The Restrictive Nature of Submission

by Zeke Flores

Submitting to the authority of God's will is not only serious business, it's also very restrictive. Because of its very nature, those who submit to authority can only operate within its bounds. What passes for Christianity in America, and across the world, really isn’t because it goes beyond the authority of Scripture.

The practices of many religious groups are not only unscriptural but also antiscriptural.

• The hierarchy of priests, bishops, cardinals, and the pope is not found in the New Testament.
• The fundraising methods of cafes, restaurants, and bookstores by the church are not found in the New Testament.
• Nor is instrumental music in worship and benevolent work to non-Christians from the church's treasury found in the New Testament.

Yet all of these are practiced among the majority of churches that claim to be Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches. These practices are not only without New Testament authorization, but they actually go against the will of God and the new covenant.

I'm sorry to burst a bubble, but it's true. This is not meant to insult but to instigate investigation. Look to the Bible for your faith and practice, not your religion's traditions or (worse) what's acceptable in our culture.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17).