Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Even as God is in control of every nation, every government, God allows evil men to rule over nations to chasten God's people. Did you know that? He puts people in government to not only persecute the church or to do things that we don't really like, and God says, "Do I get your attention? Am I getting your attention?"

Announcer: Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. We are thankful that you've joined us today as we move toward the conclusion of our Liberty series by looking at Romans 13. Raul will examine the believer's relationship to government and civic responsibility.

While Christians are called to live as citizens of heaven, God also instructs us to be faithful citizens here on earth, showing respect for authority, praying for our leaders, and contributing to the well-being of our community. Here is Raul Ries with today's message, "Our Relationship To The State."

Raul Ries: This is a very, very difficult chapter. And the reason I say that is because we have problems and we have situations with our government. Well, you say, "Well, if government's corrupt, do I have to obey government?" Well, we'll get to that in a moment.

But I think that we need as Christians to understand, number one, that God is in control of government. And I'm going to tell you something you're not going to like, and this is biblical. That even as God is in control of every nation, every government, God allows evil men to rule over nations to chasten God's people. Did you know that?

God uses governments many times. He puts people in government to not only persecute the church or to do things that we don't really like, and God says, "Do I get your attention? Am I getting your attention?" And this is something we all need to realize and to see what God says in His Word.

So I just want to make sure that you guys understand that Paul the apostle is not flipping out or going in different directions. Paul believed in obeying government. He's going to speak of—four times he uses the name "God" for God set up the whole thing. The standards are set up by God.

So let me go back just a little bit here. But let's go to chapter 13 and verse one of the book of Romans as we move through here. "Let every soul be subject," or be submitted, "to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God," there it is, "from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by"—who? "God." Man has nothing to do with it.

God is the one that appoints. God is the one that lifts up one and puts down the other. Again, verse one. So let every soul be in submission to the governing authorities, which means not only government, who? Police, the military, all these government agencies that have been given, established by God.

And then the second part he says, "For there is no authority except from"—who? "God," underline that. "From God." First Peter chapter 2:17 and 18 says the same thing. And then he says this. He says, "except from God, and the authorities," plural. You see? It's not just police, military, any government agency. "And the authorities that exist are appointed by God," not by man, by God.

And God appoints them for good or for evil. You see? The presidency of the United States, for good or for evil. That's why I'm telling you, I'm sharing with you: vote the next time we have to vote. Pray now, and vote for the right person if you want to see America and you want to see your children and your grandchildren do better in the future to come.

And we have here where the Roman government not only became corrupt—it was corrupt. But yet the church obeyed government until it came where they had to say, "Caesar is Lord," or "Jesus is Lord." And that may come one day, and then you're going to have to make up your mind. You're either for Jesus or you're for the government.

In verse two, here's now the warning for a penalty of judgment. He says, "Therefore," because of this, "whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." Notice what he's saying here. If you break the law, you're going to pay the penalty of breaking the law. I mean, that's the way it is. God has established that.

Civil government has its source in the Almighty God, and civil power and authority is appointed and ordained by—who? "God. By God Himself." I love that. By God Himself. And then we know that Christians are not called to overthrow a government, which we see in other countries of the world that try to overrun the government.

When we know that freedom has been given to us, and God is big enough to intervene. But think of all the communist countries today that control the people, control the state. And we see that right now we have so many problems in the world today—I mean, Russia, China, Korea—I mean, all these places, Africa.

And Jesus says, "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ready. The sign of His coming." But the time is not yet, He said. Because God is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. That's the heart of God. He doesn't want anybody to perish. He gives opportunity to everyone and anyone that wants to come to Christ.

Verse two again. "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinances of God, and those who resist"—notice, those who break the law—"will bring judgment on themselves." You're going to get punished. And so here he's talking about government. If you break the law, you're going to pay. You cheat on your income taxes, they come after you, you're going to go to jail, you're going to pay your debt. I mean, that's just the way it is.

The ordinances of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Verse three: "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil." To those that break the law, then that's where they're therefore to protect us. "Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good," do what's right, "and you will have praise from the same." So this is what Paul's talking about here, doing what's right.

Verse four: "For he is God's minister." Isn't that cool? Mark that. Because God has put him there as His servant to protect us. "God's minister to you for good," there it is again. "But if you do evil, then be"—what? "Afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain." Underline those things.

He does not bear the sword in vain, the symbol of power, notice, inflicting punishment to the lawbreaker. He doesn't bear the sword in vain, for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who is practicing evil. The murders, the rapists, the child molesters, I mean, the pornographers, all these people that are evil when they get caught, they're going to pay big time.

Verse five: now conscience sake, your conscience. He says, "Therefore," because of this, "you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience." It's not because it says 30 miles an hour, but your conscience. You know what's right. Your conscience tells you whether it's good or bad.

