Lesson 70. Pride in Authority

Authority is the special power to govern and direct another person or society, imposing one’s will or interests upon them. It is the ability to control people’s actions and suppress violations of established laws and order by applying administrative or criminal penalties.

Authority can exist wherever two or more people have a conditional agreement concerning particular forms of interaction.

Every authority is established by God as a form of organizational order in the governance of a state and society. The subject of authority is the people or an individual, who ultimately decide who may govern them and who may not.

Absolute authority belongs to God by right as the Creator of the universe. He is the supreme Ruler, Whose status does not depend upon the will or decision of created beings.

Our human society is divided into all kinds of states, parties, movements, agencies, cells, and unions. We are all under someone’s authority or are ourselves representatives of authority. Authority itself is defined by the territory and group of people upon which it can exert influence.

For example, a man has the authority of a husband and father, while a woman has the authority of a wife, mother, and homemaker, all within the bounds of her family and home. In the church, authority belongs to the church board, pastor, deacons, teachers, and preachers within the scope of their responsibilities and the church’s sphere of influence. The same principle applies in every society.

Authority opens before me the prospect of influencing or imposing my will upon those who are within my territory and acknowledge my authority. If my mind is guided by pure motives, my influence will also be pure. If pride reigns in my heart, it will certainly reveal itself. Even if all my actions and motives were righteous and met God’s requirements when my authority began, this does not mean they will remain so throughout my life. Temptations may come, or situations may arise in which I change my behavior. The very possession of authority gives the enemy of the soul an opportunity to incline my flesh toward violating God’s standards of conduct. Satan may urge me to make my own ideas and ambitions the rule for everyone.

The very possession of authority places me above others. Being elevated above people and their minds may become a temptation to me. Human nature often falls before such temptations, and then pride is placed upon me like a necklace. As a result, democracy gives way to authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, arrogance, despotism, and other manifestations of my carnal nature.

Let us look into the past. In a world without sin, there was a being called the “covering cherub,” whom God had anointed to possess certain authority. He was placed over all the angels as a representative of the highest Heavenly authority and revealed God’s plans to all the heavenly beings. But lawlessness arose in the heart of this cherub. He became proud of his authority and began using this blessing to his own harm, drawing other angels of God to his side. Forgetting that he had been created by God, Lucifer rebelled against the Creator, using his influence and authority over the minds of other heavenly beings. Authority given by God for the good of all became a curse to everyone as a result of pride.

If, while possessing authority, I begin in my own eyes to exalt myself above someone and regard myself as very important and supreme, I fall under the curse of sin. Sin imposes its will upon me, and I will no longer be able to free myself from it by my own strength. At times, I may not even desire such deliverance.

Pride very successfully convinces me that I am right and better than others. It places barriers before God’s Spirit, Who seeks to persuade me to abandon this false understanding. I begin using the authority given to me by God for my own vanity.

If I am in a subordinate position before someone, pride pushes me to begin a struggle for power and attain that cherished place so that I myself may become the leader. In modern society, such relationships and behavior have become the norm. Those who are above others successfully impose their will upon those who are subordinate to them or under their authority.

Consider a family or a school, for example. It would not even occur to us that the little people in this society would govern us. Yet this is exactly what they try to do, regarding themselves as the center of the universe. Wise mentors teach children to set their priorities correctly and show obedience and submission to those who have authority over them. Children begin dreaming of the moment when they will become adults, when they too will be able to become teachers and parents and their authority will be entirely different. For the present, they must submit. But as a person grows, priorities also change. He decides which path to choose: obedience or rebellion. We have all made this choice. And what governs me from within will be reflected in my conduct in the external world.

If I become a teacher, I will be able to instruct others in what I myself know. Pride or meekness will inevitably reveal itself.

God resisteth the proud, regardless of who these arrogant people may be.

Love is a representative of God’s highest authority and has unlimited power over all creation. It offers its will but imposes it upon no one.

Love possesses not only authority but also the power to put all its knowledge and proposals into effect. It is able to transform any person’s mind and thinking. It knows how to correct damaged functions of the consciousness and restore the ruins of my shattered thoughts and feelings.

Love experiences tremendous delight when it receives authority in the heart of a person who possesses authority in this world. It begins governing every process of interaction, revealing itself in every manifestation of mercy and justice, wisdom and beauty of character, tact and kindness. A loving person who has authority from God can do much good among those around him and sow many good seeds, persuading people to place their wills under the authority of God’s love so that they may become truly free.

Love gives freedom to its people. It drives out sin and deprives it of authority over the sinner’s mind. It heals wounds and inspires people to live. As the most powerful governing structure, love fills every space into which it is admitted, like water, preserving the forms of character while washing away its dirt and vice.

Pride tries to convince me that I have every right to be domineering within the limits of my authority. It teaches me faultfinding, arrogance, jealousy, evil speaking, haughtiness, grumbling, criticism, and other manifestations of the carnal nature. My high position helps me use this arsenal of the works of the flesh with impunity. Although many people dislike it, the structure of society causes such treatment of others to become a normal way of life. And when love comes to replace the standards just mentioned, people refuse to receive it and begin to wage war against it, declaring Caesar to be king. Love retreats, but it does not leave and does not lose; it waits. It waits a long time and makes its waiting heard. It stands and knocks at the door of the proud heart, offering itself. Will anyone hear this voice?

1. Please read Matthew 28:18; Romans 13:1–8; Daniel 2:37; Ecclesiastes 5:18; John 19:10–11, 16; Revelation 13:2–7; Revelation 17:12; and Daniel 7:22, 27.

2. By whom are earthly authorities established?

3. Why does pride permit the abuse of authority?

4. How can we help those who hold authority but violate the heavenly constitution?

5. What end will earthly authorities come to in the last days?

6. What authority has God given us? See 1 John 3:1 and Luke 10:19.

7. What did you understand from this lesson?

8. If I see pride manifested in the way I exercise authority, how should I fight it?