Romans 13:1

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Our society has a high level of cynicism towards those in authority, and the media takes every opportunity to shoot politicians down in flames whenever they slip up. However, the apostle Paul would encourage us to look at our politicians with spiritual eyes and to remember that all authority on this earth ultimately comes from God. Therefore, it is vital that we pray for those in authority and play our part as good citizens, obeying the laws of the land and showing our willingness to support the community. I can hear you asking a very big question: “What should we do if the governing authorities command us to do something that is contrary to God’s law?” Paul doesn’t address this issue and it might well be because, at this stage, he hadn’t encountered any particular difficulties. The Jews had a special status of protection within the Roman Empire and, in the earliest days of the Church, Christians were viewed as a variety of Jews, so they enjoyed similar protection. All of that changed in later years. What might Paul have said in those more challenging circumstances? The answer to questions like this is always to look at other parts of the Bible, and a fundamental principle was clearly established in the earliest days of the Church. When he was commanded to stop preaching about Jesus in Acts 5, Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). How do we fit this together with Paul’s teaching? We must always respect the fact that our leaders’ authority comes ultimately from God, so we should be good citizens and obey them as fully as possible, knowing that they are answerable to God. However, when laws conflict with God’s law, we must obey God, because he is the one with ultimate authority. This presents many Christians in the world today with incredibly difficult dilemmas, because many governments are firmly opposed to Christianity. We need to pray that these brothers and sisters will be given great courage, grace, patience and strength as they live for God, and we need to be ready to defy the law ourselves if obedience to God’s law demands it.

Question In what circumstances could you imagine yourself defying the law of the land?

Prayer Lord God our Father, help us always to obey you, whatever the cost. Amen

Romans 12:17-18

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. The Christian life involves a complete rewiring of the way we think and live. It involves a total revolution in our lives because when someone does something evil to us, the natural reaction is to retaliate. Everything in us makes us want to hit back. We want justice and we don’t want our attacker to think that they can get away with it. Jesus’ way is different. He calls us never to take revenge but to leave that to God. Our job is to feed our enemies when they are hungry and to give them a drink when they are thirsty. We are to go out of our way to bless them and help them, and that is tough. That’s not the way we are naturally inclined to act, but it is the way of Christ and it is the way of peace. Paul wasn’t unrealistic. His life brought him into conflict with many people and he had no illusions that his teaching would be easy to live out. He was as aware as anyone that Christianity was out of step with Roman society and that as Christians lived out their daily lives, they would face challenges and difficulties. However, he urged his readers to do everything within their power to live at peace with other people. When attacked, they had to do everything they could to restore peace, but when peace couldn’t be achieved, they needed to pray for those who were attacking them and to act honourably. None of this is easy, but it is important to be aware that Paul was addressing this teaching to a community of Christian people. He knew that they would need one another’s strength, encouragement and prayers. We are never invited to follow Christ as heroic individuals but as part of the body of Christ, within which we are surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters who will love us and stand with us amid all the challenges of life.

Question In what situations are you bringing the gift of peace at this time?

Prayer Loving God, help me to bring your peace to those with whom I live and work today. Amen

Romans 12:9-10

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other. Napoleon once said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I founded empires; but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love.” It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of love. Without love there can be no Church, no blessing, no joy, no future worth having. Everything depends upon love, and here, Paul was concerned that the Christians in Rome didn’t make do with a phoney love. He recognised that it is possible to pretend to love other people. We can do it by being superficial and merely polite with others, glancing over the surface of their lives without really engaging with them and their needs. What Paul longed for was for deep, compassionate, sacrificial love which would totally transform their lives together. It is interesting that Paul speaks about love and hatred so close together. The truth is that the person who loves also knows how to hate, because if you truly love another person, you will hate with a passion anything that causes them to be hurt or undermined. If they are the victim of injustice, you will be compelled to stand up for them and to defend their cause. Love will not allow you to sit comfortably and merely wish them well. Your love for them will force you to take action. Nothing that you and I can ever do will be more important than loving other people, and as we do so, we need to keep Jesus at the forefront of our thinking. Jesus is the only person who perfectly lived a life of love. The way he cared for people, reached out to the marginalised and was willing to offer even his own life for others needs to stand before us as the inspiration for our love. Love is never the easiest way, but it is always the best.

Question Do you think you are ever guilty of merely pretending to love other people?

Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you have shown us perfectly what it means to love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and enable us to love in the way that you did. Amen