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Sermon #3333

Subject to Government

A Sermon on Romans 13:1-7

Scripture

Romans 13:1-7 ESV NASB 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

How are Christians supposed to read the Bible? If there are many different views on what the Bible says, how are they to know the right interpretation? The answer is that they must read the Bible as one work of God. In the sermon on Romans 13:1–7 titled “Subject to Government,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that this is because the only way to understand Scripture properly is by taking a holistic approach to everything that God has revealed. Christians should not use philosophy to create doctrine but doctrine is to come from the text. With all these things in mind, Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to expound the biblical view of government. He says that the submission to authorities and powers that the apostle Paul speaks of is not slavish servitude, but godly submission to the authorities that God has ordained for their good and the good of all people. In this attitude, Christians are to seek to live in peace with all those around them in a way that brings honor to Christ and his gospel. God in his providence has put magistrates in place as a means of restraining sin and evil in the world, though they are often corrupt and sinful. Nevertheless, Christians ought to strive to obey God first and foremost and to obey the government when doing so does not contradict the commands of God.

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.