That was a solid biblical commentary on Romans 13 1-7.
"We the people are the government"; to the extent that we uphold the constitution which includes Article 1-7 that forms the institutions of the government, and the power and authority.
"We the people...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
That is why it is so important to vote, Intelligently and prayerfully.
As a current Law Enforcement Officer, at what point are we to resist, as believers violently? I struggle with this as an Officer as well. At what point do we as Christian’s stand up and resist with weapons? Or do we resists at all?
I fully believe that we are to protect our spouses and children! That God has called us to stand firm in their defense! But at what point do we just lay down our arms and say it’s up to the Lord?
Jesus hates hypocrisy. We are not Romans. God either ordained our government or He didn't. Either repent to the King of England for your forefathers rebellious act and leave or realize your interpretation creates a contradiction and you are living in hypocrisy. God is the ultimate Authority over all governments; and in America, God ordained The People, the highest authority, the People give their consent to be governed and have a duty and responsibility to remove that consent and establish a new government if that government does not uphold its duties. "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - I guess God ordained an evil form of government for America.
When someone quotes John Calvin, a murderer, to give credence to their "holy" interpretation, you have the epitome of hypocrisy, unfortunately, even Trewhella, makes this mistake in his latest election sermon.
If your interpretation of God's Word creates a contradiction of God's Word in other verses, you are the problem.
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Roman 12:18
I am not advocating unjust violent rebellion, nor do I support any presidential candidate. Our problem is professing Christians sitting and staying under stupid "pastors" or wolves and not being good Bereans. Our problem is our own hypocrisy. It's the number one excuse I receive from unbelievers for not coming to Christ, mind you, they too are hypocrites. However, they are not the ones professing to be the Christians.
I don't believe that God put Biden in power, It was stupid people who didn't like Trump['s Personality!
Never the less, we did get a good awacking from this man, The first thing he did was sit down and increase abortion 1000 times over! WE made the same mistake in Canada, by letting in Trudeau, Well
we got WOKE that we never wanted, and dangerous vaccine shots that killed billion s wold wide and counting. I had a big family, another 3 are dying from Cancer. Your Paster is an lovely man! But the facks are these men & women on the left have a terrable motive, They all belong to the WHO & WEF
and the UN which is all panning to crush America & Canada to become a one world order, where we will lose all our freedoms, then a one world religion which will be a China Regime! It will mean the anti christ has arrived I will proudly die for my faith- I pray I can handle whats to come, but the great news
is as long as christians are one the earth, we will have the precious Holy Spirit & each other, AMEN
Okay, I have listened to this 2 times now. I believe this pastar makes a lot of great points, especially the point of submission to each other and the government. Also, the point that the government is established to protect the citizens and to pass laws for their well being. I believe he could have drilled down a little bit deeper, when governments do not have the citizens well being as a top priority, and he did not do that.
Remember the Jews in Europe, in the thirties and forties submitted to government.Where did that get them? We are living in a time when governments around the world are oppressing their citizens, not encouraging them for better moral behavior. Creating lawlessness and chaos in a country, (which is what is happening today), is not for the betterment of the citizenry. Also, being put in jail for silently praying near an abortion clinic is not for the well being of the citizenry. This pastor, like John Macarthur is a little bit weak on the ,interpretation of Romans 13 ,I truly believe he could have done a little better job in expounding on these verses.
Good points. 'Lex, Rex' (The Law is King) by Samuel Rutherford, written in the 17th century, stands as a pillar of how God appoints magistrates and it is their duty to follow God's Law. It is not an easy read, but clearly illustrates that what is going on today is nothing new. The masses have not been taught much history, and the little they have been taught has been compromised. Pastor Doug Wilson says this of Lex, Rex: "This book changed western political philosophy forever and led to the thinking that enabled the American Revolution".
