Every Day Devotion

Romans 13:7 [7] Pay to 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. (ESV) A theme that the Apostle Paul has emphasized through the book of Romans is the difference that Christ makes in our lives. Before we became believers in Jesus Christ we were rebels at the very core of our being. We lived to please ourselves and not to please God. Our ability to please God only comes after he has given us a new life in Jesus Christ. Christians and unbelievers will continue to live together in the same society. In this scenario all are being required to follow the man-made authority of the government we are all subject to. Paul's instructions on our relationship with governmental authority have everything to do with the testimony we have for Christ in our community. There were those in the time of the Early Church that tried to portray the Christians as rebels. It would have been e...

Romans 13:6 [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (ESV) One of the least favorite topics one can talk about is taxes. The saying goes that the only thing certain in life are death and taxes. How should the Christian view the paying of taxes? After all, the government is a man-made thing, isn't it? If government is man-made then why should we be obligated to pay taxes to it? We belong to God, not man. As we have already discovered, the government gets its authority from God ultimately. The very concept of having authority over others for the purpose of caring for their peace and prosperity is something that comes from God himself. When we obey the government we are also giving glory to God by honoring the authority he has allowed to be in our place. Do we pay taxes? Yes we do. If you decide not to pay your taxes you will find that there are consequences. The government will find a way to either g...

Romans 13:5 [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (ESV) Obedience. It's a word that we probably do not like very much. That is the word that appropriately defines this idea of being in subjection. It is like a soldier's relationship with their commanding officer. Total obedience. Submission. Subjection. The Apostle Paul is describing our relationship with our government as one of us being in subjection. Now, as hard of a pill as that might be to swallow, I want to give you another one to swallow. God wants us to be concerned with our attitude in the process. Consider the fact that both an atheist and a Christian can follow man's law. Both can be in total subjection. Christ wants his people to be obedient, but not just to avoid wrath, but for the sake of conscience. This speaks to our attitude. Have you ever seen a child who obeyed their parents, but grumbled the whole time while doing it? Ma...

Romans 13:4 [4] 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. (ESV) Paul makes a statement in the beginning of this verse that might have been hard for the people in first century Rome to accept. When he says, "He is God's servant for your good," he is referring to the government official who is meting out justice. Rome was filled with corruption. They were not a "Christian" government. How could Paul say that Rome was  God's servant? There is a generalization here for all followers of Jesus Christ to understand. The general role of governments are to promote the health, safety and prosperity of their citizens. Does this always happen effectively? Of course not. Should we live our lives in opposition to the government over us? Of course not. If we do wrong we can expect judgment to be carrie...

Romans 13:3 [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, (ESV) I can remember that as a child I had a good level of respect for my father's authority. I am not suggesting that I never disobeyed that authority. On the contrary, the way I learned to respect my father was a result of how he handled my disobedience. My father's punishment was firm, consistent and loving. One thing I knew about my father was that he meant every word he said. If he told me not to do something or there would be a consequence I could be sure that was what he meant. I tire of watching parents threaten their children with endless empty threats. The child does not respect authority because the parent has never kept their word. When it comes to earthly authority, primarily governmental authority, we should make the assumption that the government means what it says and we...

Romans 13:2 [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (ESV) Have you ever felt that as a Christian God's laws are so far superior to human laws that you do not really have to obey human laws? It is true that God's kingdom is far grander than man's kingdom. It is also true that man is by nature ungodly and unjust. It would stand to reason that we could simply ignore man's laws. Hold that thought! The Word of God speaks something very differently to this line of thinking. Paul is telling us here that if we are rebelling against the laws that have been put into place by human authorities we are actually sinning against God. God himself is the one who has established authority that man has put into place. This verse tells us that those who resist man's authority will incur judgment. What judgment is he speaking of here. Paul is speaking of the judgment that will come from earthly aut...

Romans 13:1 [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. (ESV) Let's be honest. We have a problem with authority. There is something deep within us that has a natural tendency to rebel against authority. The heart of mankind before being regenerated by the power of God is wicked. We are rebels to the core. Paul is speaking here to those who now belong to Jesus Christ. We are instructed to be subject to the governing authorities. We tend to be ok with being subject to governing authorities whom we like or trust. What happens if the governing authority is a President whom we did not vote for? What if the governing authority is a boss who treats people unfairly, especially you? How about if the governing authority is corrupt; completely lacking in godly character? The Scripture does not give any qualifications for the governing authorities. It does not say that we ar...