If you haven’t noticed, God is big on authority. He is, of course, THE AUTHORITY in all the universe in all things. Nothing in nature functions except by the authority of the Almighty - sun, moon, stars, the earth, light, blue jays, bears, butterflies, big fin tuna, earthworms, flies, wind, rain, clouds, oceans, atoms, cells, et al. He has established how they function, and they cannot go beyond those boundaries.
Only man has been given the choice as to whether to question the authority of God. Man’s questioning of God’s authority began in the garden of Eden and has been happening ever since.
When Jesus had come into Jerusalem that final week and had driven the money-changers and sellers out of the temple He created quite a stir. The temple authorities then came to Him with this question: “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” Jesus answered their question with a question of His own, not wanting to fall into their little trap. However, the question itself is a legitimate one we need to ask.
In my own life, do I have the authority of God to do what I do? When I gossip and repeat stuff, do I have the authority of God? When I treat my wife like a household servant, do I do that with the authority of God? When I make fun of my husband behind his back, do I have the authority of God? When as a father, I leave the child rearing to my children’s mother, do I have the authority of God? When I tell someone they don’t need to be baptized into Christ to be saved, do I do that with the authority of God? We could go on.
On the other hand, do I resist the authority of God in any way? When the word teaches me to go on to perfection, and I’m not trying to do that, do I not resist the authority of God? When I’m taught to pray without ceasing and I’m not doing that, am I not resisting God’s authority? When the word says to tell the good news and I ignore the lost, what does that say about me and God’s authority? Hmmm?
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