God is the ultimate authority in the universe. There is no doubt about that whatsoever. But God also delegates authority. Government rulers, parents and Church leaders have authority in society, homes and churches.

The Church is not, as some consider it, a democracy where everyone is directly responsible to God alone. No. There are leaders appointed by the Lord in the Body, whom we should submit to, and obey. This is the will of God and clearly taught in Scripture.

Just as the Word of God commands people to submit to rulers, wives to husbands, children to parents, and servants to masters, so also it commands subjection in the Church.

God has placed elders to give leadership to local churches. Where elders are truly placed of God in a church, they are the Lord's delegates and wield something of His authority. The Lord told the disciples whom He sent out, "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me" (Luke 10:16).

The Word of God has commands such as: Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17).

God places us as members of Christ's Body in fellowship-groups (churches or teams of Christian workers). Therein, we are called to submit to the spiritual leaders God appoints over us, and to move with them as a team.

If God has placed us in a church fellowship, or in a team of Christian workers, we are obliged to submit to the leadership that God has placed over us and to follow them in team matters. The only thing that we need to be sure of is that God has placed us in that team. Once that matter is settled, there is no question but that God expects us to submit to and obey our leaders. Many problems in Christian work are solved, once this Scriptural principle is understood.

Consider the example of the Son of God Himself. As a young lad, we read that He lived in subjection to Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:51). Jesus was perfect. Joseph and Mary were not. Yet the Perfect One lived for years in subjection to imperfect human beings, because that was God's will for Him. The Father's will settled all matters with finality for Jesus. If His Father wanted him to live in subjection to Joseph and Mary, He would do just that - and that too, for as long as His Father wanted Him to.

So we see, from the example of the Perfect Son of God too, that the only important question is, "Is it God's will that I should be in this fellowship?". If the answer is 'Yes', then it becomes our duty to submit to God-appointed leadership.

Rebellion against authority was the first sin committed in the universe, when Lucifer, the head of the angels, rebelled against God's authority over him.

In the world today, there are two spirits operating - the Spirit of Christ leading people to submit to divinely-constituted authority, and the spirit of Satan leading people to rebel against such authority.

The spirit of rebellion is rife today in society, in the home and in the Church too. This is a clear indication of the world rapidly drifting away from God, and being increasingly controlled by Satan. We are called as members of Christ's Body to stand against this satanic principle and to follow Christ's example of submission.

We can never lose out by submission to God-appointed leadership. On the other hand, we have a lot to lose by rebellion.

Submission to divinely-appointed leadership is God's method of leading us on to spiritual maturity. We shall remain spiritually stunted if we do not submit where God calls us to.

Many a believer has never learnt in experience, the reality of God's sovereignty because he has never known what it is to be checked and thwarted in his plans, as a result of a humble submission to his spiritual leaders. No one can serve God effectively or be a spiritual leader himself who has never known submission to others at any time in his life.

Submission is not something disgraceful and oppressive, as the Devil whispers in our ears. On the contrary, it is the means by which God protects us spiritually. In the early years of our Christian life, when we are still ignorant of the ways of God, we can be saved from many a pitfall ourselves and also be protected from leading others astray in our youthful zeal, if we submit to our spiritual leaders. Those years spent in submission can also be the time when God teaches us the laws of His Kingdom and thereby makes us spiritually wealthy, so that we can have a ministry to others.

How much we lose when we evade the pathway of submission!