VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

Romans 13:1-14
Key verse: 13:12

    "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us
    put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Many people say, "Human life is the survival of the fittest in the
jungle." Still others say, "Human life is like an intense boxing match
in a ring."  In a boxing match there is always a victor and a loser. The
victor is joyful and gets some fight money. On the other hand, the loser
is miserable and gets nothing but shame and injuries. The same is true
with Christian life.  Jacob compared human life to a pilgrimage. He said
to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My
years have been few and difficult..." (Ge 47:9a) Paul compared Christian
life to racing and fighting. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Paul testified
that his life had been literally a battle, although it was a spiritual
battle. This life principle applies to common people. As there have been
innumerable battles and wars in history, so there are unceasing battles
and wars in the life of faith. In the battle or war there is always a
victor and a loser. Since we are God's people we must win many victories
through our lives of faith and render glory to God. Romans chapter 13
tells us the secrets of a victorious life.

First, we must submit to the authorities. (1-7) Look at verse 1. "Everyone
must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God." Here, Paul lays down the principle
that we must submit to the authorities. What a ridiculous principle it is
for modern people! Fallen men want to exercise authority over others. But
they don't want to submit to others' authority. To submit oneself to
someone, especially to the authorities, may be the most difficult thing
to do.  Especially the people of Israel regarded submission to the
Roman authorities as a suicidal act or surrendering to the evil of the
world. They would rather use terrorism against the Roman government. They
would rather resist until none of them were left. They would rather
wreck the houses and assassinate the families of their own fellow Jews
who paid taxes to the Roman government. This was normal Jewish conduct,
because they believed in God only and contributed to God, and no one
else. In terms of nationalism, they may have been right. But history
would say that the Israelites resisted to the end until they all died,
and that the Roman Empire was strong but it disappeared from the stage
of human history. In view of history, the people of Israel contributed
nothing to their country by blindly resisting the authorities. So as Paul
laid down the principle of how to deal with the authorities, we also need
a Biblical principle of how to deal with the authorities of the world.

In verse 1, Paul counsels Christians to obey the authorities
absolutely. His teaching surprises us. But when we study the Bible,
this principle is not unique to Paul. The flow of all the epistles
repeats the same principle. 1 Timothy 2:1,2 urges us to pray for kings
and all those in authority. And Titus 3:1 tells us to be subject to
rulers and authorities.  1 Peter 2:13,14a tells us to submit ourselves
"for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether
to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors." According to
the Bible teachings our submission to the worldly authorities is not
political submission but spiritual submission. Spiritual submission is
to pray for rulers and honor them as God's servants. Still, we have to
think about why God's people should submit to the authorities.

Firstly, we must submit to the authorities because they are under God's
sovereign rule. The last part of verse 1 says, "The authorities that exist
have been established by God." Paul's view of the state was that the
Roman Empire was a divinely ordained instrument to save the world from
chaos. Paul saw that the Roman Empire was in the hand of God. However,
to the people of Israel Paul's views of the state and of submission to
the authorities were not acceptable.

When we look around the world, many things are happening. We wonder and
say to ourselves, "What's going on? What's going to happen?"  But God's
people should not think in such a fatalistic way. God's people must
believe that God is ruling the world according to his own sovereign
purpose. For example, when God wanted to return Israel from Babylonian
captivity, God raised King Cyrus of Persia and destroyed Babylon and
brought the Israelites home to the holy city Jerusalem. When the Roman
Empire conquered the world of the time, people only thought about the
cruelty of the Roman authorities. But behind the scenes, God was working
for his own purpose. He was preparing to send the messengers of the gospel
to the whole world through Roman roads, which extended from Rome to all
other countries and from all other countries to Rome. During World War
II the use of the atomic bomb seemed to have been a most catastrophic and
cruel event in human history. But after World War II many peoples of many
nations came to God. In other words, after World War II a season of Christ
came. After World War II God eventually began to tear down the communist
system so that Russians may worship God freely without fear. Therefore
God's people must firmly believe in the sovereignty of God.

