Before you begin your
Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be sure you have named
your sins privately to God the Father.
If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. (Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with
God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to learn Truth from the Word of God.
"God
is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth." (Joh 4:24)
Christian
Suffering
CATEGORIES OF CHRISTIAN SUFFERING AND
STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
THE BIBLE EXPLAINS SUFFERING and reveals powerful Divine assets for
coping with adversity. No believer in Jesus Christ should remain ignorant of
the causes and solutions to any difficulty in his life. Suffering is not
inexplicable. Every instance of suffering has a reason, an explanation, and
a solution!
Christian suffering can be most clearly
understood in relation to the individual believer’s Spiritual growth. From this
perspective, adversities may be classified into five categories. Two categories
are typical of Spiritual childhood; three characterize Spiritual adulthood.
The two categories of suffering in Spiritual childhood are punitive. The three in Spiritual adulthood are designed
by God for blessing. This study will examine
the problems and Divine solutions connected with self-induced
misery, Divine discipline, providential
preventive suffering, momentum testing, and evidence testing. These are five categories, which will be defined in
due course, and account for all suffering in the Christian life.
The connection between punitive suffering
and Spiritual childhood and suffering for a blessing with Spiritual adulthood
is not a rigid distinction. Some suffering for blessing occurs in Spiritual childhood,
and punitive suffering can hit the Spiritually adult believer when he sins or
makes bad decisions. The general pattern, however, gives us a basis for
understanding the pressures in our lives.
FIVE CATEGORIES OF CHRISTIAN
SUFFERING
Adversity plays a dominant role in the
lives of adult human beings. Suffering is like a parent. What responsible
parents do for their children, suffering does for adults. The discipline and
restraints of childhood imposed by parents are replaced by the discipline and
restraints of adult life enforced by suffering. As a parent, a guardian, a
referee ready to blow the whistle as an authority provided by God; suffering
challenges us as believers to utilize the assets God has given us. Suffering depletes our human resources and confronts us
with our total dependence on the grace of God. Suffering impresses upon us our
need to conform to His plan!
Parents do more than discipline their
children. Likewise, suffering is not merely a
warning and a restraint but a teacher and motivator as well. Misfortune
does not always come to injure, says a Latin maxim. Pain
not only discourages us from going in the wrong direction, but it can also
help to propel us in the right direction. The
proper application of Truth under pressure produces Spiritual growth. We see Truth working.
We experience the Reality that God is “a very
present help in trouble.” (Psa 46:1-2;
Psa 46:10) As
a result of using His Word, our love for Him grows stronger, and we accelerate
our Spiritual advance. Whether as a guardian or as a stimulus of
Spiritual growth, all suffering in the Christian life must be understood in
relation to the plan of God. Suffering, (Old sin nature, Thought, people, organization and disaster
testing) is designed for our good and for His glorification. He is glorified by sustaining and blessing us in any
situation, whether prosperity or adversity. It is for His Own glory,
therefore, within the hardships and disasters of life, God Promises, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
(Jos 1:5; Heb
13:5-6) He will “never let the righteous [Spiritual believer] be
shaken.” [Or totter or fall] (Psa 55:22)
Rather than eliminating suffering from our lives, He gives us far greater
benefits by walking with us “through the valley of the shadow of death.”
(Psa 23:4)
TWO FUNCTIONS OF SUFFERING IN GOD’S PLAN
Many Principles in our study of
suffering will apply to unbelievers (To motivate faith in Christ; Rev 11:13) as well as to believers, (To grow to
Spiritual maturity; Heb 11:37-40) but
we will concentrate on Christian suffering. We are studying the assets that
God has graciously given to anyone who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are also identifying difficulties that arise when
believers fail to utilize what God has given them.
Union with the King of Kings
Spiritual childhood begins at Salvation.
At the moment anyone first believes in Christ, God the Holy Spirit
simultaneously accomplishes eight ministries in behalf of the new believer. One
of these ministries is the baptism of the Spirit, in which the Holy Spirit
instantaneously places the believer into permanent union with Jesus
Christ.
For you are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ [The
baptism of the Holy Spirit at Salvation] have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, [No racial distinctions] there is neither slave
nor free man, [No social classes] there is neither male nor female; [No sexual
bias] for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [In union with Christ] (Gal 3:26-28)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Rev 19:16) He holds the most exalted of all
royal titles. He is head of a new royal dynasty, the Church, to which we
belong. The present era of history is the Church Age, in which every
individual who believes in Christ as his Savior is adopted as an adult son and
heir into the royal family of God. (Rom 8:15;
Gal 4:1-5; Eph
1:4-5) Our adoption occurs at the first moment of faith in Christ,
when we are placed in union with Christ. (Gal 3:26)
We are royalty now and will be royalty forever. This
is our eternal position; in our current experience, however, we must learn to Think as royalty. We must learn
to conduct ourselves as royalty. In order to
Think and live as Spiritual royalty, we need royal Thoughts. Simultaneously
with the baptism of the Spirit, therefore, God the Holy Spirit also places each
new member of the royal family into a magnificent, invisible environment, a
system of living that can be compared to a royal palace. Because the believer’s
very own invisible palace is a sphere of Spiritual power. In the function of
the Spiritual life God has made available to each believer the exercise of
Divine omnipotence. The believer’s utilization of Divine omnipotence will be
explained as our study proceeds. The palace, or the Spiritual life, is a teaching aid that clearly explains the
tremendous assets and privileges that God has given to each New Covenant Church
Age believer. TopAnd Bottom Circles.jpg
cf.
Living as royalty in the palace, (The Bottom Circle) is a synonym for living the Christian way of life. Only in the palace can we
use our Spiritual assets, develop capacity for life, and live with Spiritual
wisdom, happiness, and graciousness as the Spiritual aristocrats we are.
Furthermore, the palace is the only sphere in which Christian growth can occur.
The
Protocol Plan of God
Royalty lives by protocol. The Christian way of life can be called the
protocol plan of God because the system — the Spiritual life — for utilizing
God’s power, is a system of protocol. God designed
the Christian life; we must THINK His way! Protocol
is a rigid, long-established code; prescribing complete obedience to superior
rank and strict adherence to due order of precedence and precisely correct
procedure. Each element in Webster’s definition describes the
plan of God for the believer’s life.
1. LONG-ESTABLISHED CODE: In
eternity past God created for each Church Age believer a rich portfolio of
blessings, which glorifies God, who it also designed the Spiritual life as our
means of taking distribution of those blessings. (Eph
1:3-4)
2. OBEDIENCE TO SUPERIOR RANK:
Sovereign and omnipotent God holds infinitely superior rank to which we must
give complete obedience.
3. DUE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: The
highest priority in our scale of values must be learning the Word of God,
Divine Thinking — Truth, which teaches us what assets we possess and explains
how to utilize them.
4. PRECISELY CORRECT PROCEDURE:
Only by adhering to God’s precise Thoughts for the royal family do we fulfill
the conditions for receiving our blessings created in eternity past that glorify
God.
Divine grace has created a
royal way of life which Divine authority Commands the royal believer to
execute.
We are responsible for fulfilling the protocol plan of God, but God never
issues an Order for which He has not already provided the means of execution.
To obey God’s Commands is to tap His resources.
The Gates of the Palace
The Commands of God are like gates that
open upon Divine assets.
(Isa 62:10) The believer passes through these gates and uses his
God-given assets by consistently
learning and Thinking with God’s Thoughts and by following Divine protocol.
Obedience to Divine authority puts the power of God into effect in the
believer’s life. Although hundreds
of Divine Commands for the royal family are found in the New Testament, all of
these Commands can be classified into ten categories. The Spiritual life
consolidates God’s Commands into ONE consistent, comprehensive system. The Spiritual life will be developed later in
detail, but here a brief description of the ten gates will suffice, along with
examples of Divine Commands pertinent to each gate. This section of the book
outlines the Spiritual life; the next will fill in the outline, revealing the
dynamics of the believer’s palace when he faces suffering.
cf.
cf.
GATE
1, THE POWER GATE,
is the silent, invisible, enabling ministry of God the Holy Spirit. Omnipotent God the Holy Spirit sustains the believer,
supplying the supernatural means of executing the supernatural Spiritual
way of life.
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit [In Fellowship] and
Truth. [With the Spiritual Thinking of The Word of God] (Joh 4:24)
Be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire
of the flesh. (Gal 5:16)
GATE
2, THE GATE OF BASIC CHRISTIAN MODUS OPERANDI, is the source of the believer’s
objectivity. In Gate 2, the most elementary systems of problem solving are available
to the immature believer, which include the following:
The Rebound Technique is the
grace means of restoring the believer to temporal fellowship with God after sin
has broken that fellowship. The believer initially enters Gate 1 at
Salvation, but he exits when he sins. He can reenter only through Gate 1. When the believer follows the simple, grace mechanics of
reentry, the Holy Spirit automatically resumes control of the believer’s soul, (In place of the sin
nature's control) restoring him to fellowship
with God.
If we acknowledge our sins, [to God the Father] He is faithful and
just so that He forgives us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1Jn 1:9)
Through the Faith-Rest Drill the
believer mixes the Promises of God with faith and Thinks rationally to reach
Doctrinal conclusions. (Heb 4:1-2)
In fact, we know that to those
who love God, He works all things together for the good . . . To what
conclusion are we forced, face to face with these things? God is for us, who
can be against us? (Rom 8:28; Rom 8:31)
Hope is the believer’s anticipation
of Promised blessings and his initial basis for motivation. ThreeHopes.jpg
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope. (Rom 15:4)
GATE
3, THE GATE OF ENFORCED AND GENUINE HUMILITY, makes the believer teachable.
...Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is
opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper
time. (1Pe 5:5-6)
GATE
4, THE MOMENTUM GATE,
is designed for intake, metabolism, and application of Divine Thoughts, which
cause Spiritual growth and Personal love for God.
Man shall not live on bread alone, [Human
needs] but on every Word [Spiritual Thought] that
proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Mat 4:4)
GATE 5. THE GATE OF SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM, is
the entrance into Spiritual adulthood. Spiritual self-esteem is the
strength of soul that comes from Personal love for God. Love for God is the Spiritually adult Christian’s motivation in life.
Spiritual self-esteem is also the beginning of sharing the Happiness of God.
For me, living is Christ, and
dying is a promotion. (Php 1:21)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mar 12:30)
Though you have not seen Him, you love
Him, and even though you do not see Him now but believe in Him [From Truth in
the soul] you rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious happiness. (1Pe 1:8)
GATE
6, THE GATE OF SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY, is the stability of Spiritual adulthood,
characterized by Impersonal love for other people. Impersonal
love is the functional Virtue of the Spiritually adult believer toward all
mankind. Deriving its strength from the Virtue of the believer himself rather
than being limited by questions of attractiveness or repulsiveness,
compatibility or rejection from others, Impersonal
love is the foundation for the correct mental attitude toward people and self.
The second is this, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. There
is no other Commandment greater than these. (Mar
12:31)
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you. (Mat 5:44)
But Jesus was saying, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing. And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
(Luk 23:34)
GATE
7, THE GATE OF MOMENTUM TESTING, involves suffering which accelerates the
believer’s advance from Spiritual autonomy to Spiritual maturity. Gate 7 is one
of the categories of suffering for blessing.
I press on toward the goal for
the prize of that upward call from God in Christ Jesus, therefore, as many as are Spiritual adults, let us keep on Thinking
this. [God's
Thoughts on every subject] and if in anything you have a
different attitude, God will reveal that also to you.
However, let us keep living by that same standard [Of
Divine Thinking] to which we have attained. (Php 3:14-15)
GATE
8, THE WINNER’S GATE,
is the gate of Spiritual maturity. This is the beginning of the
most advanced level of Spiritual adulthood, in which God is glorified and the
believer is blessed to the maximum under ALL circumstances,
whether prosperity or adversity. The adult believer’s inner happiness is
stabilized and established in Spiritual maturity.
If you keep My Commandments, you will reside in the sphere of My
love, just as I [The humanity of Christ] have fulfilled the Commandments of My
Father [Who created the Spiritual life] and I reside in the sphere of His love.
[During His first advent Christ lived in the prototype] I have taught you
these things [Divine Thoughts] that My
happiness [Sharing the Happiness of God] might be in you and that your
happiness might be completed. [At Spiritual maturity]
(Joh 15:10-11)
When the Holy Spirit placed us
in the palace, God the Father intended for us to live there, not to get out of
fellowship with Him; through sin and move into the dungeon of Satan’s
counterfeit systems. We are Spiritual royalty; but we must reside in our palace to
solve the problems of suffering and to grow Spiritually. God’s plan calls for
us to handle suffering from inside the palace. Only in the palace is His
omnipotence at our disposal for handling the problems of life.
CATALOG
OF THE BELIEVER’S
PROBLEM-SOLVING
DEVICES
Problem
Solving in Spiritual Childhood
Each gate of the palace contains Divine assets that may be used to solve
particular problems that cause or accompany suffering. What difficulties do
these eight gates solve? To help the believer recall and utilize the grace of
God in the midst of overwhelming pain, the Divine provisions for problem
solving are best described in highly objective language. The power and grace of
God, therefore, will be presented in terms of “problem-solving devices.” This
terminology may sound harsh and mechanical, but there is a reason for it. Under pressure the believer needs Truth. If he is coddled, he may be in danger of intensifying his
problem by slipping into self-pity. No one with integrity wants to feel sorry
for himself. Furthermore, under stress the believer needs straight answers. He
does not need a lot of beautiful language. His emotions are already highly
charged, and emotionalism offers no hope of stabilizing him. Certainly
the grace of God can be described in beautiful poetic terms, but emotional
stimulation will not solve the problem and might only complicate the
Christian’s suffering which already is difficult enough. The purpose for this terminology is, to make it absolutely
clear to the suffering believer that God has provided real assets, that both transcend
his current sin nature, thought, people, organization and or disaster testing;
and offer him effective help in time of need. (Pro 28:25-26) The purpose is not to commiserate or to comfort
him. This human dimension of the problem is not to be ignored, but that is not
the focus of this book. This book is intended to teach and to present a system
of orthodox Doctrine with tremendous practical application. Simple
problem-solving devices are available for Spiritual childhood in the first four
gates of the Spiritual life. More powerful problem-solving devices become
effective in Spiritual adulthood in the final four gates. The Christian way of life is a supernatural way of life
that demands a supernatural means of execution! The only power
equivalent to the demand is the omnipotence of God. Therefore,
Gate 1 is the invisible, behind-the-scenes ministry of
God the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. The Holy Spirit manages Gate 1
entirely by Himself from His Divine omnipotence. We contribute nothing. We
merely ensure that we give Him empowerment of our lives by using the rebound
technique. (Pro 1:23) Rebound is
the believer’s first responsibility in Gate 2. Rebound,
faith-rest, and hope are basic problem-solving devices found in Gate 2.
Rebound allows the believer to reside consistently in his palace. It switches
on the power of Gate 1. Because the Spiritual child (Indeed, every believer) is
prone to leaving his palace, (1Jn 1:8-10)
he must quickly learn how to reenter. He exits by committing sin; (Mat 15:19) he reenters by acknowledgement that he is out, (Just wanting to be in fellowship with God is the standard)
and naming that sin to God if you know it? And we are
forgiven for all known, unknown, and forgotten sins. (1Jn 1:9) This Divine
provision is called the rebound technique because it causes the believer to
bounce back after failure, restoring his fellowship with God, avoiding the trap of a guilt complex. The next
problem-solving device in the Christian way of life is faith-rest, which
enables the believer to control his own mental attitude. Emotion is a blessing, but it can also
be a terrible cursing when it sweeps away reason and Truth. If emotion
dominates thought in a crisis, the result can be disastrous. The Spiritual child needs
to know how to remain lucid when his emotions rise and how to Think clearly
under pressure. The accurate application of Truth appropriate to the crisis,
demands a stabilized mentality. How does the distraught believer regain
and maintain his self-control? The solution is the
faith-rest drill. A confusing, complicated situation must first be reduced to
utter simplicity by claiming the stated Promises of God. (Heb 4:1-3)
MEMORIZE THIS!
Do not fear, for I am with
you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those
who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those
who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as
nothing and non-existent. For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right
hand, Who says to you, Do not fear, I will help you. (Isa 41:10-13)
GOD'S WORD WORKS
EVERYTIME; IF WE THINK WITH IT!
Stabilized by Divine Promises,
he can recall Principles he has learned and eventually reach Doctrinal
conclusions. From the Divine Viewpoint he can then deal with the complexities
of the situation. Another
basic problem-solving device in Gate 2 is called “hope.” Hope answers the
question “Where am I going in life?” The believer
learns pertinent Doctrine about his own future blessings; his eager
anticipation, or hope, of receiving those blessings motivates him to keep
advancing in the protocol plan of God. (Rom
5:3-5) Hope begins as a basic problem-solving device in Gate 2 but
increases in strength as the believer grows Spiritually. (Rom 8:24-25) As a result, hope also becomes one
of the key problem-solving devices of Spiritual adulthood. Arrogance is the believer’s worst enemy. (Jer 18:12) What is the immediate and long-term solution to the
insidious, multifaceted problem of arrogance? In Gate 3, enforced humility is an immediate
problem-solving device as the believer submits to the authority of God’s
Thoughts and plan. (Isa 57:10) Obedience to Divine protocol means using perfect Divine
Thoughts rather than trusting inferior human thoughts and ability. (Mar 8:33) As the believer learns more Truth, he understands the
reasons behind God’s Commands and sees how His Commands reveal His matchless
character. With a growing knowledge of Truth, enforced humility becomes genuine
humility, the foundation for Personal love for God. The most critical issue in the believer’s life is how does
he solve the problem of ignorance? At Salvation he knows nothing of God and
His protocol plan. The solution in Gate 4
includes tremendous Divine power for learning, metabolizing, and applying the
Mind of Christ. (1Co 2:16) The Bible draws an analogy between eating food and
learning Truth, which is the believer’s Spiritual food. (Deut 8:3; Mat 4:4)
Just as food must be metabolized to sustain the body,
so Truth must be metabolized before it is usable in Spiritual growth,
application or problem solving. And then the waste (False thoughts) are eliminated just as in
the human body. Someone may order a meal at a restaurant, and the food,
if well presented, may be attractive to the eye. But the food nourishes him
only when he eats it. Likewise, the believer learns
Truth, but this benefits him only when he believes what he has learned! (Jer 15:16) He must integrate the new Doctrine he hears with the rest
of the Doctrine he knows for that new Truth to contribute to his Spiritual
growth. To dispel his ignorance, the believer
must establish a firm policy of learning God's Thoughts every day. He must
always organize his day to accomplish his first priority, the assimilation of
God’s Word! (Ecc 11:6; 2Co 4:16; Heb 3:13)
Problem
Solving in Spiritual Adulthood
Spiritual childhood continues from Salvation until the believer reaches Gate 5, which is Personal love for God. Spiritual adulthood extends from Gate 5 all the way to Gate 8, the winner’s gate. As the Christian moves into Spiritual adulthood he finds solutions too many problems. How can he love God whom he cannot see? How can he have an objective yet positive attitude toward self, even though he knows his own flaws and weaknesses? How can he tolerate obnoxious, antagonistic people? How can he avoid being distracted by the people he loves? These are problems in relationships, and the solutions lie in Virtue-love. Virtue-love is the combination of Gates 5 and 6 of the Spiritual life, which include Personal love for God, Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy, and Impersonal love for all mankind. These Biblical Concepts are in contemporary terminology to communicate the progression and the mechanics of Spiritual adulthood. Gates 5 and 6 solve problems in relationships with God and with other people. Toward God, Virtue-love derives its strength from God Himself, the object of the believer’s Personal love. Personal love for God naturally generates Spiritual self-esteem and Spiritual autonomy within the believer’s own soul. The believer gains confidence concerning his eternal Spiritual royalty and that inner composure becomes the self-assured basis for kindness, thoughtfulness, and graciousness toward other people. Toward others, therefore, Virtue-love is Impersonal love for the entire human race. Impersonal love draws its strength not from the object of love but from the Virtue of the believer himself, even when the object of love is totally incompatible or antagonistic toward him. When the believer begins to acquire Virtue-love, how does he coordinate his newly developed Spiritual muscles? How do the first awkward expressions of Virtue-love become the genuine poise of Spiritual strength? The answer is suffering for a blessing. Between Gates 5 and 6, and again after Virtue-love is consolidated in Gate 6, God applies pressure to test the believer and to accelerate his advance. Gate 7 is a series of tests designed to propel him into Spiritual maturity. The mature believer is a winner in life. He has developed the capacity to receive the conveyance of “every Spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3) all of which were tailor-made for him “before the foundation of the world.” (Eph 1:4) These fabulous blessings, now on deposit for each believer, are called “greater grace.” (Jas 4:6) Conveyance of the believer’s greater blessings glorifies God to the maximum.
Now that the believer has reached
Spiritual maturity, he becomes aware of yet another problem. Having learned the Doctrine of the angelic conflict, which
explains the existence of the human race and the objective of human history, he
knows that God’s purpose is always to demonstrate His Thoughts. How is
God glorified to the maximum? How does He express His glory in the life of a
believer who already receives the magnificent blessings of Spiritual maturity? The answer is evidence testing. Evidence testing is Satan’s
cross-examination of a mature believer whom God has called to the stand as a
witness to show the Thoughts and Virtue of the new nature created in us, (2Pe 1:4) a demonstration of
Christ, His Thoughts and Nature alive in us. God receives the glory we are
privileged and blessed. (Luk 17:10) Satan attempts to discredit each witness, but Spiritual
maturity gives the believer the strength to face the worst Satan can throw at
him. (Rev 2:9-10) When the believer uses Divine Thoughts under extreme duress,
not only is God’s perfection demonstrated to the elect angels, Satan and the
demons, but the marvel of God’s grace and power is also made dramatically clear
to the mature believer himself! His
Occupation with the Person of Christ sustains his inner happiness and is the
greatest of all problem-solving devices. (Heb 12:2;
1Pe 1:6-8) Whether
enjoying prosperity or coping with adversity, the
mature believer has access to all the problem-solving devices of the Spiritual
life. As he grows, he still uses all the problem-solving devices of
Spiritual childhood, but now they are reinforced with the strength of
adulthood. (Rom 4:20-21; Heb 11:2) Using the
tremendous assets of his palace, he sustains his Spiritual momentum throughout
his life and handles suffering with such confidence that he becomes a maximum
demonstration of God’s perfect grace and integrity. (Num 11:23)
MENTAL
ATTITUDE IN SUFFERING: THE PRINCIPLE OF THE OFFENSIVE
Besides the Doctrines of the royal family and the palace, yet another
Spiritual Concept must be understood in connection with suffering. The protocol plan of God is an aggressive plan. Its
objective sharply focuses the believer’s attention. The Christian’s purpose in
life is to know God, as He has revealed Himself
in His Word! This goal is achieved by
learning, metabolizing, and applying Truth,
which not only will cause the believer to Personally love God but also create
true motivation in all realms of Spiritual and temporal life. Positive volition is more than a passive interest in God
and His plan! The believer must take the offensive and employ Divine assets to
attain the goal that God has set for every believer.
No one stands still in
the Christian life: If a believer does not advance, he retrogresses. This Truth
is intensified under pressure. Suffering never leaves the Christian the same as
he was before; suffering makes him either better or worse. The believer who
reacts to pain and pressure with arrogance — has
bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, guilt and self-pity, this mental
attitude sets him back and stops the Christian life. (Luk 15:28-32; Php 3:18-19) To advance, he must follow the example of Paul who
repeatedly expresses the attitude of offensive action: “I press on reaching
forward . . . I press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus.” (Php 3:12-14) The offensive has always been an important Principle in
life. It is a military axiom that offensive
action is the only means by which a victory is gained. Offensive action brings
victory, while
defensive action only delays defeat. Just as
the offensive increases the effectiveness of the force adopting it, likewise
taking the offensive in the Spiritual life increases the believer’s ability to
handle any suffering he encounters. The offensive also raises morale, permits
concentration of effort, and allows freedom of action. Defensive action can be
used to assist offensive action elsewhere, to gain time, to utilize terrain, or
to compensate for weakness, but offensive action must be used where there is any
reasonable chance for success. In the
Christian life there is always a “reasonable chance of success.” Taking
our cue from the many Biblical analogies drawn from military life, (Eph 6:10-18; Heb 4:12)
let us use the parallels between the Christian life and a military operation as
a means of anticipating where our study of suffering will carry us. The believer has an
objective in life, which is to know and love God! This personal objective implies that the believer must attain
Spiritual maturity, in which status his life glorifies God to the maximum. How
does he reach his assigned objective? He goes on
the offensive by metabolizing Truth, while consistently living in the Spiritual
life. Truth gives him Spiritual momentum. From Truth he develops
capacity to love God; he attains Spiritual self-esteem. Spiritual self-esteem
is a remarkable achievement, which we will study in detail. It is the giant
step into Spiritual adulthood, the first major intermediate objective along the
route of advance to full maturity. Because Spiritual self-esteem can easily
become arrogance, God strengthens the believer’s
Spiritual self-esteem with providential preventive suffering. (2Co 12:7) This is the first category of
Christian suffering designed for blessing. When strengthened, Spiritual
self-esteem becomes Spiritual autonomy, (Mat 22:37)
which is a base of further operations. The believer continues his advance to
Spiritual maturity through the valley of momentum
testing, which is yet another category of Christian suffering for
blessing. Upon reaching Spiritual maturity, the believer is in a position to
face the challenge of evidence testing and to
glorify God to the maximum. Suffering plays a major role in the believer’s advance. His personal determination to achieve Spiritual maturity
by obeying God’s Commands makes him equal to any suffering in life. Mental
alertness and a readiness to use the assets God has provided are the attitudes
of the Spiritual winner.
THE
LAW OF VOLITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
SELF-INDUCED
MISERY
BY FAR THE MOST PREVALENT CATEGORY of
human suffering is self-induced misery. People in general and believers in
particular cause themselves tremendous anguish, both within their own souls and
in the overt circumstances they create. The law of volitional responsibility
recognizes that a believer’s decisions have natural and logical consequences.
When he makes bad decisions, suffering will naturally result. In nearly every
instance of Christian suffering, therefore, part or all of the problem can be
traced back logically to the choices of the one who suffers. Before God created
the human race, He decreed that man would have free will. By Divine decree; our
decisions (Or indecisions) have real repercussions for which we are
responsible. Just as there are scientific Laws in which science
observes the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who “upholds all things by the
word of His power” (Heb 1:3; cf. Col 1:16) so also there are laws of human
consequence in which each
individual’s thoughts, decisions, and actions establish the trends in his life.
Every human being has free will. We make decisions constantly. Some of
those decisions are good, others bad. You probably discovered in early youth
that when you chose to take certain actions you were punished, but when you
chose to take other actions you avoided punishment and perhaps enjoyed some
measure of blessing. This Principle also holds true in the Spiritual life. When we follow Divine protocol we are blessed; when we violate protocol we are disciplined. The obvious conclusion is that we must learn God’s system
and Think with it! The implication of the law of volitional responsibility is
that every human being must take the responsibility for his own decisions and
actions. A mature person understands that he never blames others for his
unhappiness. He acknowledges any mistakes or wrong decisions he has
made regarding relationships, activities, motives, and functions in life and
fulfills the obligations he has incurred. If he suffers from causes beyond his
control, he does not allow the pain to tyrannize his soul. Rather than poison
himself with bitterness and self-pity, he makes the most of his present options
and opportunities through good decisions compatible with the protocol plan of
God. The Law
of volitional responsibility is clearly taught in Scripture.
Be not deceived; God cannot be mocked.
Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. (Gal 6:7)
Sowing and reaping can be beneficial or detrimental. In Galatians 6:7
they illustrate the law of volitional responsibility, warning
the believer not to ignore or violate the protocol plan of God. The
seeds a farmer plants will invariably produce their own species of plant and
fruit. Likewise, the sins a person commits sprout and follow a natural pattern
of growth. Tracing the results of a particular sin is not the point of this
verse. Just as no two seeds are exactly alike and just as they are affected by
nearly infinite combinations of soil and weather, a believer’s sins produce
suffering in keeping with all the variables of his life. The harvest of
suffering will differ from one person to another even if they seem to commit
the same sins. But anyone who thinks he will escape the
consequences of his own decisions deceives himself. He assumes that God has not sovereignly decreed man to
have free will. If man’s decisions had no effect, he would not have free will.
However, man does have free will and his bad decisions have bad effects.
