Austin Bible Church
Authority is defined as; 1) the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; 2) the right to control, command, or determine, 3) a power or right delegated or given; authorization, 4) a person or body of persons in whom authority is vested such as a governmental agency, 5) persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law; government, 6) an accepted source of information or advice, and 7) a quotation or citation from such a source.
A believer cannot maintain and continue spiritual growth unless they are authority oriented. Learning Bible doctrine requires authority orientation to the Word of God and the pastor-teacher communicating that doctrine. Perception of doctrine using the grace apparatus for perception is the only way to advance spiritually. Such perception absolutely demands authority orientation. You cannot just read your Bible for yourself and understand the Bible doctrine contained in it. That's why God has given the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. Eph. 4:11.
"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers," (Ephesians 4:11, NASB)
The greater the authority over people, the greater the responsibility to people. No matter how high we go in life, there is always higher authority that must be recognized in order to perpetuate humility as orientation to life. Authority is not only a bona fide concept in Christianity, but in society as well.
Authority Orientation Produces Freedom
You cannot have true freedom without legitimate authority. God has established legitimate authority from the Word of God, within written laws, and within established rules, principles, or standards. God has delegated legitimate authority. Without legitimate authority, you will have only anarchy.
Illegitimate authority is generally established by unlawful or illegal force by the attainment of power without the lawful right to possess that power. Illegitimate authority is also that authority established by Satan in his world system of evil and deception. Such illegitimate authority has been demonstrated many times in human history through the seizure of power by force or deception. This has produced the dictators and tyrants of history. Illegitimate authority does not allow freedom and always results in tyranny.
Freedom includes; 1) authority orientation and enforcement of established laws and statutes, 2) the right of self-determination using your free will that does not violate established laws or authorities, 3) the right of privacy whereby you are free to hold opinions, make decisions, and engage in actions that do not interfere with the rights of others, and 4) the right to own property and protect it from others.
Arrogance always challenges legitimate authority and produces tyranny. This is Satan’s plan in action. Since Satan is the ruler of this world, he constantly seeks anything that will subvert and ultimately overthrow all divinely-delegated authority.
Authority has been an issue since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. They both rejected God’s authority even under perfect conditions. The woman rejected the authority of God and Bible doctrine, then rejected her husband’s authority, and accepted the authority of the serpent (indwelled by Satan). Adam then accepted the authority of the woman and threw his delegated authority away. 1 Tim. 2:11-12.
"A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." (1 Timothy 2:11-12, NASB)
Human freedom is based on four fundamentals - authority orientation, the Laws of Divine Establishment, the right of personal privacy, and the right to own and protect property. Together, these provide the same opportunity for self-determination for all.
There are continual attacks on human freedom from Satan and his fallen angels. Attacks on the right to own and protect one’s property come from secular humanism, Socialism, Marxism, or the welfare state. Slander and gossip destroy privacy and with it human freedom.
Human freedom can be lost through rejection of the rule of law, the Laws of Divine Establishment, demon possession, drug addiction, and acceptance of false teaching.
For the unbeliever specifically, human freedom can also be lost through demon possession. For the believer specifically, human freedom can also be lost through demon influence and the rejection of the Word of God.
Free Will and Authority Orientation
Authority orientation depends on free will to function. Human freedom allows us to accept or reject any form of authority in life, both legitimate and illegitimate. Although legitimate authority is divinely delegated through both the laws of divine establishment and the Word of God, these forms of legitimate authority mean nothing without human acceptance of them.
Illegitimate authority is based on mankind's arrogance from their old sin natures and the influence of Satan’s world system of evil. This arrogance rejects legitimate authority in life and is the source of evil in this world. Rejection of authority causes people to degenerate, either morally or immorally.
Children rejecting the authority of their parents leads to rejection of other forms of authority such as the teacher, the coach, the police officer, etc. Their attitude toward their parent’s authority when in the home determines whether they will mature or not and whether they will continue that arrogant rejection of authority into other areas of life. Predominant rejection of authority of parents destroys a society.
Rejection of a legitimate government’s authority is destructive to a nation, a state, a city, or even a group. Rejection of some forms of authority may lead to criminality. Such people reject the authority of the police officer, the judge on the bench, and of management. This also results in self-induced misery. Such miserable people also make those around them miserable.
