January 27, 2011
Abdicating Authority
I hold a couple of different roles where I have to guard my position of authority. Often someone either tries to take authority away from me, or else they want me to freely relinquish it to them. It seems the more others try to take my authority, the more territorial I become. Sadly, when it comes to Christian authority I don’t always portray that same boldness. “…Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” (Titus 2:15b NIV)
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Gail;
-----Authority has been one of mankind’s most hotly debated topics. Anything one person can say about it another person can deny, because the human condition is still in the state of denial about God’s authority. Even the Christian condition is. He wrote us a book greatly summarizing for us a bit of what He knows and wills, yet even with that in hand we have not sorted out the problems about authority. Although we have placed ourselves under Christ’s authority, we do not live error free in that state. So, whether by innocent limitation of understanding or by egotistical biases, much of what we think and do is out of synch with what God knows and wills.
-----Then it is not surprising that others try to take your authority. Some may try to just deny being in your realm of authority. And they will offer scriptural support for their positions. Another surprise is that if one does not join humility, respect, and responsibility with his authority it will simply dissipate in reverse proportion to how much damage he has the power to cause.
-----That is why America was such a unique experiment amongst the nations of peoples and the Church such a unique group amongst people’s associations. History demonstrates the tortures by which governments maintained their authority. But America barred its ability to abuse its people and based its authority upon a continuing humility, respect, and responsibility towards them. Although the church abused people horribly a few centuries ago, today, it has lost its abusive weapons. Unfortunately, America is on the verge of finding them as it looses its humility, respect, and responsibility.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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