Arrogance is self-deception. An inflated opinion of self is the believer’s great enemy, an
illusion which will relentlessly undermine his life and happiness. Most
suffering in life is caused by ignorance and arrogance. In contrast to humility and Truth, which orients the
believer to God's Reality, arrogance is
divorcement from God's Reality. The Divine decrees guarantee that the
consequences of man’s decisions occur in Reality, and
because the arrogant believer’s perception and thought are divorced from
Reality, his suffering will seem to come out of nowhere. The natural
results of his decisions often will take him by surprise. Situations for which
he himself is responsible will shock and disappoint him, will confound his
expectations, and will dash his misplaced hopes. In
arrogance and ignorance the believer will falsely blame his misfortunes on
other people, environment, childhood trauma, bad luck, the devil; or even God.
Because he is out of touch with Divine Reality, he
is ultimately illogical in his thinking. Blaming others is rationalization;
everyone is responsible for his own decisions! (Gal 6:8)
VOLITION AS THE SOURCE OF SIN, OLD SIN NATURE GOOD, AND EVIL
VOLITION AS THE SOURCE OF SIN, OLD SIN NATURE GOOD, AND EVIL
Volition, which is a component of the human soul, is the source of
personal sins and sin nature good and is also a source of evil, PERSONAL SIN is
an act of volition contrary to the will and Standards of God. Personal sin is
distinguished from Adam’s original sin, which caused the fall of the entire
human race, and distinct also from the old sin nature, which is the genetic
legacy of Adam’s sin in the body of each of his descendants. (Psa 51:5) Personal sin is one
manifestation of man’s fallen state. The old sin
nature is a source of temptation, but volition
is the source of every personal sin. Personal sin results from volition saying
yes to temptation; whether or not the individual knows he is
transgressing God’s will. The presence of the old sin nature is no excuse for
committing personal sins, nor is ignorance. God has given us assets with the
power to overcome these handicaps. Personal sins are classified as (1) mental
attitude sins, like arrogance, greed, lust and jealousy, (Mat 15:19) (2) verbal sins, such as gossip,
maligning, and lying, (3) and overt sins, like murder, theft, and fornication.
OLD SIN NATURE GOOD is man's relative righteousness, which can never meet the
Standards of God’s absolute righteousness.
When compared to God, “...all our righteous deeds are like a filthy
garment...” (Isa 64:6) Religion
vainly seeks to earn the approbation of God through the “dead works” of
the human old sin nature, (Heb 6:1; Heb 9:14) whereas Christianity, which is not a
religion, is a personal relationship with God based not on human merit but on
the possession of perfect Divine righteousness. At the moment of Salvation, God
imputes His own righteousness to every believer (Gen
15:6; Rom 3:22; Rom 4:3; Rom 8:10)
and declares each believer justified, vindicated, acceptable to the absolute
Standards of God. (Rom 3:19-30) EVIL is a self-destructive way of thinking that is hostile to
the will of God. As ruler of the world Satan's thinking is his multifaceted
policy of evil, a policy of guaranteed misery which we are born with, and think
with. (Jer
17:9; Joh
8:44; Rom
12:2) Until
we Spiritually mature. (1Co 14:20; Heb 5:14)
SINS
OF IGNORANCE AND ERRORS IN JUDGMENT
Sin, old sin nature production, and evil are absolutely excluded from
the plan of God for the believer’s life. But since believers still have their
old sin natures after Salvation, (Rom 7:24-25)
and since many believers fail to learn what constitutes sin, old sin nature
production, and evil or how to deal with them, Christians will inevitably
commit these violations of Divine protocol. Suffering under the law of
volitional responsibility will afflict the believer who does not know he is
involved in sin, old sin nature production, or evil. Because volition operates
in ignorance as well as in cognizance, whether or not a
believer knew a particular thought or act was wrong, he nonetheless chose to
commit it. He did it because he wanted to do it. Consequently, he must
take responsibility for that decision and for any resultant suffering. He is foolish if he remains oblivious to the connection
between his decisions and his misery. No one has an excuse for
practicing sin, old sin nature production, or evil. Free will is always the
cause. Even in psychosis people use their volition. Indeed, psychosis is
primarily volitional. In fact, many psychotic individuals have exceedingly
strong wills. Very few people are born psychotic; most
of mental illnesses are acquired through arrogance, self-centeredness,
selfishness, self-righteousness; and the practice of making thousands of
subjective wrong decisions over an extended period of time. (1Sa 16:14-15) In deliberate rebelliousness, in
ignorance, or in psychosis; suffering piles on top of suffering — for which the
individual bears responsibility.
Not all suffering under the law of volitional responsibility arises from
sin, human good, or evil. Occasionally, our suffering originates from nothing
more than poor judgment. The very fact that we are imperfect means that our
judgment will be flawed from time to time. No matter how smart we are, someone
can always deceive us. Despite wisdom and objectivity,
we all have areas of subjectivity and sentimentality that can distort our
thinking. Intelligence is no protection.
Experience affords little help. Advice from friends or warnings from experts
will never keep us from doing the foolish things we set our minds on doing.
A great deal of suffering arises from errors in human judgment.
Violations of the laws of Divine establishment, (Life, property,
protection, privacy and freedom) guarantee suffering to both believer and
unbeliever under the Principle of volitional responsibility. The
Scriptures describe in detail operational laws for the entire human race within
the framework of national entities. The sanctity of life and property of privacy
and freedom, must be respected or suffering will result. If a believer commits
murder, for example, he has not only committed a sin against God but he has
violated the laws of establishment concerning the sanctity a human life. He
should, therefore, suffer capital punishment because he made the criminal
decision to commit murder. (Rom 13:1-4)
The Christian way of life is more demanding than the establishment life of the
unbeliever. The believer’s life has a Divine purpose; the unbeliever’s life
does not — except to become a believer. Hence, the Christian suffers from
violations of establishment Principles, as would any unbeliever, but he also suffers when he ignores the Commands of God’s
protocol plan. He is Commanded to reside and
function in the palace, the Spiritual life under the enabling power of God the
Holy Spirit, but if he “quenches” or “grieves”
the Holy Spirit through sin, (Eph 4:30;
1Th 5:19) he
cuts himself off from God’s purpose for his life and enters the dungeon of
Satan’s system. (2Ti 2:25-26)
All suffering from the cosmic system is classified under the law of volitional
responsibility, but the believer in the cosmic system suffers more
severely than does the unbeliever in the cosmic system.
COLLECTIVE
SUFFERING
The law of volitional responsibility not only explains individual
suffering but also accounts for the collective suffering that man brings upon
himself. A corporation may go bankrupt through the bad decisions of a few
company officers and government officials. Suffering from their decisions
touched many other people. With so many individuals operating in the world,
each with free will, a certain amount of suffering inevitably overflows into
one’s life from the decisions of others. Volition is
still the cause. If not created by one’s own volition, suffering results from
someone else’s volition. The innocent suffer with the guilty, but innocent or
guilty, each believer must apply the solutions available in the Spiritual life.
If he personally fails to use Divine assets and
problem-solving devices, the blame for misery can fall only upon the believer
himself. Ultimately there are no innocent
parties; man by nature is a flawed imperfect
creature. Since the fall of Adam, no one is naturally great; nobility of
soul is a rare achievement. Evidence of this Biblical Principle is found in the
tremendous amount of suffering in the world today, suffering that has been
rampant through thousands of years of human history. In every generation, there
is always a plethora of suffering. Each individual, (Excluding
the humanity of Christ; Isa 9:6; Heb 7:26; 1Pe 1:19)
is identified with Adam in his fall; each is genetically related to fallen
Adam. Because of Adam’s deliberate decision to sin in the Garden, (Rom 5:12) we are born with genetic and
environmental handicaps to which add our own volitional flaws from personal sin
and poor judgment, creating our own suffering under the law of volitional
responsibility. Human weakness, ignorance, and arrogance weave a tapestry of
inevitable suffering for many people. However, we are not doomed by our
handicaps to lives of misery and despair. A Principle of grace is far more
powerful than is the unavoidable law of volitional responsibility: While man
manufactures his own problems and resultant suffering,
God manufactures solutions and blessings
in the midst of suffering. (Sin nature, thought, people, organization and disaster
testing)
FORGIVENESS
AND RESPONSIBILITY
All personal sins were judged at the Cross. (Rom
8:3; 1Pe 2:24; 2Co 5:21) The Gospel of Salvation is the supreme
illustration that Divine sovereignty and human free will coexist by Divine
decree. In grace God the Father, who is the author of
the Divine plan, took direct action and solved the sin problem. He imputed all
the sins of mankind to Christ on the cross and judged Him as our substitute.
(1Jn 2:2) Jesus Christ died for the
sins of every member of the human race, paying in full, once and for all, the
penalty demanded by the absolute righteousness of God. (1Pe 3:18) That is why the Scripture says “...whoever
believes will in Him have eternal life.” (Joh 3:15)
One non-meritorious act of positive volition to
believe in Christ appropriates the work of eternal, omnipotent, sovereign God.
This is grace. (Eph 2:8-9) Through
Christ’s perfectly meritorious work and man’s non-meritorious faith, God
totally removes the barrier between fallen man and Himself, reconciling the
believer to Himself. Even though sins were judged on the Cross, and we
have eternal Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, our daily living on earth
involves the natural repercussions of our sins. Sin has
temporal consequences toward God, toward self, and toward other people.
In relation to God, the sin caused by negative volition removes the believer
from temporal fellowship with Him in the palace of the Spiritual life. When we
rebound, the sin is always forgiven and we are restored to fellowship with God.
Admitting being out of fellowship privately to God the
Father is our responsibility (1Jn 1:9)
and is our first obligation after committing a sin.
What is our responsibility toward self? In relation to self, the danger lies in
allowing the sin that God has already forgiven to kindle a mental attitude
reaction. Like a chain smoker who lights his next cigarette on the butt of the
last one, the chain sinner ignites a mental attitude sin on a sin that rebound
has taken away. For example, when a believer guilty of hatred confesses his sin
to God. He forgives him and forgets the sin. If
the believer then fails to forget the sin God Himself has forgotten, the old
hatred can lead to further sins of bitterness and revenge. Likewise,
fornication is a sin that, even though totally forgiven by God, may cause the
devastating sin of guilt. Or, in erroneous zeal to make up for a sin for which
Christ was already judged on the Cross, a believer may enter into
self-righteous crusader arrogance, which once again ejects him out of the
Spiritual life, and fellowship with God. An essential part of rebound,
therefore, is the isolation of sin. We never allow one sin to become the cause of another and
another; in a subjective chain reaction. After perfect God has forgiven
us, a guilt complex or self-pity or a “root of
bitterness springing up” must be classified as a devastating mental
attitude sin, a prime cause of self-induced misery. (Heb 12:15) By understanding and applying the powerful
Doctrines that underlie the simplicity of the rebound technique, we are able to
prevent the forgiven sin from igniting another sin.
We are responsible to rebound and
move on in our Christian lives, rather than be enslaved to past sins by
bitterness or a guilt complex. Any suffering that our
sinning brings about is converted by rebound, from cursing to blessing. Although we may be the cause of our own pain, our
situation has now become an opportunity to utilize Divine assets, to see God’s
provisions in action, and to grow in grace. Since we are responsible for all of
our decisions, what is our obligation to people who have been hurt by our
sinning? What is our responsibility to those harmed by our bad judgment? Although our sins are forgiven and we are restored to
fellowship with God, we have avoided
chain sinning and have proceeded to apply Truth in our own lives, our sins may
continue to have injurious effects on other people. Rebound and the isolation
of sin are marvelous problem-solving devices supplied by the grace of God, but
they give us no excuse for irresponsibility toward others. Rebound is a license for Spiritual growth, never a license for sin. Nor does God’s grace in
rebound ever justify a believer’s flip attitude toward the freedom, privacy,
property and or feelings of others. Here we sail into dangerous waters where we
must “...rightly divide Word of Truth.” (2Ti
2:15) To be right with man does not mean
that we a right with God. Unbelievers can have
relationships with other people, proving that human relationships are not at
the heart of the Christian way of life. What the unbeliever can do is not
the Christian life! In the
protocol plan of God, relationship with God comes first and has a positive
impact on relationships with people. A
right relationship with God leads to a right relationship with man. The believer’s most important function after
committing a sin is to restore his fellowship with God, where he is filled with
the Spirit and thereby perpetuates his Spiritual growth. Much less important,
but still part of the believer’s volitional responsibility, is the fulfillment
of his obligations in relation to other people. Every situation is different;
each believer must apply Truth for himself. There is no pat solution by which
the Christian resolves his human relationships, but certain Biblical Principles
must guide his Spiritual Thinking and application. Responsibility to people we
have harmed lies between two extremes that we must avoid. We must not be insensitive, nor should we allow ourselves to
be enslaved by anyone’s implacability. In other
words, we are not to ignore the just cause of anyone who suffers because of our
decisions, but neither should we be motivated by fear or a guilt complex. Between
these two extremes lies our responsibility. If the suffering we cause
can be alleviated, we should go to the extent that justice, sensitivity, and
common sense dictate in easing the situation. Often the problem is
complex. Usually both parties in any dispute are guilty to some degree. Some
“solutions” would only aggravate the problem. We should be thoughtful and
generous and should walk the extra mile, (Mat 5:41;
Rom 12:18) but
when nothing more can be done, we must leave the situation in the Lord’s hands
for the solution as we press on in our Christian lives.(2Sa 12:13; Psa 51:4)
No matter whose volition originally causes the
suffering, each person is ultimately responsible for applying Truth in his own
life! Above all else, the believer must
live his life as unto the Lord, not as
unto people! This is not to be
construed as ignoring the human dimension of the problem, but application of the Law of volitional responsibility
does not mortgage the believer’s future to pay for his past failures! Instead, the protocol
plan of God demands the Virtues of humility, Personal love for God and Impersonal
love toward other people. (Mat 22:37-40) Bad decisions make suffering inevitable, and when a believer
commits a sin, he must take responsibility for its consequences toward God,
self and others.
THE
LIMITED EXAMPLE OF ESTABLISHMENT COURAGE
In the devil’s world a certain amount of suffering is unavoidable, but
self-induced misery can always be avoided. The key is found in the application
of Truth resident in the soul. All Truth is ultimately based on the absolute
Person of God, and all human integrity is loyalty to some category of Truth.
Truth exists in three categories:
1. LAWS OF DIVINE ESTABLISHMENT for
believers and unbelievers alike,
2. THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION for
unbelievers,
3. THE WORD OF TRUTH for believers
only.
When inculcated with Truth, the human soul
can triumph over adversity. This point is dramatically illustrated by
the establishment-oriented unbeliever. Although he has limited resources of
Truth, he displays admirable stability and courage under stress. If the
unbeliever can handle suffering with the restricted power of establishment
Truth, then far greater are the believer’s dynamics as he utilizes Truth and
the Divine omnipotence available in the Spiritual life to meet the challenges
of life.
The effectiveness of Divine establishment as a limited source of
strength dramatically reveals the superior power of Divine Thinking. American
prisoners of war in North Vietnam provide a notable example of unbelievers and
believers whose inner strength was derived from establishment Principles. These men were sustained by a code of establishment Concepts through years of bestial, crippling torture. Rear
Admiral James B. Stockdale, (Ret.), the senior American prisoner of war, was
awarded the Medal of Honor for his “valiant leadership and extraordinary
courage” as the leader of prisoner resistance. He confirms that even under
extreme suffering, the law of volitional responsibility remains operational,
and he describes the prisoners’ ability to avoid self-destructive mental
attitude sins.
There are a lot of things a torturer can’t do with torture. Aristotle
said that compulsion and free will can coexist, and he was right. . . . A man
about to undergo torture must have burned into his mind the fact that he can be
hemmed in only within a very narrow window and that he need not volunteer
information. . . . To keep your integrity, your dignity, your soul, you have to
retain responsibility for your actions, to deal with guilt. (“Yes, I lost the
bubble, I might have done better, but I didn’t.”) You need to look squarely at
what you did and measure its limited gravity in the light of the overall Truth
of the total situation, then use the guilt, such
as it is, as a cleansing fire to purge the fault, as a goad for future resolve, and above all do not be
consumed by it. But you have to do
all this yourself. To say that guilt doesn’t exist or that it was the work of
“evil spirits” or “brainwashers” is self-delusion. . . . What is indispensable
to avoiding the web of fear and guilt is the ability to stand isolated, without
friends and surrounded by enemies, and quite uncharitably say “no,” without
the crutch of anger, without embarrassment, with finality and with commitment
to the consequences. . . . Young
Americans in Hanoi learned fast. They made no deals. They learned that “meeting
them half way” was the road to degradation. My hypothetical young prison mate
soon learned that impulses, working against the grain, are very important in
political prisons, that one learns to enjoy fighting city hall, to enjoy giving
the enemy upside-down logic problems, that one soon finds himself taking his
lumps with pride and not merely liking but loving that tapping guy next door,
the man he never sees, the man he bares his soul to after each torture session,
until he realizes he is thereby expiating all residual guilt. Then he realizes
he can’t be hurt and can’t be had as long as he tells the Truth and clings to
that forgiving band of brothers who are becoming his country, his family. American prisoners of war
applied establishment Truths concerning personal freedom and responsibility as
well as humility, honesty, and mutual respect. They avoided torturing
themselves with mental attitude sins. Moreover, free from self-induced
misery, they learned to actually enjoy the challenges of their unspeakable
situation. Their success did not stem from mere stubbornness, which can be a
counterfeit of integrity. Anger, fear, guilt, vengeance, implacability, or
insecurity may motivate unyielding tenacity. This pseudo-strength may appear
admirable and may even achieve a degree of success, but the inner result of
such false motivation is only wear and tear on the soul. In particular, fear is
a tremendous drain of mental and physical energy. God is the source of establishment Truth, but the protocol
plan of God both includes and exceeds Divine establishment. If the application
of establishment Truth creates genuine strength of soul, the application of
Spirit & Truth has far greater dynamics. (Joh 4:24) The whole is greater
than the part. The advancing believer
understands that “the overall Truth of the total situation” includes the
magnificent grace of God, His Divine omnipotence, and the problem-solving devices
of His protocol plan. Freewill (Volition) causes suffering under the law
of volitional responsibility, but the existence of freewill also strips away
every excuse for self-induced misery. The believer’s
own negative volition is his only hindrance to advancement in the protocol
plan of God. There is no excuse for failing to perceive, metabolize, and apply
Truth in the power of the Spiritual life. Far
surpassing establishment Truth, fabulous equal privileges and equal opportunities
are granted by God to every believer for the fulfillment of His plan, purpose
and design.
MAKING
GOOD DECISIONS, FOLLOWING DIVINE PROTOCOL
The believer is responsible for most of his own suffering, but what is
the solution? He must reverse the trend. Rather than make bad decisions, the believer must begin
to make good decisions, which also have logical repercussions — good results. The believer who obeys the Commands of
God, frees the omnipotence of God to advance and bless him. This means that he must learn Truth filled with God the
Holy Spirit. Only the believer who understands and properly uses the
problem-solving devices available to him in the palace of the Spiritual life
fulfills his destiny in the plan of God.
Divine protocol is precise. “God is not a God of confusion” or
disorganization. (1Co 14:33) The
believer is free to express his individual volition within the Boundaries
(Thoughts) established by the plan of God. God’s plan must be accurately understood and applied.
The believer who distorts God’s plan by overemphasizing
isolated elements rather than living by the entire system of protocol is not
solving his problems; he is compounding them. The
rebound prayer, for example, is the means of reentering the Spiritual life and
restoring the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. (Joh 4:24) But even a precisely accurate rebound prayer
generally does not cause pain to instantly, magically cease. In reaction to
pain, prayer is often taken out of its protocol context and falsely applied to
suffering. Prayer is a weapon for the strong, not a crutch for the weak. Prayer has
many wonderful applications within the rules God has laid down, but no amount
of prayer will reverse the natural results of bad decisions. When a believer
prays for himself or asks others to pray for him because he is hurting from bad
decisions, he may be hoping prayer will achieve what it was never designed to
accomplish. If he merely wishes his suffering to end, he wants God to suspend
the Law of volitional responsibility, change His entire plan for the human
race, and somehow miraculously make the pain go away. The source of the
suffering is the wrong decisions the believer himself has made regarding
business, or personal relationships, or when facing temptation or sin. There
are Divine solutions to suffering, which we are studying, but imploring God
for relief is not one of them. (2Co 12:8-9)
In fact, the removal of suffering might deny the
believer a special blessing available to him only through the suffering.
The protocol plan of God establishes the correct
procedure to Think and use; the believer must learn and obey the system God has
established. The ignorance and confusion of
believers who have never learned the protocol of the Christian life can only
intensify their suffering.
DIVINE
DISCIPLINE
AN
EXPRESSION OF GOD’S GRACE
WE HAVE SEEN THAT MOST CHRISTIAN SUFFERING
arises from the believer’s own thoughts, decisions, and actions. One bad
decision follows another until his life is unbearable. He makes a shamble of
his present experience and destroys his future options. No one can devastate a
person’s life, as he can himself. At some point in this
self-destructive process, God intervenes with Divine discipline. God
will not stand by while members of the royal family sink into degeneracy; He
takes stern measures to alert them to their dire situation and to encourage
them to rebound and reenter the palace. In His perfect
wisdom God knows when and how to warn each believer. Our heavenly Father knows
the most effective way to confront us with the fact that we are totally dependent
on His grace. (1Co 11:30-31) All
Divine discipline is administered in grace. The Christian under discipline may
doubt that God is treating him in grace, but he could not imagine how much more
he would hurt if God were not acting in grace. God severely punishes believers
but not because He likes to see us squirm. He is perfect. He is just. We are
His children, the royal family of God, and He punishes us for our benefit. By
definition, Divine discipline is the sum total of punitive action taken by the
justice of God in grace to correct, to punish, to encourage, to train, to
motivate the believer’s free will toward the protocol plan of God. Divine
discipline is for believers only (Heb 12:8)
and occurs only in this life, not in heaven. (Rev 21:4)
Divine discipline is a warning that the believer is outside the
boundaries of God’s plan. Just as a football game is played inside the
boundaries of the playing field, so the plan of God must be executed within the
bounds of Divine protocol. (2Jn 1:9)
Just as the referee blows a whistle when the ball carrier steps out of bounds,
so God blows a whistle on us and administers Divine discipline when we live out
of fellowship. (Rev 3:20)
DISCIPLINE
AS PARENTAL TRAINING IN HEBREWS 12
When a believer cuts off his
fellowship with God through sin and remains in the cosmic system, God in His
grace must deal with him as a child. Truth has been ignored; God must get the
believer’s attention through pain.
And so you yourselves have forgotten a Principle of Doctrine which
teaches you as sons: My son, [God addresses believers as His children] do
not make light of corrective discipline from the Lord nor be fainting when you
are reprimanded by Him. (Heb 12:5)
Hebrews 12:5 encourages us by explaining that Divine discipline is
tailored to each believer. God treats us as individuals. Discipline is neither
too lenient (“Do not make light”) nor too severe (“Nor be fainting”)
but is administered for maximum effectiveness in every believer’s life.
For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He punishes every son
whom He welcomes home. (Heb 12:6)
Divine discipline from the Lord is part of parental training in the
royal family of God. The premise in comparing Divine discipline with child
rearing in the home, that is; except for the humanity of Jesus Christ, there is
no such thing as a perfect child. Some children are unquestionably better
behaved and more responsive to instruction than others, but every child needs
training so that eventually he will be able to function in adult society.
Parents try to instill authority orientation in their children. Anyone who
leaves home without authority orientation makes himself a monster who will
manufacture misery for himself and others under the law of volitional
responsibility. On the Spiritual side of the analogy, there is no such thing as
sinless perfection in this life, again with the exception of Christ’s
impeccable humanity. As long as any believer lives in his mortal body, in which
the old sin nature resides, he will continue to sin. (1Ki 8:46; Psa 143:2;
Ecc 7:20) As
he matures Spiritually, he will sin less frequently and perhaps will commit
different categories of sin, but periodically he will succumb to temptation and
enter the cosmic system. (Rom 7:18-25) If the believer remains in the cosmic system, his thinking
loses touch with the Reality of God’s protocol plan. Under prolonged cosmic
influence, his arrogance becomes antagonism toward God; he multiplies his own
unhappiness and incurs Divine discipline. Like
parental training, Divine discipline is designed to inculcate humility, which
is orientation to God's Reality and authority. Only
the humble believer is teachable; (Psa 25:8-9)
he desires to understand how he fits in the overall
scheme of God’s grace. Only with humility can anyone be objective and responsive to
the authority of God's Thoughts. Although self-evaluation when
accompanied by arrogance rapidly slips into subjectivity; (False reality) we
have the responsibility to analyze our lives objectively in the light of
the Word of God. We should be first to recognize our
own weaknesses. If we do not, Divine
discipline enforces humility on us, teaching us to see ourselves as we really
are in relation to God and His marvelous plan. The
very fact that we receive discipline from God tells us we are divorced from
Reality and that God is bringing us back to grace-oriented objectivity. From that solid footing we can rebound and resume our
Spiritual growth.
HEBREWS 12 CONTINUES WITH AN EXPLANATION OF DIVINE DISCIPLINE IN
TERMS OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN.
And you have forgotten the exhortation
which is addressed to you as sons, MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE
OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD
LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES. It is for
discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is
there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline,
of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children (Unbelievers) and not sons.
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;
shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For
they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines
us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. (2Pe 1:4) All
discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those
who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of
righteousness. (Spiritual Maturity) Therefore,
strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, (Rebound) and make straight paths for your feet, (Stay in Fellowship) so that the limb which is lame
may not be put out of joint, (Sin unto death)
but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and
the sanctification (Spiritual Maturity)
without which no one will see the Lord. (Isa 54:12-13; Mat 5:8;
1Jn 3:3) (Heb
12:5-14)
CATEGORIES OF DIVINE DISCIPLINE
God is never arbitrary in administering
discipline: His punishment is always appropriate to the individual in question.
From His perfect Divine justice, all discipline not only fits the violation
but also matches the believer’s receptivity. Hence, there are three categories
of Divine discipline:
1. WARNING DISCIPLINE,
2. INTENSIVE DISCIPLINE,
3. DYING DISCIPLINE.
When the believer does not use rebound,
these three categories of discipline are progressive. Mild discipline gives way
to more and more severe discipline if the believer fails to respond. The believer who refuses to live in fellowship receives
warning discipline, added to the misery he has already created for himself
under the law of volitional responsibility. He has isolated himself from
fellowship with God; he has shut Christ out of his thoughts.
Behold, I stand at the door and
knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and
will dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev 3:20)
That knock at the door is
warning discipline. As a general rule, warning discipline is
in itself less severe than the believer’s self-induced misery. However, the combination of warning discipline and
self-induced misery adds up to a significant shock. Because he has not
yet declined into the later stages of negative volition, this believer is still
sensitive to the Truth. He can still profit from this degree of discipline so
that God does not have to proceed to the next stage of punitive suffering. He
can still hear the knocking on the door. God can catch his attention with
relatively mild suffering. If the believer ignores or
rejects Divine warnings, he eventually requires intensive discipline. By
habitual abstinence he has dulled his sensitivity to Truth; warning
discipline is no longer sufficient. God still has a marvelous plan for blessing this cosmic
believer, but God’s plan can be executed only in the power of the Spiritual
life. God continues to support him with logistical grace, keeping him
alive so that he might return to his palace. Where there is life there is hope, and God fans the feeble flame of hope by continuing to
discipline the believer (Isa 42:3)
even after he has insulted and blasphemed God by
choosing to remain in Satan’s cosmic system. Stiffer Divine discipline
is required to jolt the habitually rebellious believer into objectivity.
