Biblical Authority
Have you ever experienced biblical authority in the church? Many of us have experienced or heard of extremes when it comes to those wielding authority in the church but few have experienced authority that is biblical. Let me give you an analogy that I hope communicates what this kind of authority is like.
Authority in churches is a lot like the porridges, the chairs, and the beds of the three bears in the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears. When authority does not function according to the Bible it either becomes too hard, focusing more on judging and controlling those under its oversight as humanity’s sinfulness is in focus, or it becomes too soft, where everything and anything is allowed as the end goal is for us to ‘just get along.’ There are many Christians who have given up on churches because of experiencing these extremes. Yet there is a third option that I think is more like what the Bible has in mind.
This third authority option is hard enough to boldly step in when people get out of step with the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28-32), yet soft enough to teach God’s Word, encourage His people, and to then step into the background to allow believers to love one another even to the point of confronting each other in love when they are wrong (Matthew 18:15-20).
Please pray that Grace will continue to practice biblical authority. Also pray that each of us will seek to walk under such authority so that we might fully experience the blessings of God (1 Peter 5:1-2, 6).
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:8