T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S ness un til th e righteous King— Jesus Christ should come to take tjie sceptre. If any onè ever preaches or teaches th a t the world is getting better, one does not need to call atten tion to th e moral and religious conditions which prevail, although they all testify against such a theory; bu t ju s t hand them a JMew T estam ent and ask them to show you the passages upon which they base their statemezfts, and the argum en t is ended. There is no t one such passage. Jesus says concerning world condi tions, comparing them to Noah’s age, t (Matt. 24:38, 39)-: “ F o r a s in t h e d a y s t h a t w e r e b e f o r e t h e flo o d t h e y w e r e e a t i n g a n d d r in k i n g , m a rry in g * a n d g iv i n g in m a r r i a g e , u n t i l t n e d a y t h a t N o a h e n t e r e d in t o t h e a r k . A n d k n e w n o t u n t i l t h e flo o d c a m e a n d to o k th e m a l l a w a y ; s o s h a l l a l s o t h e c o m i n g o f t h e S o n o f m a n b e .” P au l tells Timothy something of the last days and th e perilous times which would come and names tw enty sinful tendencies which will characterize men a t th a t tim e (2 Tim. 3 :1 -6 ). P eter tells us what we now hear on every side, (2 Pet. 3:3, 4 ): “ K n o w i n g t h i s f i r s t t h a t t h e r e s h a l l c o m e i n t h e l a s t d a y s s c o f f e r s , w a l k i n g a f t e r t h e i r o w n l n s t s , A n d s a y in g , W h e r e is t h e p r o m is e o f h is c o m in g ? f o r s in c e t h e f a t h e r s f e l l a s le e p a l l t h i n g s c o n t in u e a s t h e y w e r e f r o m t h e b e g i n n in g o f c r e a tio n .” Jude, speaks to the same effect in v. 18: H o w t h a t t h e y to l d y o u t h a t t h e r e s h o u ld b e m o c k e r s I n t h e l a s t ti m e w h o s h o u ld w a l k a f t e r t h e i r o w n u n g o d ly l u s t s . ” We gladly, therefore, tu rn to th e les son in Romans which, while it does not tell us how to make a nation Chris tian, does tell us how a Christian should live in relation to civil law and to his fellow Christians. (1 ) THE LAW OF CIVIL OBEDI ENCE, vs. 1-7. From 12:17-21 this epistle deals w ith Christians in th e ir relation to those w ithout. Now P aul tu rn s to th e rela tion of th e believer to civil au tho rites. “L et every m an.” He makes no ex ception. We have sp iritu al relationships and n atu ra l relationships; duties t a our
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fellow saints and duties to th e State. Paul has bu t littl^ to say in his epistles w ith reference"to this. In 1 Tim. 2:2 he exhorts believers to pray for kings and for all in authority. P ete r gives a sim ilar injunction in 1 Pet. 2:13-15. Civil au tho rity and ru lers are or dained of God. If th ere were no ru le or au tho rity the world would be given up to anarchy. God designed man to live under authority. To deny or resist such au tho rity is to rebel against God. If the S tate enforces an imm oral law ; if it should approve of the persecution of Christians; if it should fail to en force its own ju st laws; then th e re would be cause for rising up ag ain st th e State. Governors or ru lers are God’s m in isters and they are a blessing to men who are law-abiding, b u t a te rro r to evil-doers. P aul appealed to civil au tho rity for protection, (Acts 2 2 :2 6 ): , , , — « u n m m in o n e M . h v L 8» 1? *t h e t h a t s to o d t h i t I |« it« I p W fU l f o r JOU t o SCOU]pS e a m a n th a / Ais , a R o m a n a n d u n c o n d e m n e d ? ” (Acts 25:10, 11) : — j.n e n . _--------- a » (.a n a a t a e s a r ’s s e “ * w h e r e I o u g h t to b e ju d g e d ; t o t h e J e w s h a v e I d o n e n o w r o n g a s t h o u v e r y w e ll k n o w e s t. ^ ® a n o f f e n d e r , "or h a v e c o m - m l t t e d a n y t h i n g w o r t h y o f d e a th , I r e f u x e n o t t o d ie ; b u t I f t h e r e b e n o n e o f t h e s e T h e r e o f t h e y « « c u s e m e , n o m a n C a e s a r ” lT e r m e U n t° th e ," ! 1 « » « c a l u n to Obedience to th e law is demanded, not only because of th e punishm ent which will be inflicted for wrong-doing, but for conscience’ sake. P au l cites fo u r aspects of civil au tho rity : ,(1) Personal taxes. (2) Ex port or import duties. (3) Veneration for rulers. (4 ) Respect for officers of th e law. (v. 7 ): — > . . . . . . . . . . . j,ii im -1 r d u e s : t r i b u te to w h o m t r i b u t e ; c u s to m t o w h o m c u s to m ; f e a r t o w h o m f e a r ; h o n o u r to w h o m h o n o u r .” The obligation of obedience to civil au tho rity is as definite as th e obligation to worship God. There is no evidence of failu re upon th e p a rt of our Lord H imself to obey th e laws of the land.
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