The church today, Evangelical and otherwise, is divided and weak. Pastors are hiding under the desk when it comes to the issues of our time. Doug Wilson (there are others, like Dr. James White) is one of the few to have the balls to address the abomination of abortion, homosexuality, mutilation of our young people, sex before marriage, feminism, the breaking up of families, removing God's Word from our schools, etc. Straight out of the Bible, so no 'make it up as you go along' BS. Pastors are some of the most powerful 'influencers' on the planet, not politicians. They can sway not only congregations but multitudes (their flock will talk to others). Woke seminaries and emasculated ministers are not who we need. Give me a few 'Spurgeon' types any day of the week. We need Spurgeon-like firebrands, not woke, spineless shepherds.
Admittedly, even though I haven't agreed with it, I have played along with the "government" games for a very long time. However, in the last 10-20 years it has become increasingly difficult to continue this ruse. Perhaps I am taking it the wrong way, but how can one submit to a government that is clearly infested with evil ? How can one continue to open their pockets to a government that neither protects or cares for its citizens when THAT is its only responsibility? I also realize that perhaps God shined a light on this blatant evil in such a way that it has opened the eyes of many people around the world. Its not just our government that is doing the things we are witnessing, but governments around the world. It leads back to the age old question, "why would God allow this to happen?" And I always give my answer "God didn't allow this, WE did." God gave the people of the world free will and dominion. We took that gift for granted and allowed this to fester and grow for far too long.
Maybe I'm being disobedient (shrug), but I cannot in good conscience, submit to a government that imposes intentional harm upon its people when "intentional harm" is the very definition of evil. I wont pay to play the game any longer. Ceasar already takes what is his and he always wants more, even that to which he is not entitled. Governments have clearly allowed their "privilege" to lead to be usurped by the shining one. I may have to do certain things to exist within its system, so be it, existence is resistance in my view. I am sure God wants us all to survive.
When a guy with a gun and badge protects premeditated murderers of our unborn neighbors, they are not the ministers of God. When a guy with a gun and badge protects individuals who take children, castrate and mutilate them, they are not ministers of God. When professing "christians" tell you not to resist or defy these tyrants and evil acts, they are ministers of their father, the devil, and so are you if you sit under them and obey them.
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It is Satanic. Satan is the "author" or "father" of rebellion. That necessitated war and warriors. We live in a culture that is becoming more rebellious and anarchistic and Satanic by the day.
"Avenge not yourselves." This is the parting paragraph of Romans 12. And it necessitates an explanation of God's ministry of vengeance. Romans 13.
In a world where "self-defense" is trumpeted, Scripture is very quiet.
"At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man." Genesis 9:5.
Abel was a companion (keeper) of sheep. Gen. 4:2.
Cain queried, "Am I my brother's keeper (bodyguard)?" Gen. 4:9.
God answered, "At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen. 9:5.
Here, we see that when God is insulted in the person of man, He does not avenge Himself, but delegates the avenging of that insult to Himself to someone else.
Likewise, He requires us to not avenge ourselves, but to rest our cases with Him. And in the very next verse, He lays down standing orders regarding how He intends to avenge us.
Authority--what is authority? Where does it come from?
6 times, Paul uses the expression, "principality and power" (KJV). The Greek is Arche (author and Exousia (authority).
The Creator (Father) is the great Author of all good.
Satan is the author of evil.
Both of these authors issue a stream of authority.
Jurisdiction--we are all born under the legitimate authority of God, AND the usurped authority of Satan.
Paul points us to this difference. "Let every soul (freewill) be subject (choose to serve) to the higher authorities."
Here is a crucial distinction--which authority is higher--God or Satan? We are born subjects of a lower authority. We are slaves. We are evil. We don't even want to be saved. However, a stronger power, and higher authority, interferes with the peace of Satan's kingdom. Jesus declares, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." John 6:44.
Are we forced to submit to the higher authority? No. But Christ died so that we would have the privilege found in the word "let." If He had not bound the strong man, we would have no opportunity to submit to a higher authority.
