Published: August 17, 2025 | Speaker: Chuck Hartman | Series: Romans - Part 77 | Scripture: Romans
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good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain. For it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one
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who practices evil. Wherefore, it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for consciousness's sake. Let us pray.
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Father, we thank you for the work that was put into the message brought today. I pray that the spirit would bear fruit in our lives. We would obey
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your commandments during the week in Jesus name. Just happened to notice the last hymn that we sung rock of ages by Augustus
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Toplady was actually published in 1776. And that's where I was going to start my sermon because in 1776, uh, there were obviously now four
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significant documents published. I was only going to go with three, but I I didn't know Rock of Ages came out the same year. In 1776, Adam Smith published his uh seinal work
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on what would become market capitalism, a book titled The Wealth of Nations, which is often considered the Bible of capitalism. In 1776, Edward Gibbon published the
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first of first volume of his work, the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in which he basically blamed Christianity for the fall of civilization both then
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and now. He was not very fond of Christianity. And in 1776, we published the Declaration of Independence. Now, there's no integral relationship
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between those three. They did not borrow from one another. And yet they are all of a cloth. They are all of a peace because they reflect the spirit of that
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age which is what we now call the Enlightenment which began in the 17th century and reached its apex in the 18th
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century and had a great deal to do with political thought, political philosophy. the the great modern authors of political thought John
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Milton, John Lach, Jeanjac Rouso, Hobb, Thomas Hobbes and many others wrote during that time. Many of them
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like Milton wrote under a pseudonym and others wrote from places other than their own home because what they were writing was not popular in 17th and 18th
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century where all of the governments were dictatorships in the sense of a monarchy, an absolute ruler. And so they
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were writing about a new idea. They were writing about political freedom. They were writing about people being able to choose their own governors to govern themselves. They were writing about a
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resurgent of an ancient concept called the republic. the republic. And I find it fascinating that by God's providence, 1776 was also the birth of
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the United States. Being 3,000 miles from those monarchies in Europe, the United States became somewhat of a petri dish, a laboratory
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experiment for all of these different philosophies that were being written about in England. We became a laboratory for capitalism, but we also became a laboratory for republicanism.
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And our Declaration of Independence flowed out of the writings of these European philosophers. These were the men that Thomas Jefferson and and James Madison and Alexander Hamilton and John
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Adams. These were the men that our founding fathers read. And these are the philosophies that worked their way into our founding documents and our idea of
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government of the people, by the people, and for the people that came later, of course. And so the question that I want to ask
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in light of Romans 13 and what Paul says here, would Paul have agreed with these men? Would he have agreed with Rouso, for
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example? That government is essentially a social contract. Rouso's political philosophy was that in the ancient days, men lived
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independently. He considered that the noble savage and thought that was the golden age of humanity when we all lived alone in our caves. But realizing that
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that was dangerous because we weren't as noble as Russo thought, our ancient forefathers decided to form security arrangements. We now call that
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government. And so the social contract theory teaches us that we give up some of our inherent or inalienable rights
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to the government who then in return provide us with security. So we give up some liberty that we might have greater security. If you want to
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understand this principle, try TSA. That's what it's all about. We have given up a tremendous amount of liberty that we once had in the airports and the
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railways and even our national parks that we might have security. John Lockach in his uh treatise, his second treatise on government outlines
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the right to rebel. Obviously a right that that our founding fathers exercised 250 years ago next
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year. The right to rebel flows out of the social contract theory. This is what caused the war between the states of our union. The right to rebel
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because I voluntarily came into this union. So said the southern states. I may at my own will leave this union. To which the northern states said, no, you
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can't. You see, there's been a disagreement as to what then is the nature of government thus formed by social contract. Does it have any abiding authority or is it simply
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authoritative in as far as everyone continues to agree? But but all of that doesn't actually touch upon Paul because what Rouso and
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Lach and the others are really talking about are forms of human government, not the essence of it.
