So many times I hear people complain about the Covenant, with comments everywhere from “I should be able to make those decisions on my own” to “They are making unmoral decisions into morals.” It doesn’t matter what you think, because the only truth is that which comes from the mouth of God and from his mouth came the Holy Bible for it is written, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Dear friends before I go on from there, I want to make sure that you know that I come before you in humility, for I am no better then the worse of sinners. I have been a hypocrite many times in my life and have called people to follow the covenant, infact rebuking them for not even knowing what it says. But the fact is that I am one of those people who have broken the covenant many times, for we all are all sinners and come before our most high God guilty unless we stand under the blood of Christ. For it is only in the blood of Christ that we are clean. It reminds me of a quote by Rich Mullens, “Whenever people say, 'Christians are hypocrites,' I say, 'duh, every time we come together we are confessing that we are hypocrites, weaklings in need of God and each other.” The truth is, to be a Christian is to be a hypocrite, because we stand in Church and agree to live by the standards of God, “Be perfect therefore as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Who of us can live up to a standard like that, of course we are going to fall, but that does not mean that we should unless stop from giving our heart away to the effort of “walking as Jesus walked.” So as I say all these things I say them also to myself, as I point a figure at you I am pointing the rest strait back at me.
Now going back to 2 Timothy, I am coming to you in a effort to rebuke you of false thinking and correct you that you might be ready to be trained in righteousness by the Christian authority of Crown. The Bible makes it very clear that we need to summit to the authority that is placed above us. It is so important that it is restated three places and then elaborated in the third. First Paul addresses it in Romans 13, “EVERYONE must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is NO authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” Paul makes it very clear in the first two verses of the chapter that everyone needs to submit to the authorities because God put them there, for there is no authority that God has not placed there. For even the evil of nations that conquered Israel were put there by God. He is trying to make the point that because we are free in Christ doesn’t mean that we should be lawless, but rather law abiding. Then in verse two Paul makes a strong point for submission, for if you rebel against the authority it is the same as rebelling against God which brings judgment onto you!
The second passage is from Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Here the writer of Hebrews is imploring them to obey so that they will not be burdened by the law that they are under. For when we rebel against a law or an authority above us, there is always a consequence fro our actions, even if we believe that the actions were justified or the rules unfair, the punishment still is there. So why not rather submit so that it will not be burdensome for us, because even if we rebel we now have the punishment and the rules to bear instead of only the rules to follow. For even Jesus talked to this, for in his time on earth the Roman empire was ruling over the Jewish culture imposing their laws upon the children of Israel, but did Jesus say that they should right against them as a zealot? Far from it, instead he said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Jesus never wanted us to rebel, but instead show love in our service to that authority.
The final scripture that I want to bring to your attention is that of 1 Peter 2, here is a passage from the man that Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Someone who has been given authority by God and Jesus for the building up of the Church, aka someone we should listen to. In his first letter he says this, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13-14) Peter addresses the same issue that Paul addressed twice before, that we are to submit to authority, but he makes another statement in there, “for the Lord’s sake.” (is that like saying for Pete’s sake?) You are not doing this because you want to look good, but rather that you are doing this as unto the Lord. He continues on in this right after that on the issue of respect, “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’” (1 Peter 2:17-22) Peter takes this to every part of life or social status, make sure that all who read understand that we are not to shun authority or be disrespectful to the cops or even the president, no matter how much we dislike them. He says show everyone proper respect, and not just the ones who are nice to you, but even to the ones who beat you or mistreat you. Slaves are not suppose to hate their masters, but rather show them respect and submission. But do not stop at only the outward, for out of the heart comes all things, just as you are to live the example of Jesus, who “no deceit was found in his mouth.”
I leave you with the words of John, “ We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3-6)
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