Today we are reminded of the reality of our two citizenships and the struggle between our earthly and heavenly commitments. Jesus was confronted with this question in Matthew 22 when he is asked about taxes. Jesus reminds us that God and civil authorities have their claims on us, but we should not forget what part of our life belongs to each. Current events highlight the struggle to govern and the way that our brokenness has real consequences. The government shutdown shows us just how hard it is to find ways to find unity in the midst of divergent world views. Continue reading
Tag Archives: authority
Claiming Jesus’ Authority in our Lives, Article 2, What is your commitment level?
Last week, I began a series of writings on authority and our need to exercise Christ’s authority in our lives. This is not a subject that I speak of lightly. Leadership in the church
and in our daily lives is something that has collapsed in recent times. With our political system as an example of how our world is suffering from a leadership void, I think it is helpful for each of us to realize that we are called to be leaders. Continue reading
Claiming Jesus’ Authority In Our Lives, Article One
This past Sunday we addressed some of the basic realities of authority. In particular we looked at the reason some might have seen Jesus’ teaching as having authority while the scribes failed to have authority. Authority is not about office or status but instead it is about influence. Far too often we think that those who are “in authority” have authority. We need to look no further than our nations political system to see that this is not true. Just because someone is put into or takes on a position of authority, doesn’t mean that they will be able to exercise that authority.