Honoring God’s Authority
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 9/15/2019 AM |
Text: | Hebrews 4, 10; Lord's Day 39 |
Psalters: | 276, 321, 223, 129 |
- The authority.
- God is in all of our life, and thus His authority is in all of our life.
- Authority is the God-given right to rule (not determined by greater size, power, wisdom, or any other ability).
- God delegates the exercise of His authority chiefly to Christ when He ascended: Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:19ff; Phil. 2:11,12.
- No one has the right to rule over others except it is given to them by God (John 19:11a).
- The home/family (where godly parents combine authority with love) is the school in which God teaches obedience.
- God requires that His children “show all honor, love, and fidelity.”
- Honor is an inner respect, to think highly of them, giving reverence (Heb. 12:9), showing inward respect (Lev. 19:3).
- Honor is always required – even and especially when we cannot obey or they sin against us or are wrong.
- Fidelity is faithfulness shown also when parents are old; there is no age limit to the honor commanded.
- Honor is the source of genuine obedience and submission.
- Obedience is a yielding of myself so I do as commanded.
- Honor submits when we may not obey, being willing to bear the consequences of not obeying them.
- Our heavenly Father encourages us by adding a promise to this commandment.
- God knows our natures, so He encourages us to obey with this wonderful promise.
- This promise was literal in the Old Dispensation - a type of divine blessing (and of the enjoyment of the blessing).
- In our Dispensation we look forward spiritually to the heavenly Canaan - an eternity of blessing.
- Compliance to authority (obedience and submission) is for our good, for without it orderly social life disappears into chaos.
- More importantly, this is well-pleasing to God (Col. 3:20).
- Finally, love God and show your love for Him by obeying Him and His will.
- God knows our natures, so He encourages us to obey with this wonderful promise.