Grow With Pastor Joe

Authority and submission to authority matters. Imagine with me a naval battleship out doing maneuvers and training one night when a patchy fog rolls in around them. As the captain keeps operations running smoothly on the bridge a lookout signals that there is a steady light that is fixed on them. Upon hearing this, the captain of the ship tells his men to signal to the other oncoming light that they need to change course or else they would collide with this battleship causing harm to both ships. The response back from the fixed light position was a sharp, “No, you must change your ship’s direction.” Well, the captain then said to radio over that he was the captain of this battleship and had authority to redirect whomever he needed. Then, the response came back, “Understood, but please know that you must change your course because this is a lighthouse and not another ship.” Needless to say, the captain ordered his ship to change direction so as to avoid running the ship ashore. While this may seem silly, the truth remains that even with the authority that the captain had, he couldn’t command the lighthouse on shore to move. He had to yield his authority to a greater one.

            Authority and submission to proper authority matters. God is infinite in His authority but has chosen to operate through His institutional authority through human institutions of His own design. Human authority is merely an instrument of God’s infinite authority to be expressed and exercised. In this case, He is the lighthouse, if you will, while we are tugboats in His ocean that must yield to His authority. Greater problems arise when authority is either abused or rejected altogether. In Romans 13:1-7, we see the realities, relationships, and responsibilities of authority and submission. While this text is often used just to focus on citizens’ relationship to the government, it deals with the greater truth that all authority is bestowed and borrowed from God. He is the authority behind and above all earthly authority. God eternally rules and reigns through these temporary representative institutions. Last week we introduced this, but today we will cover the institutional authority of God in our lives. There are three institutions that God has chosen to actively exercise His authority. They are the family unit, the state, and the church. God’s governance is good and always good. While earthly governments may be bad or evil, God uses these institutions for the greater good of His purposes and His own glory. Authority, law, and order is designed by God and God’s authority issues demands to all in authority to be under His authority. As for us, one of the ways that a Christian submits to God’s infinite authority is by submitting to His institutional authority as experienced in the home, government, and church. Rom. 13:1-7 says, “¹Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ⁴ For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶ For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. ⁷ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” Today, we will focus on the first four verses to see and understand God’s design and demands for institutional authority.

            First, let’s see God’s design of institutional authority. Remember, His infinite authority is expressed and exercised through His institutional authority. God uses the home, state, and church to govern, keep rule and order in the world that we live. God uses everyone and everything including dictators and democracies. Biblical submission to authority means that we trust God to accomplish His will through those under whom he has placed us. The word “subject” as used in v. 1 is the word “hupatasso” which was a military term meaning to submit to or file under higher rank. In non-military use, it was a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden. This is a present imperative which demands continual obedience. This subjection is unconditional, yet it is limited. There are boundaries and limits. The limit is simply this, if man forbids what God commands or if man commands what God forbids then it is time to make an appeal, respectfully rebel, or flee. We will cover more of this later in the study of this passage. God has designed each institution. Order in the world is from His ordained decree. The word “ordained” is the word “tasso” which means, to place, to draw up in order, to arrange in place, assign or dispose to a certain position, order or lot or to a particular task, to ordain or to designate. There are three major institutions to keep rule, law, order, and governance over man. Each one is directed and derived by God. Each one is distinct from the other, yet influential with the others. Each has a specific sphere of authority, structure, and stewardship. God’s designed each one for our good and His glory. As Rom. 13:3-4 shows us, when we submit to God’s infinite authority by way of submitting to His institutional authority then we have no need to fear the authorities that God has placed over us. Why do we think that God can’t use these things to accomplish His purposes in our life? The issue is that we want total authority, and we want all earthly authorities to be subject to our own wants. God’s design for institutional authority is good, yet, it is still true that man has made a mess of it. There are those who abuse or usurp their authority over others. Sin and satan seek to counteract or counterfeit God’s good design. Though it seems that evil men and governing authorities are ruling the day, God will have the final say as seen in Psalm 2. Let’s look at God’s design for each of these three institutions as we examine their specific sphere of authority, structure, and stewardship of authority. Remember as we look at each one that they all must fall under God’s infinite authority and that each has a responsibility to the other and the Lord.

One, we must see God’s design for the institution of the home or family unit. These two terms will be used interchangeably. This is the very first institution that God established in Gen. 2. Adam was to be the prophet, priest, and king over the Garden of Eden and in his home. Sadly, a chapter later, he succumbs to sin’s temptation thrusting his family into a spiral and humanity into a place of death and sin. The sphere of authority of the family unit involves the head, heart, and home. The sphere of authority and influence in the home impacts and influences all other areas of life. It is the family unit that makes up the other two institutions. Without the home then there is no government or church because there are no people. Notice though, the sphere of authority isn’t checked at the door when the family walks outside of their cozy home. Society seeks to control the family unit to conform it to its own image which is an evil one. The structure of authority in the home is important. It begins with God, but He bestows authority to the husband and father. Just as Adam was the federal head of the human race, being responsible for its course and trajectory, so too is the husband the head of the home. The responsibility and results fall on him. Within the home under his authority and care are firstly his wife, then the children. The wife and children are under his direction and dependent upon him to provide and protect physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The stewardship of authority in the home means that while the husband is the head (which means that ultimately everything rises or falls on him), he and his spouse have been entrusted with the rod to educate and discipline their children. As the husband father is led by the Lord through constantly yielding to the Spirit and scriptures, he then is enabled to love and lead his wife and kids. The authority of the home is to be under the authority of God for its own good and for God’s glory. When a home is out of order then it is out of the will of God. It is going against God’s design. For further study, read Deut. 6; Eph. 5:21-6:4; Pr. 29:15.