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And you see this is where we get confused. We can say that it looks like men got together in the 1770s and began to talk
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about a different type of government. That's social contract. And the states that these men represented then considered and voted to ratify in the
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1790s the US Constitution. That's social contract. But see, that's just the form of the government. It's not its source. It's not its essence. There are many
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different forms of government in the world. And there have been many different forms throughout history. none of which are the essence or the source
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of government. Paul is going to the source. That's God. That's God. In fact, there's never been a time in history that we can point to to prove
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Russo's theory of social contract. What we do find is from the earliest archaeological discoveries, the earliest written records, there were already governments in place.
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We might say that the first government was the family and then human government it just is there and Paul explains why we don't
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actually have any political theory or history given to us in the book of Genesis. In fact, the leading up to the Tower of Babel might seem like social contract. Hey, let us come together and
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build a tower up to heaven and make a name for ourselves. Okay, so maybe Russo could point to that. But in reality what we have is government established by God. So what
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Paul is saying here has to apply to us as it applies to Chinese believers as it applies to believers who live still in a in an
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active monarchy not a constitutional one or in a in a communist dictatorship. But whatever form of government still falls into the essence of
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government and that is being established by God. Now how it works out is obviously going to be different and that is something that that would take far
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too long in a sermon to discuss h how does this now play out in a in a democracy in a republic. That's actually something that that our politicians as
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well as believers in this country have wrestled with for 250 years. Now that we have a republic, what do we do with it? Now that we have freedom, h how do we
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limit it? H how do we say that this is okay and that's not okay? This behavior, this belief, this religion for example, and we have struggled with that for 250
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years. But the idea of our government, the idea of a republic is is not essential to the meaning and the application of this passage in Romans 13. If we were to lose
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that, which frankly I hope we do not, I pray that we do not. But if we were to lose that, the freedoms that we have, that would not change our relationship
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to this text. But what really has always baffled me as I've read this passage is what seems to be Paul's almost polyiana view of
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government that that government is the minister twice. He says that the governing authorities are the minister of God. Now he uses a singular because he's actually this is another
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important point. He's not talking about this or that individual monarch or emperor or governor. He's not talking about Nero, for example. He's not not talking about
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Nero. He's not excluding any particular ruler or specifying any particular ruler. He's saying government, saying government, the authority that is over you
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is established by God and is I think remarkably a minister of God to you
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to you for good. for good. That that one's the one I trip up over. Having read a lot of history, I could number on half a finger
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the governments that I would have judged as good as good or governments whose aim was to actually do good for their people.
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So when Paul says that, I think we have to to be careful how we interpret that. Is he glorifying government? Is he saying that government is is on
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par? He actually uses the same term that is used for the priests of the tabernacle and the temple translated into the English minister. But it is in
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a sense, you know, think of this, the governor, the government is a priest of God for you. That's not how we normally look at our government. Now, there are others that
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might look at their government that way, but that's certainly not very American to look at our government that way. So, I I think we have to try to hear what Paul's saying and and maybe even uh
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discern what he's saying and what the rest of scripture says, especially Peter with regard to this whole phenomenon. But I think one thing he is saying here
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in a very short statement that may uh hopefully stimulate thought. Tyranny is better than anarchy. that tyranny would be better than
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anarchy. Because even the rule of a tyrant in order to survive must maintain stability and security within his society
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or as by the sword he took power, by the sword he will lose it. And history is replete with examples. So even the tyrant has an obligation to his people
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if he's going to survive on his throne. Anarchy recognizes no authority. Every man does that which is right in his own
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eyes. Anarchy brings chaos to our founding fathers and the framer of the framers of the US Constitution. There was a a bad word a bad word that
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they did not like when it was used. They got very upset. That word was democracy because for them democracy was anarchy, rule of the mob and anarchy was chaos
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and instability. and instability. So they did not formulate a democracy in 1787. They formulated a constitutional
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federated republic. federated republic. We have since created a democracy in this country. I'm not sure that our founding fathers would recognize what we've done with their work. And I would
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personally love to see us go back to at least some of the things that they came up with. But that word democracy is moving on the spectrum of anarchy to
