in this text. So let's get to it. First of all, I want you to see the duty prescribed to us as Christians. Romans 13.1. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. So who is in view in this text? It's every person. Paul is addressing the whole of humanity here. No person is outside of his view. No person is exempt. Every person in every country would do well to heed these words. It's a comprehensive expression. That means Christians and ministers of the gospel are not outside of this instruction because they call Christ Lord and King. What is being taught by Paul here applies to all people at all times in all circumstances. There is no more of a universal phrase that he could use to address every person. And that every man is addressed, if you look in verse two, is also backed up by the fact that he says, whoever resists the authorities. Paul has all persons without distinction in view here. So who's in view? It's every person. What then is our duty? Well, the text says, be subject to the governing authorities. Now this universal phrase of all people without exception is married to this all-encompassing duty that we have to render to the governing authorities. Everyone without exception is by the command of God to be subject to the existing governing authorities. The clue as to what this means lies in the word subjection. Now this word, subjection, is a word that's more inclusive than the word obedience. Obedience is implied in the word subjection, but these two words are not synonymous, and we can't get this mixed up. Some of you may read this text like this. Let every person be obedient to the governing authorities. And later in the passage, therefore whoever disobeys, disobeys what God has appointed. That's not what the Bible says. These words are different and we need to make a distinction. So we cannot equate subjection and obedience. That would be a very superficial reading of our text. So what are the contours of this subjection? What does Paul mean, let every person be subject? This is a popular word in other places in the New Testament. Demons are subject to the disciples in Luke 10. The hostile mind is not subject to God's law in Romans 8. The father has put all things in subjection to Christ in 1 Corinthians 15. It's a word that's used with reference to a child's subjection to their parents, Luke 2.51. A wife's subjection to their husband, Ephesians 5.22. A slave's subjection to his master, Titus 2.9. Subjection refers then to a sphere or realm or boundaries in which one finds themselves. We all live in various God-ordained spheres in our life. Each sphere has its own set of rules. Some call this sphere sovereignty. I don't know if you've heard that word before, sphere sovereignty. But all spheres find themselves under God. Children are to be under the sphere of parental authority. A wife is to be under the sphere of her own husband's authority. A slave is to be under the sphere of their master's authority. So subjection deals with the sphere under which the Lord has placed us. Paul is dealing with the sphere of governmental authority. Now maybe an example to kind of distinguish a subjection and obedience would be helpful here. A wife is called to be in subjection to her husband, Ephesians 5.22. That's plain. This is the sphere in which she has been called by God to live with her husband. There are a very limited set of circumstances in which she is out from under that sphere. Death and divorce are two of them. Within that sphere are house rules. Laws, we could say. She's called to willing, calm, accepting acquiescence of her subordinate role in the marriage relationship. Insubordination would be to reject that sphere of authority, step out from under that sphere, and seek to establish her own authority. Think Genesis 3.16. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband. You know the rest of the verse. But he shall rule over you. If she refuses to sin against God at the request of her husband, she is being disobedient, not insubordinate. She's operating within the sphere of subordination, yet disobeying because of the threat of sin. I hope you see the difference there. She's not stepping outside of and establishing her own authority, but she can be disobedient when requested to sin. So we see this in biblical figures as well. Think about Daniel in Babylon. Brandon's been preaching through Daniel. Daniel was led into captivity. He not only recognized the rule set over him, but when threatened with death, he did not reply with the sword, but he replied with prudence and discretion. He didn't reply with the supernatural gift of a prophet. He replied with the supernatural gift of wisdom. granted to him by the Holy Spirit. He became a ruler over the entire province of Babylon, some 200,000 people under his care. He became a chief prefect over the wise men of Babylon, Daniel 2. He had people and control of the king's informants. Surely he had a following. Surely he had power. Surely he could have mustered the sword and armed himself for revolution. After all, he was in captivity, but he didn't. We never read of Daniel the revolutionary. We read of Daniel the servant. We see him subordinate to the governing authorities and extremely useful because of that. That point cannot be missed. Extremely useful because of that. Think about David and Saul. Did David have every opportunity to end Saul's reign by the sword? Yes, he did. He spared Saul's life again and again. When David found Saul, a man who had pursued his life over and over and over and over, in a position to be easily defeated and overthrown by the sword, what does 1 Samuel 24 tell us about David's response? David arose. stealthily cut off the corner of Saul's robe. And afterward, think about this, David's heart was struck within him because he had cut off the corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men who were with him, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my Lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed. So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left and went his way. David recognized who Saul was in light of God's appointment and who he was as a man in subjection to the governing authorities. How many of us would be struck in the heart if a man put their hand against the current president? Do we have the attitude of David? Do we disagree with the man? Would we be struck in the heart as David was? How many of us would find it distasteful that someone we know has such a high view of the current government? David called Saul the Lord's anointed. Could we even stomach such a thought without impatiently writing them off as a capitulator to the left? Only a high view of God's appointment of the governing authorities persuaded David's men to turn back when they held Saul's life in their very hands. I wonder what it'll take to end our grumbling against the government. I think a right view of God's appointment does such a thing. So there's other examples. Paul's death in Rome is another. But let us move forward. The point is this. Every person, without exception, is to render willingly universal, unconditional subordination to the governing authorities in all lawful civil matters. That's a mouthful. Let me read that again. Every person, without exception, is to render willingly universal and unconditional subordination to the governing authorities in all lawful civil matters. Our confession says as much. I'm not saying anything new. Now, this word, subjection, is kind of further clarified by some other words in our passage. In verse 2, we're called, in verse 1, I'm sorry, we're called to be subject to the governing authorities. But in first verse two, Paul says, whoever resists the authorities, he used that word, he uses that word twice in the verse there, whoever resists the authorities. Now, each of these words is a little different in the original. one carries with it a stronger idea than just disobedience. It means to set oneself against the authority, to place oneself outside of that authority and against that authority. Now, amplifying this, he goes on in that later reference in verse two, those who resist will incur judgment. This is a very, very clear word used throughout the scriptures. Not only are we warned not to resist, but Paul warns us not to resist in defiance and armed attack. That's what that second word means, resist. That word is used throughout the Old Testament. and the New Testament, and it means overwhelmingly armed defiance and attack. So let's look at the verse again. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed, and those who resist armed attack will incur judgment. The point is clear. Resistance in both instances is not a synonym for simple disobedience, just as subordination is not a synonym for obedience. We can't equate these terms. So, resistance is not a petition to remedy your grievances with the government. That's not what Paul's talking about here. Resistance is not civil disobedience. That's not what Paul's talking about here. Resistance here overwhelmingly, both in New Testament and old, refers to armed rebellion. Couple these facts with the reference to the remedy for that rebellion. What does the text say? What's the instrument the government bears and he doesn't bear it in vain? What does it say? The sword, right? The sword. Now that would seem like a very heavy handed answer if we're simply talking about a redress of grievances, a peaceful protest. He bears not the sword in vain because he will not be attacked by armed revolution and sit back quietly. The point is clear. Jesus put it plainly to a very popular and zealous disciple of his own. Put your sword back into its place, Peter, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. As one theologian states, subjection then, in this passage, is intended primarily as a prohibition of armed rebellion. Subjection is virtuous. Resistance is vice. Paul's teaching is clear. Calvin remarks on this passage, he says this, by refusing the yoke of government, the Christians would have given the Gentiles no small occasion for reproaching them. And indeed, the Jews were especially hated and counted infamous for this reason, because they were regarded on account of their perverseness as ungovernable. And as the commotions which they raised up in the provinces were cause of great calamities, so that everyone of a quiet and peaceful disposition dreaded them as a plague. Not my president is not a Christian response. Well, this presents some very challenging and I think unavoidable things we must square with regarding the governing authorities. Neither the form of the government nor the legitimacy of the government, nor the morality of the government, frees us from our subordination to them and grants us the right to armed rebellion. The form doesn't matter. Whether you think it's legitimate or not doesn't matter. And its immoral actions don't matter in regard to your subordination. Thinking of the form, think of this. The Roman Christians at the time were under a despot. We are free men living in a constitutional republic. Many Christians over the last 2,000 years have lived and are living right now under various circumstances. Some live under atheistic communism. Others live under a monarchy. Still others live in a tribal chieftain environment. This is a plain understanding of the sovereignty and providence of God. God makes nations at 1726. Job confessed the very same thing. He makes nations great, he destroys them, he enlarges nations, and he leads them away. Whatever form of government has been instituted by God, the command remains, let every person be subject. What about its legitimacy? Subjection to the governing authorities does not include only legitimately constituted authority. You may say, well, a government comes about and it was an illegitimate establishment of the government. I don't have to bow to that. By whatever means the current government attained power, the Christian is to be in subjection. Again, Caesar, subverted the laws of his own country. He took it from a republic to an empire. The government shifted from representative democracy during, a little bit before this time, but it shifted from a representative democracy to an imperial authority. In our situation, it would be something like this. We go from a constitutional republic back to a monarchy. Yet Jesus recognized Caesar's authority as legitimate from God. