God Speaks Order Out of Chaos

"Let all things be done decently and in order." I Corinthians 14:40

The following article is from The Kingdom Proclamation and addresses the issue of government and order in God's Kingdom.

Recognizing spiritual authority is not about being a respecter of persons, but respecting God.  It is the equivalent of saying, "Lord, I see you; I see you in this vessel.  I recognize that the words they are speaking to me are really your words as you speak through them, and I will heed these words.  The life I see manifested through them is your life as you live in them, and I will follow that example."  (I Peter 5:1-6)  When Godly authority is manifested, our attention will always be drawn to Christ and not the vessel.

Even when we are with Jesus face to face there will still be a government and spiritual authority invested in men to represent that government.  There will be varying rewards and varying levels of authority given to God's people based on the lives we have lived in this world, as we reign with Him when He returns to rule the earth (Daniel 7:27; Matthew 25:21; Revelation 2:26-27, 22:4-5). 

The solution to Babylon is not to dismiss authority or order, for such is righteous.  Our goal must be to be converted in the inner man and filled with the Spirit so that we can recognize God's authority, for the Kingdom does not come by observation.

May God give us the eyes to see, the wisdom to discern the difference, and the will to walk in His authority.

Being Subject to Spiritual Authority

Yes the title scares me, after spending years under spiritually abusive leaders in some non-Spirit-led churches with leaders who have a heart for self and not the people. I would shun the whole idea of "Spiritual Authority" , I would say "I don't need to go to church or be subject to some man in a pulpit to have a relationship with God". Now that universal statement of many who have since done a mass exodus out of "institutionalized church", that statement does have some merits when you consider:

Acts 7:48 However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

Yet just because the paradigm shifted from worshiping in temples made by hands and sacrificing bulls and goats to make appropriation for sins, God was not getting rid of HIS Order.  Freedom is not the absence of order or authority.  In the beginning God called chaos into order; no longer could darkness rule, God called an order and a STRUCTURE together.  HE made darkness that was just "out there" have to take FORM and be subject to a protocol of order.

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form

The earth in this state in verse 2 sadly me makes me think of the church outside of the "institutionalized church", "without form", the phrase " without form" is the Hebrew word "tohuw" meaning:

1) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness
a) formlessness (of primeval earth)
1) nothingness, empty space
b) that which is empty or unreal (of idols) (fig)
c) wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places)
d) place of chaos
e) vanity

Hmmmmm how much of what I would participate in on FB outside of the "institutionalized church" was just "vanity" and a place of chaos.  How many times do you see "free" Christians who don't go to a "church building" per se, acting formless and chaotic on FB in their fellowship with one other.  I am sure to non-believers we look like chaos, biting each other and spitting out the bones, utter chaos, this is NOT the order of God.  Thus God had to step in and separate chaos (darkness) from the light.

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

God even put the Sun and the moon in order to rule over the Light and the Darkness, there was an establishment of being subject to one another.


GOVERNMENT , THE ORDER OF GOD:

Gen 1:17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth,

Gen 1:18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

What is government?

Well let's look at the first place the word government appears in the bible:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Government, HIS government in these verses mean:

Government is the Hebrew word misrah meaning
1) rule, dominion, government

The Kingdom of Heaven is not an absence of government and order and having to be subject.

I cannot escape it, yes many have abused and misused authority but do we disregard it because of them? Many people have gotten married and divorced do we get rid of marriage which in itself is a type of government?  No.  I cannot escape the order of God in all things and HE has not thrown it out because some people have gotten crazy with abusing authority.  Please don't jump to any conclusions to what I am saying let me conclude first.  Here are a few examples that made me think on Spiritual Authority and being subject:

Adam was FORMED FIRST and then EVE was FORMED from him and was to be subject to Adam as the head (government) Gen. 3:20

Abraham was subject to the King and Priest of Salem (Gen 14:20), Abraham was not in a "church" but he still was subject to the order of God. Many men before Moses and the Torah were subject to someone it was and is the order of God. Later Moses and the Torah and the Levites came and the people were subject to that order. Fast forward to the New Testament and we see Jesus who in Luke chapter 2 as a child is recognized as Savior God, Messiah by two people Simon and a prophetess and then he later decides to leave his parents and stay behind and teach in the temple and look what happened.

Luk 2:48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." Luk 2:49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Luk 2:50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Luk 2:51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Jesus had to be subject to his parents EVEN though HE was doing God's business, and God honored HIM for being subject to HIS parents because that is the order God established. This is the verse that got me thinking about this, how Jesus did not use the excuse of I am in relationship with God the father and doing HIS business, HE still followed the order. Jesus followed the FORMED ORDER, HE was subject in the temple and then at the age of 30 he began to teach (waiting until 30 was the order of the day). Even after the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostles were given authority and were subject to each other and the people were subject to the apostles and the gifts given to the church (ecclesia). The letters "Ephesians" , "Galatians" , "Corinthians" (books of the NT) etc were letters from one in spiritual authority to the people in the ecclesia (church fellowship). Even to the end of the bible in the book of revelations the letters to the ecclesia fellowships the 7 churches were still following a chain of command of order.

The Conclusion

Am I saying we need to all go to church in a building? no but I am saying we need to how ever we are led to fellowship in Spirit and in Truth, we must have order and not chaos. The people who met from house to house and in the temples were still subject to the Apostles and the gifts that were given to each person. There was not chaos in THE BODY, yes there are wolves and there are rebellious people too in the pews. In order to FULLY realize all we should be in HIM in the Kingdom of Heaven and how we should operate in the earth we must revisit this important issue of Spiritual Authority and Order. We need to re-examine all the practices we do to day and the structures, to see if it actually does line up with God's order and government and be FORMED to HIS order. Christ charged those in Spiritual Authority not to model their leadership after the world who equates authority with POWER over people and dominating them for their own use. We must return to the model Christ illustrated here:

Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.