Authority Comes From Practice, Not Position

Here’s a reality that will reshape how you think about spiritual authority: An angel couldn’t preach the gospel to Cornelius. Not because the angel didn’t know it. Not because the angel lacked intelligence or ability to communicate. But because the angel had never experienced salvation. The angel had never been a sinner who needed Jesus. So God wouldn’t allow the angel to preach what he hadn’t experienced.

Instead, God sent for Peter—a man who had denied Jesus, been restored, and lived out the gospel himself. Peter could say something the angel never could: “I was lost. Jesus found me. His blood forgave me. And now I’m free.” That personal testimony, that lived experience, gave Peter authority the angel didn’t have. It wasn’t about credentials or knowledge. It was about authenticity.

This changes everything about Christian leadership. You have no right to teach what you haven’t done. If you’ve never overcome sexual temptation, you can’t stand up and preach purity to others. If you’ve never given sacrificially, you can’t challenge others to generosity. If you’ve never fought through anger or jealousy or fear, you can’t claim authority in those areas. Authority doesn’t come from your degree or your title or how eloquent you are. It comes from what you’ve actually experienced and what Jesus has actually done in your life.

The invitation here is humbling: Know your lane. Recognize where God has worked in your life and speak from that place of authenticity. And in the areas where you’re still struggling, be honest about it. “Hey, I’m fighting this too. Let’s struggle together.” That’s more powerful than pretending to have all the answers.