Matt Morton

Grace Bible Church

“Submission and Spirituality”

Romans 13

Our response to authority is an accurate indicator of the status of our relationship with God.

Romans Outline (so far)

I. Introduction/Theme (1:1-17)

II. All of Humanity Condemned Because of Sin (1:18-3:20)

A. God’s Wrath Revealed (1:18-32)

B. The Moral Man Condemned (2:1-16).

C. The Religious Jew Condemned (2:17-3:8).

D. Everybody is Guilty (3:9-20).

III. Justification: God Gives Us His Righteousness (3:21-5:21)

A. The Work of Jesus In Salvation (3:21-26).

B. Saved Through Faith Alone (3:27-4:25).

C. The Blessings of Justification (5:1-11).

D. Identified With Christ (5:12-21).

IV. Sanctification: Practical Righteousness (6:1-8:39).

A. Dead to Sin, Alive to God (6:1-14).

B. Free From Sin, Servants of God (6:15-23).

C. The Problem of the Flesh (7:1-25).

D. The Power of the Spirit (8:1-13).

E. The Blessings of Adoption (8:14-27).

F. The Security of Salvation (8:28-39).

V. God’s Faithfulness to Israel (9:1-11:36).

VI. Practical Responses to the Gospel (12-15).

Submission to Earthly Authority Is:

I. Grounded in Divine Authority (1-7).

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.

—1 Peter 2:21-23

II. Fulfilled by Christ-Like Love (8-10).

III. Motivated by Jesus’ Return (11-14).

Do you need to adjust your attitude toward authority?