God's Structures of Authority

God has established structures of authority in all areas of life. Government is one of His established structures.
 
1 Peter 2:13–14 says, “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.”
 
Peter wrote for Christians to submit to the king while Nero was on the throne. He was a madman who persecuted the church relentlessly, yet we're told to submit to the king as supreme. Peter referenced governors who oversaw smaller districts. For example, when Jesus was crucified, He stood before Pilate, the governor, not Caesar. He also stood before Herod the tetrarch. There were smaller governing bodies, and God's Word tells us to submit to them. These are human institutions which govern society.
 
Romans also describes how Christians are to submit to government. Romans 13:1 says, "Let every soul be subject"—that's the word for submission--"to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
 
1 Peter 2:14 says that one aspect of government is to punish evildoers. It says, “those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers.” James Madison wisely said that if men were angels, no government would be necessary. Society must have these human institutions because of the sinfulness of our own souls.
 
A similar statement can be found in Romans 13:3-4 which says, “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.” This passage is saying that those in authority are not there for those who do good, but to correct those who do wrong.
 
I believe the passage should be applied to modern law enforcement. God says they are His ministers, and that the only ones who should be afraid of them are those who are breaking the law.
 
The workplace is one of God’s established structures. 1 Peter 2:18-19 say, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.” We do not have the same social structure of servants and masters today, but the principle applies to the work environment. A parallel verse in Ephesians goes into greater detail.
 
Ephesians 6:5–9 (NKJV)
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 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.
 
Employers have a responsibility before God, but employees also have a responsibility before God. This isn't contingent on your employer being kind; it applies even to harsh employers. We are called to be submissive at work.
 
The home is one of God’s established structures. The theme of submission in the home appears repeatedly in the Bible. 1 Peter 3:1 reads, “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands…” 1 Corinthians 11:3 says, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband." This doesn't mean every woman in general is to be submissive to every man. This refers to headship in the home. Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church."
 
In general, marriages should have a yieldedness to one another, especially in response to one another’s strengths. When I take couples through premarital counseling, I get them to memorize Ephesians 5:21, which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." However, when there is a disagreement and a decision must be made, someone has to lead, and someone has to allow the other to lead. God’s design is that men should lead their families, if a husband and wife are present.
 
In the home, God’s design is that children are to obey their parents.
 
Ephesians 6:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:
3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
 
God promises that your life will go smoother and better when you learn to live within God's structures of authority in the home. It will be easier in the workplace; you won't constantly rebel against authority. It will be easier as you live in society, submitting to government. God says if you learn this in the home, it will go well with you, and you will enjoy a long life. It's a command with a promise.
 
The church is one of God’s established structures. First Timothy 3 describes the qualifications for bishops, pastors, and overseers. One qualification, found in verse four, is that a pastor must be "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)." This speaks to the principle of headship. It clearly states that leadership begins in the home. There's an established order within the family, and this order is reflected in the church as well.
 
This is further conveyed in Hebrews 13:7 and 17, which reads, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct… 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.” These verses are describing pastoral authority in the church.
 
One man described the local church like a football team. The players receive instructions from the coach, but on the field, the quarterback has some flexibility to adjust to what he sees from the defense. The quarterback is given the freedom to make decisions in the moment. The quarterback huddles the team and calls the play, directing the receivers and tight ends. Imagine a tight end refusing to follow the play, deciding to do his own thing. He wouldn't be on the team for long, because the coach gave the quarterback the authority to call the plays. This doesn't mean the quarterback is inherently more valuable than anyone else. The tight end may be more gifted than the quarterback. However, in the game, the quarterback is the one who has been given the authority from the coach to lead.
 
In the same way, God has established these institutions. We shouldn't reject or rebel against them. We need to recognize that God has ordained them. You might ask, "Why?" And God's answer is simply, "Because I said so." Christians should be known for the submissiveness of their hearts, just as Christ was submissive to the Father. This is the essence of God's established structures of authority.
 
“Lord, I pray right now that You would help us recognize the places of authority that we have in our world, and that we would honor all people. May we honor those leaders who are in our government positions, honor law enforcement, honor the church pastors and leaders, and honor those in authority in our homes. Father, I pray that we would be examples to others, recognizing that You are in charge of it all."