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Gesag en Satan se Eindtyd verleiding

Gesag en Satan se Eindtyd verleiding

Die mense was verbaas oor sy onderrig, want hy het hulle geleer soos iemand wat gesag het, nie soos die leermeesters van die wet nie (Markus 1:22 NLV, beklemtoning myne).

Wat was hierdie gesag wat Jesus uitgeoefen het?

Het Jesus onderrig gegee met die gesag van die Sanhedrin – ‘n organisatoriese kerklike gesag? Met ander woorde, het Jesus onderrig gegee met die ondersteuning en onderskrywing van die georganiseerde godsdienstige stelsel en leierskap? Duidelik nie!

Hoe kan Sy leerstellings dan met gesag wees as die magtige kerk (God se uitverkore instelling, een geseën met die Godspraak) Hom nie erken, onderskryf en ondersteun nie? Trouens, hoe kon Hy onderrig gee as iemand wat gesag gehad het as die georganiseerde en “gemagtigde” leierskap aktief vir mense gesê het dat Hy dwaalleer leer? (Lukas 5:21; Johannes 7:46-49).

Was Jesus die enigste goddelike persoon in die geskiedenis wat nie die “gesag” van amptelike organisatoriese kerkleierskap gehad het nie en amptelike teenstand ondervind het? Ongelukkig, nee. Trouens, die geskiedenis onthul dat godsdienstige leiers dikwels lojaliteit aan ‘n instelling en sy dogmas gekies het bo die boodskap van waarheid wat van God af kom. In Ou Testamentiese tye het die priesters van Israel dikwels die waarheid van God teengestaan (Jer 5:31; Hosea 6:9). Jesus en die apostels was eweneens teengestaan deur die tempelpriesters en heersers. Die Hervormers is ook teengestaan deur die kerkgenootskap se “gesag” van hulle tyd.

Wat van vandag? Kan diegene wat God se waarheid vir hierdie tyd bevorder, aktief teengestaan word deur kerkleierskap, deur die “gesag” van diegene in die kerklike amp?

Is daar ‘n verskil tussen die gesag van die georganiseerde kerk en die gesag waarmee Jesus onderrig het? Kan God se gelowiges vandag met dieselfde gesag leer as wat Jesus uitgeoefen het terwyl Hy deur die “gesag” van die georganiseerde kerk teengestaan is?

Wat is die verskil tussen hierdie twee tipes gesag? (Ek daag jou uit om stil te staan en hierdie vraag te beantwoord).

Het Jesus met die gesag van die staat onderrig gegee? Het Hy die goedkeuring van ‘n regeringskantoor gehad? Pilatus het met die gesag van Rome gepraat. En Matteus het met die gesag van Rome gepraat oor belastingaangeleenthede. Maar het Jesus met die gesag van die regering gepraat? Duidelik nie – so wat was die basis van Jesus se gesag? En het die apostels, na Jesus se hemelvaart, met dieselfde gesag as Jesus gepraat en op die ou end dieselfde teenstand van ‘n opponerende regeringsgesag ondervind?

Wat is die verskil tussen hierdie twee tipes gesag?

Het Jesus gepraat met die gesag van akademiese geloofsbriewe of die goedkeuring, erkenning en sertifisering van verskeie teologiese skole, akademiese instellings of sertifiseringsliggame? Het die apostels, na Jesus se hemelvaart, met dieselfde gesag as Jesus gepraat en op die ou end dieselfde teenstand van ‘n opponerende teologiese en akademiese gesag ondervind?

Wat is die verskil tussen hierdie twee tipes gesag?

 

DONKER WÊRELDOWERHEID

Dink aan die stemme van gesag wat vandag praat – hetsy kerkowerhede, regeringsowerhede, akademiese en professionele owerhede, wat is die basis van hulle gesag?

Onthou u ‘n onlangse wêreldwye gesondheidskrisis waarin verskillende gesagstemme ontstaan en gepraat het, allerhande aansprake gemaak het, alle vorme van gehoorsaamheid geëis het en alle vorme van resultate belowe het – wat was die basis van hul gesag? En het hulle gesag gewerk? Het hulle gesag werklik teweeggebring wat hulle belowe het? Hoekom nie? Openbaar dit iets oor die verskil tussen die owerhede van hierdie wêreld en die gesag van God en sy koninkryk?

