How to Act Before Authority

Romans 13:1-7; 7/6/2025; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

We can see or hear on many occasions that Romans 13 is the biblical basis for unconditional obedience to the government, right?  Then, the issue of how to behave before authority is brought before each of us, the children of God.  Should we obey?  To what extent should we obey?  What exactly is obedience talking about?  Let’s look at the first point: 

 Obey the God behind the authority

In fact, the Bible makes it very clear that the essence of obedience is to obey God!  First, because authority comes from God.  Frankly speaking, this sermon is not easy to preach.  Authority comes from God, no problem.  The problem is that the person holding authority is the Antichrist, what to do?  There is a question here,  that is, can God use the Antichrist for His own good?  Do we accept God’s omnipotence, even beyond our cognition?  On the one hand, God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but at the same time allowed Pharaoh to stop them, right?  God called us to preach the gospel in China, Iran, and North Korea, but at the same time allowed the Antichrist regime to persecute the church.  It feels a bit embarrassing!  But isn’t this an opportunity for God to be glorified?       

Secondly, refuse to accept God’s authority.  Obeying God’s authority to the wicked is the basic attitude of God’s children toward God.  Job said nothing in his suffering, and the Bible said that there was no sin in his mouth.  What about us?  Maybe we can’t stand a little suffering, even a little grievance, how can we bear it.  Paul still sang hymns to praise God in prison, which was to express his obedient attitude.  It means that even in bondage, I still firmly believe in God’s presence.  Even my going to prison, Paul, is a grace given by God, and it is also a good opportunity for God to be glorified.  God opened the prison door, loosened the chains, and Paul and others could have escaped.  When the jailer woke up and saw it, he felt that the responsibility was too heavy and he couldn’t bear it, “he drew his sword to commit suicide.”  However, Paul chose to accept God’s authority and stay in prison.      

Finally, resistance will bring punishment upon oneself.  The resistance to authority mentioned here refers to taking a hostile attitude towards God’s power.  Power encompasses authority, and authority is the way to express God’s power.  To do this is to resist God’s command.  The word “command” is translated a little strangely.  The original text refers to God’s character, disposition, or will.  God had already decided to appoint Pilate as the governor of the province of Judea, and Jesus even took the initiative to go to the cross.  Not only did Jesus obey and not resist, but he still had to be whipped, tortured, and finally died on the cross.  It seems a little unfair, right?  Wang Yi, Cao Sanqiang and other servants of God were sentenced to prison for preaching the gospel and doing good deeds.  Is this fair?  The question is, is there fairness in this world?  Let’s look at the second point: 

 Acting according to the law of conscience

 After people sin, their consciences are polluted and can no longer fulfill the functions that God originally designed them to fulfill.  However, God still has the power to choose an imperfect vessel to be used by Him.  First, conscience overcomes fear.   When Pastor Cao Sanqiang was serving his sentence, two jailers watched him sleep at night.  At first, Pastor Cao was not used to it and might have been disgusted.  However, over time, Pastor Cao also felt pity for the two jailers and felt pity for them from his conscience.  The prison authorities were most afraid that Pastor Cao would pray and talk to his fellow inmates and preach the gospel.  In fact, at this moment, God has already received the glory he deserves.  The antichrists are afraid that the gospel will be widely spread, because once the truth is spread, it will illuminate the darkness in people’s hearts.  Pastor Cao prayed silently every day during his seven years in prison.  Through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, obtaining the unexpected peace given by God in Christ!        

Secondly, take the initiative to be calm.  Today, Pastor Cao Sanqiang has become a “new three-no person”, that is, no ID card, no passport, and no job.  Logically, Pastor Cao should feel very sad, right?  But who can stop the power of the gospel?  The Bible says that the gospel is the power of God to save all who believe.  Pastor Cao’s life is filled with peace and joy, gospel gatherings, church fellowships, people being baptized, laughter, peace and joy.  Instead of complaining about suffering, it is better to take the initiative to enter the Great Commission and testify in a calm and fearless manner that there are God’s people in this city, the presence of Immanuel,and the law of conscience from God.  Because the Lord is our shepherd, we will not lack!         

Finally, ordinary people should have an ordinary mind.  If people regard the suffering they endure as an ordinary thing in life, Satan will not be able to do anything to us.  Jesus Christ was whipped, and every time the whip with iron hooks hit him, it would bring blood to his flesh and cause great pain.  However, Christ “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,” even “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  The secret is that our Supreme Lord has an ordinary mind and regards himself as an ordinary person, as it is written in the Bible: ”but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”  The so-called human form refers to ordinary people.  Look at the third point: 

To fulfill righteousness with respectful attitude

Attitude determines a person’s altitude, and attitude is determined by our core values.  First, ordinary people and ordinary things.  No matter what kind of social system we live in, it is not difficult to find things to obey, agree?  At least traffic rules must be obeyed, right?  We cannot disobey worldly laws just because we are spiritual people. Do you agree?  As a citizen of a society, it is natural to pay taxes.  And we should do better than non-believers, agree?  The public interests of the community should also be jointly maintained, right?  Living in a walled country, the dictator blocks the Internet and brainwashes, what should we do?  Should we do it by force?  Or ask God for mercy and wisdom to help us get through the difficulties?  Even if it is an evil law, if you want to violate it, you have to pay a price.  Be mentally prepared and do what you should do before God.  No matter what the result is, just don’t complain!       

Secondly, we should be fearful and respectful.  What should we do if the police come during a gathering?  Some brothers and sisters told me that they were very scared!  I said that it is normal to be afraid, the key is why we are afraid, right?  If we choose to have a respectful attitude toward those in authority because of our fear of God, it will be accepted by God.  A more appropriate attitude is to be neither humble nor arrogant, to answer peacefully and rationally, and not to be controlled by emotions. Doesn’t the law say that citizens have religious freedom?  Didn’t you come overseas to hold a Bible exhibition and say that there is religious freedom in the walled country?  Our gathering today is to pray for the peace and prosperity of the country and the national leaders, and to ask for God’s mercy to come, including that college students have jobs, people have food to eat, and the economy can recover.        

Finally, we should look up to God’s righteousness.  In fact, as children of God, we are the most confident people in our hearts, right?  The journey of life in the world is just a journey of a few decades.  There is no need to seek fame and fortune, nor to occupy public resources.  Everything is for the purpose of blessing others.  There is no need to force people to preach the gospel.  If you believe, you will walk with us on the road to heaven and gain eternal life; if you do not believe, you will go to hell with Satan, and each of you has nothing to do with each other.  Of course, it may be inevitable that we will eventually conflict with those in power, or even be nailed to the cross. What about it?  Just follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, pray for those who nailed us to the cross, and ask the Heavenly Father to forgive them!  Walking the road to heaven and carrying the cross is difficult, but not difficult either!  Whether it is difficult or not depends entirely on our thoughts and minds before God!

Conclusion

 Well, thank the Lord!  I finally finished writing this sermon, which I worked so hard on!  I must preach what I should preach, and keep silent about what I should not preach or cannot preach clearly!  Relying on the Lord to win includes that we can be martyred for the Lord or continue to serve God!  Whether we live or die, we are always the Lord’s people.  Because He loves me and died for me!  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!        

Let us pray……       

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 

2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 

4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 

7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.