Rom 13:1 " 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." 

Governments that exist are instituted by God? The ultimate of ultimate of absolutes, any one who has authority has it from God. 

As much as we would like to rationalize this away or dismiss this as to say; "this doesn't really mean what it seems to say", it is clear that the world is exactly as God intends it to be. 

He is not through with His plan. Even so, His plan will not be entered into through knowledge-only by faith.
How we rebel against giving God this much sovereignty!! Not wanting to allow Him this level of control. 

No it is not put right, yet! God is in the midst of bringing about His plan, and it will be marvelous and wonderful! We all can become a part of fulfillment by submission or be passed by through resistance. 
No, not submission to evil and evil rulers- but submission to loving enemies and doing good to those who persecute you for doing good. Imaging forth God- is imaging forth love to those who are lost in their sin. He is Absolute Love. To follow after Jesus is to become His image bearer. He is Absolute Love.
This is where all appeals to religious adherence, and moral superiority fails. The Christian, Muslim, Jewish or other religious person who hates others, does not know or understand God. Civil and religious bigotry has the same root-the abandonment of love.  

(Caveat: Love requires discipline and even punishment. The two are not the same and are not implemented in the same way. In particular institutions such as the family, municipalities, states or nations have the loving duty to in appropriate and specific ways, discipline and punish, based on the relationships with constituents. God's Love is displayed through both discipline and punishment. The scope of such a discussion goes beyond this blog.)

Governments in the main have been given by God to protect and serve citizens. God has strewn the ages with the ruins of those nations and governments that have not rightly performed this God given duty. Our God Reigns!


1Co 15:25-28  "For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all." 

Rom 13:2-4 " 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. "

One submits them-self to this law of love in submission to God instituted authorities not only to avoid penalties that might be imposed but also to keep purity of conscience. You can make your own prisons within that are just as binding as iron bars. Indebtedness of any kind places undo burden upon the debtor.

Rom 13:5-7  "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." 

So if you want to remain free of conscience, pure in heart, the only thing to owe anyone is love. This is the summation of all laws. The law of love. "God is Love"

Rom 13:8-10  "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."