Sep. 13, 2026

“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”
(Romans 13:1-4)
Central Idea: As believers with a renewed mind, we submit
ourselves to the governing authorities.
I. Command: submit to governing authorities (1a)
A. _______________ Principle
• No _______________ as to who should and shouldn’t submit.
B. “subjection” (be subject/submit)
• Command in the present tense = ____________________ action
• Defined: placing __________ under another person’s authority
• ___________, _________________, _______-submission
C. “governing authorities”
• God has established three institutions:
• ___________ - _________ / Government / ____________
• In a fallen, sinful world these institutions don’t always
______________ as God intended them.
II. Reasons for our submission to governing authorities (1b-4)
A. ________________ by God (1b)
• God is sovereign - ___________ who is in authority.
• Every ruler ________________ their authority because God has
allowed them to occupy their position.
B. ________________ to authority results in divine judgment. (2)
• Be __________ in your opposition to your government or you
will end up on the _______________ side of God.
• To obey is a good _________________ for Jesus Christ.
C. Established to ____________ and ____________ good (3-4a)
• Principle: If you want to stay out of trouble, then be ________.
• This is a proverbial statement of wisdom, a ___________ truth.
D. Established to ___________ and ___________ evil (4b)
• “sword” - government is __________ and can use __________.
• Government is God’s temporal ____________ of evil.
Applications:
1. Use the avenues available to us to make our voices ___________.
• Responsible ____________ (knowledge of issues & candidates).
• _____________________ with those who represent us.
• ___________ the constitutionally available means to support
just policies and to oppose and change unjust ones.
2. God’s purpose for the church is not _____________, but spiritual.
• We need to see the deep spiritual needs of the world and
concern ourselves with offering people ________ through Jesus.