And so you have this conscience, it's a little alarm that goes off in your mind that says what you're doing is wrong, don't do it. You're going to pay the consequences. And so as I was reading this whole thing, it was just incredible because the Bible does not teach rebellion against government, but submission to government. Submission to government and those things especially that are right.

And then the example was given one day by looking at Nero, where Caesar Nero began to hate Christians because the Christians were changing the world. They were making an effect. Look at the church today. Can the government really close our doors? Can the government really say the church is really becoming a real force in this country? I don't think so. I really don't think so.

The time will come when churches really serve God, they love God and they're going out and being a witness to people, and people not only hate you, but we begin to see people repenting because they see the light in your life. They see that you belong to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That's what the Bible teaches.

It's so sad today to look at the church. And the Bible says in the last days, for many will give not only themselves over to sin, but the love of many will become cold. The love of many will become cold. You say that's today? That's today, my friends. That's today. Look at the church today all over the country, all over the world.

The church is diminishing, not only diminishing, but they're not exalting Jesus Christ; they're exalting the world. They're living for the world, not for Christ. I mean, here we have the whole thing that is given to us here. Verse six, he says, "For because of this you also," here we go, "pay taxes." Also pay taxes, "for they are God's ministers," the IRS that you hate, they're God's ministers.

And if you don't pay them, then they get you, they charge you interest to pay back. So here he talks about taxes, the IRS. And then verse seven, he says, "Render therefore to all their due." You see, here it is, the responsibility of all Christians to do what's right and to give to government what belongs to government.

Notice, "all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs are due, fear to whom fear." So we have these laws. These laws given to us to protect us, to watch over us, believe it or not.

And the problem begins is when you and I are moving away from government, moving away from the truth, and we begin to be just like the world. The world cheats on their taxes, the world does whatever they can evil. But as children of the Lord, we've been born again of the Holy Spirit, we receive Christ, we have the light, the darkness has moved away.

How can we live? Our conscience bear witness when we're actually cheating and not giving to God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Jesus said, "Peter, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God." I didn't say it, He said it. And if you're not doing it, shame on you. Don't call yourself a Christian.

Seriously. Because how can you do this, even studying the Word of God, reading the Word of God? And today you're going to be more responsible because you're sitting here hearing the truth of God in His Word. So Paul's very straight out when he talks here.

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Raul Ries: And then he says in verse 8 to 10. Notice he says in verse 8, he says, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." So here he doesn't really mean that you can't buy a car making a loan. That's fine. But when you make a loan and you know that you have this loan but you can't pay it, then why do you make the loan?

I mean, you got your credit card, nothing wrong with credit cards. I have a credit card, but I pay on time. I pay every month so I don't have interest. And the thing about it is that you have a credit card, a lot of times people have credit cards and they think that is cash. And at the end of the month, you get your bill and you get 20% interest when you don't pay. You're charged.

Then he goes on. He says in verse nine: "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,'" so now he brings in the other commandments here, giving you the second law, part of the second law, the last six commandments of the ten. He says, "For the commandments," he said, "'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Notice what he's saying here. If we love our fellow man, then we would treat everybody else with love. Not hating people, not talking to people in such a way that we're offending them or behind their backs. But here Paul is bringing out the letter of the second law here, the Ten Commandments, and the last six commandments.

"For the commandment," he says, "you shall not commit adultery." And you say, "Well, I haven't committed adultery with any woman." Well, you can commit adultery in your mind. Remember in Matthew chapter 5 and 6 and 7? You sit there and you lust after a woman or a man if you're a woman—now we have men with men, women with women—what are you doing? You're breaking one of the Ten Commandments. You're guilty. It's sin.

"And then you shall not murder." You say, "Well, I've never pulled the trigger on anybody." But how many times we kill people with our mouth? Hate. We murder people every single week. "And then how about you shall not steal?" Well, if you don't pay your taxes, you're stealing. If you don't make your payments to Macy's or wherever it is, you're stealing.

You gotta come to that place, you guys. We're living in the last. You want to be a real Christian? Then do what God says. Do what God says. Don't play games with God. And that's why we sit here and study the Word of God every Sunday, every Wednesday, because we want God's Word not only to affect my life, I want God's Word through the Holy Spirit to affect my life and to convict my life so that I can do what's right.

And then he says, "You shall not covet." You go down the street and you see this nice little car, a little 'Vette or a little Porsche? I've done that. "Wow." Coveting. Whatever it is you're coveting for. He says, "and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" All is summed up in love. If you really have love, you're going to obey. You're going to do what's right.

Verse 10: He says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of"—what? "the law." If you really love somebody, you're not going to hurt that person. You're going to love them. You're going to treat them right. And here he says, love does no harm to a neighbor.

