Authority

A while ago when I was a little less wise. I was to make my way to a place to prepare for being a missionary to unreached peoples. Being from the Bahamas I didn’t have many contacts in the USA, nor did I have a home base to set our from.

I had one contact in upstate NY, so I reached out to him, and he helped me to find a vehicle. I needed a vehicle because this training institute was in a rural part of the United States, then once I was done there I needed to move myself to another part of the USA to continue on with training.

He helped me find a vehicle that would get the job done, I purchased it and got on my way. Things would happen that I was not prepared for.

This car had New York plates, and had been used as a winter commuter vehicle for some years, so it was not in the best of condition. I got in this car, and made my way to Pennsylvania, got settled into the training institute, and began to get on with life.

Several months later I was pulled over by a policeman. He was a bit curious I suppose. This was a kind of beat up vehicle and I’d bet he’d seen it before. In the course of this encounter he discovered that I was living in PA studying and my vehicle was registered in NY with NY plates. It ended up in a fine, but I was left perplexed. As far as I was concerned the vehicle was legal because it was a licensed and insured vehicle. I knew nothing of “Separation of States.” NY plates meant nothing in PA.

Each state sets its own laws concerning the use and operation of vehicles on the roads of that state. I was in violation of the laws of PA, but totally unaware of that fact.

We as people fall under the laws or authority of what ever municipality we reside in. Not knowing those laws cannot excuse violation of those laws. Many times we live under the authority of law that we have no understanding of. Or sometimes we may travel to a place that has different laws in place, but while we are there, we too fall under the authority of those laws. Not knowing the law will not save you from an infraction of any of the laws of that place.

A few years ago there was a high profile cace involving a WNBA athlete Britney Griner. She was allegedly in possession of CBD oil in a vape canister. That was a major drug offense in Russia, even though it may not have been where she had left from. She had fallen under the authority of a different land. Ignorance of their law cannot excuse us from the law.

How does this relate to Ephesians?

Vs 1 NLT

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

• This letter is from Paul,
  • Who is Paul?
  • He will now set his authority to write this letter.
• chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
  • Chosen by the will of God.
    • Paul is chosen by the ultimate authority
    • This means that what he is about to say is a message from God Himself
    • You must listen.
  • to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
    • An apostle is a messenger. One sent with a message.
    • So Paul is establishing that he is Christ’s messenger, chosen by God for this job.
    • His authority is established to delver the message.
    • His purpose is given.
• Writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus,
  • The recipients of the message
    • They belong to God.
    • They are under the authority of God.
    • They are set apart for God(holy).
  • who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
    • Pauls message is for those who are FAITHFULLY following Jesus.

So Paul in verse 1, Introduces himself, states the authority under which he will give the coming message, and alerts those for whom the message is meant.

Without belonging to God, the words of these messages are not possible to keep. They are not just wise words to live by, but they are words, instruction to a group of people set apart for God, dedicated to God, Faithful in their lives for God.

Vs 2 NLT

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

• our Father here is interesting. It would seem to indicate that God is the father of all mankind.
  • This is all people, those who believe Him, and those who don’t trust Him.
  • God is the God of all mankind, regardless of our belief.
  • Since God is the God of all, He is the final authority over all.
  • He is the one who decides right from wrong, just from unjust.
  • This is like going into a country and without knowing it being subject to law that you don’t know.
    • Ignorance of that law will not excuse you from that law.
• Christ’s grace and peace is also available to all mankind.
• To receive this grace and peace, one has to follow God’s way to receive that grace and peace.
• It cannot be won by ignorance, or the rejection of God’s way cannot be excused by ignorance.

God is the God of all mankind, His being God is not dependent on our belief of that fact or not. We all fall under His Devine authority, if we believe we do or not.

He is a gracious God, who has provided for any who believe to be forgiven of all sin, and for those who believe to be adopted by Him as His own children.

His authority stands! There is no way out from under that authority. The question is, what do you do with it?