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Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and those which
exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority
has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed
will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not
a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want
to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will
have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you
for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does
not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God,
an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
(NASB) Romans 13:1-4 |
Every government is a minister of God. Some governments are evil,
but God uses them to suppress evil. Without them evil would be worse
than it is.
We
also sin when we break God's laws. When we break God's laws or the
government's laws, we are being lawless and sinning. But there is
one time God does not want us to obey our government. When a government
violates God's law(s), He wants us to obey Him and not the government
He created.
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And
when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak
or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered
and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of
God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
(NASB) Acts 4:18-19 |
Conclusion:We
do not always plan to commit sins. Sometimes we are surprised by our
own actions and discover that we have sinned. On other occasions,
we know what we are doing and sin anyway. Both types of sin make God
unhappy. Even
though Christians are forgiven all of their sins - all past, present,
and future ones - God asks us to confess our sins as we commit them
because He wants us to live a holy life (1 Pet. 1:16). When we confess
or admit our sins to God, He forgives them.
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A
Sunday School teacher had just finished teaching and wanted
to make sure that she had made her point. She said, "Can
anyone tell me what you must do before you can be forgiven of
sin?" There was a short interval of silence and then from
the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, "Sin,"
he said. |
When does God forgive our sins? He forgives our sins after we commit
them and then admit that we did. He is faithful to forgive all of
our sins.
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If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NASB)
1 John 1:9 |
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