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tyranny. Democracy is moving toward anarchy. Democracy is moving toward a place where, as I said, every man does what is right in his own eyes and no one can say
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boo. If you want to do this, if you want to be that, if you want to identify as everything is legal and we're starting to see the effects of that in our society, in our schools, in
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our public forum. Now on the other hand side of the spectrum of course you have monarchy you have constitutional monarchy then you
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have absolute monarchy and eventually you have tyranny where one man as a dictator which simply the word dictat means in Latin I say the
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dictator's word is law at least on this side you might have the possibility of that of that shimmerra called a benevolent dictator
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But you know over on this side you don't even have that hope. You have nothing but chaos. but chaos. So I think as much as we discuss anything political from the pulpit
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recognizing that as we look at what Paul says that all authorities have been established by God, we need to also acknowledge for ourselves that the authorities that have been established and are being established in our country
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are being progressively more and more um
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And and so I want to establish I hope upfront that that does not absolve us from what he's saying here. And that's what we have to work through
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because it may sound like what I have said I have witnessed in Europe and that is that people just basically slavishly do whatever the government says. And I am not advocating that and I don't think
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Paul advocates that. Peter certainly wouldn't. John wouldn't because they said to the Sanhedrin, the lawful established government of the Jewish people, we must obey God rather than
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men. And so we have a tension here. This is what it means as as we were learning this morning in Sunday school to live as son sojourners on the earth. Our citizenship is from heaven, not from the
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United States. Even though that's what our passport says, our real passport says, stamped by God. And so we live in a particular political
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paradigm and we must live out our faith faithfully to the word of God and to the spirit of God within that paradigm. And that paradigm is constantly changing.
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It is certainly much different today than it was 250 years ago. But the word abides forever. And therefore, no matter what happens in
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the political realm, no matter how we get ourselves involved in it and try to keep it from going in one direction, but it still will progressively go or I should say digressively go in that
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direction. That's what history shows us that the government of governments of man have never progressively improved. They have only regressively gotten
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worse. And yet the people of God have lived through all forms of governments at their best and at their worst. And one thing that we can learn from
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that history is the government doesn't always do good. And the government often does not praise those who are good.
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Sometimes the best we can say in terms of praise from the government is that the government leaves us alone. that might be setting the expectation a little bit too high as well. So what is
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Paul saying here? What what is all this about? Well, I think we have to establish some some principles
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some principles to understand Paul's teaching first and foremost is up in verse two. All authorities that exist have been established by God.
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If we don't accept that, we have problems. We have fundamental problems in that we're not accepting the word of God. Verse two goes on to tell us, actually that was verse one. Verse two goes on to tell us that if we don't
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accept that principle, then we are actually resisting and opposing God and his ordinance. So we we are fighting against God's providence. So we have to
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look at whatever government and our governments change roughly uh in some sense every two years others every four years and we often don't like what we
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get but if we believe both in the word of God and in his sovereign providence we have to start by saying this is the authority God has established.
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remember years ago someone uh is telling me that that that they would they under no circumstances would they pray for that particular president. Um that is in violation of of both Paul
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and Peter. Peter actually says pray for the king. I guess we could say well he's not a king so I don't have to pray for him. I think that's missing the missing the spirit of what Paul's saying or Peter excuse me. Um and and actually the
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worse they are the more we should pray. Nonetheless, maybe we should use an impregatory prayer. They worked, you know, maybe we're not praying that that they be
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enlightened. We might be praying that they be darkened, you know, like permanently depending on how bad they are. But to not pray is to disobey God's word. And and what it's saying, you
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know, it it comes from this. He's not my president. Well, go read the Constitution, folks. He is your president whether you voted for him or her or not and and what then you come to
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Paul. So that's that's just the legal end of it. That's that's the constitutional end of it. Or if you're some rich elitist you can move to Spain. Good riddance. But most of us can't just do that. Okay. And so he they you know
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whoever's there good or bad okay co cogent or scenile he's our president. Paul says you you know the word he he he said something
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kind of ill to the uh high priest remember called him a whitewashed tomb which was apparently a common insult in the day and then when he was told
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that he was the high priest he said oh you I'm sorry the scripture says you shall not speak ill of the ruler of your people that's a tough one for Americans to
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swallow it really is but it is the word of God you shall not speak ill of the rulers a ruler of your people. Why? Because the ruler is somebody so great that you shouldn't speak ill of him.
