Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It is Satanic. Satan is the "author" or "father" of rebellion. That necessitated war and warriors. We live in a culture that is becoming more rebellious and anarchistic and Satanic by the day.
"Avenge not yourselves." This is the parting paragraph of Romans 12. And it necessitates an explanation of G…
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It is Satanic. Satan is the "author" or "father" of rebellion. That necessitated war and warriors. We live in a culture that is becoming more rebellious and anarchistic and Satanic by the day.
"Avenge not yourselves." This is the parting paragraph of Romans 12. And it necessitates an explanation of God's ministry of vengeance. Romans 13.
In a world where "self-defense" is trumpeted, Scripture is very quiet.
"At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man." Genesis 9:5.
Abel was a companion (keeper) of sheep. Gen. 4:2.
Cain queried, "Am I my brother's keeper (bodyguard)?" Gen. 4:9.
God answered, "At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen. 9:5.
Here, we see that when God is insulted in the person of man, He does not avenge Himself, but delegates the avenging of that insult to Himself to someone else.
Likewise, He requires us to not avenge ourselves, but to rest our cases with Him. And in the very next verse, He lays down standing orders regarding how He intends to avenge us.
Authority--what is authority? Where does it come from?
6 times, Paul uses the expression, "principality and power" (KJV). The Greek is Arche (author and Exousia (authority).
The Creator (Father) is the great Author of all good.
Satan is the author of evil.
Both of these authors issue a stream of authority.
Jurisdiction--we are all born under the legitimate authority of God, AND the usurped authority of Satan.
Paul points us to this difference. "Let every soul (freewill) be subject (choose to serve) to the higher authorities."
Here is a crucial distinction--which authority is higher--God or Satan? We are born subjects of a lower authority. We are slaves. We are evil. We don't even want to be saved. However, a stronger power, and higher authority, interferes with the peace of Satan's kingdom. Jesus declares, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." John 6:44.
Are we forced to submit to the higher authority? No. But Christ died so that we would have the privilege found in the word "let." If He had not bound the strong man, we would have no opportunity to submit to a higher authority.
If we choose to submit to the higher authority, we choose to recognize His law as superior to the law of sin and death. Therefore, Satan's usurpation loses its authority over us. But does he still have "power?" Yes. He still has "dunamis" (dynamite), even though he has no authority over God's law. He had power to cause Christ suffering, and he still has power to cause suffering to God's servants. But in doing so, he is out of order.
"It is not authority if not from God, and the being authorities by God are drawn up in order." Paul's use of the Greek language is masterful. However, keep in mind that this only applies to those who have been "translated... into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col. 1:13.
Obedience to God is the prerequisite for His protection. It is the prerequisite for being delivered from the kingdom of Satan. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Rom. 7:16, 19.
We cannot make ourselves good. We cannot do good. But we can give ourselves to God, and He will do good in us, for us, and through us.
When we submit to the higher authority, good works will happen. We will exercise the gifts God has given in gratitude to the Giver. Men will see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. And even wicked, heathen rulers will praise our good works, even as they persecute us.
But all who refuse to submit to God become unfit to govern themselves, and must be ruled by tyrants.
"I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath." Hosea 13:11. "We are slaves... unto the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins." Nehemiah 9:37. "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34. "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
"Civil disobedience" by a Christian is simply submission to a higher authority than Satan. And only submitting to the higher authority can enable us to obey God, because it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." "Christ in you" does always those things which please the Father.
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It is Satanic. Satan is the "author" or "father" of rebellion. That necessitated war and warriors. We live in a culture that is becoming more rebellious and anarchistic and Satanic by the day.
"Avenge not yourselves." This is the parting paragraph of Romans 12. And it necessitates an explanation of God's ministry of vengeance. Romans 13.
In a world where "self-defense" is trumpeted, Scripture is very quiet.
"At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man." Genesis 9:5.
Abel was a companion (keeper) of sheep. Gen. 4:2.
Cain queried, "Am I my brother's keeper (bodyguard)?" Gen. 4:9.
God answered, "At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen. 9:5.
Here, we see that when God is insulted in the person of man, He does not avenge Himself, but delegates the avenging of that insult to Himself to someone else.
Likewise, He requires us to not avenge ourselves, but to rest our cases with Him. And in the very next verse, He lays down standing orders regarding how He intends to avenge us.
Authority--what is authority? Where does it come from?
6 times, Paul uses the expression, "principality and power" (KJV). The Greek is Arche (author and Exousia (authority).
The Creator (Father) is the great Author of all good.
Satan is the author of evil.
Both of these authors issue a stream of authority.
Jurisdiction--we are all born under the legitimate authority of God, AND the usurped authority of Satan.
Paul points us to this difference. "Let every soul (freewill) be subject (choose to serve) to the higher authorities."
Here is a crucial distinction--which authority is higher--God or Satan? We are born subjects of a lower authority. We are slaves. We are evil. We don't even want to be saved. However, a stronger power, and higher authority, interferes with the peace of Satan's kingdom. Jesus declares, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." John 6:44.
Are we forced to submit to the higher authority? No. But Christ died so that we would have the privilege found in the word "let." If He had not bound the strong man, we would have no opportunity to submit to a higher authority.
If we choose to submit to the higher authority, we choose to recognize His law as superior to the law of sin and death. Therefore, Satan's usurpation loses its authority over us. But does he still have "power?" Yes. He still has "dunamis" (dynamite), even though he has no authority over God's law. He had power to cause Christ suffering, and he still has power to cause suffering to God's servants. But in doing so, he is out of order.
"It is not authority if not from God, and the being authorities by God are drawn up in order." Paul's use of the Greek language is masterful. However, keep in mind that this only applies to those who have been "translated... into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col. 1:13.
Obedience to God is the prerequisite for His protection. It is the prerequisite for being delivered from the kingdom of Satan. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Rom. 7:16, 19.
We cannot make ourselves good. We cannot do good. But we can give ourselves to God, and He will do good in us, for us, and through us.
When we submit to the higher authority, good works will happen. We will exercise the gifts God has given in gratitude to the Giver. Men will see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. And even wicked, heathen rulers will praise our good works, even as they persecute us.
But all who refuse to submit to God become unfit to govern themselves, and must be ruled by tyrants.
"I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath." Hosea 13:11. "We are slaves... unto the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins." Nehemiah 9:37. "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34. "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
"Civil disobedience" by a Christian is simply submission to a higher authority than Satan. And only submitting to the higher authority can enable us to obey God, because it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." "Christ in you" does always those things which please the Father.