Saturday after the Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7 (NKJV)

13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will 1bring judgment on themselves. 3 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. 4 For he is God’s minister 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, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Devotion

Today’s text is summed up in verse five, “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.” Subjection is not a word we Americans care for, because we love to shout loudly about our “rights.” And too many Christians try to make the argument that “Christian Freedom” also gives believers the “right” to do various things because Jesus has set us free from any judgment. These positions are a horrendous corruption of what Scripture declares about the bride of Christ. Jesus declares of the Pharisees and Herodians, in the twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, that they are hypocrites for denying, among other things, the authority of the government. The Apostle Paul expounds on this divine declaration from God in chapter thirteen and fourteen of his epistle to the Roman church. Part of this is our appointed text for today.

The Christian is truly set free from judgment by the redemption that comes in grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His holy Means. This freedom calls the Christian to be bold, not fearful—to pick up one’s cross and follow his Lord and Redeemer as His faithful disciple. A Christian is Christ’s disciple who strives to be a perfect copy of His Master, who came not to be served, but to serve. Thus, the Christian as a child of God (adopted in Christ) is beholden to none, and simultaneously servant of all. Servants are in subjection to their Master, and to those whom “God has appointed” to have authority within and without His church.

Prayer: O God, only by clinging to You and Your Word shall we be those who have faith, and thus persevere as Your servants unto glory through Your grace. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.