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Sermon #3332

Relationships

A Sermon on Romans 13:1-7

Originally preached Nov. 18, 1966

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Scripture

Romans 13:1-7 ESV KJV
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 …

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Sermon Description

What are the Christian’s duties and responsibilities to government and the state? In this sermon on Romans 13:1–7 titled “Relationships,” this is the perplexing question that Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to address. While Christians are citizens of heaven and the kingdom of God, they still live on Earth and are subject to the earthly authorities. When believers disobey the government or refuse to honor earthly powers on the basis of their new citizenship in the kingdom of God, they bring dishonor to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians must seek to be faithful to God by obeying his commandments rather than humanity’s, but they also are to live at peace with all. Many Christians have misunderstood this teaching and brought contempt to the name of Christ. Paul says that the government is a minister of God to bring about righteousness. When the government commands what is not contrary to Scripture, Christians should obey and live as good citizens. Natural relations are not destroyed by a believer’s new relationship with God, but it encourages believers to live in a peaceful way as far as they can. This is ultimately so that God is glorified and honored by the lives of Christians in all aspects of life.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul is continuing his teaching from Romans 12 about living peaceably with others.
  2. This section on submitting to governing authorities is a logical continuation of Paul's discussion on not taking vengeance and allowing God to punish wrongdoing.
  3. Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, including both Jews and Gentiles. Many Jews struggled with submitting to Roman rule, as the Old Testament said they should only submit to a Jewish king.
  4. Many early Christians thought their faith dissolved natural human relationships and roles, like the relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, or master and servant. Paul has to correct this view.
  5. Paul discusses the Christian's relationship to the state to provide guidance on living in the world, the extent of subjection to rulers, potential rebellion, capital punishment, pacifism, church-state relations, the role of government, and more.
  6. Paul's argument for submitting to governing authorities:
  7. They are established by God (v. 1)
  8. Rebelling against them is rebelling against God (v. 2)
  9. No need to fear them if you do good (v. 3)
  10. They are God's servants for good (v. 4)
  11. Subjection is a matter of conscience, not just fear of punishment (v. 5)
  12. They serve God by promoting order and justice (v. 6)
  13. Pay what is owed: taxes, revenue, respect, honor (v. 7)

Sermon Q&A

Key Questions About Romans 13 and the Christian's Relationship to the State

What is the relationship between Romans 13:1-7 and the surrounding passages?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the concern that Romans 13:1-7 might be an intrusion or interruption in Paul's flow of thought. According to him, this section is actually a natural continuation of Paul's teaching in chapter 12, particularly regarding:

"The apostle is still continuing the teaching which we've been considering in chapter twelve. The great thing in chapter twelve from verse 14 onwards was the importance of living peaceably with other people. One of the great functions of the state is to enable us to live peaceably with one another, to maintain order, to avoid disorder."

Why did Paul need to address the Christian's relationship to the state?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul addressed this topic for several important reasons:

  1. Jewish Christians had difficulty submitting to non-Jewish authorities due to their understanding of Deuteronomy 17:15
  2. Christians often misunderstood their "heavenly citizenship" to mean they were exempt from earthly authority
  3. Some believed that Christianity abolished all natural distinctions (male/female, master/servant, citizen/state)
  4. The apocalyptic expectation of Christ's imminent return led some to disregard earthly affairs entirely

He notes: "We have this curious notion that Christianity dissolves and does away with the natural relationships... if our citizenship is in heaven, it can't be on earth."

What major questions does Romans 13:1-7 address for Christians today?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several crucial questions this passage helps answer:

  1. "How does a Christian live in this world while he is still left in it?"
  2. "What is the Christian's duty towards the state? What is the extent of his subjection to the state? What is the limit of his subjection to the state?"
  3. "What should be the Christian's view on the question of capital punishment?"
  4. "What is the Christian's relationship to fighting for his state and in the interests of his state?"
  5. "What is the exact relationship between the Christian church and the state?"
  6. "What is the function of governments and of states?"

What is Paul's main argument regarding submission to government?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines Paul's main injunction and the reasons supporting it:

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers." The reasons include: 1. "The powers that be are ordained of God" (positive reason) 2. Resisting these powers means resisting God and bringing punishment on oneself (negative reason) 3. There's no need to fear authorities if we obey them 4. The state and its powers are "ministers of God" for our good 5. Our subjection should be based not just on fear but on understanding God's purposes 6. This understanding is the basis for paying taxes 7. We should "render therefore to all their dues"

He concludes: "These are some of the great questions that arise here... We should have views on all these things. Here we are given enlightened instruction and at the same time are told very plainly that we should have views on it and should know exactly what we believe."

The Book of Romans

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.