THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE BELIEVER
Civil duties
Romans chapter 13
His relationship with the authorities
Those who have been justified by faith must be subjected to human authority for the simple reason that there is no authority except that which is given by God. God introduced human government, after the flood, when He determined, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed" (Genesis 9: 6). This commandment granted authority to men to make judgments in criminal matters and punish violators.
In every organized society there must be authority and submission to that authority. Therefore, God instituted the human government, and no government exists outside of His will. That does not mean approving all human authorities do. He certainly does not approve of brutality, corruption and tyranny. However, the fact is that God has ordered the authorities that exist.
The divine right of kings or of any other form of Government is not being advocated here, but God approves in principle the government and order in general, even if the current government is resulting from a revolution for change of government, and He opposes all lawlessness and disorder. No country can survive indefinitely in anarchy. Any government is better than no government.
Satan claimed all the kingdoms of this world for himself before Jesus, when he tempted Him. Injustice and corruption indeed abound in all governments: history counts as one government after another bloom for a while and start covering themselves with pomp and pride, but God always gives them an end when corruption and illegality are excessive. God still reigns over the earth, and although the believer’s loyalty is due to Him above all, his relationship with the government on Earth is the result of submission to the will of God.
Believers can live victoriously in a democracy, a constitutional monarchy, or even in a totalitarian regime. It is to be noted that when this letter was written, Roman emperor Nero cruelly persecuted Christians.
Therefore, who disobeys or rebels against the government is disobeying and rebelling against the authority, which God has commanded. No government is better than the men that make it up, and that is why none of our Governments is perfect. The only ideal Government is a monarchy that is yet to come and that will have the Lord Jesus Christ as King.
However, a Christian is not obliged before God to obey an authority that requires him to sin or to give up his loyalty to Jesus Christ (Acts 5: 29). No one should have the authority to command the conscience of a person. If, for this reason, the Christian disobeys instituted authority, he must be submissive to the penalty of the law, and receive the punishment due. Under no circumstances should he rebel against the government or participate in an attempt to overthrow it.
In great moments of crisis in history, believers have had to make difficult decisions. Many opposed a bad government and encouraged a better government, deciding that this was the will of God, because by His divine attributes, God favours legitimacy and order in the face of lawlessness and anarchy, and honesty and justice instead of blatant corruption, crime and injustice.
However, Christianity was never intended to be a political party to improve the government, help society, or even clean up the city. The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of the individual, "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” The believer should not oppose his Government, and must move away from those wishing to oust it under the guise of improving it.
As a rule, who does good should not have to fear the authorities. He will comply with the law to avoid fines, trial and imprisonment, because only those who break the law are subject to punishment.
Who exercises civil or military authority is a minister of God, to be His servant and representative. Not only should he promote the security, tranquility and general welfare of the people, but also he has the right to execute the sanctions provided for in the law. In turn, those who violate the law, will have to bear the consequences if the competent authority submits them to court.
The expression "he does not bear the sword in vain" demonstrates the great power of the authority that God delegates to a ruler: it is not only a symbol, but it includes the power of life or death over lawbreakers. It is not a question of murder, which is forbidden by God, but the execution of the death penalty provided for in the law.
The authority is the minister of God as an avenger to punish who practices evil. In other words, beyond being a minister of God to do good, he is “an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil”. The believer is required to obey the authority for two reasons: the desire to keep a good conscience and fear of punishment.
The believer must not only obey authority, but also has the duty to contribute to its maintenance. It is therefore fair to pay taxes and fees for its services. The fact that the believer has become a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) does not exempt him from responsibility for maintaining human government on Earth.
For the sake of order and better fulfilment of his duty, the authorities are also entitled to respect from their subordinates. Therefore, the believer must give them proper honour, and never take part in groups to defame them, as we read in Acts 23:5: "it is written, 'you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"
The debts of the believer
Verse 8 comprises a single commandment, because teaching in the entire Bible is concerned with the behaviour of lenders with respect to the compassion they should have towards their debtors. This now includes the fulfillment of all obligations by the believer when he is the debtor, whether it is a civil, moral, financial or of any other kind of debt, in line with the preceding verses (civil obligations) and the rest of the verse (moral obligation).
As an example, here are three types of debts:
- Civil debts (*): as we have seen above, compliance with the laws of the country in which he lives is an obligation of every believer (so long as they are not an infringement of God's commandments). "To whom fear, fear, to whom honour, honour" (Romans 13:7). Keeping their documents in order, compliance with duties concerning various services such as military, jury participation, elections, and others, may be civil obligations in different countries that believers need to fulfill.
- Financial debts: Financial obligations require much attention, because compliance with them is usually one of the main measures for evaluating the honesty and integrity of a person. Loans are part of the domestic economy, they are usually needed to achieve home ownership, and acquisition of goods by credit card, and traders, farmers, producers, etc., need them to develop their activities. It is not a sin to contract a loan, because it consists just of exchanging a commitment for a benefit, but it is wrong not to fulfil its obligations such as payment on time, etc..
- Moral debts: these are debts that arise from a personal relationship with other people, for example, promises, proclaiming the Gospel, etc..
The only debt allowed is "the love to one another ". We should always be paying this debt, but it will never be fully paid. It is the love that Jesus Christ showed us: deep, selfless, sacrificial, and indifferent to the value or worthiness of who receives it. It is not emotional, but practical. All believers owe this kind of love to each other, being the fulfilment of the great commandment: "you shall love your neighbour as yourself." Some examples of non-compliance with this commandment are given in verse 9.
A believer must always be careful to comply promptly with all these duties because his salvation approaches more and more: it is the third phase of his salvation, when he will be in the presence of the Lord and free of the presence of sin. It would not be suitable for him to be in debt at this time.
He must get rid of sin in his life, walk honestly, act according to the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, and resist strongly against the harassment of evil that surrounds him.
R David Jones
* read the article Debts
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1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER," "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL," "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS," "YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Romans chapter 13