Romans 13:4
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. 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.
Civil rulers are ministers of God for good, appointed to serve and praise those who do good and to promote the welfare of the people. They do not bear the sword in vain, but have real authority to restrain and punish wrongdoing, so that those who do evil have reason to be afraid of lawful punishment. Obedience to human government is a sacred duty within its proper civil sphere, to be given peaceably in all things where it does not conflict with the law of God. The word of God is supreme above all human legislation and earthly powers, so when the claims of government conflict with the claims of God, obedience to God comes first. In fulfilling its highest purpose civil government can have no union with religion or the church, with nothing to do with religion and no religion in its statute books.
Purpose of Civil Authority
Civil rulers are ministers of God for good, appointed to serve those who do right, to give praise to those who do good, and to promote the good of the people. Their office is not empty or without purpose, but carries real responsibility to uphold what is right for the benefit of those under their care. Even when the law of God is made void, this appointment still stands, calling for no defiant spirit toward earthly powers but for hearts fully surrendered to God with zeal rising to meet the emergency in warm, decided, positive and unflinching testimony. Obedience within this order means being peaceably subject to the laws of the land so long as those laws do not conflict with duty to God, since obedience to God comes first and civil authority is not absolute.
The ruler does not bear the sword in vain, but bears it as an instrument of punishment with real authority to restrain and punish wrongdoing. As minister of God and revenger to execute wrath upon the evildoer, he makes those who do evil have reason to be afraid of lawful punishment and its consequences. This fear is purposeful, checking unchecked passions that would otherwise sink men further into evil and requiring rulers to exercise a higher controlling power to repress wrongdoing. To throw off this restraint under pretense of throwing off oppression, to denounce all order and declare obedience to princes to be divided loyalty, and to claim divine sanction for breaking away from all control to give rein to prejudice and passion unto sedition, strife and bloodshed, is rebellion against civil authority condemned by this appointment.
The state is ordained by God because of sin, and were there no sin there would be no reason for its existence. Its mission is solely to preserve order and protect men from violence by preventing evil by evil-minded persons through fear of penalties. Acting in its own sphere it is always useful and will remain so as long as sin exists, with God ordaining the state in general according to the demands of its period and place. God still has to do with the laws of the land, working through human laws and rulers as His ministers to restrain evil, and while Jesus is in the sanctuary His restraining Spirit is felt by both rulers and people. Since Satan controls the great mass of the world to a great extent, without the laws of the land unchecked passions would sink men further into evil and God's people would suffer greatly, so rulers must exercise a higher controlling power to repress wrongdoing.
Limits of Civil Jurisdiction
Human government exercises proper jurisdiction only within its legitimate civil sphere when it attends to its own affairs in a civil capacity. In meeting its highest purpose it can have no union with religion or the church, with no religion in its statute books, no recognition of the church, and nothing to do with religion. Obedience to it is a sacred duty within that sphere.
People are to be peaceably subject to the laws of the land and to conform in all things to the laws of the state when obedience can be given without conflicting with the law of God and with duty to God. The word of God remains supreme authority above all human legislation and above earthly powers. When the claims of government conflict with the claims of God, obedience to God comes first, for the crown of Christ is above earthly powers and a Thus saith the Lord is not to be set aside for church or state.
Civil authority is not absolute, since obedience to God comes first. Throwing off the yoke of the papacy does not remove the restraints of civil authority, for princes and civil authorities remain ministers of God for good, bearing the sword to punish evil, and are to be obeyed. To denounce all order and to declare that to obey princes is to serve both God and evil is false teaching. To claim divine sanction for breaking away from all control and giving rein to prejudice and passion, leading to rebellion and sedition and strife and bloodshed, is rebellion against civil authority condemned by the verse.
Loyalty in Word and Deed
Submission to civil authority does not call for a defiant spirit toward earthly powers and does not mean antagonism to law and order. The ruler is a minister of God for good, appointed to give praise to those who do good and to bear the sword not in vain as a revenger to execute wrath upon evildoers, so that those who do evil have reason to be afraid. Because that authority to punish wrongdoing is real and not empty, respect is due even when God's law is threatened or made void. In such a time words spoken or written are to be carefully considered, and nothing is to be said or done that would unnecessarily close the way. Hearts are to remain fully surrendered to God while zeal rises with the emergency.
Even when the law of God is made void, the true and loyal are to give a more warm and decided, positive and unflinching testimony. Even when truth is forbidden by men, the truths committed in trust are still to be advocated in Christ's name. The ruler is Heaven-appointed and chosen by God to execute His law for good and to be a terror to evildoers, and David held that office as leader of the nation. When in ease and self-security he let go his hold upon God and yielded to Satan, he trampled the very precepts he was appointed to enforce. By his own guilty act he, instead of being a terror to evildoers, strengthened their hands.
The same principle reaches managers and department leaders in institutions, who are placed by God in positions of trust and honor and must be respected and honored. Confidence is due their judgment about what regulations are essential, and respect is due their authority to maintain order and wisely discipline youth. Loyalty to them belongs to the foundation principles of loyalty to truth, to fellow beings, and to God, which children must never be taught to treat lightly. Parents and church members are to uphold their hands by teaching youth to submit to discipline, by refusing to blindly sustain children against their superiors, and by going directly to those in authority to learn the truth in any difficulty. Behind the sword of justice stands God Himself as the eternal, universal guardian of justice, personally concerned in every action toward fellow men and present so that no one can escape Him.
He takes part against every act of wrong against another, whether high or low, rich or poor. He spreads His own hand as a shield over the rights of brother toward brother. To wound or bruise the soul or rights of a brother is therefore to strike against the hand of justice that holds the sword.