All authority in Heaven and earth belongs to the Lord! He runs the world and takes care of everything perfectly. He delegates His authority and responsibility to 4 spheres: the individual, family, church, and sovereign nations.
Authority is the permission, position, and authorization to get their job, or responsibility done. Someone in authority has the right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience within his realm of authority.
A father is the head of the house, so he has authority to handle the money and the right to make financial decisions. It is legal for a police officer to arrest a criminal—he has the right to carry a gun. A firefighter has authority to drive the fire truck and use the big hoses to put out a fire. A dairy farmer owns his cows so he has the right to choose how he cares for them.
Individuals
Individuals have authority over their own bodies, minds, emotions, will, and choices. They govern themselves. Now, the Lord reveals very clearly how they are to govern themselves, but it is still an individual choice. The wise person submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and surrenders his, or her, will to the Savior.
Individuals have the privilege of owning private property, starting a business, receiving an education, and choosing a career.
Families
Families have authority over their home, possessions, property, children, and family members. They are responsible to raise, provide for, protect, nurture, and educate their children.
Church
The Church has authority to teach God’s Word, to proclaim the Gospel, to fulfill the Great Commission, and to discipline its own members. All of this authority is from God. The head of the Church is Jesus Christ. It is the responsibility of every member of the Body of Christ to obey Him and to live lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Sovereign Nations
A sovereign nation is separate and distinct from other nations. France is one nation and Sweden is a separate nation. Scotland and England were once sovereign nations, but now they are both part of Great Britain, a sovereign nation.
Sovereign nations make their own laws, have their own rulers, and enforce their national laws. If a sovereign nation is attacked by another nation, it can defend itself against aggressors. A sovereign nation is not under another nation’s authority. A sovereign nation is not under an organization’s authority. A sovereign nation answers to God alone.
The Sovereign Lord delegates the authority over sovereign nations to national government in these sovereign nations. All nations and their leaders are accountable to the Lord.
Human government is established to punish evil and reward good.
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right” (I Peter 2:13 NASB).
It is important to recognize the authority/responsibility of each sphere. That way, one sphere won’t encroach on another.
And, this is just the beginning of learning about God’s blueprint for government. Keep learning!
Until next time, Happy Homeschooling!
Warmly,
Meredith Curtis
