Fountain of Living Waters Ministries (FOLWAMS)

RE-DEFINING THE CONCEPT OF AUTHORITY AND SUBMISSION

Matthew 20:25-29, Phillipians 2:6

It becomes necessary to teach this owning to the fact that a lot of lives and destinies have been lost to the abuse of authority and a misunderstanding of what true submission is.

Without understanding the purpose of a thing abuse is inevitable.

Why does God give people Authority? Why is submission important? What is authority to be used for?

When are we to submit and what kinds of things are we to submit to?

Authority is not just given so that we can command and lord it over people, neither is it given to reduce people or manipulate intimidate and control or destroy them, Genesis 1:26.

Authority is given first to protect, to provide and to build up, to enhance, to discipline to make better, to correct, and to ward off enemies, trespassers and assailants, John 3:17, Luke 9:55.

Any authority that a husband or boss or leader excercises over his family, children or subordinates outside of these is an abuse of authority.

Submission is a means of acceptance of the protection , provision, preservation, correction, building up and training that authority is offering us which we have the freedom of will to either accept or reject, Ephesians 5:22-24.

Submission must be to the Christ likeness in the man because that is the example of authority that he is compared to before the woman is asked to submit to him in everything.

When authority is excercised forcefully, it is an indication that there is a violation of the willingness to submit somewhere.

Many men don't know what authority Is they think it is just to give command and many women don't know what submission is they think it is just to obey a command blindly without any questioning or asking why.

A woman does not have to be reduced or forcefully brought down in order to excercise authority over her.

Submission is a response not a command. It is the natural response anytime authority is used properly.

Authority does not mean explanation cannot be demanded from you when necessary especially where lives and destiny are at stake of that obedience/submission. Even God said we should come and reason with Him, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 41:21.

A woman does not have to earn lesser than her husband to proof she is submissive. These are the traditions of men taught by culture and religion. Your true worth as a man is the measure of your wife.

Using Jesus as a case study, God gave Him the same authority He has and He didnt because of that think he is equal to God, the Father, Phillipians 2:6

A woman that knows how to submit to authority will be exalted by her husband and even others, 1Samuel 25:23, Proverbs 31:28.

That you earn same as your husband or more than him does not mean you are equal to him, Proverbs 14:1.

Every case of human using his fellow humans as slaves and subjecting them to torture and suffering like animals is an abuse of authority.

Authority is an understanding of a certain kind of responsibility bestowed upon you, not something given to you to manipulate and subjugate people while submission is simply a response to correct authority.

Rebellion is also a response to incorrect use of authority. Submission and rebellion are never to be isolated outside of authority because it is a response not just an action on its own.

What this mean is that there must be something worthy of submitting to before submission is demended.

There must be what to submit to and there must be what to excercise authority over and both has its jurisdictions and boundary.

Authority is not first a weapon of correction or issuing command. It is first an instrument of protection and provision and building for the purpose of making better a people, a community or nation.

Authority that does not allow for reasoning is command, especially where lives and destiny are at stake, Genesis 18:17,23-32.

However, the best way for authority to be used to get the coperation of those you are leading is to use authority with allowance for reasoning, Ezekiel 4:12-15.

Whether as a boss, leader, husband or parent. That way you won't have to use force to get people to submit.

Authority should be issued as a command as a last resort not at first attempt. Where authority is used properly there is peace and joy to everyone not just only to the authoritarian but the subordinates as well.

Where authority is misused, what follows is rebellion and chaos, 1Kings 12:2-4, 13-16, 21-24.

That you dialogue and listen to your subordinates does not make you weak as a leader it makes you loved and enjoy the coperation of your team.

Authority issued as command should be used only as a last resort and where it becomes really necessary.

Day to day use of authority among fellow human beings who are normal should be with reasoning.

It is a different ball game entirely when you are excercising authority over evil spirits and evil practices and criminals.

Authority has measures, jurisdiction and boundaries.

There is a measure of authority that you can excercise over your children as a father that you can't excercise over your wife as a husband.

There is a measure of authority you can excercise over your young children as a parent that you can't excercise over your adult children.

There is a measure of authority a mother can excercise over her sons and daughters that are single that she can't excercise over her married sons and daughters.

To be effective in the use of our authority we must understand this.

In my next post we will be looking at the boundaries and jurisdiction of authority.

PRAYER : FATHER GIVE ME A PERFECT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT AUTHORITY AND SUBMISSION IS. HELP ME NOT TO MISUSE MY AUTHORITY AND HELP ME NOT TO SUBMIT TO TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION IN THE NAME OF SUBMISSION IN JESUS NAME.

PEACE.

SALVATION PRAYER

Anything short of you being born again and living a life of holiness and purity hurt Jesus so much. But you can make things right here and now by saying this simple prayer and mean it genuinely from your heart:

Lord Jesus I come to you today. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I cannot help myself. I repent of all my sins and I forsake them. Jesus, I invite you into my life, be my Lord, be my Saviour.

Wash me by your precious blood, forgive my sins and write my name in the book of life. From this day, I promise to follow you all the rest of my life. Help me Lord, in Jesus name, Amen. Congratulations you are now born again!

PEACE

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