Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Government is supposed to work under the authority of God. God instituted government in the first place. He made it clear that He is in charge. Genesis chapters 1&2 show us His creation. We see His wisdom and His power in those chapters. He created a perfect world.
In chapter 3 we learn that even though man was created free from sin, he soon chose to sin against God. He chose to reject the simple and plain truth, and he chose to accept a lie from the devil. The result of that disobedience is that Adam plunged the world into sin and put the world under the curse of God.
The good news is that God promised to provide the only hope for man, even though man was not looking for a real solution. God promised to provide the seed of the woman that would bruise the head of the serpent. Adam is credited with plunging the world into sin. God would enlist the woman as the avenue through which He would provide the Saviour.
On Monday night Canada had three bi-elections. The Liberal/communist party of Canada had already convinced a few fraudulent politicians to cross over and join their corrupt party. After the bi-elections, the Liberal party bragged about how democracy works. They claim the people chose to give the Liberals a majority. The fact is that in two of the bi-elections just around 30% of the people eligible to vote actually voted. In the third district just around 50% of the eligible voters showed up to vote. The rest of the people believed it was a waste of time to go out and “vote”. We already know that there are no fair elections in Canada. The voice of the majority of people is not being heard. The ruling class has an agenda and they will manipulate things any way they need to in order to be able to bring about their agenda.
True Christians do not look to government for direction or help. True Christians put their trust in God. That is what the American money has stamped on it — “In God We Trust”. That is what it should be but sadly neither Canada nor the U.S. trust in God.
When we look at the book of Acts we see that the apostles did not wait for the government to approve of what they were doing. They had already been given their mandate by the Lord Jesus Christ. That mandate was to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. That is still the mandate of every born again Christian.
As we see in our text, “there is no power but of God”. He has declared what man’s responsibility is. Man is to have dominion over God’s creation. However, that dominion cannot function properly when God is not being heeded. That is why our country is going broke. No private citizen could function with the ineptitude that oozes out of our Parliament. There is no accountability and those in charge have seared their consciences. God is still limiting their destructive nature. The worst time on this earth will come during the seven year Tribulation period.
We see further that the powers that be are ordained of God. As we look at the three recent bi-elections, God put those three people into positions of power. One of them is a Muslim. Again, for those who are truly saved, we can see what God thinks of Canada. He is still giving true churches the opportunity to remain open and to preach the Word. That is the mandate of true churches. We need boldness to proclaim the truth, even though people want their itchy ears scratched.
In verse 3 we see God’s design for rulers. We don’t have any like this in Canada today. We have dictators and thieves. Rulers are not a terror to good works. True churches should be celebrated.
Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
There is nothing to celebrate in the recent “majority” that the Liberals gained. It was all done through deceit. The only hope is for people to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. God tells us in verse 3 of our text that we are supposed to do good. Godly rulers do not silence truth. They promote it. Life was much better during the early days of king Solomon. When he rejected God’s leadership, there were men who rose up against him and Israel was no longer safe.
There is no godly nation today. However, we can still have godly homes. We can still have godly churches that preach the truth. True saints should be flocking to those places. Sadly, too many people are deceived and they do not want the truth. They want compromise. Only those who turn to God and follow Him can enjoy His peace.
God tells us to pay taxes. It is a pleasure to pay taxes to a government that honours God. You notice that Jesus did not have a lot of money. He was and is God, but He limited Himself while on this earth. He had access to all He needed. He sent Peter to go and catch a fish and open its mouth and take the money that was in it and go and pay their taxes. We find that the apostles were not materially rich men. They lived off the goodness of God. God’s people support God’s Work.
We do not have godly leaders in Canada. God’s people should be more concerned about the proclamation of the Gospel than about having a big bank account and the luxuries the world has to offer.
True saints care more about a healthy church than the fancy things this world promotes. Those who are saved should be giving their tithes and offerings to a true local church that will speak truth and help people to walk in truth. Don’t settle for the corruption that rules so many “churches” today. Ask God to guide you to a church that honours Him. You will be blessed for it.
As we mentioned already, the economy of Canada is going down. Inflation is destroying the value of the dollar. Gas prices are rising. The government is promising a ten cent drop in fuel prices. They are stealing millions from the citizens and blowing it out the door on foolishness. We cannot stop them, but we can be wise stewards of the talents God has given us if we are saved.
Pastor Bartel