Secondly, when Paul said to submit to the authorities it meant that we
must overcome any kind of situation or circumstance, with the power of
faith and cope with any kind of ruler so that we may win many spiritual
victories and render them to God. Therefore, when Paul said, "submit to
the authorities," it had a significant spiritual meaning: It was to engage
in the spiritual battle. God's people must learn how to win the spiritual
victory over adverse human conditions or irresistible human circumstances.
In short, God's people cannot be victims of circumstances. God's people
must win spiritual victories and render them to God. Our missionaries to
Russia are under unbearable human situations and circumstances. They have
no center and must endure hard winters and an unstable economy.  But no
missionary complains about anything. In that situation, they spread the
gospel all the more and increased the number of Bible-believing people
in Russia and rendered glory to God.

Thirdly, we must submit to the authorities out of obligation. It
is easy for us to fear the authorities for no obvious reason. But we
should not fear them. Instead we must pray for them and work hard doing
what is right.  Then we are free from the fear of authorities. On the
other hand, if we don't work hard and only do what is wrong we suffer
from guilty consciences and from possible punishment. Therefore,
it is necessary for God's people to work hard doing what is right,
according to our consciences, not because of possible punishment. Read
verses 4 and 5. Moreover, we must submit to the authorities out of
obligation. Authorities are given to man to protect the nation and to
serve its people. Those in authority rule the country and give their
full time to governing. Therefore, we are obliged to pay taxes and give
respect and honor to those who are in authority.

At that time, the Roman government promoted peace and order to those
who were a part of the Empire. However, Paul anticipated that they
would persecute Christians because Christians would not worship the
Emperor. Still, Paul urges God's people to submit to the authorities. In
short, God's people must regard the authorities, be they king, dictator,
or judge, as God's servants and respect them and honor them because God
rules the world in his sovereign will and they are his servants.

Second, the obligation of love. (8-10) Look at verse 8. "Let no debt
remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,
for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." In this verse
"debt to love" means an obligation to love others. Living in this world,
we have many things to do. Some must study hard. Some must prepare
for their wedding.  But we must first fulfill our obligation to love
others. We must love our fellow brothers, our nation and God's people
as our obligation. But sinful men cannot fulfill this obligation of
love. One young man bought some cookies to give his wife. But on the
way home he ate them up. So those who are in Christ should learn how to
overcome their selfishness and how to fulfill their obligation to love
others. This is the reason Paul quoted only the second part of the Ten
Commandments which are related to our neighbors. Let's read verses 9
and 10. To hate others is Satan's battle. But to fulfill our obligation
to love others is a godly battle. To love others is not an option but an
obligation from God. When we fulfill our obligation to love others we feel
really good, sensing that we won a spiritual victory and we pleased God.

Third, understand the present time. (11) Look at verse 11. "And do this,
understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up
from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first
believed." There have always been some strange Christians who try to fix
the date of our Lord's second coming. Some time ago, magic artists tried
to deceive naive Christians, saying that he was coming in 1992. But the
Bible does not tell us when he will come. If we knew when he was coming,
we would indulge in sin and repent a few hours before his coming. So
God did not tell us when he will come. Nobody knows when he will come,
not even Jesus himself. Nobody knows when he is coming. It is because
God has set the time and date by his own authority. (Ac 1:7; 1 Th 5:1)

The phrase, "understanding the present time," in verse 11 means that
we must have a prophetic vision. We should not be fearful because the
world is evil. We must not despair because we are under unfavorable human
situations. Rather we must have spiritual eyes to see what God is doing at
the present time. Paul urged the Ephesians, who lived in a chaotic world,
to see the world with God's eyes. Ephesians 1:18 says, "I pray also that
the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the
hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance
in the saints..." Again in verse 22, "And God placed all things under
his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church."