If we choose to submit to the higher authority, we choose to recognize His law as superior to the law of sin and death. Therefore, Satan's usurpation loses its authority over us. But does he still have "power?" Yes. He still has "dunamis" (dynamite), even though he has no authority over God's law. He had power to cause Christ suffering, and he still has power to cause suffering to God's servants. But in doing so, he is out of order.
"It is not authority if not from God, and the being authorities by God are drawn up in order." Paul's use of the Greek language is masterful. However, keep in mind that this only applies to those who have been "translated... into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col. 1:13.
Obedience to God is the prerequisite for His protection. It is the prerequisite for being delivered from the kingdom of Satan. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Rom. 7:16, 19.
We cannot make ourselves good. We cannot do good. But we can give ourselves to God, and He will do good in us, for us, and through us.
When we submit to the higher authority, good works will happen. We will exercise the gifts God has given in gratitude to the Giver. Men will see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. And even wicked, heathen rulers will praise our good works, even as they persecute us.
But all who refuse to submit to God become unfit to govern themselves, and must be ruled by tyrants.
"I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath." Hosea 13:11. "We are slaves... unto the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins." Nehemiah 9:37. "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34. "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
"Civil disobedience" by a Christian is simply submission to a higher authority than Satan. And only submitting to the higher authority can enable us to obey God, because it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." "Christ in you" does always those things which please the Father.
The truth is the truth when it comes from our Lord and His word. May we have discernment of Christ as we conduct ourselves in the days to come…and be bold in that resolution!
Please review and comment that as a constitutional republic, we are the people are the government…
I think your pastor handled the Word accurately and in the spirit that Paul intended it.
That was a solid biblical commentary on Romans 13 1-7.
"We the people are the government"; to the extent that we uphold the constitution which includes Article 1-7 that forms the institutions of the government, and the power and authority.
"We the people...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
That is why it is so important to vote, Intelligently and prayerfully.
Best voting advice I ever got was from the pulpit: vote for God. Thankful for your faithfulness and your clarity KG!
As a current Law Enforcement Officer, at what point are we to resist, as believers violently? I struggle with this as an Officer as well. At what point do we as Christian’s stand up and resist with weapons? Or do we resists at all?
I fully believe that we are to protect our spouses and children! That God has called us to stand firm in their defense! But at what point do we just lay down our arms and say it’s up to the Lord?
Thank you
Why would you lay your arms down.. did Joshua do that... no they fought wars for years with Yah as their leader
Thank you, amen!
Jesus hates hypocrisy. We are not Romans. God either ordained our government or He didn't. Either repent to the King of England for your forefathers rebellious act and leave or realize your interpretation creates a contradiction and you are living in hypocrisy. God is the ultimate Authority over all governments; and in America, God ordained The People, the highest authority, the People give their consent to be governed and have a duty and responsibility to remove that consent and establish a new government if that government does not uphold its duties. "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - I guess God ordained an evil form of government for America.
When someone quotes John Calvin, a murderer, to give credence to their "holy" interpretation, you have the epitome of hypocrisy, unfortunately, even Trewhella, makes this mistake in his latest election sermon.
If your interpretation of God's Word creates a contradiction of God's Word in other verses, you are the problem.
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Roman 12:18
I am not advocating unjust violent rebellion, nor do I support any presidential candidate. Our problem is professing Christians sitting and staying under stupid "pastors" or wolves and not being good Bereans. Our problem is our own hypocrisy. It's the number one excuse I receive from unbelievers for not coming to Christ, mind you, they too are hypocrites. However, they are not the ones professing to be the Christians.
https://www.youtube.com/live/ldZs-CZczSE?si=5nfhHNN4YTW5ATOa
I don't believe that God put Biden in power, It was stupid people who didn't like Trump['s Personality!