When we choose to orient to legitimate authority, we are blessed both individually and collectively. However, when people through arrogance use their free will to make decisions from arrogance to reject legitimate authority, it has both personal and national repercussions.
We are all products of our own decisions. Good decisions by orienting to legitimate authority produces a capacity for life. Bad decisions by rejecting legitimate authority will to ruin their lives. Col. 3:25, Hosea 8:7, Gal. 6:7, Prov. 22:8.
"For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." (Colossians 3:25, NASB)
"For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up." (Hosea 8:7, NASB)
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (Galatians 6:7, NASB)
"He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish." (Proverbs 22:8, NASB)
When people use their free will to accept illegitimate authorities, this can give rise to dictators and tyrants. This has happened many times in human history where small groups such as the Bolsheviks and the Nazis gained control over millions of people because those people chose to surrender their freedoms for the illegitimate authority’s promised security and unearned gain.
When believers use their free will to grow spiritually through the daily use of the grace apparatus for perception, they will make informed good decisions for legitimate authority and will receive divine blessing as a result. Good decisions from a position of strength place the believer in the directive will of God. The believer is both protected and blessed in the directive will of God.
When believers reject authority in childhood, they will reject the authority of Bible doctrine which is rejection of God's protection in His directive will. Rejection of the authority of God in the believer’s life is a guarantee of a miserable life.
Authority Orientation And the Will of God
The will of God or divine sovereignty includes the directive will of God, the permissive will of God, and the overruling will of God.
The Directive Will of God
The directive will of God includes His commands to believers and unbelievers. The directive will of God means that He has a plan for each believer’s life. For mankind in general, He has a system of order called the laws of divine establishment. Under the directive will of God, there is no divine discipline. Under the permissive will of God, there is divine discipline.
The Permissive Will of God
The permissive will of God permits the function of free will in opposition to His commands or negative volition. When we sin by disobeying God's mandates, the permissive will of God allows the sin to occur, but administers appropriate divine discipline. The permissive will of God allows human volition to be expressed under human freedom as they are the means of resolving the Angelic Conflict.
The Overruling Will of God
The overruling will of God prevents self-destruction or national destruction because a sufficient number of growing and mature believers live in that nation. God protects those maturing believers and blesses the Bible doctrine in their souls and the application of that divine viewpoint to the believer’s life. By association, the city, state and nation where such believers live receive an overflow of blessing from God. This is how a nation is preserved.
When we sin and then confess our known sins to God the Father, this grace process puts us back under the directive will of God. When we are under the permissive will of God resulting in divine discipline, the only hope for a nation is the overruling will of God.
Our nation is now under the permissive will of God because so many people have rejected the rule of law, rejected the laws of divine establishment, rejected every form of legitimate authority, and believers have rejected Bible doctrine. Our nation is being disciplined by God and will intensify as the nation degenerates.
God designed the believer to function under His directive will. When the believer rejects the authority of the Word of God, he has rejected the authority of God in his life and has accepted the illegitimate authority of Satan’s world system of evil and deception.
Authority Orientation to Your Pastor-Teacher
Divine authority is presented in the Word of God. God’s authority is delegated to the pastor-teacher of the local church for the communication of Bible doctrine. His is responsible to God the Father for the correct teaching of the Word. The pastor-teacher is also responsible to delegate authority within the local church to those with administrative gifts to govern the overall function in the local church. The pastor-teacher's authority is limited to the believers in his local church. The pastor’s authority does not extent outside the local church. The evangelist has authority outside the local church over those unbelievers to whom he communicates the Gospel message.
The function of the grace apparatus for perception requires the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. To do this, the believer must first be filled with the Holy Spirit. To ensure that this has happened, the believer must name their known sins to God the Father per 1 John 1:9.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NASB)
The function of the grace apparatus for perception demands authority orientation in the form of academic discipline when the pastor is teaching Bible doctrine. With this academic discipline, the believer chooses to focus on the teaching of the Word of God and to behave such that they do not pose a distraction to others who have also chosen to focus their attention on the message being taught from the pulpit. This is just having thoughtfulness of others and respect for the Word of God.
