Romans 13

Romans 13 And The Christian’s Responsibility As A Secular Citizen

The following is an excerpt from an article which appeared in the Feb. 16th^* edition of Globalresearch.ca. The rest of the article is here.

“………instead of closing or nationalizing zombie banks, punishing their top executives for decades of criminal fraud and excess, and wrecking the global economy, Geithner, like Paulson, will reward them as The New York Times reported. On February 10, it explained that he’ll ‘flood the financial system with as much as $2.5 trillion’ on top of $9 trillion previously doled out, and this is just ‘Stage One of a two-stage plan,’ according to economist Michael Hudson. He asked: ‘recovery for whom (and what do) they want to recover?’ For Wall Street, of course, in a new ‘Bubble economy’ of the kind Alan Greenspan engineered: ‘wealth in the form of indebtedness of the ‘real’ economy at large to the banking system, and unprecedented capital gains to be made (from) a wave of asset-price inflation.'”

My purpose in posting the above quote is to illustrate the level of fraud that is going on presently in the unlawful alliance between our government officials and the Wall Street banking community. Concerning how believers should respond to this, here is what is probably typical of what most church leaders tell their congregants:

“I wanted to…talk to you about this new President and our responsibility toward him as Christians. I did not vote for Barack Obama…..but he is my president, no less. The majority spoke, and we have a new President. So how do we respond, and what is our responsibility? First, scripture tells us in 1 Peter 2:13-17 that we are to submit to the authorities that God has put in place. So, I take that to mean that I am to follow the laws set forth by this administration, unless they conflict with the truths set forth in scripture ….. Second…I am to know that he is in the position that he is in because he was appointed by God. Romans 13:1-3 makes it clear that there is “no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God….Last, but not least, I am to pray for him. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 instructs me as such.”^**

I believe this statement is typical of what the Christian community as a whole believes concerning obedience to governments. There is indeed a large portion of this community which claims that all Christians, according to Romans 13, must implicitly comply with the government and its dictates/mandates, which is what the above statement, in my opinion, is clearly saying.

I, as a Christian and pastor, do not adhere to this thinking. While I agree with his last admonition^***, I strongly disagree with the rest of it. To illustrate why, allow me to break down Romans 13.

The first verse, which he paraphrases, says:

“Let every soul be subject to the higher powers…the powers that be are ordained of God.” (vs. 1)

After they’ve finished quoting this verse, most Christian folk leapfrog down to verses 6 and 7:

“For, for this cause pay you tribute also; for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. “

Question: Are there any “powers” ordained by God that don’t adhere to the laws and principles which He has established in His Holy Word, the Bible? For the answer, look at verses 3 and 4:

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil …For he is the minister of God to thee for good….for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on him that doeth evil.” (my emphasis)

Now tell me, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, after reading the Quotation from Global Research at the top of this letter, can you honestly say that the government in Washington, D.C. is even remotely in accord with Romans 13 (verses 3 and 4)? What if you were a Christian living in the last century under Stalin’s regime in Russia, or Hitler’s in Germany? Would you have, willy-nilly, followed every “law” that was handed down by these despots in their respective reigns of terror? (In fact, the vast majority of Christians in Germany, during Hitler’s reign, did just that)

In the past, when I have presented this argument to my contemporaries, the usual retort is: “When they tell me I can’t preach the gospel anymore, that’s when I’ll resist. Until that time, I feel compelled to comply with whatever ‘they’ send down the pipeline.”

I don’t believe compliance with everything that comes down the government pike has the slightest thing to do with the preaching of the gospel. This is nothing more than a smoke screen. The typical treatment of Romans 13 by church ministers (like the one above), is not about being at odds with God, but more likely all about the possibility of getting at odds with “the powers that be,” and ultimately having the indispensable 501c3 tax exemption revoked. That could mean the loss of the “big money” in their congregations, because that contingent would no longer be able (so they imagine) to deduct their “tithe” on their income tax return, and might decide to take their membership and their money  elsewhere.

If our Constitution is ultimately based on the laws and principles contained in the Bible, and I believe it is, then our government is– and has been for a long time– violating just about every jot and tittle of it. When any government engages in the kind of fraud and deceit ours is obviously now engaged in, I think we have a responsibility as citizens and Christians to call it what it is, and to resist those decrees from it that violate the letter and spirit of the Constitution–particularly the Bill of Rights. There is no way that God, in the Scriptures, “ordains” this kind of government, or compels any believer to comply with or support it.

In Romans 14:4,5, it says:

“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand…… Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

I am not attempting here to pass judgment on what other (Christian) men and women do in regards to the government. I am questioning, and I believe rightfully so, the misuse of Scripture to justify an action (or a failure to act) or behavior which isn’t justifiable. Every Christian American, before he (or she) makes a decision as to how to respond to any government demand on him, needs to answer (for himself) these questions: Am I doing this (or not doing it) for conscience sake? Or am I doing it for expedience sake? Is it (what I am asked to comply with) in accordance with the real law of the land, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Or does it abrogate that law? Am I doing or not doing it because it’s the right or wrong thing to do?(ref. James 4:17) Or am I doing or not doing it because I just don’t want to suffer any persecution, ridicule, or loss of my material goods or worldly status?

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? ” Micah 6:8

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” 1 Tim 6:10

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” Prov 24:10-12

“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” Rom 12:17-18

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”  Isaiah 5:20

“In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.” Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 438, 469-471.

“All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void.”

Marbury v. Madison. 5 US (2Cranch) 137, 174, 176 (1803)

“Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them.” Miranda v. Arizona 384 US 436p. 491

“An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed.” Norton v. Shelby County 118 US 425 p. 442　

Mike Schroeder is pastor of Amazing Grace Bible Study Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is also the author of the book, 85 Pages In The Bible.

Feel free to re-produce this article or distribute it as you wish. All Scripture references are taken from the King James Bible.

Are you saved? Jesus Christ—“who knew no sin”—and his sacrificial death on the Cross, has made the way for “everyone that believeth…to be reconciled to God. History has shown that whatever peace man has achieved in the world can only be temporary. The Bible says that individual men and women can know, beyond a doubt, that they are saved and bound for heaven, and therefore have absolute and permanent peace, regardless of what is going on in the world, by trusting Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for their eternal salvation. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Have you done this? If not, why not now?

All Scripture references are from the King James Bible.

Related articles: Christian Pacifism: Is it a Biblical Concept?  Christian Pragmatism: The “Emerging” Church  Should Christians Be Involved In The Current Battle For Our Secular Freedom?  The Good Ship America

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