Intensive discipline alone is worse than self-induced misery: When these two categories of suffering are combined, the
total pain from God and from self is extremely severe. This adds up to
unbearable suffering for the believer who persists in the cosmic system. God is exceedingly patient with His children. He extends to
the believer every possible opportunity to fulfill His protocol plan. But with each rejection of God’s gracious appeal to return,
the Christian renders himself less capable of making a positive decision. “Hardness
of heart,” or scar tissue of the soul eventually locks his volition in
negative. (Heb 4:7; Heb 6:6) Unless he rebounds, he will arrive at
the third and final stage of Divine discipline, the sin unto death. (1Jn 5:16) Dying discipline, or the sin unto
death, is a horrible departure from time into eternity. The Christian involved
has no inner resources for meeting death. In ignorance of Truth, death becomes
a terrifying plunge into the unknown. (Jer 17:13)
God’s work of Salvation can never be canceled; even the most hardened,
self-righteous Christian is immediately “absent from the body and. . . At
home face to face with the Lord” when removed from life on earth, (2Co 5:8) until the judgment seat. (2Co 5:10)
And the Lord said,
Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in
charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? (1Pe 5:2-4) Blessed
is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you
that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (Rev 3:21) But if that slave says in
his heart, My master will be a long time in coming, and begins to beat the
slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; (Php 3:18-19) the master of that slave will come on a day when he
does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in
pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. (Mat 8:10-12; Luk 13:28-30;
Luk 14:16-27 ; 2Pe 2:13-22; Jude 1:11-13)
And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in
accord with his will, will receive many lashes,
but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging,
will receive but few. (1Co 3:11-15; Mar 9:49-50) From everyone who has been given much, much will be
required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Php 3:10) (Luk 12:42-48)
Such recalcitrant believers who enter
heaven, and not outer darkness will enjoy complete happiness in heaven, (Rev 21:4) but they receive no eternal rewards
with which to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ forever. (1Co 3:15) These cosmic believers are losers in
life; their tailor-made blessings for time and eternity are never delivered to
them, but remain permanently on deposit in heaven as a memorial to lost
opportunity and to God’s magnificent, irrevocable grace. (Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:4)
Believers who complete their Spiritual life (Mat 25:23)
will have entrance into the New Jerusalem (Isa 54:12-13;
Rev 3:12; Rev
22:14)
BELIEVERS WHO SERVE SATAN
Not every Christian who fails to rebound
and continues in locked-in negative volition is removed immediately from this
life. God may keep a believer alive for a long time in the intensive stage of
Divine discipline. With great finesse God may employ
these eternally saved “enemies of the Cross” (Php 3:18) as agents of momentum testing in the lives of growing
believers. Specifically, Christians suffering intensive Divine discipline may
administer the people test, the thought test, the system test, or the disaster
test to Spiritually adult believers. (Lam 3:53) Representing many different
personalities, attitudes, and styles of living and taking many different human
approaches to life, cosmic Christians who periodically receive intensive
discipline serve Satan as cosmic evangelists. (Job
2:9; 1Co 3:3) Satan uses
these negative believers to distract positive believers from the protocol plan
of God. Cosmic Christians draw other believers into
the pseudo-strength and superficial attractions of the cosmic system.
(Gal 5:7-10; Rev 2:2) Besides “enemies of the
Cross of Christ” (Php 3:18) other Biblical terms for cosmic believers include “anti-Christs”
(1Jn 2:18-19; 2Jn 1:7-9)“agents of
the devil” (1Jn 3:8) “children of
the devil” (1Jn 3:10) “haters of God” (1Jn 4:20) “hostile
toward God” (Rom 8:7) “men of the flesh” (1Co
3:1-3)“enemies of God” (Jas 4:4) “double-minded.”
(Jas 4:8) All
these phrases refer to believers, not to unbelievers! Cosmic believers are like aggressors in army field
exercises. Often troops who have only a few weeks remaining in the service will
be issued weapons and blank ammunition in order to play the role of the enemy
against soldiers who are being trained. The aggressors and the men in training
are members of the same army, but the only troops
benefiting from the simulated combat are those being tested, not the aggressors. Likewise,
the only reason God sustains the lives of some negative believers is to use
them to train others. These “enemies of God” (Jas 4:4) are still members of the royal family. But the only role they can
play in the glorification of Christ is to be a test for positive believers.
Because of their own failures to execute the protocol plan of God, they become
merely a means of building strength in someone else. Obviously,
this is not a Christian’s highest calling. These
cosmic Christians on the verge of maximum discipline may be sincere, sweet,
and highly legalistic individuals who have distorted Christianity into a religion
of old sin nature good works. They may be moral degenerates (Col 2:20-23) rather than
immoral degenerates. (Rom 1:29-32)
The growing believer who can see through their facade, (Mat 23:28) discerning
the evil of self-righteousness, yet avoiding condemning them himself, (Luk 6:37) accelerates
his growth in the Spiritual life! God’s genius is wonderfully displayed as He permits a
negative Christian in Satan’s system to ambush a positive Christian. God uses Satan and the believer who is going in the wrong
direction as a stimulus to contribute to the Spiritual maturity of the believer
advancing in the right direction. (Psa 76:10; 2Co 12:7)
LEARNING THE HARD WAY
Divine discipline may help others besides
the one being punished, but primarily discipline is a teacher, a private tutor
of the one in pain. Through suffering, God confronts
the believer with his ignorance of Truth. Believers
who fail to learn Truth will suffer all their lives until they are removed by
the sin unto death. (1Jn 5:16)
They may be negative at different points in the learning process, which involves rebound,
reception, retention, recall of Truth, the resisting of sin and our own will. (Jas 1:13-15)
Those who refuse to listen to Bible teaching (No reception) will live out
their days in ignorance and arrogance, self-induced misery and Divine
discipline. They will be unhappy and will never understand why.
Other believers who do listen to Truth, even those who listen
consistently, may reject true information they do not like to hear. (Reception, but not believing and Thinking with Truth) The points of
Doctrine they resist must be learned another way, the hard way, through Divine
discipline. Divine discipline is suffering, but not for its own
sake; Divine discipline is teaching. Where the believer has reception and retention but no recall
of Truth for application, Divine discipline solves the problem by forcing the
believer to concentrate on Truth in a humanly hopeless situation. God must teach — and all of us must learn — a certain number of lessons
through suffering. We have a choice: Learn the easy way through Bible
Teaching, or learn the hard way through
suffering. These are the two systems of
learning in the Church Age. Instruction from
one’s pastor is God’s unlimited means of Communication. (Hos 8:12) In contrast, discipline
from God is a limited means of Communication. The
pastor who teaches the Word of God in fellowship, line by line, verse by verse
can cover the whole realm of Divine Truth, resulting in Spiritual momentum and
maturity in his listeners. Discipline, however,
can only motivate the believer to return to the plan of God and resume learning
Truth under his pastor. Divine discipline has a limited objective, to
alert the believer that he is out of bounds and to motivate his recovery
through rebound. Concentrating in Bible class may be difficult from time to
time, but it is not nearly as painful nor as limited as receiving discipline
directly from God. Discipline reminds us that we never get away with anything. (2Sa 12:7-14 ) God never overlooks any member of
His royal family. No believer is ever ignored by the grace of God. Sooner or later God will provide sufficient punishment to remind
the believer of what is really important in life. (At God's perfect timing)
FURTHER BIBLICAL DOCUMENTATION OF
DIVINE DISCIPLINE
God takes punitive action in order to teach and train us. Divine discipline motivates us to learn,
so that the renewing of our minds with Truth becomes a way of life. (Rom 12:2) We may learn
the hard way from time to time, but we learn nonetheless!
Those whom I love, [Believers] I reprove
[I tell them: They are wrong] and discipline; therefore be zealous [Positive] and repent. [Rebound] Behold, I stand at
the door and knock; [Intensive discipline]
if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, [Rebounds] I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with
Me. (1Jn 1:3)
He who overcomes, (1Jn 2:16) I will
grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame (Luk 4:3-13) and
sat down with My Father on His throne. (Rev
3:19-21)
The Church Age believer always belongs to
Christ’s royal priesthood, even when he lives in the cosmic system. He always
has the right to approach the throne of grace with rebound and be restored to
his palace. (Heb 4:16) Discipline
alerts the cosmic believer to the fact that something is wrong with his life.
The Lord graciously keeps knocking, giving the believer continuing
opportunities to rebound. Failure to respond after
hearing God’s warnings results in more discipline until death. (Rom 2:8-9)
Arrogance in
any of its myriad (Innumerable)
forms is a “life of deceit.” The arrogant
believer denies the results of his own bad decisions and ignores the warning
discipline that God adds to his self-induced misery. If he is a moral degenerate,
he practices sin and evil behind a facade of respectability; (2Ti 3:5) preoccupied with his own righteousness
and zealous to convert others to his brand of sin nature “good” he
refuses to believe that he causes most of his own trouble or that God is trying
to get his attention through suffering. If he is an immoral degenerate,
his sins will be more blatant. He may blame circumstances or environment for
his behavior. He may claim to be no worse than others
by deceitfully comparing his few, strengths against their weaknesses. He
may look upon his sins as isolated exceptions rather than as the consistent
trend of his life. Both moral and immoral degeneracy
attempt to justify self, but both are equally abhorrent to God. The only
way God can break through the “life of deceit”
is with pain that strikes the degenerate believer in his particular area of
sensitivity. God “makes war against the arrogant.”
(Pro 3:34; Jas
4:6; 1Pe 5:5) Attacking
arrogance where the discipline will hurt most and be most effective. The
believer who remains adamant in his arrogance loses all sensitivity to God’s
appeals and eventually incurs maximum discipline which removes him from this
life.
Addressed to the local church in Laodicea,
(Rev 3:16) uses the notorious
Laodicean water supply to illustrate the sickness of cosmic involvement. While
neighboring Hierapolis was renowned for its hot springs and nearby Colossae
enjoyed cold springs, Laodicea had neither. Its piped water was lukewarm by the
time it arrived and had an offensive mineral smell. The Laodicean believers
perfectly understood the startling, anthropomorphic (Showing God as having human abilities) an image of God
vomiting. Lukewarm water illustrates the cosmic believer’s lack of
the maximum intake of Truth. As a result of the law
of volitional responsibility, life begins to turn sour, growing noxious under
progressive stages of Divine discipline. If bad decisions are not
remedied by good decisions — to rebound and execute the protocol plan of God —
the believer will sink into the cosmic system until God unceremoniously expels
him from this life.
He [A negative
believer] dug a grave [Bad decisions resulting
in cosmic involvement] and explored it, [Perpetuating
his misery] therefore he has fallen into a ditch which he himself has
constructed. [Self-induced misery] His
frustration shall return on his own head; his violent oppression of others
shall descend on the crown of his head. (Psa 7:15-16)
All three stages of Divine discipline are
illustrated in Paul’s description of certain Corinthian believers who came to
the communion service drunk.
For this reason [Believers
partaking of the Eucharist while out of fellowship] many are weak [Warning discipline] and sick [Intensive
discipline] and a number of believers sleep, [Dying
discipline] but if we would judge ourselves [Rebound] we should not be judged. (1Co 11:30-31)
When the believer rebounds, his discipline
may cease, diminish, or continue at the same intensity. Whatever suffering remains after rebound is designed for blessing rather
than for cursing. Restored to his palace, the
believer is now in a position to apply the Divine Thoughts he has attained and
to benefit from using God’s resources under pressure!
Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves.
[Tells you: You’re wrong] Therefore, do not despise the discipline of El-Shaddai, [The “many-breasted God,”
a Divine title emphasizing God’s logistical grace] for He inflicts pain
[Warning discipline] and He bandages the wound.
He wounds [Intensive discipline] and His hands
heal. (Job 5:17-18)
In contrast with most
Christian suffering, which is self-inflicted, the purpose of discipline is healing. God
is like a physician who must cause pain to set a fracture or to perform
life-saving surgery. We hurt ourselves when we ignore the Law
of volitional responsibility and continue to live in the dungeon of the cosmic
system; God must hurt
us more to bring us back to health and strength. He gives only what contributes
most to our blessing and happiness: In discipline God gives us exactly what our
cosmic status requires.
DISCIPLINE AND ETERNAL SECURITY
The God of logistical grace disciplines
His children, but never does He abandon us. Even in the pressure of intensive
discipline, the “many-breasted God” faithfully supplies all the
logistical grace we need to sustain our lives; discipline never implies that
God forsakes us. (Heb 13:5) Divine
discipline never means loss of Salvation. (Joh 3:18) Salvation cannot be canceled by anything he thinks, says,
or does. Salvation is the irreversible work of God. But there is inequality in eternity for believers. (Mat 22:13; Mar 4:20; Luk 12:46-48)
It is a trustworthy statement: For if
we died with Him, (Joh 12:24-25) we
will also live with Him; (Rom 8:11-14)
If we endure,(Gal 6:7-9) we will
also reign with Him; (Rev 3:21) If
we deny Him, (Mar 8:38) He also will
deny us; (Psa 73:27; Jer 17:13) If we are faithless, He remains
faithful, (Rom 3:3-4) for He
cannot deny Himself. (2Ti 2:11-13)
When God provided Salvation, He knew in His omniscience that
believers would be easily distracted. He is not shocked when a Christian
ignores his own royal birthright. We may be appalled by the unfaithfulness of
members of the royal family, but the sins that shock us have already been
judged on the Cross. God is not forced to change His plan because man
periodically demonstrates the foolishness which God always knew he would
exhibit. God’s plan is greater than human sin and failure. His grace is immutable.
He is not thrown off balance by every shadow of turning in a believer’s life. (Jas 1:17)
THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF DISCIPLINE
Triple
Compound Divine Discipline
Two specific categories of Divine
discipline will serve to illustrate how God administers punishment. First, His treatment of individuals is demonstrated in
triple compound Divine discipline; second,
His punishment of families, groups, and nations is illustrated by the
fourth-generation curse. These two examples will show how Divine discipline
not only punishes the guilty but also protects mankind from self-destruction. If negative volition were
unrestrained, the human race could not survive.
The freedom which the believer exercises under the law of volitional
responsibility is guarded by the authority of Divine preventive discipline. Verbal sins such as gossip, judging, and maligning warrant
harsh Divine discipline because they destroy the privacy of their victims.
Privacy is an essential component of freedom. Living
his own life before the Lord would become difficult for a believer if he were
vilified and his personal business were constantly criticized. Sins of the
tongue violate the sanctity of human freedom; if a believer actually were
living in the cosmic system, maligning him would only interfere with his
recovery.(Rom 14:10-14) God has protected individual privacy through the laws of
Divine establishment and has doubled the guarantee to each Church Age believer
by adding the privacy of the priesthood. At Salvation, God appoints each
Christian to the royal priesthood of Christ. (Heb 5:6;
1Pe 2:5; 1Pe
2:9; Rev 1:6) Every member
of the royal family is his own priest, representing himself before God; each royal priest is
answerable to God alone for his Spiritual life. Because God has so
thoroughly guarded the believer’s privacy, He obviously will not permit the
unrestrained practice of sins that directly attack privacy. In fact, He
administers triple compound Divine discipline to believers habitually guilty of
sins of the tongue. Triple compound Divine discipline deals first with the believer’s decision to commit mental attitude
sins. Second
there is always a motive behind verbal sins, and
that motivation may be arrogance, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness,
implacability, self-pity and or a guilt complex, any of which is liable
for Divine discipline. Mental attitude sins motivate
the believer to exalt self and put down someone else. In other words,
after deciding to indulge in mental attitude sins, the
believer makes the additional bad decision to convert his mental sins into
verbal sins, which incur a second liability to Divine discipline. One of
the most foolish actions a believer can take is to become involved in verbal
sinning.
Do not judge so that you will not be
judged. [Divine discipline] (Mat 7:1)
Judging is a general term for verbal sins
directed against another person. In judging, someone states or implies
something derogatory about someone else. Whether or not the accusation is true
is of no consequence. Even if the information was
accurate, and accuracy is difficult to establish, there is no excuse for
repeating gossip. And or to merely hint at
someone’s sins. Judging violates the
Principle of grace. God has granted each believer-priest the right to conduct
his own life before the Lord. In particular, all believers, in every stage of
Spiritual growth, have an equal right to hear and read the teaching of Truth.
Therefore, according to the Principle of grace, and in light of God’s desire
for each believer’s Spiritual advance, gossip incurs a triple liability, which
we will classify as triple compound Divine discipline. The slanderer is liable
for:
1.
MENTAL ATTITUDE SINS that motivate him,
2.
VERBAL SIN itself, and
3.
SINS HE MENTIONS in the slander.
Different Christians will enjoy different
activities and will represent a wide variety of tastes in dress and behavior. Each believer-priest’s responsibility is to grow in ONE
MIND and live his own life as unto the Lord. (1Co 1:10)
...For God sees not as man sees, for
man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
(Spiritual Thinking) (1Sa 16:7)
Obviously exceptions to the Principle of
privacy exist. Parents have the right and responsibility to regulate the
lives of their minor children who live at home. Because
a pastor is responsible to protect members of his congregation from invasions
of privacy, he must be alert to discourage gossip, etc. and tell the Truth to
them, in all subjects, not his opinion, but what the Word Commands. (Jer 23:22; Gal 4:16)
Likewise, a supervisor who evaluates his subordinates is not committing a sin
when, as part of his professional responsibilities, he truthfully reports an
employee’s weaknesses and failings. If that supervisor, however, spreads his
reports to people who have no professional need to know, he too is guilty of
judging.
Anyone who engages
in judging is actually guilty of two sins: the verbal sin itself and the mental
sin that motivated him to gossip or malign his victim. Each of these
sins calls for Divine discipline; suffering is already compounded. But that is
not the end of discipline for sins of the tongue. Yet another administration of
punishment is added, based on the sins that are mentioned in gossip.
For in the way you judge, you will be
judged, and by what measure you measure to others, it will be measured back to
you. (Mat 7:2)
The maligner is liable for the discipline
that would have gone to the one he maligns. If the
victim is actually guilty of sins, God has
already been dealing with him, either through
the law of volitional responsibility or through Divine discipline. But as soon
as his sins are made a subject of gossip, all the discipline is transferred
over to the one who has maligned him. If the victim of gossip is not
guilty of sin, he is blessed while his antagonist receives discipline
appropriate to the sins he mentioned in gossip. This adds up to triple
liability and triple compound discipline. The maligner
is punished for mental attitude sins, for verbal sins, and for the sins he mentions in judging his victim. Triple
compound Divine discipline is extremely harsh. It
is a kind of poetic justice that gives believers a marvelous incentive to avoid
the sin of gossip. The ability to control one’s
tongue always accompanies Spiritual growth.
If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he
is a perfect [Spiritually Mature] man, able
to bridle the whole body as well. (Jas 3:2)
Discipline in Historical
Perspective
GOD,
SATAN AND MAN
Up to this point we have concentrated on
suffering caused by individual believers. A staggering amount of human misery,
however, seems to originate beyond any believer’s personal responsibility,
afflicting thousands of people throughout wide geographical areas. How do mass
historical disasters such as wars, famines, epidemics, and economic depressions
fit into the Doctrine of suffering? The answer to this critical question will
provide the frame of reference for understanding the fourth-generation curse,
which will be our second example of how God administers discipline. Widespread historical
suffering always involves three sources: God, Satan and man. Satan rules
the world. (Joh 12:31; Joh 14:30; Joh 16:11;
Rev 12:9) Even in his fallen state,
Satan is still the most powerful creature (Apart
from the resurrected humanity of Christ) ever to come from the hand of
God. The devil is an extraordinary genius of unparalleled executive ability. The cosmic system is his strategy and policy for ruling his
kingdom. Satan’s ambition is to prove himself equal with God, (Isa 14:14) but no creature stands independent of the Creator! Satan will never be God’s equal in any sense of the term.
Arrogance always causes a person to overestimate his abilities —indeed, Satan’s lust for
success and power has produced only misery. Much of the world’s suffering is
caused by the devil’s “inability to execute all that he has designed.” Satan’s
arrogance, his cosmic system, his frustration, violence and ultimate incompetence
create an environment of misery on earth. Suffering is a fact of life in the
devil’s world, and man makes himself the willing victim of Satan through
freewill decisions that place him in the cosmic system. If Satan cannot succeed independently of God, obviously man
cannot! In fact, when man lives outside the plan
of God, he is far from independent; instead, he becomes a slave in the devil’s
self-destructive cosmic system. Angelic and human rejection of God’s
plan causes only self-induced misery and would destroy the human race if Jesus
Christ did not retain control over human history. But
Jesus Christ does control human history despite Satan’s reign over the world. (Psa 2:1-12; Joh 5:22;
Rev 1:5, Rev
1:18) Our Lord exercises control through direct and indirect action.
He directly intervenes by providentially
controlling the variables of history that lie beyond the scope of human
volition, variables like climate, weather, and natural disasters. He indirectly controls world affairs through the
agency of human volition, when man freely complies with Truth and utilizes
available Divine omnipotence. With perfect
justice Jesus Christ administers either blessing or cursing. He blesses
believers and unbelievers who adhere to the laws of Divine establishment. He delivers far greater
blessings to believers who execute the protocol plan of God and achieve
Spiritual maturity! Blessings to the mature
believer overflow to the friends, relatives and associates who live and work in
his periphery. These people are blessed either directly by God or indirectly
through the Spiritually mature believer. The mature believer, therefore, has
tremendous invisible impact because individuals and organizations receive
blessing by their association with him. God is
glorified by blessing mature believers. (Joh 15:8; Joh 17:4)
Consistent with God’s eternal purpose, Jesus Christ lovingly watches over
mature believers, (Psa 1:6; Psa 33:18-22; Psa 34:15-19;
Psa 66:7) directing the course of history
for their advantage. (Rom 8:28) They
may not know one another, but God knows each of them. They
are the hub, the pivot on which turns the prosperity of the organizations to
which they belong — families, social and service groups, professional associations,
corporations, churches, geographical areas, towns, cities and nations. Our Lord blesses the
human race through the royal family, specifically through Spiritually mature
members of the royal family. On the other hand,
Jesus Christ disciplines believers and judges unbelievers who reject Truth and
violate His plan. (1Sa 16:14; 1Ti 1:20) Just as there
is a Principle of blessing by association, there is also cursing by
association. Self-induced misery by itself makes the cosmic Christian a
pariah, obnoxious to everyone he meets. Added to the law of volitional
responsibility, Divine discipline to this cosmic
believer also affects people in his periphery and organizations to which he
belongs. (Jon 1:4-16) Cursing by association
expands to become collective Divine discipline against the cosmic believer’s
nation. In addition to satanic rebellion and
human disobedience, therefore, the third source of suffering on a historical
scale is Divine retribution.
COLLECTIVE DISCIPLINE AND
THE CLIENT NATION TO GOD
Although church and state must always
remain separate, all categories of Truth —establishment, the Gospel, and Bible
Doctrine — are consistent with one another as well as coherent within
themselves. Through the laws of Divine establishment, God has divided mankind
into nations, (Gen 11:9; Act 17:26) and along these national lines flow
certain Spiritual blessings. (Gen 22:18)
Among the nations of the earth, client nations are
used by Jesus Christ as a conduit of blessing to mankind. A client nation is one
whose government protects the freedom, privacy, and property of its citizens
and, while maintaining the separation of church and state, does not hinder the
presentation of the Gospel and Truth within its borders. From
within the client nation, nongovernmental organizations such as churches or
mission boards initiate and support Biblically orthodox missionary work in
foreign countries. Evangelism, Bible teaching, and foreign missions indicate
the Spiritual vigor of the client nation. Adherence to the laws of Divine establishment also makes the
client nation a haven for Jews, a refuge from anti-Semitic persecution in other
parts of the world. (Gen 12:3)
The Jews suffer horribly as a prime
satanic target in the angelic conflict because God created them as His special
instrument for blessing mankind (Gen 12:1-3)
and because His unconditional Covenants to Israel hinge on the historical
survival of the Jews. (Psa 89:28-37)
Israel was God’s original and unique client nation; the Jews are His eternal
chosen people. (2Sa 7:10-16) If all Jews could be destroyed, reasons Satan, then God could
not keep His Word to them. Divine integrity would thus be compromised,
and Satan would win his case in the angelic conflict. However, Christ the Messiah will fulfill all unconditional
Covenants to the Jews when He restores Israel to client nation status at His
second advent and rules forever as King of the Jews. (Isa 11:11-13; Zec 10:6-12)
Because Israel is under Divine discipline
during the Church Age, (Isa 28:11-13; 1Co 14:21) God currently blesses mankind
through a succession of gentile client nations during “the times of the
Gentiles.” (Luk 21:24) The Roman
Empire under the Antonine Caesars (AD. 96—192) was the first gentile client
nation. Since that time, many other client nations have risen and fallen,
including the Frankish kingdom of Charlemagne in the eighth century and Great
Britain of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The
United States of America is a client nation today. (A.D. 2010) In the client nations of the Church Age, blessing by
association within the believer’s personal periphery expands to become the
royal family’s invisible historical impact. Never
before the Church Age, has God granted to each individual believer the
privilege of utilizing Divine omnipotence in the completed Spiritual life, and
of having a powerful, invisible impact on history! In Israel a few
mature believers used only a fraction of the Divine assets we possess and had a
significant influence on national and world history. Certain Principles of
historical impact did exist in the Age of Israel. Even in Israel the believers
were the “salt of the earth,” the preservative and seasoning of the
land, (Mat 5:13) also called the
remnant according to the election of grace. (Rom 9:27;
Rom 11:5) That Principle still applies:
As go the believer, so goes the client nation.
(Psa 33:10-22) But
now, each member of the royal family is also a “new Spiritual species”
(2Co 5:17) with
a new system of protocol and power that gives him far greater potential for
making an impact on history than had any believer of the Jewish Age. The
mature Church Age believer has invisible influence in at least four realms:
1.
BLESSING BY ASSOCIATION in his personal periphery,
2.
HISTORICAL IMPACT in his nation, and
3.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT as he supports missionary activity to non-client
nations.
4.
ANGELIC IMPACT
Unheralded in the annals of human history, Christians in relatively
small numbers anonymously determine the uptrends and downtrends of
civilization. Jesus Christ prospers His
client nation when its believers advance in the Spiritual life; He disciplines
the nation when believers live habitually in the cosmic system. Usually a
nation will begin to decline under the weight of its own degeneracy. If enough believers ignore the increasingly severe stages of
individual discipline and remain in the cosmic system, the nation’s Spiritual
pivot shrinks and the nation itself must receive collective Divine discipline. As an application of this
Doctrine, your primary duty to your country is to advance to Spiritual
maturity! Divine
retribution against the client nation intensifies through five cycles of
discipline, which include social disintegration, economic collapse and
political chaos. (Lev 26:14-22)
The fifth cycle destroys the nation’s sovereignty through the horrors of
military conquest, reducing the vanquished populace to poverty, barbarism and
slavery. (Deut 28:49-67)
My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge. [Of Spiritual Thinking] Because
you [Believers] have rejected knowledge, I [God] also will reject you from being My priest. [Individual
and client nation impact] Since you have forgotten the law of your God,
[God's Thoughts; Truth] I also will forget
your children [Loss of client nation privileges and
blessings] (Hos 4:6)
COLLECTIVE DISCIPLINE AND
INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS
How do the five
cycles of national discipline, which devastate wide areas and whole
populations, affect individual Christians? Blessing and cursing by association
differ in one key respect. Blessing by association frequently benefits people
who personally reject Christ and the protocol plan of God. This often explains
why “the wicked prosper” (Jer 12:1-2)
they receive blessing by association despite their own indifference to God as
the source of their prosperity. Cursing by
association, however, does not destroy the Spiritual advance of maturing
believers who may live or work in the periphery of cosmic believers. The law of
culpability states that no one suffers Divine discipline apart from his own
negative volition. The positive impact of growing believers offsets
the negative influence of cosmic believers. When
the pivot is too small to balance the spin-off of negative Christians, however,
God must administer Divine discipline. In a magnificent display of
perfect timing and omnipotence in the control of history, the disasters that
God sends upon cosmic believers are coterminous
(At the same time) with
suffering for blessing for growing believers. The
sweep of collective suffering across the face of contemporary history
administers to some believers the various categories of suffering for blessing
and to other Christians all three categories of Divine
discipline. The same historical event may
bring blessing on one hand but warning
discipline, intensive discipline, or dying discipline on the other hand.
No one is ever lost in the shuffle; God never forsakes any believer. (Psa 139:1-18) God always has you personally in
mind. The mature or growing believer is never deprived of blessings by
downtrends in history. (Psa 23:4-5; Jer 39:10-18) Since Jesus Christ controls
history in this Church Age, all the negative forces of international economics
and politics cannot obstruct the timely delivery of blessings to even one
mature Christian. (Rom 8:38-39) War,
economic depression, and religious persecution never hinder Divine omnipotence.
(Job 5:19-27) While the world seems to be collapsing around the protocol
believer, he enjoys a stimulating life of blessing and total confidence in God. Just as God built a wall of fire around Jerusalem
when she stood vulnerable in the midst of her enemies, (Zec 2:5) the Spiritual life protects the growing
believer from the destructiveness of mass suffering. The cosmic believer is
caught up in the same historical disasters that besiege the advancing believer.
This negative believer, however, is a cause of
collective Divine discipline and lacks the inner resources of Truth needed to
meet the crisis. He has no inner dynamics because he has failed to utilize
God’s power system. Instead of suffering for blessing, his pain is Divine
discipline, whether warning or intensive. Some believers, shocked
into objectivity by historical trauma, recover from the cosmic system. Others
persist in their personal degeneration. For them the collective suffering of
the nation serves as the instrument of the sin unto death. Christians will be
among the victims of nearly any historical catastrophe. Suffering in itself
does not conclusively indicate whether God is blessing a believer, or
disciplining him, or permitting him to create self-induced misery. Therefore, each Christian must apply Truth for himself and
determine his own status before the Lord.
THE
FOURTH-GENERATION CURSE AS COLLECTIVE DISCIPLINE
In contrast to triple
compound discipline for gossip, which deals with individuals, the fourth-generation
curse is an illustration of Divine discipline related to historical trends. We
usually think of collective discipline as punitive action in a particular
geographical area, but the fourth-generation curse deals with a group of people
defined not only as they extend over a geographical area but also as they
extend over a period of time. God is never arbitrary. In the administration of
perfect Divine justice, God considers every facet of
every situation, including the factor of time and the manner in which one
person is influenced by others. God
first declared the fourth-generation curse in the Ten Commandments.
