THE GOSPEL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

1 Peter 2:13-17

13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,

14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Biblical Truth...

We are submissive citizens of a government.

Government is given by God for the restraint of evil.

Government is given by God for the promotion of good.

We are free servants of God.

We use our freedom in Christ to model good lives. 

We use our freedom in Christ to show God’s love.

We honor everyone, especially our leaders. 

We care for the church.

We fear God.

Cultural Application...

We believe religious liberty is not primarily a political issue; it is a gospel issue.

Freedom of religion is ultimately given by God, not just granted by government.

Faith, in its essence, cannot be forced.

Religion is a matter of voluntary choice, not involuntary coercion. 

We work for religious liberty for all.

m Religion exists to explore the questions of life and apply our conclusions to life.

Government exists to protect this fundamental human privilege.

Government does not exist for the establishment of religion. Government does not exist for the elimination of religion.

n Government exists for the free exercise of religion.

Not just in episodic gatherings, but in everyday life.

Those who gather for worship in private settings scatter to live

out their beliefs in the public square. 

We obey our government unless it requires us to disobey God.

Four options...

God alone is our authority.

The government alone is our authority.

God and government are authorities with government in the

dominant position.

God and government are authorities with God in the

dominant position. 

One conclusion...

We must obey God rather than men.

We speak and serve on behalf of the persecuted church around the world.

We speak...

To God on their behalf.

To our government and other governments on their behalf. 

We serve...

We give and go to our persecuted brothers and sisters. 

We identify with our persecuted brothers and sisters. 

By following Christ no matter what it costs.

By proclaiming the gospel to people around us and people around the world.

Thanks Pastor David!

Surrender First

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“. . . now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” Romans 6:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

After a splendid victory at sea, Lord Nelson confronted the French admiral who was surrendering. Dressed in all his regalia, the admiral approached Nelson to surrender. With his sword swinging by his side, the admiral put out his hand to the British commander. 

Lord Nelson stepped back and said, “Your sword first.” 

There are a lot of people who think they can walk up and glad-hand the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “Your sword first.” Surrender first! Jesus is not an appeaser, and He will never make a truce with sin. Never! We have to abdicate the throne. We have to surrender. 

ACTION POINT:

Read Romans 6. Count the number of times the word “yield” is written. What does Paul want us to yield? 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus Lives Forevermore

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Revelation 1:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I went to see Lenin’s tomb when I was in Moscow. He is sealed in a crystal case. You can see his waxen face and his trimmed beard, and on that tomb these words are written: “He was the greatest leader of all peoples of all countries of all times. He was the lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world.” 

Do you notice it’s all past tense? He was. Jesus is alive. He is the great I AM. It is an encounter with the living Christ that makes the difference in our lives. We serve a Savior who is alive and listening to our every prayer. He is bottling every tear and rejoicing with every victory.

ACTION POINT:

Thank God for His plan of love that sent His Son to die for you. Praise Him that Jesus lives forevermore!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

America in Crisis

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Jesus answered and said...if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Matthew 21:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality. 

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.” 

America is in a crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations—it’s time to wake up. Time is passing—it’s time to look up. Jesus is coming—it’s time to sober up. Satan is working—it’s time to pray up. Mountains need moving.

ACTION POINT:

Ask the Lord to heal our land, forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Remembering Our Spiritual and Political Heritage

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

On June 8, 1845, Andrew Jackson said, “The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rests.” Just a few years prior, in 1820, another of our forefathers, Daniel Webster, said, “Let us not forget the religious character of our origin.” In the days of our founding fathers, people didn’t quibble about the Bible’s importance. Our forefathers brought hither their high veneration for the Christian religion, being journeyed in its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate, listen to, and infuse its influence through all their institutions: civil, political, and literary. 

ACTION POINT:

American heritage is important, but so is your personal spiritual heritage as a believer and as a family. Why not take some time this week to write down the spiritual heritage of your family? 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

This World Is Not My Home

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

First Peter 2:11 says that we are aliens and strangers in this world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are twice-born in a world of once-born people, and we’re going to find ourselves going against the tide most of the time.

It’s like a deep sea diver who is underwater and outside his natural environment. He could not live if he weren’t linked to his life supply above. That’s the way we need to live. If we are to survive, we must stay linked to Jesus who is our life. 

The Bible says we’re not to set our affections on things beneath, but on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. (Colossians 3:1)

ACTION POINT:

It’s time to check your lifeline...are you trusting in anything in this world? Are you making friends with the things of this world?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A man named Solomon Peas died. His tombstone in London reads:

“Beneath these clouds and beneath these trees 

Lies the body of Solomon Peas. 

But this ain’t Peas - it’s just the pod.

Peas shelled out and went to God.” 

I like that. That’s what your body is. It’s just a pod. What happens to a child of God who has trusted Christ as his personal Savior? When he closes his eyes in this life, he opens them in the next. Jesus did not say, “After two or three thousand years, you’ll be with Me in paradise.” Jesus said, “Today, truly, you’ll be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). 

ACTION POINT:

Are you confident that if you died today you’d be with Jesus in paradise? If not, then confess your sins and believe upon His name to save you. Now, go and tell someone! 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers