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LEADERSHIP LETTER ARCHIVES
A
MONTHLY READING FOR ALL ARC LEADERS
AUTHORITY UNDER GOD
God has seen fit to delegate to certain human authorities a portion of the authority which belongs to Him alone. God requires us to submit ourselves to human governments in the world, in the church and in the home. God holds those in authority accountable not to contradict by their actions the divine source and ground of their authority.
We seek to be submissive rather than self-assertive people living peaceably with one another in the spheres of human authority where God has placed us. This means that we honor and respect those who serve and lead us in our homes, churches and in other human institutions. This also means that when we exercise authority we do so in a spirit of humility and service, being mindful of him who is head over all. --ARC Common Concerns
Living in Brazil and working in various nations has helped me to be aware of the differences: in governments, laws and cultural views. According to Scripture, the authority of the nations comes from the living God. “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governments as those who are sent by Him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good” (1Pet.2:13-17). As the world looked on and the statue of Saddam Hussein fell April 9, 2003 in Iraq, his authority fell with it. It came to my mind that God has given authority even to dictators. It is a mystery to me that God seems to put up with established authorities gone awry when we would have done away with them sooner. “But God is judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (Ps.75:7).
We often place responsibility on those in authority. God, however, holds both those in authority and those under authority accountable. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb.4:13).
“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Heb.13:17). This verse makes it clear that we are responsible while under authority. We would do well, as leaders, to humbly submit with joy, and do so as unto the Lord, to those in authority over us.
“Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility for: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1Pet.5:5b). Humility equips us with the very grace it takes to lead. Submission to authority is one of the highest forms of humbling oneself before God. It is a condition of the heart and obedience is the act of submission. It is possible to obey and not submit from the heart. For example, a pastor has asked for a member of his congregation to run a tedious errand. He quickly obeys, not wanting to look bad, and yet does it while murmuring in his heart, and even to others, that he “had” to be the gofer for the pastor.
One of the difficulties we’ve experienced in church planting over the years is that new churches often attract folks from hurting pasts. Unresolved conflicts, misunderstandings and bad relationships with pastors and leaders are brought in to the new relationships. Thinking they have left their problems behind, subtle resentments of the heart make it nearly impossible for these people to submit to authority. Remember, submission is given, not taken. “So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matt.18:35). Jesus also said in Matt.24:12, “. . . and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” A lack of submission to authority may very well be the root of the loss of love, honor and respect in all three spheres of our lives (government, church and home) especially the church. Lawlessness is a characteristic of the end times and we will need to guard our hearts to see that it does not infiltrate the life of the church.
Look at this excerpt from “Authority Under God” of our Common Concerns; “This also means that when we exercise authority we do so in a spirit of humility and service, being mindful of him who is over all.” We can almost come to the conclusion that humility is a discipline to teach us submission. In the simplest expressions of our social life we can develop submissive hearts. Remember those days when we respected and honored our elderly? “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God; I am the Lord.” (Lev.19:32). I’ve been trying to teach my grandchildren to give up their seat for those older than they, a strange practice today. Once I saw a young Christian lad give up his seat on a crowded bus in Belo Horizonte for an elderly lady. I remember thinking, “this young man respects authority and how his pastor must be proud of him.” Paul uses the words “as to the Lord” in Ephesians in government, church and the home.
“Those who honor authority walk in great authority and respect follows them.” -John Bevere (Undercover)
The centurion guard wanted Jesus to heal his servant in Matthew 8:5-10, insisting Jesus do so without going to his house because he felt unworthy. He told Jesus, “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” The centurion did not say, “Because I, too, am a man in authority,” but “a man under authority.” It is a principle of authority under God that you cannot be in authority if you are not also under authority; you are more likely to have a greater measure of faith and bring down the favor of God over the spheres of authority in your life with a submissive heart.
As we travel in ministry to the churches, and leaders come up to receive prayer, these are two of the most common requests: (1) “I need to increase my love and passion for God.” (2) “I need more faith and the power of God in my life and ministry.” When I ask them to describe what is going on in their lives, they reply with something like this; “I do all that is required of me; I pay my tithes, do what is right and yet things still seem to just go wrong.”
Could it be that they are not submitted from the heart? Are you truly living under authority before you try to exert your authority? Paul, the apostle, wrote in his letter to the Romans, “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” Rom.13:2.
Wouldn’t it behoove us to practice the discipline of submission from the heart by beginning to honor those over us? Perhaps we can start with our elderly. “Render therefore to all their due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” Rom. 13:7.
In this day of rampant lawlessness, let us be examples by honoring all in authority and maybe it will be said of us, “Oh, how those Christians love.”
Together with you Under Him:
Tom Padley
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