The Principles of Authority...
"Let
every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority
except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore
whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who
resist will incur judgment." (Romans 13:1-2, ESV)
From
the word go, in the book of Romans, the Apostle has done nothing but assert the
authority of God in all things. He created. He chose a nation and a people. He
judges all as Supreme Sovereign. He dealt with them as He chose to deal with
them. He appointed and deposed leaders for them, raised up nations against them
and to support them.
There
is no doubt that God exercises ultimate authority, but what is interesting –
the principle, you might well say – how God exercises His authority very often
through much delegation. For example, the Father appoints His Son, the Risen
Lord Jesus, as Supreme Judge. That comes as no surprise to us. The next turn,
however, is the surprise: God also delegates and exercises authority through
people.
And,
surprise upon surprise, in obedience to God, men are given power that men might
submit to men. To fail in this is to exercise active resistance to the
authority of God. Furthermore, said failure, will “incur judgment” from God.
WOW!
Though
Paul does not say exactly who he is talking about when he says “governing
authorities,” we see the principles played in how God gives authority to
parents, employers, elders and husbands. So, it’s easy to see this principle is
played out in bother larger and smaller roles.
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