Category Archives: Authority

Child dressed in police uniform saluting a police officer on the street
Authority, Bible, Evil, Fear, Good, Respect, Romans, Scripture

NO FEAR OF AUTHORITY

ROMANS 13:3

“For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;”

Okay, be honest. You’re traveling down the road at just over the speed limit and you see a police car. What do you do? You instinctively take your foot off the accelerator, right? You tap those brakes just a little and then you watch in your rear view mirror to see if they turn around and turn on their blue lights. That may depend on just how fast you were driving. The point is we all have that little fear of getting a speeding ticket.

Paul tells us in today’s verse to just drive the speed limit, and you will have no fear. Well, he didn’t exactly say that, but you get my drift. He asks, “Do you want to have no fear of authority?” And then he answers his own question. “Do what is good…” If we are obeying those in authority and doing good toward them, we will have no fear of them. Paul tells us those in authority are there for a reason – to point us toward good behavior.

APPLICATION

The Greek word translated by the phrase “cause of fear” is phobos. We get our word phobia from that. It’s a fear that causes you to withdraw. I have a fear of snakes. When I see one, I want to go the other direction. I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone would want to touch one, at least a live one. Paul is telling us that our authorities in our lives should not cause us to withdraw. Quite the contrary, we should be drawn to them if we are doing good.

Paul makes the point that authorities are not in our lives to make us fearful of doing good but rather to make us fearful of doing evil. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I feared my dad’s belt, not for doing good things to my siblings, but for doing bad things to them. And that fear was a healthy fear, not a scared to death fear. I knew he was shaping my future behavior by how he dealt with my misbehaviors.

What are you fearful of? I pray it’s not those in authority over you. I pray your response to them is a healthy respect and obedience, so you will not have to fear consequences for not obeying their guidance. May your response be exactly what Paul says in the last phrase of today’s verse. “Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;” Amen?

Thank You, Lord, for those whom You have placed over me. Help to bless them as I serve them.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Medieval sword resting on parchment documents and scroll on wooden table
Authority, Bible, Romans, Scripture, Subjection, Submission

SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY

ROMANS 13:1

“Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

I can think of no better passage in Scripture to address today’s verse than Mark 12:13-17. I know it’s a long passage but bear with me. “13 Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and *said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and do not care what anyone thinks; for You are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God in truth. Is it permissible to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 Are we to pay, or not pay?’ But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.’ 16 And they brought one. And He *said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ And they said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ 17 And Jesus said to them, ‘Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at Him.”

In Paul’s time all the ruling kingdoms were pagan kingdoms, so this was a great topic to address to first century Christians. It still applies to us today. All around us we are witnessing pure anarchy in the streets. It’s not just here in America. I hear stories from all over the world. People don’t like their government, so they revolt. As followers of Christ, we answer to a higher authority and therefore have to trust Him.

APPLICATION

Paul discusses this topic of submission to governing authorities in the first seven verses of chapter 13. Obviously, this was a question raised by more than one early follower of Christ. Were they to continue to obey Roman law? Paul basically says, “Yes.” Unless the governing authorities are telling you to do something illegal or immoral which goes against God’s law, you should obey them.

I can think of a time in the early days of the Christian movement when Peter and John faced such a question. They had been arrested by the Jewish leaders. Look what happened in Acts 4:18-20. “18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’” 

Now, listen carefully. There may come a time in your life when you are faced with such a dilemma. Do I obey the authorities even though I know it is not God’s Will or do I follow God and accept the consequences that come? There are many in the world who face that question daily. Let’s covenant to pray for them to have strength in the face of adversity. Until we are faced with such a question, we are to be obedient to God by being obedient to those in authority over us.

Sometimes Lord, it’s hard to submit to those I disagree with, but help me be obedient to You by being obedient to them.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Authority, Bible, Equality, Robbery, Scripture

DON’T JUST GRAB STUFF

PHILIPPIANS 2:6

“who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,”

In the Massai culture, if something is lying around not being used, they are free to pick it up and use it. A friend of mine served in Southern Kenya among the Massai and experienced this firsthand. He had laid his jacket on a chair outside his house while he was working only to discover it missing later. A few days later he saw his jacket on one of his Massai friends. He asked him about it and was told that since he wasn’t using it, he felt he could just pick it up and wear it. After all, he needed a jacket. Lol

This verse today contains a word that you normally would not associate with Jesus. “Something to be grasped” is translated in some versions as “robbery.” The Greek word in the noun form only occurs here. The verb form is used elsewhere. But here, this word really points to the thing being robbed, not the act of robbery. Let’s look at what Jesus did.

