Class Notes: 5/12/2013

Mark 1:21-22; He spoke with authority; The Doctrine of authority part 3

In our study of Mark 1:21-22; we see that Jesus used the synagogues as a platform for the presentation of the Gospel to the people. In his presentation unlike the scribes he spoke with authority so we are now engaged in a study on the doctrine of authority.

Last time when we stopped we were looking at the challenge given to Israel regarding their orientation to God's Word, the ultimate authority. Deut 30:19-20;

God delegates all legitimate authority in His Word that apply to life through the laws of divine establishment, the gospel and the content of Bible doctrine. God has delegated these legitimate authorities in life but these authorities are useless if human volition does not accept them and obey them.

We saw that the authority of free volition is the function of the soul with emphasis on thought, motive, and decision that ultimately leads to action. Prov 23:7a; Divine Establishment protects privacy and private property because they create the environment necessary for freedom and self-determination.

Marriage is the authority of the husband over the wife, Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; Family is the authority of the parents over the children, Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20; Nationalism is the authority of government over the citizens of the nation. Rom 13:1-7;

In these passages we see God's mandate to obey legitimate authority but weather we actually do or not is a choice made from our own free will and our choice determines our situation. Luke 11:28;

Human freedom and tranquility is created when we accept legitimate authority and tyranny and chaos are created when we reject it. When arrogance rejects legitimate authority by default illegitimate authority is accepted because all illegitimate authorities in life are based upon the function of man's arrogance and results in living in the arrogance and evil of Satan's cosmic systems.

One of the major motivators in arrogance is power lust. Power lust is the desire to have power and authority without the capacity to use it with integrity. Satan and the Woman functioned in power lust when they rebelled against God.

Children have power lust when they rebel against their parents. Workers have power lust when they rebel against management. In a nation power lust is manifested in rebellion, civil unrest and civil war.

Arrogance results from the rejection of legitimate authority in life. Arrogance is the source of evil, neurosis and psychosis. Rejection of legitimate authority causes people to function in moral or immoral degeneration and results irrationality that leads to insanity.

This arrogance typically starts in the home when the children reject the authority of their parents. Children who reject parental authority do not grow up and this results in a society of dependent slavish people who choose the false promises of security and tyranny rather than freedom and self-determination.

The consequence of the rejection of authority is no human or spiritual self- esteem and a life of misery, unhappiness, slavery and disaster.

People can be bullied into obeying authority, but in the final analysis it does no good because what makes authority actually work properly is human consent. Authority only works when mature rational human beings with genuine humility understand the importance of the principle of authority, regardless of whether or not they personally like the one who for the moment has the authority.

While parents have authority in the home, that authority is useless apart from the training and discipline of enforced humility that eventuates in genuine humility where the child accepts the parents' authority. While young, before sin nature induced arrogance sets in, children must be taught to recognize the authority of their parents.

As a result, they will develop respect for their parents that matures into love. Those who reject the authority of their parents often become misfits and criminals. No one really grows up until they freely choose to accept legitimate authority that starts with taking personal responsibility one's own choices.

Legitimate government has authority over its citizenry, but that authority is useless apart from human consent. Human consent is expressed in this country by voting for someone you think will govern properly.

The important factor is the consent of the governed. Apart from human consent, there will be revolution, succession, civil war, violence, terrorism, crime, dictatorship, slavery, and other evil.

This is about to occur in the USA today but believers should not be involved with this evil because they are commanded to defer to Jesus Christ who controls history Col 1:16-17; because they know that he will deal with it properly. Rom 12:19-21; 1Tim 2:1-4;

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