Is Jesus Authoritarian?

"When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes"  (Matt. 7:29, HCSB).
"For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations"  (Psalms 22:28, KJV).  

Jesus not only reigns on High with all the authority granted from the Father (cf. Matt. 28:28) but He rules and is the sovereign over creation; this is His prerogative as Son of God, not His attribute--He's earned the right to rule (and not like the sovereign of the UK, who reigns but doesn't rule).  To disobey Christ is to disobey God.  Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him--those are His friends.  To disobey Christ's authority has consequences, which can even lead to eternal punitive measures in hell.

Christ's rule is by virtue of His office as Lord (RHIP or rank has its privileges--it comes with the territory!) referring to His position over all creation.  He is Lord of all (cf. Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12). He is not a colleague to be befriended, but the Lord to be obeyed-we don't make Him Lord, He is Lord!  A. W. Tozer says He will not save those whom He cannot command, and He will not barter away His right to be Lord!  Note that a lord doesn't give suggestions, but commands!  In a sense, Christ is a micro-manager because everything is under His authority and the buck stops with Him.  He is authoritarian in the sense that He rules with an iron fist and is sovereign over all without exception.

Christ just has to say the words for His will to be accomplished:  When He said to the storm, "Peace, be still," there was an immediate slick and the sea obeyed.  Even the demons believe and tremble because they realize they must obey or be sent to the Pit. Christ expects full compliance.  When Christians disobey, there are consequences: They are divinely disciplined and brought back into line with God's will.

Now there is another aspect of Christ's authority that differs from His authority to give orders and enforce them.  He has the authority to induce, woo, convince, persuade, and to influence for His will.  We change our minds due to His power of persuasion and wisdom because we respect His counsel and person.  He's earned respect in this way that we heed His Word.  (He not only claimed the authority of the Word but claimed to be the very personification of the Word Himself, the Logos, as John termed it.)  The Christian obeys and does good deeds because he wants to not because he has to.  Works are not in order to gain the approbation but because we have it already--a "therefore."  We obey out of the motive of love, and it's this love that has authority over us, for it's the most persuasive force or influence of all.  We've learned to love, trust, and obey Jesus through our ongoing, daily experience and as we grow and mature in Christ.

During Jesus humiliation, He demonstrated all manner of authority:  over the laws of nature, all forms of diseases, demons, birth defects, sin, death, and even food!  His miracles were really signs proving His divinity and each showed an aspect of this.  He did not do them for the purposes of a show, or for personal gratification or pleasure, but to show mercy and kindness to the people in need.  He refused to do any biggy miracle that would've been to the pleasure of the skeptics and make them believe against their will, but His miracles were always sufficient for the willing.  Miracles never cause faith but only to bolster and confirm it; however, faith causes miracles.  In other words, Christ's authority and power were under great restraint during His days on earth with the disciples and He only proved what He was capable of, without actually doing it.

There is a great reward in obeying Christ and following Him; on the other hand, there are punitive measures for disobedience.  Either way, we must not ignore the authority of Christ, or it will be at great peril.  Jesus didn't teach by authority, as if someone had ordained Him, but with authority, and this was unlike any man had ever taught.  The rabbis and religious authorities, including the Pharisees, would quote the experts and teachers of the Law, and would never say something on their own authority; however, Jesus never footnoted His sermons, but would say, "You have been heard it said,  but I say unto you."  It's like a parent to a child say, "Because I said so!"  He was claiming greater authority than the authorities!  And this was an offense to the job security of the Pharisees!  Jesus never "footnoted" His sermons like the rabbis, or quoted anyone but the Scripture itself as the final word and rule of faith.  His methodology of quoting in speaking would be, "It is written," even to Satan.

The wonderful thing about Christ's authority is that He has commissioned us with authority to preach the gospel and we are His ambassadors who have a right to speak on His behalf.  Christ has earned authority via humiliation; however, we share in His spiritual authority, and when the Word is preached God anoints it with the unction of the Holy Spirit.  Christians are therefore the representatives of the King!  The good news is that He has given us authority in His Name!  Though we can rest assured He is in full control, He's no control freak!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Repecting All Men

"Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor" (2 Pet. 2:17, NIV). We ought to respect all authority figures or those in delegated authority. We must learn to give all due respect (cf. Romans 13:1-2), even if we don't like them. All men deserve dignity by virtue of being human. The Scripture expects us to pray for all those in authority, and that includes constables, representative, mayors, legislators, senators, judges, school board members, the president, and what have you, including respecting your elders and teachers in school.  In the military, you might have ambivalent feelings for your drill sergeant, but you will learn to respect him.

