'All Authority Has Been Given to Me'
Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).
Do I really believe that? Do my words and actions confirm it?
When Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me,” he was not saying, “You live life however you want; whatever priorities you set are okay with Me.” He was not saying, “You follow Me, except when what I say conflicts with what the culture around you says.”
Today, the culture in which we live reflects an increasing rejection of God’s authority. We read Romans 1:24-32 or 2 Timothy 3:1-8, and we can see it playing out all around us. We read Paul’s description of people living “in the futility of their thinking…darkened in their understanding…alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts…callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17b-19) — and we recognize it firsthand in people we know. Some don’t acknowledge God’s authority at all. Others pay it lip service but still discard it when it conflicts with what they want to do.
Ultimately, every sin involves replacing God’s authority with something else. Whether it’s a habitual mindset or a momentary lapse, every sin declares that, at least in this moment, I am substituting some other authority — my culture’s, my companions’, my own — in place of God’s.
The temptation we face every day is to set aside God’s will — His authority — in some areas or circumstances when it’s convenient to do so. To grant the prevailing human philosophies, priorities, and standards of the day more authority than God. But (as our British friends might say) this will not do. If we will not give Jesus all authority over us, then we really are saying that he has none.
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).
View Full Content Source:
https://www.plantcitychurchofchrist.org/articles/2026/03/08/all-authority-has-been-given-to-me
