Briefly, for the sake of summary review of my previous entry, I argued that what we find in Romans 1:18-32 is a pattern by which we ought to assess how God is already revealing his wrath from heaven ahead of the Last Day and that he does this from heaven is an act of mercy, for at the same time God is revealing his righteousness in the gospel which is his power for salvation from sin’s dominion. Human sinfulness invokes and will receive the just punishment of divine judgment in the Last Day. The Apostle Paul’s affirmations in Romans 1:18-32 make two things clear: (1) It is true that in the Day of Judgment God will pour out his wrath upon sinners for their sins (1:32); and (2) Even now God foreshadows his impending wrath of the Last Day by giving people over to their reprobate passions (1:18-28). God works mysteriously among us as he punishes idolaters who refuse to worship him. He does this by abandoning them to the dominion of their own wicked lusts. Stated succinctly, God does not only punish people for their sins; he also punishes sinners with their sins. And all of this is on full display before our watching eyes. We need to understand that God will damn to eternal perdition males and females who flaunt their carnal worship of others who are of their same sex in their so-called “Gay Pride Parades” but also those “Gay Pride Parades” are themselves God’s affliction of wrath upon our society for massive idolatry, exchanging the glory of the immortal God for created things. Thus, before they stand before the Almighty on the Day of Judgment, they already bear God’s wrath in their bodies which is the due penalty for their vile error of worshiping and serving the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:27). As we survey the depraved conduct of idolaters who are divinely abandoned to their debauchery, our hearts ought to be vexed daily, but our hearts must also be moved with compassion because God has bestowed to us the proclamation of the good news which announces God’s righteousness. Keep in mind that this good news is God’s power for their salvation from sin’s dominion over them.
From this, it is right and proper to infer that our thinking is not sufficiently biblical if we affirm that the Lord will surely bring into judgment our governing official, elected and not elected, who are vile and perverse in their beliefs, their policies, and their governing but say nothing more. There is significantly more that we must affirm. We must affirm also that the fact that the Lord has appointed such officials to govern us is itself a demonstration that God’s hand of judgment has fallen upon our nation and upon other nations under similar governing officials.
Therefore, in times such as these when we are being governed by vile and perverse officials, how shall we pray for those who govern us? Scripture calls upon us to pray for those who govern us. The Apostle Paul exhorts us with these words:
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Paul instructs us that we are to be praying for all humans. Obviously, he does not mean that we are to be in prayer for every individual without exception. That is quite humanly impossible. Instead, Paul’s statement, “for kings and all those in authority,” instructs us to be praying for all peoples without distinction. He need not provide a full list of the categories of people for whom we should be praying, making intercession, offering up petitions, and returning thanksgiving as called for by the situation. It is enough that Paul mentions “for kings and all those in authority” to make his point known. For, by beginning with the highest-ranking officials, it should be obvious that we need to be in prayer for others who are ranked where we are, under the authority of those who govern.
Why should we be praying especially for those in authority over us? Paul states that we ought to pray for them in order “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Indeed, our prayers are self-interested. But this self-interest is not that we might consume the peace and quiet on our own passions. Rather, our self-interest is in keeping with what God counts as “good” and what “pleases” God our Savior “who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Our prayers, thus, for governing officials bear a self-interest that is pleasing to God, for the “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” for which we offer up our prayers is a penultimate objective leading to the conversion of others who come to faith in the Christ Jesus, the singular mediator between God and mankind.
The next installment will focus upon Romans 13:1-7.