Authority For Good News

A search on 'authority' in the Bible will produce results from Genesis 39 all the way to Revelation 18. At the first it occurs with the word 'under' most every time, but after that things begin to go a bit off track, until Jesus comes and then there is quite a bit about giving. We do have a question of authority in this world, but what is it really? Authority: the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. A definition helps, but I see an 'or' in there. What about God who has power AND right? So, we're dealing with a more worldly definition when 'or' is included, I will assume. There is this verse from the Proverbs:

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; ​​But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.(29:2)

We tend to say, that if we have a righteous leader then things are just fine. However, our Constitution begins with "We the People..." So what happens when the people no longer have authority from God because of unbelief? Hmm, could be that we would have a government that is too big, perhaps seeking authority from overwhelming size; a divided and ineffective Congress because the voting people are themselves divided and uncertain; and perhaps a president trying to rule by executive order because he has no real authority from a divided people. We could go on about 5-4 Supreme Court decisions, boatloads of federal rules that no one can hope to know much less obey at all times, and government bureaucracies going 'off the reservation' in a manner of speaking.

According to the apostle, all authority comes from God (Rom 13:1); so, if we the people have lost our authority to unbelief, where does the authority go? Probably just what we see, agencies and governments grabbing for authority, leaders taking too much or too little authority, very close votes in elections and the houses of government, and a sort of wholesale mess in the courts, Yes, pretty much what we have going on all the time these days. Perhaps, if We the People will return to God, we can get some of that 2 Chronicles 7:14 action going: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Bucky