Word of Encouragement (11/19/2020)

Yesterday, I shared an R.C. Sproul’s quote about Christian life: “We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” We talked about how our Christian life is not just a compartment in our life but encompasses every aspect of our life. Sproul provides three things that are essential to living the Christian life. We talked about the first one: to live "in the presence of God." Let's talk about the second one today: to live “under the authority of God.”

I’d like to point out two things. The first is that being under the authority of God is an essential aspect of our salvation. Think about what sin was: it was to rebel against the authority of God, which was embodied in His prohibition regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve’s (and Adam’s) choice to go against it and eat the forbidden fruit was a direct rebellion against God’s authority. So, we can characterize the fallen condition of man as “autonomy” (self-rule). (This is, of course, an illusion. Satan’s temptation was essentially telling Eve to do what was right in her own eyes. But when she did, the result was that she ended up listening to Satan, putting herself under his authority.) To be saved, then, is to be under “theonomy” (God-rule). (Theonomy has another definition. It can also refer to a theological movement, which wants to apply even the Old Testament civic law, which was for the nation of Israel, to our nation. But that is not what I mean by “theonomy” here.)

As sinners, we don’t like being under someone’s authority, especially because others are sinners just like us. But even as sinners, we seek out advice from experts about various things—from medical care and finances to internal decorations and fashion. What is better and more secure than being under the authority of an almighty, all-wise, righteous, and merciful God? Only rebellious sinners would resist that. Salvation restores us to a proper relationship with our Maker and Lord.

The second is that Christian life is to be under God’s authority in every area and moment of our lives—not just in religious activities but also in all other activities, including our family life, work/school life, our finances, our recreation, etc. That means we are accountable to God: we are not to do as we please but as God has commanded and directed. Stewardship is one of the ways the Bible describes this aspect of our Christian life. We are not our own masters: God is. As His stewards, we are entrusted with His possessions for their proper maintenance and use for His benefit. That we are but stewards should be obvious to us: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it” (1 Cor. 4:7). And one day, we will have to yield everything back to God, including our lives.

How are you living your life? As if you were the master? Or, as God’s faithful steward? In the way you use your time, energy, money, etc., do you acknowledge God’s authority as your Lord and Master? Of course, God has adopted us as His children in Jesus Christ. But that doesn’t mean that we are outside of God’s fatherly authority, does it? He exercises His authority over us as our loving Father. If so, we should find greater security under it and seek to please and honor Him all the more, shouldn’t we?

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