ORDER MY STEPS IN THY WORD

God’s Order for Leadership The Higher Powers of Romans 13Body of Christ, the Church. Give to God’s min-isters whatever is due them, whether it be tribute,custom, reverence, or honor.For for this cause pay ye tribute also: forthey are God’s ministers, attending continuallyupon this very thing.A literal translation of verse 5 is: “Therefore,you the believer are to be lovingly in reverenceand subjection, but not because you know youwill be corrected by the Word if not. If you buildthe Word in your life as a habit pattern, then youwill need no correction.”Verse 6 begins, “For for this cause pay yetribute.” You are to give money. One of thereasons you give money is that the rulers in theChurch are God’s ministers, continually servingGod’s people according to the Word of God.*Be sure you are giving to the higher powers inthe Body all that is due them. It is a terrible thingto think that people reverence the national, state,and local governments more than they do GodAlmighty and His ministers. Let us see to it thatwe believers hold God’s Word in reverence andhave no debts to our leaders in the Body ofChrist, for they are the higher powers ordainedof God to keep order in the Church for thebenefit of the entire Body.Verse 7:Render therefore to all their dues: tribute towhom tribute is due; custom to whomcustom; fear [reverence] to whom fear[reverence]; honour to whom honour.Is God talking about a secular government?No. He is talking about the higher powers in the*See I Corinthians 9:1-19, especially verse 14: “Even sohath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospelshould live of the gospel.”104105