Romans 13:4: For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
The essential role of government is encapsulated in the designation it is twice given in verse 4: “God’s servant.” Government is the deacon of God, and as with any deacon, its job is to humbly serve. At the end of verse 4 the apostle is most explicit about government’s beneficial function: “He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The state is given the responsibility of vengeance, a responsibility that is explicitly forbidden to the individual Christian (12:19). The state renders “evil for evil” (12:17), which the individual Christian must never do. God’s way of dealing with evil is not by personal vengeance, but through justice dispensed by the state. Through the state comes an anticipatory display of God’s wrath against sin. And as the state is faithful to its function, it does “good” to us (v. 4a). We should be thankful that it “does not bear the sword for nothing,” even though it bears it imperfectly. 1
Application
- Are you a law breaker or a law keeper? One brings freedom, the other, fear.
- Pray that our governing officials would be ministers of protection and safety and not campaigners for cultural correctness.
Prayer
Lord, teach me to pray for our leaders by name and with greater frequency.
1. Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