Ten slotte, my broeders, word sterk in die Here en in die krag van sy sterkte. Trek die volle wapenrusting van God aan, sodat julle staande kan bly teen die liste van die duiwel. Want ons worstel nie teen vlees en bloed nie, maar teen owerhede, teen magte, teen die owerhede van die duisternis van hierdie wêreld, teen geestelike boosheid in die hoogtes. (Efesiërs 6:10-12, AFRB’23).

Daar is verskillende tipes gesag, en een van Satan se strikke is om mense te kry om hulle oor te gee aan die owerhede van hierdie donker wêreld – die metodes, motiewe en beginsels van opgelegde wet, dwangmag en die blote aansprake van ander (menings van kundiges) – eerder as om op die gesag van God te staan. Baie mense is vandag net so verward oor gesag as wat die mense was toe Jesus op die aarde gewandel het.

Die mense in Jesus se tyd het gewonder hoe Hy met soveel wysheid kon onderrig omdat Hy nooit na hulle universiteite gegaan het nie en nooit ‘n akademiese graad voltooi het nie, geen goedkeuring van die kerkowerhede gehad het nie en geen amp beklee het nie.

Diegene wat glo dat die wêreldse owerhede reg is, sal redeneer dat mag en krag die gesag van God is. Hulle sal redeneer dat Jesus met die gesag van die goddelike mag gepraat het, met die gesag van Sy amp as Koning van die konings en Here van die here. Alhoewel dit waar is dat Jesus ten volle God is en Koning van konings en Here van die here is, is dit nie die gesag wat Hy uitgeoefen het nie! Die volk het Hom nie as God of as Koning van die konings erken nie, maar hulle het erken dat Hy met gesag gepraat het.

So, weereens, wat is die gesag wat Jesus uitgeoefen het? Dit is ‘n gesag wat Satan nooit kan uitoefen nie en dus wil God se vyand nie hê jy moet hierdie gesag erken en begin gebruik nie.

Satan en sy volgelinge kan die gesag van die organisatoriese amp uitoefen, hetsy kerk of regering, en hulle kan die gesag van posisie, mag en akademiese geloofsbriewe, goedkeuring en sertifisering uitoefen – maar hulle kan nooit die gesag van die waarheid uitoefen nie, want die waarheid ontbloot altyd hul bedrog, hul leuens, en dit lei mense terug na God.

Satan en sy volgelinge kan ook nie die gesag van God se ontwerpwette, van die werklikheid, uitoefen nie, want sy koninkryk is vals, fantasie, ‘n namaaksel, kunsmatig, werksaam op opgemaakte oortuigings, idees en reëls wat eksterne handhawing vereis. Satan is vreesbevange vir mense wat leer om te dink, te redeneer en die waarheid te onderskei, want die waarheid maak harte en gedagtes vry om nie vasgevang te word in sy kunsmatige samestelling, of sy virtuele werklikheidswêreld van wet en orde, waar die magtige heers en gesag het deur dreigemente, geweld en straf nie.

Jesus het gepraat met die gesag van waarheid, werklikheid, die metodes, beginsels en protokolle van God, wat ons Skepper in die struktuur van die kosmos ingebou het toe Hy dinge tot stand gebring het. God se wette is die ontwerpprotokolle vir die lewe, nie opgemaakte reëls soos ‘n skepsel oplê nie. Jesus het met gesag gepraat omdat Hy die waarheid gepraat het van hoe die werklikheid funksioneer.

 

Nie AS DIE ONDERWYSERS VAN DIE WET NIE

Maar let op, Markus 1:22 (NLV’11) sê nie net dat Jesus soos een met gesag gepraat het nie. Dit voeg ‘n belangrike, verhelderende besonderheid by: “heeltemal anders as die skrifkenners”!

Oorweeg die implikasies: “heeltemal anders as die skrifkenners” verwys nie na die Romeinse prokureurs wat die Romeinse reg onderrig nie, maar na die Sanhedrin, die Joodse godsdiensleiers wat Joodse godsdiensreg onderrig het.