You shall not make for yourself an idol,
or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the
LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.
(Exodus 20:4-5)
How can a God of grace, justice and love,
visit “the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the
fourth generations of those who hate Him?” (Deut
5:9; Num 14:18) God is never unfair to anyone. A villainous ancestry
does not prejudice God against any individual. Instead, as we shall see, the
Divine policy of a fourth-generation curse punishes the guilty while protecting
the innocent and guaranteeing the freedom of each individual to express his
positive or negative volition. God treats every individual as a person, yet He
does not fail to deal with destructive collective trends that intensify from
one generation to the next. As an essential part of giving mankind free will,
God allows human volition enough free rein to be genuinely free. Patterns of sin which are habitually repeated become
ingrained characteristics of a family, group, or nation. Children learn
sins and evils from their parents and perpetuate family trends. Rather than
instantly disciplining man, God permits negative volition to run its course.
Many possible categories and combinations of wickedness, rebellion and sin are
allowed to form and harden for three or four generations as expressions of
human freedom. (Exodus 34:6) But when
negative volition runs so rampant as to threaten His plan, God “does not
leave the guilty unpunished.” (Exodus 34:7)
After a period of grace before judgment, extending over these three or four
generations, He administers collective discipline to the family, group or
nation. To protect the human race from self-destruction,
God administers collective discipline that grows progressively severe from one
generation to the next. In the third or fourth generation, He sends a
catastrophe to dissipate or eliminate the trend.
This form of discipline allows evil patterns to develop in the course of
human history but destroys them before they can jeopardize the plan of God. God
permits no trend of present history to hinder the positive volition of
subsequent generations. Under this system of collective discipline, each generation
is disciplined for the same sins because those sins are committed by each
generation. The sons commit the sins of the father. “Those
who hate God” (Exodus 20:5; Deut 5:9) are disciplined because they
themselves reside perpetually in the cosmic system and establish patterns of
evil in their lives. But no one suffers under the fourth-generation curse
except by his own volition. At any point the curse may be broken by believers
who execute the protocol plan of God, refusing to follow the evil pattern of
their progenitors. (Parents)
Fathers shall not be put to death for
their children, nor children be put to death for their fathers; each is to die
for his own sin. (Deut 24:16)
The sins of the father have to be repeated
in the next generation for culpability to be established and for punitive
action to be administered from God. Otherwise, a different law applies: the law
of grace.
Know therefore that the Lord your God,
He is God, the faithful God, keeping His Covenant of grace to a thousandth
generation of those who love Him [Stay in Fellowship]
and keep [Think with] His Commandments. [THOUGHTS] (Deut 7:9)
After first announcing the fourth-generation curse, God immediately
Promised that obedience to His plan will always break the curse.
But showing lovingkindness to thousands to
those who love Me [Stay in Fellowship] and
keep [Think with] My Commandments. [THOUGHTS] (Exodus 20:6)
No one suffers under the fourth-generation
curse apart from his own culpability. (Blame) Despite historical trends, God’s
grace is always operative on the earth. Indeed, the
curse upon a family or nation can be broken in any generation when individuals
believe in Christ and form a pivot of mature believers by fulfilling the plan
of God.
The LORD is good [Divine essence is perfect] and His love endures
forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psa 100:5)
God’s motivation in delaying historical
discipline is illustrated by His patience toward mankind prior to the Last
Judgment at the end of human history.
The Lord is not slow about His Promise,
[To judge mankind] as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,
[Believer] not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to a change of
mind. [Staying in fellowship and Thinking with His
Thoughts] (2Pe 3:9)
The fourth-generation curse furnishes a
Principle that helps us interpret human history from the Divine Viewpoint.
Historical disasters are often Divine discipline sent to break up destructive
trends and to give the next generation an opportunity to fulfill the plan of
God.
(Pro 30:11-14)
documents four generations of increasing degeneracy, beginning with disrespect
for parental authority and culminating in “a generation whose teeth are like
swords to devour the afflicted.” God protects the human race from the
self-destructiveness of such rampant arrogance. The Principle of the
fourth-generation curse, which the Bible presents in the context of the ancient
world, sheds light on upheavals in modern history. The French Revolution, for
example, was a conflagration of evil trends that had crystallized in the long
reign of Louis XIV. The Sun King, as he was called, destroyed the pivot of
mature believers in France by revoking the Edict of Nantes and, furthermore,
reduced the French aristocracy to sycophantic
courtiers. (One who seeks favor, especially by
insincere flattery) The disappearance of a Spiritual pivot and the
absence of a vigorous aristocracy destabilized every level of society. As a
result, unrestrained middle-class jealousy incited lower-class violence.
Ultimately, French society was destroyed in the Reign of Terror, and a new
order was established under Napoleon. The Russian Revolution also vented evils
that had built up for many years before overt violence broke out. What does the fourth-generation curse teach us? First, it
warns us that rejection of God’s plan can become the accepted, ingrained
tradition of a family and nation. A little neglect, a little compromise, a
little arrogance soon becomes a way of life. Second,
this system of Divine discipline advises us that opposition to God leads to
terrible suffering personally and to disaster for the nation. Third, the
fourth-generation curse reveals God’s marvelous grace. He patiently applies
discipline to each rebellious generation but will never permit evil trends to
destroy the options of future generations. Because of God’s grace, exhibited in
collective Divine discipline, the human race cannot destroy itself. The Doctrine of the fourth-generation curse
encourages the believer to utilize Divine assets in his own life because this
category of discipline emphasizes his invisible impact on history. Believers can either perpetuate the fourth-generation curse
or break the pattern of discipline. The privileges and
opportunities of the royal family imply tremendous responsibility. If a Christian fails to live and grow in his palace, he
contributes to Divine discipline against his entire nation!
THE SOLUTION TO THE
FOURTH-GENERATION CURSE
The fourth-generation
curse never implies that guilt passes from parents to children but that
parents who oppose God’s plan will influence their children to follow
the same pattern of opposition. Children are influenced by their
parents and tend to repeat their parents’ sins. The fuse on historical disaster
burns for three or four generations as children perpetuate the sins of their
parents. Toward the end of this period, God initiates
the cycles of discipline against the nation to warn believers to return to the
protocol plan of God and break the curse.
At any time, a
generation can respond with positive volition to the Gospel and Truth, heading
off national catastrophe! A Biblical example of an eleventh hour
recovery is the Assyrian Empire’s response to Jonah’s message. (Jon 3:10) Another example is the Spiritual
recovery of the second generation of Jews in the Exodus. Had they continued in
the rebellion of the first generation, collective Divine discipline would have
intensified. In Reality, their positive volition broke
the curse that already had prevented their fathers from entering the Promised
Land. In modern
history the United States is rapidly approaching historical disaster —economically, militarily,
socially and Spiritually. The one factor that stands between our nation and maximum
Divine discipline is the positive volition of believers! Only Divine
grace can avert the horrible suffering of the fourth-generation curse, but God
will bless this nation only if there is a strong pivot of mature believers to
be the recipients of His grace benefits. The
solution to the fourth-generation curse requires instructing children in the
laws of establishment and Truth. (Deut 6:5-7)
You will inculcate these Words of Mine [My Thoughts] in your hearts and
minds, [And Think with them] tie them as notes on your hands, and as training aids tie
them around your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them
when you sit down at home, when you travel, before you go to bed, and when you
wake up. Write these on the door frames of
your houses and on your gates so that your days and the days of your children
may be many in the land that the Lord has promised to give to your ancestors [Promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as long as the heavens
remain above the earth.] (Deut 11:18-21)
The perpetuation of the client nation to God always involves
training the next generation. Rather than be a negative influence, parents must be a positive influence by
teaching Divine establishment, the Gospel and Truth to their children. Parents should bring blessing
by association to their children rather than
lead them to disaster under the fourth-generation curse. We are to teach
them, (Deut 21:18-21) and not to eat them. (Deut
28:53-58) The Jews did, (2Ki 6:28-30) because of
disobedience. (Hos 4:6; Rom 11:22)
SUMMARY OF PUNITIVE SUFFERING AND
PREVIEW OF SUFFERING FOR BLESSING
In
concluding our study of punitive suffering and in approaching the subject of
suffering for blessing, we can draw a series of contrasts.
In disciplinary suffering, which is
deserved, the issue is sin and wrong decisions from a position of
weakness. In the adult believer’s undeserved suffering,
the issue is blessing and momentum because of right decisions from a position
of strength. Spiritual momentum from metabolized Spiritual Thoughts results in
still greater blessing.
The believer’s status under Divine
discipline is cosmic involvement, which is described by a variety of
terms: worldliness, carnality, apostasy and or
reversionism. Under suffering for blessing, the believer’s status is
always residence in the palace of the Spiritual life. There is a tremendous difference between living in a
palace, and wasting away in a dungeon. Under discipline the suffering is unbearable.
The Promise that “no temptation has overtaken you. .
. beyond what you are able to bear” (1Co 10:13) describes testing, not Divine discipline. Testing is
designed to exercise and strengthen the believer’s Spiritual muscles, but discipline must be severe enough to shock the believer,
to get his attention. He must learn from the
suffering that human resources are inadequate; he must hurt unbearably so that
he is forced to consider the Divine solution. (Rebound; 1Jn 1:9;
and maximum intake and use of Divine Thoughts)
Under testing, suffering for blessing is always bearable. The believer
under testing is using the assets of the Spiritual life which constitute “the
way of escape . . . that [He] may be able to endure it.” (1Co 10:13)
The
believer’s viewpoint when he incurs Divine discipline is arrogance and
subjectivity. In suffering for blessing, his
Viewpoint is humility and objectivity. The solution to Divine discipline is the rebound
technique, which is the Christian’s most basic problem-solving device.
(1Jn 1:9) The
solution to suffering for blessing involves more advanced systems of problem
solving.
The result of Divine discipline, when the
believer uses rebound, is that cursing is turned to blessing. The
suffering ends, is diminished or continues at the same intensity, but in any
case the purpose now is blessing instead of punishment. God’s
solutions are always designed for blessing. The result of
suffering for blessing is that the Christian gains multiple benefits from the acceleration
of Spiritual growth: enlarged
capacities and the greater blessings of Spiritual maturity. There are
five categories of Christian suffering, but all five categories are designed
for the believer’s personal benefit. We have just covered the first two; the
last three are the subject of the remainder of this book.
FOR PUNISHMENT:
1. Self-Induced Misery
2. Divine Discipline
FOR BLESSING:
3. Providential Preventive
Suffering
4. Momentum Testing
5. Evidence Testing
When the believer remains outside the
Spiritual life, which is tantamount to being out of fellowship with God, he
reaps punitive suffering (Divine discipline) from his own bad decisions. This
suffering is still beneficial to him because it can make him face the Reality
of his dependence on God’s grace, bringing him to the point of rebound and
recovery. Punitive suffering can show him that his scale of values is wrong and
that he must correct his priorities. But when the
believer resides in fellowship, and suffers through no fault of his own, the
benefit is even greater! The purpose now is not to take a negative
believer and motivate recovery but to take a growing believer and accelerate
his growth. In contrast to punitive suffering, which is beneficial on a limited
scale, suffering for
blessing is designed by God to accelerate the believer’s growth through the
stages of Spiritual adulthood that lead to Spiritual maturity.
SUFFERING
FOR BLESSING
SUFFERING
AND GROWTH IN
SPIRITUAL
ADULTHOOD
THE PROTOCOL PLAN OF GOD includes two
systems of Spiritual growth Gradual growth comes through the perception, metabolism, and application of
Truth. God Commands every believer to operate consistently under this system
throughout his life on earth. (Mat 4:4;
Eph 4:11-13; 2Jn 1:2-4) The second system, accelerated
growth, occurs when metabolized Doctrine is tested under pressure. (2Co 12:9-10) After
attaining Spiritual adulthood, further growth requires periodic
suffering. This suffering for the purpose of blessing draws upon the believer’s
reservoir of Truth, exercising and increasing his inner strength. Truth is Spiritual
nourishment; suffering for blessing is Spiritual exercise! In Spiritual childhood, most suffering is
self-induced misery or Divine discipline. The only pain that can be construed
as suffering for blessing in the life of the Spiritual child is the suffering
that continues after rebound. In Spiritual childhood suffering for blessing is like a
teacher, but in Spiritual adulthood suffering
for blessing is more like a demanding college professor.
By definition, suffering
for blessing is the undeserved pain, hardship, difficulty that God periodically
sends into the life of the Spiritually adult believer for the purpose of
accelerating Spiritual growth and demonstrating the total sufficiency of His
grace. Suffering
for blessing by its very connotation is not intended to hurt the believer or to
make him miserable but to advance him. For the adult believer undeserved
suffering is strictly a matter of blessing. Indeed, only God can bless with
suffering; suffering caused by self is harmful. (Col
2:23) God does not administer suffering for blessing until the
believer is qualified to handle it. That is why suffering for blessing is
reserved for Spiritual adulthood. Nor does God send suffering for blessing
until the believer has capacity to appreciate God as its source and to be
grateful for the problem-solving devices that He has provided in the palace.
Again, this explains why God can periodically give suffering for blessing only
to Spiritually adult believers. But God never gives the believer more suffering
than he can bear.
No testing has overtaken you but such as is common to mankind; but
God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tested beyond what you are able
to bear, but with the testing will also provide a solution, [A way out] that you may be able to endure it. (1Co 10:13)
In God’s protocol plan,
strength, (Spiritual Growth) precedes suffering for
blessing. God provides the means of dealing with a situation before He applies
the pressure so that suffering for blessing never overloads any believer. Only by
his own bad decisions can the believer create more suffering for himself than
he can bear. Only the believer himself can decide to live outside his palace.
Only he can refuse to learn Truth so that he has no Spiritual resources to
draw upon. When pressure crushes a believer, the cause of defeat is always his
own volition,
never the sovereignty of God! Suffering for
blessing is always bearable. Unbearable suffering under the law of volitional
responsibility, with Divine discipline added on, is designed to awaken the
believer to his dependence on God’s protocol system. (Rev 3:3) Obedience to
Divine protocol prepares believers for suffering. All problems of
suffering are resolved in the mechanics of the protocol plan of God, and all
solutions stem from Truth. Consistent residence and
function in fellowship, arm the believer for the pressures of life. (1Pe 4:1)
THE
PATTERN OF MOMENTUM IN SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD
The final three categories of
suffering in the Christian way of life are reserved for Spiritual adults. We
will devote an entire chapter to each category.
1. PROVIDENTIAL PREVENTIVE
SUFFERING keeps the believer from distorting his newfound Spiritual self-esteem
into arrogance. At the same time providential preventive suffering converts
Spiritual self-esteem, into Spiritual autonomy.
2. MOMENTUM TESTING accelerates the
believer’s Spiritual advance, carrying him from Spiritual autonomy into
Spiritual maturity.
3. EVIDENCE TESTING
demonstrates the efficacy of God’s grace in the life of the Spiritually mature
believer and culminates in maximum glorification of God.
These three categories of
undeserved suffering are specialized provisions of God’s grace. Their purpose
is the continued Spiritual growth of a believer who has faithfully adhered to
Divine protocol. Sadly, in any generation relatively
few Christians obey Divine mandates and utilize His marvelous grace assets. Few
ever reach Spiritual adulthood. Easily distracted from their true destiny as
members of the royal family of God, most believers lack the positive volition,
the humility and the consistency to stick with the protocol plan. Not
many believers will ever face suffering for blessing. Hardly any will enjoy the
benefits of experiencing God’s grace in action under extreme duress. Personal
and historical disasters rarely find believers prepared to enjoy God’s
provisions. Instead, self-induced misery and Divine discipline are by far the
most common forms of Christian suffering. If you
have not learned a great deal of Truth; you have no right to assume that the
pressures in your life are suffering for blessing. If, however, you have
inculcated your soul with God’s Thinking, you can anticipate a challenging,
stimulating life of special grace from God — in adversity and in prosperity! (Php 3:10)
IN
SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD, the believer’s Spiritual momentum follows a definite
pattern:
1.
Consistent perception and metabolism of Truth inside
the Spiritual life result in the believer’s giant step into Personal love for
God and SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM.
2.
When tested under providential preventive suffering,
Spiritual self-esteem becomes SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY.
3.
By successfully passing the momentum tests,
Spiritual autonomy becomes SPIRITUAL MATURITY. (Mat 13:8)
4.
When Spiritual maturity stands up under evidence
testing, GOD IS GLORIFIED TO THE MAXIMUM
in the historic angelic conflict. (Joh 15:8; Joh 17:3-4)
Paul
describes this pattern of momentum in his second epistle to the
Corinthians.
And He has said to
me, My grace is sufficient for
you, for power [The Spiritual life] is perfected in weakness. [Testing] Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may
dwell in me. Therefore
I am well content with weaknesses, [Sin nature
Testing] with insults, [People testing] with
distresses, [Thought testing] with persecutions, [System
testing — Job, family, social life, Etc.] with difficulties, [Disaster
testing] for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, [Under
testing] then I am strong. [We grow by staying in fellowship and Thinking with the
Mind of Christ!] (1Co 2:16)
(2Co 12:9-10)
We will examine this passage more
thoroughly when we focus on providential preventive suffering. Here we need to
note only the pattern of the adult believer’s continued progress.
“Power is
achieved with weakness” states that
suffering is necessary for Spiritual advance. The
Greek noun, (Dunamis) “power, or strength” refers to God’s
omnipotence as utilized by the believer in the advance through Spiritual
adulthood: Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy, and Spiritual maturity. The adult believer has power because he consistently lives
in the Spiritual life! The verb, (Teleo) which is
translated “made perfect” in the King James Version, means “to finish, to accomplish, to fulfill, to achieve,”
the latter best agreeing with the context in verse 9. How is power achieved? How does the believer advance
through the final gates of his palace? The Greek preposition (En) plus
(Astheneia) — in the instrumental case of manner — indicates the
manner in which the action of the verb is carried out: “with weakness.” “Weakness” refers to the progressive phases of suffering for blessing. Weakness
here is not failure or sin but helplessness. Suffering
for blessing puts the Spiritually adult believer in a situation he cannot
resolve with human resources. (Php 3:3;
1Pe 4:1-2) He
is helpless and must totally depend on Divine assets (The will of God
the Father, the Mind of Christ and the fruit of God the Holy Spirit) that he has acquired by
metabolizing Truth in his soul. (Jer 15:16) The suffering itself does
not advance the believer; his utilization of
God’s power in suffering is what advances him. (Jer 15:19-21) Power and
weakness exist together at the same time: The adult believer uses the
strength of Spiritual self-esteem to move through his weakness in providential
preventive suffering. He uses the strength of Spiritual autonomy to go through
his weakness in momentum testing. And he uses the strength of Spiritual
maturity to move through his weakness in evidence testing. He not only
exercises the power inherent in each stage of Spiritual adulthood to meet the
test, but when he
succeeds in passing each test, he achieves the power of the next stage of
Spiritual adulthood. With each test he passes, he moves up! (2Co 3:18) What
degree of strength is required to endure providential preventive suffering?
Spiritual self-esteem. What power is required to pass momentum testing?
Spiritual autonomy. And what is needed to pass evidence testing Spiritual
maturity. As a result of dealing with
the undeserved suffering that God sends,
the believer’s strength increases so that he is able to cope with the next
increment of suffering when it comes. In His
perfect wisdom God gives each believer the unique sequence of blessing and
suffering, of prosperity and adversity necessary to bring him to maximum
glorification of God! (Psa 23:4)
SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM
THE FLAW IN HUMAN SELF-ESTEEM
BEFORE
GOD ADMINISTERS SUFFERING FOR BLESSING, the believer
must have the inner strength necessary to endure and profit from the test.
In other words, the believer must have Spiritual self-esteem. God will not send suffering for blessing until first the believer
is confident in his relationship with God and in his own Spiritual ability to
use the assets that God has given him. He must
be inculcated with Truth so that he loves God, and lives by God's Thinking! (Mat 10:20;
Joh 3:34; Joh
7:16-18; 1Pe 4:11) For
believer and unbeliever alike, a person’s attitude toward self affects his
entire outlook on life. An important branch of psychology emphasizes the key
rule of self-esteem.
Of all the judgments we pass in life, none
is as important as the one we pass on ourselves; for that judgment touches the
very center of our existence. We stand in the midst of an almost infinite
network of relationships: to other people, to things, to the universe. And
yet, at three o’clock in the morning, when we are alone with ourselves, we are
aware that the most intimate and powerful of all relationships and the one we
can never escape is the relationship to ourselves. No significant aspect of our
thinking, motivation, feelings, or behavior is unaffected by our self-evaluation.
In this, psychology has made an accurate
observation. It recognizes man’s genuine need to regard himself in a positive
light. Although self-esteem solves many problems in
life, human self-esteem ultimately has a fatal flaw.
Thus says the LORD, Cursed
is the man who trusts in mankind [For
Salvation, help, blessing, Etc.] And makes
flesh [The Old sin nature self] his strength, And whose
heart turns away from the LORD. (Jer 17:5)
The heart [Old sin nature of man] is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can
understand it? (Jer 17:9)
The problem is that man is not worthy of his own esteem. Since the fall of Adam, the human race has been inherently
depraved. Man is born Spiritually dead, utterly
isolated from his Creator, totally incapable of a relationship with God. (Eph 2:1) Man proves his depravity by the personal sins he commits; (Strip club crowd, lust of
the flesh; crowds) and by the human old sin nature good; (Glen Beck crowd lust of the
eyes; tax collectors) and evil he practices. (Obama crowd; pride of life; soldiers) (Luk 3:10-14) Man is commonly arrogant, greedy, self-centered,
superficial, cowardly, petty, devious, self-righteous, cruel and violent.
Only by a concerted effort of the will can he even partly control his old sin
nature.
I find then the
principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law
of God in the inner man, [Spiritual life] but I see a
different law in the members of my body, [Sin
Nature] waging war against the Law of my mind and making me
a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set
me free from the body of this death? Thanks be
to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my
mind am serving the law of God, [The Mind of Christ] but on
the other, with my flesh the law of sin. [The
demon influenced sin nature in US] (Rom 7:21-25)
Regard for self is
always some form of arrogance. (2Co 3:4-5)
Most people deceive themselves with intellectual
rationalizations or psychological delusions concerning their own importance.
Man feels the need for a positive self-image, yet he falls short of his own
relative standards, to say nothing of totally failing by God’s absolute standards. The very self which man
desires to esteem is weak and prone to evil. Man’s
best intentions and greatest achievements are undercut by ignorance, handicaps,
distractions, and temptations. Human self-esteem
is an elusive and flimsy substitute for what man really needs, and what God in His
grace has provided: Spiritual self-esteem — Spiritual self-esteem is based on Who and What God IS,
not on who and what we are. It stands on God’s absolute integrity, (Gal 5:22-23) not on
man’s unstable old sin nature. (Mat 15:18-20)
THE SUPERIORITY OF SPIRITUAL
SELF-ESTEEM
Spiritual
self-esteem belongs to the protocol plan of God. The Christian achieves
Spiritual self-esteem by faithfully learning and Thinking with Truth, by advancing step by step within God’s protocol system
until he reaches Gate 5, Personal love for God. Spiritual self-esteem is an
inevitable result of Personal love for God. The
believer’s self-confidence is not derived from self but from the confidence
that he has a unique relationship with the God of the universe. Believers of the royal family of God have greater
cause for Spiritual self-esteem than do believers of any other dispensation.
God displays His glory in the Church as never before in human history. His
objective is to show “...the riches of His grace
which He has lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight.” (Eph 1:7-8) and to
demonstrate “what is the surpassing
greatness of His power toward us who believe...” (Eph 1:19) Even a partial
list of the advantages granted to every Church Age believer will demonstrate
the superiority of Spiritual self-esteem over human self-esteem. As Church Age believers we are a “new
[Spiritual] species” in union with Christ. (2Co
5:17) By the baptism of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of
Salvation, we are “created in Christ Jesus” for the purpose of utilizing Divine power, not human power. (Php 3:3)
God has made available to us the exercise of Divine omnipotence for the
execution of His plan. (Act 1:8; 1Co 2:4; 2Co 4:7;
Eph 1:19-20; Col 1:19-21; 2Ti 1:7)
Never before the Church Age did God extend this privilege to every believer.
Only partial utilization of God’s omnipotence was made available to a few
believers of previous dispensations. We are instructed to “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4; Eph 2:10;
Eph 4:24) because the new Spiritual
species is designed to utilize total availability of the omnipotence of all
three members of the Trinity. The omnipotence of God the Father created for
every Church Age believer a portfolio of invisible assets which includes the
Spiritual life. (Eph 1:3) The
omnipotence of God the Son sustains the universe and perpetuates human history.
(Heb 1:3) The omnipotence of God the
Holy Spirit provides the function of the Spiritual life. (Act 1:8) Furthermore, our bodies are indwelt by
all three members of the Trinity.
God the Father indwells us for the glorification of His protocol plan which He
designed in eternity past for each Church Age believer.
(Joh 14:23; Eph
1:3-12; Eph 4:6; 2Jn 1:9)
God the Holy Spirit indwells us to create a temple for the indwelling of Christ as the
Shekinah Glory, to be a
down-payment of our royal inheritance, and to empower us in the execution of
the Father’s plan. (Rom 8:11; 1Co 3:16;
1Co 6:19-20; 2Co 6:16, Eph 1:14)
God the Son in-dwells us for a number
of reasons:
1.
To reign as King in His Temple, in the body of every
believer! (Mat 21:5; Luk 19:38-40; Rom 15:12;
1Ti 1:17; 1Ti
6:15-16)
2.
For Christ to be formed in us by reception, retention,
and recall of His Thinking. (Rom 8:10;
1Co 2:16; 2Co
13:3-6; Gal 2:20; Gal 4:19; Col 1:27)
3.
As the depositary of special blessings for time and
eternity (Eph
1:3) and as the escrow officer who will
deliver these blessings to the believer when he reaches Spiritual adulthood by
using Divine Thinking, (Pro 3:13-15;
1Co 3:11-14) and when he appears before the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2Co 5:10)
4.
As motivation for continued momentum when facing the
three categories of suffering for blessing: providential preventive suffering,
momentum testing, and evidence testing. (Joh
15:13; 1Jn 3:16; 1Co 9:19; 2Co 5:15)
5.
As the basis for assigning highest priority to relationship with God
over relationships with people! (2Co 13:14;
1Jn 1:3; 1Jn
2:24)
6.
The use of Divine power, over the exercise of human power! (Luk 4:14; Act 1:8;
Rom 1:16; 1Co
2:4; 1Co 2:5; 1Co 4:20; 2Co 4:7)
7.
As the basis for the glorification of Christ, the Shekinah
Glory, in the unique life of the New Covenant Church Age believer. (Joh 17:22-23; Joh 17:26)
Every Church Age believer is permanently
indwelt by the entire Trinity. As a consequence, many other advantages also
belong to us. For worship and privacy in our unique relationship with God, we
have been inducted into the highest of all priestly orders. Every Church Age
believer belongs to the royal priesthood of our great high priest, Jesus
Christ. (Heb 4:14; Rev 1:6) In addition, each of us has been granted a royal warrant
from God to be Christ’s ambassador in Satan’s kingdom. (2Co 5:20) We represent
Christ on earth and have an invisible impact on history. Furthermore,
each Church Age believer possesses his own royal palace, the prototype of which was tested and proven by the humanity
of Christ. (Joh 15:10) We are
heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:17)
Even this partial outline of our royal assets shows that our status is unique. There are no ordinary Christians. Each ‘ordinary’ Christian
has a position and a function far superior to anything available to the
greatest believers of previous dispensations. Our
extraordinary status is revealed to us through our consistent, faithful,
lifelong intake of Truth! Doctrine teaches us who we are in the plan of God.
Truth orients us to God’s will, plan, and purpose for our lives and emphasizes
the attainment of Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy and Spiritual
maturity. Advance in the protocol plan of God
manifests the Spiritual royalty to which God has elevated us. God has given us
a basis for Spiritual self-esteem totally related to grace, unspoiled by human weaknesses of any kind. (Joh 12:24-25)
THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM
Personal love for God precedes Spiritual
self-esteem and becomes the source of this initial stage of Spiritual
adulthood. Who is this infinite and eternal Person who has granted us so
exalted a position in Christ? What is the character of our majestic God? God
reveals Himself to us in His Word. He has “exalted [His] Word above [His]
name.” (Psa 138:2) His essence is reflected on every page of Scripture: in
every Doctrinal dissertation, in every Biblical illustration and application,
in every passage of historical narrative, in every line of Biblical poetry.
