Dark Freedom: The Rise of Western Lawlessness - Chapter Ten
by C.W. Steinle
Copyright 2015 by C.W. Steinle
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Part III - The Everlasting Kingdom
God's Model of Authority / Submission
As we observed in the
introduction, where we marveled at the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey, the spirit of lawlessness would like to
portray submission as something dark and demented. To the Church Dualistic, all sex is viewed in
a derogatory light; therefore, all sex is dirty. Even the knowledge that the top wrung of
Christianity requires celibacy conveys to the idealistic adolescent mind that
sex is an act of compromise.
To the non-rural juvenile who
has grown up without witnessing the procreation of animals as part of everyday
life, the notion of intercourse can be shocking and awkward to
contemplate. What is perfectly natural
can be perceived as wholly unnatural; thus providing the perfect opportunity for
Satan to sew his seeds of confusion. The
sin-nature of fallen man possesses a rebellious spirit which is only further
enticed by God's prohibition of premarital sex.
The thrill of willful disobedience combined with the rush of new
hormones causes fornication to glisten with the appeal of forbidden fruit. Without the discernment of the Holy Spirit
these emotions are prone to blend together, tragically linking sexual desire
with the dark feelings of mischief.
Before the introduction of
pornography, and media ads dripping with sexual innuendoes, most young people
were able to subdue their sexual urges until they had completed their
education. But today, youths who have
been properly trained and strengthened by the fruit of the Spirit of
self-control are far outnumbered by compromised Christians and a culture which
resembles Lot's city of Sodom .
The additional twist to the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomena is its
distortion of the act of submission.
Submission, like sex, has been degraded in modern society. Biblical submission is good and expresses
trust in God's government. But without
trust in God, submission is easily viewed as a weakness without any merit. The New Testament abounds with verses about
submission; but contemporary congregations would rather hear sermons on fire
and brimstone than be taught the virtues of submission. Even the training and correction of children
can hardly be discussed in public without controversy, and without the fear of
being "politically incorrect."
The current negative connotation
of submission did not appear suddenly.
The attitude of submission has been gradually rejected as western
culture has yielded to the philosophy of individualism. Submission and individualism are diametrical
opposites. They require two antagonistic
attitudes, and result in two contrary sets of responses. This battle between the self, and the
submission of self to authority, merely helps us to realize the degree to which
we have become alienated from God and His will.
In fact, it will be difficult, or even impossible, for the reader who
has not submitted to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to receive the truths of
this chapter.
Submission to authority in
today's culture brings to mind humiliation at the hands of a cold-hearted
tyrant. Granted, the act of submission
does result in a certain degree of vulnerability. To the godly, this vulnerability is rewarded
by relying on the power and goodness of God's grace, which never fails and is
always sufficient. But to the ungodly,
the vulnerability of submission is a dark and dangerous prospect. And therein lies its appeal to the
thrill-seeker. Adding this danger to the
emotions of mischievous sexuality increases the dark feelings of
excitement. The Destroyer has combined
these two sacred acts of sex, and submission, and has twisted them into the
grotesqueness of masochism. So then let
us unravel this twisted version of submission as we did in the previous chapter
in regard to sexual intercourse.
Submission to God's government
is nearly synonymous with the denial of self; without which, Jesus said we
could not be His disciples. The will to
submit to God, or any other authority, is either established by trust or by
brute force. Those who have submitted to
God have first recognized and believed the love that He has toward them; and
this love was manifested by the sacrificial offering of His Son on the
cross. To embrace or receive this
expression of God's love, a person must first understand how desperately they
need to be ransomed from sin and death.
Only when the eyes of the heart are opened to see one's own sin, and to
grasp the worthlessness and helplessness of their fallen state, can they fully
surrender - and fully trust God.
Obedience begins with obedience
to the gospel. Jesus said that all
should honor Him, even as Jesus honored the Father. "For
as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives
life to whom He will. For the Father
judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor
the Son just as they honor the Father. He
who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." - John 5:21-23 To find our place in God's authority system,
we must fall in line under the authority of Jesus. We cannot honor the Father if we refuse to
honor His Son. Just as God the Son
submitted to God the Father, we must submit to Jesus, the Son of God. Our honor comes through being humble servants
of the King. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My
servant will be also. If anyone
serves Me, him My Father will honor." - John 12:26 (Emphasis added)
It is more palatable to consider
the act of submission if we recognize the truth regarding authority and
submission; that we are already under someone's authority, and we are all in
some position of authority ourselves. Everyone
has been placed by God somewhere in His authority/submission matrix. The Bible teaches that children are to honor
and obey their parents and elders. Wives
are to submit to their husbands; but mothers hold the place of authority over
their children. (The children are ministered to by the angels of God.) Servants (or employees) are to obey their
masters (or employers); but even employees are typically advanced over time to
supervisory positions over other workers.
