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| Series:The Transformed
Life (Romans 12-16), on 5/28/1995 |
Calvary Memorial Church |
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© 2000-2004 Dr. Ray
Pritchard |
Oak Park,
Illinois | |
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How to be a Godly Rebel
Romans 13:1-7 |
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This is
Memorial Day weekend. Each year we set aside one day to honor those
made the supreme sacrifice on behalf of their country. It is good
that we do this, so that we will never forget the enormous price
paid by others that we might worship in freedom today. The long line
of heroes stretches back from the Persian Gulf to Lexington and
Concord. It is a record of brave men and women who “more than self
their country loved and freedom more than life.” When we sing “God
bless America,” let us not forget to thank him for all those who
have gone before us.
A friend sent me a letter this week with
a quote from Winston Churchill, who said “Democracy is the worst
form of government until you consider the alternatives.” How true.
Democracy is messy and difficult, and maddeningly slow because it
depends on the will of the people. But who among us would prefer to
live under a dictatorship? For all the problems that America
has--and we have many--this is still the land of the free and the
home of the brave.
It has been often said that God only
established three institutions--the home, the church, and the state.
In so doing, he gave us explicit instructions on how all three were
to operate. Most Christians know a great deal about what God has to
say about the home and church. We know much less about what God says
about the state and how we should relate to it.
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| Dinnertime
Discussion |
Our
text this morning addresses that question directly. In fact, Romans
13 is the central New Testament passage regarding how Christians
should relate to human government. Before we jump into the passage,
I want to tell you frankly that when I am finished, you will still
have many questions. This passage answers many questions, and then
raises many others in the process.
For instance, what does
it mean to be a Christian living under a pagan government? Is
violent revolution ever justified? What about capital punishment? Is
it wrong to pay taxes to an unjust government? What about picketing
abortion clinics? Under what circumstances should Christians disobey
the law? Should colonial Christians have supported the American
Revolution? What about the Christian Coalitian? Is it wrong to
refuse to pay taxes as a protest against abortion? What about the
separation of church and state? Should Christians serve in the armed
forces? How do you respond when those over y | |
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