Category: Discipleship Foundations

Chapter 43: Authority to Become a Child of God

Have you ever heard of a father giving his biological son or daughter the authority to be his child? It seems odd, but legitimate sonship has a legal basis. How this happens in the case of legal adoption is easily grasped. Legal adoption depends on a court ruling that gives the adopted child all the rights and privileges that a natural born child has. When a child is naturally born, he or she automatically becomes the legal child of both parents, if they are married. If there is no legal marriage, the child’s legal status may be in question, giving rise to the old term “bastard,” meaning born outside of wedlock. Bastard children may have no legal status as heirs of the biological father.

The Bible speaks of people who are illegitimate children of God. Perhaps ironically our status with God is revealed by the presence or absence of discipline.

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.  Hebrews 12:7–8 (NLT) —

All people are created by God and bear his image to some degree, but only those who are born again by the Spirit are true children.

but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority [Greek: exousia] to become sons of God--to those believing in his name, 13  who--not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but--of God were begotten. John 1:12-13 (YLT) 

I used Young’s Literal Translation here because it properly translates the Greek word “exousia” as “authority.” Other translations often use the word “right” instead, which connotes authority, but not in the same way.

The gospel message authorizes us to become God’s children through the new birth. By believing in Jesus, we become legal and spiritually “biological” children of God.

Sometimes a natural conception and birth are planned and desired. At other times, children may be unplanned and even unwanted. It is a terrible thing when a child is not wanted by his or her parents. Biological parents sometimes handle such unwanted children by murdering them through abortion, giving them up for adoption, or grudgingly keeping them. If they are kept, hopefully the parents will grow to love and fully accept the child; otherwise, he or she will grow up with a deep sense of rejection.

However, when it comes to legal adoption and the new birth, there is nothing ever accidental about it.

Anyone who is born into God’s family by the Spirit was loved and pre-planned from before the creation of the world and arrives with the full blessing and intention of our heavenly Father.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

God the Father fully authorizes every spiritual rebirth, making us heirs and giving that us full legal rights and privileges in his family.

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.  Galatians 4:6–7 (NASB95) —

Even though God takes the initiative in bringing his New Covenant children into his family, we have a role to play, too.

Our responsibility in becoming a legitimate child of God is to respond to the gospel by repenting and placing our faith and allegiance in Christ.

Some pretend to be legitimate children without coming through the “gate” of repentance and faith in Christ.

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. John 10:9 (NLT)

Illegitimate “children” who are not born again populate our churches. Jesus called them “tares” or weeds. Our Lord was probably referring to darnel, a weedy rye grass that produces poisonous seeds and looks like wheat in the initial stages of growth. God lets illegitimate children grow alongside his true children. The separation will occur at the Last Judgment.

Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” Matthew 13:30 (NLT)

Only true children have the Holy Spirit and produce his fruit in their lives. Legitimate children will be known by their fruit.

A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18  A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:17-20 (NLT)

Legitimacy is supremely important in the kingdom of God. The Bible makes it clear that ultimately the choice is God’s, not ours, even though we have the responsibility to respond to the gospel and believe in Christ. As it says in our opening verse, God’s children “were born, not… of the will of man, but of God.”

God sovereignly chooses those who will be his children. The proof of this selection is when we respond to his call.

This brings us to the doctrine of election, so eloquently described by the apostle Paul.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7  nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." 8  That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9  For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON." 10  And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11  for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12  it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." 13  Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." 14  What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15  For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." 16  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." 18  So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Romans 9:6-18 (NASB)

Jesus clearly understood that only those given to him by the Father would come to him.

But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44  For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. John 6:43-44 (NLT)

Our Lord looked for those who were being drawn by the Father. Those were the ones he discipled. When he asked his band of followers what his identity was, Peter responded.

…“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:16-17 (NLT)

Earlier in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus rejoiced that people can only come to him when the Father draws them.

At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26  Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27  “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28  Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:25-30 (NLT)

After acknowledging God’s role in the process, Jesus then issued an invitation to us: “Come to me.”

God’s choice must be coupled to our response in faith for the new birth to take place.

When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day to account for our lives here on earth, being a legitimate or “authorized” child of God will make all the difference. We are the ones who have been given Christ’s righteousness and bear his likeness.

Legitimate children also carry a seal of authenticity.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14  who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NASB)

God not only legitimizes his reborn children, he also shares his authority with us. We carry this authority because we are sons and representatives of the Father. This authority is referenced in the parable of the prodigal son. When the wayward son returned, the father immediately gave him a ring, the symbol of family authority.

Children of God represent the Father and carry His authority with them.

Jesus is the ultimate legitimate Son. Christians have authority through being one with him. Indeed, Jesus’ authority is our authority. This authority privileges us to rule and reign with Him.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB)

The authority we receive at the new birth also gives us access to the throne of God.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

Queen Esther did not enjoy this kind of authority and privilege. When she ventured uninvited into the king’s presence, she did so with fear and trembling, understanding that he might reject her and put her to death. We, on the other hand, can come unannounced at any time into the presence of the King of Kings without fear, knowing that we will be welcomed! What a privilege and honor! What wonderful authority has been conferred on us as children of God!

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Isaac tried to go around God’s authority when he attempted to give Esau the blessing that God clearly revealed to Rebecca should belong to Jacob. How bad of a transgression do you think this was?
  2. Why do you think Isaac preferred Esau?
  3. God used Rebecca to thwart Isaac’s attempt to bless Esau. Do you think God blessed Rebecca for doing this?
  4. Can you think of a better way Rebecca could have handled this?
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Chapter 42: Using Christ’s Authority

All authority belongs to our Lord Jesus following his resurrection, which is an amazing and awe-inspiring truth.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Matthew 28:18 (NASB95) —

Allowing his followers to share in using that authority is a privilege and responsibility beyond compare. Consider these words of Jesus.

“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19  Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” Luke 10:18-20 (NLT)

The passage above teaches us four things.

  1. Jesus defeated Satan and stripped him of all the authority he usurped from Adam. Consequently, all authority belongs to our Lord.
  2. Jesus generously shares his authority with us who are called to co-reign with him in eternity.
  3. Christ’s authority protects us from evil and equips us to drive out demons.
  4. Our joy is properly centered in the amazing privilege of being children of God, not in having authority over demons.

Although Jesus does not want us to use his authority to “lord it over” one another, as I showed in the previous chapter, we are responsible to use His authority to resist and overcome the enemy.

Failure to do so amounts to disobedience and can make us vulnerable to needless attacks and suffering.

Christ’s authority always defeats the devil’s power because Jesus already won the complete victory.

It is important that we realize that the Holy Spirit’s power and anointing resides in imperfect people.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB)

Though we are weak on our own, Christ’s authority residing in us will always defeat the evil power of Satan because the power of God’s Spirit backs us up.

It is never up to us to force Satan or his demons to obey. We are to speak words of authority in Christ’s name by faith, which the Holy Spirit enforces with his power.

Since Christ has already defeated Satan and his minions, we should think of ourselves as being in a “mopping up” operation, enforcing the authority of Christ’s victory wherever we may encounter resistance.

In this way, he [Jesus] disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

The next thing we need to know is where our authority in Christ has jurisdiction.

A local policeman would be out of order to try and enforce the law in another city. His jurisdiction does not extend there. I believe that our jurisdiction under Christ has limits, too. Obviously, certain things remain under God’s command only. The Bible says that the “secret things” belong to God, but that which is revealed belongs to us. (Deut. 29:29) We do well to remain within the limits of what has been clearly revealed to us in the Word of God. David said it like this:

LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome for me. Psalms 131:1 (NLT)

The Bible is clear regarding where we have the right to use the authority of Christ’s name.

  1. To become a child of God (John 1:12)
  2. To preach the gospel (The Great Commission)
  3. To forgive (John 20:23)
  4. To cast demons out of people (Mark 16:17)
  5. To minister healing and miracles (Luke 9:1; Acts 3:16; Mark 9:39)
  6. To administer church discipline (1 Cor. 5:4-5)
  7. To pray (Romans 15:30)

We do not have authority to lord it over others, manipulate other people (witchcraft), or tell God what to do. At his point, I will give my view regarding whether our delegated authority in Christ extends to commanding Satan and territorial principalities and powers.  