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That is hardly ever true. In my political lifetime, I would only give one person that honor. And even that wasn't worthy. And you probably all know
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who that was. I really haven't had a whole lot of respect for anyone since of either party. No, because that ruler has been established and put in his chair,
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in his seat by God. Jesus himself said of the Pharisees, "Do as they say, for they sit in the seat of Moses. Just don't do as they do, for they are
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hypocrites." On the basis of the authority that God has given them, you must obey. must obey. And so no matter what happens,
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every two years, every four years, whoever has the majority in Congress, whoever has the White House has been established by God. So Paul goes into
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what what is the purpose. So that's the first thing is we accept that. The second is that we recognize that the role of government is limited. Now that was a big big term that word limited
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in the days of the US Constitution in 1787 in Philadelphia. What the framers of the Constitution wanted was not only limited government but government that
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somehow limited itself. And I frankly think, as I mentioned last week, they came up with the greatest political document that mankind has ever
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written. But they were not holy men moved by the spirit of God. They were men who were statesmen who read Rouso and Lach and Montescu. And
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they put all of that together along with what they had read of human nature in their Bibles. their Bibles. And knowing that man left to himself will not do good naturally, they came up
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with a system of government that works against itself. It's called gridlock. years ago there were there was a a move toward turning the Congress into a
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unicameal just the house and and making us even more of a democracy in in order to reduce gridlock.
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Some of you have heard of the George Will syndicated columnist who's probably close to the age of the United States by this point. Um I saw him in an interview
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the other day. He's looking remarkably good, well preserved. Um, but he's been around a while and he wrote a brilliant counterargument. He said, "Gridlock is the genius of our government.
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Gridlock is what keeps our government from running a muk. Gridlock is what prevents the bad side, or we might say the dark side from having its way for an
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indeterminate period of time. And we as American voters like gridlock. So during the general election, we'll give the White House and and probably
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both houses of Congress to one party. But what we're saying is historically, you got two years, folks. Because two years later, what we will do is take at least one or both houses away
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from the president. Good luck. We don't like what you're doing, so we're going to take away your ability to do it. So the last two years, they basically do nothing. What we would prefer is a
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government that did nothing at all times. And we have the best constitution to bring that as close as possible to reality. Okay? So, I don't want to be mistaken in thinking that I'm I'm not,
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you know, pro-American. I I'm really very pro-American and I don't care who's in the White House. I'm not moving even if I had the money to do so. And so, we recognize the role of government is
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limited. It is to punish evildoers. He says, "And reward those who do good." And as I said, sometimes the content of that reward is just by leaving us alone.