People sometimes have doubts about certain so-called dubious occupations, such as lawyers or car salesmen, but we are not to make stereotypes and generalize about all members of that profession. There may be a few bad cops, for instance, that doesn't eliminate our duty to honor them.  In the service, you may not respect the officer himself, but you learn to respect the office he holds.  In Jesus' day, the Jews had no respect for publicans or tax collectors and sinners (Jews who weren't observant), and Jesus went to the home of Zaccheus and converted him.  This was quite appalling to the Jews who thought that this would defile Him.  Roman soldiers were certainly not respected but Jesus commended the Roman centurion for his faith and John the Baptist converted them (he didn't advise them to leave the Roman army).

The point is that you should judge people individually and not as groups they belong to, which is prejudice, profiling, and bias.  Just because some lawyers are crooked, doesn't mean a Christian cannot become a lawyer (the church father Tertullian was a lawyer).  Just because you've had a bad run-in with police doesn't give you the right to judge their profession--there are much noble police doing a fine job and this is not an easy job, the chances they take and the dangerous situations they encounter.  The fact is is that there are bad people in every legitimate profession and we cannot judge them as a group.  For instance, police are ordained by God as being in authority over us--to despise or show contempt for their authority is to dishonor God.

Our attitude toward authority is a mirror of our attitude toward God  (it all began with the fourth commandment to honor our parents who are in loco Dei, or in the place of God).  Many people never grasp authority like the centurion officer who said to Jesus, "I, too, am a man under authority." Veterans and service personnel have a better concept of authority than others because many times they've had to accept authority they didn't like and found out what respect entails.  The law is given for wrongdoers and if we obey the law we have nothing to have an issue about or to fear--we have only ourselves to blame for breaking the law, not the officer for enforcing it.  (Leniency or mercy aren't leniency and mercy if they are required or earned--they don't have to give us a break!)  Have you ever given a beggar some alms? Why haven't you extended that grace to all?

God establishes the death penalty for those who commit murder in Genesis 9:6, and this is because human life is sacred and inviolate in God's eyes, because we are in the image of God.  We are not to be inhumane to anyone under any circumstances. but only render what strict justice requires under the law and not to be vindictive, unusual, or cruel.  God put a limit on revenge by saying that it should be eye-for-eye and life-for-life.  The value of one soul is worth more to God than the entire universe; for what would it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  (Cf. Mark 8:36). Certain occupations seem to become stigmatized or losing respect, but their occupation must not be maligned.  Authority figures are there for a reason (to keep people in line and keep evil at bay) and mean that we should respect their authority or delegated authority.

When politicians react expediently, and not on principle, it is demeaning to the profession, and we must realize that this is a hazard of the job--it will cost you to gain respect and you must be willing to make the sacrifices.  We live in a day and age when people are losing respect for everyone and no occupation seems sacrosanct.  Doctors and nurses are doubtless respected, but there are crooked, unethical, and dishonest ones, too. Teachers are highly regarded in most societies, but some of them are unconscionable cheaters or slackers, and even unskilled.  It is all right to disagree or to not like an individual, but we must never categorize entire professions, which is generalizing, because of our experience--just think if Jesus had been biased against publicans and sinners--where would we be?
Soli Deo Gloria!

All Authority

Giving the Great Commission, Christ said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matt. 28:18).  Peter declared at Pentecost: "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this:  God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah" (Acts 2:36).  We do not "make Christ Lord" as the modern-day terminology coins it when we get saved--He is Lord and to accept Him we cannot divide His offices as Savior and Lord, because He couldn't be Savior without being Lord of all (Acts 10:36).

We are rejecting Christ if we don't accept Him for who He is and acknowledge His lordship over our lives (i.e., lordship salvation as opposed to easy-believism that denies this doctrine).  We trust Him as our Savior and submit to Him as our Lord--obedience is the only test of faith.  We must surrender unconditionally and give up the ship and helm of our lives to His leadership.  He is the new Captain of our soul and the Master of our fate.

When we refer to the good Lord or simply the Lord we are generally referring to Christ Himself--that is the exclusive privilege that God the Father has bestowed on Him.  The Father is Lord also, and there is one Lord, but we give the nomenclature of Lordship to Christ in deference to His role as executing and completing our salvation and rising on our behalf from the dead.

