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
    • Gal. 3:13
    • Rev. 1:5
  • …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