The Supreme Authority

July/August 2014 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Supreme Authority

All authority as far as God is concerned is vested in the risen Savior – all authority both in heaven and in earth. He said it before He went to heaven, for Matthew’s Gospel does not carry us beyond ascension, but it is no less true now that He has gone into heaven. He will infallibly secure all that God has purposed and promised for heaven and for earth.

There is no part of this universe that is not, by the will of God, put under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. You may go among all nations and claim people for Christ. The commission, as He gave it, is, “Go ... to all nations.” You can be in any country and, while you seek to walk in subjection to the powers that be, you should recognize that the Lord has placed you there to make disciples.

Practically, the authorities in the area may be inclined to resist the gospel. Our business is certainly not to defy the powers that be, but to be simply Christians serving the Lord. We should have this fact engraved in our souls: Wherever we are He can make room for His Word. Whatever may be the difficulties that Christians are exposed to, there is always the appeal to the highest authority in the universe.

It so happens that for some years we have been working in a well-known state whose authority we had to recognize. We went as unknown individuals – known only to the Lord of Glory. As soon as we got there we found that a certain group claimed religious jurisdiction over all the section of the state where we proposed to settle, and they demanded our expulsion. Then it was rumored that we were spies, the consequence being that in addition to the religious influence of the other group we had the political powers of the state against us. The local government official said we must go someplace else. This was confirmed by more powerful authorities until we eventually had letters from the highest government official himself that we should leave there.

Then, in order to gain by intrigue what they wanted for their own purpose, the other religious group secured the passing of a decree by the king, the object of which was to oust us from the country. So, from the local official to the central ruler there was this earthly authority demanding us to leave. By the grace of God we have continued our work there to this day. God blew upon every intrigue.

At the time we were in this state, crying to God to open the way, the ambassador of my home country wrote to us: “I write to you as a private individual, that if you will appeal to me I will see your case through.” As much as to say, “If you will only cast yourselves into the arms of my authority, I will use all the influences of our country to gain your point.” I replied, “It has been the habit of our souls to look to the Lord alone, but – while declining it – we thank you for your kind offer.” Do you think God failed us?

Whatever may be the wall that is in front of you, you can go forward in simple confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all authority is given in heaven and on earth. All the kingdoms together have no power to resist what He decrees. We can look unto the Lord! Whatever difficulties we have, threatening worse and worse, let us lay this to heart: Our resource is in Christ Jesus the Lord. “All authority is given to Him in heaven and on earth.” We need not go outside of Christ. We may appeal to Him immediately and directly in any nation.

If you are here in “Christian” countries, which are quickly apostatizing from [rejecting] the truth with increasing difficulties for preaching the gospel, you need not look to worldly authorities nor seek any earthly patronage or influence, but look simply and directly to the Lord. Every simple and true-hearted Christian worker has immediate access to the Supreme Authority. There is no need to conceal our Christianity for the sake of diplomacy. You have got the authority of Christ, the Supreme Power in heaven and earth, to insist upon the performance of every part of His will.

He says, “I am with you always.” – the bright days, the dark days, until the end of the age. There is no diminishing of His authority.

(Used by permission from StemPublishing.com)