I have a friend who served as a missionary and apostle for years in Thailand, whose base of operations was in a city that held an annual sacrifice to a territorial demon, asking that spirit for protection. That would be tantamount to chickens entering into an agreement with a fox or for a shop keeper paying off the mob for protection. The devil likes to pose as our friend while he works to oppress and destroy us. The point is that the territorial spirit in that area was invited to exercise dominion by the people who worshiped it.

This is what happened when Adam chose the serpent over God. God allows this sort of thing to take place as a form of judgment against their idolatry. Hopefully eventually the people will awaken to their need for a Savior.

Paul wrote about this dynamic in his letter to the church in Rome.

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  Romans 8:19–21 (NLT) —

God forbade my friend to engage such territorial spirits in a direct confrontation by rebuking or attempting to dislodge them, since they were there by invitation. Instead, his responsibility was to preach the gospel and make disciples. Once the people in an area renounce the evil spirits in which they formerly trusted, the devil’s evil spiritual authority is undermined.

If we seek to engage demonic powers or evil angels over cities or nations that perhaps have been placed there by God as a judgment against their sin or have come by invitation of an idolatrous people, we may discover that we have stepped outside our jurisdiction and opened ourselves to a direct attack. I see no clear-cut evidence that any man or woman of God ever did this in the Bible, except perhaps Elijah when he confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. However, it should be noted that he was primarily confronting the prophets of Baal, not Baal himself, in a successful attempt to turn the people of Israel away from idolatry and back to the true God.

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”  1 Kings 18:36–39 (NASB95) —

Similarly, the prophet Daniel precipitated a heavenly conflict between God’s angels and spiritual powers of wickedness over the nations of Greece and Persia when he began to pray and fast for God to release Israel from her Babylonian captivity. He did not knowingly or deliberately do this. He merely asked God to fulfill his word to restore Israel back to the land of promise. God released His angels to do the warfare. It is altogether proper to ask God to engage such spirits, but it is not ours to do. As creatures under Christ’s authority, we must stay in our lane.

We have authority over demons that oppress individuals, but I find no evidence that our authority extends further than that.

If we seek to depose evil powers who have been invited in by sinful and misguided people, we might expose ourselves to serious spiritual backlash because we have presumed to extend ourselves beyond the measure of authority God has given to us.

But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 2 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Some teach that the following passage authorizes spiritual warfare against principalities and powers.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  Ephesians 6:12–20 (NASB95) —

This passage shows that our warfare against such spirits is primarily defensive, as the words “resist” and “stand firm” suggest. The one offensive weapon Paul mentions is the gospel.

When Paul went to Ephesus, a center of the pagan worship of the goddess Diana, the Bible does not record the church in that city rebuking that spirit’s power during a prayer meeting. The people of that city worshiped that spirit and had erected a magnificent temple in her honor. The people invited that spirit to rule (and oppress) them through worship, sacrifice, and declared allegiance to her idols. In return, the worship of Diana afforded a lucrative income to idol makers and fame to the city. The devil often offers financial gain to those who bow down to him.

Paul engaged in spiritual warfare by preaching the gospel, which undermined that spirit’s hold on the populace by turning people away from Satan to God. The apostle described how God commissioned him to this ministry, saying…

…[I am] sending you to the Gentiles 18  to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’ Acts 26:17-18 (NLT)

The more people in an area repudiate their affiliation with Satan and any evil territorial spirits, the weaker the devil becomes.

Eventually, territorial spirits will lose control as the populace comes under the authority of Christ through believing the gospel. When enough people become children of God under Christ’s authority, the entire spiritual atmosphere will change.

The preaching of the Gospel is the most powerful spiritual weapon God gave us to defeat spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is important for us to use the correct tool to get the job done. God has given us the gospel to bring down the enemy’s rule over nations. To expect something else to work in its place is unwise. Prayer cannot replace the preaching of the gospel.

But even when we properly engage in spiritual warfare, there may be a price to pay. Even though ultimately the devil cannot harm us, we may suffer as part of the cost of fearlessly proclaiming the gospel and representing Christ in areas ruled by hostile principalities and powers. Jesus said that we overcome Satan by more than just our words.

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11  And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Revelation 12:10-11 (NLT)

When I was in Antwerp, Belgium years ago as part of a team that was praying for that city in advance of an evangelistic outreach, we became aware of that city’s devotion to evil spirits and witchcraft. A slaughter of believers took place in the city square during the Reformation. It was also known as a place where ministers of the gospel encounter serious spiritual warfare and even die. While there, I tried to make sure that I (we) did not directly engage that spirit, having read John Paul Jackson’s book, Needless Casualties of War, which cautions against getting out of our “lane” when it comes to spiritual warfare. Instead, we prayed for the success of the outreach, the receptivity of the people to the gospel, and we commanded any ruling evil spirits over that city to be bound in their ability to block the gospel from being heard, understood, and believed. Rightly or not, I believed we had the authority to do that.

When Paul was in Cyprus, he encountered a sorcerer operating under the power of an evil spirit who resisted the gospel message.

But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. 9  Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10  Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11  Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. 12  When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. Acts 13:8-12 (NLT)

Later, the gospel outreach in Antwerp took place, and a small group was planted which eventually became a church. Nevertheless, some serious backlash occurred. Several members of our team ended up leaving the church within about a year. I developed cancer, and another couple who were involved in planting that church suffered serious marital problems for a season. Can we prove that all or any of that was directly related to praying and ministering in Antwerp? Correlation is not causation, but we do need to understand that spiritual warfare is serious business. Paul wrote about it in his letter to the church in Ephesus, where he experienced a high level of opposition from the devil.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11 (NLT)

Paul and his associates stood firm when fierce satanic opposition came against them. His prayer was for boldness to proclaim the gospel, for in doing that we usually encounter the most resistance, and it is tempting to back down.

We are to be unafraid but wise as we exercise Christ’s authority in proclaiming the gospel and casting out evil spirits from people.

Jesus said:

Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16 (NLT)

Christians are supposed to take up the armor God provides to do spiritual battle. One of the main weapons we have is the authority of Christ. We must wisely and courageously use that authority by faith to advance God’s kingdom in our personal lives, our families, our church, our neighborhood, at work, in our nation, and around the world. The promise is that God will soon crush Satan under our feet, according to Romans 16:20. It is important that we do it God’s way.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. How would you rate your own approach to spiritual warfare on the following scale? Circle what may apply to you. (AWOL – defeated – passive – cautiously engaged – fully engaged – wounded in action and recovering – wounded and out of the army – victorious)
  2. Do you agree with my point that we must be careful not to engage in spiritual warfare outside our jurisdiction? Why or why not?
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Chapter 41: Understanding Authority

Recognizing and submitting to God’s authority is a key that unlocks great faith.

A wonderful example is found in Matthew’s gospel when a Roman centurion came to Jesus to ask for healing for one of his servants. When Jesus offered to accompany him to his home…

…the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9  I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! Matthew 8:8-10 (NLT)

The centurion understood that his authority to command was derived from Caesar’s authority to command him. The authority he had did not originate in him. His obedience to Caesar gave him delegated authority that was backed up by the power of Rome. The centurion also understood that this is how the kingdom of God works. He saw that Jesus was obedient to His heavenly Father, and consequently great authority flowed from heaven through him allowing him to operate in God’s power. The same will be true for us.

If we submit ourselves to Christ’s direct lordship and to his delegated authorities in our lives, God’s authority and power can more freely flow through us.

Seen in this light, authority is a good thing, despite its being abused by some.

Many people struggle with being obedient to authority. Some authority figures have been poor examples of godliness and have abused their roles. Because of our sin nature, we tend to misuse authority for selfish reasons instead of using it to serve and bless others.

If we have been mistreated by those in authority, we may fear or mistrust authority figures in general.

Some of us are simply proud and rebellious, not being willing for anyone to tell us what to do. This is another problem altogether. In the church, the remedy for the first case is for genuine Christian leaders to demonstrate the proper use of authority to defuse the fear and mistrust. The answer to the second problem is for God to deal with the rebel in us to set us free. Either way, it is extremely important for us to relate properly to authority.

