“Romans 13”

Monday, February 13, 2017

The relationship between followers of Christ and the governments of men has long been discussed.

One of the major lessons from the book of Daniel is that “the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men” (Daniel 4:25).

When Jesus was asked by the tax gatherers about paying a temple tax, He performed a miracle with a fish to pay the tax for Himself and Peter (Matthew 17:24-27).

In Mark 12:13-17, the Pharisees and the Herodians (normally at enmity with each other) joined forces as they attempted to trap Jesus in an inconsistency. Christ’s response to them was, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

We have, therefore, the responsibility to obey the laws of the land. And we must obey all of them, even  ones we don’t like, such as speed limits and paying taxes. The single exception is if a law would require us to be disobedient to God (see Acts 5:28-29, for an example). No human relationship has the authority to cause us to disobey the Father in heaven. The Lord must always be first in our lives.

Romans 13:1-7 tells us that God appointed civil government for the protection of citizens and that only wrong doers need to fear those in authority.

Verses 8-10 teach Christians that we are to love others.

Verses 11-14 reminds Christ’s disciples to “cast off the works of darkness” by removing all ungodliness from their lives and to “put on the Lord Jesus.”

--Roger Hillis

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