Kyk nou wat daardie onderwysers onderrig het. Hulle het die korrekte Sabbat, die regte godsdienstige feeste, die korrekte tiende persentasie en die regte lys van rein en onrein vleis geleer – tog het hulle nie met gesag onderrig gegee nie. Hoekom nie? Omdat hulle al daardie korrekte leerstellings in die valse raamwerk van Satan se opgelegde wet geleer het en daardeur geleer het dat God se wet soos die menslike wet funksioneer en dat God die bron van toegediende straf vir sonde is. Hulle het dus ‘n valse god geleer wat soos Satan van aard is. Dit is presies waarom Jesus vir hulle in Johannes 8 gesê het dat hoewel hulle God en Abraham as hulle vaders opgeëis het, hulle ware vader Satan was (vers 44).

Die leraars van die wet het die goedkeuring en gesag van die georganiseerde kerk, die gesag van hul ampte, die gesag van hul teologiese grade en die gesag van die geskrewe wet gehad, maar hulle het nie die gesag van die waarheid gehad nie – omdat al hul leerstellings in die leuen gestel is dat God se wet soos die menslike wet funksioneer.

Jesus het onderrig gegee met die gesag van die werklikheid, van die waarheid van die ontwerpwet, en elke enkele lering het die dwaling van hulle opgelegde regstelsel blootgelê (sien ons blog Gelykenisse Van Jesus – Die Oorkoepelende Tema).

God se gesag berus in waarheid en liefde in harmonie met Sy karakter, ontwerpwette en metodes – dit is die werklikheid.

Aardse gesag berus op opgemaakte reëls, gedelegeerde posisies, eksterne mag, dwang, bedreiging, die amp self, die wette wat uitgevaardig is, die grade wat bereik is en die handhawing van daardie beleide, reëls en magsposisies.

Dink aan Saulus van Tarsus voor die Damaskuspad-ervaring, toe hy die volgelinge van Christus gearresteer en vervolg het; hy het dit gedoen met die gesag van die Sanhedrin, sy aangestelde amp, die geskrewe wet en die plaaslike regering, maar hy het nie met die gesag van God gepraat nie. Hy het nie die gesag van die waarheid gehad nie! Hy het nie die gesag van God se ontwerpte wette van liefde en vryheid uitgeoefen nie!

Die Bybel leer dat voor die wederkoms van Christus, ‘n dierlike mag sal opstaan om die wêreld te oorheers, ‘n mag wat uiteindelik Satan as sy leier sal hê, en die hele wêreld, behalwe die uitverkorenes, sal hierdie mag navolg. Dit sal die gesag van sy amp, van regeringsonderskrywing, van opgelegde mensereg, van godsdienstige goedkeuring, akademiese graad, kundige mening en professionele sertifisering, van mag, krag en selfs tekens en wonders uitoefen – maar dit sal nie met die gesag van die hemelse waarheid spreek nie en ook nie die ontwerpwetsbeginsels van liefde en vryheid beoefen nie!

Vir die biljoene wat nog nooit die waarheid as gesaghebbend erken het nie, wat hul gedagtes oorgegee het aan die gesag van ander, hetsy kerklike, akademiese of politieke leiers, om hulle te vertel wat om te dink, wat hulle aan hierdie tipe gesag onderwerp het – hulle sal mislei word en glo wat die gesag van die dierlike stelsel vir hulle sê.

In hierdie laat uur is dit nou dat ons liefhebbers van die waarheid moet word en slegs die gesag van die waarheid self moet erken, want die waarheid lei altyd terug na ons Skepper God, die bron van alle waarheid. Dit vereis dat ons volwasse mense word wat deur inspanning en oefening die vermoë ontwikkel het om die reg van die verkeerde te onderskei (Heb. 5:14). Ons kan nie ons denke aan ander oorgee nie, ook nie diegene in die kerklike amp nie. Elke persoon moet ten volle oortuig word in hulle eie gedagtes deur ‘n ondersoek na die bewyse en hulle eie individuele ervaring met die waarheid (Romeine 14:5).

Ek daag jou uit om die gesagsbronne wat jy in die verlede vertrou het, weer te ondersoek en aktief te werk om die waarheid, soos Jesus dit geopenbaar het, as jou enigste bron van gesag vas te stel.

 

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