The alternative is not good. If we persist in our rebellion, God says that…

A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Proverbs 17:11 (NASB)

Absalom, king David’s charismatic son, became bitter in response to how his father handled a serious family matter that involved a half-brother raping his full sister. He never got over it and eventually led thousands to their deaths in an ill-advised attempt to wrest the kingdom away from his father.

An offense can morph into bitterness, which, in turn, can become rebelliousness that can lead to death.

Therefore, it is paramount that we forgive all who have offended us in some way.

Jesus taught that those who have authority in God’s kingdom must use it to serve others.

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. Matthew 20:25-27 (NLT)

Men and women who use their authority to serve others properly model God’s authority. This is true in the family, workplace, government, and church.

Sadly, authority is very often used contrary to God’s plan. Authority has been used to subjugate, intimidate, steal, kill, and destroy. This is how Satan uses the authority he stole from Adam. All who serve Satan use authority in the same way.  

Nevertheless, all authority ultimately derives from God, even if it is misused; although it may misrepresent him.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2  Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3  For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5  Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. Romans 13:1-5 (NASB)

 We learn from this passage that authority is meant to properly represent God’s character and justice by rewarding good behavior and punishing disobedience. It is supposed to provide protection, provision, and direction to our lives.

When those in authority abandon God’s intention and begin to represent Satan’s kingdom by oppressing those they should serve and advocating evil instead of good, their authority is illegitimate in the strictest sense because it fails to properly represent the source of all authority.

Despite authority’s misuse, when possible, we obey and respect even illegitimate authority.

If those in authority command us to sin or violate our consciences, we must decline to obey, while still maintaining a proper attitude toward them.

This is not easy or simple. It is wrong to speak ill of leaders – complaining, maligning, or mocking them. God has made it clear that He hates all forms of rebellion. In the United States, speaking evil of those in authority has become an art form. We should never revile those in authority. (Jude 1:8)

Some believe that when authority becomes tyrannical, we are required to overthrow and replace it with a more godly form of government. This was the mindset of those who led the American Revolution. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a much-respected church leader in Nazi Germany, participated in a coup attempt against Hitler, which failed, landing him in prison until his execution. He believed that his obedience to God required him to act against an evil and tyrannical ruler. Others, such as the Quakers, have historically taken a position of non-violence, refusing to involve themselves in such matters. I cannot settle the age-old dispute between pacificism and patriotism, but each of us should seek the Lord and try to arrive at a proper stance on the matter, while making room in our hearts for those who come to another conclusion.

Believers are responsible first to obey God and, secondly, other forms of authority, which includes church leaders.

Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)

Even though human authority is quite imperfect, God wants us to obey, trusting him to somehow intervene to bring everything into alignment with His will.

This is also true in the home, where wives are admonished to be subject to their husbands in all things (except sin), and children are exhorted to obey their parents.

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23  For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24  As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24 (NLT)

This is often a daunting command for the wife, since everyone knows that women are smarter than men and generally more capable of running things. (Smile.)

Submission to human authority requires us to believe that God is sovereign and will take care of us as we seek to obey Him in all things.

It is just this type of abandonment to God that breeds great faith. Once we surrender to God’s will, it is no big stretch to believe He will answer our prayers and keep His promises.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15  And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15 (NASB)

In conclusion, authority is given by God for our protection, direction, and provision.

The wise person submits him or herself to all delegated authorities related to his or her life because this is one way we demonstrate our submission to God. We trust in God’s sovereignty, knowing that he rules over the ones who rule over us. When we place ourselves properly under authority, God’s authority can be released in our own lives in a greater way resulting in great faith to serve the Lord.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. What does it mean when it says we are to obey authorities “as unto the Lord”?
  2. Have you ever submitted to an unreasonable authority figure out of fear of the Lord? How did that turn out?
  3. Why does submission to authority prepare us to wield authority?
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Chapter 40: A Call to Sacrifice and Suffering

Sacrifice and suffering are so integral to the process of making disciples that their absence is a red flag that something has gone awry.

Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, “Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. Mark 8:34 (GW)

In some ways the American church growth movement has got it all wrong.

Packaging the church in a way that minimizes sacrifice to gain followers will likely boost attendance but lower commitment to Christ.

Jesus sometimes preached to the crowds in a desert area far from conveniences and even food. One time such a group spent three days listening to his teaching. Would anyone in America even attend such a gathering? Even then it required an unusual combination of spiritual hunger and self-denial, something that should characterize every disciple.

Jesus never made it easy to follow Him. Discipleship is not for the faint of heart.

Many early Christians had to make a life and death decision to join the church. Under heavy Roman and Jewish persecution, they understood that becoming a disciple would likely result in suffering or even martyrdom.

When persecution exists, the high cost attached to declaring allegiance to Christ produces a pure church.

Conversely, in the absence of persecution, the church accumulates people whose devotion may be scant or even counterfeit. When Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire, declaring allegiance to Christ suddenly became a steppingstone to advancing politically, socially, and financially. Many believe this was the beginning of the corruption of the organized church.

Jesus spoke of this issue in his parable of the wheat and the tares or weeds. In his account, the master’s servants sowed good seeds, but at night his enemy sowed weeds in the same field. When it became apparent what had taken place, the master told his servants to let both grow together until harvest, at which time the two would be separated – one to become food, the other to be burned.

False disciples will always be present in the church. Often it is difficult to distinguish them from the real thing, but suffering and persecution have a way of sorting things out.

In his parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus taught us that suffering for the gospel will drive those of shallow commitment away.

The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT)

It is important that we present the gospel in such a way that people understand from the beginning that following Christ is costly. Otherwise, people may approach discipleship as a consumer, expecting to be enriched by Christ without their having to deny themselves.

Paul made it clear that suffering is a normal experience for believers.

Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 (GW)

One way we might discern how committed we are to Jesus and the gospel is by assessing whether we are experiencing any sort of suffering or persecution.

The natural tendency is for us to “back off” showing open allegiance to Christ, if we perceive that the potential for backlash is high. If we let this become a habit, we may find ourselves effectively “denying” Christ by failing to affirm him.

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9  But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. Luke 12:8-9 (NLT)

Those who have aligned themselves with Satan’s agenda are increasingly bold. We have the opportunity to meet them head on with our bold testimony of allegiance to Christ. If we decide ahead of time that we are willing to suffer persecution for the gospel’s sake, it will help us not to flinch.

Suffering is a necessary part of the Christian experience. We are not appointed to suffer the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9), but we are appointed to suffer for the gospel.

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3  so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4  In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4 (NIV)

Suffering relates to following Christ in general, not just with being vocal about our allegiance to him. Denying ourselves can be painful in the short run, but delightful in the end.

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29 (NLT)

Making the continual choice to put Christ first in our lives will cost us in many ways.

For some it means being alienated from family. For others, it may mean losing longtime friends. Others may lose their jobs or find themselves blocked from being able to advance.

Persecution comes in many forms, but the goal of our enemy is always the same. He wants us to either deny Christ or abandon our commitment to follow him.

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 2 Timothy 4:5 (NLT)

Once when Jesus had just taught a crowd something very difficult to receive, many walked away from following him.

It seems that our Lord deliberately tests his followers’ commitment to him.

It is not unusual for the Lord to allow things to confront us that either offend or confuse us. When this happens, we are tested in our loyalty to him. Jesus does not necessarily make it easy on us in these circumstances. He wants us to see what is in our heart. He asked his most loyal followers if they wanted to turn back, too. Jesus is not afraid to ask us such things.

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67  Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68  Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69  We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69 (NLT)

In this instance, Peter passed the test, publicly affirming his devotion to Christ, despite not understanding everything his Master taught.

We may think we are fully committed to him, but testing and trials reveal the truth.

Real faith perseveres under pressure, even if we have a temporary setback, as in the case with Peter when he publicly denied the Lord. Later Peter wrote the following to encourage the church in the face of suffering.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7  These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)

Peter experienced the keeping power of God when he failed miserably. He wanted us to know that the Holy Spirit is the one behind our faith. Real faith perseveres.