Never the less, we did get a good awacking from this man, The first thing he did was sit down and increase abortion 1000 times over! WE made the same mistake in Canada, by letting in Trudeau, Well
we got WOKE that we never wanted, and dangerous vaccine shots that killed billion s wold wide and counting. I had a big family, another 3 are dying from Cancer. Your Paster is an lovely man! But the facks are these men & women on the left have a terrable motive, They all belong to the WHO & WEF
and the UN which is all panning to crush America & Canada to become a one world order, where we will lose all our freedoms, then a one world religion which will be a China Regime! It will mean the anti christ has arrived I will proudly die for my faith- I pray I can handle whats to come, but the great news
is as long as christians are one the earth, we will have the precious Holy Spirit & each other, AMEN
Everything is Yahs control
Okay, I have listened to this 2 times now. I believe this pastar makes a lot of great points, especially the point of submission to each other and the government. Also, the point that the government is established to protect the citizens and to pass laws for their well being. I believe he could have drilled down a little bit deeper, when governments do not have the citizens well being as a top priority, and he did not do that.
Remember the Jews in Europe, in the thirties and forties submitted to government.Where did that get them? We are living in a time when governments around the world are oppressing their citizens, not encouraging them for better moral behavior. Creating lawlessness and chaos in a country, (which is what is happening today), is not for the betterment of the citizenry. Also, being put in jail for silently praying near an abortion clinic is not for the well being of the citizenry. This pastor, like John Macarthur is a little bit weak on the ,interpretation of Romans 13 ,I truly believe he could have done a little better job in expounding on these verses.
Thank you Keith Graves for posting this.
Good points. 'Lex, Rex' (The Law is King) by Samuel Rutherford, written in the 17th century, stands as a pillar of how God appoints magistrates and it is their duty to follow God's Law. It is not an easy read, but clearly illustrates that what is going on today is nothing new. The masses have not been taught much history, and the little they have been taught has been compromised. Pastor Doug Wilson says this of Lex, Rex: "This book changed western political philosophy forever and led to the thinking that enabled the American Revolution".
The church today, Evangelical and otherwise, is divided and weak. Pastors are hiding under the desk when it comes to the issues of our time. Doug Wilson (there are others, like Dr. James White) is one of the few to have the balls to address the abomination of abortion, homosexuality, mutilation of our young people, sex before marriage, feminism, the breaking up of families, removing God's Word from our schools, etc. Straight out of the Bible, so no 'make it up as you go along' BS. Pastors are some of the most powerful 'influencers' on the planet, not politicians. They can sway not only congregations but multitudes (their flock will talk to others). Woke seminaries and emasculated ministers are not who we need. Give me a few 'Spurgeon' types any day of the week. We need Spurgeon-like firebrands, not woke, spineless shepherds.
Admittedly, even though I haven't agreed with it, I have played along with the "government" games for a very long time. However, in the last 10-20 years it has become increasingly difficult to continue this ruse. Perhaps I am taking it the wrong way, but how can one submit to a government that is clearly infested with evil ? How can one continue to open their pockets to a government that neither protects or cares for its citizens when THAT is its only responsibility? I also realize that perhaps God shined a light on this blatant evil in such a way that it has opened the eyes of many people around the world. Its not just our government that is doing the things we are witnessing, but governments around the world. It leads back to the age old question, "why would God allow this to happen?" And I always give my answer "God didn't allow this, WE did." God gave the people of the world free will and dominion. We took that gift for granted and allowed this to fester and grow for far too long.
Maybe I'm being disobedient (shrug), but I cannot in good conscience, submit to a government that imposes intentional harm upon its people when "intentional harm" is the very definition of evil. I wont pay to play the game any longer. Ceasar already takes what is his and he always wants more, even that to which he is not entitled. Governments have clearly allowed their "privilege" to lead to be usurped by the shining one. I may have to do certain things to exist within its system, so be it, existence is resistance in my view. I am sure God wants us all to survive.
