Page 103 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

Living under Authority and Representing God 102

The Lord, through Brother Lee, measured that out to him. This is a blessing;
it can preserve us.

A Person Who Represents God Rightly Needing to Submit to Authority,
Realize that in Himself He Has No Authority, and Be a Person in
Resurrection, Living in the Resurrection Life of Christ
A person who represents God rightly must submit to authority (Matt.
8:8-9), realize that in himself he has no authority (28:18; 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10),
and be a person in resurrection, living in the resurrection life of Christ (1:9;
4:14; Num. 17:1-10). What I am going to do now is an addition to the points
under this section. I will read some others and they are all from the second
half of the book Authority and Submission. That book has probably been
misused more than any ministry book published. Those who want to be in
authority, who define themselves the authority, they only read the first half
of the book about rebellion, and then they go about calling others rebels, and
asserting their authority. Even one person said to those that were visiting,
“I’m the spiritual authority around here!” But the second half is on how to be
a representative of God, what kind of person. Maybe we should just set aside
the first half for a while.
In between now and the next time we have a training like this, the Lord
wills about this time next year, if God’s government arranges, it would be
very good if you would slowly read through that and absorb what Brother Nee
had learned—a person who represents God rightly, must submit to authority.
That is the first thing. How can you represent authority if you yourself are
not under authority? This is a true story. A dad and his son, who is maybe
about eight or nine years old, were driving somewhere in the car and the son
asked his dad a question, “Dad, we obey the traffic laws, don’t we?” His dad
said, “Yes, son. We do.” Then the boy asked, “Dad, why do you have a radar
detector on the dashboard?” You see? The father himself was not submitting
to authority so how can he represent that to his son? The son could discern, “I
love my dad, I respect my dad but he is a naughty dad when it comes to radar
detectors.” That means he will break the law, he will break the speed limit.
But when he is aware that there might be a police officer, he slows down. He
knows I am not in the zone— “Zip! Here I go again.”

Second, he must realize it in himself he has no authority. This means
each one of us need to realize this. If Brother A, with discernment, realizes