APPLICATION

Paul is continuing the thought of Christ’s humble attitude to which we should aspire. Christ was God. There is no question about that. He knew that and could have at any time exercised His authority. He chose to give up that while in this human form, but it was still His. He repeatedly told His disciples that He and the Father were one, did He not?

Okay, okay! We are not God. That’s a fact. However, we can choose to not grab or seize things out of respect for others and to show our own humility. Paul has been telling the Philippians to consider others before themselves, right? Jesus is our example for that. What do you need to lay down today out of respect for someone? Are you trying to seize power or authority that you could have at the expense of others?

Humility is hard. You’ve heard the song that says, “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” A lot of us live that way. We equate humility with weakness which it is not. Humility takes a lot more strength than bullying. Don’t believe me? Give it a try and let me know how easy it was. But Jesus tells us to do this very thing. Stop grabbing and start releasing.

Thank You, Lord, for the power You give me through humility.

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Authority, Bible, Head, Scripture, Sovereignty

HE IS THE HEAD

COLOSSIANS 2:10

“and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority;”

What a week! Since his inauguration, President Trump has taken control of the U.S. government and started putting into place the promises he made during his campaign. Not all of these promises will be fulfilled due to conflict with those who oppose his plans. Nevertheless, he is the head of the U.S. for the next four years and will govern in a way that he said he would. We know God establishes kings and kingdoms. God has allowed President Trump to be in this role, just as He allowed President Biden to govern the past four years.

Our verse today shows us a much bigger head of authority. That is Jesus Christ! Paul says, “He is the head over every ruler and authority.” The Greek word for “head” is kephalé which “primarily denotes the physical head of a body, but it is also used metaphorically to signify leadership, authority, or the source of something. In the New Testament, kephalé is often used to describe Christ as the head of the Church, indicating His supreme authority and leadership.” (Strong’s Lexicon)

APPLICATION

Every ruler in every nation is there because God allowed them to be there. Some are good rulers, while others are not. We should pray for godly, Christian leaders for every nation on earth. Only His Spirit can effectively guide rulers to rule justly and honorably. Ephesians 1:22-23 says this about Christ’s headship. “22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Do you remember what Jesus told Pilate when he was questioning Him before His crucifixion? In John 19:10-11, we see this exchange. “10 So Pilate said to Him, ‘Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?’ 11 Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.’” 

So, how does this verse apply to you and me? We need to be aware of the sovereignty of God in all situations. I truly believe every person who ever supervised me was placed there by God for me. I have had good bosses and not so good bosses. God has a plan for each of us. He placed Jesus as head over all authority. So, trust His placement of authorities in our lives.

Lord, I may not always agree with those who are over me, but I will yield to their authority because You have allowed them to have that over me.

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Authority, Bible, Dominion, God's Will, Heaven, Kingdom, Majesty, Power, Scripture

UNDER HIS FEET

EPHESIANS 1:22

“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church,”

To put your feet on someone can be degrading. No one wants someone’s dirty, nasty feet on them. My wife makes me take off my shoes when I come into the house to keep my “nasty” shoes off the floors. We tend to think of feet in that way. But we are also told “how beautiful are the feet of them who bring good news.” (Romans 10:15) So, feet aren’t all bad, are they?

Of course, Paul isn’t really talking about Jesus’ feet. He is talking about His authority over all things. That’s what the second part of the verse says. “Put all things in subjection” means to arrange things under God’s plan. God knew from the foundation of the universe that His Son would be in authority over all things. That has not changed, nor will it ever!

APPLICATION

Over in 1 Corinthians 15:27, Paul says the same thing about Christ. “For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.” Christ rules over all, except the Father to whom He willingly submitted without ever giving up His position.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) begins by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Jesus said this right before He ascended to heaven. I don’t think He was exaggerating. If He had been the Father might have said, “Uh, Son, I just heard what You said. Come again?” LOL. But I don’t think God, the Father, had to say that. He had given all authority. He reigns supreme.

