Authority

 There is a descending order to authority that we would do well to remember. Only someone in authority can bequeath authority upon another, and that individual, in turn, was bequeathed authority by someone above him. The chain of command must remain intact for the authority to flow properly, and if the chain is broken, you are no longer operating under the authority of God but under your own.

Jude tells us that one of the ways we can uncover the ungodly men who have crept within unnoticed is that they will have an aversion toward authority. The way he words it, such individuals reject authority altogether because their purpose is not to do the will of God and further the Kingdom but to pervert grace and deny the Christ.

One who is in opposition to the will and purpose of God cannot sit under the authority of God. It would be akin to what silver does to a werewolf if werewolves were real. Now I will have the werewolf community up in arms along with the UFO community and the Beth Moore fans. My reach is getting smaller by the day, but that’s not what this was ever about, so I’m okay with it.

When someone is in authority over you, they have the right to not only give commands but make decisions on your behalf regarding everything. It’s hard for someone to think they’re a little god and be under authority to anyone else but themselves. This is partly the reason ungodly men reject authority, but it’s not the whole reason.

When you submit to the authority of Christ in your life, you are no longer your own. You speak what He commands you to speak, go where He commands you to go and do what He commands you to do. There is no argumentative debate, and there is no back and forth. An order is given, and you obey it. Since God would never undermine His kingdom, someone can’t be under God’s authority and deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let’s do in one sitting what would have likely taken you a semester in seminary as far as the descending order of authority is concerned. As novel an idea as it may sound, we will use the Bible to flesh this out.

Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Even though He had been given all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus was still subject to the will of the Father. God had given authority to the Son, but the Son still remained under the authority of the Father.

Luke 22: 41-42, “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus didn’t say, “I know this is what you want, but I’m going to use my veto power,” He submitted to the will of the Father, even though He’d have preferred not to drink the bitter cup.

Because God had given all authority to Christ, Christ, too, could, in turn, give the same authority to those who followed after Him. Because He remained under the authority of the Father, and they remained under the authority of Christ, His disciples were given the authority over all the power of the enemy.

Luke 10:17-20, “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’”

For you to flow in the authority of Christ, you must remain under the authority of Christ. This is why I have a hard time with individuals who are flippant about the things Jesus said, dismissing them as though their opinion were on par, if not superior, to the words of Christ. You are subject to His authority, not the other way around. You bend to His will; He doesn’t bend to yours.

John 15:4-6, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

I met you once, so long ago; I waved my hand, you said hello.

Do you remember Lord? Do you remember me?

When I said stay, why did you go? I bid you come, and you said no.

I said abide, you said someday, you knew I was the only way.

I pled and pled do not depart; you turned your back and broke My heart.

Abide - verb – to remain, hold on to, follow, and obey.

Verb – a word that shows an action, occurrence, or state of being.

But hey, Joyce Meyer said you were saved because you touched your television once, and she seems credible enough.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.