Suffering works something deep inside us that nothing else can.

That is why it is a necessary part of the process of discipleship.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)

Paul went on to say that suffering precedes ruling.

If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12 (NLT)

It also results in glory.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT)

Even though it goes against human nature, disciples should embrace suffering rather than run from it.

James encouraged us to do just that.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 (NLT)

No one is expected to go looking for suffering or persecution, but neither are we to shy away from it. In fact, we should expect it.

Let us be like Paul who wrote the following.

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 9  For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10  And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 11  And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. 12  That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:8-12 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Why do you think our Lord makes it so challenging to be his follower?
  2. What is the costliest decision you have ever made as a disciple?
  3. Is God asking you to do something that might result in suffering for you personally?
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Chapter 39: Lordship Matters – Lord of My Finances

How we use our finances reveals a lot about our relationship with the Lord. Although no one ever accused Jesus of being greedy or wanting to get rich, he talked about money quite a bit in his parables. Our faithfulness with how we handle money is directly connected to being a disciple.

Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own? Luke 16:10-12 (NLT)

Money exerts a powerful pull upon the soul. Either it will capture us or we will rule over it. Loving money and being a disciple are not compatible.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13 (NLT)

A first step in bringing our finances under Christ’s lordship is to practice tithing.

The Bible teaches that giving a tenth of our income or “increase” goes all the way back to Abraham, well before the Law of Moses was ever introduced. Therefore, tithing is not a form of legalism, if done with a proper attitude of heart, but something that God wove into the fabric of life. Even though tithing is not commanded, as such, in the New Testament, Jesus did refer to it.

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Matthew 23:23 (NLT)

This would have been the perfect time for him to say that the tithe no longer applies, but instead he stated that it is something we should do.

The New Covenant did away with the necessity of our adhering to the ceremonial and dietary laws of Moses. Jesus made it clear that all foods are now “clean,” and he fulfilled the ceremonial law of offerings, etc. making that aspect of the Law obsolete. However, the moral law still stands. It is built into the universe because it reflects the character of God.

Withholding the tithe is a form of stealing, as I will show later; therefore, tithing is connected to the moral law which is still in effect.

Interestingly, Jesus usually “raised the bar” when it comes to the moral law. Here is an example.

You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28  But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28 (NLT)

God not only wants us to refrain from sinful actions, but he desires to set us free from sinful desires, too. I cannot think of an example when he reduced the demands of the moral law. Instead, he focused on the heart and made it clear that God’s standards are extremely high – so high that only Jesus could perfectly keep them.

It is inconceivable to me that in the matter of giving God would expect less of people who have the indwelling Spirit than he did of Old Covenant believers.

The tithe was necessary to support the work of the priests and Levites and the upkeep of the Temple. The tithe is how we support God’s church and work today, too. When we give a tenth back to God, we acknowledge His ownership of us and all we have. It shows that we understand that we depend on Him.

The tithe is an acknowledgement that God has authority over our finances and our lives.

The Bible teaches that the tithe belongs to the Lord: so, to withhold it is to rob God. The Jews were rebuked by the prophet Malachi for doing just that.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi 3:8-10 (NASB)

We learn two more things from this passage. Withholding the tithe will result in loss for us and giving the tithe opens the door to God’s abundant blessings.

Being generous puts us in a position to fully experience God’s generosity.

If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:38 (NLT)

God loves a cheerful giver; so, it is important that we do not give reluctantly as a religious duty or to avoid being punished by God. Faith provides us with a proper motivation for giving.

Knowing that tithing is the right thing to do and believing that God will abundantly supply our every need, if we are obedient, will help us to be joyfully generous.

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7  You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8  And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NLT)

God’s lordship over our finances does not stop with the tithe, however. All our finances belong to God. He owns us and all we have.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

A disciple is called to lay down everything at the Lord’s feet, knowing that God will take care of us.

This brings us to offerings.

Offerings are donations we make to individuals or ministries over and above the tithe.

These are freewill offerings, completely under our discretion and direction, which are given as we are led by the Spirit. The tithe, on the other hand, should be given to the local church to which we belong and placed entirely under the direction of local church leadership as an acknowledgement of Christ’s authority over our lives. Tithing is a great blessing and privilege, but making offerings is even more fun. This is where we can see directly how our giving blesses others. Some have said that tithing opens God’s storehouse, but offerings determine how wide the door swings open.

The general principle is that we cannot out give God.

But lordship extends to more than just giving. It also concerns how we manage the money we retain. A disciple seeks to live wisely, as described in Proverbs, not spending up his reserves.

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)

A wise person makes provision for the future as best he can, keeping in balance the need to live in constant trust in the Lord.

Sometimes God requires that we give away what we have saved so that our trust may be completely in Him. Wisdom and faith do not work against one another, but sometimes one may take precedence over the other.

A wise disciple has self-control in how he or she spends money, not living beyond his or her means. In a nutshell, a disciple uses money rather than the other way around.

Integrity in financial matters is essential.

There should be no hint of cheating or impropriety in our finances. There is no room for laziness or confusion in how we handle money.

We should carefully handle our finances God’s way because it is a proving ground for more important things, the stewardship of true spiritual riches.

Lastly, giving to the poor is extremely important as well.

If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17 (NLT)  

Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. Proverbs 22:9 (NLT)

Alms giving is close to the Lord’s heart and softens our own heart. Jesus told us to give to those who ask. (Matthew 5:42) We should allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in how we give, except in the case of the tithe, which is not ours to direct. Some people are dishonest and attempt to prey upon the generosity of the saints. Others are lazy and prefer to beg rather than work. We cannot always discern motives, but if we give with a pure heart, we should leave how our gift is used to the Lord. I believe it is a good practice to carry extra cash so that we can be generous when it is appropriate.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • What for you is the most challenging aspect of how God wants us to handle money?
  • Do you think we should give as a regular habit or only when we can do so with a glad heart?
  • How would you counsel a non-tither who has trouble making ends meet?
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Chapter 37: Lordship Matters – Lord of My Time

Each of us has been allotted a certain amount of time here on earth for which we are responsible to God to use it in a way that will glorify and please him.

Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalms 90:12 (NLT)

Since all life comes from, is sustained by, and will return to God, it is only reasonable that we surrender our lives and time to our Creator–Sustainer–Redeemer.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)

Our time here on earth is a gift from God subject to being retrieved at any moment. What we do with our lives is more important than how long we may live. In God’s sovereignty, some of us are given a relatively short time. Others live for a much longer span.

… All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:16 (NIV)

From our point of view, life is filled with uncertainty. None of us knows the day of his or her death. These human bodies, though resilient, can also be quickly extinguished. However, according to the Bible, we are safeguarded by Him until the time when He has chosen for us to depart from this earth.

But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!" 15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Psalms 31:14-15 (NLT)

Our security is found in being in God’s will and presence, not in being removed from evil or dangerous circumstances.

On occasion, hostile crowds of people wanted to put Jesus to death for perceived blasphemy, but he was unharmed because His time had not yet come. But when the time arrived for Him to die on the cross, He did not resist.

Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” 54  So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home... Luke 22:53-54 (NLT)

We too should live our lives in bold obedience to the Spirit of God, knowing that our Keeper protects his people.

The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. 8  The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:7-8 (NLT)

Knowing this will allow us to calmly pass through the gates of death into God’s glory when our time finally arrives.

But what do we do with the millions of seconds that pass each year? Are we accountable to God for each one? The answer is “yes.”

Faithful disciples are privileged to surrender each moment of every day to the Lord.

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 (NLT)

Instead of “killing” or wasting time, we are challenged to “redeem” it.

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

Jesus told the parable of the virgins who were unprepared for their master’s coming and could not go into the feast. Time waits for no person. When the door of opportunity swings open, we must be ready to enter. When it swings shut, the opportunity has passed.

When we are a new disciple, it is wise to prepare ourselves for the future through study of the Word and developing our ministry skills.

