Love Oozes Obedience From the Heart

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Read Romans 13
Theme: Christian relationships and attitudes.
Title in NIV: 1-7:  Christian’s obedience to government. And  8-14: Debt of love.

Romans 13:1-7 Have you noticed? There are people everywhere that do not follow rules. They don’t stop at stop signs, they cut corners so they don’t have to stop at the red light, they jay-walk (I did that last night at church, no less), they litter, they drink and drive. I could go on and on. The point is they think the rules don’t apply to them. They do things to suit their own selfish desires. I jay-walked because no one was coming and it was faster that way. However, does that make it okay? No.

Submitting to authority and the laws of the land is hard. I want to think I submit to God and his plan for my life, but if I cannot submit to what God has established, isn’t that like telling God, “It doesn’t suit me, it does not apply to me and I won’t do it?”

Someone once said, “How you submit to authority (your church leaders, your husband, rules set up by the mayor, governor or president etc.) reflects your heart toward God.” We practice what is in our heart. That is where our words and actions come from.

Think of the little laws you break? Do you steal sugar packets from restaurants? I used to until Barbara Royal used that as an example in one of her lessons. I got them because my father-in-law uses them when he visits. Well, now my father-in-law has his own box of 400 sugar packets at my house and my conscience feels at peace. Do you park in handicapped spaces without a tag? Do you speed? My little road is 40 mph. Do you know how hard it is to go 40mph when you can see a mile ahead of you? Really hard! Do you leave a kid in the car to run into the post office or convenient store? We should think about these seemingly little attitudes that reflect our willingness to obey God rules, too.

Romans 13:8-14 Jesus says there are two rules we must follow. Luke 10:27, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” He says in Matthew 22:40 the same thing and ends with, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commands.”

If you have the love of God and love for your fellow man flowing through you, you will not commit the list in verse 9. Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet and whatever other commandments there may be.

(Just a thought: That list seems to be big things we would never do, but think of some of them this way. Do I murder my brothers/sisters reputation and character by talking behind there back? Gossip is not love flowing through you even if it is in the form of a prayer request. I heard someone say, “We need to pray for so-n-so. She is not wearing her wedding ring.” That is fueling gossip! Do you commit adultery in the form of putting something before God. You have committed yourself to God and entered into a covenant with him. Do you put your job, kids, sports with your kids, business, fatigue in front of God? That is the same as a man putting another woman in front of the one he made a covenant with—his wife.)

To tie verses 1-7 and 8-14 together, Paul is saying, if you love God you will show it in the way you treat others and follow worldly rules.

Paul says, “Wake up. Salvation is near.” Jesus is coming soon. Put off deeds of darkness. Put on a new self that is dressed in armor of light. Let us behave decently and clothe our self with Jesus. Col 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5 and Is. 52:1, Is. 51:1 says clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, strength, put on garments of splendor and pursue righteousness.

I’m long winded today…sorry. If you want to know what NOT to clothe yourself with read Romans 13:13-14.

Next week is one of my favorite chapters in the bible and one that I think people have the most trouble with (I’ll be gentle)….hope you stick around!!