And then he starts in verse 11. He says, notice, "And do this, knowing"—now what he's going to do right before he closes the chapter, okay? He's going to talk to you—some want to talk to you this morning before we conclude about the coming of the Lord. How important it is. Paul doesn't mess around. Paul says, "Before I conclude, I've been talking to you about politics and the laws, but I'm going to talk to you now about what's really happening and what's going to happen."

And he begins in verse 11: "And do this, knowing." Okay? Do we know? Of course we know. Look around. Do we know that Jesus is coming again? Yes, we do. We have Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, we have all Paul's epistles, we have the book of Revelation. I mean, how can we not know that? We have the book of Isaiah, we have the minor prophets—Zechariah, Micah, Malachi—all these books that talk about the coming of the Lord.

And then in the New Testament, prophecy is being fulfilled. So Paul wants to make sure "and do this, knowing the times." So if I know the times, how should I live? What should I be doing? Making sure that I'm ready to meet the Lord, number one. Watch what he says. "That now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed in Jesus Christ."

Isn't that cool? "than when I first believed in Jesus Christ. Behold, I come quickly," Jesus said. And if Jesus Christ is coming back again, then what are we doing concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we really believe that?

Verse 12: He says, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." Notice, because of this, "let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." If you know Jesus is coming, why are you living in darkness? When you should cast off the works of darkness and live in the light.

I mean, this is heavy what Paul is saying here. This is being fulfilled today. And the Old Testament, the prophecies that are given there concerning the coming of the Lord and then here into the New Testament. If He would come this morning after we leave here, would you be ready? Would you be ready? When you go home, read the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12. Read it. You blow your mind.

You gotta be ready. You can't be playing games. Jesus is coming. And then verse 13, he says, "Let us walk properly." Are you walking properly? "As in the day," notice, "not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy." You know, you used to live like that. You don't live like that no longer. You might be drinking here in the church. You might still have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, you might still commit adultery, lying, cheating.

And then coming to church on Sunday mornings and sitting here like everything's okay when it's not. What about your conscience? What about the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life, in your life? Do I really want to go to heaven? Do I really want God to use my life? Then my life has to be right before God. And maybe that's why God's not using your life because you're not right before God.

And then do you have an urgency for the non-believers, your family, your friends? I mean, churches should be packed out. If every Christian should invite someone on Sunday morning, can you imagine there would be no room in any church? And the reason is because you love your neighbors, you love your friends, you love your families. You don't want them to go to hell.

When is the last time you led somebody to the Lord? When is the last time you invited someone to church? These are things that we need to do as believers if we really truly believe in God's judgment. Because Paul here says, "Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry," notice, not in wild parties and all these things, "nor drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy."

And then he says this in 14: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Isn't that heavy? "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." How do I do that? Well, look what he says: "And make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust of the flesh." How do you do that? Don't feed the flesh. Feed the spirit.

Get rid of your flesh. Get rid of the lust in your life. The magazines, the movies, whatever it is. Your computer—if that's making you stumble, throw it away, give it to somebody. But you want to go to hell and continue there? How valuable's your soul? Do you really believe in heaven? Do you really believe in hell?

Go home and get rid of everything that is evil. If you really want God's peace, if you want God to use your life, get rid of everything that is not good for you. Because we walk in purity, righteousness, holiness. That's who we are as Christians.

Announcer: Many believers find it difficult to navigate the issues surrounding government, politics, and public life, and today's study reminds us that God calls His people to be marked by prayer, integrity, and respect as we represent Jesus to those around us.

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And we are grateful for your partnership. Every gift helps us continue sharing the truth of God's Word with listeners across the nation and around the world. Join us again next time for the conclusion of our Liberty series. Together, we'll see how a life surrendered to Christ becomes a powerful testimony of His grace, reflecting His character through the choices we make, the attitudes we cultivate, and the way we serve others. Now with a final thought from today's teaching, here's Raul once again.

Raul Ries: And the church today is not walking in righteousness, they're not walking in holiness, they're doing whatever they want to, and I'm not talking about the whole church. But I know that a lot of the church are doing that.

And yet, I want to be found walking by the Holy Spirit. Listen, obeying God's Word. That's important. Second Corinthians chapter 6:14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with an unbeliever, for what fellowship has light with darkness?" No fellowship.

No fellowship. That's young people having a boyfriend, girlfriend in the world—you can't do that. You can't do that. You can't partake of the world and call yourself a Christian. There's no possible way.

And then lastly, and let me conclude with this. This is so cool. Because Paul here in verse 11 to the end of the chapter, first of all, he says these three words as he concludes: "Wake up, clean up, and grow up." If you don't do that, you're in trouble.

And I would pray this morning that the Holy Spirit has spoken to us, as He spoke to me this week. I hope He spoke to you. I hope you saw my heart this morning as I gave to you the gospel of Jesus Christ.