It is crucial that believers have the best attitude toward others. We are in the church, but the church is among human society. We cannot live a life outside human society. Hence, there is the need for us to know what kind of attitude we should hold toward unbelievers. In this message we will see that the believers experience the dispensing of the Divine Trinity in having the best attitude toward others.
In having the best attitude toward others, the believers first need to be subject to the government. This is strongly charged in Romans 13:1-7. In verse 1 Paul says, “Let every person be subject to the authorities over him.” A natural character is a rebellious character, and man’s natural response to authority is to rebel. But a transformed character is submissive. Hence, subjecting ourselves to the government requires a certain amount of transformation. Our being submissive to God’s appointed authorities in the government is an indicator that we have a certain amount of transformation. Such transformation is the issue of the growth in life through the experience of the dispensing of the processed Triune God.
The authorities are from God, appointed by God, as servants of God to the believers for their good. We need to recognize this. Paul says that the authority “is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, fear; he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who practices evil” (v. 4). The New Testament clearly teaches that all authorities are from God. Human government with its authority was established by God during Noah’s time. After the flood God gave man authority to rule over others (Gen. 9:6). It was by this ruling authority among men that the nations were set up. Therefore, as Christians, we must recognize that the authorities are from God and respect them. Authorities have been appointed to the believers for their good. This means that through the authorities God allows us to live on the earth in peace to be His testimony. We surely need a peaceful situation while we are living on earth. In order to maintain a peaceful situation there is the need of a government with authority to rule over the people. Through this ruling, a good environment and a peaceful situation can be maintained. This is for our good.
Since authorities are from God, we should not resist them. “He who resists the authority opposes God’s ordination, and those who oppose will receive judgment to themselves. For the rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil” (Rom. 13:2-3). If we resist authority, either judgment will descend upon us from the authority, or it will come to us directly from God.
Paul also says, “It is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience” (v. 5). This indicates that our subjection should not only be out of fear of punishment; even more it should be for the sake of our conscience. Because of our conscience, we need to learn, by being transformed through the divine dispensing, to be subject to authorities.