God Is Still On The Throne Pt 1
Romans 13:1
Pr Edi Giudetti
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
(Rom 13:1-7)
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
The night Jesus was betrayed and the soldiers, together with Judas, came for him to take him, Peter drew his sword and struct at one of the soldiers, injuring him.
Jesus healed the man and turned to Peter saying;
“…Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”
Jesus Christ, our Lord, the God of heaven and earth, who could command the whole army of heaven, submitted himself to the ruling authorities and was faithful to God unto death, even the death of the cross.
Today, I witness the behavior of many of Jesus’s disciples, children who are called by his name and saved through his blood, that if they had the charge of a legion of angles they would not hesitate to employ them in rebellion against our Government.
This is the heart of many of those who’s daily claim is that they follow Christ.
This was indeed even my heart and I have had the most terrible time in sorrow, in anguish and in tears dreading to come to this sermon and to do so faithfully.
I spent the week listening and seeing many senate hearings, news conferences, chambers question times and reading news articles to help me understand this passage of the Bible and trust it completely.
(They say that the pastor must first be changed by his own sermon before he hopes to change others).
What this week’s grievous effort did was to help gather to myself a complete and total despondency of trusting Government to better my life.
As difficult as that was, the unmooring of any confidence I ever had in Government, has found me casting my anchor completely on the rock that is my Lord, to trust God rather than hope in man.
Never have I come to see the value of the words in Psalm 118:8-9 as I do today;
“8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes”
Jesus, my Lord, in his willingness to submit himself as he did, though having the power of heaven at his disposal, leaves me without argument and I pray prepared me to preach this sermon in sincerity.
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Its times like we are living in today that we might often run the risk of thinking that God has somehow “left the building”, that he is no longer in control of that which is before us and so it is now up to us to ‘retake the kingdom for Gods sake’, but nothing is further from the truth.
What we will see as we study this passage is that all the powers that be in the world are in subjection to the throne of God.
Contrary to how we might often feel, God is Still On The Throne
As we consider this passage we will recognize several elements that we are to trust in;
- That we are to submit ourselves to any and all governments to which we live;
- That they are put in place directly by God;
- That they are given their powers directly of God.
- That God is in control
In doing this we will also dispel and explain several myths;
Myth 1: That we are to obey EVERYTHING commanded us by Governments
Myth 2: That God approves of all things governments do;
Myth 3: That God has no purpose for Government;
Myth 4: That God has no power to work his work through Governments.
With those several items now given you, the thrust of the sermon today is to encourage you to rest knowing that God is Still On The Throne
Universal Command Through The Throne of God
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. …
The inclusion of the words “every soul” is a simple Hebraism that means ‘every person’. We see its use also in Acts 2:43, 3:23 and Romans 2:9 as we do here in this passage.
The text speaks simply to the universality of the command through the throne of God. Every person, and more particularly respecting the addressees of this letter, Every Christian, is to be subject unto the higher powers.
They are to be in submission to higher powers.
These powers are those that have the rule over us.
• Some we have elected,
• some are despots and dictators,
• some have just rule and governance limited to a constitutional framework,
• some are evil dictators that have no rule governing them but that of their own will.
There is no distinction in the text, there are no distinctions in the Bible, every soul is to be subject unto the higher power whether they be just and good, or evil.
We see this represented throughout the Bible and we will open up many references as we study this topic over the next couple of weeks.
HISTORY
The Bible teaches of the ancient Jews, that they were a peculiar people chosen out of the nations of the world to be Gods very own possession. God chose them because that was what God desired to do, God is on the throne and not man. He did not choose them because they were a great people (Deut 7:7), nor did he choose them because there was ANYTHING special about them, he chose them based on his own will…it is God that sits on the throne .
But what was given to the Jews had never been seen in the world before, and it was given to them at the base of Mt Sinai, inscribed by the very finger of God on two tables of stone, written on the front and on the backside;
It was The Law of God
Specifically: The Ten Commandments.When Paul asked the rhetorical question related to the Jews in Romans 3:1, saying;
What advantage then hath the Jew?
