God’s Supreme Authority

 

AUTHORITY means rightful power. Even though those in authority can do as they wish and command obedience from others, the concept of rightful power in the Bible is given to God alone. He is the ultimate ruler over all His creation.

O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:6)

He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings . . . . (Daniel 2:21)

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. (Romans 13:1)

In Genesis, God put creation under human dominion with this expressed in many ways. Yet even with human authorities to rule us, the Lord has ultimate authority over our lives. All of Scripture declares our need and responsibility to put our lives into His care, under His sovereignty, and submissive to His judgment.

The OT word concerning God’s authority is literally “hand” . . .

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. (1 Chronicles 29:12)

This authority is related to God’s absolute power. Isaiah 59:1 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear” and this power is demonstrated over and over. His hand not only created the world but sustains it. His hand works truth and justice, guides His people, works on our behalf, satisfies or withholds the desire of all living things, and fulfills His sovereign will.

Human authority is God’s prerogative. Jesus said to those who arrested Him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above  . . . .” (John 19:11) acknowledging the legitimacy of human authority but not making it absolute. It is from God, but it is not God.

At one point, Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” putting a premium on obedience to the demands of human authority. However, His focus was not on setting that in concrete. Instead, He was pointing out that a heart of rebellion is more dangerous in us than the demands of any Caesar outside of us. One author says that the danger to my soul from unjust, secular governments is nowhere near as great as the danger of pride that kicks against submission to God. Unjust human authorities cannot send me to hell but pride and rebellion sends everyone to hell who doesn’t have a Savior.

This means recognizing human authorities as subordinate and glorifying God as sovereign, yet also recognizing those earthly authorities as God-ordained and not shaking my fist against what He has put in place. My allegiances must be warranted, limited and shaped by God’s authority. Besides, He is able to remove any authority He puts in place. They are not sovereign or all-powerful; only God is!

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Knowing God is the ultimate authority helps me with another word that many do not like; submission. God wants my total submission to Him yet I’m also to submit to any authorities that He has ordained. However, If those authorities demand that I violate the authority of God, then He gives direction for such situations: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Even so, this requires careful discernment of my motivations and of what God asks me to do. Sometimes those in authority over me are revealing my pride and rebellion — that I’m actually going against God who is at work to melt that attitude into sweet surrender. That means requesting clarity such as, “Lord, if this is from You, then I accept and yield to it. If not, show me how to respond so that I am recognizing and submitting to Your authority over me.” Amen.