Romans 13:1-7

Romans 13:1 (ESV)
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

Trusting When You Don’t Understand

So many questions about God ultimately require faith because our minds are finite and God is infinite. Imagine a toddler asking a complicated question and receiving a PhD-level answer. Even if the answer were completely accurate, the child might not be able to fully understand it. But sometimes our struggle with God isn’t simply that we don’t understand His answer. Sometimes we understand enough to know that we don’t like it, especially when obedience costs us time, energy, money, or comfort. Those are the moments when we must remember that God’s thoughts are higher than ours, hold on to Him when the picture isn’t clear, and continue to walk by faith, not by sight.

As Paul moves into Romans 13, his instructions to those who desire to live as living sacrifices continue. He has told believers to offer their lives to God, recognize that they belong to the body of Christ, and practically live out their faith by loving both believers and those who oppose them. Now Paul widens the conversation even further. He tells Jewish and Gentile believers living under Roman rule, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Then he gives the reason: “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” That probably wasn’t an easy instruction to hear while living under Roman rule.

Paul wasn’t telling them that every ruler was good, that every government decision was right, or that human authority was unlimited. He was reminding them that no earthly authority exists outside God’s sovereignty. That means believers don’t submit only when they agree, when they like the leader, or when obedience is convenient. Disagreement alone isn’t a reason to reject the authority God has allowed them to have. We may not understand why God allows certain people to lead or what He is doing through circumstances we would never choose, but our lack of understanding doesn’t mean God has lost control.

Maybe that is where Romans 13:1 becomes less about our confidence in government and more about our confidence in God. Do you trust God when you don’t understand what He is doing? Can you trust Him when you can’t see the whole picture? You don’t have to understand everything God allows in order to trust that He is still sovereign. Just as the toddler may not understand the answer, we won’t always understand the ways of an infinite God. But we can trust the One giving the answer. When God’s ways are higher than yours, and His purposes extend beyond what you can see, you can still trust the One who sees it all.

Practice This:

Think about an area of your life where you’re struggling to understand what God is doing or why He has allowed something you wouldn’t have chosen. Instead of trying to figure everything out today, bring your questions honestly to God and choose to trust what you already know about Him. You may not see the whole picture, but you can trust the One who does.

Prayer:

Father, there are things You allow that I don’t understand and decisions I wouldn’t make if they were mine to make. But I know Your wisdom reaches beyond what I can see. When I don’t understand Your ways, I still want to trust Your heart. Keep me faithful when obedience is difficult, and the picture isn’t clear. You see what I can’t, and I trust You with what I don’t understand. Amen.

Romans 13:2-4 (ESV)
“2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” 

Do I Have To?

We may be inspired by stories of how God has used people in the past whom we never would have thought were brave enough, smart enough, or qualified enough. God used Moses, despite his hesitation and failures, to lead the Hebrews toward the Promised Land. God used social outcasts like tax collectors, shepherds, and people with questionable backgrounds, all for His glory. God even used angels and a talking donkey to speak for Him. These stories bring hope because we see God’s grace in action and realize that He can use us for His purposes too.

God can also use people who may not believe in Him to accomplish His purposes. In this passage, Paul says God has appointed authorities and describes them as His servants for our good. Think about something as ordinary as a speed limit. Authorities establish laws intended to bring order and protect people, and there are consequences when those laws are broken. We may not always agree with a particular rule or enjoy following it, but that does not remove our responsibility to submit to legitimate authority.

Paul’s point is not that every ruler is godly, every law is good, or every decision an authority makes reflects God’s character. Scripture gives us plenty of examples of corrupt rulers and authorities who abused their power. Instead, Paul describes God’s purpose for governing authority. At its best, government restrains wrongdoing, protects people, and maintains order. That is why Paul can call an authority God’s “servant for your good.” Even someone who does not recognize God can still occupy a role that God uses to accomplish His purposes.

That changes the way we view everyday obedience. Following the speed limit, paying what we owe, respecting laws, and submitting to legitimate authority may not feel spiritual, but our response to authority is connected to our response to God. We will not agree with every decision an authority makes, and Scripture never calls us to obey people when doing so would require disobedience to God. But when obedience to human authority doesn’t conflict with obedience to God, we can submit knowing that God is ultimately above every authority. Honoring God includes how we respond to the authorities He has allowed to be placed over us. Even when we disagree, we can choose what is right because our obedience is ultimately an act of faithfulness to Him.

Practice this:

Think about a law or rule you tend to ignore because it feels inconvenient or unimportant. Maybe it’s speeding, rolling through a stop sign, using your phone while driving, or ignoring a rule because you don’t think it makes sense. Choose one today and intentionally obey it. Let something as simple as following the speed limit become a reminder that honoring God includes how you respond to authority.

Prayer:

Father, You are the ultimate authority over my life, and I trust that nothing is outside of Your sovereignty. Forgive me for the times I have allowed inconvenience, disagreement, or pride to become excuses for disobedience. Help my response to authority be marked by humility, wisdom, and a desire to honor You. When I disagree, keep my heart respectful. When obedience is inconvenient, keep me faithful. Above all, may my life show that my ultimate allegiance belongs to You. Amen.

