Romans 13:1-7 – Understanding Christianity and Politics

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

In the heated climate of politics and the use of “Christianity”, we must fully understand Romans 13 so that we can know how to move in true faith.

Christianity and Government

Some Christians believe that politics and government are the end-all, be-all for kingdom building.  It is of the utmost importance to them that the government create legislation that supports their idea of kingdom building.  So, for example, enacting laws against abortion is of great importance, though scripture doesn’t say anything about abortion.  

Yet, there is hypocrisy presented in this ideology.  Again, using abortion as an example, one will stand against abortion but will say nothing about creating gun laws to prevent mass death. So, is one saying that mass death is acceptable over that of a fetus? Should we not feel the same way about both?  

So, for several reasons, study of Romans 13, and Christianity and politics, must be had today. This is a topic that should be discussed in churches all over the world, but especially here in America.  .

What Is Kingdom Building

Since “kingdom building” is the driving force behind much of today’s efforts, I want you to understand what kingdom building is.

Kingdom building begins with Jesus’ promise of the kingdom.  In John 3:16, Jesus told Nicodemus that whoever believes in Him (Christ) will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  So, all you have to do to inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God is believe in Christ.  Yet, what does believing in Christ look like?  Is it just a matter of saying you believe?

Living for the kingdom  

If you say that you believe in Christ, then you are professing to believe in the purpose for which He was sent.  Jesus told Nicodemus that He was sent because God loved the world.  

We must consider the kind of world that God loved to understand the significance of God sending His only begotten Son.  The world that Christ was sent is in even worse condition than our world is today, spiritually speaking.  The world was absent of the gospel, which means it knew nothing about God’s grace.  

This also means that the world was shrouded in total darkness with no light in it.  Though the world was covered in sin, God, rather than condemning the world, gave His only Son to save it.  The giving of Christ was a show of God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  

If you say you believe in Christ, then you believe in God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  Moreover, if you believe in these things, you ought to move in them.  What you believe in ought to be put into action – that is what faithful living is.  You and I, Christians, must live for the kingdom by showing grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the love that uplifts to those around us.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus shared that living for the kingdom is done with a God-first mindset.  Jesus instructed believers not to worry about what they would eat, drink, or wear, as such a mindset is of the things Gentiles seek.  (In this case, the Gentile represents the sinner, one who does not believe in Christ).  The sinner is consumed with prodigal (worldly) living.  

Rather than worldly living, Jesus taught, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33).”  This is a call to live in submission to God – His way.  Our thoughts and actions should be guided by the pattern and example God has set, which is of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  To be clear, Christians ought to be living a Christ-like life if they are going to live for the kingdom.

Living in Submission to God’s Authority

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus explained that the great commandment to follow is to love God with your whole heart, and to love your neighbors as you love yourself (Matt. 22:37-39).  Loving our neighbors is so important to living for the kingdom that Jesus explained who our neighbors are in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  

A certain lawyer had asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor”?  The lawyer, who was a Jew, believed his neighbors were Jews only.  He would treat his fellow Jews with a special kind of love, while everyone else didn’t receive the same.

So, Jesus used a Samaritan, one who despised the Jews just as much as the Jews despised them, to show how to love a neighbor.  The Samaritan helped a severely wounded Jew who had been left for dead to be able to live to see another day.  An enemy choosing to have compassion for an enemy was Jesus’ idea for love and who a neighbor is.  If you can love your enemy, you can love anyone!

If we are to live for the kingdom, we must understand that loving everyone is the foundation of a Christ-like life.  Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matt. 5:44).”

How can one consider themselves a “Christian” if love is absent from them?  How can one say they are a “Christian” if Christ is absent from them?

John wrote, in 1 John 3:10, “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

Commissioned by Christ

In His commission, Jesus tasked His disciples (all followers) to make followers of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things He commanded of them (Matt. 28:19-20).  

This task, Christians must understand, is one that should be carried out in grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  Many Christians have taken this authority given to them by Christ and moved in a manner of force that is absent of Christ.  One must understand, you aren’t kingdom building if you aren’t moving with grace in your heart.