This can usually be done effectively in a discipleship relationship with a mentor, preferably in a local church. We will get opportunities to serve along the way as the Lord sees fit. It is important for us not to think so highly of ourselves that we refuse seemingly menial service. Even our Lord washed his disciples’ feet.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25  Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26  But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Luke 22:24-26 (NLT)

The Lord told us in another parable that the one whom the master finds serving his household well will be put in charge of much, but those who are unfaithful will receive punishment.

How we serve now prepares us for future promotion if the Lord allows it.

Jesus told us that he who is faithful in little things will also be faithful with much, but he who is unfaithful with what seem to be insignificant matters, will also be unfaithful with more important things. (Luke 16:10)

Our character is revealed by how we approach our responsibilities and influences how useful we can be to God.

This brings us to a third consideration. We have this lifetime to prepare for an eternity in heaven. We will be rewarded for our obedience and for our love for Christ. Our heavenly Father is in the process of transforming each of us to look, think, and act like Jesus.

If we do not spend our time cooperating with the Holy Spirit in this process of transformation, we may suffer loss in eternity.

Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. 14 If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NLT)

Every day we get opportunities to submit ourselves to God’s transformation process, or we can waste our time by being self-centered, stubborn, and resistant, making it necessary for God to discipline us repeatedly regarding the same issues. The Israelites under Moses’ leadership spent forty years traversing the desert when the trip could have been made much more quickly. The problem was in their hearts.

Let us strive to cooperate with God and redeem the time allotted to us.

Lastly, we must realize that God does not regard time as we do. To Him, one day is as a thousand years.

But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. 2 Peter 3:8-10 (NLT)

His transformation process may require many years to complete. We may be old and well past our prime when He finally fulfills a promise He made to us when we were much younger. That is because his idea of what is our “prime” is much different than ours. Remember: he did not put Moses into action until he was eighty! We want to be people who are still bearing fruit in our old age.

God is looking for serious people who will be faithful with their time and available for use in His kingdom.

Abraham was a very old man when he received his promised son, the beginning of the lineage of Christ. We should never write ourselves off as being too old or too young or too weak or too insignificant.

God uses the most unlikely people who choose to submit their lives and time to him in obedient trust.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How can we remain at rest while being careful to redeem our time instead of wasting it?
  • Can you think of anything you can do now to be better prepared for God’s plan for your coming days?
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Chapter 36: Lordship Matters – Lord of My Life

My life is the most unique and precious thing I have, which is precisely why it is so important to surrender it to our Lord Jesus.

If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26 (NLT)

Most of us guard our own lives and those of our loved ones as best we can. Understanding this, Satan takes advantage of our propensity to put our own interests first. When the Lord stated his pleasure in Job’s steadfastness, Satan retorted that, if Job’s own body and health were afflicted with sickness and pain, he would quickly cast aside his faithfulness to God in a desperate effort to save himself.

Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” 4  Satan replied to the LORD, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5  But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” Job 2:3-5 (NLT)

Thankfully Job did not succumb to the universal temptation to accuse God of evil when things go wrong. He clung to his determination to glorify God in all things. When his wife advised him to “curse God and die,” he responded:

…“You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. Job 2:10 (NLT)

Everyone of us would prefer a relatively trouble-free life full of God’s blessings, which was essentially what Job enjoyed prior to this long trial of his faith.

When things are going well, it is easy to think we have faith, but, when things go “south,” we find out what is really there. Faith is like a muscle: it gets stronger the more it is exercised. Without testing, the quality of our faith remains unknown.

We may imagine that we will never be moved by adversity, but we cannot know until we are tested. King David wrote about this in a psalm.

When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." 7  O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. 8  To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: Psalm 30:6-8 (NIV)

When Job’s faith was stretched to the limit, he became angry with God because he felt he was being treated unjustly, but he never turned his back on God. It is okay to question God, if we do not walk away from him. Interestingly God never answered Job’s questions. Instead, he revealed himself to Job in such a way that the need for such answers disappeared.

The more revelation we have of God’s glory and character, the less we question him.

Job uttered one of the most triumphant verses in Scripture when he was at his lowest.

Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, 24  carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. 25  “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. 26  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27  I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! Job 19:23-27 (NLT)

Little did he realize that this magnificent expression of faith would be memorialized in the Bible and read by countless millions of people, just as he requested!

We need to realize that how we handle things when we are hurting, confused, or in danger, is our opportunity for our faith to shine and give glory to God.

Holding fast to our confidence in God and his promises when we are at our lowest shows how much we love him, even above our own lives.

We admire those who courageously cast aside their own well-being to save others. The Medal of Honor is often given, sometimes posthumously, to such heroes. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down his life for His sheep.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)

Our Lord told us that, if we really love one another, we will do the same.

Jesus challenges His disciples to cease trying to save or protect our lives, but instead willingly put them on the line in service to God’s kingdom.

In fact, he bluntly states that this quality determines whether we are really disciples.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT)

This does not mean we should be careless or foolish. Rather we should carefully assess what God wants us to do and put his will ahead of self-preservation. A missionary named Jim Elliott said the following prior to be martyred by the Auca Indians:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Every disciple will be tested in this area. What do we love more – God or our own lives? To be effective and to glorify God, our answer must clearly be the former.

Much of what we must endure in the way of God’s discipline relates to his delivering us from inordinate self-love.

Christians have no right to a self-protected life because we have been ransomed from the pit of destruction for one purpose only – to bring glory and honor to God. What good is a slave who only does what he wants to do with no regard for the master’s needs or wishes? He is not worth the purchase price; nevertheless, the church is filled with self-willed “servants of God.” We like to “talk the talk” but do not always embrace radical self-denial.

Adam and Eve failed this test miserably. Ever since then, God has been looking for those who will cast aside self-interest because of their love for him.

Paul said that his son in the faith, Timothy, was just such a man.

I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21  All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:20-21 (NLT)

In God’s sight, putting God first is the essential element of the quality called faithfulness or loyalty to God.

Staying loyal to God when we encounter adversity requires us to be full of faith – faithful.

Our faith enables us to keep our eyes on the Lord and cling to his promises, sometimes against all odds, as Abraham did during the time when his faith was tested.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22  And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23  And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24  for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:20-24 (NLT)

Joseph was another man who clung to faithfulness during an extended test of his faith. This is what the psalmist said about him.

He sent a man ahead of them. He sent Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18  They hurt his feet with shackles, and cut into his neck with an iron collar. 19  The LORD'S promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true. Psalm 105:17-19 (GW)

Lastly, Jesus had to endure this ultimate test of faith, too. When he hung naked upon the cross enduring the mockery and taunts of his enemies, he cast all his hope on his Father in heaven. Even his most pathetic statement made when he hung there was a testament to his faith in God’s faithfulness. It is necessary for us to read the full context of those famous words he uttered.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3  Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4  In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5  To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Psalm 22:1-5 (ESV)

Jesus never wavered from his loyalty to the Father. He put his trust in Abba’s promise to raise him from the dead, just as did Abraham.

Jesus gave up his life to receive it back again. This is what he asks us to do, too.

There is nothing we can give God in exchange for what He wants from us – our very life. We cannot buy off God with our tithes and offerings. We cannot deceive God into thinking we have given everything when we have not. We can gain the whole world in the pursuit of self-interests, but God will not be impressed at all. What He wants is a fully surrendered heart and a fully available life. This is our challenge. This is our quest. We rely on God’s Spirit to get us there.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Do you think that most Christians act as if they are stewards or the owners of their lives?
  • Was there ever a time when in prayer you consciously and deliberately offered your life to God with no strings attached? If not, are you willing to do so now?
  • Is God asking you to surrender some area that you have been withholding from him?
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Chapter 35: Lordship Matters – Lord of My Heart

One of the major differences between the Old and New Covenants is that the New changes us at the heart level.

"This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them." Hebrews 10:16 (NLT)

The New Covenant is a radical departure from the way God related to people. Under the Old Covenant, obedience to the Law was the basis for having a proper relationship with God. Blessings were attached to obedience and curses to disobedience. Personal performance measured our connection with God.

In the New Covenant, obedience springs from the new heart God puts within us via the new birth and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Rather than focusing on outward compliance, the New Covenant is a matter of the heart, where faith dwells.

