Whose authority do we bow to?

My thought today were in part in response to a BBC World Click Online slot where people were responding to an earlier program on freedom of speech on the internet. And also a reflection on a piece by Pastor Ray McCollum which I will include at the end of this post.

The Click Online narrator asked the question whether, if we are going to regulate what is available online, who or to what authority do we allow to police this and more to the point, who will determine what is acceptable and what is not. Obviously each government is going to have individual ideas on what is acceptable and in good taste and what is not. Iran will differ from the USA, and China from South Africa. So who do we allow to be the authority on our beloved www?

The idea of free speech also came up on the BBC website as it considered whether the posting of the gruesome beheadings of the foreign hostages in Iraq should be allowed or not. Also who would view these murders. I liked one post which in essence claimed that it only takes one viewing to understand the totally depravity of these people. One viewing to understand the palpable fear that grips the victim. One hearing of screams to understand the horrific pain. But the second viewing is merely entertainment. I agree. I saw one, It was enough. I do not need to see any more.

These people were around long before the USA invaded Iraq. The methods were in use by these same people, but not given the coverage until western foreigners became the victims. For people to claim that this is a direct consequence of the war in Iraq should view one of these gruesome video clips, take a history lesson or two, and maybe leave their own country for a year or two and live in a country whose basic societal structure has not been founded on Christian principles.

But my thoughts today are not about free speech. It is about who is our authority, or more correctly who do we allow to be our authority. One of the great things about living in India is to see states like Bihar which demonstrate that there is a very very fine line between democracy and anarchy. In the west we want to live in a society that has laws and is regulated but only to a degree. We don't want these rules to impede our personal freedoms. And often the people who commit crime, do so knowing that it is illegal but do it because it is expedient for them. This reminds me of many of my Muslim friends in Lucknow who would not consider something a sin unless they were caught. (Sins against God were different - they ones they were talking about were sins against others.) Teenagers often push the boundaries of legality because of the prestige it brings among peers. Even generally law abiding citizens will break what they consider innocuous laws (how many people do you know who speed?) This of course can also be seen in the form of the USA foreign policy. It has been stated by Bush that he will always act in the interest of the USA. If that means dropping an atom bomb (think Hiroshima), then so be it. If it means invading Iraq in what is generally acknowledged to be an illegal war, then so be it. I once read that laws in some parts of the world are considered suggestions more than imperatives.

In the Old Testament of the Bible there is recorded a time where judges ruled Israel. And towards the end of that time it is written that, "every man did what was right in his own eyes." Hmmmm ... how dissimilar is this to what we see around us today? Let me close today with the article from Pastor Ray. It is part 3 of a series of his called "7 Principles of Spiritual Authority." Check out his website at http://www.pastorray.com

-->TBD

In the first three studies in this series, we laid the foundational understanding of the various levels and dimensions of authority. We saw how they relate to each other. Now we can draw some practical conclusions about spiritual authority as it relates to the Christian and the local church.


1. Never obey any authority that grieves the Holy Spirit, contradicts the Word of God, or violates your personal conscience.

Some parents tell their children to shoplift. Some bosses ask their employees to lie. Some husbands demand behavior from their wives that violates their conscience. Some church members are expected to submit to Pastors or Leaders in matters about which they (the members) have no peace. Do parents, bosses, husbands and Pastors represent authority in our lives? Yes! Are we to submit to them? Yes! But does that submission transcend the "higher powers" God has put in our lives? No!

2. Obedience is behavioral; Submission is an attitude. So submission does not always imply obedience.

I can refuse to obey and still be submissive. If my employer instructs me to do something that violates the Word of God and my personal conscience, I can refuse to obey and still maintain a submissive attitude. Being a submissive wife doesn't mean obeying every whim a husband may put forth. I have been asked to do things by my spiritual authority that gave me no peace. I respectfully decline. That is not being rebellious!

3. All submission to spiritual authority in the Kingdom of God is voluntary.

Legitimate spiritual authority understands that submission can never be extracted or enforced upon someone else. When children are growing up, parents have the right to demand respect and obedience from their children. Bosses can require certain procedures, dress codes or conduct on pain of severance of employment. Civil authority "bears the sword" (Romans 13:4) of law enforcement. Refuse to obey and they can put you in jail or even shoot you.

But it is not so with spiritual authority!

The moment someone "UN-volunteers" to submit to spiritual authority, the game is over. The only right I have in the lives of our church members is that which they choose to give me. And that varies from person to person. Some folks trust me with their lives. I have to watch what I say to them or they might risk life and limb to get something for me. Others simply come to church each week and listen to my sermons. The greatest honor one can give me is, "Just tell me what you want me to do." And I better be careful how I handle that! In the next Good News, we'll show you why this is always the case.