Time to ‘fess up.
Do you remember Bill Clinton and Slick Willie? Then let me tell you a story.
Somewhere around 1994-95 when I was still a pastor at the church in Traverse City, Michigan, God slapped me down and raised me back up with Romans 13.
I know this is an extended text but please read it.
Romans 13:1-7 ESV 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. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (3) 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, (4) 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. (5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (6) For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (7) 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.
Woa, baby!
“Respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
Among professing evangelicals and fundamentalists, it was popular sport back in the day to slam President Clinton. Of course, we didn’t always call him President Clinton, we often preferred the not so flattering “Slick Willie” moniker.
Immoral, lying, cheating. . .blah, blah, blah. . .hell in a hand basket. . .something, something. . .damn Democrats. . .Slick Willie.
And I was right there with the rest promoting ethical, moral standards for Church and country. (Sarcasm fully intended.)
And then God messed things up, as he is prone to do when a person regularly reads his words.
In my reading through the Bible, I came to Romans 13. But nothing new here. I mean how many times had I read this text, studied it and apparently dismissed it?
But not this time.
Here are the words God kept floating through my consciousness as I read:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. . .no authority except from God. . .whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed. . .for he is God’s servant for your good. . .For he is the servant of God. . .therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. . .For the authorities are ministers of God. . .Pay to all what is owed to them. . .respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
I was paying my taxes, but I was sure not honoring God and his words by dishonoring God’s servant and minister.
Slam, bang, to the turf I went. Guilty as charged. Caught up in disgusting, conscience-violating behavior, because much, if not most, of the Christian community gave its approval. And because I am a sinner, and I want to believe what I believe and “Slick Willie” fit what I wanted to believe.
And so I repented, confessed my sin and began obeying God.
And as I did this my living, practical, day-to-day concept of the bigness and the greatness of God grew.
I was less worried about evil politicians and more assured in the sovereignty of God over human affairs.
Because that is what bowing before our God in obedience does: We live and breathe in a world that is saturated with the good plan of God.