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The basic purpose of government is to maintain a safe, secure, and peaceful society. That is what governments are biblically
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for and as well historically. Now, has any government simply stopped there? No. Thomas Hobbes wrote this book Leviathan
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and actually was quite in favor of what he wrote, but really as laying out the inevitable insatiable appetite of all human
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governments for power. What he taught in that book is that any government of any type will seek to aggrandise itself. It will seek to feed itself until it
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becomes Leviathan. becomes Leviathan. Now, as again, Hobbes thought that was a good thing. good thing. But that is what happens whether it's a good thing or a bad thing in your opinion. Every government
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goes beyond its portfolio. And ours is no different. But the fundamental purpose of government is to maintain a peaceful and secure and safe
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society. that that is their responsibility in a sense. When they get away from that, inevitably
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things get messy when they when government expands its scope into how people behave people behave and I mean morally, religiously,
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then things get messy. I agree with John Murray who says it is not the prerogative of the ruler to deal with all sin but only with sin
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registered in the action which violates the order the order that the magistrate is appointed to maintain and promote. Governments are in
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place to remove disorder. That's what Paul's saying. If we allow our understanding of Paul to stick within the bounds of his recognition of
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government's authority, he is not saying that governments are there to establish moral rectitude. moral rectitude. They are not. They are there to promote
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and maintain order. And that is um not just a republic but pretty much every form of government. If
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there is disorder in a society, anarchy, then historically we can know that the government will fall
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because the people somebody will seek a government that brings order. Now we we haven't known disorder for a very long time since our civil war. We
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really haven't known disorder. There were riots in the 1960s and 70s that was rather disorderly. rather disorderly. But in general, our society is orderly.
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And and having maintained that order for so long, our government has had the liberty or at least felt the liberty to move into other areas of of uh sovereignty. Areas that once belonged to
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the church, areas that once belonged to the to the family, areas that once belonged to the individual. So we we don't have any existential
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dangers that are focusing our attention on an outward enemy. And so we we now have special interest groups. We now have lobbyists. We have all these forces
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of political world that are now directing the paths of government. And so now we have a real challenge because there are things the government does and the government says and the
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government requires that as believers, as children of God, we can't obey. And so the third thing we we need to understand is that we must obey God
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rather than man. So we're called upon in our own conscience and he says for conscience sake we're called upon on our own conscience to weigh what what is it that the government is doing here that
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is violating my responsibility to God? Let's say the government and and I've had this brought to my attention at times over the years uh people Christians professing Christians at
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least I'm not saying it's anywhere related but they don't pay their income tax. Uh again they say well the income tax is unconstitutional. Well yes the original constitution
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forbade a per capita meaning per head tax but the 16th amendment changed that and every amendment is as much a part of
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the constitution as the original three articles. That's the purpose of an amendment. We may not like it. I hate the 17th amendment direct election of
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senators that shut the states out of the federated republic. We have not been the same type of government since 1913. Some people liked the 19th amendment
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prohibition. More people liked the 21st amendment. They repealed it. Okay. But you see, once you've amended it, you need another
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amendment to take it away. We the same people who say the income tax is not constitutional will say but I have the right to free speech and to
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bear arms. What were they? Amendments the bill of rights. Okay. So please understand and it's always good I
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think to understand as best you can the world in which you live especially as believers because you have to make a judgment as to what the government is saying. Is it actually violating my
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right? Well, Jesus said, "Render under Caesar that which is Caesars's?" And he was actually asked the question, "Is it lawful that we should have to pay this tax?" And Jesus answered, "Whose
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inscription is on it? Give it back to him. I don't care." But more importantly, he said, "Whose inscription is on you?" Whose image is on that coin? Caesar's. Whose image is on you? God's
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render under God that which is his. Takes it to a much higher plane. But we live now in an age where, you know, there are a lot of people who are believers for whom it is much more cut
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and dried. And over the over the centuries, it has been that way. For example, they they they drag you into the coliseum and say, "Fall down and worship Caesar." Well, that's an easy
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one. No, thank you. We don't have it that easy. The ways in which we are challenged between our obedience to God and our
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submission to the government are much more subtle more subtle and we need to think things through biblically. The most recent example of course was
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COVID. The edict was put out that that no no institution should be meeting including churches and many churches across the world
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abided by that. One thing that the elders just to give you a a little look into our thinking during the time, but one thing that we were very unanimous on was that our
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decisions with respect to the epidemic could not be traced in any causal way to the government.
