THE TREE OF LIFE TEACHING MINISTRY
Pastor/Teacher, Dr. Maurice H. Sykes
A WORD ABOUT RESPECTING AUTHORITY, PART II
Romans 13:1,2 "Let every soul be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves."
God established authority for every category of life. Authority requires Leadership! Leadership is a natural, specific function, empowered by Spiritual Authority, and God commanded that authority/leadership be respected.
The word "Authority" comes from the Greek word Exousia, which means--- "the inherent right to exercise rule/leadership." Our responsibility to God is to SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY WITH A RIGHT ATTITUDE. There can be no spiritual progress in our lives without respecting authority.
God established authority for the guidance and protection of others. Legitimate authority does what is righteous for the common good. Authority does not show favoritism---it acts for the common good. Rom. 13:4, Eph. 4:11-13
For the believer in Christ, the problem is never authority itself; the issue is, how we respond to authority. God commanded that all authority be respected, even when that authority is unfair. AUTHORITY IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT AUTHORITY IS ALWAYS NECESSARY! 1Peter 2:13-21
SPIRITUAL TRUTH: For those who will not learn respect for authority from the word of God/Bible doctrine, and practice it, they will learn respect for authority by experience and suffering!
Disrespect for authority is called rebellion! The Christian who has chosen to rebel against authority has chosen to break fellowship with God, and thereby, they have put themselves in a very dangerous condition. Why? Because God says "For rebellion is as witchcraft..." 1Sam 15:23. Rebellion against authority, with no repentance, brings divine discipline: 1) warning discipline, 2) intense discipline, and 3) dying discipline. If the Christian does not rebound (by applying 1John 1:9), the three types of discipline will be executed in that believers life. God does not show favoritism....there's a price to pay when we test God.
SPIRITUAL TRUTH: If we sow to the wind (rebel against authority/leadership), we will reap the whirlwind---a tornado! We receive punishment, from God, based on our own decision to challenge authority. Hosea 8:7
When the believer disrespects authority, they have, at that specific point, joined THE CATEGORY ONE REBELLION CLUB: This club is exclusively for those who have become "enemies of the cross of Christ" by cooperating with the kingdom of darkness.
Let's note THE CATEGORY ONE REBELLION CLUB LEADERSHIP: Isaiah 14:12-17, Ezekiel 28:11-18. Application: Genesis 4:5-7, Numbers 12:1-11
When authority/leadership is disrespected, and attacked, the authority of God has been attacked. Note this carefully: Disrespect of authority by the Christian, is an attack against The Church! The real and unseen spiritual battle, that most Christians do not understand, is that all rebellion is part of spiritual warfare for control of The Church!
The Apostle Paul wept knowing that the battle was for control of The Church. He called those rebellious Christian, "enemies of the cross of Christ." Phil. 3:18 Respect for the Lord Jesus Christ requires the filling of the Holy Spirit; having a positive attitude toward the Word/Bible doctrine, and the willingness to SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY, WITH GENUINE HUMILITY. Without this, we are not teachable by God.
"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 1Peter 5:5
Rebellious Christians are not teachable. They are living in the flesh: the kingdom of darkness has cause their carnal mind to overrule the godly reason that they know.
Further, God gives us examples to follow---and the greatest example is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: 1Peter 13..."Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king, as supreme, or to governors...Honor all men, love the brotherhood, honor the king... Servants be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle but also to the perverse...For even for this purpose were you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps."
SPIRITUAL TRUTH: In our lives, in our times, the most vivid symptom of corruption, failure and destruction of people, families, government, the streets, AND IN THE CHURCH, is rebellion against authority. Rebellion. When marriages, the workplace, schools, homes, the streets, governments, and (especially the church) are out of order, it is because AUTHORITY HAS BEEN REJECTED!
Disrespecting authority is evil and it's contagious. That's why, when Christians refuse to live by genuine humility (respect for authority) God sends enforced humility (intense discipline). We learn and are reminded that we must demonstrate respect for authority by being totally humbled by God. That's love and that's grace.
Keep in mind, that God revealed that the true battle in life is for the control of Christ's church! The true enemy, Satan, has one agenda: to seize control of the Christian home and the church by hindering, deception, distraction and destruction.
As Christians, we need to keep feeding our souls with the Word/Bible doctrine. The church needs to move from membership to total ministry. Spiritual change. Rev 3:1-6. Hearts must be changed, behavior must be changed. Lasting change comes only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as we RENOVATE OUR THOUGHT...yielding to the perfecting work of the Holy Spirit, Rom. 12:2
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded believers, "follow Me." Matt. 4:19, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27, John 1:43. The Apostle Paul said, "Imitate me." 1Cor.4:16 The point: the Christian who is not willing to go forward in the word of God/Bible doctrine, under the filling of the Holy Spirit, with objectivity, in genuine or enforced humility, and who chooses to disrespect the appointed authority, cannot live a successful spiritual life. That believer is most miserable...self-induced misery.
We must Inhale the word of God until we are able to believe it and apply it in the power of the Holy Spirit. That's how we follow Him. Exhaling godly thinking, attitude and conduct is the result of steadfast Inhaling the Word.
IN CONCLUSION
Never underestimate the grace of God: even toward the rebellious and disrespectful, God desires them. He desires that they purify themselves, and return to Him. He desires that we become spiritual winners! Note one of the Lord's policies ...Hosea 2:14.
"THEREFORE, BEHOLD, I WILL ALLURE HER, BRING HER INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND SPEAK KINDLY TO HER.
And remember---Hagar rebelled, and ran away (i.e., she rejected authority and divine solutions to her problem.) The Lord stopped her. Where? In the wilderness. He gave her the divine solution: "RETURN TO YOUR MISTRESS, AND SUBMIT YOURSELF TO HER." Gen. 16:7-10. That's the deal, right there! The solution is always God's viewpoint---His solution...RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY!
You are valuable to God.
---mhs
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Dr. Sykes is General Secretary of Education for the UAME Church, and Pastor/Teacher at St. Luke UAME Church, Camden, NJ. To schedule a workshop in your area, call: (856) 216-1657 or e-mail: sykesword@msn.com
Web site: www.sykesword.org