Authority:
the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
“he had absolute authority over his subordinates”
Oxford English Dictionary
Authority is an interesting idea. It has two levels. The first and most immediate is the power that it gives to the person bearing it. Behind this power, however, is another level. All authority is bestowed. It is delegated to the person who has it by a higher source. And that higher source is the true center of power. The higher power must be legitimate. It must be true. Any authority that we encounter in our lives, ultimately, is a reflection of this higher source of power. Unless you are this legitimate, true higher power, you cannot create your own authority.
The truth about authority:
Authority must be given to you.
Authority must originate from a true, legitimate source of power. This higher power may be many steps removed, but all authority passes down through a chain of command.
There can be only one true, legitimate, ultimate source of authority. Anyone who claims authority is either acting on behalf of the legitimate higher power………or is an imposter who has created his own authority………or is acting on behalf of an imposter who has created his own authority.
Real authority is permanent.
Real authority never changes.
We all exercise some degree of authority. You may have authority over an army of millions. Your authority may be limited to your Labrador retriever. In either event, if you are honest, you need to know where your authority ultimately comes from. More to the point……you need to know if the source of your authority is legitimate.
For the Christian, this is simple. The ultimate and only legitimate source of authority is the God of the Bible……the God who teaches us to love him and to love one another.
For the secular humanist it is far more problematic. In practice, the secular humanist relies on multiple sources of authority. They are often in conflict. They change frequently. The authority that was preeminent when you were a child is no longer on your radar. The authority that told us that the earth is flat and is the center of the universe has been replaced by NASA. There is a darker side too. We are very good at choosing an authority that endorses the things that we want to do…….. the things that satisfy our current appetites.
Possible sources of secular authority:
Science
Our political party
Fox news
CNN
Donald Trump
Nancy Pelosi
Our appetites
So…….my challenge for this week is this:
Make an honest search for the source…..or sources……of your authority.
Then ask the fundamental question…….is the source of my authority legitimate…….is it true?
Because, in the end, this will determine if your authority, if your life, is legitimate.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Mathew, NIV
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus, NIV