Ministers of God
Romans 13:3-5; Romans 2:14-15
I. Submission to Civil Leaders (Romans 13:1-2; 6-7)
A. The biblical call to submit to government authorities
B. Paying taxes and honoring civil leaders
C. Recognizing our duties as citizens
II. Civil Leaders' Duty to God (Romans 13:3-4)
A. Rewarding good and punishing evil (Romans 13:3)
1. The role of civil leaders in maintaining order
2. The examples of traffic tickets or TSA agents
B. Civil leaders as God's servants (Romans 13:4)
1. Viewing civil leaders as God's deacons
2. The dual role of civil leaders in serving and avenging
III. The Role of Conscience (Romans 2:14-15)
A. The significance of conscience as our internal moral code
1. How conscience informs our actions and responses
2. The importance of calibrating our conscience to God's Word
B. The erosion of our national conscience
1. The historical alignment of the national conscience with God's Word
2. The shift away from acknowledging God's role in our nation
3. The implications of Romans 1:21 and the warning of calling evil good
IV. The Solution: The Gospel
A. The need for personal humility and repentance
B. The call to seek God's face in prayer and humility
C. Trusting in the power of the Gospel to transform hearts and nations
1. The cleansing power of Christ's blood for your conscience (Hebrews 9:14)
2. The ultimate hope found in Jesus Christ
3. The importance of sharing the message of the Gospel
Application:
1. What did the Holy Spirit teach you from this passage?
2. How does your personal conscience align with God's Word, and are there areas in your life where you need to seek forgiveness and cleansing?
3. How does the blood of Christ cleanse your conscience when you’ve sinned (Hebrews 9:14)?
4. In what ways can you actively engage in politics and civic life while maintaining a humble and repentant heart before God?
5. How can you balance the responsibility to submit, pay taxes, and honor civil leaders with the need to hold them accountable for rewarding good and punishing evil?
6. Where does revival start?
7. Are there areas in your life where you need to repent and turn away from sinful behaviors or attitudes that have become acceptable in society?
8. Are you actively sharing the message of the Gospel as the ultimate hope for transformation and revival?
9. In what ways can you demonstrate that your trust is ultimately in God rather than in human institutions or achievements?