Even those who are self employed must serve their clients or
customers. All citizens are to obey the
king and his magistrates. The king and
his officials are responsible to God, and all the citizens obey God by
submitting to the authorities that He has placed over them. Consider Romans 13:1-5.
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there
is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed
by God. Therefore whoever resists the
authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring
judgment on themselves. For rulers are
not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from
the same. For he is God's minister to
you for good. But if you do evil, be
afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an
avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only
because of wrath but also for conscience' sake."
So we see that God claims
responsibility for those authorities which He allows to rule over us. Because God is in control, He will see to it
that those in authority over us are restrained from doing what is outside of
God's plan for us. That doesn't mean,
however, that our God-appointed supervisor will not sin. It just means that God will use even mortal
errors to glorify Himself; and in His glory we will be glorified - if we trust
God with our lives. Our duty and reward
is to trust God. And that means trusting
that He loves us, no matter what He allows us to go through. We know His love because of the cross. That is why the Christian can say, "And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose." – Rom. 8:28 We cannot
rely on our feelings or our circumstances for our assurance of God's love. Feelings come and go; and circumstances
change. The only 'bullet-proof'
knowledge of God's love is the cross.
And nobody, and no thing, can ever erase Christ's work on the
cross. The cross stands for all time as
a historical marker which cannot be altered or removed. It is
finished!
Jesus made the good confession
before Pontius Pilate. When His mortal
life was at stake, and He was about to suffer under Pilate's judgment, Jesus
submitted to the authority of the civil magistrate. "Then
Pilate said to Him, ‘Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify
You, and power to release You?’ Jesus
answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given
you from above.’" - John 19:10-11a
God knows when we are trusting Him to take care of our personal
interest. He sees when we submit in
obedience to the authorities that He has placed over us.
"The Lord is
good,
A stronghold in the
day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him." - Nahum 1:7
What an awesome assurance - to
know that God is aware that we have placed our trust in Him! Think for a moment about the
implications. Have you ever watched the
way a mother walks her child across a busy intersection? She isn't merely holding the child's
hand. More often, she actually has her
hand fastened around the child's wrist or arm.
There is no way she is going to depend solely upon the child's
willingness to hold on. The parent knows
that the child is trusting in them. Now
consider that your Father in heaven knows that you have put your trust in Him
by believing in His Son. He knows! And He will never forsake you. "For
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I
have committed to Him until that Day."
II Tim. 1:12b
One might ask, "What about
suffering under an unjust government?"
First Peter 2:19 tells us that sometimes we are called to suffer. "For
this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief,
suffering wrongfully." As Christians, we are to trust God, and wait
for heaven. This is not to say that the
world should stand aside and let a wicked king slaughter his citizens. In fact, it is the duty of the other kingdoms
of the world to take action, and put an end to his unrighteous reign. Indeed, we see from history that such corrective
actions have been taken. Under the
theory of the Divine Right of Kings, a ruler is presumed to have been place in
power by God. But when the nobleman
behaves ignobly the divine appointment of such a leader must be called into
question. History shows that God has,
many times, allowed wicked kings to be deposed.
This too, as Wycliffe suggested, is a part of God's divine order.
The Lord God of the Bible is the
Governing God, and the God of Government.
The authority/submission relationship is the oldest and highest
relationship. It predated the creation
of heaven and earth. This relationship
is the mechanism which enables government to function. God's authority is expressed in His names,
"The Almighty," "The Lord," and "The Everlasting
Father." The authority/submission
relationship is acknowledged in the Trinity through the titles of the Father
and the Son. God the Father holds the
highest position of authority within the Godhead. The Father loves the Son, but for our sakes
He sent His Son into the world, and to the cross. The Son loves, honors, and obeys the
Father. Because the Godhead embodies the
authority/submission dynamic, we should know that it is a good, blessed, and
sacred relationship.
God's government is
authoritarian and hierarchical. The Son
is the Prince who will deliver the heirs of salvation unto the Father - so that
God will be all-in-all. The Spirit was
also sent from heaven. (The Eastern and Western Churches
Before we follow the cascade of
authority from heaven to earth, let's take a quick inventory of the favorable
qualities of rulers and their subjects.
Characteristics of a leader:
Stable, trustworthy, good, strong, endued with resources in order to provide -
hopefully generous, hopefully kind. God
revealed Himself to Moses as gracious, merciful, and slow to anger; but
nevertheless a God of justice.
