His Perfect Love

Matt VanderVen: When we live according to God's standard and right living, we are living witnesses, just by eating and living and breathing. Just by going to work, just by being home, or whatever you do, your testimony is your witness, who you are in Christ. Because you pay your taxes, you live orderly, you do the right things, and people see that. When contrary hearts, they go, "What is different about him?"

He's the first to work, the last to leave. He's honorable that way. He doesn't steal from the company store. He doesn't go in and take supplies that he doesn't need and, "Well, they don't mind. I can have a few extra staplers at home or pens or pencils or whatever." It's stealing. It's wrong. Let's call it what it is. Why are we not to do that? Because of right living.

Guest (Male): As Christians, our primary allegiance is to Christ, and we know we're to follow his word. But what is our responsibility to the government around us? And is there ever a point in which we refuse to abide by the laws of the land? We're looking at the Christian and our civic responsibility today on His Perfect Love. It's part of Pastor Matt VanderVen's study of Romans. Find your place in Romans chapter 13 as we bring you this message first delivered at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Matt VanderVen: Please remember Chapter 12, verse one is the whole reason we're in Chapter 13, verse one. What do I mean by that? Because when we finished Chapter 11, we got into the practicality of daily living, how we're to live out lives as Christians, how we're to be Christ-like and live a life that way. He says it's very simple. I like when Paul does that. He says, "I beseech you," that word *parakaleo* in the Greek, "I call you for or therefore." What? It's interesting that he puts it this way: "Brethren, believers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice."

You see, that's what it's about, that we are to be living sacrifices for the Lord or unto the Lord that way, that we would present our bodies that way. That's part of the daily living or daily application of scripture. So as we look at this and you move now to Chapter 13, verse one, even if I back up a little bit, he also was explaining that vengeance isn't of us. We're not to take it out on our... we're not to assume vengeance. He says in verse 19 of Chapter 12, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine."

We're not to do that. He says, "I will repay," says the Lord, quoting Deuteronomy Chapter 32, verse 35. What's he teaching us? He's saying vengeance is the Lord's, that we don't need to strive, that God leads and provides. Why is this important? Because everything in scripture must be read hermeneutically and in context. Knowing what he's been telling us about daily living, understanding what he's been showing us, why would we change the lens when we come to Chapter 13? There's no reason to.

So as we go right into Chapter 13, we should follow the natural progression, which is we're sold out living sacrifices, we're not to heap any type of retribution or we're not to do anything like that. Vengeance is the Lord's. He's sovereign, he's the one that leads. And then he's now going to explain, how are you living when it comes to civil law? As a matter of fact, he's going to call civil authorities ministers. They're different. There's a difference.

You have spiritual ministers, myself, an undershepherd, a pastor. But you also have civil ministers according to the word of God, is what we're going to read. He says, "How are you going to subject yourself to government?" That's hard today, isn't it? Because we have so much going on in this government where a lot of it doesn't align with scripture. How does that work? We're going to read that today, and we're going to go through the Bible and see what it says. When are we to obey? When are we to stop and go, "Wait a minute"?

But in all things, why? Because we're living testimonies, and our lives matter. Even just by being alive as a Christian, you're a witness. You're a witness for God, an ambassador for God, for Jesus. People, whether you know it or not, are watching your lives. They're watching how you live, they're watching what you say, what you do. It's all important. He says, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities."

Before somebody tunes out here this morning and goes, "Wait a minute, Pastor, this is ridiculous. This was written 2,000 years ago. They didn't have a Supreme Court that just turned around and made homosexual marriage legal. What do you mean I'm to submit to authorities that way?" First of all, let me comment on that. God tells us we're to love the individual and hate the sin. How else do we draw them to Christ and his gospel if we're turning around and throwing them away? You'll never find that in your word.

He says, no, you should draw them to the hope, not push them away from the hope. We don't compromise. We're not called to compromise and condone, but we're to love the individual because every one of us is a sinner in some capacity, aren't we? So why would we be hypocritical? But the second thing to draw your attention: he says, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities." Think about this. 2,000 years ago, who was the emperor at that time? Nero. Now, he wasn't crazy at the time, to keep it simple.

Maniacal's the word I was thinking about. He wasn't practicing in a maniacal way yet. He hadn't taken Christians, put them on a lamp post, putting tar on them and lighting them on fire. That's what was happening roughly about seven years after this is written, as a matter of fact. That's what's happening to the Christians that are being martyred. So when Paul's writing, "Submit yourself to the governing authorities," 2,000 years ago, it's easy for us to go, "Yeah, but it wasn't like that." Wait a minute. Yes, it was. It was far worse in some ways from a martyrdom perspective.