We often think of teaching being a verbal assignment only, but one can also learn through actions.  Actions, as we often say, speak louder than words.  Therefore, Christians ought to understand that their actions speak louder about the kingdom than their words.  Christ has not called for us to be dictators, but rather, to move as He moved, having compassion for all. 

Kingdom Building Through Government

The passage of scripture that many “Christians” cite to support their idea of governance is Romans 13:1-7.  

Romans 13:1, Paul wrote, “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.”  

Now, this is a statement that has been greatly misrepresented, especially today.  Many have used this verse to set “kings” over a people, with the thought that the king has been given unfettered power by God.  (What the king says should be without any pushback.)  I feel it is important that we understand the ordinance of governing authorities.  

The ordinance of governing authorities

Romans 13:3, Paul wrote, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.”  

Yet, what is considered to be good and evil to governing authorities?  Good and evil are subjective to man, which is to say good and evil are opinion-based to man.  So, what is good to one may be evil to another, and what one considers to be evil may be good to another.

While good and evil are subjective to man, good and evil are not subjective to God.  What is good is to live in submission to God’s way – move with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and uplift others.  Evil, on the other hand, would be anything that moves opposite to God’s way.

James wrote in his letter, James 1:27, that pure and undefiled religion is to love the orphan and the widow.  This is to say that sincere faith, obedience to God’s ordinance, is to help those who are less fortunate, hurting, and struggling.  God’s ordinance is to love everyone.

Evil moves against another.  Consider all of the “shall nots” of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:13-17):  You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, covet a neighbor’s house, wife, or what they possess.  These are all actions that hurt and inflict harm upon a neighbor.

So, as we are subject to the authority of God, governing authorities are subject to His authority as well since they have been appointed by Him.  In Romans 13:4, Paul wrote, “For he (governing authorities) is God’s minister to you for good…”  They are to love everyone and help everyone, including those with whom they may have differences, and especially the less fortunate.  

Beyond that, governing authorities have the authority to move against that which will bring harm upon those they govern.  Again, in Romans 13:4, Paul wrote, “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.”

It ought to be made clear that the evil spoken of in this verse is not what man determines to be evil but what God has established as evil work.  So, those who threaten such actions of helping, supporting, and uplifting are those whom the governing authorities are to terrorize – move against. 

Subject to Governing Authority

With this in mind, Paul repeated himself in Romans 13:5, “Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.”  Here is where some of us may wonder to ourselves, ‘Are we to be subject to governing authorities who don’t keep God’s ordinance?”  This notion, meaning, should we be subject to governing authorities that inflict harm upon those they govern rather help and support?

Christ living in submission to the government

In Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees sought to entangle Jesus in His words, and so they sent one of their disciples (followers) to Jesus to test Him.  Jesus was asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”  Caesar, being the emperor of Rome, was the head of the Roman governing authority.

The Jews wanted to be free from being under the authority of Rome.  This is why they celebrated men like Barabbas because he led a violent insurrection against Rome (Mark 15:6-7).  The Jews believed that the Messiah was supposed to overthrow Rome and establish the Jewish kingdom that would reign forever, with them in charge.  (It was always about power with the scribes and Pharisees).

Jesus answered, telling their disciple, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  In other words, Jesus told them to do what was lawful in Rome.

So, to be clear, being subject to governing authorities is about doing what is lawful, regardless of who is “in charge”.  In America, follow the American laws, whether Republicans or Democrats are “in charge”.  

At the same time, Jesus reminded the Jews to also do what was lawful according to God’s law.  What was lawful to God’s law is still lawful today – love God and love your neighbors.

Not only did Jesus teach being subject to governing authorities, but He lived it as well.  Jesus was betrayed by Iscariot, arrested, and then taken to the Sanhedrin.  (A council made up of the religious leaders of the Jews).  Jesus, after choosing God’s will over His own desire in His prayer in the garden, subjected Himself to their judgment (Mark 14:53-65).  