Characteristics of a subject:
Humble, loyal, obedient, in need of protection or sustenance - hopefully
grateful, even joyful as the subject appreciates their protector and
benefactor. (If the reader believes in God, a moment might be taken here to
make an assessment of these qualities of a good subject of God's kingdom, and
especially of the attitudes of gratitude and joy.)
In God's chain of command from
heaven to earth we see that, "All
authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to the Son. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of
lords. Thus the counsel of the Second
Psalm to the world's rulers:
"Now therefore,
be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you
judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with
fear,
And rejoice with
trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He
be angry,
And you perish in the
way,
When His wrath is
kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." - Psalm 2:10-12
The Governor-God, the Lord God,
is the God of order. The Holy Spirit is
so concerned that we "get this" that, as of March 20, 2015, OpenBible.info108 lists 74
verses modeling submission to human authority.
The New Testament defines man's responsibilities within God's
hierarchical authority matrix in great detail.
We will take a top-down approach in our review of these areas of
authority. The several stunning
conclusions which are presented at the close of this chapter will be enhanced
by taking these Scriptures to heart, so please do not look at this review as
laborious reading.
The master/slave relationship
and the husband/wife relationship must be taken in the light of the common
customs of biblical times. But the
hierarchical principles represented by these verses have not changed. Wives need to take into consideration that
the marital roles of biblical times placed much more importance on the
provision and protection which were part of the husband's duty. Thus the marital relationship bore more
resemblance to the lordship of noblemen; who administered justice, provision,
and protection for the benefit of their community. As we consider each of the
authority/submission relationships below, keep in mind that we are addressing
normal relationships. Just as ignoble
and abusive kings have been deposed; governors, masters, husbands, mothers,
elders, and church leaders can only stand under the appointment of God when
they behave in a godly manner. The Bible
does not recommend slavery, nor does it endorse abuse.
The citizens of nations are to
honor their national leader as well as their local governors. We have previously read from Romans
Thirteen. Here are other verses specific
to submitting to the leaders of State.
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who
are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence." - II Tim. 2:1-2
"Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the
Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who
are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who
do good. For this is the will of God,
that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as
free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of
God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honor the king." - I Peter 2:13-17
"Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to
be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle,
showing all humility to all men." - Titus 3:1-2
The New Testament instructions
for the employer/employee relationship are represented by God's counsel to
masters and slaves. The Bible speaks of
two types of slaves. What is most often
referred to as a bondservant is a person who has been bound into slavery. This might have occurred as a result of
war. One of the best deterrents to war
in ancient times was the knowledge that the losers could be bound to servitude
as part of the peace settlement at the end of the conflict. Another way that people could become slaves
was to borrow what they could not repay.
This might be viewed today as the equivalent of writing a bad check.
Some verses simply make
reference to servants. Servants would
include any relationship which establishes a master/servant relationship. The practice of indentured service is well
documented in the Old Testament.
Indentured service is the closest form of servitude to employment
today. This service is provided for a
prescribed length of time; and is not too unlike employment under today's
right-to-work agreements. Unfortunately,
slavery is still practiced in the twenty-first century even though it is almost
universally outlawed.
Readers should not forget that
God's counsel to slaves has been directly applicable for the greater part of
the last two thousand years. And there
is no reason to believe that slavery will not become commonly practiced once
again in the future; especially as we see the end of the age approaching. If the reader is one of those unfortunate
individuals living as an "infidel" in a Muslim country, or otherwise
being held against their will, he or she will have no problem understanding
God's counsel. But for the free reader,
know that this counsel is fully applicable to today's employer/employee
relationship.
Counsel to servants and
slaves:
"Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only
to good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures
grief, suffering wrongfully. For what
credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently?
But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable
before God. For to this you were called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow
in His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth;"
who, when He was reviled, did not revile
in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him
who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes
you were healed." - I Peter 2:18-24
"Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according
to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not
with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will
of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to
men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the
Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And
you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that
your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him." –
Eph. 6:5-9
Counsel to husbands and
wives:
"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the
head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." - I Cor. 11:3
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also
Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to
Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ
also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and
cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but
that she should be holy and without blemish.
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who
loves his wife loves himself. For no one
ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does
the church. For we are members of His
body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave
his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh." This is a great mystery,
but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as
himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." – Eph.
5:22-33
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do
not be bitter toward them." – Col. 3:18-19
"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if
some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of
their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward -
arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be
the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy
women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own
husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if
you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to
the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of
life, that your prayers may not be hindered." - I Peter 3:1-7
Counsel to elders and youths:
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound
doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in
love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior,
not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things - that they
admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be
discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the
word of God may not be blasphemed." - Titus 2:1-5
"Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders."
