Free Purpose And Power Of Authority by Myles Munroe Page A

others, and suffer from anxiety because they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s unsettling, disheartening, and frustrating to them. They’re not “demons,” but the word demonic seems to define their experience. And because they are out of order, they also have the tendency to torment those around them.
    The difference between the angels who abandoned their authority and human beings, as we will see, is that human beings don’t have to remain in darkness. They can be restored to their former authority.
    The Perpetuation of False Authority on the Earth
    Without genuine, absolute authority, there is only false, transitory authority—an “authority” based on circumstances, mere speculation, opinion, tradition, whim, and so forth, even in religious matters. This has been a characteristic of the world since the betrayal.
    As part of His restoration plan, the Creator gave to humanity the Scriptures to guide them back to Him and to their original authority. Again, the Scriptures are the “user’s manual” for humanity. They are reliable, in contrast to the fickleness of human beings. This is why Jesus taught the people to listen to the teachers of the law when they quoted the “manual,” or the law, but not to act in the ways they did, because the teachers’ lives didn’t reflect what they taught. He said,
    The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(Matthew 23:2–4)
    These religious leaders were not living according to the principles and standards established by the Creator, even though they knew what these principles and standards were. At another time, Jesus said directly to the religious leaders, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men” (Mark 7:8). Again, we see human beings giving more credence to opinion and tradition than to the truth from their Creator.
    Jesus also warned His disciples about another aspect of false authority—a method of ruling over people that was practiced by those who were outside of Israel, who were generally referred to as “the Gentiles,” a word that means “the nations.”
    Jesus called [His disciples] together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42–45)
    The term “lord it over” in this passage has the connotation of “control” or “subjugate,” and the phrase “exercise authority” denotes “wielding full privilege over.” As Jesus moved His disciples toward restored relationships with God and renewed authority, He showed them that the nature of true authority is not about having total control by “lording” it over others but about using the gifts you have been given to serve others.
    As we can see, the whole human race was thrown off course because our first human parents, Adam and Eve, abandoned their authority. Because of their rebellion against the Creator, the nature of humanity was altered so that all human beings who were born from them were also corrupt and prone to seeking their own false authority—collectively and individually.
    The conflict and abuse we see in our world today on a wide scale is what happens when authority is misconceived and misused. And, again, this is what has led many people to misunderstand and fear authority in general.
    The good news is that the Creator had no plans to leave humanity in this state. He provided a way of