He gave a solitary answer as to the greatest advantage of all that was given to the Jews, he writes;
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. Romans 3:1-2
This is the law of God, coming directly to the nation via the Throne of God.
Naturally, Israel had seen their own laws above anything the nations of the world could even hope to be governed by, and they were right. There were no such laws that could even compare to that of ancient Israel.
There are some teachers that try to find origin for similar laws in ancient cultures such as The Code of Hammurabi with its 282 rules, but there is no confidence in the dating of this Babylonian King coming close to the time of Moses, nor any confidence that many of its strange and contradictory rules are divinely ordained.
No, rather that Israel being influenced by the nations, it is evidently seen that Israel was the one that influenced the nations.
Israel entered into captivity in Babylon in the early 7th century. Babylon was the first Biblical world empire with over 120 nations under its dominion.
No less than four Kings, of Babylon, of Media and of Persia gave testimony to the God of Israel and had set beside them a president of Israel to rule and govern the nations, one of which was Queen Esther.
Is it just a coincidence there arose the five prominent, written, ethical religios systems that still exist today within 50 years of the release of Israel from that captivity? (Traditionally Around 570bc)
- Buddhism around the 6th Century
- Confucianism around the 6th Century (551 – 479BC)
- Zoroastrianism enters its written history between 600 and 500 BC
- Philosophy, a term coined by Pythagoras between 570 and 495BC, was a written ethical system of a search of wisdom
- Hinduism’s massive ethical reformation, was placed in writing in the Vedic period (the Hindu Vedas) after 500 BC
What I am trying to picture for you is that the ancient Jews had seen their government system well above anything evidenced in the heathen nations that surround them and historically seems to evidence a dramatic influence of the nations of the world within a short period of their subjugation of the world Empires.
But this also had the effect of making them feel aloof and far superior to those nations. Pride entered into their hearts and they would see it as below them to submit to their authority when they had dominion.
Paul preached the Gospel to the known world during the despotic governance of men such as Emperors Caligula (Murdered by assassination around 41Ad), succeeded by Claudius (Murdered by poison 54AD), succeeded by Nero (suicide 68AD).
Paul’s letter to the Romans is dated in the midst of the reign of Nero, about 58AD
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. He writes.
John Chrysostom, an early church father who was well aware of despotic persecution during the time of his grand parents and would see more of it during his own lifetime wrote reflecting on the close of chapter 12 and the opening of 13 saying;
“For if it be right to requite those that injure us with the opposite, much more is it our duty to obey those that are benefactors to us.”
Dispelling Myth No 1: are we to Obey everything commanded us by Government?
Clearly, NO.
We will address next week in detail v2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God
We will speak to what that means and to what it does not mean and we will bring many biblical examples related to the Petition of Government For Redress of Grievances how this was done Biblically and how it can be done today.
But respecting Government laws we might be compelled to obey and the limitations of that obedience, the answer is as simple as it is liberating.
We obey man’s laws, until man’s laws disobeys Gods laws.
Turn to Acts 4:15-21
Now the context is that both Peter and John are before the rulers of the people and are being charged by the rulers of that which is contrary to the command of God, this is but one of our examples and worthy of consideration.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
They gave themselves into the hand of the rulers and made clear they had no intention of obeying that which is contrary to Gods laws, so too are we.
• God commands we are to preach the Gospel of Christ, then we do so even when the law states otherwise.
• God commands us to pray for the Lost; yes even if they are a cross dressing, bifocal, ambidextrous, bigoted, toothless Collingwood supporters; no matter what the law says to the contrary, we pray they may be delivered from that malady and turn to Christ for their salvation!
• God commands preaching, we preach, nothing hindering.
• God commands we gather, we gather and are subject to our conscience ONLY on the matter, NOT GOVERNMENT dictates.
