DAILY BIBLE READING June 15th, 2020 ROMANS 13:1-14 (GNT)

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal

INTRODUCTION

Romans 13:1-14: As people of God living in community, Paul exhorts believers to obey the authorities since they have been instituted by God and have the responsibility for implementing justice. Likewise, Paul describes the duties God’s people have toward one another.

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 13:8

Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another.

TODAY'S READING

Duties toward State Authorities

1 Everyone must obey state authorities, because no authority exists without God's permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God. 2Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgment on himself. 3For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority? Then do what is good, and they will praise you, 4because they are God's servants working for your own good. But if you do evil, then be afraid of them, because their power to punish is real. They are God's servants and carry out God's punishment on those who do evil. 5For this reason you must obey the authorities—not just because of God's punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.

6 That is also why you pay taxes, because the authorities are working for God when they fulfill their duties. 7Pay, then, what you owe them; pay them your personal and property taxes, and show respect and honor for them all.

Duties toward One Another

8Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law. 9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else”—all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 10If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

11You must do this, because you know that the time has come for you to wake up from your sleep. For the moment when we will be saved is closer now than it was when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. 13Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day—no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy. 14But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires.

REFLECT

According to Paul, “no authority exists without God’s permission” (verse 1). What reason does Paul give for obeying the authorities? Paul says that all the commandments are summed up in the command to love one’s neighbor. What behaviors does he warn about in verse 13? What are your thoughts about today’s reading? Is what Paul says relevant for life today?

PRAY

Lord God, you have commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Teach me to live faithfully as a member of your household of faith, to respect those in authority, and to help those in need. Amen.

PRAYER CONCERN

Those who hold public office