Authority Of God

Introduction

Before we delve into our discuss we need to understand a rule in the realm of authority, which is: Submission is Absolute but Obedience is Relative.

Now if the origin of Authority and that of Defiance or rebellion, which is a bold resistance to authority, is known, being utterly and truly submissive to authority wouldn’t be an issue.

The English Dictionary defines Authority as:

• The power to determine, adjudicates, or otherwise settles issues or dispute

• A power or right delegated or given

• A person or body of person in whom authority is vested, as a governmental agency

From all this definition we can get two points that connects all the points, which is; Authority is given or invested upon someone and it is used to maintain order and peace. With this you can conclude that any authority that doesn’t bringing order or peace is a usurped or an illegitimate authority. This means that if anything that doesn’t bring order and peace in your life….be it your relationship, your education, your emotion or anything at all, it's illegal and has no right to be there. SO I TAKE A SIDE STEP AND DEVOID OF POWER ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT ISN’T LEGAL!

Now in (Romans 13:1b) we see that God is the origin and author of authority; because it says that there isn’t any authority unless it comes from God and the authority that are have been put in place by God Himself. So every authority (Parental Authority, Planetary Authority, Governmental Authority etc) we have now has been allowed or ordained by God. If this is so, being defiant to any authority is being defiant to God Himself.

You see you need to understand that all things… I mean all things were created by the authority of the Word of God; including physical laws of the universe. They are created and maintained by His authority. The Bible put it this way: He is upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power (Heb1:3..AMP). In other words, God sustains, maintains, keep in order everything by the power of His authority. With this you understand that sinning against God’s Authority is sinning against God Himself.

Its one thing to sin against God’s holiness it’s another to sin against His authority. The former is easily forgiven but the latter He hates. That’s why God kicked the devil out of heaven.

Origin of Defiance or Rebellion

To offend God’s authority is an offence far more serious than offending God’s holiness. Offending God’s holiness or power is a conduct while offending God’s authority is a principle or the state of the heart.

The devil wasn’t always the devil, he was an archangel called Lucifer. He was a cover cherub; more like a prime minister or number one angel. While Ezekiel 28:13-17, spoke about his beauty and his sin against God’s holiness Isaiah 14:12-15 spokes about his rebellious heart to God’s authority.

God wasn’t pissed off at the devil’s act of sinning as He was with his intention; which was to exult himself and be like God. This was what God hated because the devil broke a principle hence making him the origin of Defiance or rebellion.

Your Heart

You see, God is more interested in the state of your heart or attitude than your act; because what you do or your act is determined by the state of your heart.

Submission is Absolute but Obedience is Relative. God expects you to, at all times, have a submissive heart to authority because He is authority Himself. Even when you are asked to do something you do not like. He also wants you to maintain that heart of submission even when you need to disobey. Disobedience in this context is only when you are asked to do something that violates your faith in Christ or fundamental Christian life. Meaning that it’s not everything order that comes from an authority that your should obey but you are to submit to the authority.

This is the reason why Paul said, in Roman13:1-3, that we should place ourselves under authority and that all authority is from God and if anyone opposes authority stands against God; just like the devil. Numbers 30:3-5, says if a woman makes a vow to God and her father disapproves then the vow is annulled; because that office is God Himself.

Authority is very important. We are all called to submit to authority even if we don't obey it. Its the heart that matters. Think about it....David committed premeditated murder (2 Samuel 11) and Saul just disobeyed (2 Samuel 15) but God took the throne from Saul and not from David. One of the major reasons was David always submitted to Saul's authority until Saul's death...even after his death. We both know that Saul was already rejected by God and David had every logic reason to kill Saul even when he had the chance but he refrained and submitted.

Even God submits to authority. The Trinity: God the Father, God the Word/Son and God the Holy Spirit. Although they are 3 distinct personality they are God and are all omnipotent, omniscience and omnipresent as well as benevolent and beneficent; yet they mutually submit to each other.

God the Father is the Godhead yet He has exalted His Word above all His name (Psalm 138:2) and that no man can come to Him except through his Son (John 14:6)...also at the mention of the name of Jesus every knees would bow (Phillippians 2:10). Jesus on the other hand say He can do nothing other than what He sees His Father does (John 5:19). The Holy Spirit would only breath life to the Word of God.

So If God Himself is subject to authority who are we not to?