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. So the legitimacy of the government did not matter to Paul because it did not matter to the Lord. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. Think about this, Nebuchadnezzar brought Judah into captivity. Do we read of Daniel, again, the Jewish revolutionary? We read of the servant of God. We read in Jeremiah, Jeremiah's instruction to the captives, seek the welfare of the city where I've sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find welfare. What greater occasion to reject the authority of the government than life in a purely pagan city which had overrun your homeland, forced you into captivity, and into a totally new lifestyle? What greater opportunity could you reason for to say, it's time for revolution, boys? And you don't see Daniel doing it. Daniel didn't live this way. His company didn't live this way. Daniel did not live by the sword. And again, he advanced the kingdom of God powerfully. So the legitimacy of the government is no matter to Paul. The command remains, let every person be subject. Well, what about its morality? Maybe you've followed me so far. Kind of turned up the heat. This may be where you're like, Scott, I'm off the wagon. I'm out of here. The immoral behavior of the governing authorities has no bearing on the subjection to them. It must be remembered. Think about this. Paul wrote these words under one of the worst governments that ever existed. The government that shed his own blood. I think the scripture is plain. The heart of a king is a streams of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever he wills. What does a king do apart from the decree of God? Nothing. Job, again, recognized this. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people and makes them wander in trackless waste. They grope in darkness without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. Nebuchadnezzar was told this very thing in a dream. Let his mind be changed from a man's and let a beast's mind be given to him. Now what effect do you think that would have on those under his government? What's the point? What's the point? When you think the government has lost its mind, When the other political party has the mind of a beast and is morally bankrupt, that's God's work. That's God's work. The command stands. Let every person be subject. The form of the government is no mind to Paul. The legitimacy of the government is no mind. and the immoral nature of the government is no mind. This is the duty prescribed. Now, what's the command grounded in? Those are some pretty stern things to say. Why would Paul speak in such a way? The command grounded. Paul grounds these commands in the nature of governing authority itself. Now, several things can be mentioned from our text. Think about the government's origin. First one, there is no authority except from man. Sorry, let me read that again. There is no authority except from God, from God. Every civil authority under heaven is in view. Men don't make governments. God does. The fact is clarified by how he designates the government. He calls them, he says they are instituted and appointed by him. Look at verses one and two. Those that exist have been instituted by God. Verse two, they resist what God has appointed. Governing authorities are instituted and appointed by God, installed by Him, directed by Him over you and over me. They're not just permitted to rule, they're instituted by God to do so. What about the title of the government? Look at verses two, four, and six. The governing authorities are called by the appointment of God, the servant of God, and the minister of God. He's the diakonos. That's the Greek word there. You hear that word? Deacon? He's the diakonos, the deacon of God. He's to attend to the job God has appointed. He's to be the servant of good, to bear the sword against revolt. He's later called the minister of God, different word, which means he doesn't operate on his own dime. This is the reason we pay taxes. First Corinthians nine nine, I think is very plain. You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. Not only do pastors share this rightful claim, but those in civil authority, their God ordained title proves to be as much. What about its fear? We've covered this a little bit. Our own confession says that the government is given under God, over the people. This means that God-ordained government has a responsibility to God in obedience as to how they rule. Think of Psalm 2, kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. The sphere that the government has been given is the civil sphere, and its power is the power of the sword. Swords do not train children. Swords do not advance the kingdom of God. Swords do not bring repentance to wayward Christians. Swords have one governmental use, to be an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer, verse four. So the origin, the title, the sphere, the power of the governing authorities are clearly spelled out by Paul. And this is the grounds by which we offer subjection to the governing authorities. This is the