ROMANS Study Guide

Submitting to Spiritual Authority

We are also told to submit to spiritual authority in Hebrews 13:17. But this authority comes from a leader’s faith filled life lived before God’s People. When we refuse as leaders t o be submitted and we refuse to be “approachable” by other leaders or believers - God’s People have the choice of not disciplining but “walking away” from such leadership. (1Jn.1:9 -11; Matt.18:15) In other places of scripture Paul does layout how other leaders can lead in the correction of spiritual leaders in error. There should always be a sincere effort to restore leadership. Gods’ people should never unbiblical spiritual leaders into sin and deception or endure physical or spiritual abuse from them. Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law. Rom 13:9 For: "Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not lust;" and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Rom 13:10 Love works no ill to its neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law. Rom 13:11 This also, knowing the time, that it is already time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand; therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Rom 13:13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in carousings and drinking; not in co-habitation and lustful acts; not in strife and envy. Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh.

2. The Church has a higher law (the Law of Love) that it must obey in

the Kingdom of God making Christians better citizens of any city

or nation. Vss.8-10

a. We are to owe no one anything but love (agape’)

1) Many try and make this more into a financial principle of not going into d ebt… 2) But the greater truth here is that we have a “debt” and that debt is to love those around us with God’s servant love. 3) Here love refers to “acts of kindness” and “redemptive sacrificial ministry.”

b. Paul list’s six of the ten commandments to illustrate that when

we love others (agape’: sacrificial love and care for them) we

cannot avoid keeping these laws (we don’t betray the

marriages of people we love, or kill them, or steal from them,

or covet what they have, etc.)