Although most Israelites served God as a matter of Law, even under the Old Covenant there were individuals who connected with God from the heart. They were forerunners of what was to come. One example was Abraham, whose heartfelt faith opened the door for him to have a right relationship with God.

Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6  And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. Genesis 15:5-6 (NLT)

Abraham is a wonderful example of New Covenant life. His faith in God’s promises produced obedience to his commands.

Faith, which resides in the heart, reveals itself through acts of obedience.

You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. James 2:22-24 (NLT)

However, our obedience does not regenerate or save us. Only Christ’s perfect work of redemption can do that. By faith we connect to his perfect work so that it is transferred to us.

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29 (NLT) 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

However, it is also true that faith produces obedience that testifies to its presence in our lives. If we say we believe God will take care of us but refuse to take any risks, our words seem hollow. Abraham took the risk of leaving his home, friends, and culture to pursue God’s promise. That proved he believed God. Interestingly, all this took place before God ever gave Moses the Law.

Moses was the man through whom God gave Israel the Law; however, his own relationship with God was from the heart. One interesting verse illustrates this.

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. Psalm 103:7 (ESV)

Legalism only looks at performance (acts), but Moses knew God’s heart and ways. It took a man of faith who knew God’s heart to act as a mediator between God and Israel. In this way, Moses foreshadowed Christ, the ultimate mediator.

David was a man who lived after Moses and was “under” the Law. However, he related to God outside of the parameters of the narrow confines of the Mosaic Law. When he was hungry, the priest gave him bread that only the priests were allowed to eat. He worshiped God openly in what was called the Tabernacle of David, where the Ark was kept, which only the High Priest was supposed to have access, and that only once a year. He was forgiven for sins that technically required the death penalty – murder and adultery. David was described as “a man after God’s heart.” Despite his many faults, his heart had been captured by God, which is a New Covenant reality.

But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ Acts 13:22 (NLT)

Despite committing serious sins during his lifetime, David’s overall orientation toward God was one of love for him. His relationship with God made him willing to serve the Lord with a “whole heart.” David also seemed to have an unusual for his day relationship with the Holy Spirit that is our New Covenant “normal.” After he repented for his sin with Bathsheba and against her husband Uriah, he begged that God would not remove the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:10-12 (NLT)

Perhaps David only had the Spirit with him; whereas, New Covenant believers have the Holy Spirit within. We depend on him to transform us from the inside out and enable us to serve God from the heart. Nevertheless, King David experienced elements of New Covenant life. This is not surprising when we realize that in addition to being a king, he was also a psalmist and prophet. His life foreshadowed our Lord and his coming messianic kingship.

Our acknowledgement of Christ’s lordship is our declaration that we will follow his teachings and walk in step with his Spirit in accordance with our hearts being captured by God.

Our deepest need, in this regard, is for God to remove from us duplicity of heart. David, the psalmist, wrote:

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12  I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:11-12 (ESV)

We depend on the Holy Spirit to give us integrity in the innermost part of our being, the heart, so that we are not double-minded. Duplicity causes us to be unstable and unreliable. (James 1:8) Only God can make this happen by his Spirit as we continue in God’s Word.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV) 

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NLT)

Like Abraham and David, we are challenged to be obedient from the heart without wandering into the joy-sapping world of legalism, which is our default frame of mind if we fail to keep our focus on Christ and his grace.

We become legalistic whenever we try to obey the Lord in our own strength, rather than rely upon the grace of God.

We can tell when we are walking in the Spirit because we will enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. If we stray into legalism or licentiousness, we will bear the opposite fruit.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:19-23 (NLT)

God’s grace teaches us to obey God’s Word and to abstain from evil, but it does so through the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit, the Only One Who is able to live the Christian life.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:11-14 (NLT)

Calling Jesus Lord, then, is a pledge to love Jesus and his Word from the heart as the Holy Spirit transforms us from within, with the expectation that this will produce joyful obedience. Like the apostle Paul, we can experience what it is like for God to work into our lives a love for God’s will in combination with the grace for doing of it. (Philippians 2:13)

When we engage God’s will with God’s grace, obeying the Lord becomes a joy.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5  Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:3-5 (NASB)

A good test for how well we are walking in step with the Spirit is to ask ourselves if we find joy in obeying God.

If I am struggling in some area, it may be because Jesus is not yet Lord of that part of my heart.

We are continually challenged to surrender and re-surrender our hearts to the Lord. The “flesh” never goes away and never reforms. It will be with us until we die physically and are resurrected, always trying to pull us off course.

Following Christ is a grace-filled pursuit of making Jesus the Lord of my heart.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Would you say that most Christians depend more on their own will power or God’s grace?
  • How would you explain to someone how “walking in the Spirit” works?
  • What would you tell a person who claims he or she can sin without worrying about it because the “grace of God will cover it”?
  • Have you known anyone who abandoned the Lord and gave themselves over to sin in a certain area? What do you think may have caused that?
  • Christ admonished the church to return to our “first love” for him. (Revelation 2:4) How can we do that?
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Chapter 34: Lordship Matters – What about My Rights?

A study of Christ’s lordship invites us to discuss rights. A right is a guaranteed legal privilege. In the United States we have certain “inalienable” legal rights originating from our Creator and enumerated in our Constitution in the form of a Bill of Rights. US citizens grow up expecting to have these rights upheld by their government and those around them. Over time many other “rights” have been propounded, such as the right to affordable housing and health care; although, these are not of the same ilk as those in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights lists freedoms we have that cannot be withdrawn from us by the government. The latter represent what we only have if the government provides them to us using taxpayer money.

As a result of this heritage of guaranteed rights, many people begin to be “rights-oriented,” rather than duty oriented. Rights were never intended to replace duty, service, and hard work. When we demand that the government be our provider, we miss the point of the Bill of Rights. In a similar way, we may begin to look at God as if he were simply there to provide for our every need, instead of his being our Lord and King.

Jesus made it clear that we are his servants in addition to being beloved children of God.

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" Luke 17:7-10 (NIV)

If we focus on our rights, we will likely put our own desires first. The discipleship attitude taught by Jesus puts the master’s will ahead of our own.

Paul wrote about how a disciple should think.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)

The founding fathers of our country based their belief in rights by combining what is found in the Bible and the writings of various authors from the Enlightenment in Europe. Does the Bible also guarantee these rights? Let’s examine three from a Biblical perspective.

First, does the right to free speech come from God? The Bible nowhere enshrines free speech into law; however, God does uphold our responsibility to speak freely regarding truth.

Our responsibility to God always supersedes what the laws of men require. Whenever there is a conflict, God expects us to put him first.

Jesus commands his disciples to speak freely about the gospel, even when such speech is legally prohibited. Today some countries forbid speaking openly about Jesus, but that does not stop fearless people from doing it. Freedom of speech is a wonderful right in the United States, or at least was in the beginning when the government upheld it. Today forces are at work to deny that right, but that does not stop fearless people from freely speaking, if we are willing to endure the consequences.

God never promises us we can share the truth without suffering for it.

Even where speech is legally free, speaking truth can be costly, even in the church.

How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth!  Amos 5:10 (NLT) —

Freedom to worship without government interference is the second right we will examine. This enshrines the right to follow our consciences without being persecuted or regulated by the government. Even if the government allows freedom of worship, we may encounter negative consequences for serving Jesus with a whole heart. People can be pressured to conform through shame, shunning, withholding affection, denying job opportunities, etc. Those who have worshiped God outside of the mainstream know what it means to encounter “soft” persecution and peer pressure.

God wants us to make serving and worshiping him something for which we are willing to suffer. Obedience to God is always the top priority for those who love him, even if it is not legally sanctioned.

Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28  “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!” 29  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. Acts 5:27-29 (NLT)

Many of Jesus’ disciples suffered greatly for following, worshiping, and speaking freely about Jesus. It did not matter to them whether it was legal or not.

Searching for freedom to worship according to conscience was what brought many of the early settlers to North America. That is why they fought so hard to codify it into law. It is a wonderful right, but not one guaranteed by God. In fact, a disciple might be asked by God to live in a nation where there is no freedom to worship or speak freely.