• And if the Church needs to go underground to save souls, then so be it!
We obey man’s laws, until man’s laws disobeys Gods laws.
God is on the throne, not man.
Governments Rule Subject To The Throne of God
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
It was interesting a few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast by a biblical Christian on the point relating to our being subject to government, and I found myself agreeing whole heartedly to everything he said but one.
He does not vote, he said, because he believes it is God that chooses those who have the rule over us.
Somehow he seemed to think that, in everything else he has a choice, but God is sovereign over Governments. He did not want to cast a Vote against Gods choice of leader.
Beloved, in that one statement the preacher stated two things that were wrong.
- That God limits his sovereignty to that which he has stated he is sovereign.
- That man has no free will.
It is not the purpose of this message to get tied up in the argument of the sovereignty of God, but suffice to say the Bible teaches both that God is in perfect control of ALL things and that man is justly held accountable to all he does.
Isaiah presents the perfect picture of God’s sovereignty in Isa 46:9-11 where God reminds Israel saying;
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
There is NOTHING OUTSIDE OF Gods Control, but let us be reminded with all clarity that it was Jesus, the Son of God who came to die for the sins of mankind, Man is so accountable that it took the death of Christ to cover his sin.
The simple reality is that God is 100% sovereign and man is 100% accountable.
We VOTE at every opportunity for the governments we desire to lead us, but there is no power but of God
The Bible says, The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
Prov 16:33
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:
The text again is plain to see. God is the one that puts in place the powers that govern over the people and Paul is fully aware of it and reminds the gentile Christians they are to be subject to these ruling princes in the world, and rest in the Lord for the work he attends to in them.
Paul teaches we are to respect the office, the magistrates, that he himself has created.
“There is no power but of God”
There are NO rulers, that govern the nations and territories of the world BUT those that God has put into place.
Paul reminds us directly of the reality of this, but sometimes, not often, just sometimes, God has to also remind the rulers that He is Still on The Throne.
Turn to Daniel 2:19
In Daniel chapter two we recall that the King had a dream and demanded the dream to both recited and revealed at pain of death to those he commanded.
Daniel and his friends set themselves to pray the Lord would reveal the dream to Daniel and in verse 19 the secret was revealed and in his thanksgiving to the Lord he makes a statement that will be repeated several times in the book,
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. (Dan 2:19-22)
Now Daniel knew that “there is no power but of God”, but it seemed that the King himself was yet unaware in spite of the dream and its interpretation revealed to him.
Turn to Dan 4:17
Daniel 4 seems to be a chapter written by that very King, it was HIS testimony about what happened to him.
The King has yet another dream and this time tells the dream to Daniel which has the effect of astonishing Daniel for an hour.
But its verse 17 that provides for us the reasoning behind what God was going to do to the King;
17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. (Dan 4:17)
The phrase “the basest of men” has a literalness that just can’t escape me today as consider our own Godless leaders, both Federal and State.
1 Kings 12:31 shows this to be a judgement upon the nation when the “lowest of the people” are given the highest charge over the people.
When the inmates are running the asylum you know your nation has a problem.
Next week, when we consider verse 2 to 4, we will identify the source of that problem, IN short we will find the source of our problems is NOT the leaders but the people.
We will find that the leaders of nations and states are a symptom not a source.
Now consider again the King of Babylon as that which has transpired in his life after the thought of his heart came to his lips in Dan 4:29 and that form of education was given him that astonished Daniel;
At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
God was on the throne then and God is still on the throne today, he reminded the King of Babylon then, and he will certainly remind the Kings of Babylon since then to this very day until the last King of Babylon, who will take the kingdom by flatteries, is himself reminded and destroyed.
the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
There is no power BUT of God
Governments Ordained By The Throne of God
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
God calls and sends these men to govern, and he lays the pathway that they may govern and he clothes them with the power to Govern.