command grounded. Now I know what you've been saying. I've been having a conversation with you this whole time, though you've not said a word. Ah ha ha ha, what about that exception? There's gotta be something there. Well, there is, so hold your horses. It's not explicitly stated in our text, but there is an exception. Subjection is not completely unqualified. We must answer there is one exception, there's one circumstance warranted by God and blessed by God, which allows us to step out from under the sphere or jurisdiction of the governing authorities. Can anyone guess what that is? It's when the government compels us and requires us to do anything contrary to God's law. We strictly charge you not to teach in the name of Christ, they say. We must obey God rather than men, we say. The one exception, think about this, beloved, the one exception highlights the all encompassing nature of what Paul means by subjection. You may come up with 50,000 reasons to be insubordinate to the government. The scriptures only give one. Are they commanding you to sin against God? This is a broad thing. So that's the exception. But listen to the warning, verse two. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. It shouldn't be a shocking thing to say, but Paul says it here. Resistance to the governing authorities is resistance to God. If they're established by him, then resisting them is resisting him. I think that's the plain meaning of the text. If you are insubordinate, stepping out from under their governing authority, taking up arms in revolution, you do not have the blessing of God. And you must not expect anything other than judgment. The end of verse two says it. Those who resist will incur judgment. Now, verses 3 through 5, spell that out a little more. He says, rulers are a terror to bad conduct, verse 3. You should fear when taking up arms in revolution, verses 3 and 4. The authorities do not approve of revolution, verse 3. And think about this. It's not ultimately the wrath of man being poured out on revolutionaries. What does the text say it is? It's the wrath of God. It's the wrath of God. Now Calvin says this, as no one can resist God but to his own ruin, he threatens that they shall not be unpunished who in this respect oppose the providence of God. You see how he frames that? You are here in this country under the providence of God. Christians in China are in that country by the providence of God. Let us beware, lest we incur this denunciation. Armed revolution against government, from what I can tell, is never painted in a positive light in scripture. Never. God condemns revolution full stop. Now, I know that puts me at odds with a lot of things you've learned in American history. But that is the warning stated. And that's the things we need to wrestle with. Well, as we bring it to a close, I know I've given you a lot. I want to give you the ultimate example, okay? If we've wiggled in our seats concerning these things, I get it. But I want to put before you the consideration of the one who exemplifies everything I just said. There is no disconnect between Paul's theology here and what you see in the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In his person and in his work, we see nothing more than these things lived out. What we find in Paul, Jesus taught. But think about this, he not only taught it, he lived it. He lived it. Think about this. Not only during his betrayal does he renounce the sword, put your sword into its sheath. In John 18, he tells Peter, shall I not drink the cup that the father has given me? But later, before Pilate, he does the very same thing. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, what would his servants do? They would fight. that I might not be delivered to the Jews, but my kingdom is not from this world. And at the end of his life, as he's delivered to be crucified, we read these words. So Pilate said to him, you will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you? And Jesus replies, you would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Did our Lord not acknowledge governmental authorities from God? Indeed, he did. Did our Lord not acknowledge governmental authority has the power of the sword? Indeed, he did. Did he not subject himself to the governing authorities? Indeed, he did to fulfill all righteousness. Was he not suffering the greatest injustice known to man in all of this? He was, and souls were saved because of it. As one theologian has rightly put his finger on the issue, and I'll close here, If Jesus would not permit the use of the sword to prevent the greatest injustice of all time, his own crucifixion, then what occasion may justify armed revolt against existing authorities? Let me ask that question again. If Jesus would not permit the use of the sword to prevent the greatest injustice of all time, an innocent man dying at the hands of the state, then what occasion may justify, in your mind, armed revolt against existing authorities? Please tell me, because I can't find one. We must answer this question. We must answer it heartily and we must answer it without wavering. This category has to be nailed down in your mind because whatever answer you give may be the occasion of great harm or of great blessing. This is a hard saying, beloved. Who can hear it? Let's pray together. Lord, the consideration of these things challenge our flesh. Challenges are loyalties. It challenges our view of what we value most. I pray Lord that you would correct us where we are, where we fall short in our thinking on these things, where we value the earthly things more than the heavenly things. We Lord want to give a good answer. An answer. in our conscience that we have been subject to the governing authorities. Would you grant us understanding of these things and please forgive our sins in Christ's name? Amen.