Lesson 59 – Under Authority (Submission)

Text:   Deuteronomy 28:1-2,15 ESV  “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  (2)  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.

(15) “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Intro:

When God entered into covenant with the nation of Israel they agreed to come under His authority. They accepted the terms and conditions God outlined in His commandments, laws, and statutes. As long as they walked in obedience they would be blessed. If they rebelled against His authority and disobeyed His commandments, they would be cursed. This concept continues in the new covenant. A basic understanding of authority made it possible for a centurion to have faith that Jesus was able to heal his servant.

Matthew 8:8-10 KJV  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.  (9)  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  (10)  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

To please God, it is necessary to understand spiritual authority and fully submit to that authority. Spiritual authority flows downward from God through those who are under authority.

Obedience:

The authority of God presents each one of us with a clear choice: submit to God’s authority and obey Him, or rebel against God’s authority by disobeying Him.

Acts 5:32 KJV And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Romans 10:16 KJV But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

2 Thessalonians 1:8 KJV In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:22 KJV Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Obedience is required of us if we desire to be saved. Jesus set the perfect example of obedience for us in surrendering his will and always doing the will of the Father. “For I do always those things that please him.” (Joh. 8:29)

Disobedience to the will of God is rebellion against God’s authority. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples of rebellion in Scripture or in modern-day life. First, the root of Satan’s rebellion against God was pride. He exalted his will over God’s will. He rejected God’s authority and sought to be his own authority.[1] Satan always desires to undercut the authority of God in any way that He can.[2] He attempted to do this most directly when he tried to convince Jesus to fall down and worship him. However, Satan’s efforts in this area generally consist of trying to undermine God’s authority by convincing people to disobey God in some way.

The first example of man’s disobedience to God was when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil despite God’s commandment not to do so. By doing this, Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority and replaced it with self-will. In reality, they submitted their will to the will of Satan.[3]

Pride is often the root of rebellion. Miriam and Aaron rebelled against God when they rebelled against their man of God, Moses. God had delegated great authority to Moses, and Miriam and Aaron were jealous. God took this as an affront to His authority and dealt swiftly and severely with the rebellion.[4] Rebellion is a dreadful and contagious sin. When people sympathize with someone who is rebelling against God, or against God’s delegated authority, it is only a matter of time till rebellion rises in the hearts of the sympathizers as well.[5]

Submission:

To know God’s will and to obey it is to be subject to God’s authority. The suffering and death of Jesus Christ was the supreme example of this principle. Christ’s submission to an undeserved death was the highest expression of obedience to authority.[6] If we are to overcome our carnal nature as well as Satan, we must submit ourselves to God.

James 4:6-8 KJV  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  (7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (8)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The New Testament Church operates on submission to spiritual authority. We are to submit ourselves to the man of God who was responsible for us being born again. You do not choose your spiritual authority to whom you submit yourself. God chooses that individual by organizing them to preach the truth of the gospel to us.[7]

Conclusion:

To be considered as submitted, each of us must be accountable to a man of God. Accountability is God’s method of protecting us from our own folly. Submission protects us from being “puffed up” or proud. It is possible to obey without submitting, but you cannot submit without obeying. Everyone needs an Apostolic man of God to whom they are voluntarily accountable. The ministry is called to give an account for those they lead. It is impossible to give an account for someone that is unaccountable? Even the Apostle Paul made himself accountable to the elders in Jerusalem whenever questions arose about Gentile believers and the Jewish law.[8] To have Divine favor and protection; everyone, including pastors, must be accountable to his pastor and elders. Submission to your Man of God and being accountable to him is a spiritual covering for you and your family. Many a pastor’s marriage and children have been saved because of the intervention of their spiritual authority. Most men that fail God or go into error, are men that do not practice submission. Some ministers demand a very high level of accountability from those they pastor; yet, they refuse to answer to anyone.