Obedience, Rebellion & Wisdom
Many people have experienced in some measure or other what it feels like to have been dealt with unjustly by someone in authority. Even little children can sense when they are being dealt with unrighteously. It is why the Scripture tells fathers not to cause their children to stumble. Yet we would have to say, no matter how much we have personally experienced this effect in our lives, it is impossible to escape the reality of knowledge; that all authority comes from God Himself.
We Know already that in the Scripture we are told to submit to all in authority. And when we join in with believers in fellowship of the saints we very quickly are reminded that we must submit to those who are elders in the local church. It must be this way no matter how bad our own experience of life may have been. Those in authority in the churches who have understood this problem have been able to demonstrate a right exercise of authority to the good benefit of many. They overcame this problem by loving those they were called to serve as well as maintaining a right attitude to others who were in authority over them. This however, speaks of the church. Many are harmed long before they know anything about the reality of God’s authority in the church. They experience this harm in the world. Yet what the world does is really not something we as saints should concern ourselves with. Save to be wise about it. If a policeman asks you to do something it would foolish to resists if what is being asked doesn’t have any bearing on God’s Own Righteousness. If we are asked to do something which does have a bearing on God’s Own Righteousness, then we may well be found in disobedience. If this happens we should accept the consequences for the sake of righteousness. Not ours, but Christ Who became our righteousness. This is the meaning of turning the cheek and giving the shirt also. It is about our conduct bearing witness to Christ who died for us and became to us, Wisdom from God, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. So that none may boast.
We need to ask ourselves what happens when the abuse of authority isn’t the police or the judge or the magistrate or the tax inspector or the Doctor or the school teacher or our parents or even one parent. What happens when the abuse is in the Household of God? It would have to be said that we should still maintain a right attitude towards authority. Another question arising from this would have to be: How are we to maintain such an attitude if we are angered by our own experience and are become by that means more rebellious than most? For these few, outward rebellion is clearly visible and those in authority can easily see it. For the many this rebellion may be simply that which is common to all flesh which continuously resists God. That which is common doesn’t generally cause a great problem in the local church because the many have an understanding that they must be restrained if they are to be taught spiritual things. The few may well have no such knowledge and so when an elder or a pastor elder lays a set or rules at their feet and does nothing to help carry that burden of responsibility before God, the few stumble and often fall away from God for a season at least and may in fact suffer a deep pain knowing that they want to please God and yet they hate the way they are being burdened. Being unable to carry such a weighty burden may cause them immeasurable harm and could even lead them to shipwreck their faith.
Such a condition is really rather terrible, because the wicked one is always looking to see who he can devour next and seeing these few he goes right to work in their lives. It may seem a strange thing to say, but God Himself permits this because by it are these few tested, and being found certain in faith; seeing their own wickedness and sin, once more, they turn back to God with a groan and the cry of a child rushing into the arms of One who loves them as no other can love them. Perhaps many elders and elder pastors also understand this, and even rely on it as a way of measuring what they themselves are not able to measure; even the heart and intentions of man. However, whilst this is true, if those elders and elder pastors were to draw near to the flock of God and resist sitting upon a hill, they would no doubt have a more difficult personal experience themselves, but they would also at least see more of the reality of God in the lives of those who are unable to bear their own burden easily. Simply measuring by a measuring rod which is laid against men to test them often becomes the very cause which gives rise to offence and stumbling. It must be both the Rod and the Staff from which comfort is drawn down in experience of the saints.
Those who are called and desire thereby to serve and guard the flock of God should be mindful of their responsibility before God. Simply laying the rod will do nothing to restrain those who are severely wounded in life. Unless they see and comprehend that their authority is to “keep” and not to “scatter” they will never comprehend how to exercise their authority fully and "to the Glory of God and Christ". I am not writing these things from an intellectual position or from the position of an elder or an elder pastor; I am none of these things. My writing is from personal experience. This bitter effect was my portion from the very moment I entered into fellowship with the saints. It is God’s will for my life. It is also true that the Father in heaven has kept me from falling into a root of bitterness. It has been the love of the Father which has kept me from rejecting this cup of bitterness. This I believe is what Our Lord meant us to understand when the disciples asked “show us the Father that we might believe”. The Lord Jesus answered “have you not known Me yet”. Seeing this wonderful reality keeps me still and restrains me from driving those who have themselves driven me. It is the same for all of us in some measure, without exception. Otherwise we are in danger of developing a root of bitterness; an inability to forgive, and in time may even lead to a destructive heart.
My own mind in sharing this is simply to show that we all need to be kept by love. Husbands are kept by the love and faithfulness of their wives. Wives are kept by the love and proper exercise of authority of their husbands. Children are kept by the love of their parents. Saints are kept by the love and authority of elders and elder pastors, and we are all kept by the love of the Father through Christ Jesus who is evermore making intercession for those who are called by his name. The world will always cause stumbling. Few there are who are not stumbled by this world. It is also true that being offended in the church is inevitable. Whether that offence causes stumbling and a falling away, is a matter of wisdom.
Judgement begins in the Household of God. It does not begin with those who are offended, who stumble or those who even fall away. These are already being judged in their own bodies, which is inevitable if they do not judge themselves. The judgement of God will begin with those who have authority to keep the flocks of God and Christ. God’s judgement is coming and it is near at hand. In a moment it will overtake and lay waste to that which is unprofitable to Him. That which will be restored will be restored. And that which resists will be taken out of the way.
Edited for Spelling