Recent headlines caused us to look at the Biblical principle of authority. In Pt 1 we identified the distinction between Authority and Power. We defined Authority as the legal right delegated to a person or organization to exercise protection and care for a defined group of people. The entity in authority is given enough power to carry out their role of protection. And most notably ALL authority is delegated from God the Father. “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Rom 13:1

Part 2 we looked at the abuse of authority. We live in a fallen world, damaged by the consequences of our sin. We can expect to see people in legitimate positions of authority, allow their personal sinful desires to turn the exercise of their authority toward personal gain. The protection from abuse is multifaceted; including personal integrity, an awareness of ultimate accountability before God, a system of checks and balances when authority is exercised, and clear standards of what is right and a process of justice that is followed when authority is abused.

For all the times that authority is properly exercised, Scripture gives us one primary response, Respect. We respect the person in authority because we understand they are operating under the delegated authority of God. We respect the person, not because they are great, but because God is Great, His Plan is the best plan, and His delegated authority is designed for our blessing, stability, protection, and provision. Respect for authority should characterize every area of our lives – the police officer, the judge, the boss, our teachers and coaches, the elders of our church. And it all begins at home, parents fulfilling their roles within marriage, husbands modeling unconditional Christ like love, wives modeling the submission of the Church to Christ, and children respecting and obeying their parents. Eph 5:22- 6:9; Heb 13:17; Col 3:22-24; Rom 13:1-7

Respect for authority is crazy important. It must be modeled and taught to our children, in our homes, in our schools, on the field, and in the church.

I have ended each discussion on authority with the starting premise of the Great Commission:
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18 Under that ultimate authority, Jesus then directs us to go and Make Disciples. This provides a tie in with the Kingdom Terminology we looked at a few weeks ago. Jesus is our King, He is in absolute authority over every fiber of our being, every area of our life, every nook and cranny of our culture. The Kingship of Jesus and our respect for His authority is the foundation of our call to make disciples.

May the Lord use each of us to be part of a Disciple Making Movement within our sphere of influence.