The powers that be are ordained of God
God pre-planned and arranged all, he calls a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth his counsel from a far country: he has spoken it, he will also bring it to pass;
When God judged his own nation for their sin, he prepared over a century earlier not only the timeframe for their captivity, but also the means the man of their deliverance.
He named him by name even though then man he named did not know him.
God prepared the way for Cyrus the king of Persia, he laid out the nations before him to open up to him the two leaved gates that he may conquer Babylon and give the decree which was revealed to Daniel, that started the clock for the coming messiah identified in Daniel 9.
Over a century before he was born, this was recorded of him by Isaiah the prophet, you will find it in Isaiah 45:1
1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
God the one who is on the Throne.
This passage tells us that “the powers that be are ordained of God”, it reveals that he had the control of the nations that are to be laid straight and he will accomplish that which God had ordained for him to do and all because again, “the powers that be are ordained of God”.
When Jesus stood before Pilot, the governor proclaimed to Christ that he had the power to let him go.
“Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin” John 19:11
Did you hear that? “no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above”
Beloved, there is a reason why we are called to peace and not to rebellion.
There is a reason we are commanded to faithfulness and not anarchy, God IS ON THE THRONE and you are going to need to have that understanding reinforced again and again if he should tarry longer.
If God is patient (and he is), if God is longsuffering (and he is), if God’s desire is that none should perish but all come to repentance, then we might see the world continue its spiral downwards, yet we are called to faith and to watch with anticipation and to rejoice as we see the day approaching and to give that answer to all people who ask us of the hope that is yet in us. (1 Pet 3:15).
SIDE NOTE:
Beloved, do you know, dispensationally speaking, that 1 Peter is written with a perspective that is very close to The Day of the Lord?
Hebrews through to Revelation is written with the perspective of readiness for the Lords second coming.
It is notable that the time is a difficult time, Peters epistles speak of the sufferings of the day, but Peters admonition is specifically toward the demonstration of hope in the Christian during a time of great difficulty in the world.
“Why are you at peace in a time like this?”
“Where does your comfort come from while the world is in such disarray?”
“Why have you such hope when so many feel hope is lost?”
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Pet 3:15)
Beloved GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE, and we are perfectly free both to live and to die for the Lord. Our life is in his hands, our days are his and our hope is him.
Reveal the hope you have to the world during times like this and know of a certainty God is still on the throne and so; “The powers that be are ordained of God”
God Is Still On The Throne
Psalm 75:6-7 says
“6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another”
God is One the Throne, and throughout the Bible we see his listening ear as he hears the petitions of his people “for a redress of grievances”.
From the time of Moses, through the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Esther and the Chronicles, again and again we see passages where the people petition the Lord to deal with the despots who govern them and he hears them.
But we also see times when we will need to endure the flame, trusting only in the Lord that he will deliver us, but even IF he will not deliver us, we are not to be careful, worrying about how we are to live when we are pressed in matters against our faith.
When it comes to matters of preference however, when it comes to those things that today burden you that you do not wish to partake in; you have your choices to which you are free to make.
Some of those choices, like Paul’s choice to return to Jerusalem even knowing that he will be taken and imprisoned, will have consequences. But don’t underestimate the Lord working through those consequences.
In this present evil day, people will soon be presented with choices, settle it now in your minds how you will respond and give some consideration as to ALL your options moving forward.
Please don’t let your emotions drive your LOGIC, use LOGIC to correct and adjust your emotions. Submit yourself to God’s word and done go beyond it for the sake of stubborn pride…remember you are not home yet!
There are certain things I have already decided for myself, I am not deceived and have considered the costs and will trust in the Lord, but there are some personal things that are not as important to which I will likely eventually give way.
But as for my government, I will petition them and encourage others also, but I have no interest in rebelling.
I will obey them for as long as my conscience testifies I am faithful to the Lord, but not beyond that, and I rest in Christ for the outcome.
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
God is still on the throne.
That’s why we are to live without spot in the present world.
We are to be seen as peaceable people, subject to our Government as Christ was to Pilot.
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