Sunday March 28th, 2021
Memorize: Romans 13:1 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
« Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. »
Read: Romans 13:1-3 Good News Translations (GNT)
1 Everyone must obey state authorities,
because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God.
2 Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgment on himself.
3 For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good,
but by those who do evil.
Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority?
Then do what is good, and they will praise you.
Message:
‘RA’ in our equation for Resistance in the “Mathematics of Christ in You” (MCY) series which we started on March 19th, stands for Rebellion against Authority.
Some ‘Christians’ feel they are too big to do God’s work because they are educated.
Some refuse to obey their Father-in-the-Lord and still expect to get the best from him.
Listen, nothing can flow from him until you submit to his authority.
There is a difference between submission and cooperation.
You cooperate when the instruction is convenient, but submit whether it is convenient or not.
Some ‘believers’ resist the authority of the government, their supervisors or spouses.
Christ cannot dwell in rebellious souls.
Rebellion is as witchcraft.
1 Samuel 15:23 NLT says:
« Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. »
It is better not to make any sacrifices to God than to do so in disobedience.
You should not pay your tithe and refuse to pay your tax.
For example, when you knowingly break traffic laws because you want to get to Church early, God will not accept that kind of sacrifice.
No matter how big you are, you have a leader.
– If you are the General Overseer of your Church, the President of the association of Christian leaders to which you belong is your leader.
– If you are the president of the Christian Association in your country, there is a president of the land who (1 Peter 2:17) says you must honor.
– If you are the president of your country, there is a union of Presidents in your continent and that union has a leader you are expected to obey.
On the other hand, a President can have a Father-in-the-Lord he / she is to submit to, just like the King of Israel who called Elisha “My father” In 2 Kings 6:21-23.
The Father-in-the-Lord too could have leaders he must continue to honor, no matter how great he has become.
If you look very closely, you would see that there is an authority figure you are to submit to even if you are a ‘big person’ in your own right.
If you rebel against those God has put in authority over you, then Christ cannot dwell and operate in you as He would want to.
Prayer point: Pray that everything that can limit the measure of Christ in you should become zero.
Author: Pst E. A Adeboye
Texte edited by Naomie
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