Something Missing in Our Culture
by David V. Hurst
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 3, September 1992
None can deny the drastic shift in our culture's attitude toward God over the last thirty years. This often causes special problems for the Christian and his children. How do we instill in our children and others genuine values concerning God?
Our society seems to have lost the understanding that authority, in and of itself, is a basic need of man. By practical definition, authority simply means "the right to command (demand) and to expect or require obedience." Also, authority in religion is objective rather than subjective. By this, it is simply meant that authority must have its origin from outside the individual. Countless religions today ban any appeal to a higher authority other than that of each man’s own thoughts. As a result, chaos reigns in the religious world today (cf. Jeremiah 10:23). This was Israel’s crime as well. They appealed to their "own" authority as Paul wrote, "for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2-3). This is exactly the problem in our society. We must combat this by teaching our children that only God has this supreme authority.
Briefly, let us remind ourselves of the fact and method of God’s authority. His authority is "inherent" in being God. He is the originator of the universe (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-2). The "earth {is} the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof" (I Corinthians 10:26) (cf. Acts 17:22-31; Romans 9:20-21). This includes man. Man belongs to God.
Jesus declared that God delegated His authority to Him; "... All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18) (cf. I Corinthians 15:27; John 5:26-27). Jesus also declared that He had sent others to us, giving them some authority. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me" (John 13:20). The apostles’ authority was limited to what Christ had taught them. His teaching was revealed through the apostles by the Spirit (cf. John 17:8; 14:26; 16:13; I Corinthians 2:10-13). In speaking of this work, Paul said "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:2-5).
What the apostles and prophets wrote down is what was "revealed," giving us the bible we have today. These men claimed that they wrote "all" of God’s message to man (cf. John 16:13; I Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:3; Jude 3). There is no new revelation going to occur today since God’s word is sufficient and complete.
This is what we must emphasize to our children and to their children. This is the message we must proclaim to those we reach. All authority extends from God. All obedience to authority stems from this one fact. We obey our parents for "God" has commanded it (Ephesians 6:1f). We obey civil law because "God" has commanded it (Romans 13:1f). The Bible is appealed to for authority because it is God’s mind to man. This is the foundation to happiness, whether in our home, in our civil relationships, or in our relationship with God.
Our modern society has not created new needs for us. We still have the same old problems with the same needed solutions. We need to emphasize again the value of studying this book with our family and friends to gain answers and for our personal happiness. We especially need to place a strong emphasis on the need for authority in our lives and that in "all" we do. It must be an authority that ultimately traces its source back to the word of God!
