Do What is Good

[Christsfreeservant]

“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 on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.” (Romans 13:3-5 NASB1995)​

The context here is of our need, as Christians, to obey our governing authorities. And earlier this morning I covered verses 1-2 (in the blog section of CF) and I talked about exceptions to this rule. We do have to obey the government which is over us in authority, and we do have to follow the rules of the land. But we do not have to obey anything or anyone who contradicts our Lord’s commands and his will and purpose for our lives. We can say “No” to anything which is sinful, for we never have to submit to sinning against God in any way.

Biblical examples: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Paul, John, Peter, Stephen, and Jesus Christ, et al, all resisted governing authorities when those authorities commanded them to do something contrary to the commands of God. They refused to bow to idols and to stop praying to God. And they refused to stop sharing the truth of the gospel of our salvation, for they knew that they must obey God rather than humans, if those humans were requiring that they do something against our Lord’s rules for us.

And that leads me in a slightly different direction this morning to talk about those who are in positions of authority within these institutional “churches” of today which are not the biblical church, the body of Christ, under the sole authority of Jesus Christ. But they are conglomerates under the authority of the government which are partnered (joined, merged) with the government and with the people of the world. And they are largely being directed by marketing schemes and business models for how to grow their “churches.”

Therefore, they have changed God’s design, and will, and purpose for his church, his universal body of believers in Jesus Christ. And they have largely turned those “church” gatherings into showcases of human talent and wit and wisdom in order to entertain the world, and in order to draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings. And most appear to have also altered the gospel of our salvation to make it less offensive and more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly people of the world.

But many Christians have been taught that this is “the church,” and that they must attend these gatherings, and that they must submit to the authorities over these “churches” almost in a worshipful kind of way, and even if those authorities are leading them to do what is sinful and what is against God, and that which compromises the message of the gospel. For many of these “churches” are designed more like cults, and their pastors act more like cult leaders, and they are leading many people astray.

So, even though we have to obey our government, we never have to obey what we know is against God and that is sinful. For there are exceptions to this rule of having to obey the government. But we are not required to remain in these institutional market-driven “churches” which are creations of human making, and then to obey these cult leaders in whatever they require of us to do. In fact, we are instructed in the Scriptures to come out from among them so that we do not share in their sins and in their punishment.

For much of what is being called “church” is not the biblical body of Christ, but they are these businesses which are incorporated (joined, merged) with the state (the government), which God forbids. And many of them have turned “the church” into a place of business, which God also forbids, and they are marketing their product to the world to win the world to their gatherings. And so they have also altered the gospel to make it more acceptable to the world, which God also forbids. For that is not church!

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

The church is the biblical body of Christ with Jesus as its head and with its people as its ministers. There is not supposed to be one man doing all the preaching, and there is not to be one person selecting all the songs, and leading all the songs. But we, as the body of Christ, are to be ministering to one another, using the Spiritual gifts given us by the Spirit to help one another to grow to spiritual maturity in Christ and to warn one another of false teachers, and of false teachings, and of deceiving spirits.

And the purpose of our gatherings is so that we, the church, will speak the truth in love to one another, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and exhorting one another every day so that none of us will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together anywhere appropriate, but encouraging one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord.

[Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Do What is Good
An Original Work / November 5, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love