The devil’s cunning when he wants to make your life a life of going in circles.
When the devil wants to make your life a perpetual cycle of starting over, a life of going in circles, of quarrels, of constant tearing apart, of systematic division, or even of coup d’état, he won’t fight your ability to pray, but he will persuade you not to respect or obey established authorities, especially when they are wicked and rule unjustly. However, it is written in the Word of God: “Children, obey your parents in everything” and then in the same passage, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters.” Translated into today’s language, this would mean “Employees, obey your employers.”
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” Colossians 3:20-23
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Elsewhere, the apostle Peter also commands submission and obedience to the same authorities, including those of difficult character: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” (1 Peter 2:18)
The author of the epistle to the Hebrews also commands you to submit and obey your spiritual leaders who watch over your souls, namely the apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelists under whose authority God has placed you:
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17 (The Message version)
And finally, also under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Romans 13:1-2
So, the question is: Why does God insist that every saved believer be submissive and obedient to the authorities established among men?
Paul first explains here that the notion of authority comes from God. It’s His idea! It is not God who elects a head of state, a mayor, a governor, a prefect, or a director; but it is He who instituted the notion of authority because it is the key to order in a territory. Without authority, there is no order, and without order, there is chaos. Now, God is a God of order, not of disorder.
Just as you cannot say, “I love God whom I cannot see, but I do not love my neighbor whom I see”; you cannot say, “I obey God whom I cannot see, but I disobey the authorities that God has established in my life and who are accountable for me.” Paul explains that whoever obeys established authority obeys God. So obeying God does not only mean being accountable to God alone! No, because God has established authorities in different areas of your life, and obeying God also means obeying these different figures of authority (parents, employers, mayor, minister, prefect, pastor, etc.).
Wherever you live, there are established authorities, chosen by men but allowed, instituted by God so that there may be order in that territory. And respecting them and obeying their instructions is obeying God. And Paul adds that whoever resists the head of state, the prefect, their parents, their employer, or their pastors, resists the order that God has established, and thus resists God.
The only case where you should not obey authorities is when they ask you to disobey the Word or an instruction of God.
“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'” Acts 5:29
What does this mean practically?
It means, beloved, that if your father or mother, or if your employer or even your pastor orders you to do something you don’t want to do and this order is not contrary to the Word of God, then you must obey, because by obeying the established authority, you are obeying God.
Paul specifies that when you must obey established authority, do so “not only when they are watching, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:22-23
This means “do it with a simple, humble heart, filled with the fear of God, not to be approved by authority, not because of the benefits you will have if you do what is ordered, but do it out of conscience towards God.” In other words, obey men as you would obey God.
To achieve this, you must see, behind this figure of authority giving you orders, God Himself who is giving you orders…
This text is an excerpt from the book “GETTING OUT OF INNER PRISONS” written by Apostle Yvan CASTANOU.
We invite you to read the following article “What to do when you are confronted with abuses of authority?“
A life of going in circles.
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