To be “transformed by the renewing of [His] mind” (Rom 12:2)
the believer must learn every Biblical Doctrine his
pastor teaches. Even if its relevance is not obvious at the moment, every Doctrine
contributes a vital facet to the Christian’s understanding of God’s essence and
personality. The
Bible was not designed merely to provide solutions for a believer’s current
problems; the Bible’s purpose is to reveal the magnificent and multifaceted
nature of God. (Joh 17:3)
How precious
also are Your Thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should
count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
(Psa 139:17)
To learn God’s essence
is a marvelous, lifelong endeavor for which we have been given powerful assets
related to the Spiritual life. This greatest of all
enterprises demands right priorities and the self-discipline, for the daily
faithful intake, metabolism and application of Truth! To understand God’s attributes is to love Him. This constitutes
the very purpose of our lives! In Spiritual childhood the believer
does not have the capacity or capability to love God. Much sincerity,
emotionalism, and sentimentality is misconstrued as love for God. In Reality, to love God the believer must know God.
This requires cognition of Truth. God is invisible. The incarnate Lord
Jesus Christ is the visible “exact representation of His [Invisible]
essence” (Heb 1:3) but the
resurrected humanity of Christ is now absent from the earth. How does the
believer love someone whom he has never seen? (1Pe
1:8) Love is based on perception. We come
to know and love God through His Word. In fact, Truth is the Mind of Christ.
(1Co 2:16) His
Word reveals to us God’s attributes, His Wisdom, (Spiritual Thinking) His love for us, His brilliant system of protocol. (Exact procedure) We love God when our souls are inculcated with Truth so
that we Think His Thoughts, share His Viewpoint, and appreciate His perfect Integrity
and matchless Grace. Learning Truth takes time; love for God does not come
overnight. But after years of faithfully learning the Word of God every day!
The day will come when the believer will
wake up and realize that Jesus Christ is his
best friend. That will be the giant
step from Spiritual childhood into Spiritual adulthood. That will also be the
beginning of Spiritual self-esteem.
THE PATTERN FOR SPIRITUAL
SELF-ESTEEM
The
believer’s Spiritual self-esteem is patterned after two precedents:
1.
DIVINE SELF-ESTEEM and
2.
The SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM OF THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST residing in the prototype
Spiritual life.
God can Personally
love only that which is perfect. Because He is absolute righteousness, God
loves Himself. He is totally worthy of His own demanding, uncompromising love.
Within the essence of God, therefore, we discover the ultimate pattern for
Spiritual self-esteem: His perfect love is directed toward His own perfect
righteousness. God has total Self-esteem and has found
a way to make Spiritual self-esteem available to the Church Age believer. The humanity of Christ is
the pattern for Spiritual self-esteem for the royal family of God. The
Spiritual life was originally designed for our Lord’s humanity, a gift from God
the Father given on the first Christmas. Throughout
His first advent the humanity of Jesus Christ resided and functioned constantly
inside the prototype Spiritual life. Though tempted far beyond anything we have ever known, He
never departed from the Father’s plan; He never stepped out of the Spiritual
life. From early childhood, the humanity of Jesus Christ learned Truth
and lived by the Truth in His soul. From His youth He “kept increasing in
wisdom [Spiritual Thinking] and stature, [Respect; Virtue] and in favor with God and man.”
(Luk 2:52) This pattern
continued throughout our Lord’s first advent. Truth
was first priority in His life. (Mat 4:4;
Luk 11:28; Joh
7:15-16) His final Words on the cross were not only a quotation of
Scripture, but the Scripture He quoted was a tribute to the Father as the, “God of Truth.” (Luk 23:46) cf. (Psa
31:5) In the humanity of Christ, Truth
produced Personal love for God, which inevitably resulted in Spiritual
self-esteem. When we study evidence testing, we will examine our Lord’s
Spiritual self-esteem as it developed through Spiritual autonomy into Spiritual
maturity. We will see that He set the precedent for
our Spiritual self-esteem.
KNOWING HOW TO LIVE AND
HOW TO DIE
The believer with Spiritual self-esteem is dependent on God but not
dependent on other people. The independence in his
soul contributes to his capacity for meaningful personal relationships. Every Christian lives in a world of people. A few people
will like him, others will tolerate him, some will despise him. (Psa 55:12-14; Mic 7:5-6;
Mat 10:34-39; Luk 21:16-19) The Only One who will not lie to you is God! (Heb 6:18) If we are
honest with our thoughts, we have deceived everyone we have known, and they
have lied to us! (Unless we have reached
Spiritual maturity) (Rom 3:4; Rom 3:10-18) The only
person we can really trust is God! And if we don't; we lose! (Pro 8:36) Although
surrounded by people, each believer must do many things for himself. He must Think with God's Thoughts, establish and live
with God's Priorities, makes his own decisions to obey Truth, and suffer his
own pain, (Mat
10:38) and eventually do his own dying. (2Co 5:8) The critical importance of Spiritual self-esteem is
dramatically seen in the fact that no one can die another person’s death.
Friends may stand by and perhaps lend comfort, but
when the time for death comes, each one goes it alone! Nor can anyone bear
another’s pain, feel another’s emotions, or think another’s thoughts. Always there is a place
for sensitivity, compassion, and encouragement from one person to another, but
ultimately the most basic activities of life require Spiritual self-esteem of
each individual believer. One of the greatest achievements in life is
the ability to equate living and dying. Life on earth includes the period in
which an individual knows that he is dying; dying is part of life. Only
by facing the Reality of death with Truth can any believer face life from the
Divine Viewpoint. (Php 1:20-21) And only
through suffering for blessing and attaining the stages of Spiritual adulthood
can the believer equate living and dying and thereby benefit from suffering. Every believer must not only learn how to live but
also learn how to die. Being
alive does not imply that a person has the slightest idea of how to
live, of how to fulfill the potential that human life affords. Nor does being a
member of the royal family of God, mean that a believer knows how to conduct
himself as a Spiritual aristocrat. A Christian does not necessarily know the first thing about
the Christian way of life and the mechanics of executing God’s will, purpose,
and plan for the Church Age. Certainly possessing eternal life does not
guarantee that he knows how to pass from time into eternity with confidence and
poise. After Salvation we must learn Truth to know how
to live and die in prosperity or adversity; in pleasure or pain, in the company
of others or alone. (Php 4:11-12) Even
learning Truth is something each believer must do for himself — under the teaching ministry
of his pastor-teacher. Every Christian must
make his own decisions to give Truth first priority in his life, to assemble
where the Word of God is taught, to be filled with God the Holy Spirit while he
listens, to concentrate on the pastor’s message, to believe the Truth and to
properly apply the Doctrine he understands. This is what the Bible means when
admonishing us to “cherish [Guard,
or keep] understanding.”
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; [Intake of Truth] He who
cherishes understanding [Stays in fellowship] will prosper. (Pro 19:8)
To “get wisdom” and to “cherish understanding” describe the believer’s
faithfulness in consistently learning and applying Truth over a long period of
time At all stages of Spiritual growth, he requires daily nourishment from
Truth. To love “his own soul” is a
description of Spiritual self-esteem. This is legitimate love for self. Combined with “prosperity,” reveals the pattern of
growth in Spiritual adulthood. The believer
grows Spiritually by “getting wisdom” and
enters Spiritual adulthood when he attains Spiritual self-esteem. (He understands) (Col
2:2) As Spiritual self-esteem is
stabilized, strengthened, and tested under the pressure of suffering for
blessing, he
advances stage by stage to Spiritual maturity. He “prospers” all along
the way. This is how the Christian learns to
live and die for himself. When the Mind of Christ has been inculcated and
metabolized into the soul of the believer that individual acquires Spiritual
self-esteem. Inside the Spiritual life the Virtues of the humanity of Jesus
Christ are formed in him, (Rom 13:14;
Gal 4:19; 1Pe 2:9; 2Pe 1:4)
including our Lord’s great Personal love for the
Father. (Joh 14:31) From his own love for God and Divine Thinking, the believer
then has the contentment, stability, composure and all the other characteristics of Spiritual self-esteem
with which to face the challenges of living and dying.
Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [Suffering for blessing] and Your
staff, [Blessing] they comfort me.
(Psa 23:4)
THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM: Spiritual self-esteem can be
explained categorically as having fourteen characteristics.
1.
THE BEGINNING OF CONTENTMENT. Contentment, or capacity for happiness in one’s
present circumstances, begins in Spiritual self-esteem, grows stronger in
Spiritual autonomy, and reaches a peak in Spiritual maturity. (2Co 12:10; 1Ti 6:6-8;
Heb 13:5) In Spiritual adulthood,
sharing the happiness of God is the Christian’s greatest and most effective
problem-solving device. (Php 4:11)
2.
MENTAL STABILITY. A stabilized mentality comes from the consistent and
accurate application of Truth in adversity and in prosperity. (Php 4:12-13)
3.
COMPOSURE MARKED BY SELF-ASSURANCE. Self-assurance is characteristic of the
believer who can consistently and accurately apply Divine Thinking to life and
who has experienced the efficacy of Truth in his own life. (Jas 1:22-25)
4.
GRACE ORIENTATION TO LIFE. The believer with Spiritual self-esteem appreciates
the extension of God’s grace toward him without distorting that grace policy
into antinomian license. (Rom 6:1)
Furthermore, he demonstrates a gracious attitude toward other people without
distorting toleration into compromise of integrity. (Rom 12:10)
5.
DOCTRINAL ORIENTATION TO REALITY. Spiritual self-esteem orients the believer to
Reality by maintaining his humility, by avoiding inordinate ambition and
competition (Jas 3:14-15) by developing
Spiritual common sense, Spiritual independence, and a sense of humor. (Rom 12:3; 2Co 12:13)
6.
GOOD DECISIONS FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH. The Spiritual life is the position
of strength in which good decisions are possible, based on Divine Thinking — in
Gate 4 — and motivation from Personal love for God — in Gate 5. (Eph 6:10; Php 2:2;
Col 1:11)
7.
THE BEGINNING OF PERSONAL CONTROL OF ONE’S LIFE. Spiritual independence is
based on maximum use of one’s royal priesthood, by which the believer
represents himself before God. His perspective in
life is focused on God rather than on people. (Joh 5:43-44; Col 2:7; Heb 12:2-3)
8.
THE USE OF SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM AS A PROBLEM-SOLVING DEVICE. Spiritual
self-esteem solves the problems of inadequacy, fear, emotional disturbance,
lack of personal identity, and uncertainty concerning one’s niche in life. (2Ti 1:7) Furthermore, the believer with
Spiritual self-esteem solves his own problems from the Truth he knows rather
than running here and there to find the book a certain Doctrine is in, or for
Spiritual advice. He views difficulties as
opportunities to utilize the Truth in his soul.
(2Ti 2:3-4)
9.
THE BEGINNING OF A PERSONAL SENSE OF DESTINY. The believer’s Personal sense of
destiny becomes stronger as he progresses through the three stages of Spiritual
adulthood. The meaning, purpose, and definition of
his life become clear as he resolves his relationships with God, self, and
people. (Luk 14:26-35)
10.
POSTSALVATION EPISTEMOLOGICAL REHABILITATION. Epistemology is the study of
knowledge itself, addressing the question of how man knows what he knows. After Salvation the believer must concentrate on a new
source of Truth, under the teaching ministry of a Spiritually mature pastor
filled with the Spirit. (Joh 4:23)
The believer must acquire a new Doctrinal frame of
reference through learning and metabolizing the Word of God; by faith, for “the
righteous [A believer with imputed Divine righteousness] shall live by faith.”
(Rom 1:17) Post-salvation
epistemological rehabilitation is a term that encompasses all the Truth the
believer has learned between Salvation and Spiritual adulthood. This renovation of Thought includes everything from
understanding Spirituality how to execute the protocol plan of God, to
appreciating one’s portfolio of invisible assets, to mastering the subject of
this book; Christian suffering. Metabolized Truth has “transformed [The Spiritually adult believer] by the renewing of [His] mind.” (Rom 12:2)
11.
COMMAND OF SELF. Fulfilling the responsibilities that accompany independence, the believer exercises self-control, self-restraint, poise,
and self-regulation. (Pro 19:11;
1Co 9:19; 1Co
9:27; 2Ti 2:10) Command of
self, facilitates good communication with other people, which is mandatory in
all successful relationships.
12.
A NEW ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE. Personal love for God
gives the believer a dynamic attitude, Viewpoint, and perspective on life. His
Thoughts and priorities change as his focus on Christ motivates him in
everything he Thinks and does. (Joh 15:10-17)
13.
QUALIFICATION FOR PROVIDENTIAL PREVENTIVE SUFFERING. Spiritual self-esteem
gives the believer the ability to handle suffering for blessing. The
characteristics of Spiritual self-esteem qualifies him to pass the test of
providential preventive suffering and advance him into the next stage of
Spiritual adulthood, which is Spiritual autonomy. (1Pe
4:12-19)
14.
ATAINMENT OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE UNIQUE SPIRITUAL LIFE. God has designed a
unique life for the Church Age believer, part of which is experienced and part
of which is not. The non-experiential aspect of the unique life includes the
indwelling of all three members of the Trinity. This is the Church Age
believer’s permanent status, not his progressive experience. The experiential
aspect of the unique life is the glorification of Christ in the body of the
believer. (Eph 5:1; 1Co 6:20) A distinction must be made between the
permanent, unchanging, unfelt indwelling of Christ as the Shekinah Glory and
the Christian experience of Christ being glorified in our bodies. (Php 1:20-21) A distinction also must be made
between the permanent, unchanging, unfelt indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His
invisible, behind-the-scenes function in the Spiritual life through which He
glorifies Christ in our bodies. (Joh 16:13-14)
Each stage of Spiritual adulthood brings a new
experiential glorification of Christ. This progressive experience begins
with Spiritual self-esteem, which is described by the phrase “Christ is formed in you.” (Gal 4:19) In Spiritual
autonomy, which is the next stage of Christian growth, the glorification of
Christ in the unique life of the royal family will be described as “Christ [Being] at home in your heart.” (Eph 3:16-17)
In Spiritual maturity, the final stage of Spiritual adulthood, the unique life
will be expressed as “Christ [Being] glorified in [Your] body.” (Php 1:20-21)
And those are the ones on whom seed was
sown on the good soil; and they hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and
a hundredfold.
(Mar 4:20)
The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head,
then the mature grain in the head. But when
the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
(Mar 4:28-29)
These will wage war against the Lamb,
and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord
of lords and King of kings, and those who are
with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.
(Rev 17:14)
DESCRIPTION OF SPIRITUAL
SELF-ESTEEM
Spiritual self-esteem is the declaration of Truth resident in the
soul; it is living by one’s own Spiritual Thinking from that Truth; it is making application of metabolized Truth under all
circumstances, including suffering for blessing!
The Christian who gains Spiritual
self-esteem has crossed the dividing line between Spiritual childhood and
Spiritual adulthood, between Spiritual dependence and Spiritual independence,
between punitive suffering and suffering for blessing. Spiritual self-esteem is
the giant step in the believer’s life, the first stage of Spiritual adulthood. The believer with Spiritual self-esteem thinks and applies
Truth to life, motivated by his Personal love for God. He understands enough Truth to Think independently, having
the courage of his own perceptions and Doctrinal applications. Furthermore, instead of arrogantly
exaggerating his strengths or his weaknesses, he
orients to the Biblical Reality of who and what he is as a member of the royal
family of God and at the same time never loses sight of Who and What God IS.
He accepts his human limitations while emphasizing the unlimited privileges and
opportunities that God gives to every Church Age believer. He exploits his
options. When a believer has attained Spiritual self-esteem, he does not feel
threatened by others. He refuses to be manipulated through guilt or fear. If he is guilty of sin, human good, or evil, he assumes the
responsibility for his own decisions, good or bad, and resolves his problems
according to (1Jn 1:9). He
understands his right as a member of the royal family of God to live his life
as unto the Lord in the privacy of his own priesthood. His life does not
belong to other people but to God. God’s logistical grace sustains him, so he
can adhere to Divine Commands in the protocol plan of God. Spiritual
self-esteem enables the believer to exploit all the problem-solving devices in
the Spiritual life. With Spiritual self-esteem he can
begin to enjoy happiness and tranquility of mind in every category of suffering
for blessing. The Christian with
Spiritual self-esteem knows he belongs to a winning plan. He understands what
God accomplished for him in eternity past. He knows
at the present time how to thrive in God’s protocol system. He has learned that
a fabulous eternal future awaits him after death. God’s protocol plan
gives his life meaning, purpose, and definition. He advances in the certainty that logistical grace will
support his life and empower his indomitable will to triumph over any handicaps
or weaknesses he may possess. Spiritual adulthood and continuing Spiritual
growth are the believer’s triumph over his handicaps, genetic and
acquired.
With Spiritual
self-esteem the believer persists in learning and applying Truth because he
loves God and believes His Promised blessings for time, and eternity.
(Heb 6:18)
Personal love for God is the highest motivation in life. The believer with Spiritual self-esteem confidently
persists in the plan of God without needing flattery or fanfare, without
relying on recognition, encouragement, counsel, or inspiration! He leans on no one but God. Rather than borrow motivation
and fortitude from the soul of someone else, he uses the Truth in his own soul!
He has nothing to prove to anyone. He fears no one.
He does not crave the approval of people or overreact to their indifference,
disapproval, or rejection! Nor does he slavishly imitate the personality
or demeanor of others. He is content with his own personality; he has
identified his own niche in life. Spiritual self-esteem makes the believer
intellectually independent, but it does not make him a boor. Many positive
Christians go through the awkward, sophomoric stage of being overconfident
religious zealots, bursting with answers, eagerly imposing their ideas on other
people. Such arrogance is not Spiritual self-esteem.
Spiritual self-esteem makes the believer a good listener; his genuine humility
in Gate 3 of the Spiritual life makes him teachable. He appreciates the
graciousness of other people and recognizes legitimate authorities, including
the authority of the pastor who teaches Truth. Spiritual independence
means the believer flourishes within God’s structures of human and
Spiritual authority, (Rom 13:1-2) not
outside His protocol system as a rebel, a crusader, or a self-styled free
spirit. Although modern psychology cannot provide
Spiritual self-esteem, it can accurately describe the lack of Spiritual and
human self-esteem.
The two most striking characteristics of
men and women who seek psychotherapy are a deficiency of self-esteem and a
condition of self-alienation. In some crucial ways they do not feel appropriate
to life and its requirements, and they lack adequate contact with the world
within, with their needs, wants, feelings, thoughts, values and potentialities.
Thus diminished in consciousness, they are estranged from their proper human
estate. Large areas of self, lie undiscovered, unexpressed and unlived. They are sleepwalkers through their own existence.
The believer wakes up to
Reality by learning Truth in the power of the Spiritual life. In studying the two punitive categories of Christian
suffering, we noted that if a member of the royal family of God fails to wake
up through perception and application of Truth, he will be shaken by
self-induced misery and Divine discipline.
PROVIDENTIAL PREVENTIVE
SUFFERING
PAUL’S THORN IN THE FLESH
As THE FIRST CATEGORY of suffering
for blessing, providential preventive suffering performs a dual function. Its offensive role is to accelerate the believer’s
Spiritual momentum beyond Spiritual self-esteem into Spiritual autonomy;
its defensive role is to prevent him from falling
victim to arrogance.
Spiritual self-esteem is probably the most vulnerable stage of the
Christian life! As the believer
begins to Think for himself with the help of God the Holy Spirit and live by
the Truth in his own soul, he may distort his newfound independence. He may assume that his strength comes from self, rather than from God’s Word
and the Spiritual life. As he flexes his new Spiritual muscles and
enjoys the results of Spiritual growth, he may forget that God is the source of
his growth. God in His grace does not wait for the believer to fail. Rather
than picking up the pieces, God provides the means of keeping the believer from
falling apart. In grace God takes preventive action by sending suffering for
blessing. Providential preventive suffering reminds
the believer of his dependence on the protocol plan of God, and leads him to
use Divine assets under circumstances that human ability cannot resolve. As an unbeliever, Paul was aware of his own genius.
With concentration and self-discipline he exploited his tremendous human
assets. As a young man he excelled academically in a rigorous education. He
then channeled his unusual nervous energy and extraordinary intellectual
powers to rise within the religious and political establishment in Judea. Human
dynamics enabled him to advance rapidly within an evil system. Paul was a man
of action who was also at home in the realm of ideas. He was a master of both
Jewish theology and Greek philosophy. The application
of his human genius was the zealous persecution of Christians. He had the
success that his human abilities had achieved; he was ambitious for further
promotion. After believing in Christ, Paul had
to learn dependence on Divine rather than human power. Hence, when he reached
Spiritual self-esteem, he was in danger of corrupting his own Spiritual
advance. He might have assumed that his own
mental prowess enabled him to comprehend the deep things of Truth, when in fact
metabolized Doctrine resided in his soul only because of God the Holy Spirit. (1Co 2:14) To protect Paul from his
natural vulnerability to arrogance, God sent providential preventive
suffering, which Paul called his “thorn in the flesh.”
Because of the surpassing greatness of
the Revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was
given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me
from exalting myself! (2Co 12:7)
Paul was chosen by God to serve as the
apostle to the Gentiles, the Principal spokesman for the Doctrines of the
royal family of God. Because of God’s sovereign decision to use him in this
special way, Paul had a unique ministry, and the Divine Revelations given to
him exceeded those of any other apostle. Peter acknowledged Paul’s superior
comprehension of Truth, recognizing that Paul’s “epistles contain some
things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people
distort.” (2Pe 3:15-16) God gave Paul the unparalleled blessing of teaching and
recording Church Age Truth, but Paul was also
given another blessing called a “Thorn in the flesh.” Truth orients the believer to Reality; arrogance divorces him from Reality. Arrogance must be
prevented because it neutralizes the effectiveness of Truth in the believer’s
life. Truth provides Spiritual self-esteem; arrogance is self-alienation. Arrogance is the insidious enemy of the Spiritual life, the
very attitude that corrupted Lucifer, who was originally the greatest of all
the angels. (Isa 14:13-14) Paul’s ministry might have been destroyed by
arrogance, but the thorn in the flesh was given to him to preserve him in a
period of grave danger. Bible scholars have speculated on the nature of Paul’s
thorn in the flesh, but Paul deliberately omits the details to emphasize the
Principle of providential preventive suffering. Paul says only that God
permitted Satan to dispatch a demon to constantly torment him. The work of this “thorn demon” provided Paul with an
illustration of God’s total ability to care for His own. God’s provisions are
far superior to any possible challenge. He is able to make even our enemies
benefit us. (Psa 76:10)
...God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
There is a fine irony in Paul’s suffering. The thorn demon wanted
to destroy Paul but could only force him to rely on God’s superior provisions.
God used Satan’s attack to keep Paul from falling into the same
pattern of arrogance that originally caused the fall of Satan. God has a wonderful sense of humor; with marvelous finesse!
Only omnipotent God has the power to turn suffering into blessing, and this
power has been made available to us, through residence and function in the
Spiritual life. God can and does use adversity to our
advantage, even pressures our foes designed to harm us. (Rom 8:28)
While Paul was suffering intensely and wondering why God did not relieve the
pain, God was masterfully demonstrating His grace to Paul. The apostle was
hurting and sought relief, but “underneath [Were] the everlasting arms.”
(Deut 33:27) Through
this experience Paul’s personal love for God increased! But before he
reaped the benefits of providential preventive suffering, Paul applied a false solution and made a wrong application of
Truth.
A FALSE SOLUTION AND WRONG
APPLICATION
As the first stage of Spiritual adulthood,
Spiritual self-esteem is still an awkward phase in which the believer has not
yet developed the true instincts of Spiritual maturity. That is why Paul
reacted emotionally to the pain of providential preventive suffering. In an
understandable human reaction, he was momentarily affected by the discomfort
before regaining his composure and passing the test.
Concerning this [Thorn in the flesh] I
appealed to the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
(2Co 12:8)
Paul’s use of prayer was
a false solution to suffering for blessing; his request that the suffering be
removed was a wrong application of Truth. Providential
preventive suffering is essential to the adult believer’s Spiritual advance. We
should never ask God to remove the means of our growth.
We should never pray for the removal of suffering for blessing by which the
protocol plan of God is fulfilled. We think we know when we have had enough
suffering, but God
knows us better than we know ourselves. He never sends more pressure than we
can bear, (1Co 10:13) but on the other hand He sends enough pressure to accelerate
our growth. Only when He sees that we have passed the test or that we
have flunked so badly that we need time to regroup does He remove or reduce the
suffering. What God does not remove He intends for us
to bear. God
has a unique plan for each believer. His timing is perfect for every individual. He makes the sovereign
decision to nurture the positive Christian’s growth with the right kind, the
right intensity, and the right duration of suffering or prosperity. Too much or too little adversity, too much or too little
prosperity, the wrong combination, or the wrong timing would retard the believer’s
Spiritual progress. A believer who tells God how
and when to administer suffering for blessing claims to have greater wisdom,
and a better plan than God. This is blasphemy. We
do not dictate to God! We are told to “come boldly before the throne
of grace” (Heb 4:16) but we have no
right to question the sovereignty of God, much less to ask for the
cancellation of Divine wisdom. Paul made a false application of Doctrine by
entreating God to remove providential preventive suffering. Worse yet, he made an even more basic error by employing
prayer to accomplish what it was never designed to do. Prayer is a
powerful tool that has many effective applications, but the Spiritually adult
believer should not pray for strength or for relief under suffering for
blessing. Why not? Such a prayer would violate Divine protocol. Billions of
years ago God established the system for giving strength to the royal family.
That system is the Spiritual life. The believer does
not need to ask for what has already been provided. The utilization of Divine assets
is a matter of learning and applying Truth daily, not a matter of prayer.
Too often the believer does not understand his
suffering because he has neglected or resisted Truth. He remains ignorant of
the powerful problem-solving devices that belong to the royal family. If you need more strength, than you need more intake, (Rom 10:17) and application. (Mat 7:24-25; Joh 15:14;
Jas 1:25) Frequently, believers under
pressure entreat God for a miracle, but miracles are no solution to suffering
for blessing. By performing a miracle involving the sudden removal of pressure,
God would be canceling his own system for accelerating
the believer’s Spiritual advance. For
sovereign, omnipotent God, nothing is easier than a miracle! Miracles express only His sovereign decision; they do not
require man’s positive volition or any function of human free will. Blessing is far more difficult for God to bestow
when the Christian’s volition is involved, yet that is precisely what God has
achieved by creating the protocol plan. The believer
must freely choose to reside in the palace. There he must learn and metabolize (Ingest and digest) Truth. He
also must consistently apply this metabolized Doctrine throughout suffering
for blessing. God will terminate the test in
His own perfect time. (1Co 10:13)
That is a Divine Promise, so that the believer’s natural desire for relief from
pressure becomes a matter of confidence in God. The
believer with positive volition gains strength by using Truth, by exercising
his own mind which is inculcated with the Thinking of God. False solutions to one’s own suffering include miracles and
the misuse of prayer; all true solutions are integral parts of the
Spiritual life. We have already discussed these problem-solving devices for
Spiritual childhood and Spiritual adulthood in chapter 1. They include rebound, the
faith-rest drill, hope, Virtue-love and sharing the happiness of God.
DIVINE COUNSELING FOR PAUL
Obviously God did not answer Paul’s
prayers. He did not remove the thorn in the flesh, nor did He respond in any
way except to perpetuate Paul’s suffering. Finally, after Paul had repeated
his urgent request on three occasions, God reminded the great apostle of a
Truth he already knew.
And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. [Testing] Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, [People, thought, organization and disaster testing] so that the power of Christ [The Spiritual life may be perfected and] may dwell in me. (2Co 12:9)
We have already noted the pattern of
achievement in this verse. What is the “power” in this
context, and what is the “weakness?” The power
is Divine omnipotence as it becomes available to the believer with each
stage of Spiritual adulthood through residence, function, and momentum in the
Spiritual life. Omnipotence operates in the adult believer, in the form
of Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy and Spiritual maturity. The weakness is the suffering for blessing which God
applies to the believer in each of these stages of Spiritual achievement.
God sends the weakness of providential preventive
suffering, momentum testing and evidence testing, so man experiences the weakness in suffering that is
beyond human solution! God provides the power
in the Spiritual life which is employed by man in his helplessness and produces
accelerated Spiritual growth. This is
boasting not in the sense of glorifying self, but as a manifestation of esprit
de corps. (Being enthusiastic about a group's thoughts and plan)
Paul’s boasting expresses his delight in belonging
to God’s protocol plan. Such boasting indicates
submission to God’s system, and is the antithesis of arrogance. Thus Paul demonstrates that providential preventive
suffering has been effective in his life. Divine protection against arrogance succeeded because of
his positive volition in the application of metabolized Truth in his soul.
