God created Adam and has continued to create individual human beings. And yet, God has designed human beings to act in cooperation with other human beings. In particular, God has instituted three earthly organizations. God does not necessarily approve of everything that is done by each of these organizations. Still, that these organizations should subsist is good for mankind, because God authorizes them. Here are the three institutions:
The home. The home is the oldest institution in the world. In the first two chapters of Genesis, we read about God’s institution of the home. Many other passages speak to God’s law concerning how the various members of the home are to behave (Matthew 19:1-9; Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4; 1 Corinthians 7; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
The government, or civil authority. The Bible nowhere teaches that God “hand-picks” each ruler who obtains power. Nonetheless, God has decided that sinful human beings need oversight from those who are outside their own families. Paul addresses this in Romans 13:1-7, including this statement: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (13:1-2). And so, from just after Noah’s Flood, we begin to read about “nations” (Genesis 10:2-5). Christians are to submit to government insofar as government does not require them to violate God’s higher law (Acts 5:29).
The church. The church is the youngest of God’s three institutions, and it is the organization made up of those who have been saved by Christ (Acts 2:47; Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 1:13). The church also has rules that govern its structure and behavior.
I recently heard a sermon (http://bit.ly/1QwqxfM) in which Alan Highers asked the following question: Which of the three God-ordained institutions has the most influence on man? Statistics on how we spend our time show that the home is by far the most influential. Many people are not at all influenced by the church, and even those who are faithful members of the church are involved in church-directed activities for only a few hours each week. Many people spend little time thinking about the government. But most people are under the direct, profound influence of their homes for a great majority of their time. You have a much greater opportunity than anyone outside of your home to mold the thinking of those in your home. Don’t forget your unique opportunity to serve the Lord by having the right kind of teaching influence on those closest to you.