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Malaysian GE13 and the Roman Empire

The word of God, through the Apostle Paul, in the context of a Roman government whose corruption was open to all, whose justice system favored the powerful, whose leaders indulge in power struggles and sexual scandals and collected taxes with blatant extortion:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." (Romans 13:1-7)

 Brothers and sisters,

(1) Contend not for an earthly kingdom but a heavenly one

(2) The joy, satisfaction, and justice that you think an earthly kingdom will give cannot be found. No human government can give what is meant to be found in Christ the true King. In recent history, look at the corruption the fighters against South African apartheid have engaged themselves in.

(3) Accept the sovereignty of God in the authority he has placed. Though the Romans were the way the are, the Pax Romana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Romana) helped to further the gospel. The Lord's purposes are different from ours.

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