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God." Just process that for a minute. "And the authorities that exist are appointed by God." "Wait a minute, Pastor. Am I reading this right? Are you telling me that God allows wicked and even evil people to come into a position of power? Is that what I just read in my Bible?" If you read that in your Bible, the answer is yes. Why? I'm glad you asked. That's a good question.

Let's go back into scripture a little bit here. I'd like us to start in Proverbs Chapter 8, verse 15. You see, this isn't a new idea. This isn't a new covenant teaching. A lot of times I try to help us all understand from a discipleship perspective that God is the Ancient of Days. It's not a new or different teaching. Some people say, "Well, this is the God of the Old Testament" or "This is the God of the New Testament." It's God. It's the Ancient of Days. It's God.

So look at Proverbs Chapter 8, verse 15. Look what he says here: "By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule nobles." And this is the thing that caught my eye recently, especially in light of the Supreme Court and the judges that we have and the things that are going on. "All the judges"—circle that all—"all the judges of the earth." Not just some, not partiality there, but all of the judges God has allowed. Why would he be doing that? He's going to answer this.

But first turn to Daniel Chapter 2, verse 20. That way we have a really good example here, because if there was anybody that could have complained, it would have been Daniel, as he's a prophet and he's under the basically the sovereignty and control of a foreign government and a foreign king, Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon. Now, this wasn't the first time, right? I mean, we've seen this beforehand. I mean, we could look at Assyria in the 700s. We know that they went into captivity.

How did that happen? God turned around and he said, "Well, my people, my children, they're not being faithful. They're practicing idolatry. Therefore, I'll bring judgment and correction that they will turn back to me." So we see that one of the reasons that God allows this is to draw his people back to him, back to God. Well, that's what happened in Assyria when the Assyrian invasion happened. They turned around and they went in and they brought into Assyrian captivity, but God left a remnant.

But then there was the kingdom of Judah, because remember, you had a northern and southern kingdom. So you had Judah. Well, if you look at Daniel Chapter 2 and you look at verse 20 here, it's no coincidence that here Daniel's there. The only man as Nebuchadnezzar, the king, a wicked king at this time, had not in any way shown favor to any of the Christians or shown favor to any of the Jews, I'd better put it. He didn't show favor to Daniel or any of his friends or any of those that were caught in the Babylonian captivity.

As a matter of fact, as I said, he was pretty much a wicked man until he has his dream. And he goes and he has all these guys on the payroll. He says, "All you soothsayers, all you folks, come tell me and interpret my dream for me." He says, "If you can't do it, basically I'm going to kill you." That's a career-ending decision, right? Get the dream right or you're dead. Basically what he's saying. I mean, I'm simplifying it. Well, what happens? "What are you saying? We can't do this. Nobody has the ability to do this."

And then pops up little Daniel, just for a time as this. Just for a time as this. And here Daniel is, and he goes and he reveals the dream of God to Nebuchadnezzar. And as part of this dream, Daniel makes something very clear to Nebuchadnezzar that he... and this is important because this is foundational when you get to the book of Daniel, it actually is important because later on Daniel will stand up or Nebuchadnezzar will stand up and do what? He will look over this portico as he's standing over there, and he will declare himself, "Look at what I have done, and how wonderful this kingdom is. I am the most powerful man and king."

You see, he was without excuse because in Daniel Chapter 2 here, God had already gone to Nebuchadnezzar. One, he had given him a dream and interpretation of a dream to warn him. "Hey, Nebuchadnezzar, there's no power and authority you have without the living God." Well, look at verse 20. Daniel answered and said, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his, and he changes the times and season." You want to know... don't look at that Punxsutawney guy, that little Phil there. Don't look at the groundhog, right?

God. You do realize he's an animal. I know you Pennsylvanians love that guy, but he is... all right, just want to check. It's a little weird. Because they bring him up and they're like, "Is it going to be longer winter?" I'm like, "You're setting the kid up for failure. Why you asking the animal that? The animal doesn't know." Does he see his shadow? I'm sorry, I'm having fun with you a little bit. "Blessed be the name of God forever, for wisdom and might are his. He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings," look at that, "and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding."