Romans 13:5 (NLT)
“ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.”

What Would You Do?

A popular show called What Would You Do? puts unsuspecting people into situations designed to test how they’d respond. The scene is staged, and everyone involved is an actor except for the person who unknowingly walks into it. They might witness someone being rude to a waiter, see a child asking a stranger for help, or encounter someone who appears to need protection from an abusive situation. To them, everything happening is real, and they have to decide whether to walk away or step in and do something. Afterward, the host reveals that it was all staged and asks why they responded the way they did. For those who chose to help, the answer is often simple: “I just knew I had to do something.”

This show gives us a great picture of a person’s conscience at work in real time, especially when they’re faced with a difficult situation and have only moments to decide what to do. God has given humanity a conscience that bears witness to right and wrong. Paul speaks about this in Romans 2, saying that even those without the Law show that its work is written on their hearts, while their conscience bears witness. In Romans 13, Paul brings the conscience into the conversation about governing authorities. Believers should submit not simply because they fear getting caught or punished, but because they want to do what is right before God.

Considering our conscience before God makes submitting to governing authorities much deeper and more meaningful than simply trying to avoid consequences. If you drive the speed limit only because you see a police officer, your behavior may have changed, but your heart hasn’t. Paul calls believers to live with a clear conscience even when nobody appears to be watching. When we continually ignore what we know is right, we can become increasingly comfortable with disobedience. Something that once bothered our conscience can eventually become something we excuse without a second thought.

So ask yourself: Would I still do what is right if I knew I wouldn’t get caught? Following Jesus means our decisions are not simply determined by what we can get away with. We live knowing that God sees both our actions and our hearts. Whether anyone else notices or not, we can choose what is right because our greatest concern is not avoiding punishment, but living faithfully before God with a clear conscience.

Practice this:

Pay attention today to the moments when your conscience prompts you in how you treat someone else. Maybe you need to apologize, speak kindly when you’re frustrated, help someone you would normally walk past, or do the right thing even when the other person would never know. When you feel that prompting, don’t ignore it. Respond.

Prayer:

Father, You see more than my actions. You see my heart and the motives behind what I do. My desire is to honor You.  Help me see You as greater than my desire to simply avoid consequences. Keep my conscience sensitive to Your Word and my heart willing to respond when I know what is right. May I live with integrity when others are watching and when no one is watching, knowing that my life is always lived before You. Amen.

Romans 13:6-7 (ESV)
“6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

Give

A popular saying goes, “The only things you can be certain of are death and taxes.” Even Jesus had to deal with taxes. In Matthew 22, the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus by asking whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked them to show Him a coin and then asked whose image was on it. When they answered, “Caesar’s,” Jesus responded, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus wasn’t avoiding their question. His answer was simple: give what is owed to whom it is owed.

Paul gives a similar instruction in Romans 13. If taxes are owed, pay your taxes. If revenue is owed, pay it. But Paul doesn’t stop with money. He says to give respect to whom respect is owed and honor to whom honor is owed. In other words, don’t withhold from someone what you are responsible to give simply because you don’t like them, agree with them, or think they deserve something different. Paul shifts our attention from what we think others owe us to what God calls us to give them.

So, think about the people God has placed around you. Are you withholding respect because someone frustrated you? Are you refusing to honor someone because you disagree with them? Are you treating someone differently because of what they have or haven’t done for you? We can become so concerned about what other people owe us that we forget to ask what we owe them. Instead of keeping score of what others have or haven’t given you, consider what God has called you to give.

Let’s return for a moment to Matthew 22. Jesus didn’t end His answer by simply saying, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” He continued, “and to God the things that are God’s.” The coin carried Caesar’s image, but you were made in God’s image. If Jesus said to give Caesar what belonged to him, then give to God what belongs to Him.

Practice this:

Take a few minutes today to reflect on what it means that you were made in the image of God. Your life belongs to Him. Think about your time, relationships, resources, abilities, and decisions. What would it look like to offer each of those areas back to God? Choose one area where you can intentionally live today as someone who belongs to Him.

Prayer:

Father, everything I have and everything I am belongs to You. Keep me from becoming so focused on what others owe me that I overlook what You have called me to give. May I freely show respect, honor others, and faithfully give what is owed. Above all, may my life reflect that I belong completely to You. Amen.

Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

Practice this:

Take time today to pray for those in authority over you. Pray for leaders you agree with and leaders you don’t. Pray for wisdom in their decisions, integrity in their leadership, and people around them who will give wise counsel. If you regularly criticize or become frustrated with a leader, make it a point to pray for them by name.

Prayer:

Father, You are the ultimate authority, and my allegiance belongs to You. I pray for those who have been placed in positions of leadership. May they lead with wisdom, justice, and integrity. When I disagree, keep my words respectful and my heart free from pride and contempt. May I have the courage to stand for what is right and the humility to do it in a way that looks like Jesus. Let my words, attitudes, and actions be an authentic witness of my faith in You. Amen.