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the government. So for a time we did not meet but a handful of people and then by Zoom or whatever. The reason for that was to make sure
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that we were not contagious to one another. We recognized that this was a serious illness. How serious? I'm not going to get into that. That's not my
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jurisdiction. But that that was not because of what the government said. And we heard that the government was about in South Carolina was about to lift that
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restriction. And we unanimously agreed we need to get back together before that happens, not after. not after. Because the government cannot tell, this
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is my opinion, it was the elers's opinion. The government cannot tell us when to worship. when to assemble. Now, during those
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times, churches were being not fortunately in the upstate of South Carolina, I'm not sure, even in South Carolina, but churches were being essentially invaded by law enforcement
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agencies. Pastors were being arrested and imprisoned. and imprisoned. And after our services during those those months and and years
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after service when and when everybody's kind of gathered outside you you could hear the comments of our neighbors whom we love. Okay? We learned
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that this morning. Okay. It were not pleasant comments. We were paras. We were epidemic spreaders. Uh, by the
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way, Greenville is a very liberal city if you didn't know that. Very, very liberal. And the North Main area is one of the most liberal um hotbeds in a very
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liberal city. Just look at some of the signs and or even our neighbors beautiful rainbow uh signs and flags. So, we weren't very popular. That's not
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what's important. We had to make a decision. All of us have to make a decision. But we cannot claim persecution when we are being punished.
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And that's really the final discernment of what's going on here is there's a difference between persecution and punishment. and punishment. Persecution is what happens on account
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of our faith in Jesus Christ. Persecution is not just any old punishment that we suffer be because of the fact that we are also Christians.
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Persecution is directly related to our faith and opposition to that faith. Punishment is when we do something wrong. Okay? So, when you get pulled
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over by the blue light special, he's not persecuting you. If you're going 80 in a 35, you're breaking the law. You get pulled
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over on the highway for speeding. You're breaking the law. If you don't pay your taxes and you get audited or arrested or your
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wages are garnished, that's not persecution for your faith. You're breaking the law. And Paul says, "Don't do that." And in this, he is in full
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agreement with Peter. Peter writes in his first letter almost almost verbatim to what Paul is saying. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to
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every human institution, whether to a king as one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise
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of those who do right. That's exactly what Paul's saying. Submit to the authorities and don't run
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contrary to the law.
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Biblically, there are two ways in which man suffers punishment, especially a believer. For wickedness and evil or for righteousness sake. Those are the the
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two forms that Peter and Paul both discuss in terms of us suffering. And in both cases, the end result is is twofold. One is a
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clear conscience clear conscience but the other is related to that and that is no fear.
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Those are related because he who fears does not have a clear conscience and he who has a clear conscience has nothing to fear.
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to fear. That that's a that's kind of a biblical paradigm, a almost a mathematical equation that where there is no a clear conscience, there is no fear. And so in
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relationship to the first one and that is wickedness and evil, we should fear the governor if we break the law.
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If we break the law for our own benefit, not for righteousness sake, but we simply break the law. Now, this is manifested on the highway.
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Whenever there is a blue light special on the other side with a concrete barrier running right down the middle, everybody on this side
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slows down. What is that? That's a guilty conscience. It's also really aggravating. Okay, the the cop's not going to jump the barrier and run after you. You know, he's over there. Okay,
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he's not over here. We all know that by the time you see them, they've seen you, right? You know, so once you see them, just keep on going. At least they'll give you praise
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for honesty. for honesty. You know, if you slow down, they might say, "Oh, he must have been speeding and pull you over." All right, so there's that guilty conscience.