He's saying it's all directly from God. Can you imagine this revelation that he's receiving at this? Well, what about Acts? Turn to Acts Chapter 5. We're going to look at verse 21. God has a lot to say about this. Acts Chapter 5. Think of Peter, our buddy Peter again. Now, this addresses the question of what do we do when our governing authorities command us to do one thing, but it's contrary to scripture? What did Jesus Christ before he ascended into heaven command the disciples and you and I to do? To preach Jesus throughout the whole world, right? The gospel of Jesus Christ, right? That's what he asked us to do.

Well, here Peter finds himself in prison again, right? And he's in prison and what do they turn around to? "Look, Peter, we're going to let you out of prison, you and your cohorts here. You just can't speak the name of God. You can no longer use the name of Jesus because you're creating division in Jerusalem here, you're creating an issue, you're creating all types of issues for us. Just don't use the name of Jesus, the name above every other name." Don't do this. And what is the response here? Look at verse 29.

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." You see, that becomes the answer because if you back up and find out what they were doing, they said in verse 28, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intended to bring this man's blood on us." And look what he says: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered and hanged on a tree." That's a real good way to win friends and influence people. He lays it out hot, man. He lays it down hot, but he says this is the reason.

So what did Peter do? Well, when it came to preaching Jesus, that's where the line was drawn. When it came to something contrary to scripture, that's where the line's drawn. So how does that work today? Well, some of you know, a few years back in Texas, pastors were being asked to do what? Turn in their sermons. You probably read that, it was in the news. And they were sitting there and they're like, "What do we do? Are we going to turn in our sermons or not?" I said, "You know, that's easy for us in Calvary Chapel. Here you go. How about this? Read the Bible, because that's my sermon. I don't have anything but the Bible."

Well, what happens when it becomes a law that I'm not allowed to teach the word of God anymore? When I'm not allowed to pray in my home or something else? Because remember, that happened in Daniel's time in Babylon when he was up praying, he was not allowed to do that and he had to bow down to the statue of humanism. Humanism's very much alive and real today. Very alive and real today. You can go on a college campus, you can see it, you can go in social clubs, humanism's alive today and well. It's all over the place, is the point.

Well, what happens when we turn around and we elevate something contrary to the word of God? It becomes idolatry. When we elevate any tradition above God's word. So what happens? What ought we to do when we're being told or forced that we're not allowed to read the Bible or we're not allowed to preach? What ought I to do? I'm going to read it. And what happens with the sentence if it's prison? Then guess what? I'm going to go to prison. That's the reality.

And if I go to prison, I'm going to be taken away, and I'm going to go to prison, right? And then what's going to happen? Another one of you men, our elders, assistant pastors, they're going to walk right up here and guess what they're going to do? They're going to read the Bible. And they're going to be taken away. And this will go on for weeks until all the prisons are filled with ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then everybody in prison's going to get saved. Amen? Because that's exactly what happened in the book of Acts.

That's exactly what happened with Paul. Vengeance doesn't have a thing to fear. It's just another avenue to spread the gospel. Paul understood that when he began to understand, "Wait a minute, I'm going all the way to Rome and I'm going to be in prison and I'm going to be put under house arrest. Let me get this straight. You're going to pay for me to be there, you're going to give me three square meals a day, and oh, by the way, I can have visitors that I can come and give the gospel? Okay, sign me up. I can turn around and preach the word of God and nobody's going to stop me."

Which is why it's important we take this word and we write it on the tablets of our hearts now. So when they try to get rid of the book, you can't rid of the word because it's seared in your heart and it's written on the tablet of your heart. Well, I just think it's relevant that as we see that, that's important. Well, if that wasn't enough, turn to Titus, because what lesson do we get in Titus? Right before Hebrews. Look at Titus Chapter 3, verse one for exhortation there: "But know this: remind them to be subject to the rulers and authorities."

Titus is a son in the faith of Paul. Titus is out there, he's an undershepherd, he's a pastor. He's basically speaking to him, he's an elder. He's speaking to him, "Hey Titus, remember this. No matter what happens, remember this, son. Remind them to be subject to the rulers and authorities, to obey and to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves we also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another."

"But when the kindness of the love of God our Savior towards men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing and regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior." I mean, we could close the lesson today and just walk out of here and be encouraged and exhorted with that alone. He's shown us that we once were like that. But he says, "Now be subject to these authorities." Why?