The pastor-teacher cannot communicate what he has not learned. Therefore, he must prepare for the ministry and also prepare the spiritual information for each and every message using many hours of study under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
Believers are required to orient themselves to the pastor’s message out of respect for the authority of the Word of God and respect for the authority of the pastor-teacher. The pastor's personality or looks or voice or teaching style are never to be the issue in authority orientation. The believer is to orient to the authority of God's message being taught. Heb. 13:17.
"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17, NASB)
The pastor is responsible to the Lord for the function of his ministry, not to the congregation. When the pastor-teacher does not teach as he should, God administers a double portion of divine discipline to correct him. This is because he is in a spiritual leadership position of authority. God also administers divine discipline to the believer who does not orient to the authority of the Word of God and the authority of the pastor-teacher communicating the message that God would have him communicate. God protects the pastor's authority. In Isaiah 54:17, there is a warning not to tamper with God's communicators.
""No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17, NASB)
The pastor-teacher’s responsibilities are described in the following verses. Eph. 4:11, Eph. 4:16, Col. 1:23, Col. 1:29, 2 Tim. 2:24-26, 1 Tim. 3:1-9, Titus 1:6-9, Phil. 2:16-30, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Eph. 3:7-13.
"from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:16, NASB)
"For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." (Colossians 1:29, NASB)
"The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26, NASB)
The pastor's authority is documented throughout the Word of God. 2 Cor. 10:8, 1 Thess. 5:12, 2 Cor. 13:10.
"For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame," (2 Corinthians 10:8, NASB)
"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction," (1 Thessalonians 5:12, NASB)
"For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down." (2 Corinthians 13:10, NASB)
Some believers will inevitably become disenchanted with their pastor-teacher for one or more reasons. Some may be legitimate but most are not. If this disenchantment turns to more serious mental attitude sins like slander or maligning or conspiring with others against him, be very aware that this combination of sins will result in triple divine discipline. The triple discipline is for the mental attitude sin, the arrogance of thinking you should do God's disciplining of the pastor for Him, and for the other verbal sins that you stated to others in your slander and maligning. You do not want this. Matt. 7:1-2.
""Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2, NASB)
The principle here is that if you do not agree with the pastor’s authority or teaching for any reason, simply and quietly walk away and seek another pastor-teacher’s authority to whom you are willing to orient. See category on Authority in the Local Church.
Problems From Authority Disorientation
Peter’s Denial of Christ.
Peter was enthusiastic and dogmatic in Luke 22:33-34. Later on, after our Lord was arrested and was being taken to His six unlawful trials, Peter denied knowing our Lord three times because he was afraid of the consequences of stating his true spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
"But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."" (Luke 22:33-34, NASB)
Johanan’s Disorientation to God’s Authority
Johanan was very cordial and had the talk of authority orientation with Jeremiah when he asked Jeremiah to pray to God for guidance. Jer. 42:2-3, Jer. 42:5-6.
"and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do."" (Jeremiah 42:2-3, NASB)
"Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. "Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God."" (Jeremiah 42:5-6, NASB)
Jeremiah replied ten days later that the Lord had told him for Johanan and his people not to go down to Egypt. Jer. 42:4.
"Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you."" (Jeremiah 42:4, NASB)
Johanan feared the king of Babylon. Jer. 42:11.
"'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,' declares the LORD, 'for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand." (Jeremiah 42:11, NASB)
God promised famine, pestilence, and death as divine discipline if they went to Egypt. Jer. 42:16, Jer. 42:17, Jer. 42:18.
"then the sword, which you are afraid of, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there." (Jeremiah 42:16, NASB)
""So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them."'"" (Jeremiah 42:17, NASB)
"For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "As My anger and wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach; and you will see this place no more."" (Jeremiah 42:18, NASB)
Johanan decided to travel to Egypt anyway. Jer. 42:21-22.
"So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God, even in whatever He has sent me to tell you. Therefore you should now clearly understand that you will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence, in the place where you wish to go to reside." (Jeremiah 42:21-22, NASB)
The reply of Azariah and Johanan and all the arrogant men was that Jeremiah is a false teacher. Jer. 43:2.
"Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there';" (Jeremiah 43:2, NASB)
They tell Jeremiah that his #2 man, Baruch, influenced him and that God hasn’t given you the message. Jer. 43:3.
