Fleshly criticism and suspicion. Open handed mutiny, the ease of verbal expression to wield idol words from un-thought sources. The very act of defending an uncaused, a stand on the truth that, truth be told more ascription than spiritual reality, justification by sense and emotion, reason, man's wisdom.
Humanism has the ring of degrading, of spiritual oneupmanship and prideful association to level the charge. It might prove better to assign it to the saint who ought to know better and look at it both from the unregenerate side as well as the wreckage still unreputiated within.
The natural still cannot trump the spiritual no matter how well it is crafted and mixed motives will always be flawed and deceptive, meaning well, doing well, fall far short of being and being well. Not in health as we might define it but in spirit and truth, fixed facts, root's, statements that are foundations;
Joh 14:6 [i]Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.[/i]
We run head long into an immovable wall with two choices; Stop and consider or turn tail and head back again.
Death is this wall.
The Cross is that wall.
Jesus Himself is the builder and maker of that wall.
Job 38:11 [i]And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?[/i]
Authority is the mortar that fixes and holds this wall. It is the law of gravity put to the test. It may be defied, dismayed and delayed, deny all that one will, corruption and destruction never will it see.
Luk 20:2 [i]And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?[/i]
Joh 7:46 [i]The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.[/i]
And how does this sit with us, when we are brought up to it? Some would prefer to have this power to use at there own discretion, to force or manipulate, to gain and hold control. It is denied them on principle alone. It is an usurping and assumption, that which borne out of pride is cast out just as the crafter and maker of lies was cast out, rejected;
Joh 14:30 [i]I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me.[/i]
Why then, is this such a difficult thing to understand in much of our musings and more so our actions?
[b]Submission[/b]
Another word with deranged definitions in our day. A word with hidden strength that was exemplified and proved out in exacting perfection in our Lord. How short and slow to hear, how much weeping ought to be the result of our missing this in our thought's and words, are self justification and offending\defending behavior.
[i]Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.[/i]
1Co 16:13-16
[i]quit you like men[/i]
What an incredibly strong statement that is, Albert Barnes describes it this way;
[i]It means, to render one manly or brave; to show oneself a man; that is, not to be a coward, or timid, or alarmed at enemies, but to be bold and brave. We have a similar phrase in common use: Be a man, or Show yourself a man; that is, be not mean, or be not cowardly.[/i]
Taken in the context of that passage, taken as the mutuality of authority and submission, taken as our Lord took it and expressed it, lived it out, laying down everything in submission to the Father. How far are we from this in easy criticism and outright rebellion often times.
[i]Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.[/i]
Eph 5:21-23
Note the order, not 'ordering' it follows straight on through.
Eph 5:24 [i]Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,...[/i]
Worth stopping just there, is it? Are we? How does the bickering and ease of evil speaking, wrong judgment of each other fall into line with this? The blaming and defending, the root cause's;
[i]Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.[/i] 1Co 6:7,8
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Heb 13:17 [i]Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.[/i]
Bring that alongside a couple others and compare;
[i]He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.[/i]
Luk 19:12-14
Col 3:22 [i]Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.
Honour the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.[/i]
1Pe 2:13-20
Something peculiar in re-reading this, the sentiment comes across in 'we' partially as to broad brush in generalities on the one hand and on the other the thought of "and who are you to speak such, by what authority do you speak on authority?" And it is a good question, I know that it comes from practical and real experience, from the wrong side side of it. In day to day submission to those who provide my sustenance by payment but greater still in submission to the Holy Spirit in the smallest of matters. In the former it may well be in check by and large, but what of the grumbling and the sighing?, the slight murmurings that escape the lip gate, [i] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.[/i] The latter ought to be the former.
This matter of authority is much maligned and greatly misunderstood. It is not 'ours' at all it seems, still much more to be developed.
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Mike Balog
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