If you haven’t listened to Steve Deace then you are missing out on some great practical teaching. He spoke on the misinterpretation of Romans Chapter 13: 1-7. He really explained why just blindly following the government is not what the scripture speaks to. Apostle Paul was Jewish and a Roman citizen. In his life, he had to address what submission really meant during the height of the rule of the Roman empire. Deace points out that the scripture does state we are not to have unchecked submission to governing authorities, but if you only gloss over the scripture it is taken out of context. As you read, it does elaborate that the government does have authority, but it is not the ultimate authority. We are to honor our government when it is fulfilling its purpose which is to bring justice when our God-given rights have been violated.
Today, we see government leaders claiming honor they do not have nor have earned. The government should not demand us to live counter to Christ. Romans 13 needs to be reread because it means that human governments and rulers are established by God to maintain public order, punish evil behavior, and reward good citizens.
-the role of government is to create a safe society where people who obey the law live without fear
-the text calls the government a servant of God meant to help people do what is good and orderly
-the phrase “bear the sword” means the government has the legal right to use force to punish crime
-laws and punishments exist to stop chaos and lawlessness in society
-Paul asserts that all civil authority is established and appointed by God
-Paus states that we are wrong when we resist legitimate governing authority when the government is fulfilling its purpose of keeping the peace and deterring bad conduct
-ideally, those in authority function as God’s servants who encourage, commend, and protect citizens who live uprightly
-Paul commands us to pay taxes because it does fulfill a necessary social function
-Christians are instructed to render proper respect, courtesy, and civil honor to public officials based on the weight of their office
Look at our government today. Socialism, Marxism, and Islam are all systems that fundamentally subvert or alter the God-given role of these earthly rulers as they do not have an extension of their submission to God.
Romans 13 does call us to have peaceful submission but to also understand that human authority is not absolute. If a government commands a citizen to explicitly violate God’s moral laws, Christian doctrine points to Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than human beings.”
According to Marxist theory, the ultimate goal of communism is a classless society where the state completely "withers away." Romans 13 positions government as a permanent, divinely ordained earthly institution necessary to restrain human sin.
“Romans 13 commands believers to pay taxes and dues out of an obedience to civic order. However, Christian critics argue that because the wider biblical narrative defends private property (e.g., "Thou shalt not steal"), a socialist state that systematically abolishes private property or uses excessive taxation to redistribute wealth ceases to be a "servant for your good" and instead becomes an engine of institutionalized theft.”
“Romans 13 was written to Christians living under a pagan, secular government (the Roman Empire), creating a distinct theology where believers can peacefully submit to non-Christian civil rulers while keeping their primary allegiance to God. Traditional Islam does not separate the religious from the political. Under Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia), the state is ideally a theocracy governed by divine law.’
“Romans 13 instructs believers to pay taxes and render honor to secular rulers as servants of God, regardless of the leader's personal faith. Orthodox Islamic theology dictates that a Muslim's absolute political allegiance is owed only to an Islamic authority (Caliphate or Imamate). Traditional Islamic text divides the world into Dar al-Islam (the house of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (the house of war), meaning that permanent submission to a non-Muslim, secular authority—especially if its laws contradict Islamic jurisprudence—is structurally problematic.”
It is easy to be a socialist in a free country. It is easy to romanticize communism from the safety of a nation that protects your speech, your property, your movement, your business, your faith, and your right to criticize the government.
But try being free in a socialist or communist country.
That is the whole point. Socialism always sells itself as kindness. It promises fairness, security, free stuff, and a better life. Then the bill comes due, and the price is liberty. The government that promises to give you everything eventually decides it owns everything, including your voice.
Try criticizing the ruling party. Try mocking the ideology. Try challenging the state. Try keeping what you earn, saying what you believe, raising your children without government interference, or posting the wrong opinion online.
Suddenly all that talk about “compassion,” “equality,” and “the people” disappears.
What replaces it is control.
Socialists enjoy freedom in America while defending ideas that would destroy freedom wherever they take power.
***Never let anyone sell you government control as compassion.
God’s Word tells us to have faith when we don’t see the things we hope for. God wants us to trust Him and His promises even when we don’t see results.
-Turn our hearts to God instead of ourselves
-His word is alive and powerful and it never loses its power
-When you are overwhelmed, you can remember that God is with you to cling to the promises in His word. God will never, ever abandon you. So don't lose heart. Don't give up.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Prayers that our faith stays unshakeable in this time of uncertainty in our country. May we find refuge, security, and protection when we are feeling attacked, vulnerable, and exhausted.
Blessings,
For King and Country is coming next month. It is our family tradition to go together. It has been such a blessing to go together whenever they are performing here. They have a new album out called “The Most Beautiful Colours.” This is such a wonderful uplifting song, “Miracle.” Take a listen and be inspired!
Say goodbye to the lost and the critical
And throw your confetti at the funeral
You'll see that the end is where it begins
So now is your chance to start again
You are a miracle
A miracle
Even when it's hard to see it
And harder to feel it
Open up your eyes and start believing
You are a miracle