Two, we must see God’s design for the state or government’s authority. If you struggle with authority in the home, then you’ll definitely struggle with this one. The sphere of a government’s authority goes along its borders. It exists for the good of families and churches without encroaching into their sphere of authority. The preamble to the U.S. Constitution is as follows, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The structure of government though is a trickery thing to tackle. In today’s world, there are dictatorships, tribal leaders, monarchies, or in our case, a constitutional republic (See Jer. 27). There are no true democracies and frankly, that is a good thing. The reality that you and I may not like is that God uses all governments for His divine perfect purposes. If God only used perfect people, then He wouldn’t use people. What matters is not so much what structure the government is, but that the government submits to God’s infinite authority and stays within the bounds of its sphere of authority. The stewardship of governing entities including national, state, or local governments is critical to the functioning of a civilized society. The government exists to protect and serve the people through consistently and actively keeping the common, civil, and capital law of a civilized society (See Gen. 9). The stewardship of the state is to wield the sword by issuing out justice through the laws of the land which of course must be submitted to the Law of God. Notice, Rom. 13:4 says, “for he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” This also means that a government is not to persecute those who are doing good, such as preaching the gospel or raising children in the safety of the home or the ministries of the local church.

Three, we must understand God’s design for the local church’s authority. The sphere of authority is within the universal Church, but it is experienced through the local church. The church holds the keys of the kingdom through the preaching of the gospel, discipling of believers, and discipline of members in sin (See Mt. 16:19; 18). While the church’s sphere of authority is over the members of the Body of Christ, its influence and impact is over the government and family unit. The structure of the church is first and foremost built by Jesus who is the Head of the Body and Groom to the Bride (See Col. 1:18; Eph. 4-5). Within the daily administrational structure of the local churches, there are elders/bishops/pastors which is one office with these aspects translated from the two Greek words “episkopos” and “presbuteros” which are translated throughout the New Testament as “elder(s), bishop(s), pastor(s).” The two words that are translated into three different English words carry the meaning of oversight through shepherding. The pastor is to lead by feeding the local flock the bread and meat of the Bible. In the New Testament, the model for the structure of the church is to be led by the pastor(s) as the Lord leads through the scriptures and Holy Spirit. The other office in the local church is not one of leadership, but service (the office of deacon which comes from the word “diakonos” meaning to serve or wait tables). There is governing authority given to the local church. This is seen in the stewardship of authority within the local assembly. The church is responsible to encourage, exhort, equip the saints for the work of the ministry through doctrinal preaching and discipleship. Under this stewardship, the local church is to seek to be biblical, not popular. It is to protect the unity that believers have with Christ and one another while preserving the transformational truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who refuse to submit to the Bible and Christ’s authority stewarded by the local church can be excommunicated from fellowship and disciplined in lesser matters. These three institutions influence your life every single day whether you realize it or not. Strong, healthy, biblical homes make strong, healthy, biblical churches which then acts as a thermostat of a community or nation. Our nation (and seemingly all others) is failing because we are not operating as God designed us to. This is why we must yield to His infinite authority if we are going to see a difference in the world that we live in.

            Second and lastly, we need to see God’s demands on institutional authority. Each of us has authority to a degree and are also under authority. Each of us falls under both being governed and governing in some capacity. Now, let’s keep in mind the three distinct institutions under which God designed us to be. The family unit, government, and church are to submit to God’s design, decrees, and demands that we see revealed in the scriptures. God doesn’t desire us to usurp authority or abuse authority. This is why He designed each institution to have a sphere, structure, and stewardship of their authority. Here are some of the checks and balances that God demands we adhere to. The government is not to command what God forbids or forbid what God commands regarding its relationship and responsibility to the church and family unit. The government has no business telling you how to raise your children, where or if you can attend church, share the gospel etc. One of the issues today has been raised by many and I will do the same. Why are we surprised that our children are turning out to be Romans and not Christians when we have allowed Rome total access and authority over our children? Why are we surprised that our churches are more Americanized than yielded to the Bible? We could go on and on with countless examples or illustrations, but I think you get the point. The demand on the governing entities is to yield to God’s infinite authority without going outside of their sphere of authority. Those that are governed are also demanded to be subjected to the institutional authorities choosing to place themselves under their jurisdictional authority. This does, though, come with limits that we will discuss in detail next week. Furthermore, Rom. 13:1-7 doesn’t just say that we are to submit but are demanded by God to not resist. The word resist here means to actively show hostility, resentment, and resist through various means. The idea is one of someone who seeks to tear down the powers that be. To be hostile to institutional authority is to be hostile to God’s infinite authority because God’s instrument to rule today is through these human institutions. We often do this with our attitudes and words more than anything. It is a dangerous and deliberately sinful thing to constantly reject authority or to constantly run down leaders. Those who are in authority need your prayers and need the grace of Jesus as much as you do.            

What is your response to authority? If your heart is not surrendered to God’s authority, then you will be in constant conflict and rebellion with the institutions that God has placed over you. It is not just a duty for the Christian to submit, but because of the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus it is a delight to submit to His design and demands. As we look around at our nation, we see the need for those in authority to yield to God’s authority. We also see the need for us to strengthen our homes and churches. While the issues of this passage begin in your heart, the next place is your home. Is your home in order? Is it operating as God designed? Do you actively show hostility to the leadership of your home, church, or community or nation? God’s infinite authority is exercised through His institutional authority and you will be outside of God’s will for your life if you are living unyielded to the authorities that be. May we pray to live as God designed. May we submit and strengthen the institutions that God has placed us under. May we see that it is for our good and His glory. God is authoritative and active in all things; therefore, I can trust Him to accomplish His will through these institutions in my life. Ponder 1 Tim. 2:1-3 which says, “¹I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; ² For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;. . .”