Knowing that, what will you do with it? Why do you worry about tomorrow? Christ is in control. Why do you fret about that doctor’s diagnosis you just got? Christ has authority over that too. Why do you stay up at night wringing your hands over things that you cannot change? Christ has His foot on it. Trust Him. He is truly King of kings and Lord of lords.

Thank You, Lord, for reigning supreme over all things.

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Authority, Bible, Eternity, Exalting, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Kingdom, Majesty, Power, Scripture

FAR ABOVE ALL

EPHESIANS 1:21

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Okay, if you know me at all, you know I am a huge Georgia Bulldog fan. I follow their sports teams, especially the football team. They won back-to-back national championships and are picked to win it again next season. They are currently ranked #1 in the Pre-season poll. Being ranked high at the beginning of the season, however, doesn’t mean quite the same as being ranked at the top at the end. And teams move up and down in the rankings as the season progresses.

Aren’t you glad Jesus’ ranking doesn’t change? Paul says just that when he uses the Greek word huperanó, which comes from two Greek words, huper and anó. Literally, it means “beyond above.” Paul is saying Jesus is so far above every rule, authority, power, dominion and name that you can’t even compare Him to them. He is super, exceedingly above. His ranking will never change. He has been, still is and will forever be above them all.

APPLICATION

Philippians 2:9-11 describes Jesus similarly. “9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” One day, everybody will bow. They will all concede His authority. No one nor nothing will ever take His place.

Paul continues this thought in Colossians 2:10. “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority.” This theme ran through these three letters, which were written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. The authorities who had arrested Paul were no match for Jesus. Paul wasn’t worried about his imprisonment. He knew who was ultimately in charge.

How about you? Are you worried about who is charge? Jesus is! No one else. Others may think they are for a season. They may use their authority in a way that is not appropriate. But every authority, every ruler, every power will one day bow. I have already bowed to Him. Have you?

O Father, You have placed Your Son in an exalted position that will never change.

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Adoration, Advocate, Atonement, Authority, Bible, Crowns, Eternity, Father, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Scripture

HIS RIGHT HAND

EPHESIANS 1:20

“which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,”

What is the best seat you ever had for an event? Maybe you had a front row seat for your favorite artist’s concert. My sister has awesome football season ticket seats at my alma mater, the University of Georgia. They are on the 12th row and about the 45 yard line. For those of you who follow American football, you know those are good seats. You can almost smell the sweat from the players, lol.

Paul explains in today’s verse that Jesus has the best seat in the house (of heaven). He is seated at the right hand of the Father. That’s the place of honor. We are going to look at a few other references to this seat today. I am sure Paul had these in his mind when he penned these words. Jesus is worthy of this seat. His Father in heaven was holding it just for Him after His completed work on the cross.

APPLICATION

When Jesus was being tried before the Sanhedrin, we see this from the mouth of our Savior in Luke 22:69. “‘But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ 70 And they all said, ‘So You are the Son of God?’ And He said to them, ‘You say correctly that I am.’” Jesus knew He would return to heaven and be seated at His Father’s right hand.

In Hebrews 8:1, we see this reference to Jesus in heaven. “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,” This high priest is none other than Jesus. He has fulfilled the role of high priest in offering the perfect, final sacrifice of Himself to satisfy the wrath of God.

Finally, over in Colossians 3:1, we read this. “Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” One day we will see this same Jesus, seated right there in His proper place. We will behold what the Scriptures have said about Him. We will bow before His throne. Are you ready?

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge You as worthy of this honored, holy seat which has been reserved for You.

For more verses on the right hand of God, check out this site:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Right-Hand-Of-God

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Advice, Allegiance, Allies, Authority, Bible, Church, Counsel, Direction, God's Will, Leading, Scripture

SEEKING COUNSEL

GALATIANS 1:19

“But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.”

I have had the privilege to work with some fine men through my lifetime. I won’t begin to name names for fear of leaving someone off the list. Some of these came to me through my work environment. Others came through church or a men’s group. Some I chose, and others chose me. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

As Paul made his journey to visit with Peter, he had the opportunity to meet with a lot of different people. Jerusalem was still the hub of Christianity at this time. Surely there were more apostles present besides Peter and the one named in today’s verse – James. Scholars disagree whether this was the James, the son of Alpheus and cousin of Jesus, or James, the actual brother of Jesus born to Joseph and Mary. Irregardless, this James was a leader of the young church there in Jerusalem and someone who could come alongside Paul.

