Authority - How Do We Deal With It

I love the Word of God. I look forward every morning to my time in Bible study. I try and make it the first priority of the day, for if God has chosen to bless me with another day, the least I can do is spend time with Him and make Him first in my heart. And I am committed to reading the Bible from beginning to end, in a complete cycle that goes on over and over.

But as much as I love God’s Word, I struggle to obey it. I agree it’s right. I believe it’s true. I believe I am supposed to obey it. But every now and then I come across things in it, that I really wish weren’t there.

I am rebellious by nature. I don’t like to be told what to do. It’s not that I mind God telling me what to do. I trust in Him being true and righteous. But when it comes to man? Not so much. I struggle with authority. I don’t trust politicians. I don’t trust police officers and the court system of America. My supervisors at work were often poor leaders who made really dumb decisions so I didn’t trust them. But today’s Bible reading smacks me down. Hard.

Take a look.

1 Peter 2:13-17  

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

This is God’s Word. It is to be obeyed.

God’s command here is simple. I am to be subject to every human institution. Doesn’t matter at what level. There is no “Yes, but he’s stupid” clause. There is no, “Yes, but I don’t like that” clause. There is no “Yes, but he is a tyrant” clause.

The command is to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” And God made sure we understood the importance of this command as He repeats it three times in scripture. Romans 13 and Titus 3:1 echo this command.

And then we see in scripture, examples of how men obeyed this command, even at great peril to their lives. Stephan is an example of a life that followed this path. Read Acts 6 through to Acts 8:1. Rather than dispute the authorities that came after him, he used their attack as an opportunity to share the Gospel with those who were against him. This would culminate in his death by stoning. Yet, through it all, he stayed the course. He went to his death calling out to God for mercy and forgiveness to come to those who killed him.

Jesus did the same.

As Christians, this life is not meant to be lived for our comfort and our desires to be met. It is to be lived for Christ.

I don’t like what my government is telling me to do. But I need to humble myself before God and simply be obedient. Unless the authorities are directly telling me to not do what God tells me to do, I must obey. For God’s sake, not my own. Even if this leads up to my death, inflicted by an evil regime.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

God’s words, not mine.

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Joy In the Suffering

In the midst of these difficult days, the question of suffering is ever present in many of our minds. Each of us is enduring through this time of trial, some are even dealing with severe illness and death. The Bible actually does answer the question of why suffering exists. This morning I am continuing to study 1 Peter and in this scripture reading, is both an explanation and a command regarding our troubles.

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Wow, there is so much here.

First, it says we are to rejoice even though we are grieved by various trials. But it says “In this” we rejoice. In what? Go back to the beginning of 1 Peter and we see that “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.”

We should rejoice because God has saved us and given us eternal life.

Peter then tells us that if necessary, God is grieving us by various trials. We don’t all experience the exact same trials and grief, but we can trust in our God, who knows what we need to test the genuineness of our faith. Our faith, because it is results “in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” is more valuable than gold. Why? Gold, like everything else in the life, will perish. But not our salvation; it is eternal and will never pass away.

But we must admit, we have a tendency to lose sight of the eternal life to come. We get too focused on this life. Our money, our comfort, our plans and dreams, and even our loved ones, become what we focus on. Peter reminds us that we don’t see Jesus in person, like we do everything else in this life. But true faith, results in loving Jesus even when we don’t see Him. True faith gains its joy in the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

This is what Jesus is talking about when he said this in Luke 14:26,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus isn’t telling us to hate our family, that would contradict everything God calls on us to do in loving others. He is telling us that the focus and center of our entire being, must be upon Him. Then then the overflow of our love will pour out on those around us and they will be cloaked in our love.

In order for us to have joy, which supersedes happiness that is dependent on circumstance, our faith must be proven to be genuine. And in the most difficult of trials, our faith, if real, will result in rejoicing, because real faith has its hope in the eternal life, not this one.

So, take heart, brothers and sisters in Christ. God does not waste anything. This trial you are facing, no matter how painful, will prove the genuineness of your faith. And the result of that is “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” which is more valuable than gold.

If in this trial, you don’t have this joy, then you need to humble yourself before God and seek His face. Open up your Bible and find the promises He has to offer. Go to Him in prayer and cry out to Him.

Psalm 34:18  

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

He wants to bring joy to your heart.

Living As Aliens

This morning I have moved on to a new book of the Bible to study, 1 Peter. Peter begins with a salutation.

1 Peter 1:1-2  

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

There is so much beauty in the doctrines mentioned in this salutation. We see that we are chosen, we are sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit, we are called to a life of obedience to the Lordship of Jesus, and we are sprinkled by His blood. Because of all these doctrines, we experience His grace and have peace, in the fullest measure. We could spend weeks just exploring the theology of all this. In the commentary I am using in this study, there are countless scriptures to look up, to meditate in, and to grow in.

