Page 69 - Sarah's Children

endure it, this finds favor with God. In the same way, you wives, be
submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are
disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the
behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful
behavior.

Father told me that, as I had no place of authority yet in the church, I was to be as the
wife of which Peter spoke. I was to be submissive to those over me in authority, and
when the occasion came that I found them to be in sin, I was to let them be won
without a word, with my behavior remaining respectful and chaste.

The principle is this: if a woman has a husband who is disobedient to the word of
God then she has two options. She can correct him herself, telling him of his
transgression, and possibly persisting in speaking of it to him until she sees a
change. If she chooses this course then Father will remove His hand from the
husband and He will delay in correcting him for there is rebellion in the house.
However, if the woman understands that Yahweh will correct those whom He places
in positions of authority, and if she will refrain from speaking to the husband and
correcting him, if she will instead trust that God will correct him, then Yahweh will
act decidedly to bring correction to the husband. This latter course is the only way
to maintain peace in the household when the husband is in sin and the wife discerns
it. For her to put out her hand to bring correction will loose striving and conflict in
the household.

Father showed me that this same principle is at work in the body of Christ. When I
would discern that there was error in leadership, it had been my habit to tell them
of their error. I would stretch out my hand to offer correction. I was not malicious in
this, but the principle I was following was wrong. Authority must always be corrected
from above, not from those beneath. Father showed me clearly the course set before
me. He told me to go back to the church I had left and to apologize to those in
leadership for my actions, even though the pastor was still in sin. He told me to offer
no correction to the leaders, nor to even open my mouth regarding anything they
were doing. I was to say nothing good or bad. I was to trust Father to deal with the
wrong authority.

Yahweh assured me that if He found one saint so submitted in this way that He
would assuredly deal with the wrong authority. He revealed to me that the reason
there was so much wrong and sinful authority in the body was that He could find no
one under these authorities who was truly submitted. Because there was rebellion
in the house He delayed to correct the wrong authorities.

Churches are full of rebellion. The members of the body are constantly going around