Category Archives: Authority

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Authority, Bible, Hebrews, Scripture, Subjection, Victors, Victory

NOT YET

HEBREWS 2:8

“‘YOU HAVE PUT EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”

Today’s verse is both exciting and frustrating to me. On one hand, I am excited that God has placed everything under the feet of Jesus. We’ve mentioned this before. He is Lord over all. But on the other hand, I am frustrated that this has not happened yet. The time has not yet come. We know the time will come sooner or later. I may not see this in my lifetime, but then again, I might.

The quote is from Psalm 8:6. We’ve seen the writer quote Psalm 8:4-6 in verses 6-8 of Hebrews 2. He makes it perfectly clear that “all things” are subject to the Son. He says, “He left nothing that is not subject to him.” I like what Matthew Poole says about the last phrase of this verse. “it is evident to our sense and experience, that though he hath obtained this sovereign dominion over all on his ascension, yet he hath not exerted his power in utterly subjecting and triumphing over his enemies at present, nor in reducing all his own people to subjection to him; yet this shall be gradually done in every age, and completely when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, to punish his enemies with everlasting destruction,”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

The Promise to claim is clear here. One day we will see this. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 tell us so. “24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”

Won’t that be a glorious day? Can you imagine a perfect kingdom ruled by a perfect ruler? No more elections to try and get a better President or Prime Minister or Governor. Jesus will reign supreme. He will reign with power and authority. He will vanquish all that is evil from this place and establish a new heaven and a new earth. We will see this one day.

I could also point us to a Command to Obey. Now, you may say I don’t see a command in that verse. And you would be right. But isn’t there one implied? If all things are going to be subject to Him, that includes us. We must subject ourselves to Him. We need to do that now. Don’t wait until that day. Subject yourself to Jesus today. Allow Him to rule your life supremely. You won’t be disappointed.

All things will be under Your feet, O Lord. I bow before You today.

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Priest anointing an elderly woman at a church altar
Anointing, Authority, Bible, Hebrews, Kings, Messiah, Scripture

THE OIL OF JOY

HEBREWS 1:9

“‘YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF JOY ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.’”

We don’t do a lot of anointing with oil in the Baptist church. If I asked someone if they had ever been anointed with oil in my church, I would probably be greeted with a blank stare, lol. I have anointed people at some special meetings. I once anointed my son’s bedroom window and door because he was being awakened at night with nightmares. After anointing his room, the nightmares stopped. Now, don’t read too much in that. I don’t possess any special powers. We just dedicated that room to Jesus and any evil spirits that were bothering him were sent fleeing.

In the Scriptures, we see the anointing with oil happen when a new king was appointed or a new high priest. Samuel anointed Saul and David. It was a sign of selection for a certain purpose by God. The passage quoted from today is from Psalm 45:7. As I mentioned earlier in our study, this Psalm is considered a prophetic Psalm about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

What can we see in this verse today? For one, I see a Promise to claim. Jesus, our Savior and Lord, has received the anointing from the Father. I really like the reference to anointing which is found in Isaiah 61:3. “To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Some have called Isaiah 61:1-3 “Jesus’ job description.” He replaced our mourning with the oil of gladness or joy by redeeming us to His Father.

I also see Something new about God. It’s not really new, but as we apply it here, it could be seen that way. Jesus’ anointing placed Him above His companions. Barnes says, “that is, above all who sustain the kingly office. He would be more exalted than all other kings.” Well, of course, He would be, right? There has never been nor will there ever be a king or a ruler (President, Prime Minister, etc) who could come close to ruling as Jesus rules. No other person can claim that authority. He is the One Supreme Ruler for all time.

Take a minute and thank the Lord for His anointing over you. You may not have had perfumed oil poured over your head, but His anointing is poured out on us when we receive Him as our Lord and Savior. His anointing is for eternity. You don’t need a physical oil placed on you to be holy. However, if you choose to be anointed with oil, see it as an outward expression of something has happened internally in your spirit. It can be a special moment of remembrance. You are anointed!

O Father, thank You for anointing me as Your servant. Help me as I seek to serve You in whatever way You choose.

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Christ crowned and seated on a jeweled throne among angels and lions
Authority, Bible, Hebrews, Kingdom, Scepter, Scripture

THE SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 

HEBREWS 1:8

“But regarding the Son He says, ‘YOUR THRONE, GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.’”

Every play or movie I’ve seen that had a king in it included a scepter. That scepter was either made of gold or ivory or wood, but it was always decorative. The scepter is a symbol of authority. He who wields it is in charge. We don’t see that a lot nowadays, but back in the day when kings ruled the earth, the scepter was a fixture in the hands of those kings. People knew what it meant.

Our Old Testament quotation in today’s verse is from Psalm 45:6. This comes from a Psalm written by the sons of Korah and is considered a song celebrating the King’s marriage. This Psalm is considered a Messianic prophecy pointing to Jesus. Take a few minutes and read the entire Psalm. It’s only seventeen verses. Reading any verse in context gives it a fuller meaning. Our writer in Hebrews applies this verse to our Lord Jesus. He declares Him as the supreme ruler with His scepter in His hand.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

A Command to Obey is implied here since we are talking about Jesus holding His scepter. We are to obey Him because He is the authority in our lives. We obey because we know He rules righteously. We obey because His kingdom is forever. The verse from Psalms says so. Forever is a long time. There are no term limits to Christ’s rule. It is for eternity. Thus, we obey.

There is also a Promise to claim. If Jesus is King (and He is), and if He will rule forever (and He will), we are given a promise that we too will live with Him forever. We are told in Romans 8:17a, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,…” We will live forever in His kingdom as joint heirs of all that is His. Wow! We don’t deserve it, but we are given it. That is quite a promise, isn’t it?

I have this picture in my head of Jesus sitting on His throne holding that scepter given to Him by His Father. As we approach Him, He extends the scepter for us to touch. This is His offer of grace and mercy. We do not need to fear His wrath because we are His children. When we come to Him in submission and humility, He receives us and loves on us. That’s my King. That’s my Savior. I revere Him, but I do not fear Him. Approach Him today and touch His scepter of righteousness.

You are King of all, dear Lord. Thank You for accepting me into Your kingdom.

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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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