where authority comes from

"Dead men tell no tales", well they also have no authority. Nobody is afraid of what Saddam Hussein may do now, nobody thinks to themselves "what if Stalin hears about this?" when putting in a missle defense installation.

However, Jesus came back from the dead.

its not up to us to live life for Him, but rather to let Him live his life through us. He wont ever miss a chance, ever make a mistake, ever be blind to an opportunity, say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, set the wrong example, communicate or convey the wrong thing. He in us is perfect, even though we are not. We just have to let Him be himself.

It seems so simple, yet it somehow need to re-learn it almost daily.