"but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon."" (Jeremiah 43:3, NASB)
Johanan decided they were not going to stay in the land of Judah where God had promised them blessing, but to travel to Egypt against the warning from God. Jer. 43:4.
"So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah." (Jeremiah 43:4, NASB)
Jeremiah had been taken to Egypt, but still gives them divine viewpoint that their ultimate destruction will come in Egypt! Jer. 43:11.
""He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword." (Jeremiah 43:11, NASB)
The true problem finally comes out. They are negative to Bible doctrine and God’s prophet and they had created a matriarchal society. Jer. 44:15-16, Jer. 44:17.
"Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you!" (Jeremiah 44:15-16, NASB)
""But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune." (Jeremiah 44:17, NASB)
God promises judgment on them for their negative volition and resulting authority disorientation. Jer. 44:22.
""So the LORD was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day." (Jeremiah 44:22, NASB)
The death of the remnant of Judah was almost complete, but a few would return to Judah. Jer. 44:28.
"'Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs." (Jeremiah 44:28, NASB)
Lack of Authority Orientation Leads to National Degeneracy
Nations that do not observe the four Divine Institutions collapse into internal decadence. There is failure on the part of fathers in the homes to teach salvation and spirituality to their children. Exodus 20:5, Prov. 3:11-17.
""You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me," (Exodus 20:5, NASB)
"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace." (Proverbs 3:11-17, NASB)
The Four-Generation Curse
You may be under a family curse simply because from generation to generation there has been no Bible training in the home and no adherence to the four Divine Institutions. There are “rebellious children” and “strangers to the grace of God.” Children are to be taught by their parents to “honor your parents in the Lord” as in Exodus 20:12. Eph. 6:1-4.
""Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12, NASB)
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:1-4, NASB)
The four generation curse is described in the Proverbs 30:11-17. In the first generation, there is rebellion against parents and lack of respect for their authority. Prov. 30:11.
"There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother." (Proverbs 30:11, NASB)
In the second generation, the gap widens between parents. Children are unsaved and believe they know it all. You can’t tell them anything. Prov. 30:12.
"There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness." (Proverbs 30:12, NASB)
In the third generation, pride is personified. They believe they have all the answers. They believe that parents are old fashioned and just want to be left alone to live their lives of materialism and the pursuit of money, exotic cars, etc. Prov. 30:13.
"There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance." (Proverbs 30:13, NASB)
In the fourth generation, the children are characterized by violence, rioting, and mob action. Nothing is ever solved through this. Prov. 30:14.
"There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords And his jaw teeth like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men." (Proverbs 30:14, NASB)
Note Proverbs 30:17 and Matthew 15:4, where the fourth generation meets with a violent death. This generation is characterized by society owing me a living, by violence, rioting, mob action, revolution, and trying to overthrow the stable structure of a country. Does this sound familiar? See category on the Four Generation Curse.
"The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it." (Proverbs 30:17, NASB)
""For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'" (Matthew 15:4, NASB)
Characteristics of a Nation Before it Falls
One of the characteristics of the parents and children in a nation before it falls is the “give me” complex that never seems to be satisfied. In Proverbs 30:15-17, the “leech” refers to the horse leech that is common in the marshes and pools of Palestine. This parasite elicits feelings of aversion and horror because of their propensity to fasten onto the tongue and nostrils of horses when they come to drink out of the pools and stay fastened until they are entirely full of blood. The analogy is used to demonstrate the attitudes of the people in a degenerating nation. These people are blood-suckers and always want more.
"The leech has two daughters, "Give," "Give." There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, "Enough": Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, "Enough." The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it." (Proverbs 30:15-17, NASB)
“Sheol” refers to hell that can never be entirely filled. The “barren womb” always wants children. God has a purpose for making the womb barren. The parched earth is another analogy because dry earth always wants water and can never seem to get enough. A raging fire analogy refers to the overpowering destruction that self-centered arrogance causes in a nation.
Proverbs 30:18-20 speaks of the people’s inability to resist destructive temptations. The eagle characteristically hits their prey suddenly and without warning. Here, the analogy is the degenerate people (the prey) do not heed warnings (divine discipline) and get attacked as if they were not warned.