Well, do you know something if you go back and study church history that's striking? Is that Christians were some of the best payers of taxes. See, normally what would happen is that the Christian, when a Jewish believer that got saved would become a Christian that way, they wouldn't want to go into the temple anymore. They wouldn't want to eat food that was sacrificed to pagan idols and things like that, and he's going to deal with that in Romans Chapter 14. But this would happen, and what would happen is they would no longer want to do that.

Therefore, weren't they collecting the money because they weren't buying the sacrifices, they weren't doing those things? So it started affecting the money. So Rome, obviously concerned about that financially, they said, "Well, what's this going to pose a problem with?" But then they started going to the Christians and they started seeing the rest of the Christians and the way they were living, that they were doing right living, they were paying their taxes on time. They didn't have to go after them and file what would be like a lien today.

They didn't have to do that. It was called a lien of servitude back then, on a person, not on a possession. It was actually on you. And they didn't have to do any of that because the Christians were being faithful. They were paying their bills. They were doing all the things they were supposed to be doing. Why? Because they held themselves to a higher standard, a standard which God authored, not a standard of man. And that hasn't changed. That hasn't changed in 2,000 years.

Look at 1 Peter. And the reason I say this is because well, that was just the church and at that time. I'm glad you said that. Let's look at 1 Peter Chapter 2. Because if we study 1 Peter, who's Peter talking to? He's talking to the diaspora, the dispersion, those that had left Jerusalem to get away from the persecution, to get away from the martyrdom. You and I and descendants of that from Asia Minor and Turkey and everybody else, people that were moving away from that. He's speaking to them in 1 Peter. That's us. We're not in Jerusalem right now. That's us.

And what does he say in Chapter 2? Look with me, please. It's important because he speaks the same thing today to us. Look at verse 13: "Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." Same exhortation, isn't it? "Whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."

You see, that's the point. When we live according to God's standard and right living, we are living witnesses, just by eating and living and breathing. Just by going to work, just by being home, or whatever you do, your testimony is your witness, who you are in Christ. Because you pay your taxes, you live orderly, you do the right things, and people see that. When contrary hearts, they go, "What is different about him?" He's the first to work, the last to leave. He's honorable that way.

He doesn't steal from the company store. He doesn't go in and take supplies that he doesn't need and, "Well, they don't mind. I can have a few extra staplers at home or pens or pencils or whatever." It's stealing. It's wrong. Let's call it what it is. Why are we not to do that? Because of right living. Because we have a higher standard. Why? Well, he finishes. He says, "As free, not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants to God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God and honor the king." Isn't that wonderful?

He begins to tell us that just our lives will be used. And you know what that'll do? That'll do more of a witnessing than Bible thumping somebody. You turning around and Bible thumping them is going to push them away. But you living the right way, and what's that mean for taxes? Because he's going to bring that up. You can turn back to Romans. Just think about it, we spent about 35 minutes on one verse. "Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God." Verse two. Just listen to that for a minute.

"Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinances of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 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." He explains that. He says in verse four, "For he is God's minister." What is the translation of the word minister in the word of God? What does it mean? You're a servant.

And what do we call—and they don't even realize it—they say, "We don't want the public, we don't want the Bible." And what do they call themselves? "We are public servants." They don't even realize they're actually quoting a portion of scripture, and they don't even know it. They don't even know it. They're public servants, they're ministers. Now, they're civil ministers, they're not spiritual ministers, right? There's clearly a dichotomy between the two. But they're civil ministers, and they're ministers 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 and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. This is important, this passage.

Guest (Male): Well, thanks for joining us today for His Perfect Love. You can hear this study from Pastor Matt VanderVen again when you visit HisPerfectLove.org. Catch up on what you may have missed in Romans at HisPerfectLove.org. Look for us on OnePlace.com and most of the major podcast platforms. The Calvary Chapel Harrisburg mobile app is another great way to listen to Pastor Matt's messages shortly after they're delivered. We can help you get started when you visit HisPerfectLove.org.

His Perfect Love is made possible through the support of listeners just like you. Together, we can bring the truths of God's word to the radio every day. You can make a donation at HisPerfectLove.org. And Pastor Matt would like to hear from you. Tell us the station you're listening to and what you're getting out of this study in Romans. He would be so encouraged. Email us there at the website HisPerfectLove.org.

We hope you'll visit us at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek service too, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. We're located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Go to CCHarrisburg.org for more information. And then we'll come back to our study of Romans next time on His Perfect Love with Pastor Matt. See you then, and God bless.