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Rightly
Dividing the Word of Truth
(2
Timothy 2:15)
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This
is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
Romans by the Book Lesson
109
I pray you are
utilizing your Bible, as you’re following along with us in the study of God’s
Word. In other words, I’m asking you to search the Scriptures and not depend so
much on what you’ve heard in the past or thought you heard in order to understand
what the Bible truly says and does
not say in some cases. (Acts 17:10-12)
Now I know some
people are going to disagree with something I’ve said every now and then and I
really don’t mind if they choose to do so, as long as whatever they have a
problem with is based solely on Scripture – rightly
divided (2 Timothy 2:15). I’ve informed
all my students from the “get-go,” and I’ve reminded this group many times, if
you can show me where I’ve erred in my teaching while using this book – go for
it! But if someone is going to be disagreeable
strictly because they say, “tradition holds…,” my denomination teaches the
subject differently, or they heard someone somewhere preach it another way, then
all I have to say is you’re walking on thin ice.
All my Bible
lessons are as true to the Word of
God as I can consciously prepare them and minus my opinion. Moreover, the people in this study who know
me personally know one of my sincerest prayers is never to publish a Bible
lesson with an “untruth” in it. To accomplish
this from week to week I depend on prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance (John
16:12-15; Titus 2:7-8).
I answered the call
to teach God’s Word 20 years ago because in my younger days I was misled by my
church group. They were “twisting” God’s
Truths found in the Bible and teaching the “traditions
of men” (Mark 7:6-13). Many of
the Grace Age Doctrines weren’t being taught at all. Of course I was totally unaware of all this
until I decided to open the Bible myself and I started studying it; something
this denomination told us we didn’t have to do they would tell us what the
Scriptures say.
In June 1971 Pete
Townsend wrote a song for the rock group The Who and the title of this song
expresses my thoughts on this subject thoroughly, “Won’t Get Fooled
Again.”
Because I was
misled for many years, because so many things I was taught by my church while
growing up were NOT true to God’s Word, when given the opportunity to teach
this book I made a promise to my Savior.
I promised Him that wherever people gather to listen to me they would
hear the Truth of His Word, and I have dedicated my life to this effort.
Why? Because where you spend eternity hangs in the
balance.
The Lord Jesus Christ
warns people NOT to base their Eternal
Salvation on: good works alone, a church
denomination, convenience, emotions, baptism, confirmation, religious
traditions, or because you prayed the sinner’s prayer. Far too many people believe there are “many
paths to heaven.” There are far too many
people who have based their salvation on the wrong thing and this because they
are not being taught the fundamental Church Age Doctrines and the Apostle
Paul’s gospel (Romans 2:16).
Scripture says Salvation
is of God! The only thing the Creator
God asks of men and women is to believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, died for
their sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the 3rd day,
according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). You and I have no
other obligation in this process despite what you may have been told: For by grace you have been saved
(because I tithe regularly, I joined the right church, this feels right, because
I was baptized in a specific way, this is how mom and dad did it, I prayed the
sinner’s prayer – NO. What does this
book say – you have been saved) through
faith (alone); and that not of yourselves, it is the (what) gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8).
I don’t know about
your gifts but I don’t have to do anything
for mine; they’re given out of love
freely and unconditionally. This is how God’s Grace works for sinners
(Romans 5:8). One day each Believer will
stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to see if our lives lined up with the Word
of Truth. Therefore, every Believer
should examine their lives, in light
of Scripture: Test yourselves to see
if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about
yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Thanks for being here today.
Last
week in verse 1, Paul stated that human government has Divine authority. Verse 2 emphasizes Divine consequences to
those who oppose or resist what God has ordained.
Please
open your Bible at Romans chapter 13:3.
Let’s read some Scripture together.
Be Subject to
Government
Romans 13
3: For rulers are
not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of
authority? Do what is good and
you will have praise from the same;
4: for it is a minister
of God to you for good. But if you do
what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is
a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Paying Debts
5: Therefore it is
necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for
conscience’ sake.
6: For because of
this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting
themselves to this very thing.
7: Render to
all what is due them: tax to whom
tax is due; custom to whom custom;
fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
I
pointed out in the previous lesson that Christians aren’t much different than
non-Christians in their attitudes and responses toward governing
authorities. I didn’t do this to be judgmental. That’s God’s department. This report is based solely upon
“observation.” Compliance to the laws
enacted by the civil authorities is (reluctantly) given but (full) cooperation
is not.
I’ll
cite one example. At a time when steep
tax increases and deep spending cuts appear to be the only options available to
decrease the federal deficit, the IRS going after all the tax-cheats and
deadbeats would seem to be a “no-brainer.”
However, this isn’t being done. According
to a recent Washington Post article, the IRS estimates that $400 billion
in federal income taxes go uncollected each and every year. If you think only the unsaved are responsible
for this irresponsible behavior, you’d be mistaken.