Because he believed the Truth and Thought with
it, in the place of his own thoughts, will and personal desires; and this
applied to every Divine Thought in the Bible! Rather than being
preoccupied with himself, and his problems. Paul’s
suffering had not changed. His human weakness had not changed. His old sin
nature had not changed. The Spiritual life had not changed. What had changed were Paul’s Thoughts. He had begun to apply the
Truth he knew, to the circumstances in which he found himself. He remembered
Truth, (Joh 14:26) and began to think objectively, utilized his problem-solving
devices, and regained control of his life! THERE
IS NO OTHER WAY TO REACH SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother
and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life,
[Human priorities] he cannot be My disciple. [Reach
Spiritual maturity; God's priority] (Rev 2:4) (Luk 14:26)
When one of those who were reclining at
the table with Him heard this, he said to Him,
Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God! But He said to him, A man was giving a big dinner,
and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those
who had been invited, Come; for everything is ready now. But they all alike
began to make excuses. The first one said to
him, I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; [The lust of the eyes] please
consider me excused. Another one said, I have
bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; [The lust of the flesh] please
consider me excused. Another one said, I have
married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come. [The Pride of life, God is our first love] And the
slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household
became angry and said to his slave, Go out at once into the streets and lanes
of the city and bring in here the [Spiritually]
poor and crippled
and blind and lame. And
the slave said, Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is
room. And the master said to the slave, Go out into the highways and along the
hedges, [The sinners] and compel them to come
in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you,
none of those men, who were invited, shall taste of my dinner. [These are all believers, who will not go to the wedding
feast, or live in the New Jerusalem] Now large crowds were going along
with Him; and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me, [Is a believer] and does not
hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters,
yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his
own cross [Own plans, thoughts and sin nature]
and come after Me [Use
God's Thoughts and plan] cannot be My disciple. [Reach Spiritual maturity] For which one of you, when he wants to
build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has
enough to complete it? [Build the Spiritual life]
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation (1Co 3:11) and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to
ridicule him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.
(1Co 3:12-16) Or what king, when he
sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider
whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming
against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away,
he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. [God
has only one way for us to reach Spiritual maturity, and if we do not sign the peace treaty and obey, we will
lose!] (1Sa 15:23) So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give
up all his own possessions. [Preoccupation with
self and others; lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life;
desires, thoughts, and will] (Mat 26:39)
Therefore, salt is good; [Staying in fellowship and Thinking by the Mind of Christ,
holds off sin and evil in a person, and in a nation] but if even salt
has become tasteless, [A believer living out of
fellowship] with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure
pile; it [Or he] is thrown out. [And no reward]
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Luk 14:15-35)
To fulfill this, is
impossible in the energy of the sin nature. (Rom 8:12-13) But as a Spiritually mature believer who has made first
priority, the daily habit, over many years; of
rebounding, reception, retention, recall of Truth, resisting temptations to sin
and his own will; can! (2Ti 2:4; Heb 12:1-4;
Rev 3:10-13)
Suffering in itself has no Virtue. The
meaning and blessing in suffering lie in the demonstration of Divine grace and
power in the believer’s life. Omnipotence operates
through God’s Word resident in the believer’s soul. From Truth comes Personal love for God resulting in
Spiritual self-esteem; and that inner strength furnishes yet greater capacity
to love God. Suffering for blessing illuminates
God’s grace. Suffering converts
self-glorification, into glorifying God which
is worship, Virtue love, and appreciation of God. (Psa 119:67; Psa 119:71)
Paul’s boasting was not the loud, overt bravado we normally associate with
braggarts. Instead, he was confident and sure, not of
himself, but of God and His Words! (Joh 17:8)
He celebrated the essence of God, His protocol plan,
and the fabulous assets available to every Church Age believer. Boasting, here,
is an attitude of the soul that is the epitome of Spiritual self-esteem. Having been reminded of God’s grace provisions, Paul
expressed his total confidence in God’s policy of suffering for blessing. Now
that he was Thinking Truth, he recalled a further point of Doctrine that
motivated him to endure his thorn in the flesh. He remembered that the
prototype of the Spiritual life sustained the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ
during His first advent. Paul refers to the prototype Spiritual life as “the
power of Christ.” In the prototype Christ attained Spiritual self-esteem,
Spiritual autonomy and Spiritual maturity. (Luk
3:22; Luk 4:1; Luk 4:18-21) He
perfectly fulfilled the Father’s plan, which included suffering for blessing,
for “although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He
suffered.” (Heb 5:7-8) The same policy of suffering for blessing that Paul was
enduring is the same we endure today, and had been the means of accelerating
the Spiritual growth of the humanity of Christ.
Therefore I am well
content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties,
for Christ's sake; for
when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Co 12:10)
“Contentment” is capacity for happiness; it is the believer’s
satisfaction with the blessings God gives him. The Spiritually adult believer
can share the happiness of God in all circumstances, just as the humanity of
Christ in the Spiritual life, possessed inner happiness on the cross while
being judged for the sins of mankind. (Heb 12:2)
If God the Holy Spirit could sustain Jesus through
the excruciating pain of being judged for our sins, certainly the ministry of the
Spirit can sustain us in any hopeless situation in which we may find ourselves! Some Divine blessings
involve prosperity; others come in the guise of adversity. The believer can be
grateful for whatever he has in whatever state he finds himself. (Php 4:11-12)
This tranquility of soul is derived from his Personal love for God, for when a
Christian loves the One who gives, he appreciates His gifts. “Contentment,” or
sharing the happiness of God, is the problem-solving device directed toward
self. This inner happiness characterizes all
three stages of Spiritual adulthood, increasing in strength with the attainment
of each successive stage.
WARM-UP EXERCISES FOR MOMENTUM
TESTING
Several types of providential preventive
suffering are listed in, (2Co 12:10)
setting up a distinct pattern. As Paul has already stated, each category of
suffering for blessing creates a situation of helplessness. The believer cannot use his human intelligence, experience,
ingenuity, talent or influence to resolve human reality problems or
prosperity! He must rely on Divine Reality,
Thoughts, Promises and assets! The word “weaknesses,”
therefore, expresses this helplessness and represents the overall Concept of
providential preventive suffering and sin nature testing. (2Co 4:10-11) The believer with Spiritual
self-esteem has the capacity to “find
contentment” whenever suffering enters his life. The next five
categories of testing in, (2Co 12:10)
are precursors of the four momentum tests which we will study in connection
with Spiritual autonomy. Providential preventive suffering
familiarizes the growing believer with these momentum
tests — in advance and at reduced
intensity. God
carefully prepares the believer for the future, when more intense suffering
will be needed to perpetuate his Spiritual growth. Here we discover
again the Truth that God will not test the positive believer “beyond what
[He is] able [To bear].” (1Co 10:13)
Providential preventive suffering not only suppresses
arrogance and moves the believer into Spiritual autonomy, but it also serves as
a warm-up for the testing’s that will accelerate him beyond Spiritual autonomy
into Spiritual maturity. “With insults” corresponds to people
testing. “With distresses” anticipates thought testing. “With
persecutions” corresponds to system testing. And “with difficulties” prepares the believer for disaster
testing.
This entire system of Spiritual
advancement is said to be “for Christ's sake.” The Principle that suffering is a key element in
the glorification of Christ is also stated in Paul’s Epistle to the
Philippians.
For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not
only to believe in Him, but also to suffer
for His sake. (Php 1:29)
How does our suffering benefit Christ? By
fulfilling the protocol plan of God we glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
exalted in our lives as we attain Spiritual adulthood and proceed toward
Spiritual maturity so that we are qualified to receive maximum blessing. Christ is glorified by delivering special, tailor-made
blessings to the Spiritually mature believer. We “suffer for His
sake” in the sense that periodic
suffering is essential to our advance. The
emphasis is on Spiritual growth and on Christ’s glorification, not on suffering itself.
Personal love for the Lord Jesus Christ
motivates us to desire His glorification. Our application of Truth during
providential preventive suffering accelerates Spiritual growth, which
contributes to the demonstration of His glory. Therefore, as Paul states in, (2Co 12:9) we suffer
for His sake “all the more gladly.” Our
purpose in life is to utilize the assets of the Spiritual life so that we
advance to Spiritual maturity! (Joh 15:8) Much of this advance is spurred by suffering for
blessing. Concluding his discussion of providential preventive suffering, Paul
reiterates that when we pursue our destiny, moving step by step toward the
goal, “then [We are] strong.” (2Co 12:10)
The omnipotence of God sustains and empowers us at each stage as we move
forward in His protocol plan. Because (2Co 12:7-10)
describes providential preventive suffering, the final word “strong” in this passage refers to the next
stage of advance after Spiritual self-esteem. Paul has passed the test of
providential preventive suffering and has attained new power. “Strong” in this context becomes a synonym for
Spiritual autonomy.
SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY
PHYSICAL
EXERCISE DEVELOPS STRENGTH, coordination, and stamina
and is essential for good health. In the same way, adversity gives the believer
the vital Spiritual exercise that builds Spiritual autonomy. According to this
athletic analogy, Spiritual autonomy is Spiritual
self-esteem with muscle. The experience of using Divine assets under
providential preventive suffering strengthens all the characteristics of
Spiritual self-esteem. Success in handling pressure
dramatically increases the believer’s confidence in God! (By trusting Him more and
more) As a result, legitimate self-confidence
also grows. The believer becomes keenly aware
of belonging to God’s protocol plan and of possessing tremendous Divine assets
that work in time of crisis or tranquility!
Occupation with Christ, (Constant awareness
of Christ) (Heb 11:27) and sharing the happiness of God, (Joh 17:13) cause the
believer with Spiritual autonomy to conduct himself with confidence,
graciousness, and unshakable poise. (Act 7:59-60)
Derived from the classical Greek noun, (Autonomia) the word “autonomy”
originally meant to live under one’s own laws, to live in a state of being
independent. In modern usage autonomy expresses independence,
self-determination and self-direction. In the Christian way of life, Spiritual autonomy is the freedom of exercising royal
prerogatives within one’s own palace, the Spiritual life. (He has enough Truth in his soul to Think Spiritually, consistently)
Spiritual autonomy is the dynamic state of Spiritual self-esteem. The
Spiritually autonomous Christian knows that God has equipped him to meet the
demands of life. Through his pastor’s teaching and his
own experience of Doctrinal application, he has learned to utilize invisible
Divine assets in his daily life. Furthermore,
suffering for blessing has given him a new attitude toward other people. Spiritual autonomy gives the believer strength to love
others consistently with impersonal love.
IMPERSONAL LOVE MANDATED BY GOD
Impersonal love is defined in contrast to
Personal esprit de corps love. Personal esprit de corps love comes in two
categories:
1.
ROMANCE is Personal love for a member of the opposite sex; and is defined
as esprit de corps love if they are in fellowship
2.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS is personal admiration for a member of the human race; and is
defined as esprit de corps love if they are in fellowship
Personal esprit de corps love is attraction or admiration for
someone else based on one’s own standards. By falling in love or making a
friend, however, a person creates a problem. The object of his love is
imperfect, and sooner or later, for one reason or another, that person will
become a source of suffering and testing. Because no
one is perfect, the object of Personal esprit de corps love will cause disappointment,
frustration, and hurt. The problem is that no one is
perfect, neither the subject nor the object. Both contribute their flaws to the
relationship.
When God commands us to
love all believers, (Joh 15:12)
our neighbors, (Mat
19:19; Rom 13:9) and all mankind, (Luk 6:27-28)
obviously He cannot mean Personal love. God is
Commanding us to resolve problems, not to
create problems. In fact, the only
Personal love with inherent Virtue is Personal love for God. God
is the only perfect object of love. (Deut 30:6) What category of love fulfills the
Divine Command? Impersonal love directed toward all mankind has inherent
Virtue and problem-solving characteristics. Impersonal love is unconditional
with regard to its object. This means that no merit is assigned to the object
of love; the motivation for Impersonal love is not attractiveness, rapport, or
worthiness. Motivated by the believer’s own Virtue,
Impersonal love is, therefore, tolerant, unprejudiced, courteous, and objective
in the face of hostility and antagonism. Impersonal
love is the attitude of the Spiritually adult Christian resulting from the
filling of God the Holy Spirit and the perception, metabolism, and application
of Truth inside the palace of the Spiritual life. (1Co 13:4-8; Gal 5:22-23;
1Jn 4:16-17)
DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF
IMPERSONAL LOVE
To understand the love that God Commands
every believer to have for all people, a distinction must be made between the
subject and object of love. The subject is the one who
loves; the
object is the one who is loved. When love emphasizes the object,
Personal love is in view. When love emphasizes the
subject, Impersonal love is in view. Impersonal
love is unconditional, emphasizing the Virtue and Spiritual status of the
subject being in fellowship, rather than rapport with or worthiness of the
object. The object of Impersonal love can be
known or unknown, friend or enemy, attractive or repulsive, honorable or
dishonorable, good or evil, believer or unbeliever! Impersonal love, therefore, is defined as the Virtue of
the subject resulting from residence, function and momentum in the Spiritual
life! (Gal 5:22-23) Impersonal
love develops in stages, specifically the three stages of Spiritual adulthood:
Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy and Spiritual maturity. Impersonal love is a sign of Spiritual adulthood,
since all three stages possess Impersonal love in some degree. The Christian’s
Impersonal love is not fully developed in Gate 5 of the Spiritual life but
becomes stabilized in Gate 6 and maximized in Gate 8. Personal
love for God, which is the source of Spiritual self-esteem, is also the source
of Impersonal love for all mankind. In other words, Gate 5 of the
Spiritual life precedes Gate 6.
If someone should
allege, “I love God,” and yet he hates his fellow believer, he is a liar. For
he who does not love his fellow believer, whom he has seen, is not able to be
loving God, whom he has not seen. Furthermore, we have this Command from Him, that he who
loves God [Personal love for God, Gate 5 of the
Spiritual life] should
also love his fellow believer [Impersonal love,
Gate 6.] (1Jn 4:20-21)
The Spiritual
life is necessary to the function of Impersonal love! The Command to “love
your neighbor as yourself” implies that the Spiritual life is the essential
foundation for Impersonal love. (Mat 22:37-39;
Mar 12:30-31; Gal 5:14) Then, as the believer advances
Spiritually he builds the Spiritual muscle to comply with every Divine Command
regarding Impersonal love for all mankind. Increased
capacity for Impersonal love is acquired through providential preventive
suffering, which carries the believer into Spiritual autonomy. Impersonal love is then tested through the people test as
part of momentum testing on the way to Spiritual maturity. Impersonal love is not indifference or a lack of
compassion. It is the Virtue and the core of all successful personal
relationships in friendship or romance.
Impersonal love is a Virtue from God, attained in the fulfillment of the protocol
plan, whereas human personal love
is an expression of man’s ego. Impersonal love
emphasizes the Virtue, integrity and Spiritual growth of the subject; human personal love
emphasizes the attractiveness and desirability of the object. Impersonal love encompasses the entire human race; human personal love is
reserved for a few. Impersonal love is
sustained by Truth; human personal
love is sustained by rapport and mutual admiration. Impersonal
love is imperative, Commanded by God of all believers toward all mankind;
human personal love is optional and exclusive. Impersonal
love requires being in fellowship with God; personal
love requires no qualifications — anyone can fall in love. Impersonal love is a problem-solving device; human
personal love is a problem-manufacturing device. While personal love for
members of the human race can be a distraction to the believer’s relationship
with God, Impersonal love for all mankind is a
manifestation of Personal love for God as the highest motivation in life.
Impersonal love brings Virtue to all problems of love
and hate, friendship and enmity, attraction and animosity. Impersonal love perpetuates its
own honor, Virtue and integrity without retaliation, reaction, prejudice,
discrimination or revenge. Impersonal love cannot be destroyed by hatred, persecution,
unjust treatment, vindictiveness, or any other category of antagonism. (1Co 13:1-8) Impersonal love is the effective basis for dealing with all
mankind! It is the quality of not allowing
one’s personal feelings or emotions to motivate discourtesy and
thoughtlessness. Impersonal love is the mental
attitude that does not react in a personality conflict but treats others on the
basis of one’s own Spiritual honor and integrity, with objectivity. Although Impersonal love begins to emerge in earlier stages
of Christian growth, it is erratic prior to reaching Spiritual autonomy. In fact, the distinguishing quality of Spiritual
autonomy is Impersonal love for all mankind. An overview of the
characteristics of Spiritual autonomy will describe the inner strength which
animates Impersonal love.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY
As the Christian advances in the Spiritual
life, he utilizes available Divine omnipotence on a consistent basis in more
areas of his life. When compared with the qualities previously listed under
Spiritual self-esteem, the more powerful characteristics of Spiritual autonomy
reflect this greater utilization of Divine omnipotence.
1.
CONTINUATION OF CONTENTMENT. The believer possesses increased capacity for
happiness and tranquility of soul. He can appreciate
the grace of God at work in every circumstance of his life. The believer’s happiness increases in strength and
becomes more constant in each stage of Spiritual adulthood.
2.
PERPETUATED MENTAL STABILITY. Mental attitude improves
with each stage of Spiritual advance.
He who gets wisdom [Truth] loves his own soul; [Spiritual
self-esteem from metabolized Truth] he who cherishes understanding
prospers. [Advances beyond Spiritual self-esteem to
Spiritual autonomy] (Pro 19:8)
Keep on
having this Thinking in you which also resided in Christ Jesus. (Php 2:5)
The believer with Spiritual autonomy is no
longer as vulnerable to pressure as he was upon first entering Spiritual
adulthood. He now has greater ability to concentrate
so that he can apply Truth more consistently, in adversity as well as in prosperity.
3.
IMPERSONAL LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND. The consolidation of Impersonal love is the
most dramatic difference between Spiritual self-esteem and Spiritual autonomy. Christian integrity enables the believer to treat all people
on the basis of his own Virtue rather than borrow their strength or depend on
their merits or attractiveness.
4.
COGNITIVE SELF-CONFIDENCE. In Spiritual self-esteem the knowledge factor was
called Epistemological rehabilitation, the process of
renewing the mind by the hundreds of Spiritual
Thoughts the
believer metabolized in Spiritual childhood. In Spiritual autonomy the
knowledge factor is cognitive self-confidence, which
involves a more complete understanding of Truth from having utilized Divine
problem-solving devices under providential preventive suffering. The Spiritually autonomous believer knows that Truth works!
He has greater confidence in God the Holy Spirit's ability to help him recall
and accurately apply Truth (Joh 14:26) without distorting either the Truth or the application.
5. GRACE ORIENTATION TO LIFE. While
Spiritual self-esteem also includes grace orientation, Spiritual autonomy
involves a deeper appreciation for the grace policy which God administers to
all believers. (Rom 5:17) Grace totally excludes human effort, human strength, human
merit and human ability. (Rom 8:8) Human advantages do not contribute to the execution of the
protocol plan of God. (Php 3:4-6)
The Christian way of life is a supernatural way of
life demanding a supernatural means of execution. The Spiritually
autonomous believer understands his total dependence on Divine omnipotence. (Rom 8:10-14) Orientation
to God’s grace frees him from the last traces of legalism. (Mat 15:8) With Spiritual autonomy
he does not abuse the freedom that grace gives him! Instead, he uses that freedom to comply with God’s will,
purpose, and plan for his life! (Mat 20:26-28; Joh 12:24-26;
Luk 17:10)
6.
DOCTRINAL ORIENTATION TO REALITY. The utilization of
the Spiritual life, keeps the believer on the path of God's Reality, and avoids any arrogant drive toward human unreality. Because arrogance and subjectivity have been reduced to a
minimum by providential preventive suffering, the Spiritually autonomous
believer is able to habitually utilize the Spiritual life. He enjoys the full
effectiveness of all Divine problem-solving devices. Spiritual
autonomy is the summit of sanity and mental stability!
7.
GREATER DECISIONS FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH. Right
Thinking (Truth) and right motivation (Personal love for God) lead to right decisions. In each successive stage of Spiritual adulthood, the
believer makes a higher percentage of good decisions. More good decisions mean
more right actions, fulfilling the Principle that a right thing must be done in
a right way in order to be right! In contrast, a right thing done in a
wrong way is wrong, and a wrong thing done in a right way is also wrong. A
wrong thing done in a wrong way obviously is wrong. Specifically,
all Spiritual momentum and advance is a right thing done in a right way. This
is the essence of Divine protocol. The basis for good
decisions is the perception and metabolism of Truth; the good decision itself
is the application of Truth! We Think
with God's Thoughts, and use His will, His desire, His nature, (2Pe 1:4) not our own, this is
how we serve Him, no other way! (Job 36:11;
Mal 3:18; 2Co
5:15)
8.
PERSONAL CONTROL OF ONE’S LIFE. The Spiritually
autonomous Christian understands and accepts his own limitations. He also
recognizes that the grace provision of invisible assets has removed all
limitations to his advance to Spiritual maturity, which is the ultimate objective. The advancing believer understands that he cannot manipulate
others and at the same time maintain control over his own life. No one can tamper with the decisions of others and be
objective in his own decisions. The Spiritually
autonomous Christian, therefore, refrains from interfering in the lives of
other people. (Pro 9:6-12) Spiritual
autonomy restrains jealousy, possessiveness, defensiveness, and the inordinate
desire to dominate others. Spiritual autonomy
remains righteous without becoming self-righteous, and Virtuous without
entering into crusader arrogance.
9.
A PERSONAL SENSE OF DESTINY. In Spiritual autonomy the Christian becomes increasingly
aware of his own destiny within the protocol plan of God. God is his destiny! God
has designed a powerful plan for blessing him to the maximum, a plan that enables his life to glorify Jesus Christ both
now and forever! Once a believer is free from
possessiveness and from seeking to control others, he can concentrate on
exercising his God-given prerogatives within the framework of his own royal
priesthood. He
has learned to respect the privacy of others. (Rom 14:4) He has become tolerant of the weaknesses and flaws of
those whom he would ordinarily resent. (Mat 9:10) His
Impersonal love means that he can interact with others from the high ground of
Christian integrity while concentrating on the fulfillment of God’s purpose
for his own life. (1Co 9:19-22)
10.
COMMAND OF SELF. As the powerful extension of
Spiritual self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy stabilizes the believer’s
self-control, self-restraint, poise, and self-regulation. His soul is so inculcated with Truth that, under the
filling of God the Holy Spirit, God's Thinking is sovereign over his life! (2Co 10:5) He is not controlled by emotion, the sin nature, (Mar 7:21-22; Rom 13:13-14) or by the human and
satanic thinking in others! (1Ti 6:20) As a result
of being in command of himself, the believer has a quality of communication
with others, that avoids inordinate ambition and competition. (Col 3:12-13;
1Th 5:14)
11.
QUALIFICATION FOR MOMENTUM TESTING. Because God never places more pressure on a
believer than he can bear, (1Co 10:13) Spiritual autonomy is a prerequisite for momentum testing.
By achieving Spiritual autonomy, the believer is ready to proceed into the next
phase of his advance to Spiritual maturity.
12.
ATTAINMENT OF A NEW PHASE OF THE UNIQUE LIFE. The modus vivendi (Way of life)
of the believer with Spiritual autonomy is described by the phrase “Christ [Is] at home in your hearts,” that is, in the Thinking portion of the mentality of the soul. (Eph 3:16-17)
SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY AND THE COMPLETION
OF VIRTUE-LOVE
Spiritual autonomy is not an isolated
Virtue. It is an integral part of a greater, compound Virtue, called
Virtue-love, all parts of which have now been introduced so that the overall
Concept may be presented. Spiritual autonomy marks the attainment of Gate 6 of
the Spiritual life and the consolidation of Virtue-love. As the combination of
Gates 5 and 6, Virtue-love creates marvelous capacity for life. Furthermore,
energized by God the Holy Spirit, through the believer’s residence in the
Spiritual life, Virtue-love also becomes the most versatile problem-solving
device in the protocol plan of God. The system is
the solution!
But now
faith, [The
faith-rest drill] hope, [Confidence in promised
blessings] and love, [Virtue-love] these three,
and the greatest of these is love! (1Co 13:13)
Faith-rest and hope are useful
methods of problem solving that become operational in Spiritual childhood.
These two systems of applying Truth to experience continue to be effective in
Spiritual adulthood. Virtue-love, however, is greater than faith-rest or hope. Because Virtue-love solves problems in the believer’s
relationships with God and with others. (The
believer needs to Think it: I love you Impersonally, (Under testing) until it is
fully completed) In Gate 5, Personal love for God is Virtue-love
directed toward God. This is the highest motivation
in life! Personal love for God automatically gives the believer
Spiritual self-esteem. Providential preventive suffering then strengthens
Spiritual self-esteem, developing Spiritual autonomy in Gate 6. This becomes the inner strength that manifests itself in
Impersonal love for all mankind, or Virtue-love directed toward others. The
significance of Virtue-love can hardly be overemphasized. (Mat 22:35-40) Sustained
by the power of the filling of God the Holy Spirit, fueled by a depth of
Doctrinal resources never available before the canon of Scripture was
completed, (1Co 13:8-10) designed to follow the precedent of the glorified Christ,
Virtue-love is an integral part of the operational Spiritual life. (Joh 15:9-10) More than
a problem-solving device toward God and man, Virtue-love is also the believer’s
capacity for life, love, and happiness. Virtue-love equips him to enjoy life while
facing all categories of momentum testing. Without
this tremendous system of Virtue, no member of the royal family could advance
the final distance into Spiritual maturity, and the maximum glorification of
Jesus Christ. We will summarize and note how Impersonal love completes
the construction of Virtue-love.
VIRTUE-LOVE DEFINED
Gates 5 and 6 of the Spiritual life
represent a single Virtue, divided according to its objects and presented to
indicate the sequence in which this overall Virtue is acquired. Personal love for God comes first. As Personal love for God increases, the believer’s
attitude toward self improves: Spiritual
self-esteem becomes Spiritual autonomy. Finally, as this inner strength becomes established in his soul, he is able to deal
more consistently with others from Impersonal love. As previously noted,
Impersonal love is defined by contrast to Personal love. Both of these
categories of love can be illustrated in the sentence “I love you.” In human personal love, the emphasis is on
the “you,” on the attractiveness, character, intelligence, and personality of
the object of love. Personal love depends on rapport with the object.
Obviously, personal love is exclusive. Only a few people receive any particular
believer’s personal love, which requires a degree of intimacy, knowledge, trust
and reciprocation. For compatibility to exist, the “I” and the “you” must
perceive one another as fulfilling each other’s norms and standards. Impersonal love, on the other hand, is entirely a function
of the “I,” the subject of the sentence, the one who loves. Because he is in
fellowship, he possesses Virtue. The term
Impersonal love acknowledges that no compatibility, familiarity, reciprocation
or intimacy of any kind is required between the subject and object. Impersonal
love is the Spiritually autonomous believer’s unconditional attitude toward
everyone he meets. It is the expression of
his use of God's gift, of the new Spiritual nature, (Eze 36:26;
2Pe 1:4) which is manifested by tolerance, patience, compassion,
courtesy and generosity. Impersonal love excludes prejudice, hypocrisy,
insensitivity and rudeness! The believer’s
Impersonal love is inherently Virtuous because it can exist only when he has
Virtue. By contrast, Personal love for another human being has no Virtue in
itself. Any
irresponsible fool can fall in love. Falling in love requires no intelligence,
talent, ability or integrity. Personal love depends on the object rather than the
subject of love; the one who loves may be deceived in his judgment of the object
or may fantasize qualities in the object which do not exist. Personal love is
often a problem- manufacturing device with no inherent problem-solving
capability. There are two sources of Virtue in Personal love. For
believers and unbelievers, adherence to the Laws of Divine establishment can
support Personal esprit de corps love. For
believers, attainment of Spiritual autonomy creates the Impersonal love that
sustains Personal esprit de corps love. The
only category of Personal love that is inherently Virtuous and does not need
to be sustained by Impersonal love is the believer’s Personal love for God.
By the very perfection of His essence, God is
eternally worthy of the Christian’s love! The
very idea of tolerance toward perfect God is ludicrous and blasphemous. Therefore, the believer’s Personal love for God, which is
inherently Virtuous, and his Impersonal love for all mankind, which is also
Virtuous in itself, constitutes the composite strength of character which is
called Virtue-love. (Joh 13:34-35;
1Jn 3:16; Joh
15:12-14)
GENERAL CATEGORIES OF LOVE
The value of Virtue-love becomes
dramatically clear when we understand that there are three general categories
of human love.
1.
PSEUDO LOVE
2.
VIRTUE-DEPENDENT LOVE (Personal esprit de corps love for man)
3.
VIRTUE-LOVE (Personal love for God; Impersonal love for man)
Pseudo love is arrogance
hidden behind a facade of emotion or hypocrisy of words. Pseudo love uses
others for self-gratification, for personal advancement, or as props to hold
up one’s weaknesses. Much that is passed off as genuine love is not love at
all.
