By Gary Davenport
God has ordained authority in six areas:
- There is submission to God, who is the sovereign of the universe (James 4:7). The fact that Jesus Christ is Lord means that He is God, which is why we should fear Him (as our text states).
- There is submission to government leaders (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter. 2:13–14).
- Third, there is submission to church leaders (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 Corinthians 16:15–16).
- There is submission of wives to husbands and of children to their parents (Ephesians 5:22–6:4).
- There is the submission of workers to employers (slaves to masters (Ephesians 6:5–9).
- There is mutual submission in the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
God has ordained authority for four reasons:
God has ordained authority to accomplish His purposes
As I explained, authority and accountability are necessary to accomplish any purpose through a group, whether it is to build a house or to run a company, an army, or a country. While in a fallen world, those in authority often abuse their position, it does not negate the necessity for proper authority. Those in authority also incur responsibility and accountability to God. To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48).
God has ordained authority to protect and bless those under authority
A good human government protects and blesses its citizens. Bad government exposes everyone to danger and corruption, as you know if you have travelled to a country that has a corrupt government. Good family government protects and blesses the family. Good Church government enables the members to grow and thrive in the Lord.
God has ordained authority to develop godly character in those who submit
Children grow to maturity as they submit to their parents, as illustrated even in the case of Jesus (Luke 2:51–52). Wives become holy and blameless as they submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:24, 27). Church members grow as they submit to their leaders (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–14). As Christian citizens, we grow in godliness as we submit to our government, in that submission itself is a trait of God as trinitarian. Even when an authority is unjust or ungodly, when we submit, we grow to be more like Jesus, who suffered unjustly for our sins (1 Peter 2:18–23, 3:12–19). While there is a proper time and way to resist ungodly authority, we must be careful in how we do it (see Daniel. 1:8–21).
God has ordained authority to help us receive wisdom for life’s decisions
Jesus said (John 6:38): “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” He often slipped away for prayer, and that means, He knew what the Father wanted Him to do (Mark 1:35–39). As we submit to God’s Word and seek the wisdom and counsel of those who are in authority over us (parents, church leaders), we can gain His wisdom for the important decisions in our lives.
