The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 5 October 2020 – Submission To Authority
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Topic: Submission To Authority
Read: 1 Peter 2:13-20 (NKJV)
- Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
- or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and [for the] praise of those who do good.
- For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men —
- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
- Honor all [people.] Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
- Servants, [be] submissive to [your] masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
- For this [is] commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
- For what credit [is it] if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this [is] commendable before God.
THE MESSAGE:
In order to understand the above text, you may need to know the general background of this letter of Peter. In Chapter 1 verse 1, Apostle Peter established his authorship of the letter and further established that he was writing to the Church that was scattered all over the Roman Empire as at then. A recurring theme in Peter’s letter here reveals that we are pilgrims in this world and as such, even if we have our Lord Jesus Christ as our Heavenly Master, we also have to deal with earthly masters, by way of political and community leaders or even leaders or bosses at the workplace.
Submission literally implies coming under the Mission of another, in this case, the “Authority”, one possesses that confers the ability to enforce orders or directives. It is a very integral Christian virtue to respect or honour the authority of man in all things lawful and right in the sight of the Lord (verse 13). Verse 15 even says that it is God’s will and way of silencing ignorant men, who derogate our faith, without proper understanding of what we believe as Christians. Peter explains further in verse 16 that it is freedom for us, to be God’s slaves, in upholding state laws, although living free from the tyranny of the state. He encouraged household servants to obey their earthly masters for Christ’s sake. We are therefore encouraged to give honour to whom honour is due. Archbishop Benjamin A. Kwashi said “When you submit to Authority as a Christian should, you may suffer, but it is not punishment.”
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we pray that we may understand that we are serving Your kingdom’s purpose as we submit to the authority of men in every righteousness. Amen.