"There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid." (Proverbs 30:18-19, NASB)
The snake slithers along the ground and then suddenly strikes. The analogy here is that the hidden temptations of life can be destructive. The ship can be a pirate ship that is deceptive and attacks by fooling their target into thinking they are friendly and mean them no harm. Here, the nation’s youth can be fooled because they have no discernment. The “man with a maid” refers to immorality and seduction.
The Solution to the Four Generation Curse
God’s solution to the four generation curse is always extensive training of the people in the Divine Institutions and the Laws of Divine Establishment, salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, and the believers’ spiritual growth in Bible doctrine. A nation rises or falls on the basis of adherence to the Divine Institutions, adherence to the Laws of Divine Establishment and dissemination of the Word of God.
The Thessalonians had heard about the return of Jesus Christ at the Rapture and decided to do nothing since He was coming back so soon. It has been almost 2000 years since 1 Thessalonians was written about in 54 AD. They would have had a long wait.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NASB)
Some of you may think that our nation’s degeneration cannot be stopped and get the idea, “What’s the use?” You think you will die anyway and the nation is going to be destroyed. So you go lazy, you sluff off the unpleasant things of life, your mental attitude is laziness, etc. So will our nation fall? Are we going to be judged? Will our nation be an occupied nation? Are many of us going to die?
The plan of God makes His grace resources available to all believers to live a contented life under all possible conditions and situations. His plan is always for the believer to use His grace resources to “handle it” not to avoid it.
Normal Living Under Storm Clouds
The book of Exodus describes Israel in Egypt in slavery, but they lived a fairly normal life, had children, raised them, and a lot of evangelism went on. In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah’s preaching extending the life of the nation.
The Assyrians had invaded the ten northern tribes (the Northern kingdom) in 722 BC. In 700 BC, with Assyrians breathing down his neck, Isaiah begins to minister. The result was God’s deliverance by judgment of the Assyrians in Isaiah 37:36.
"Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead." (Isaiah 37:36, NASB)
Jesus Christ holds the record for killing in a battle, 185,000. The Fifth Cycle of Discipline actually came in 586 BC, 114 years later.
Daniel handled the Babylonian captivity with daily academic and doctrinal training and normal living under difficult conditions. The result was God’s provision. Daniel 1.
"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it." (Daniel 1:1, NASB)
"Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah." (Daniel 1:6, NASB)
"Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials," (Daniel 1:9, NASB)
"As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams." (Daniel 1:17, NASB)
"The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service." (Daniel 1:19, NASB)
We are to work hard in the face of imminent danger with our confidence in the Lord’s grace provisions. 1 Thess. 4:11.
"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you," (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NASB)
Make maximum use of your time God gives you on this earth. It is allotted to you in days and when a day is gone, it is gone. We are to have inner tranquility and a peaceable spirit. We are to be diligent in our daily responsibilities of taking in the Word, prayer, our family, our job, academics, etc. 2 Cor. 4:16.
"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16, NASB)
Spiritual production is needed by the believer for the nation to prosper. This is God's command to every believer. You are to fully utilize each day regardless of how difficult times become. Redeem the time. Always utilize the principle of authority orientation.
Greek Words for Authority
Authority is established as a bona fide function on the basis of certain Greek words found in the New Testament. The word ὑπακούω (hupakouō) means to listen, to obey, be obedient to, to submit. Rom. 6:16, Eph. 6:1, Col. 3:20, Matt. 8:27, Luke 8:25.
"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Romans 6:16, NASB)
"The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"" (Matthew 8:27, NASB)
The word υποτάσσω (hupotasso) means to be subordinate to authority in rank. Rom. 8:20, 1 Cor. 14:32, Eph. 5:22, Col. 3:18.
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope" (Romans 8:20, NASB)
"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." (Colossians 3:18, NASB)
The word κυριότης (kuriotēs) means one who possesses dominion, power, lordship. Jude 1:8.
"Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties." (Jude 1:8, NASB)
The word πείθω (peithō) means to obey. Gal. 5:7, Heb. 13:17, James 3:3.
"You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (Galatians 5:7, NASB)
"Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well." (James 3:3, NASB)
The word πειθαρχέω (peitharcheō) means to obey a superior or a ruler. Titus 3:1.
"Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed," (Titus 3:1, NASB)