Christian Citizenship

Recent stories in the newspapers and on the Internet tell of how Department of Homeland Security and other federal officials plan to use members of the clergy to support their martial law decrees and gun confiscation in the event of future major disasters. The government wants the clergy to tell their flock that Romans Chapter 13 decrees absolute obedience to government authorities.

One WorldNetDaily letter writer reacted angrily to an article condemning this misuse of clergy by condemning those Christians who thought otherwise, insisting that absolute obedience to government authorities is the responsibility of every Christian and asserting that constitutional restrictions of authority are irrelevent to this issue.

One of my seminary professors had a maxim in regard to biblical hermeneutics that said, "A [biblical] text without a context is a pretext." In this case, we have the government using Romans 13 as a pretext for smoothing the way to unconstitutional totalitarianism under the guise of a national emergency, and and expecting the clergy to pacify their congregations into accepting these actions. Considering the constitutional and biblical ignorance illustrated by the above described letter and that is probably widespread among both clergy and laity, the government may get the cooperation they desire.

You may recall that during Hurricane Katrina, agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms along with local policemen swept neighborhoods in New Orleans confiscating firearms from everyone they could, thus leaving the non-criminals at the mercy of the roving bands of thugs who were stealing, raping, looting, and killing while the few authorities remaining were otherwise occupied. Constitutional restrictions on the government such as the Second Amendment were swept aside in the chaos of the moment as these few authorities assumed powers not constitutionally granted to them.

This is a preview of coming attractions if the Christian Church is unwilling to hold their elected representatives accountable to their oaths to support and defend the constitutions of the republic and/or their state and insist that they remain within the bounds of their constitutional responsibilities.

The following sermon outline reviews relevent passages from Romans 13 and other biblical texts that illustrate God's desire for our responsibilities and behavior as citizens:


Christian Citizenship

Romans 13:1-7

I. God’s People and Government.

A. God ordains government. “[T]he powers that be are ordained by God.” (Romans 13:1c)

B. God ordains government to protect and to punish. “For he is the minister of God for thy wealth: but if thou do evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword for nought: for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doeth evil.” (Romans 13:4)

C. God decrees obedience to the government. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.” (Romans 13:1a)

D. God decrees that taxes be paid to the government. “For, for this cause ye pay also tribute…. Give to all men therefore their duty: tribute to whom ye owe tribute: custom, to whom custom…” (Romans 13:6a, 7a)

E. God holds us accountable for our obedience to government. “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation.” (Romans 13:2)

II. God’s Expectations concerning Governors

A. Governors are subject to God. “…[T]here is no power but of God.” (Romans 13:1b)

B. Governors are God’s servants. “[F]or they are God’s ministers, applying themselves for the same thing.” (Romans 13:6b-c)

C. Governors are to be disobeyed when they compel disobedience to God. “Whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19b-20)

III. God’s Expectations for Us Today

A. God expects us to participate in the political process. “…Then [Jesus] said unto them, Give therefore to Caesar, the things which are Caesar’s, and give unto God, those things which are God’s” (Matthew 22:21)

B. God expects us to support leaders, principles, legislation, and justice that glorify and honor Him. “That ye may be blameless, and pure, and the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughty and crooked nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15) “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness…Thou shalt not covet…” (Exodus 20:13-17) “And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens shall be thy nurses: they shall worship thee with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet: and thou shall know that I am the Lord:…” (Isaiah 49:23)