But this morning, as we find ourselves in uncertain times, I am called to bring to bring attention to a different doctrine of scripture, if you will. If you notice, Peter begins this letter by addressing it to “those who reside as aliens.” Obviously, in its strictest context, Peter was writing to people who had scattered into five different regions. But the Bible was not just written to the specific people it names, but it is also written to all who would call on the name of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” We know that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If we are men (or women) of God, then the Bible speaks to us as well.

So, in the beginning of this letter, we find a lesson that we all need to lay hold of. We are aliens in this life. We are not meant to live as if this is where we belong. For those who are chosen by God unto salvation, our home is not this earth. This life is not meant to be clung to. It is meant to be lived as strangers in a strange world, who are, like soldiers in an army, simply on a mission for our King, in a foreign land.

Look at a few other scripture readings that confirm this.

Philippians 3:20

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 


Hebrews 11:13-16  

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 13:14

For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. 


Hebrews 11:10  

For he [Abraham] was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

What God needs you to hear this morning, is that we can be at peace in the midst of the chaos going on around us. Along with the other difficulties of this life, we are right now living in a world where death may strike us at any moment. This virus is invisible. We cannot see it. It is difficult to fight something you cannot see. That is why camouflage is a standard issue uniform of a soldier. We have no idea when or where we might encounter this invisible enemy and we have no idea how it might inflict its effects upon is.

But what God desires we do, is to live in joyful expectation of the very worst extreme attack the invisible enemy can inflict upon us. Death. That is the worst thing that our enemies can bring upon us. But the fact for the Christian is that death is not defeat; it is victory.

Again, what does the Word of God say?

2 Timothy 1:10  

But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death is victory to the Christian. It is the culmination of our wanderings as aliens here. Physical death to the chosen people of God is only the beginning. We must live as soldiers in a strange land, fulfilling the mission are called to and doing so, not in fear of our death, but in eager anticipation of it. For in it is the victory, because of Jesus. Because of the power of resurrection.

As I close, I want to encourage each of us on the hope of what is to come.

Revelation 21:2-4

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

We can and must live in the peace of God. Even in the presence of invisible enemies.

What To Do With Good Friday

As we prepare our hearts for this coming Sunday, Easter Sunday, as many refer to it, or Resurrection Sunday as others prefer, it might be good for our souls to stop and pause to reflect on just what happened before Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave.

Today is Good Friday. The very name we have given it, calling it “Good” Friday, points to the victory over death and sin that Jesus secured on the cross and the resurrection that came on Sunday. But lest we lean towards taking this for granted, we should look back on the night before.

Having warned the disciples of what was about to happened, resulting in Peter’s over-confident ability in his flesh to stand behind Jesus all the way to death, Jesus spent Thursday night overwhelmed with grief.

Matthew 26:36-46  

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”  And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.  Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Oddly, maybe because I struggle with depression and have spent many hours praying though them, the narrative of Jesus in the Garden praying, is one of my favorite passages to read. I just think it is an imperative to fully grasp what Jesus was feeling in this time of prayer.

Luke 22:44 reveals the anguish He was experiencing as it says that, “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Jesus was in a state of despair and agony that I can only imagine was nearly unbearable.

But why? Though Jesus was fully man, He was also fully God and would have known the outcome. He knew the process of the actual crucifixion would last around six hours. Yes, He knew He would be facing a terrible beating before, that would have Him near death before they even nailed Him to the cross. He understood the pain and slow torture the cross would bring, so obviously he had good cause to agonize the night before. In His humanity, He knew pain and He knew the temptation to fear that we all have.

But even for the idea of all that pain, there was something far more horrendous and far more painful that He would endure and that is what drove Him to His knees in prayer, prayer so intense that he would sweat blood.

We must try and understand something that we cannot fully grasp and that is the concept of eternity and the concept of unity that transcends time.

Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit had been in perfect unity and harmony for eternity. They had never known separation. Their bond of love and perfect unity is beyond our understanding. Our sin nature prevents us from having perfect relationships that are free of conflict. But the Holy Trinity is a perfect marriage that was never in conflict. And had never been pulled apart in any way.

We also fail to understand that we really have never been completely separated from God. Though our sin does separate us in the relationship, God’s omniscient nature and the Holy Spirit’s work means that God is always here. The unsaved are also under the umbrella and influence of God’s sovereignty at all times. The worst part of Hell will be that it will be a separation from God as we have also never known.

What Jesus suffered on the cross was that separation, that penalty for sin that we deserve. For Him to be separate from the Father and the Spirit, was an unbearable ordeal as the weight of every single person’s sin was heaped upon Him. The weight of our own sin is enough to drive many to suicide, imagine the weight of the entire world’s sin for all time being placed upon Him. It would have Him go to the Garden and pray in agony for another way. It would have Him cry out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

So, today as we reflect on what this day is about, let us lament the sorrows of our sin. Let us repent with broken and contrite hearts. Let us remember exactly the price Jesus paid for us.

Then, when we get to Sunday, let us rejoice and worship God as we never have before. Let us lift high the name of Jesus. Let us commit to a life that is worthy of what he has done for us, walking in the power of the Spirit he has sent to live in us. Let us share the good news of the Gospel to all who do not know Him.