The third right we will examine is the right to bear arms. This was not simply the right to own weapons, but to carry them and use them if necessary. This right was enacted into law as a reaction to the British attempt to confiscate the colonists’ weapons, powder, and ammunition to render them defenseless. Realizing that governments are easily corrupted and often will turn against their own citizenry, this right was put into place to allow people to defend themselves against government tyranny and any other threat. Does God endorse this right?

This begs the question does God ever approve of using violence to defend ourselves or overthrow tyranny? The answer is yes, if we affirm that the God of the Judges is the same God of the New Testament, and he is. God periodically raised up men and a woman to lead Israel into battle against oppressors. I believe it is godly to fight against tyranny. Certainly, people through the ages have believed this and put their lives on the line. No father or husband would idly watch a rapist or murderer savage his family. Neither should we allow another nation or group to destroy our country, even if that enemy comes from within.

I believe it is our duty to protect those we love to the best of our ability.

The ability to protect ourselves depends greatly on what weapons we have at our disposal. Our founding fathers wanted us to be able to defend ourselves effectively. If the government seeks to take away our means of self-defense and make us depend wholly on it, we should resist, knowing governments in general always proceed toward evil and greater control over time.

Government is a beast bent on becoming a god having supreme authority over its subjects.

This is why our founding fathers built so many checks and balances into our system.

The United States is supposedly a Constitutional republic in which representatives are elected to represent the citizens in making laws and enforcing them.

If a government begins to ignore its own laws, it becomes illegitimate by definition and therefore without Constitutional authority. The only means by which such a government can impose its will is by tyranny.

Do we have the “right” to resist such a government? The framers of the Declaration of Independence said we do. What does God say?

Christians over the centuries have argued this point, and I cannot imagine anything I might write would solve the impasse. In our own country during the Revolution, citizens took a wide variety of positions, from pacifist Quakers, to monarchist Church of England Tories, to pro-war Presbyterians and a patriots. Within families there were irreconcilable differences, even within my own Beck family, some holding with Britain and others siding with the “rebels.” Each group no doubt was convinced that its own position was the right one.

I believe each person must make up his or her own mind based upon their understanding of the Bible and by following the dictates of conscience.

In my opinion, there is not a clear-cut biblical position. I think we can mostly agree that we do have a general right to defend ourselves from harm, which requires some form of armament.

When it comes to persecution for our faith in Christ, however, it seems that God wants us to be pacifists and trust him for the outcome.

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV)

The kingdom of God does not need defending, but earthly kingdoms do. We are citizens of both.

Jesus told Pilate:

Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36 (NLT) —

Paul wrote the following well-known passage about the function of government under God.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.  Romans 13:1–5 (NASB95) —

If government derives from God and represents God, as is stated above, then any government that does not properly represent God by punishing evil doers and rewarding law abiding citizens is, in a sense, illegitimate. It is also true that God may have installed it as a form of judgment against a rebellious and idolatrous people. Do we have the right to revolt against such a government? Our founding fathers believed we had the right and the duty to overthrow it. What does God say?

Paul lived under such a government. Rome was a pagan tyrannical government that oppressed those subjugated by its military might. Never once did Paul advocate insurrection. Instead, he used his rights as a Roman citizen to his advantage whenever he could. His main and only focus was to preach Jesus and establish local churches throughout the empire. Eventually he was put to death that government.

Rome was not a constitutional republic, however. Citizens did not have the right or responsibility to elect their representatives as we do. Therefore, life in America today is quite different from life in ancient Rome.

To argue that Christians today should passively accept all their government does ignores our responsibilities as citizens. I believe we have a responsibility to hold our representative government accountable, especially if it becomes lawless.

Indeed, our government has violated Jefferson’s three primary rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For example, the life of the unborn is not protected. Lives of hospitalized Covid patients were not properly protected. As for liberty, citizens recently were pressured to take unproven and unsafe mRNA injections. J6 defendants remain in prison without due process. As for the pursuit of happiness, how can that even be properly defined? One person’s happiness may come at the expense of another’s liberty or life. It would have made many pro-vaxers happy if those who refused the jab would have been incarcerated. Many mothers end the lives of their unborn children in pursuit of their own happiness.

God is pro-life and pro-liberty. Jesus came to restore both. He came to give eternal life to those dead in sins and set prisoners free. (Isaiah 61:1)

But the freedom that Jesus provides comes to those who surrender to him their right to direct their own lives.

The price of life and freedom is great. Jesus had to give up his life to provide both to us who declare allegiance to him. Life and freedom are gifts that come to those who acknowledge their sinfulness and need for God and come under Jesus’ benevolent lordship.

The framers of our Constitution unwittingly elevated freedom and rights to an almost deified status, as if they somehow exist outside of God.

The exercise of freedom outside of God’s will always leads to bondage and death.

Just ask Adam and Eve. They were free to eat from any tree in the garden, except for one, and live. They abused their freedom, however, and chose to eat from the one forbidden tree, resulting in death and enslavement of all mankind to the devil.

True freedom is living in accordance with God’s will. When we abuse freedom to live independently from God, we end up losing freedom.

We err greatly if we believe that our rights or liberties exist apart from God.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT) 

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36 (NLT)

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)

True freedom comes from God and is only found in God. Without him, freedom morphs into evil, and the pursuit of rights leads to tyranny.

A great example is how women’s rights have been elevated to the point where it is now acceptable for a mother to kill her unborn child. God never gave us freedom to murder.

The Bible and the Spirit are the dual means that God uses in the lives of his children to help them experience the true freedom that comes from being in conformity with his will. As believers in Christ, we know that we were on our way to hell before Jesus gave up his life to buy us back from slavery to sin by shedding his blood on the cross. He paid a terrible price for our freedom.

We now belong to God, not ourselves.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)

Slaves do not have the right to run their own lives: they serve their master. If you read Jesus’ words at the beginning of this lesson, you will see that is precisely what He taught His followers. Jesus lived this way, too. He said that He only did what His Father told Him to do.

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19 (NASB)

Yet Jesus is the most liberated and authentic Person who ever lived, proving that being obedient and under God’s authority does not infringe on one’s liberty at all. In fact, the very opposite is true: when we resist God’s authority to “do our own thing,” we become enslaved to sin.

True freedom is doing God’s will.

Therefore, we conclude that, as citizens of God’s kingdom, we lost our right to have rights as the world understands them. We belong to God, and his will takes precedence over everything else. Disciples of Christ have no right to hold grudges, be disobedient, insist on having our own way, or to have a prominent ministry or role in the church, government, or at work. Instead, we gain status with God by serving and considering others better than ourselves.

We also are most likely citizens of whatever country in which we reside. We have responsibilities there as well.

We walk in the tension created by the responsibility of serving God first and making other allegiances a lower priority.

We must maintain the freedom to live according to God’s Word and our consciences, no matter what others say or do. Even if it costs us our lives, we must insist that our freedom to live for God cannot be taken away.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Do you believe Jefferson was right when he cited God as the author of our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
  • Do you think disciples should engage in politics?
  • Do you believe that Christ’s commands in the Sermon on the Mount are meant to be taken literally? Why or why not?
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Chapter 48: Lordship Matters – Authority to Administer Church Discipline

Administering discipline to defiantly unrepentant members of the church is a responsibility that is unpleasant, yet sometimes necessary.

It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NLT)

No humble leader desires to use his or her authority in this way. Parents of small children have a similar responsibility to correct and discipline their children as needed. The failure to do so, according to the Bible, reveals a lack of love. Sometimes parents’ fear of alienating their children restrains them from carrying out their duty to administer discipline, which rarely produces good results. Likewise, if the church does not make a stand for purity and holiness, the leaven of sin may infiltrate and harm the entire church so that its testimony in the community may be severely damaged.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  1 Corinthians 5:6–8 (NASB95)

Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.  1 Timothy 5:20 (NASB95) —

People are precious to the Lord; so, we must be careful to handle disciplinary situations in the best way possible, that is, the way the Bible instructs.

