Father, it is the time set apart for us to come together. May You use this jar of clay for Your glory. As John the Baptist said of You in John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.” Amen.
Romans 13:1-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
This may not be proper for a pastor to say, but when I read through these verses I groaned inwardly. In the world in which we find ourselves, and I really don’t know if the world as a whole is in the same state that we in the United States are in (and honestly, we are united in name only), the division is profuse. It seems that we are divided right down the middle – half for this (and against that) and half for that (and against this!)
I absolutely abhor politics and the mechanics of it all. It is rare for me to talk with anyone about it. I have my opinions and yours may align with mine or may very well be at the opposite pole of polarity.
The first sentence of the first verse from the New Living Translation reads,
Everyone must submit to governing authorities.
In the last 30 years can those of us on the losing side of elections truly say that we have honestly submitted to the governing authorities? I would say that very few can do so. And I am right there with you! When the candidate that I felt should be in power lost, I had very little good to say about the one who had won. I recall thinking that when one particular individual was elected that we deserved what we got. The “evil” that I perceived them to emulate in their life and policies, I truly felt was God giving us our just due for what our country has become on so many fronts.
I was so wrong in a majority of my thoughts at that time but the part that I was closest to being right on is spelled out in the last portion of verse 1,
For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
I was close but not spot on.
We must never forget that our Creator God – the supreme God above all other gods – and we have plenty, even in our modern era, is Sovereign over all.
I found this quote by R.C. Sproul on the website of Ligonier.org. The excerpt is taken from What Is the Relationship between Church and State?
If you don’t like the president of the United States, remember that the One who cast the deciding ballot in his election was almighty God. Of course, God doesn’t sanction or endorse everything that the president does; neither is it the case that God turns the authority over to the president and says, “Go ahead and rule these people however you want.” Every king is subject to the laws of God and will be judged accordingly. It may be that the president is completely ungodly, but for reasons known to God alone, God has placed him in that seat of authority.
I don’t know if you are a fan or not of whom God has placed in authority over us but regardless, we are called to pray for and lift up to God whomever it may be today and whomever it will be tomorrow. God is in charge. And no matter who we are…we are not.
Lord Jesus, may we – first and foremost – humbly submit to You as the ultimate governing authority. And then may we step in line with Your will in our lives…that is where Your Kingdom begins. Amen.
Aug 22nd, 2023, Tues, 6:46 pm