Afterwards, He was taken to Pilate, where Jesus subjected Himself to the judgment of Pilate.  Pilate actually found Him innocent, saying Jesus had committed no crime against Rome and was not a threat (Mark 15:1-15).  Yet, the Jewish leaders, who despised Roman authority, played politics to get Pilate to do their bidding to execute Christ.  

Let’s be clear, the scribes and Pharisees moved wickedly and with evil intentions to bring hurt upon Christ.  The same kind of efforts still happen today, where those who claim to be Christians will use the government to inflict hurt and harm upon those whom they don’t like.  That is not Christ-like; it is scribe and Pharisee-like.

Do not resist governing authorities

So, one may wonder, should we be subject to governing authorities that move against God’s ordinance?  Let us keep in mind Romans 13:2, “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”  

Let’s understand what scripture means by “resistance”.  By definition, to resist means that one is exerting force in opposition to counteract or to defeat.  Barabbas, as I mentioned earlier, with his violent insurrection, would fit under the definition of one who resisted.  Barabbas and his rebels were set for execution, but he was pardoned because Jesus took his place.

If you think about it, Rome was a truly wicked empire that no governing authority has been able to match in its wickedness.  Jesus had the power to easily overthrow Rome, but He chose submission even with Rome taking His life.  Nowhere in scripture do we find Jesus or the apostles leading an insurrection to overthrow Rome.  They all lived as citizens, obeyed the laws, and were martyred for ministering in Christ’s name.

Christians have a dual citizenship in that we are both citizens of the kingdom of God and of this land.  We are to live as lawful citizens of the land so as not to meet the sword of the governing authorities.  At the same time, we must also live in obedience to God’s ordinance so that we may stand with a good conscience before the throne of grace.

Our role in government is to simply live as lawful citizens, nothing more or less.  So, if you’re in America, Jesus tells us to live according to America’s laws and do not sin.  If you’re in another country, Jesus tells us to live according to their law and do not sin.  Everywhere the Christian goes, we are to move according to God’s way – with love in our hearts.

God Is in Control

We don’t have to take overthrowing a government that disobeys God’s ordinance into our hands because God will deal with those who disobey.   

This reminds me of when Nebuchadnezzar received a warning dream from God.  Daniel told him, “God changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings (Dan. 2:21).”  Daniel’s word to Nebuchadnezzar, a man considered to be ruler of the world, was that God has charge over him.

Nebuchadnezzar defied God’s warning, built an image of gold, and God eventually caused him to lose his mind and go mad.  He lived off the land like a wild animal, before God gave him back his understanding.  After gaining his understanding, Nebuchadnezzar then praised the Lord (Dan. 4:28-37).

When the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh, Pharaoh chose to defy God’s authority.  Pharaoh questioned Moses, asking, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice…(Ex. 5:1-2)?”  Pharaoh ended up losing his battle to God, losing his kingdom, his people, and his life.

God will be the one to move against governing authorities that break His ordinance, however He chooses.  For our part, we must continue to live for the kingdom by living in submission to God.  The Lord calls on us to live as lawful citizens of the land, so we ought to do.

Be Lawful Citizens

In America, our laws permit us to voice our opinion, and we ought to do that when we feel it is necessary.  In America, it is not resistance to stand hand in hand with those who cry out for help.  It is also not resistant to cry out for justice where there is injustice.  In fact, Isaiah 59:4-5 shows us that God desires for one to cry out where there is injustice.  

Our every work should be to esteem our neighbors – all people – rather than hurt or harm.  Our work ought not be self-centered, as again, that is not Christ-like.  Those who claim God, but whose works are self-centered, move in the image of wickedness.  As I said earlier, they move in the same self-centered wickedness of the scribes and Pharisees, not the image of Christ.

With that last thought in mind, I will end this week’s study here.  In my next study, we are going to continue taking a look at moving in Christ’s image by focusing on not moving as the scribes and Pharisees.  So, I hope you will come back for the next study!  Be sure to share this week’s study with someone somewhere, as I believe it is much needed today.