DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN CITIZEN
Romans 13:1‑7
The relationship between the church and the state has been a source of conflict from the beginning. When the church is dominated and controlled by the state, the church suffers. The state suffers, on the other hand, when it comes under the control of the church. On paper our country has devised the best approach to their relationship known to man. In our approach to church and state, we have left the church free from the control of the state, and the state free from the control of the church. Our system allows a man to be a citizen of a state and a member of the church without conflict to himself.

You and 1 are the citizens of two countries. We are by natural birth citizens of the United States of America, at least most of us are, but we are by spiritual birth citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. Being a citizen of the heavenly kingdom should make us better citizens of the United States. It does not forbid us from entering into the life of the earthly state, but rather places upon us some specific responsibilities as they relate to the earthly state. You cannot be a good Christian without being a good citizen.

Since many Christians have approached their relationship to the state as though they were approaching a necessary evil, we need to hear this word of the Lord. If just the professing Christians of our country began to take seriously this word of instruction concerning our Christian duties of citizenship, it could turn our country around. We will never have a better country until we have better citizens.

As we approach these duties, we need to keep in mind that they are directly related to our relationship to God. As we study this ethical portion of the Roman letter, we must never forget that these are ethics for the justified man. They are laid upon us because we are the people of God. There are two of these duties outlined in our text.

CHRISTIANS SHOULD SUBMIT TO THE STATE
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers." "Every soul" is all inclusive. Every man is placed under this mandate. Regardless of who you are, this is a word for you." The higher powers" are those governmental authorities that are over us. It would include all three branches of our government, the legislative, judicial, and executive. It would extend from the policeman who stands on the corner directing traffic, to the White House. So every man is to be included in the statement, and every expression of governmental authority is included.

However, obviously the key word is "be subject". This word calls for a voluntary subjection of yourself to this governmental authority. Each man is to attend to his own response. The subjection is to be continuous. The word used by the Apostle has the continuous force. We are to be always subjecting ourselves to these higher powers. Basically the word means to place oneself under authority. It is the very same word used for the subjection of a wife to her husband, of a servant being subjected to his master, and of a soldier being subjected to his commanding officer. It is the outward expression of an inner recognition of the authority of God that has been delegated to the authority in question.

The reason for this subjection is that the authority of the state is delegated to it from God. For the good of mankind God has delegated some of his authority to the state for the purpose of assuring the good of the citizens, and for the purpose of restraining the growth of evil in society.

The question this raises is how far is this subjection to extend? Is the Christian to always be submissive to the will of the state? Is there ever a time when it is proper for the Christian to resist the authority of the state? Obviously there are times for resistance and non‑submission. Basically we can say that any time the state seeks to replace God in the life of the people, the state must be resisted. This is the basis upon which the three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel refused to bow before the idol set up by the state. Though their refusal brought them the fiery furnace, God confirmed the rightness of their action by delivering them from its flames. So it was with Daniel when he maintained his prayer vigil when prayer became unlawful. In this case the state was seeking to replace the living God in the life of Daniel. The experience of Peter and John was of similar nature. When the authority forbade their continuing to proclaim the name of Christ, they could not submit because God Himself had commissioned them to proclaim His name. In this case, they must obey the Lord God rather than the state. Some of the first readers of this letter would later be put to death because they continued to acknowledge Jesus alone as Lord in Rome, when the state began to say that Caesar alone was Lord.

However, something significant is seen in each case of non‑submission in the Scriptures. They resisted though still protesting their profound respect for government. Their conflict with the state did not lead them to seek the overthrow of the state. And they resisted with a willingness to bear the wrath of the state uncomplainingly. They were prepared to pay the price for resistance.

Fortunately for us, we live under a government in which we have avenues of change open to us. We can organize efforts to change law or procedures in our state that we feel to be unfair or unjust. We can be submissive while working for the change of that which we feel to be wrong. But our basic attitude toward those in authority is to be that of submission.

CHRISTIANS SHOULD SUPPORT THE STATE
The Christian responsibility does not end with subjection. This submissiveness is extended to giving practical support to the state. A primary form for this support is through taxes.

"For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues." The command to pay tribute is clear. This makes it mandatory for the Christian to be faithful and honest in the payment of his taxes.

The reason the Christian is to pay taxes is that the government is the minister of God to you for good. All of God's ministers have a right to expect support ‑‑‑ including the minister in the state. Fortunately for him he also has the power to collect that which is supposed to come to him, which is not true of the minister of God who ministers the word. At least ideally, the taxes we pay are to go for the good of society as a whole. Obviously some of our taxes do. They build schools and pay teachers. They build hospitals and train doctors. They build roads and make them safe through patrolmen. They maintain a sheriff to catch the criminal and build a jail in which to place him. They provide welfare checks to the underprivileged and support to the handicapped. They build colleges and pay tuition’s for students. They hire, equip, and maintain an army for defense purposes. They build airports and regulate airlines for our safety. They hire men to check our food as it is produced to make sure it is safe. On and on we could go. Ideally, all of these things are for our good. So we are supposed to support them through our taxes.

In addition to our taxes, we are also to give honor and respect to those who are in authority. "Fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." This means that as a Christian I should be aware of the authority invested in a certain position, and should acknowledge it by rendering proper respect for the person in that position.

The example of the man who wrote this letter should be helpful. Re‑read the Acts of the Apostles, especially those accounts of Paul standing before the different authorities.

While the Apostle was prepared to use the legal rights that belonged to him as a Roman citizen, he was always careful to show the proper respect to those in authority. Though by any standard of measurement, some of them were not worthy of respect personally, they were honored and respected by the Apostle when he stood before them. They were always addressed in words of respect. In this day when those in authority are bad‑mouthed and berated, when respect for those in authority seems to be at an all time low, we need to hear this word of the Apostle again.

Both Jude and Peter warn in their letters that a mark of the last days will be the despising of government, and the speaking of evil, hard words against those in authority. It would seem that we are living in that kind of day, if we take our country as the norm. It seems to be the "in" thing to berate authorities, and to despise those who are in the seats of power. But this is a wrong course of action for the Christian, and a dangerous course of action for the world as a whole.

What is our needed response? Should we dedicate ourselves to be patriotic, flag‑waving Americans? While there is nothing wrong with that, that is not the response this passage calls for. This passage calls for us to give God the first place in our lives, not the state, and then because God is first, we are to express His Lordship in our lives by being good citizens. We become good citizens not because the state is supreme, but out of obedience to God who is supreme. The best way to express your acknowledgement of His Lordship in your life as a citizen, is to acknowledge His authority that has been delegated to the officers of the state.

If you have not acknowledged God as being supreme in your life, then this is the place to begin.