Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

This is the daily verse used for election day here in America. It is clearly used to point towards governing authorities and many will use it to say God causes political leaders to be elected.

Rather than chastise certain editors for their choice of verses, I would like to get back to the origins of Paul’s letter to Christians in Rome.

Romans 1:7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Paul is addressing those who have accepted Christ in their hearts. He is not addressing all Romans.

“Paul’s intent is to establish that earthly governance is delegated by and accountable to God, meaning its power is limited and not absolute. In this view, the statement is an extension of Christian ethics promoting social orderliness (hupo-tasso) rather than blind compliance positioning human government as a temporary servant of divine order.” Craig Greenfield

To summarize that thought, we as Christians should influence political choices by being a voice for God in the midst of a society that has free will. Not all countries have free will. Not all countries allow free speech. Not all countries have Christianity as a voice of reason.

God does not remove free will from mankind. Just because God knows what will happen does not mean He controls the minds of the masses.

If we live in times that are lawless and embrace self-interests and sins of every type is an indication that our efforts to evangelize the lost have failed.

That does not mean we should stop speaking of God’s love to those who promote sin.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

If we look only to the words “I worked harder than any of them” you might sense ego because of how Paul places I first in that thought.

Allow me if you would to reframe the context of the comment in relation to the issue of self worth. We are sinners saved by grace, but sinners none the less. Paul struggled desperately to erase his past, one who persecuted the church and had been widely known as an enemy of Christ.

The flesh does not stop being flesh just because we accept Christ.

Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

The flesh uses our past to constantly tell us we are not worthy. It is difficult to forget our past behaviors and difficult to let go of our past in order to allow God to use us to do His will.

Shame caused Adam to hide his face from God and all Adam did was eat one bite of fruit. Paul did things that none of the other apostles had to live down. Paul, as Saul, held the robes of the men stoning Stephen to death as he urged them to do so. Paul, then Saul, got letters of commendation from the Sanhedrin to arrest followers of Christ.

Acts 9:26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.

What we often overlook is that it took Paul three years before he came back to serve God. During those years God was erasing the phrase “I am not worthy” from his mind.