Without
a doubt the saved as well as the unsaved are responsible for the lawlessness that is sweeping this nation
(and the world) like a disease. But this
should not be, since Believers have been “set apart” from the world, according to God’s Word. This is what Paul has been teaching us. Believers are called by God to be like Him in
behavior and in speech. Furthermore, True
Believers, according to Scripture, are citizens
of heaven right now (not when we actually arrive on scene) and the Truth is
we’re all living in the “here and now”
as the Lord Jesus Christ’s ambassadors. (Philippians 3:20)
Generally
speaking, an ambassador is “one who
serves.” When our Apostle Paul says
in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “we are
ambassadors for Christ…” this applies to all Believers. Every true Believer is a servant of the God
of this Bible. As lost people, we once
“served” sin. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by
which were bound (enslaved), so that
we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (of the
Law). (Romans7:6; 12:1-2)
Ephesians
2:19-20 affirms the Truth that we are fellow
citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner
stone – because we are citizens of
heaven our lifestyle is to
reflect this status and not when the mood strikes, but each and every day. In other words, your status as a Believer and an ambassador for Christ Jesus isn’t
something you turn off and on like a kitchen faucet.
The
ambassador’s role is to reflect the official position of the sovereign body
that gave him or her authority. Having
said that and since Believers have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17; 1
Thessalonians 2:4), our primary responsibility is to share Scriptural Truths
with others, especially God’s Gospel. In
addition, we are to be living lives in accordance with all the Truths He has revealed
to us in this book, as we make our way through this world without being of it (John 17:14-16, 18:36).
Do you want to have
no fear of authority? Do what is
good and you will have praise from the same
We
must understand that being in the world but not of it is necessary, if we are to
be a light to those who are in
spiritual darkness. How will the unsaved
individuals know we are a child of God and a Spiritual light, if our behavior matches theirs?
Other
than the written Word, God has chosen to work in this world by using the Body of Christ to spread His message of peace
and love (Romans 5:1, 8; Colossians 1:21-22).
If God chose to remove (Rapture) His
church today, there would be no one left here on earth to speak His Truths to
the lost. The Bible would remain behind,
of course, but no one would be left to “explain”
the Scriptures to others.
The
saved and unsaved alike benefit from services government provide such as: ambulance,
fire, and police services. If you’ve
been in a traffic accident, the sight of an EMT pulling up to assist those in
need of medical attention is a comfort and a lifesaver. The
National Guard is a blessing when the governor declares a state of emergency. Everyone uses the roads, highways, and
interstates for travel. The list of
benefits the government provides goes on and on, so we are to render to all what is due them
(v7).
As
Paul states this means we need to pay our taxes and customs i.e. duties on our
goods. The citizens of this nation want
what the government provides, but far too many don’t want to pay their fair
share for these benefits, as I pointed out earlier. If you should be tempted to not pay your
taxes or “fudge” your tax return may you remember the words of Jesus
Christ: “Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are
God’s.” (Mark 12:13-17)
Those
who should be feared because of
their God-given authority should be feared and those who need to be honored as authorities should receive
our honor. The word fear here does not mean “terror,” instead it means a conscience
regard for those in whose hands God has given governmental authority (control),
whether city councilmen or women, governors, judges, kings, mayors, prime ministers, or presidents.
Honor
is an attitude of reverence for the person(s) who have been given authority
over us. This brings a Bible verse to
mind, so we might as well turn to 1 Peter 2:17:
Honor all people, love the
brotherhood (of saints), fear God,
honor the king (or president whom you may never see but whose position you
hold in high regard). Believers are and should set the example
in rightful behavior across the
board.
Although
I’m not pleased with our government in Washington, D.C. and many of the laws
coming from this nation’s elected law makers, “lo these many years,” I still
honor and respect the individuals who have been elected to office, whether that
is in congress, the senate, or the oval office.
I do so because I understand ultimately they are servants of God
in that they are doing His sovereign will, whether they are aware of it or not,
or whether they like it or not.
I
don’t understand how this works with God, if I’m being honest. But I don’t have to understand it and I don’t
have to lie awake at night wondering about the corruption and the mess in
Washington, D.C. and what’s going to go wrong next. I rest in the fact that God is on His throne
and in control. “For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8; Psalms 11:4)
I
could take the “low-road” and be rude and disrespectful to civil authorities. I
could under report my annual income or my baggage in such a way as to avoid
income taxes and custom fees. I’d
probably get away with it – most of the time.
Even if the civil authorities never
catch me in one of these wrongs, my conscience before God the Father would be
dishonored and my fellowship with Him would be hindered. In addition, my service to others would be
adversely affected because God has called me to live by a higher standard. Not only
must I comply with the rules of government, I must cooperate in spirit. In doing so, my conscience remains clear, my
testimony untainted, my service to others unhindered by sin and guilt, and my
fellowship with God as strong as ever.
In other words, living in subordination to divinely ordained civil authorities is beneficial to my
walk (and yours) with the Lord Jesus Christ and our service to others.
This
teaching on subordination has not interrupted Paul’s theme or emphasis, but it’s
rather an extension of it. From Romans
12:1 Paul has been teaching us the importance of subordination. We must subordinate
our lives to God, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. We
must subordinate our interests to the
interests of others if we are to walk in love. We must also subordinate our lives to those in authority
over us as civil servants.
There
is a very important principle to be found in all of Paul’s teachings from
Romans 12:1 until present: subordination is a prerequisite for service
to God and others and a permanent mindset without which service is either
impossible or unfruitful.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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