APPLICATION

We have another reference to James in the book of Acts that is quite interesting. In Acts 15, there is a council held in Jerusalem. You really need to read verses 1-21 to get the full picture, but here is Paul and Barnabas before the council giving evidence of the work of God among the Gentiles and seeking the church’s approval of their methods.  After some discussion and Peter’s speech, James speaks up. He is obviously the leader of the church by this time. Verse 19 says, “‘Therefore it is my judgement…’” This is James giving his judgment.

Why do I bring this up? Why point to this passage while discussing Galatians 1:19? Paul had no idea how God would use this James in latter years. But here we have evidence of James’ leadership. That leadership, that respect from the other apostles, gave James the role he held in Acts 15. God led Paul to James early in his ministry in order to seek counsel from the future leader of the church.

From whom do you seek counsel? Do you ask the Lord about that before you seek it? You know, He may direct you to someone you would never think of. He may put someone in your path who has just the right words for you. Don’t just go to your buddy or pal or best friend. Seek counsel from those you respect as a leader in your church. Go to an elder or deacon whom you have observed for a while. God’s counsel is not spoken through just anyone. Be selective and watch how God works.

Lord, You have blessed me with many great counselors in my lifetime. Help me be that for others.

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Accountability, Authority, Bible, God's Will, Harm, Scripture, Teaching

THE RIGHT TOOL

ZECHARIAH 11:15

“And the LORD said to me, ‘Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd.’”

My dad had quite the tool collection when he passed away. Over decades he had accumulated those tools, one by one, as he needed them. I remember him telling me that if he had a job to do at the house or on one of our vehicles that required a certain tool, he would purchase it. That way he would have it the next time it was needed. Having the right tool is important.

The Lord tells Zechariah to act the part of a foolish shepherd and acquire the wrong tool. Cyril explains it well. “Good shepherds, who understood their business, had slight staves, that, if there should be occasion to strike, the stricken sheep might not be bruised; but one who understandeth not, beats them with thicker clubs.” Right job, wrong tool. Damage was done with the wrong tool.

APPLICATION

There are so many good applications to this truth today. Let’s take, for example, preaching and teaching about God. We have the perfect tool to use for that – the Bible. Those who study and prepare are able to use it for God’s glory. Others use everything but the Word. They use social media. They use lights and music. They will use anything but the Word. Right job, wrong tool.

If you are in the position to lead others in your church, remember to use His Word. James 3:1 says, “Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.” This is serious business. We have to use the right tool and use it correctly. Even the right tool handled incorrectly can harm.

I am thankful for mentors in my life who have taught me well. They showed me the importance of holding God’s Word in the highest regard and to be careful in how I handle it. I have to be careful to make sure everything I say is based on His Word, not mine. I know I have the right tool, and I know I have the right job. But I must continue to sharpen my skills in handling this tool.

O God, Your Word is the truth I need to share. Give me the wisdom to teach it well.

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Authority, Bible, Heaven, Justice, Kingdom, Kings, Scripture, Witnessing

PRIEST AND KING

ZECHARIAH 4:14

“Then he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.’”

I have had a lot of titles in my ministry career. I have been a Director, a Social Worker, a Vice President and many more. I have loved most, if not all, my positions of ministry. Each gave me a purpose and drive. My current title of International Coach and Prayer Coordinator for Every Man A Warrior is a joy. This two-fold title suits me perfectly at this time in my ministry career.

So, who are these “two anointed ones” mentioned in today’s verse? Some scholars believe that are supposed to represent Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua, the High Priest. Others believe they are symbolic of Jesus as Priest and King, two titles that He fulfilled in His coming. Some even think these are the same two people who are called the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3. We don’t really know, but we can be assured that they represent our Father in heaven.

APPLICATION

How does this verse apply to us? It is because Jesus is our High Priest and King that we can even look at these truths in God’s Word. He opens our eyes and ears to see these words of life. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God right now, interceding on our behalf. Whoever these “two anointed ones” are, they are a part of God’s messengers to us.

Right now in the heavenlies there is a war going on for the souls of men. Because we have a High Priest and King in Jesus, we can rest assured that the battle is won by Him. He is the ultimate authority. He is the overarching ruler.

I can’t say it any better than the author of Hebrews. In 4:14-16, he writes, “14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.”

Thank You, Lord, for fulfilling all prophecy. Thank You for being our King and High Priest.

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