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Freedom & Civic Duty
Freedom & Civic Duty
FREEDOM & CIVIC DUTY (1 Pet. 2:13-17)
Freedom (From Wayne Grudem)
The great freedoms of the Christian life are…
- …freedom from the impossible obligation to earn merit before God by perfect obedience
- Gal. 5:1-14
- Acts 13:39
- Rom. 6:23
- …freedom from guilt
- …and freedom from the ruling power of sin
- Rom. 6:6-7, 14, 17-18
- Rom. 6:20-23
- John 8:31-36
Civic Duty
BASIC AXIOM
- Matt. 22:21 (Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25) – to Caesar and to God things that belong to them
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
- Jer. 29:7 – work and pray for welfare of society, even wicked ones (but hope for promise)
- 1 Tim. 2:1-4 – pray for leaders, for peace/quiet->opportunity all to be saved & know truth
SUBMIT TO THEM IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD
- Rom. 13:1-2 – God institutes all authority, resisting them is resisting God
- Rom. 13:6 – pay your taxes because the authorities are ministers of God
EXCEPTIONS
- Acts 4:19 – Peter and John…whether listen to you or God you be the judge
- Acts 5:29 – Jewish rulers forbid Peter and the apostles, but “must obey God, rather…”
- Dan. 6:10 – Daniel knew the paper was signed no praying to anyone other than Darius
BE READY TO SUFFER
- Dan. 3:18 – Daniel’s friends expect God to save them, but acknowledge He may not
- Foretold Peter’s crucifixion John 21:18-19
- Foretold Paul’s sufferings Acts 9:16
BUT ALSO BE SHREWD
- Exod. 1:17 (Heb. 11:23) – Hebrew midwives who feared God lied to Pharaoh
- Heb. 11:23 – Moses’ parents “not afraid of king’s edict” but also hid/deceived
- Matt. 10:16 – wise as serpents harmless as doves
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
- Matt. 12:20 – a bruised reed He will not break
- John 2:15 – gentle Jesus could also demonstrate righteous anger
PROTECT THE UNITY & LOVE OF THE BRETHREN
- Rom. 14:3, 10 – don’t pass judgment we will all stand before God’s judgment
- Rom. 14:13-23 – don’t cause another to stumble at convictions; pursue peace/upbuilding
- 1 Cor. 8 – make sure your (spiritual) rights don’t cause another to stumble
- Eph. 5:21 – “submitting” to one another (same word as 1 Pet. 2:13, 18; 3:1)
- Titus 3:1-3 — remember we ourselves were once foolish