The early Christians believed three things: first, Jesus' crucifixion,
second, Jesus' resurrection, and third, Jesus' second coming. They lived
with the faith that Jesus is coming soon. Their faith in Jesus' coming
again was very pure. They believed that Jesus would come again and restore
the whole world and complete the work of salvation. But their faith in
the second coming of Jesus was not unbalanced. They believed Jesus'
crucifixion, resurrection and second coming as one body. They were
faithful in prayer, joyful in hope and patient in affliction, serving
others in the name of the Lord. Their lives of faith based on the gospel,
composed of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and second coming, were
very sincere. Their faith transcended time and space. They were like
the 5 virgins waiting for the bridegroom to come any minute. (Mt 25:1-13)

These days many people have adopted an easygoing mentality. As a result,
they are spiritually deranged; finally they despair. Among these despaired
people many became drug Christians. They shop around at many churches
so as to overcome their despair. In some churches people get emotionally
high, yelling and waving their hands in the air. But soon they feel they
despaired even more. What is worse, they become very fearful. One of
them said "Hello" to one of his Christian friends on New Year's Day. So
his friend asked him, "Do you still have missionary calling to Mainland
China?" He answered, "No. I am too fearful to think about that." Drug
Christianity made him emotionally high and then very fearful.

What could we do at the present time? As Paul admonishes us, we must be
joyful in hope. (12:12) There is no hope, but there is always hope in
God. We must be joyful in hope, believing that God will make America a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation. When we have a prophetic vision in
God and stick to the basic Bible teachings we can live victorious lives.

Fourth, let's put on the armor of light. (12-14) Look at verse 12. "The
night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the
deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." The word "night"
is the symbol of darkness. In darkness, many people do many evil and
shameful things.  But we are sons of the light and sons of the day. We
do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So we must put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Here, the words
"armor of light" describe the act of a soldier who escaped from a POW
camp and came back to his army camp. Here we learn that our real enemies
are within us. To put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor
of light is the most intense spiritual battle and we should not give up.

Many people say, "Don't be extreme. Don't be too fundamental. Just be
nice." These days most Americans seem to adopt the Chinese philosophy,
"the middle way." But those who want to go through "the middle way" have
in their subconscious world deep love of the darkness.  They indulge in
wild parties in outspoken despair (orgies), and in drunkenness, and in
indomitable desire for sexual immorality and rock-parties (debauchery),
and in a spirit of division. They also become slaves of jealousy; they
really don't like others' success or promising future.  Let's read verses
13 and 14.

Look at verse 14. "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus
Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful
nature." As we know, we really want to live a life of faith. Also, we want
to live a decent life in Christ. But this is beyond our ability. So Paul
said, "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." As ancient warriors
wore helmets to protect themselves, so we must clothe ourselves with the
Lord Jesus Christ to protect ourselves from the deeds of darkness. As we
know well, we cannot change ourselves. But when we are in Jesus, Jesus
can transform us. St. Augustine was an intellectual person. But he was
always sad and uneasy. So he read and studied many subjects deeply. But
he was still sad and uneasy. One day he happened to read Romans 13:13,14.
Then heavenly sunlight came into his heart. He could not change himself.
But the word of God changed him completely from a man of uneasiness into
a man of peace.

In this passage we learn that God is the Sovereign Ruler of history and
the authorities of the world are his servants. We also learn that we
must overcome all kinds of circumstances and situations with the power
of faith. Most of all we learn that we must decide to fight the spiritual
battle and render many victories to God.


STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Read verses 1-7. Why did God establish governments? In what respect
   is the ruler "God's servant"? Why should everyone submit to governing
   authorities?  How can we win spiritual victory even living under
   oppressive and unjust rulers?

2. Why should Christians pay taxes? What other obligations do we have
   toward those in authority? (5,6,7) How does the sovereign God use
   rulers and governments to accomplish his own purposes?

3. Read verses 8-10. Why should we pay off debts? What is the one debt
   that remains outstanding? In what way does love fulfill the law? Why
   does love win the spiritual battle?

4. Read verse 11. What does it mean to understand the present time? How
   can we have prophetic vision? What must we do?

5. Read verses 12-13. What implies that life is a battle (12)? Why must
   we wake up? What must we do to win the spiritual victory? Why do we
   need the armor of light?

6. Read verse 14. How can we clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus
   Christ? What should we not think about? How can we do this?