Just as a parent disciples a child in the hope of helping that little one become a responsible, God-fearing adult, the church should use discipline in a similar way to hopefully inspire the unruly one to repent and live in a way that will bring God more honor and them more happiness and fulfillment.

Jesus gave us the basic guidelines for handling conflict and unresolved sin issues in Matthew Chapter 18.

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:15-18 (NASB)

Conflicts should be settled one on one if possible. Only if this fails should others be brought into the affair. After all avenues to bring about repentance and reconciliation have been exhausted, church leaders are responsible to use their God-given authority to disfellowship or excommunicate the offender.

This means the church only disciplines those who embrace a sinful lifestyle and refuse to repent, not those who simply struggle with some sin.

This requires leaders to prayerfully consider the attitude of their own hearts as well as the one who is under scrutiny regarding discipline.

In the final stage of church discipline, Jesus instructed us to treat the offender as a “Gentile or tax collector,” meaning that we consider them as someone outside the household of faith and blessing. Even though I am convinced that no one is beyond God’s love and care, functionally this is how we should treat them for their own good. Being excluded from church fellowship and functions should wake up the unrepentant one to the gravity of his or her sin.

A good guideline is that if the sin is private, correction can often be private, but if the sin is publicly known, the correction will likely need to be public as well.

Today the threat of excommunication (the barring from church fellowship and participation in the Lord’s Supper) has much less force than it did in the time when the Bible was written. Today recalcitrant individuals often withdraw (excommunicate themselves) from their local church before the leaders confront them and join another church, quite often with no questions asked by the new church’s leadership. The new church may open its arms wide, simply being glad to have someone new, without ever investigating if any problems may be trailing them. This is why it is such a good thing if church leaders in a geographical area have a good working relationship so that communication can take place in such cases.

When I was functioning as a lead pastor, when new people visited the church and showed an interest in joining us, I would talk to them about why and how they left their previous church. If there seemed to be any unfinished business, I would usually ask them to try to clear it up before joining us. Sometimes it would be impossible, but other times it was doable. Otherwise, the problems will likely be duplicated in the new church. If new people speak negatively about their previous church, it is a red flag. Quite often they will end up speaking ill of their new congregation, too, unless they resolve the issues. These are guidelines, not rigid principles. Every situation must be evaluated in its own light.

Paul gives us more insight into what it means for a person to be excommunicated in his first letter to the church at Corinth, where this took place.

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NASB)

We learn a couple of things at least from this verse. First, Paul lists several sins that can lead to being excommunicated, not just what is usually considered, such as adultery.

Generally, we feel more comfortable confronting sins in others, if we personally do not struggle in that area. We may be harsh with others, but gentle with our own sins. It is important to strive to be honest and humble. We all are sinners in some area or another.

How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Luke 6:42 (NLT) —

Secondly, we learn that excommunicating an unrepentant member of the church means much more than barring him or her from meetings. It prohibits other church members from having friendly fellowship with them, which some people call “shunning.” This may seem harsh, especially today when the world considers judging anyone to be morally repugnant, except of course when people in the world harshly judge the judgers. However, consider the alternative to this aspect of proper church discipline.

If church members continue to relate normally with someone who is rebelliously and publicly unrepentant, outsiders may conclude that the church winks at sin. The unrepentant one may conclude the same thing.

I know of entire families who no longer attend church meetings because of a past serious sin that their home church refused to confront.

The failure to properly administer church discipline may lead one to think that it makes no practical difference whether the sinner repents or not. Of course, God often directly chastens the sinner, regardless of what the church does. There are always consequences connected to sin.

Lastly, people in the church may be influenced to adopt similar sinful practices, seeing that there are no apparent negative consequences.

Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? 1 Corinthians 5:6 (NLT) —

Therefore, for the sake of the unrepentant sinner, the unsaved, and those in the church, we must lovingly and responsibly administer church discipline.

One thing that makes discipline so difficult is that we all know that we too are guilty of sin. King David failed to properly discipline his son, Amnon, who raped his half-sister, Tamar, Absalom’s full sister. Because David also had committed adultery with Bathsheba and indirectly murdered her husband, it seems that he was somewhat paralyzed when it came to properly disciplining his own son. No doubt, another aspect of his inaction was that he was wearing two hats – king and father. He probably should have recused himself and let someone else disciple his son.

We sometimes fail to discipline others when we have not confronted the same sin in our own lives.

David’s previous sin combined with his failure to properly discipline Amnon for his sin, brought the king and the nation some horrific consequences. Absalom became deeply offended and bitter with his father and his half-brother and took matters into his own hands. He ordered his servants to kill Amnon for his crime against his full-sister, Tamar, and later instigated a full-blown rebellion and coup against his father King David, which resulted in great loss of life, including his own.

All of this fulfilled what was prophesied by Nathan at the time of his earlier repentance.

Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’ ” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”  2 Samuel 12:9–14 (NASB95) —

This illustrates that sin has associated negative consequences that we can experience even after repentance and forgiveness. God will forgive us if we repent, but the law of sowing and reaping is still in effect. Nothing good comes from failing to obey God, and this includes matters of church discipline.

In addition to preserving our testimony in front of an onlooking world, protecting other church members, and eliminating corrupting influences from the church, proper church discipline seeks to bring the offending party to repentance and eventual restoration.

Again, we turn to Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name [authority] of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NASB)

When the offender is excommunicated, it removes him or her from the protective covering of the church. The reason for taking this radical step is to help the person to repent.

Just as the prodigal son “came to his senses” after he reaped the full measure of his folly, it is hoped that the same will take place with the excommunicated one.

This is exactly what happened in the church at Corinth.

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 2 Corinthians 2:6-7 (NASB)

In the above case, we see the best possible outcome and have modeled for us the correct attitude we must have when administering church discipline. Pride and self-righteousness will undermine the process and probably bring judgment upon us from God.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Galatians 6:1 (NLT) —

Let us never forget that all of us are completely dependent upon the mercies of God. However, we also cannot afford to succumb to the twisted logic of the world which would prevent us from judging at all.

In addition, we must be quick to forgive, if the sinner repents. In so doing we manifest our heavenly Father’s heart. Just as the father of the prodigal ran to meet his son at the first sign of repentance and returning, we too must be on the lookout for any signs of repentance and not be coolly aloof, demanding extensive proof of real change. Jesus told his followers to forgive far beyond what seems reasonable to us.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:21–22 (NASB95) —

When it comes to quick forgiveness, as Abraham Lincoln advised, if we are to err, let’s err on the side of mercy. Thank God that He forgives us even though we continue to struggle!

A wonderful example of proper discipline is found in John Chapter 8. A woman was caught, probably trapped, in the act of adultery. The man apparently escaped or got a pass. Perhaps he was the setup person. Nevertheless, the woman was unceremoniously dragged publicly in front of the Lord in order to force him to choose between showing her mercy and affirming the Law’s command to stone adulterers to death.

disciplineThe Jewish leaders demonstrate the very worst possible example of how to handle church discipline. They were harsh, unloving, and hypocritical. Jesus, on the other hand, was kind, merciful, and loving. The Jewish leaders wanted to embarrass her and treat her poorly. Jesus was never disrespectful, even as he lovingly confronted her sin and challenged her to repent. The Jewish leaders condemned her, but our Lord did not. As a result, she was salvaged and set free from her sin. I encourage you to read the passage and think deeply about it.

The heart attitude of those who confront sin will make all the difference. When people witness proper church discipline, it encourages them to be honest about their own sin. Harshness makes hypocrites of us all.

The authority to administer church discipline resides in the eldership of the local church. However, we all must participate in this ministry to one degree or another. Jesus made it clear in Matthew Chapter 18 that we all have a responsibility to confront evil. Paul challenged us to always act with humility and the fear of the Lord.

When the truth is spoken in love, it allows us to be direct without causing undue damage. If we are harsh, it may create problems beyond what already exists.

If we are faithful in this responsibility, we may help someone escape the clutches of sin and in so doing preserve many from its degrading influence as we keep our testimony pure before the world. 

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.  James 5:19–20 (NLT) —
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Have you ever witnessed or participated in some form of church discipline?
  • Do you think it was done properly?
  • What was the outcome?
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