Our Responsibility under God’s Authority

When I was a mid-level manager, a colleague shared his viewpoint with me: “When senior management asks my opinion, I owe it to them to be as forthcoming as I can be, and when senior management makes a decision, I owe it to them to back it one hundred percent.” Spot-on! Pithy has its place, doesn’t it? In last week’s post, we focused on the authority of Jesus Christ and our call to live in submission to Him. As Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”¹ So, this week let’s focus more specifically on our responsibility as people under His authority, for while wholehearted submission to Him is crucial, it is not automatic. Jesus illustrated as much in His familiar parable of three servants entrusted with their master’s investments: all three lived under his authority, but only two executed their responsibility. The other buried his allotment in the ground, yielding nothing for His master and only judgment upon himself.²

Yet God has entrusted to us a far greater treasure — the good news of an ancient promise of redemption now kept in Christ. We invest this treasure in people through the Word of God, living testimonies of inner transformation, and obedient acts of love. This is our call as servants, so how do we live not as treasure hiders, but as Kingdom investors? We start here: “In your hearts, revere Christ as Lord”³ — our Savior is also our master. It means trading up, striving no longer for the conditional approval of man, but striding forever in the inseparable love of God. “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” asked Paul, rhetorically, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”⁴ Then grasp as best you can the supreme value of the treasure entrusted to us. Paul proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”⁵ And be ready: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”⁶

God “chose us in [Jesus] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”⁷ We are chosen “that [we] might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.”⁸ Then under the authority and call of Christ, may we “back Him one hundred percent” today.

Father, how great the honor of serving You. Thank You. Fill us with wisdom and courage, so that we recognize Your call and respond in the obedience that comes from faith. In Christ we pray. Amen.

¹ Colossians 3:17 NIV
² See Matthew 25:14-30 — the parable of the talents
³ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV, emphasis added
⁴ Galatians 1:10 ESV
⁵ Romans 1:16 NIV
⁶ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV, emphasis added
⁷ Ephesians 1:4 ESV
⁸ John 15:16 NIV