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The one who has a clear conscience has no guilt, has no fear. And that's what they're saying. Both Peter and Paul, that's what they're saying. If you keep in line with the ordinances of the law,
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if you submit to the authority, if you pay your taxes, if you go the speed limit, well, I that's a hard one. I know. Um, know. Um, you at least know that when you get
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pulled over, you're not being persecuted for righteousness sake. You're getting a ticket because you were speeding. Okay? But if you are obeying the law, then you
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have nothing to fear from the ruler. Now, that is not an absolute statement. It's kind of like Proverbs. Proverbs is a normal providence of God. Normally, if we just simply keep our head down and
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work with our hands and live our lives and obey the law, we don't really have anything to fear. Now, I know there are a lot of blog posts, a lot of conspiracy
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theories that their sole purpose seems to be to make us fear, to fear our government. And and I'm not saying that our government isn't worthy of fear. I'm
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just saying that we have nothing to fear if we're simply living life. If the government then chooses to persecute the innocent, then it manifests itself as an
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unrighteous government. unrighteous government. And I believe biblically its days are numbered. That God is the God of all nations. And he r he raises some up and tears some
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down. Not just Israel, but the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Egyptians and the Moabites and the and the Americans. the Americans. And he will eventually hear the cries of
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the innocent who are suffering. And he will bring that government down. But that's not our job. Our job is to
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submit even to a tyrannical and unjust and even corrupt government. corrupt government. That's tough especially in our country. That's tough.
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That's tough. But let's say we are persecuted for righteousness sake. Do we have anything to fear? to fear? No. Jesus says, "Fear not man who can simply kill the body, but rather fear
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God who can cast both body and soul into hell. We have nothing to fear if we are persecuted for for our faith in Jesus Christ. We still have nothing to fear
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because we know that as we remain by God's grace steadfast in our profession, we will receive favor from the Lord
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where it really matters. And so in each case, what the scripture is teaching us is how to not fear and have a clear conscience. That'd be a
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great title for a book, right? How to not fear and have a clear conscience. Submit to the authorities as they are
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established by God. And when they do, try to attempt to force you to disobey God. Submit rather than to God. Do not fear them even when
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they are unjust and persecuto. fear rather God. And so the only being in this whole paradigm that is worthy of our fear
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our fear is God. is God. Do not let the conspiracy theorists make you afraid. you afraid. Do not fear man. Do not fear the
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government. I want to close with what Peter says. It is um pleasant though it doesn't often occur when we can use
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Peter to comment on Paul. But in first Peter chapter 2, it's a somewhat of a lengthy passage. which I'm going to read to you as we close because
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as he ends it in verse 23 is really the answer to this whole muk that we live in with regard to
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government. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as one in authority, or to governors as sent by him, for the
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punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God, that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish
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men. Act as free men. We love that phrase. And do not use your freedom as a
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covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. That's what Paul says earlier in chapter 13 of Romans. Honor all men. He's about
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to say that in chapter 13 next week. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king who was by the way Nero at that
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time. servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
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Well, that is also a paradigm of our relationship to the governing authorities. Not only to those that are good and gentle and republican, but even those that are unreasonable. I
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think that captures a whole group, doesn't it? Now, you know I'm being facitious. For this finds favor if for the sake of conscience towards God, there's that
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conscience again, a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with
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patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure this, it finds favor with God. Here we go. For you have been called to this
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purpose. Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. And
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while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats. This is where we end. but kept entrusting himself to him who
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judges righteously. judges righteously. Let us pray. Father, help us to live what we read and fundamentally to have such a clear
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conscience before you because of the blood of Jesus Christ and before the government because of our honest living honest living that we have no grounds for fear,
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but rather we have confidence in our conscience. And even if we suffer unjustly, give us the strength to bear up patiently under it, knowing that our
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Lord committed no sin, nor was any evil found in him, and yet he was convicted as a criminal and executed and executed as a traitor.
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But we know that he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. And that is what we are. So cleanse our conscience
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with the knowledge that we have been washed with the blood of a precious lamb and we stand in white and pure raignment before you. before you. but also our behavior, so that before
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our fellow men we might be without reproach. And that when they revile us, they themselves would be humbled when either
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now or in that day your righteousness is revealed in us to their shame. We ask that you would do this for your glory and for the exaltation of the name
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of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the one in whom we pray. Amen. Please stand for the benediction from
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the letter of Jude. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with
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great joy. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.