Crime calls for an avenger. That’s the civil magistrate’s role as God’s minister. He is not to rehab criminals, but to bear the sword against them as a terror to evildoers (Rom. 13:3-4). So, when a man commits murder, for example, his life should be forfeit (Gen. 9:6). And justice should be swift. When it’s not, lawlessness explodes, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil” (Eccles. 8:11). When civil rulers coddle criminals, they despise God’s Word, and nations crumble. Only by acting as righteous avengers will they reverse this trend and fill their God-given role. 

Sermon:

https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/68e35b84d3673935241c37b9 

In Romans 13, the Lord tells the civil government what to do. It's prescriptive, it's not descriptive. But what happens when the civil government forgets what God has commanded? Because Romans 13 actually explains what a good government does, and it tells us that the civil magistrate is God's minister to bear the sword, to be a terror to evildoers. What's a sword?

A sword is a symbol of force. The government is not called to host therapy sessions. The government is not a rehab facility for murderers. On the contrary, scripture says that he does not bear the sword in vain. He is God's minister.

It's for the Church of Jesus Christ, not to bear the sword, but to bring the gospel of peace and to bring reconciliation and forgiveness, but not the government. The government is an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Romans 13 verse 4. But look around. Our rulers are often not terrorizing evil.

They are terrorizing the righteous. In my town, some of the police force has been replaced by counselors. Here, They call them acorns and they go about trying to counsel people instead of bringing swift justice. And justice should be swift. Ecclesiastes tells us, because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil." That's Ecclesiastes 8.11.

What that means is that deterrence is meaningful. But the Bible doesn't apologize for the sword in the civil magistrate. This goes all the way back to Genesis, chapter nine, verse six, which says, whoever sheds man's blood by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God he made man. Why? Because life is so precious to God.

Man is made in the image of God. And when you murder another person, you forfeit your own life. When rulers coddle criminals, they despise God and God's Word and nations crumble. Because righteousness exalts a nation, We won't see it until God's Word governs our nation beginning in our hearts, out to our homes, into our churches, and yes, even in the civil government, through Christian laws. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Scripture Applied is a production of Church and Family Life. Visit churchandfamilylife.com for more resources.