When a guy with a gun and badge protects premeditated murderers of our unborn neighbors, they are not the ministers of God. When a guy with a gun and badge protects individuals who take children, castrate and mutilate them, they are not ministers of God. When professing "christians" tell you not to resist or defy these tyrants and evil acts, they are ministers of their father, the devil, and so are you if you sit under them and obey them.
Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate explained:
https://rumble.com/v3ucsx4-lesser-magistrate-doctrine-explained.html
How did the American Republic come into existence? By submitting to the authority of the King?
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It is Satanic. Satan is the "author" or "father" of rebellion. That necessitated war and warriors. We live in a culture that is becoming more rebellious and anarchistic and Satanic by the day.
"Avenge not yourselves." This is the parting paragraph of Romans 12. And it necessitates an explanation of God's ministry of vengeance. Romans 13.
In a world where "self-defense" is trumpeted, Scripture is very quiet.
"At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man." Genesis 9:5.
Abel was a companion (keeper) of sheep. Gen. 4:2.
Cain queried, "Am I my brother's keeper (bodyguard)?" Gen. 4:9.
God answered, "At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen. 9:5.
Here, we see that when God is insulted in the person of man, He does not avenge Himself, but delegates the avenging of that insult to Himself to someone else.
Likewise, He requires us to not avenge ourselves, but to rest our cases with Him. And in the very next verse, He lays down standing orders regarding how He intends to avenge us.
Authority--what is authority? Where does it come from?
6 times, Paul uses the expression, "principality and power" (KJV). The Greek is Arche (author and Exousia (authority).
The Creator (Father) is the great Author of all good.
Satan is the author of evil.
Both of these authors issue a stream of authority.
Jurisdiction--we are all born under the legitimate authority of God, AND the usurped authority of Satan.
Paul points us to this difference. "Let every soul (freewill) be subject (choose to serve) to the higher authorities."
Here is a crucial distinction--which authority is higher--God or Satan? We are born subjects of a lower authority. We are slaves. We are evil. We don't even want to be saved. However, a stronger power, and higher authority, interferes with the peace of Satan's kingdom. Jesus declares, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." John 6:44.
Are we forced to submit to the higher authority? No. But Christ died so that we would have the privilege found in the word "let." If He had not bound the strong man, we would have no opportunity to submit to a higher authority.
If we choose to submit to the higher authority, we choose to recognize His law as superior to the law of sin and death. Therefore, Satan's usurpation loses its authority over us. But does he still have "power?" Yes. He still has "dunamis" (dynamite), even though he has no authority over God's law. He had power to cause Christ suffering, and he still has power to cause suffering to God's servants. But in doing so, he is out of order.
"It is not authority if not from God, and the being authorities by God are drawn up in order." Paul's use of the Greek language is masterful. However, keep in mind that this only applies to those who have been "translated... into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col. 1:13.
Obedience to God is the prerequisite for His protection. It is the prerequisite for being delivered from the kingdom of Satan. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Rom. 7:16, 19.
We cannot make ourselves good. We cannot do good. But we can give ourselves to God, and He will do good in us, for us, and through us.
When we submit to the higher authority, good works will happen. We will exercise the gifts God has given in gratitude to the Giver. Men will see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. And even wicked, heathen rulers will praise our good works, even as they persecute us.
But all who refuse to submit to God become unfit to govern themselves, and must be ruled by tyrants.
"I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath." Hosea 13:11. "We are slaves... unto the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins." Nehemiah 9:37. "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34. "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
"Civil disobedience" by a Christian is simply submission to a higher authority than Satan. And only submitting to the higher authority can enable us to obey God, because it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." "Christ in you" does always those things which please the Father.
The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. - Plato
The truth is the truth when it comes from our Lord and His word. May we have discernment of Christ as we conduct ourselves in the days to come…and be bold in that resolution!
Messy.