Civic and Spiritual Authority - (Authority Part 2)

If God is the supreme authority in our lives, who comes next?

 First, we need to realize there are different realms of authority. Our government and political leaders do have the rule over us, like it or not. Even if we didn’t vote for them, we are still to be respectful and obey them as long as they don’t ask us to do something against God and His word. “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men” Titus 3:1,2. Also, unfortunately, even if we believe that the taxes placed on us are unjust or unfair, we are still to pay them. Mark 12:15-17 talks about that. There are civil authorities that God has placed over us, policeman, judges, governors and so on.

Outside of this civil authority, there is another realm of spiritual authority. In the Old Testament it was Prophets and Priests who held this authority. In the New Testament, under the new covenant, spiritual authority was given to the church. This is a foreign concept to many of us, because Pastors and churches have not taken this responsibility seriously. This my friends is where our downfall has come as a nation. Our churches and our Pastors instead of preaching the word of God with authority have compromised and turned the church of the Living God into nothing more than a social club. Years ago churches and pastors had authority and respect in their communities. Now in America we have what I have heard someone call a “haunting of Christ”. We know that churches and men of God are supposed to receive some sort of respect, but we can’t quite remember why.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that it was “commonly heard” that there was fornication in the church. He wrote in chapter 5 verse 4,5, “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” Then in verse 13 he says, “Therefore, put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” It is good to read the whole chapter because he talks about judging. I’ve heard so many times, “we are not to judge.” But Paul in chapter 5 tells the church in Corinth to judge itself. He said that God has already judged those outside the church, but that they needed to at least judge those within it.

In I Corinthians 6:1,2 says, “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” In other words the church is to judge itself. Paul, in I and II Timothy, is instructing Timothy how to pastor the Lord’s church. In I Timothy 5:20 he says, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” So, the church has the authority to judge and rebuke and even to put someone out if there is not repentance. It also tells us why the church is to do these things, “…that other also may fear.” The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. Those in our churches today have no fear of God, and no honor or respect for the authorities that God has placed over them. If the pastor neglects to preach on sin, and encourage people to live godly lives, then before you know it, we have a church full of people that are no different from the world. Yes, we all sin, but we should never give in to it. Paul talked about the war he had between his flesh and spirit, and then at the end of his life he was able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race”, in II Timothy chapter 4. If we give in to sin, then there is no light on a hill, people cannot find God where He should be, and we are living in Sodom and Gomorrah.