We are to pray in His name and not just attach the phraseology "in Jesus' name, amen!" at the terminus of our prayers for good measure--this implies to His glory and will!  We have the privilege to pray in His name that angels don't have and can boldly approach the throne of grace in His name (cf. Heb. 4:16).  We are given authority over demons and Satan's dominion of darkness in His name.

When Jesus preached and taught, He did not do as the Pharisees and scribes had done:  He taught as one having authority and as no one had dared preach before Him;  because He didn't footnote His sermons by quoting the so-called authorities and interpretations, but made His own pronouncements:  "Verily, verily, I say unto you," or "Amen, amen I say unto you."  His formula was not to say like the prophets, "Thus saith the LORD." but He said boldly and audaciously proclaimed, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you so and so.  The people were heard saying, "Never has a man spake like this man!"  If He relied upon an authority, His teaching would not have the authority of what the Father told Him to say.  He was His own authority! One of the reasons they objected to Him was because He was making Himself equal to God.

In application, God wants us to not despise prophesying and urges us to speak the Word of God boldly as if they were oracles of God.  A prophet today speaks to the edification of the body of Christ and proclaims what God has revealed to him.  A prophet speaks to men on behalf of God, while a priest speaks to God on behalf of men. Modern prophecy doesn't consist in foretelling in as much as forthtelling.  Jesus never prefaced His words but dared to speak out and tell it like it is.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Should We Respect All Authority Figures?

"Render to all what is due them:   tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor"  (Rom. 13:7).  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.  Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are unreasonable" (1 Pet. 2:17-18).  "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right"  (1 Pet. 2:13-14, NASB).

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God:  the powers that be are ordained of God.   Whoso resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God...  For he is the minister of God to thee for good...(Rom. 13:1-2,4a, KJV)."

The Word says to fear (respect) all that fear is due (I learned this pretty fast in the Army saying my first "Yes, Sir!"), but does this mean it is up to us to decide whether they are worthy of our respect or not?  All authority is given by God and established by Him and it would not have any power over us except that God has given it.  Disrespecting authority is a way of disrespecting God (e.g., parents are in loco Dei or in the place of God as the first authority figures a child has to learn to obey, and disobedience to parents was a crime worthy of death, according to Romans 1) and only when they ask us to do some evil or sinful act are we entitled and obligated to disobey, and even do civil disobedience--there is a limit to our obedience (Shall we obey God or man? is asked in Acts 4:19).

But just as the judge demands respect from the court, even if they disagree, so in the military services one respects positions of authority regardless of the personal opinions or whether one likes them--it is the office they hold that is the key.  When the judge enters the courtroom, all rise out of respect and call him "your honor."

 We are to honor all people because they are in the image and likeness of God, no one deserves contempt or inhumane treatment as if they weren't human or deserved any rights.  We believe in the basic dignity of man and that is why capital punishment is appropriate because a person in God's image has been killed.  In a church, we have an organization, though the church is an organism of believers.  Elders, deacons, and pastors and teachers are a chain of command and are there by God's decree.  It is vain to believe we can reform our church to our image and agree with our way of thinking--Martin Luther tried this and failed to change the Vatican, getting excommunicated in the process and having to start his own denomination, which was not his intent.

 Rebellion is a sin and so is sowing discord among brothers.  Being divisive, factious, or contentious is a fruit of the flesh and to be avoided and disciplined by the church body  (cf. Gal. 5:20).  We are not trying to start our little own following, revolution or movement to be counterproductive to the system--we want to church's blessing on our endeavor.    As an example, I have this blog and made sure that my pastor didn't object to my sharing it; I gave him a sample of my doctrine so he knows where I stand, and that I'm not way out there in some heresy or something, and dangerous to the church.  This is done in the "up and up" and not in secret--no hidden agenda. 

We are to work with the system God has set up and respect all authority, even if we don't like them.   Remembering Jesus' words to Pilate:  "You would have no authority over me, except it had been given from above." Jesus never showed any signs of lack of respect, though he didn't really cooperate as expected.  As Protestants we can take advice from Martin Luther who dared to stand up to heresy and take the consequences, saying:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest."

 Summing up, we don't have to agree with everything, but in everything we do we must show respect and disagree in the right way:  Augustine's dictum, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity" applies, but that also means we are to leave room for disagreement from the church, and not just them leaving room for our disagreement.  There should be unity, but not uniformity in the body. "Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (cf. Eph. 4:3).  Soli Deo Gloria!