As a notorious cause of human suffering; pseudo-love
is removed by Spiritual growth in the Spiritual life, which results in Virtue-love and capacity for
Virtue-dependent love. Virtue-dependent esprit
de corps love includes romance and friendship. In romance especially, but also
in friendship, a person tends to idolize the
object of love. But no one is perfect. An
image of perfection imposed on anyone is certain to cause disappointment and
frustration. Reality inevitably emerges. Even
if the object of love is treated as a person and is not expected to meet
unattainable standards, still his or her independence, vacillations, weaknesses
and flaws of the old sin nature, will periodically strain the relationship. But this is only half the problem. Actually, the
difficulties in personal love arise from far greater complications than those
caused by the instability of one who is loved. The person who loves is also
changeable and imperfect. His or her own quirks, instabilities, and sin nature
collide with the imperfections and fluctuations in the object of love. The intimacy and honesty of personal love, by its very
nature, multiply the odds against a successful relationship. In human personal
love, each party’s problems are compounded by the other person’s problems. If a person cannot handle his own problems, he will never be
able to deal with the problems of someone with whom he is intimate! Apart from Spiritual
autonomy, personal love is an uncontrollable,
unsustainable problem maker. Personal love
between imperfect human beings is perpetually in a state of flux. Alterations
in emotions, moods, physical health, intellectual preoccupations, perceptions,
misperceptions, reactions to external influences and demands — all these conspire to
disrupt the relationship. Petty irritations continually intrude. In the eyes of the one who loves, the object of love may
change from being attractive to unattractive to attractive again, from responsive
to reactive, from charming to annoying. Beneath the emotional turbulence
inherent in personal human love, however,
Spiritual Impersonal love remains as constant as the Spiritually autonomous
Christian’s own Spiritual life. The complex
difficulties inherent in romance and friendship can be overcome. Wonderful
relationships can be sustained, but the prerequisite is Virtue. (Gal 5:22-23) Romance
and friendship are Virtue-dependent. Each individual must bring his or her own
Virtue from their Spiritual growth. For the believer, God has provided the system by which to
acquire and maintain this individual Virtue. The system is the Spiritual life,
the believer’s royal palace, the protocol plan of God. The Virtue is found in
Gates 5 and 6, called Virtue-love. By the time a believer reaches Spiritual
autonomy, he has the full exercise of Virtue-love as the key problem-solving
device of the entire Spiritual life. Virtue-love — toward God and others — is the strength of
character that enables him to continue his Spiritual advance. With Virtue-love he can pass through the valley of momentum
testing, which is the next category of suffering for blessing, and advance to
the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
MOMENTUM TESTING
NO ASCETICISM IN SUFFERING FOR
BLESSING
ALTHOUGH THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON ADVERSITY
in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ, suffering is not the basic
characteristic of Christianity. Instead, Spiritual
autonomy gives the believer capacity to enjoy life in spite of any adversity
that comes his way. His happiness does not
depend on environment, possessions, or people! He
can appreciate the pleasant details of life and cope with the disasters because
he is not enslaved to circumstances. (1Ti 6:6-8)
The problem-solving devices of the protocol plan of God enable the believer to
equate prosperity and adversity, living and dying. (Php
1:20-21) Metabolized Truth in the
believer’s soul causes him to personally love God! That ever-increasing love produces contentment and
happiness, which he brings with him into every situation! Indeed, sharing the happiness of God in Spiritual adulthood
is the most effective problem solving device in the protocol plan of God! The believer advances by applying Truth under pressure,
but it is the Truth he applies, not the suffering he endures, that causes his
growth. Christianity is not a system of suffering. Truth explains suffering, and applied Truth; alleviates
suffering in the soul. (Psa 119:61;
Psa 119:92)
There is no asceticism in the protocol plan of God, (Col 2:20-23) or
Epicureanism. (Ecc 2:1-10)
Suffering for its own sake is not a legitimate Christian objective. Tragically,
many Christians never learn the Truth of suffering. To their way of thinking,
adversity creates an aura of Spirituality. Presumptuously claiming to follow
Christ in His sufferings, they attach importance to their own pain as if it
brought them closer to God. They distort their lives to fit a crippling false
Truth: They assume God honors self-sacrifice and Commands them to suffer. This
malignant idea breeds arrogance, destroys capacity for life, and blasphemes the
character of God. Legalism, asceticism, and a martyr
complex impose unnecessary suffering on believers, but such self-induced misery
has no place in Divine protocol. The saving work of Christ eliminates
all human works for Salvation; (Eph 2:8-9)
rebound by grace excludes all penance; (1Jn 1:9)
the marvelous Truths of royal privilege and opportunity expose the arrogance of
self-flagellation and self-mutilation. (Gal 5:12)
God retains sovereign control over suffering in the
protocol plan, which He will administer only to the right believer at the right
time and to the right degree. God, not self,
administers suffering for blessing. In other words, the believer must not look
for trouble, it will come to him. (Act 5:17-20) On the contrary, he is to
utilize Divine provisions for problem solving; the filling of God the Holy
Spirit and Truth! Even Divine discipline exists
for the purpose of blessing. A Christian may
suffer for his beliefs, because Truth arouses animosity in those with hardened negative
volition, (Mat 10:34-36) but the believer should not provoke animosity just to prove
his loyalty to the Truth. The antagonism a believer endures is neither
an indication of Spiritual growth nor a proof of his effectiveness as a witness
for Christ. Every Church Age believer is an ambassador of Jesus Christ in the
devil’s world. (2Co 5:20) He is in the world but not of the world, and he is Commanded
“not to love the world, nor the things in the world.” (1Jn 2:15-16) However,
neither is he to cause unnecessary suffering by making himself unwelcome. The
Christian’s commission as royal ambassador does not call upon him to be
obnoxious and to cause resentment in order to claim that he “suffers for
Jesus.” The Spiritually autonomous believer
is motivated by Personal love for God, not by a
desire to prove himself to God or man.
Furthermore, the Truth in his soul is far too great a treasure to be flaunted
before the enemies of the Truth. (Mat 7:6)
He finds opportunities to present the Gospel to
unbelievers and Truth to believers, in order to pass on Divine Thinking and
good news. His purpose is neither to gain God’s
approbation, nor to expose himself to the world’s hatred, it will happen
because of growth. (Joh 15:18-21)
Second Corinthians 6 teaches that we are to give “no
cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited.” (2Co 6:3) The function
of the Spiritual life, (2Co 6:6-7) and the attainment of Spiritual autonomy give the
believer excellence, quality and class as a royal ambassador of the Lord Jesus
Christ. With Spiritual autonomy the royal
ambassador can rise above, in “endurance, afflictions, hardships,
distresses, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleeplessness and hunger”
if and when such testing’s occur. (2Co 6:4-5) Whether in
prosperous or adverse circumstances, (2Co 6:8)
his love, loyalty and happiness are related to the
Lord whom he represents. (Php 3:10)
SUFFERING IN FOUR CATEGORIES OF
MOMENTUM TESTING
Spiritual autonomy not only gives the
believer capacity for life as Christ’s representative on earth but also
prepares him for the final approach to Spiritual maturity. In order to
accelerate the believer’s momentum to the final objective of maturity, God
periodically inserts momentum testing among the advancing believer’s
blessings. Four categories of momentum testing characterize Christian suffering
in the advance from Spiritual autonomy to Spiritual maturity:
1. PEOPLE TESTING
2. THOUGHT TESTING
3. SYSTEM TESTING
4. DISASTER TESTING
The believer with Spiritual autonomy does not fear this formidable
catalog of suffering. He has previously passed a warm-up exam for each of these
tests.
Now that his Spiritual self-esteem has become Spiritual autonomy, providential
preventive suffering has prepared him for the four categories of momentum
testing he is about to encounter.
At this stage in his Spiritual life, the believer should not be
caught off guard by suffering. The pain will not be less than before. In fact,
the suffering may be more intense, but he has the problem-solving devices
necessary to take suffering in stride.
PEOPLE TESTING
Selfish ambition, approval, preoccupation with others and self, as a
Test of Momentum.
People testing challenges the believer
from two antithetical directions: Bitter jealousy, antagonism and preoccupation with others,
or Selfish
ambition, approval, and preoccupation with self.
(Jas 3:14-15) And sometimes both at the same time, in either case, the
danger lies in relinquishing Spiritual autonomy and turning over control of
one’s life to Satan! (Eph 6:11-12; 2Ti 2:24-26)
A person the believer loves or admires may inordinately
influence his life and happiness. Anyone he
hates definitely usurps control. Personal love in the human race is
Virtue-dependent. Lacking inherent Virtue, it relies on the integrity of
Impersonal love as a problem-solving device. This
very dependence on Virtue-love makes every personal love relationship a test
of the believer’s faithfulness to the Divine Command of staying in fellowship. (Gal 5:16) Will he overemphasize the object of love to the point of
compromising his personal sense of destiny in the protocol plan of God?
Or will he integrate his human relationships into a consistent, balanced
Christian life? Personal love emphasizes the object of love, but if a believer elevates the human object of his love above
God, he fails the people test. In his desire to please the woman he loves, a
man may turn over control of his life to her. He makes himself a slave, living
by her whim rather than by the strength of his own soul. Ironically, as a slave
he renounces all possibility of pleasing her. He
ceases to be the man to whom she originally was attracted. The same may be true
of a woman. Although a wife lives under her husband’s authority, she should not
renounce her responsibility to God, out of her desire to please him. (Luk 14:26) Personal love does not require either
party to surrender his or her autonomy to the other. God has a unique plan for
each believer. Each is a royal priest before God and remains an individual. In a personal esprit de corps love relationship both the
subject and the object must maintain integrity and contribute Virtue-love if
the relationship is to have any success.
The key to passing the people test is that people emphasis must not
take precedence over God emphasis. (Luk 9:59-62) In other
words, among the many legitimate activities and involvements in the believer’s
life, Truth must receive first priority. (Rev 2:4) Human
relationships are important in any normal life, but the Christian’s
relationship with God in the Spiritual life enables human Personal esprit de
corps love to succeed. Therefore, the believer
must learn to say no, even to legitimate activities when they challenge the top
priority of Truth, and obedience to the Truth! A
believer may make his own choices in the selection of his friends and loved
ones, but thereafter they will make many
decisions for him unless he maintains his Spiritual autonomy.
Be not deceived; evil friends corrupt
good morals. (1Co 15:33)
He who walks with wise men will be
wise, But the friends of fools will suffer evil. (Pro 13:20)
Personal love may not sound like an
unpleasant momentum test. Everyone wants to be in love. Human personal love, however, is a problem-manufacturing device with no
inherent problem-solving capability. When a
person reveals his soul to someone he loves, the intimacy between one imperfect
person and another creates vulnerability to suffering. (Joh 2:24-25) Some of
the greatest anguish in life comes from human personal love. Personal human love can
avoid becoming misery and slavery, ONLY when accompanied by the Virtue of Impersonal
love. Spiritual autonomy, therefore, is the
inner strength that makes Personal esprit de corps love a marvelous blessing.
Bitter jealousy, antagonism, and preoccupation with others, as a
Test of Momentum.
Like personal human love,
antagonism can also cause the believer to surrender the control of his life to
Satan. (1Jn 3:10) He may be driving down the freeway
when another motorist cuts in front of him. The immediate reaction may be anger
at that discourteous so-and-so, but anger is ridiculous in this situation. Suddenly the believer is upset and irritated; his whole
attitude is distorted by this petty incident. He
has turned over the custody of his happiness to a total stranger. If he
refuses to recover from the mental attitude sin of anger through rebound, (1Jn 1:9) he may escalate his initial reaction
into a foolish and potentially violent feud with the other driver. Any time a believer reacts to people with jealousy,
bitterness, vindictiveness, or implacability, he immediately grants them
control over his life. In an irrational
attempt to regain control, he may vent his antagonism in gossip, maligning,
false accusation, or even physical violence. (Eph 4:30-32) But by attacking the
person to whom he has surrendered his happiness, the believer attacks his own
happiness. Each antagonistic reaction carries him deeper into self-induced
misery. When other people control a believer’s
life, whether or not they want control or even realize they have such influence,
he blames them for his discontentment. But blaming others for self-induced
misery, cuts off the possibility of the solution, and under the law of
volitional responsibility, this intensifies the suffering. With Spiritual growth, the believer becomes aware of this
pattern of unhappiness. (Pro 9:6)
The specific solution to people testing is Impersonal
love, in which the believer’s own inner strength is the basis for toleration of
others. (Rom
12:18; Tit 3:2-3) Impersonal love is crystallized as an active
component of Virtue-love only after the believer has attained Spiritual
autonomy. Ultimately, the solution to all momentum
testing is the believer’s happiness. (Neh 8:10;
Psa 30:5) Happiness as a problem-solving
device is the monopoly of God and His plan. The
believer cannot depend on people for happiness; he must depend on God.
(Pro 16:7; Joh 15:14) The believer
must Think with God's Thoughts, and not his emotions, to avoid undue influence
from those he loves, and to keep from falling into hatred toward those who
irritate him! Spiritual momentum in the
protocol plan of God will bring the believer to Spiritual autonomy where his
contentment is stabilized, and where he can utilize Impersonal love as a
solution to his problems with people. (1Jn 3:16)
THIS IS WHAT SPRIRITUAL
MATURITY LOOKS LIKE!
Love is patient,
love is kind and is not jealous; love
does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; [Not preoccupied with others] it
does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong
suffered, [Not preoccupied
with self] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, [Being out of fellowship] but rejoices with the
Truth. (Joh 4:24)
(1Co 13:4-6)
THOUGHT TESTING
The Importance of Divine Thinking
Thought determines the believer’s life. In all stages of Christian
growth the believer will face the pressure of Thought conflicts in his soul. Human thinking, will
conflict with God's Thinking. False concepts will challenge Truth. Arrogance
will intrude upon humility. Lies of all kinds will compete with the will and plan of God. Fear
will paralyze reason. These
are essentially private conflicts which the believer must resolve in his own
soul. Quandaries, confusions, and unanswered questions motivate the positive
believer to apply the resources of Truth he has learned. Concentration on
Truth accelerates his Spiritual growth!
Thought testing also exists when circumstances are overtly prosperous and
tranquil. A person is not always what he appears to be on the surface; the real
person is the thought content of his soul. We either use our thoughts we received from Satan as the
ruler of the world, through the sin nature, education, friends, family, movies
and news, Etc. (Isa 65:2) Or from the daily
transformation of our thinking into the very Thoughts Christ used to complete
God's will for His life! (Rom 12:2; Heb 10:16)
SATAN'S THINKING OR GOD'S OUR CHOICE!
...I am
sending you, To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness
[Satan's thinking] to
light [God's Thinking] and from the dominion of Satan [Satan's control] to God, [Christ's Kingdom and rule
in the believer] that they may receive
forgiveness of sins [Salvation] and an inheritance [Reward]
among those who have been sanctified [Seated with Christ] by
faith in Me. (Act 26:17-18)
Make my joy
complete by being of the same Mind,
maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. [To reach Spiritual
maturity] Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, (Jas 3:14-15) but
with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do
not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests
of others. Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus. (Php 2:2-5)
For as he [A person] thinks within
himself, so is he! He says to you, “Eat and drink!” but his heart
[The place of thought] is
not with you. (Pro 23:7)
Because a believer is what he thinks, a thought can make or break
him, depending on the nature of the thought. If his thought is consistent with
Truth, he advances in the Spiritual life. (Joh 15:8) If his thought
is contrary to Truth, he is distracted from his true destiny in life. (1Ti 1:19-20)
But they will say, It's
hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act
according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.
(Jer 18:12)
His mental attitude
toward life is the function of his Thinking, the composite of all he knows and
believes. Prayer illustrates the importance of Thought in fulfilling the
believer’s private responsibilities before the Lord. Each member of the royal family
is a priest with the tremendous privilege of representing himself before God.
With privilege comes responsibility! God has established the protocol which the believer must follow in
using prayer. The believer’s prayers must be consistent with God’s essence,
objectives, and plan. Hence, accurate and careful Divine Thinking is the basis
for effective prayer. When his
prayers reflect God’s Own Thoughts and Desires, the believer can be confident
of receiving yes answers! (Joh 15:7)
Jesus explained that wrong and carnal
thinking guarantees failure in prayer.
And when you are praying, do not use
meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they
think that they will be heard for their many words. (Mat 6:7)
Thinking Truth or thinking Evil
Rational thinking is the essential human activity that
distinguishes man from animals. Like the angels, man was created with a soul
capable of rational thought. Therefore,
the mentality of the soul is the battlefield of the angelic conflict. (Mic 4:12) When the believer thinks evil, he is evil. He resides in
Satan’s cosmic system. From evil thinking comes evil motivation; from evil
motivation, evil actions.
For all of us have
become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous
deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And
our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isa
64:6)
And Jesus, knowing
their thoughts, said, Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? (Mat 9:4)
In contrast, Thinking that is consistent with the Truth, has
enormous repercussions for good. (Heb 10:35) Salvation
itself is received by a right Divine Thought, that we simply believe; that
Jesus Christ is our Savior!
What do you Think about the Christ, whose
son is He?... (Mat 22:42)
Mankind’s great enemy is
a thought called arrogance. (Isa 14:13-14)
Arrogance can inflate or deflate man’s opinion of
himself. He thinks he is better or worse than he actually is. Both
self-promotion and self-condemning distort and deny Reality. God’s grace deals with us as we are, but a believer who does not live in objective Reality,
(What God declares Reality to be) will never use God’s grace provisions to advance in the
Spiritual life.
For if
anyone thinks he is something [Arrogance]
when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. (Gal 6:3)
Behold, You have made my days as
handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. [Useless] Selah. (Psa 39:5)
And again, THE LORD
KNOWS THE REASONINGS [Thoughts] of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.
(1Co 3:20)
There is a grim tragic
irony in arrogance. A person who thinks more of himself than he has a right to
think, is actually depriving himself of his greatest advantages, the benefits that come with the fulfillment of God’s plan: To reach Spiritual maturity, to rule over our sin nature now, (Rom 8:12-13) and to reign for eternity
with Christ! (Rev 3:21)
For I say
through the grace of God which has been given to me, to everyone who is among you, stop thinking of self in terms
of arrogance beyond what you ought to think, but
Think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational without illusion, as
God has assigned to each one a Standard [Of
Spiritual Thinking] from Truth. (Rom 12:3)
Arrogance is illusion,
unreality, and when perpetuated, arrogance becomes insanity.
(1Sa 18:10-11) The
preventive is the Truth. The Divine Commands that the believer must obey, in order
to consistently pass Thought testing are summed up in Romans 12:2.
And do not be conformed to this world, (Jude 1:19) but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, [With the Mind of Christ] so that
you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)
“The renovation of
thought” is
accomplished over a period of time by giving Truth number one priority, by
organizing one’s life around the daily perception of the Word of God. “The
good, the well-pleasing, and the complete” is the protocol plan of God,
executed in the palace of the Spiritual life. Only in the Spiritual life can
the believer receive all the blessings God has prepared for him — in prosperity or adversity.
Do not worry then, saying, [And Thinking]
What will we eat? or What will we drink? or What will
we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles[Unbelievers] eagerly seek all
these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. But
seek first His kingdom [His Thoughts, Truth] and His righteousness, [Spiritual
Maturity, being filled by God the Holy Spirit] and
all these things, [Job, food clothing, transportation, Bible, Etc.] will be added to you! [Believe
God's Thought's and Think with Them] (Isa 41:10-13) So do
not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will
care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Isa 41:10)
(Mat 6:31-34)
Humility in Contrast
to False Solutions
The model of right
Thinking is the humanity of Jesus Christ, who constantly lived and functioned
inside the prototype of the Spiritual life. God Commands us to Think with His
Thoughts on every subject!
Keep on having this
mental attitude in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Php 2:5)
Our Lord’s mental attitude of humility was manifested by His total
conformity to the plan of the Father. Humility,
which is obedience to Divine authority, and orientation to God’s grace, should be the Attitude of every member of the royal family of God.
(Isa 66:2)
What are some of the false solutions which
genuine humility avoids? RATIONALIZATION is
self-justification; while blaming others for one’s own failures and sufferings.
ANGER attacks a problem with temper tantrums,
which manifest total irresponsibility. Unjustified anger ignores the problem,
diverting attention instead to self, and attempting to cower people and
control them with threats or violence. Power lust and approbation lust are
often expressed through anger, which arises from feelings of inferiority that
are temporarily assuaged by revenge or by injuring those who challenge one’s
inflated opinion of self. DEFENSE MECHANISMS
attempt to insulate the believer’s mind from overpowering pressures. But such
sociopathic functions as drug abuse, lasciviousness, and drunkenness merely
compound the original problem by divorcing the believer from Reality. DENIAL ignores the problem in the blind hope that it
will go away. Believers who plead with God for miracles often fall into this
false system of problem solving. SUBLIMATION OR
ESCAPEISM reacts to frustration by finding a new outlet for pent-up
emotions. A bored believer may seek happiness in social
life, sex, or a pursuit of money. Most
sublimation is directed into activities that are, “moral and normal” But which have been given a false priority above Truth and
the plan of God.
Worship and Mental Combat
Paul depicts thought testing as a battle
in the soul. But this is a battle for which God has
devised brilliant strategy and tactics. He
has powerfully armed, and fully supplied the believer to win this inner warfare
against Satan's thinking.
For the equipment and weapons of our warfare are not human attributes [Human
thoughts] but attributes of power by means of
God [God's Thoughts] against the destruction of fortifications, [Human defense mechanisms] assaulting and demolishing speculations [Satan’s multifaceted
systems of false thinking] and every obstacle
of arrogance attacking against the knowledge of God, [The Thinking of Christ] even
making a prisoner of every thought [Demonic,
and human] to the obedience of Christ, [The Mind of Christ] holding
in readiness [Truth in the soul] to punish all deviation [False
thinking] when
your obedience has been fulfilled. [When we
reach Spiritual maturity] (2Co 10:4-6)
Although Divine
Viewpoint Thinking searches out and destroys false satanic and human viewpoint,
the destruction of incorrect ideas and attitudes is not the ultimate victory in
thought testing. Victory lies in possessing the true perspective, Thinking with
Divine Thoughts. (Pro 8:35)
Therefore if
you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, [God's Thoughts] where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set
your mind on the things above, not on the things
that are on earth. [Satanic, and human thoughts] For you have died [To our will, desires, and thoughts] (Luk 17:33) and your
life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, [Now] is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in
glory. [Full reward] (Col 3:1-4)
Jesus
therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you abide in My Word,
[Learn and Think with the Mind of Christ] then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the
Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. [From the control of the sin
nature, and Satan's false reality, as the ruler of the world] (Rev 12:9) (Joh 8:31-32)
In other words, the worship of God is a mental attitude!
God is a
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit [The filling of God the Holy Spirit] and in Truth. [Knowing and Thinking, with God's Thoughts] (Joh 4:24)
All aspects of
worship are based upon Truth. In the Eucharist the believer concentrates on
Christ, remembering the Truths that reveal His person and saving work. Music
praises God in Doctrinal lyrics. Giving is a mental attitude. But by far the
most important form of worship is concentrating on the teaching of God’s Word! As a result of victories
on the battlefield of thought testing, the believer deepens his personal love
for God, shares the happiness of God, and acquires inner beauty. Truth and joy
always go together! (Php 2:2; 1Th 1:6; 1Jn 1:4)
SYSTEM TESTING
Systems
Defined, the Problem Stated
A system, as the term is used here, is an organization composed of
people under the authority of other people, which functions according to a
policy designed to fulfill a specific objective. Human society is a web of
systems. Every individual belongs to many of these organizations, formal and
informal. There are business corporations, military services, ecclesiastical
organizations, athletic teams, professional associations, universities,
governmental departments, marriages, families, and many other systems. All of
these are characterized by:
1.
PERSONNEL UNDER AUTHORITY
2.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION
3.
POLICY OF THE MANAGEMENT
There are good and bad systems, which may
be successful or unsuccessful. The personnel — in authority and under authority
— may be accomplished or incompetent. Objectives may be legitimate or doubtful,
lucid or ill-defined. Policy may encourage people to excel or may oppress them.
Problems inevitably exist in the complex of interlocking and overlapping
systems that constitute human society. All these organizations involve people,
no two of whom are alike and not one of whom is perfect. With so many old sin natures jostling against one another
and expressing themselves day after day, no wonder system testing is an
inescapable form of suffering that poses a major challenge to the Christian’s
Spiritual advance. What is a believer to do
when he is treated unfairly by someone in authority over him? (1Pe 2:18) How should he respond to favoritism
that promotes people who do inferior work? (1Pe 2:19)
What if he has a personality conflict with his boss? (1Pe 2:23) Or how does he maintain his motivation
and integrity when policies serve someone’s personal interests rather than
strengthen the organization, when they conflict with normal living, or when
they seem arbitrary and stupid? (1Pe 2:20)
How does he cope with conflicting, vague, or impossible objectives? (1Pe 2:12) The dynamics and problems of
organizations have been studied and written about by many distinguished
authorities. Most problems boil down to arrogance, expressed
in incapacity, laziness, distraction by wrong priorities and ignorance. (Most people live by Satan's thinking!) The purpose of
this study of Christian suffering is not to diagnose the weaknesses of
particular systems and prescribe organizational remedies. Instead, the objective is to describe the believer’s mental
attitude and function as a result of utilizing the Spiritual life and Divine
Thinking. Spiritual autonomy enables him to survive and benefit from system
testing.
Quit or Cope
Two courses of action usually are open to
the believer when confronted with system testing. He
can quit, or he can cope with the pressure,
using the Thinking of the Verses in the Bible, and available Divine omnipotence
in fellowship! Certainly there are times to separate
oneself from an organization. If a system’s objectives or policies are
clearly evil, the believer should disassociate himself from it. This would
apply to groups like the Communist Party, the Nazi Party, certain apostate
churches and cults, criminal organizations, and paramilitary groups that
undermine the authority of government through civil disobedience or terrorism. Separation is required in extreme cases, but
quitting because of pressure is often a poor decision from a position of
weakness. If the believer succumbs to the pressure, if he quits on relatively
mild provocation, he has flunked the system test.
If you falter in times of trouble, How
small is your strength. (Pro 24:10)
If the believer perseveres in a situation even when circumstances
are less than perfect, and continues to do a good job, he will be vindicated
and promoted Spiritually by the Lord! The vindication comes from residence in the power of the
Spiritual life. The believer’s royal palace is strong enough to weather any
storm;
(Mat 7:24-25) if
he will remain inside! Spiritual autonomy gives the Christian the power to put the
problem in the Lord’s hands (Psa 55:22) and continue to function
without an arrogant reaction. Bitterness, implacability, self-pity, hatred,
jealousy and revenge does not need to control the believer’s life simply
because problems exist in a system to which he belongs. (Gen 50:20)
Spiritual Autonomy in System
Testing
By remembering the component parts of
Spiritual autonomy, the believer discovers the assets he needs in facing system
testing. Spiritual autonomy is:
1.
IMPERSONAL LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND and
2.
Strengthened SPIRITUAL SELF-ESTEEM derived from
3.
PERSONAL LOVE FOR GOD, which is the result of
4.
TRUTH in the soul.
The believer will need all these qualities
when confronted with system testing. In Spiritual autonomy the believer is
motivated by his love for God. In any system to which
he belongs, he does his job “not as pleasing men but unto God.” (Eph 6:5-8) He does not rely on the organization to furnish his motivation
because he is self-motivated. (By Thinking with these Verses) The organization cannot destroy motivation
that it did not create in the first place! Only
the believer can destroy his own motivation through negative volition to the
protocol plan of God. (Not thinking with Truth)
With Personal love for God as his motivational Virtue,
the Spiritually autonomous Christian can contribute to the organization even
when it may treat him unfairly. Needless to say, he does the best possible job (Rom 12:18)
regardless of injustice, unfair criticism, or job
discrimination. He does not complain or join in organizational conspiracies. (Php 2:14-15)
Man is frequently unfair, but God is always fair. Man’s
systems are flawed, but God’s protocol plan is
perfect. Human beings in authority may be
despicable, but God is always worthy of
respect. The Spiritually autonomous believer’s
Personal love for God motivates Impersonal love for mankind, which enables him
to be tolerant of the weaknesses and failures of others. When he is a victim of
unfair leadership, unjust management, or an inefficient system, he deals with
personality conflicts on the basis of Impersonal love. (Luk 18:27) In other
words, he takes the attitude that the people who inflict system testing on him
are simply contributing to his Spiritual advance. Since he loves God, God is working “all things together
for good” in his behalf! (Rom 8:28)
The inventory of Truth in the believer’s soul enables
him to submit to authority and be an asset to any organization. That same Truth strengthens him to endure system testing
and through his professionalism to be a stabilizing influence for others who
also may suffer from the organization’s pettiness, shortsightedness, or
ineptitude.
