Recently a new believer in the church talked about how hard it was to balance the relationship with leaders in faith. On one hand, the church taught that he should be obedient and humble in the face of the leaders and on the other hand, the church mentioned that everyone in the Lord Jesus Christ was equal. He said, "Now that everyone was equal, why should we follow leaders? What if leaders said something wrong? Should we also follow them?"
First of all, “leader” is the Abel who helps each lost soul come in front of God and is the channel through which God bestows blessings. The story of Abel and Cain is recorded in the Bible. Abel and Cain offered a sacrifice to God respectively. God accepted Abel's sacrifice but did not accept Cain’s. Cain’s face changed greatly and he sought a chance to kill Abel. God did not just accept Abel's sacrifice but also took a fancy to Abel himself. And Cain must do self-reflection when he was not accepted by God and then learned from Abraham to come to the front of God and sought the way that was accepted by God.
Every one of us requires our own Abel on the path of faith. We come to the front of God by him and know what we do that pleases or displeases God.
From the physical aspect, Abel is the brother that is younger than Cain but from the spiritual side, but he pleases God more. We will meet such person like "Abel" in church whose age may be younger than us and seems to be lower than us from outside but God put such man in front of us with the truth of God. A priest says, "A lot of people who attend the church are very clever. What the pastor says he will be able to recite as long as he listens to it again. Look at the people leading in front maybe he also needs to take up a manuscript. But where is the difference? The difference is that although he listens to it one time and recites it, it is only recitation of the article. He doesn't understand the deep love of God and the world of the cross."
Secondly, seen from obedience. Obedience is absolute, not relative or selective. The Lord said to Abraham, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Actually God didn't tell him the name of the land at that time and whether that land is better than where he lives now or not. Abraham knew nothing but he still obeyed the word of God and left with his family.
When we obey the leader, it looks like obedience to this man but actually we obey God who is behind this man. In the Old Testament, God set up prophets as the mediator of the earth and in the New Testament, Jesus Christ was the mediator between men and God. Today, God set up churches, shepherds, leaders to become the mediators between us and God. God works on the ground through them. It seems that we are humbling ourselves in front of people but actually we fear the God behind those people.
Paul rebuked Peter in Galatians because at that time in the Galatia church, Jews and gentiles were equal and living in harmony. They even had meals together. However, when people from the Jerusalem church came, Jews stepped away one by one. Paul mentioned that we were unified in the Gospel and there is already no longer separation between Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, everyone is equal in the world of the Gospel. The only distinction is that when someone understood the mind of God and the Bible, they should bear the burden to lead newcomers to God.
Therefore, what is the relationship between the leader and believers? It is the relationship between the shepherd and the lamb. It is also the relationship among peers. Believers should not care about what shepherd looks like but care about whether God is speaking through him.
Also, learn the difference between "following" and "obedience." "Following" and "obedience," both have the same facts and difference. The word "obedience" does not mean no resistance and has the attitude of service but "following" is different from the meaning of "obedience." Obedience is not only to obey and is going to do. Both have the meaning of no resistance. The difference is that “following” only has to obey and does not necessarily follow the former but “obedience" is to obey and to follow. For example, if the leaders lead people to the truth, to Christ, that should be "obedience," if the leaders’ request is detrimental to the name of Christ and not to please God, we should not obey it. Together what we obey is the truth in the sight of God and in the Bible.