- I Peter 5:5a
Counsel to parents and children:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the
first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live
long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do
not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition
of the Lord." – Eph. 6:1-4
"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well
pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest
they become discouraged." – Col. 3:20-21
Counsel to overseers and
their flock:
"And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among
you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very
highly in love for their work's sake." - I Thess. 5:12-13a
"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch
out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief,
for that would be unprofitable for you." – Heb. 13:17
"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory
that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as
overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,
not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd
appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." - I
Peter 5:1-5
General counsel:
"Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger
men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all
purity." - I Tim. 5:1-2
"Submitting to one another in the fear of God." – Eph. 5:21
"Yes, all of you
be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
- I Peter 5:5b-7
Peter's counsel to wives not to
be afraid, and again in this last verse, to cast our cares upon God; are both
given in the context of being submissive.
Both of these verses address the vulnerability which is part of trusting
God's system of authority and submission.
God knows the concerns we face in trusting His system. The exaltation that comes in due time is the
reward for submitting to God, and to
one-to-another. Why is humility and
submission to the authorities which God has placed over us so important to
God? Because honest humility in the
heart is proven by outward obedience which pleases the one in authority. Humility and submission are the inward and
outward expressions of love to a superior.
Without obedience, no other
expression of love towards one in authority can be received as genuine. Obedience is the "love language" of
kings. When someone under the authority
of another expresses arrogance, disrespect, or disobedience, it is perceived as
rebellion against that authority figure.
Insubordination strains the relationship and no other expression of love
will be received until the proper respect is reestablished by compliance. This principle holds true with every
hierarchical relationship; be it the home, the workplace, or the courthouse. To disobey a king would be to deny his
authority as king. This is why Jesus
said, "If you love Me, keep My
commandments." - John 14:15
Just as the marriage
relationship models the union of Christ with His Church, every
authority/submission relationship models Christ's kingdom authority, and
recognizes the divine hierarchy within the Godhead. Disobedience is sin. But the failure to recognize the authority of
God is lawlessness. The manifestations
of the rejection of God and His laws can be seen in today's lawless society by
its haughty individualism, disrespect for authority, disorderly conduct, and a
Satanic hatred toward the name of King Jesus.
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments. He who says, "I know
Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him." - I John 2:3-4 Here,
John once again confronts those who only possess a philosophical knowledge of
God. Whether one is a good Platonist or
a bad Gnostic, a philosophical understanding of God cannot replace an actual
encounter with the living God. We have
no record that Plotinus fell on his face during his four episodes of
"oneness" with his immovable mover.
Neither were Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle struck to ground and
breathless before their Forms of Beauty, Goodness, and Justice. Even a thorough knowledge of the true God's
attributes does not constitute an audience before God Himself.
But we can actually know God
personally through the Holy Spirit, who was dispatched from heaven after Jesus
ascended. Because believers have been
reconciled to God through the propitiation of Christ, Christians can not only
comprehend God, they can actually experience His presence and power. Still we cannot, at this time, behold Him
face to face; because, as Paul says, He dwells "in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see . . ."
- I Tim. 6:16 While we are in these
mortal bodies we can only behold Him dimly, as in a primitive
looking-glass. Nevertheless, the Holy
Spirit's power to convict us of sin is sufficient to impart the fear of the
Lord. And, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." – Prov. 1:7
This is the true knowledge of
God which writes God's commandments in the hearts and minds of men, and gives
them the Spirit to obey them. Knowing
the authority of God first hand produces a submissive heart, a heart willing to
make itself vulnerable; or as Jeremiah expressed it, a heart of flesh in the
place of a heart of stone. Submission
and obedience testify to a genuine fear of the Lord which can only come from
knowing God personally. "He who says, "I know Him,"
and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
- I John 2:4
It is easy to see now why a
culture determined to break all of God's laws would also be determined to bring
God's principle of authority and submission into ill repute. Is it any wonder that families cannot
function, and citizens rise up against the very law enforcement officials who
are trying to protect them? Politicians
no longer know how to rule, and the people don't know how to obey; in fact,
they don't even know why they should obey.
Without the reflexive relationship of authority and submission there can
be only lawlessness.
Now that mankind is centuries away from the
Renaissance and the Enlightenment, world rulers are awakening to the fact that
fallen man possesses no innate compulsion to submit and obey. The same individualism released during the
Age of Reason wars against every form of authority. In the absence of the fear of God, only the
fear of man can bring order to an ungodly world. Brute force will undergird mankind's final
attempt at civilization, preparing the way for the armies of the earth to
oppose Christ Himself at His second coming.
In the last chapter of this book we will examine how a ruthless ruler
could also be the master of lawlessness.
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