In the Epistle to the Colossians, Paul
states the Principle, then illustrates from a variety of systems, and finally
presents the correct application of Truth in system testing.
Whatever you do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him
to God the Father. Wives, be subject to your
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be
embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is
well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that
they will not lose heart. Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not
with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of
heart, [Thinking Truth] fearing the Lord. [In fellowship] Whatever you
do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather
than for men, knowing
that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ
whom you serve. (Col 3:17-24)
The fact of God’s fairness applies to system testing. After the believer
has used the appropriate Verses, he
places his case before the Supreme Court of heaven. God is the perfect judge. (1Pe 4:19) There is no
reason to complain and whine about unfairness. The believer is highly immature
if he entertains the illusion that fallen, totally depraved human beings will
always be enlightened and fair. This is the devil’s world. Injustice and
discrimination are the norm under Satan’s administration. The Spiritually autonomous Christian will regard human
weaknesses in the context of God’s plan. God is
always fair to the believer. God has furnished powerful and effective Divine
Thoughts, and He intends for the believer to Think with Them, and bear the
testing that He does not remove. (2Co 12:9-10) When
separation from a flawed system is not justified, Spiritual autonomy gives the believer
the strength to put the case before God, leave it there for the Divine
solution, and cope with the situation as unto the Lord. (Job 5:8-9)
DISASTER TESTING
The
Most Obvious Test
People testing, thought testing, and system testing may exert an
insidious pressure on the believer. He must be alert to recognize these
challenges to his Spiritual advance. When he has
identified the nature of the test, he then can apply the appropriate problem-solving
devices and pass the test. Disaster testing,
however, is anything but subtle. The problem is not to identify the threat, but to endure the shock and to maintain poise for decision-making
under extreme duress. There are two categories of disaster
testing:
1.
PERSONAL DISASTER,
2.
HISTORICAL OR NATIONAL DISASTER.
A personal disaster may be physical pain
caused by injury, disease, handicap, or genetic weakness. It may be mental
anguish, caused by loss of loved ones, reputation, success, employment, money
or property. The privations of hunger, thirst, or exposure to heat or cold may
be classified as personal disasters. Arrogance spawns personal disasters:
Disdain for authority breeds criminals who trample the rights, privacy, and
property of their victims. Those who break the law must suffer from the
administration of justice. (Mat 26:52; Rom 13:4)
An historical disaster is a situation that
brings grief to many people. A large number of people may suffer from the
weather, in heat and drought or in extreme and prolonged cold. Blizzards,
hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods cause widespread damage as do powerful
earthquakes, tidal waves, or volcanic eruptions. Insects or plant diseases may
kill crops. Epidemics can decimate a population. The cycles of a free economy
or adjustments in governmental policy may cause immediate hardships for large
portions of society. Injustice victimizes many people where self-aggrandizement
corrupts the integrity of leadership. When a nation
declines, the evils of crime, terrorism, and drug abuse inflict terrible
suffering upon the entire society. Arrogance,
revenge, greed, inordinate ambition and power lust pit group against group,
nation against nation, ultimately unleashing the violence of war with all its attendant
suffering.
The Disaster of Economic Depression
How does the Spiritually autonomous
believer deal with a disaster that affects his entire nation? (Job 5:19) For example, how can he pass the test
of economic depression? (Job 5:20-27)
Throughout the centuries during which the Bible was written, the Jewish economy
was agricultural. Famine was tantamount to depression. Hence, the term
“economic depression” is translated “famine” in certain passages of
Scripture. The economic health of a client nation to
God is a rough index of the nation’s Spiritual condition. Economic prosperity is promised for nations that
follow the laws of Divine establishment concerning economic freedom.
If you walk
in My statutes and keep My Commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall
give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the
trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed,
your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering
will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live
securely in your land. (Lev 26:3-5)
Economic
recovery accompanies Spiritual recovery in the client nation. But when the economy is chronically depressed, the nation is
usually in Spiritual decline. A client nation
declines Spiritually when the “remnant,” the
pivot of growing and mature believers in that nation, shrinks, (2Ki 19:4) while the number of believers who reject the plan of God
increases. Furthermore, when the remnant
becomes too small to counterbalance the human viewpoint influence of negative
believers, God punishes the client nation with collective Divine discipline. Five cycles of discipline are administered to the
client nation whose believers refuse to recover their Spiritual momentum. The
second cycle of discipline is economic recession; (Lev
26:18-20) the fourth cycle is economic depression (Lev 26:23-26; Deut 28:15;
Deut 28:23-24). The malaise (Sickness)
of economic depression often is the weakness that brings on the fifth cycle,
military conquest by a foreign power. (Lev 26:27-35;
Deut 28:25-26)
The Advancing Believer in
Disaster
Even while the nation suffers under Divine discipline, God never
disregards the faithfulness of individual believers. (Dan 1:3-6) Under the disaster test of economic depression, the
Spiritually autonomous believer uses all the problem-solving devices of
Spiritual adulthood. He
directs his hope toward Truth, his Personal
love toward God, his Impersonal love toward mankind, and his acquired Divine
happiness toward himself. With these powerful
Divine assets he can not only survive the storm but even enjoy it —with total confidence in
God’s plan for his life. Abram failed to use
any problem solving devices in economic depression, but the Lord still supplied
his every need (Gen 12:10; thru Gen 13:1). By neglecting
to use the Truth he knew, Abram manufactured unnecessary pressure for himself
and was unable to enjoy God’s provision as he could have. The proper Thoughts to think, in economic disaster is
described by Peter.
These [Momentum tests
of all kinds] have come so that your faith [The application of Truth in fellowship]— of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though
refined by fire — may be proved genuine, and may result in praise, glory,
and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. [At
the 2nd Advent, with the Judgment Seat of Christ, where eternal rewards will be
based on Spiritual growth] Though you have not
seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in
Him [Using the Thinking of the Spiritual life]
and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious
joy. (1Pe 1:7-8)
In disaster testing,
the Spiritually adult believer uses the greatest of all problem solving
devices, the happiness of God, which is described here as “inexpressible and
glorious joy.” God shares His happiness with the believer first in
Spiritual self-esteem, then more powerfully in Spiritual autonomy, and most
effectively in Spiritual maturity! The
believer inculcated with the Thinking of God is happy or content in whatever
circumstances he finds himself and can therefore cope with any pressure in
life! (Php 4:11) Knowledge of
Truth gives the believer a sense for historical trends so that he is alert to
pending economic disasters. Inflation as a cause of depression is described as
a factor in the fourth cycle of discipline. (Lev 26:26)
When depression is Divine discipline, only the
Spiritual recovery of the believer can deliver the client nation. As go believers, so goes the nation!
If disaster comes, whether the sword of
judgment [War] or disease or economic
depression, we will stand in Your presence before the temple that bears Your
name [Where Truth was taught to the Jews by means of
ritual] and will cry out [Pray] to You
in our distress. Then You will both hear us and deliver us. (2Ch 20:9)
God protects the
growing believer in disaster testing. The Spiritually autonomous believer has
the privilege of understanding these Truths and of appreciating the One who
protects and delivers him. (Jer 39:11-12;
(Dan 3:25-30)
Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall disaster or anguish or persecution or
economic depression or privation or danger or sword? . . . But in all these
things we win the supreme victory through Him who loves us.
(Rom 8:35-37)
PAUL’S MENTAL ATTITUDE: CURSING
TURNED TO BLESSING
When a believer suffers momentum testing, he is closing in on the
objective of the Christian way of life! Spiritual
maturity is the next step! In people testing, thought
testing, system testing or disaster testing, the Christian’s mental attitude
can be characterized by eager anticipation and stimulation despite the pain he
suffers! Metabolized Truth enables him to see how
close he is to achieving maturity. Paul
himself is an example of the believer's attitude when beset by momentum testing
after a major personal failure. He had reached
Spiritual self-esteem, (Which is vulnerable to arrogance) (2Co 12:7) and had successfully faced
providential preventive suffering so that he gained Spiritual autonomy. Then, in a resurgence of sentimentality, and in defiance of
the Truth he knew, (Rom 11:2-5; Gal 2:7) and the warnings of the Holy Spirit, and through others, (Act 21:10-14) and his
own Spiritual common sense, Paul abandoned his
thriving ministry to the Gentiles in the Aegean Quadrangle and returned to
Jerusalem. Paul blended sincerity, arrogance, and sentimentality producing a
disastrous result! His unbelieving countrymen were adamantly negative to the
Gospel, as they had previously opposed Christ, and the legalistic Jewish
Christians were negative to Truth. To gain an
audience with the Jews, Paul went so far as to compromise his integrity, taking
a blasphemous religious vow in the Temple. (Act
21:21-24) Beginning with a riot in the Temple and an assassination
plot against him, a two-year imprisonment ensued, which carried Paul to Rome. Paul quickly recognized his failure and rebounded, (1Jn 1:9) so that the purpose of
this long period of suffering changed from cursing to blessing. Paul had initiated a sequence of suffering with his own
decisions, but God converted cursing into
blessing as soon as Paul used rebound and reentered his Spiritual life. The
apostle did not languish in his failure. He evaluated his situation long enough
to learn his lesson, then gratefully pressed forward in the plan of God.
MOMENTUM
TESTING IN PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3
Leaving False Confidence Behind: Paul
opens Philippians 3 by repeating a warning that he himself had disregarded in
his Jerusalem fiasco. Believers must beware of religion
with all its emotional appeal, self-righteousness, coercion, and potential
violence. (Act 14:11-19) In
particular, Paul cites his own aristocratic background, zeal, and fame in
Judaism. Religion had channeled his intellect and energy, had flattered and
promoted him, had given him tremendous “confidence
in the flesh.” (Php 3:4) Through his personal faith in Christ and inculcation with
Truth, Paul had renounced his misplaced confidence in his old sin nature.
(Php 3:3) Instead
of self, Christ was now the focus of his
attention. Personal love for God had superseded arrogance as the foundation of
his attitude toward himself.
But whatever things were gain [Profit] to me, those things [His
status symbols in Israel] I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I conclude all things to be loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered
the loss of all things [His Jewish celebrity, will,
and desires] (Joh 12:25) and conclude them [To be]
human excrement, that
I may gain Christ. (Php 3:7-8)
“Gaining
Christ” is a synonym for fulfilling the
protocol plan of God. (Php 1:20-21) Paul expresses his desire to advance in the operational
Spiritual life all the way to Gate 8, Spiritual maturity, just as the humanity of Christ set the precedent for the
royal family by attaining Spiritual maturity in the prototype Spiritual life!
That I may be found in Him [As a member
of the royal family, in union with Christ] not having a righteousness of my own
from the Law [Self-righteousness] but that [Divine
righteousness] acquired through faith in
Christ, that righteousness from God on the basis of faith. (Php 3:9)
To “gain
Christ” a person must first believe in Christ. At the moment of faith alone
in Christ alone, God permanently imputes His own absolute righteousness to
every believer, eliminating any need to earn God's approbation, with the human
righteousness of religion or of good deeds. Man appropriates Salvation
only according to Divine protocol: “by grace are
you saved through faith; [In Christ] . .
. not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
(Eph 2:8-9) After Salvation the
believer must continue to follow Divine protocol. Human works cannot earn Salvation, (Positional
righteousness) nor can human production,
“Works” earn Spiritual maturity, (Experiential
righteousness) or blessings after Salvation.
(Gal 3:2-3) God's grace policy is consistent. The believer lives the
Christian way of life by following God's Commands. As a teaching aid, the Spiritual life consolidates God's
Commands, making His grace policy understandable, systematically presenting the
means by which we “grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Pe 3:18)
That I may know Him [Spiritual Maturity] and the power of His
resurrection [The resurrection Spiritual life]
and the fellowship of His sufferings, [Thought,
people, system and disaster testing] being conformed to His death; [Experiential death, (Joh 12:24-26) to His [Christ's] human nature's will and desires] (Mat 26:39; 1Pe 4:1;
Php 3:3-10)
In Philippians 3:10 Paul emphasizes
suffering, but he begins by stating the importance of post-Salvation
Epistemological rehabilitation (With the Word of God)
related to Spiritual self-esteem. Although Paul is in Spiritual maturity as he
writes, he is giving us the benefit of his experience in Spiritual self-esteem.
Therefore, he begins verse 10 with the infinitive of purpose of the verb, (Ginosko) “to know.” The infinitive of purpose indicates the objective or
purpose of the action of the main verb, which is found in verse 8, “I conclude all things to be loss.., that I may know Him.”
Paul reached this conclusion through understanding
Truth. Knowing Christ, or Occupation with Christ, is one of the
characteristics of Spiritual self-esteem. From
the Viewpoint of Spiritual self-esteem, Paul now turns his attention to the
power of God, in the resurrection Spiritual life.
The Great Power Demonstration
Jesus Christ
experienced two unique deaths on the Cross. The substitutionary Spiritual death
of Christ provides eternal Salvation for the human race. The
physical death of Christ involved our Lord's body going into the grave, (Luk 23:50-53) And His soul and spirit, were
taken by the Holy Spirit into Paradise, (Luk 23:43;
Luk 23:46; Joh
19:30) and the Abyss, which is one of the compartments of Hades in
the heart of the earth. (Rom 10:7; 1Pe 3:18-19) In the resurrection of Christ, from
His unique physical death, three categories of Divine power were displayed. The omnipotence of God the Father became an agent of the
resurrection of Christ. (Act 2:27;
Act 2:24; Rom
6:4; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; 1Th 1:10;
1Pe 1:21) The
omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit also became an agent of Christ's
resurrection. (Rom 1:4; Rom 8:11) And Christ
also had His part in His own resurrection. (Joh
10:17-18) The power that raised Jesus
Christ from the dead is now available to every member of the royal family for
the execution of the protocol plan of God. This
magnificent grace provision is unknown to the believer until discovered in the
New Testament, and communicated by the pastor under the ministry of God the
Holy Spirit. The Church Age is a tangible result of policy, the unique Divine
policy of making the Spiritual life totally and equally available to every
member of the royal family. (Gal 3:28) One of the
results of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Salvation is the creation of a new
Spiritual species, the royal family of God. (2Co
5:17) The purpose of creating this new Spiritual species is to
enable the Church Age believer to utilize Divine power, which is made available
in three categories:
1.
The OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD THE FATHER related to providing our portfolio of
invisible assets,
2.
The OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD THE SON related to sustaining the universe and
perpetuating human history,
3.
The OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT related to empowering the Spiritual
life.
Never before in human history has so much
Divine power been made available to so many believers as in the great power
demonstration of the Church Age. The utilization of the Spiritual life is the
basis for the believer having invisible impact during the Church Age. There are
three categories of impact:
1.
PERSONAL IMPACT from blessing by association with the mature believer,
2.
HISTORICAL IMPACT from blessing by association with the pivot of mature
believers in a client nation to God,
3.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT from blessing by association for non-client nations
through Spiritually mature missionaries sent out from a client nation.
This briefly explains what Paul means when
he declares that his purpose is to “know Him and
the power of His resurrection.” Paul now addresses the subject of
suffering as he continues to describe his purpose in life: “and [That I may know]
the fellowship of His sufferings,” (Php 3:10) referring to
our Lord's suffering for blessing, during His first advent. (Heb 5:8; 1Pe 4:1-2)
The Fellowship of
Christ's Sufferings: As the way of
growing the believer in the Spiritual life. Three categories of
suffering for blessing are available to every believer who reaches Spiritual
adulthood.
1.
PROVIDENTIAL PREVENTIVE SUFFERING
challenges the believer's Spiritual self-esteem, hinders arrogance, and serves
as a warm-up for momentum testing.
2. MOMENTUM
TESTING exercises the believer's Spiritual autonomy through people testing, thought testing, organization testing, and
disaster testing.
3.
EVIDENCE TESTING demonstrates the
Divine dynamics of Spiritual maturity and glorifies God to the maximum.
These unique systems of
suffering for blessing were first experienced by the humanity of Christ in the
prototype Spiritual life. These same systems of suffering for
blessing are now available to accelerate the momentum of every Spiritually
adult believer as he advances
inside the operational Spiritual life. “The
fellowship of His sufferings” describes the Church Age believer's
utilization of Spiritually adult problem-solving devices. The consistent application of these problem-solving devices
equates adversity and prosperity, living and dying. (Gal 2:20; Php 1:21) Paul cites the supreme example of our
Lord's suffering when he speaks of “having become like [Christ] with
reference to His death.” (Experiential death)
The Greek compound verb, (Summorphizo) in the passive voice, means “growing into conformity” indicating the practical
apprehension of the death of the human nature, in will, word, and thought,
(Luk 22:42; Joh
8:28; Joh 12:49; Joh 14:10) and
fulfilling his share of the sufferings to die to his own life, will, and word,
following upon the example of Christ. (Joh 12:24-26;
Rom 6:5; Rom
8:10-13; 2Co 4:10-11)
Our Lord shows the maximum example, of positive volition: In His
mind, soul, spirit, and body: In the mentality (Spiritual
Thinking) of His humanity, of experiential
death, to His will, desire and
self-preservation. (Luk 12:50; Luk 22:44; Mat 26:38;
Mat 26:53-54)
In His spirit: He
also died Spiritually on the cross when His soul was judged for our sins. (Isa
53:10-11; Mat 27:46; Mar 15:34; Luk 23:44;
2Co 5:21) In
His body: He
also was tortured, rejected, betrayed, and
died physically. (Isa 53:3-9; Mar 15:15-20; Joh 18:2;
Joh 19:33-34) We
have nothing to complain about! (Heb 12:3-4) Blood, (Heb 9:18; Heb 10:29; Heb 12:24; Heb 13:20) sweat, (Luk 22:44) and tears; (Heb 5:7) and not a bone was broken, (Num 9:12; Joh 19:36) in the Old Testament the
lamb was symbolically judged for sins, (Exodus 29:15) but literally bled to death!
(Exodus 29:16) Christ was literally
judged for our sins, (Rom 8:3) but did not bleed to death! (Joh 19:30) All in a days work! This is Amazing Grace! So the blood of Christ, in the New Testament represents:
Spiritual death, Judgment, Salvation, Propitiation, Sanctification, Atonement,
Justification Redemption, or all the above depending on the context. (Rev 1:5; 1Pe 1:2;
Heb 13:12) Etc.
The same power that
sustained Jesus on the Cross is now available to every member of the royal
family. As a result of Christ's strategic victory on the cross, four
dynamic problem-solving devices were made available to every Church Age
believer who achieves Spiritual adulthood through residence, function, and
momentum inside the Spiritual life.
1.
TOWARD GOD: Personal love for God as the
motivational Virtue of Spiritual self-esteem.
2.
TOWARD PEOPLE: Impersonal love for all
mankind as the functional Virtue of Spiritual autonomy.
3.
TOWARD TRUTH: hope as the goal orientation of
Spiritual adulthood.
4.
TOWARD SELF: sharing the happiness of God.
While all four of these problem-solving devices were used by the
humanity of Christ on the cross, sharing the happiness of God is emphasized in
(Heb 12:2). When
we utilize these Divine problem-solving devices, we are using the resources
that sustained our Lord's humanity in purchasing our so great Salvation. (Heb 9:14)
God was glorified by Christ's strategic
victory in the angelic conflict. God is also glorified when members of the
royal family win tactical victories as they utilize Divine assets under
pressure en route to Spiritual maturity. (Joh 15:8)
At Spiritual maturity the believer acquires capacity
to receive special blessings and to pass evidence testing, both of which
glorify God to the maximum. (2Ti 4:7)
Confidence from the fact of the Resurrection life:
The pattern of maximum glorification of God continues
in every generation of the New Covenant Age, until the end of the millennium
when the royal family is completely formed. (Rev
21:3)
In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
(Rom 8:10-11) Not that I have already obtained it [Fully] or have already
become perfect, [Maximum Spiritual maturity]
but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for
which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. [To
receive full reward] Brethren, I do not regard
myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind [The victories and the
failures] and reaching forward to what lies
ahead, [Full
Spiritual maturity] I press on toward the goal for the prize, [Full Reward] of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as
are perfect, [Mature believers] have this attitude;
and if in anything you have a different attitude, God
will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same Standard [The amount of the Thinking of Christ] to which we have attained. Brethren,
join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the
pattern you have in us. For many walk, [Carnal believers] of whom I
often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross
of Christ, whose end is destruction, [No reward] whose god is their appetite, [Living by the lust of the flesh] and whose
glory is in their shame, [Living for the pride
of life] who set their minds on earthly things. [Living for the lust of the eyes, what they think is
important] For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into
conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has
even to subject all things to Himself. [At the
Second Advent, and at the end of the Millennium] (Php 3:13-21)
In Spiritual adulthood, suffering for blessing accelerates
growth. This does not exclude prosperity from the
believer's life. Overt
prosperity poses difficulties of its own and is actually a form of momentum
testing. The Spiritual adult will face distractions in prosperity and in
adversity, just as he will share the
happiness of God through the utilization of God's Thoughts, in prosperity or in
adversity. The Principle is that periodic
suffering for blessing is a means of Spiritual momentum: Inner prosperity, regardless of circumstances, is a result
of momentum, so keep moving!
Sanctification is the work of God in making each member of the
royal family like Jesus Christ. Paul expressed this initial stage of Positional
sanctification in, (Php 3:9) “the righteousness
which comes from God on the basis of faith.” Experiential sanctification is the execution of the protocol
plan of God on earth, as we follow our Lord's precedent in the prototype
Spiritual life through our residence in the operational Spiritual life. This
second stage of sanctification is described in, (Php 3:10) “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and
the fellowship of His sufferings.” Ultimate sanctification is the possession of a
resurrection body like the resurrection body of Jesus Christ. This final stage
of sanctification is anticipated in, (Php 3:21)
“who will transform the body of our humble state
into conformity with the body of His glory.”
According to Paul's autobiographical retrospection, when he
attained Spiritual autonomy his mental attitude was genuine humility. The great
apostle did not rest on his laurels or become arrogant about his Spiritual
stature. Instead, he recognized that he had not reached the final objective. He
had not yet fulfilled the protocol plan of God by advancing to full Spiritual
maturity. No believer
attains Spiritual maturity (Maximum
maturity) until
in the status of Spiritual autonomy, he passes the four parts of momentum
testing: people testing, system testing, thought testing, and disaster testing!
Losing and Regaining Spiritual
Momentum
Many years earlier, Paul had passed the
first category of suffering for blessing: Providential preventive suffering,
which is a warm-up for momentum testing. With arrogance effectively checked,
Spiritual autonomy gave him the ability to accurately evaluate his own
Spiritual status. Objective self-evaluation is
necessary to avoid the hazard of living in the past and bogging down before
achieving the goal. The danger of losing Spiritual momentum was familiar
to Paul. In fact, he is describing his second attainment of Spiritual autonomy.
The first time he reached Spiritual autonomy; he lost
his Spiritual momentum and retrogressed in the plan of God. By learning the hard way, Paul came to understand the wisdom
of the Roman maxim: Qui non proficit deficit. “He who does not go forward, goes
backward!”
Paul's failure began when he ignored the
will of God and assuaged his own sentimentality by returning to Jerusalem. He
compromised his integrity, incited the fanatical hatred of the religious Jews,
and endured two years of incarceration in Caesarea before being transported as
a prisoner to Rome. Paul suffered intensely. Initially, Divine discipline
motivated rebound, followed by momentum testing which accelerated Paul's
renewed Spiritual advance. As a result of suffering
for blessing, Paul arrived in Rome as a Spiritually mature believer. During
the two years in Caesarea and in the shipwreck on the coast of Malta, Paul
passed all four parts of momentum testing. We can trace his momentum testing. People testing included
the vicious attitude of Ananias, the high priest, (Act
23:1-5) Disaster testing threatened
Paul's life in the assassination plot against him in Jerusalem (Act 23:12-14) and the rejection of the Gospel by
King Herod Agrippa II, his sister Bernice, and the court that attended them. (Act 26:1-32) System
testing frustrated Paul through the malfunction of Roman justice under
Felix and Festus, the two successive procurators of the Roman province of
Judea. (Act 24:22-25; Act 26:32) Thought
testing challenged Paul's mental
attitude when he had to face the unthinking panic of passengers and crew during
the storm at sea, (Act 27:31-44) when he was bitten by the
poisonous snake after saving everyone's life in the shipwreck, (Act 28:3-6) and when he was rejected by the Jews
upon finally reaching Rome. (Act 28:23-31) These tests come all at
the same time, and at all times! It all comes down to this, are we going to Think with
God's Thoughts and Reality, or Satan's!
Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is
near. Let the wicked forsake his
way [Of
unbelief and or religion] And the unrighteous man [Carnal believer] his thoughts; [Satanic and
human] And let him return to the LORD, [Rebound] And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He
will abundantly pardon. [Back in fellowship] For My
Thoughts are
not your thoughts, Nor are your ways [Human
realities] My
Ways, [God's ONE REALITY] declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, So are My Ways higher than your ways
And My Thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:6-9)
While still a prisoner in Rome, Paul wrote
Philippians in the status of Spiritual maturity. This fact is implied in the
increments of momentum testing that he passed prior to reaching Rome. His
Spiritual status is confirmed by comparing the Greek verb, (Teleioo) translated “or
have already accomplished [Spiritual Maturity]” in verse, (Php 3:12)
with its cognate noun, (Teleios) translated “as many as are Spiritually mature” in, (Php 3:15). Paul had completely recovered from
his failure. As a Spiritually mature believer living
entirely within the will of God, he embarked on
his fourth missionary journey, after his acquittal by Caesar. Paul's
evidence testing began during his first Roman imprisonment and probably
continued during part of the fourth missionary journey through the Roman
provinces of Asia, Gaul, and Spain. (Php 2:23-24;
Phm 1:22; Rom
15:24) In looking back over his recent recovery, Paul remembered
that when he was still in Spiritual autonomy he knew he had not “already achieved”
Spiritual maturity. He also recalled being keenly aware that he was closing in
on the goal. Consequently, he took the offensive in
his advance to the high ground of Spiritual maturity. “I keep on pursuing [The objective].” Refusing to be
discouraged, Paul would not be hindered by past failure! He had learned to rebound and keep moving! His aggressive action in Spiritual autonomy took the form
of persistence in positive volition, the accumulation of metabolized Truth, the
utilization of the Spiritual life, and the use of problem-solving devices in
momentum testing. He thus followed the
example that the humanity of Christ had established during the Incarnation for
every Church Age believer. (Heb 12:1-4)
Steadiness of Purpose
Paul interjects a classical Greek
grammatical construction as an expression of purpose and expectation. His purpose is “to overtake, to seize, to attain”
the objective of Spiritual maturity, and he confidently expects to fulfill that
purpose! He anticipates his advance to
Spiritual maturity through the valley of momentum testing. In other words, Paul in Spiritual autonomy knows that
suffering is coming. He knows the pattern! Just
as Spiritual self-esteem plus providential preventive suffering equals
Spiritual autonomy, so also Spiritual autonomy plus momentum testing equals
Spiritual maturity. Rather than be caught off guard and victimized by
suffering, he takes an aggressive approach to
adversity! When Paul writes “I keep pursuing [The objective] in order that I may
overtake it,” (Php 3:12) he uses
military terminology. He steadily advances by his continual reception, retention,
and recall of Truth. (Using rebound as needed, and resisting sin) He moves forward by using the problem-solving devices of
hope in Truth, Personal love for God,
Impersonal love for all mankind, and sharing
the happiness of God within himself. He presses
on, knowing that God will accelerate his advance through the suffering of
momentum testing! No arrogant illusions
remain in Paul's Thinking! He may be pursuing
the goal, but he always remembers whose goal it is, and in whose power he is
able to attain this goal! (Php 3:3)
He returns to square one, the first step into the
Christian way of life, the perspective of Salvation by grace. The objective
that he concentrates on overtaking is the same goal “for which Paul also was
Pursued and overtaken by Christ Jesus.” Jesus
Christ's objective has become Paul's objective. That goal is the maximum
glorification of God! For Paul's advantage
Jesus Christ pursued and overtook Saul of Tarsus, as Paul was then known, on
the road to Damascus. Our Lord's purpose in inflicting the pain of blindness on
that young overzealous Pharisee; was that Saul might believe in Christ. Likewise, God's purpose in imposing momentum testing on
the great apostle was that Paul might fulfill the protocol plan of God by
attaining Spiritual maturity. The intended (And
accomplished) result of administering
suffering to Paul was glorification of God to the maximum! (Php 3:12) Documents the
fact that Spiritual maturity is the objective of the Christian life!
Paul is not practicing false humility by declaring that he has not reached the
goal. In this retrospective verse, he recalls that when he was in Spiritual
autonomy he knew that he had not yet arrived at Spiritual maturity. He
possessed the strong self-esteem that belongs to the believer in Spiritual
autonomy, but he entertained no illusions about
himself. He accurately evaluated his Spiritual life and recognized his need to
keep pursuing the objective. A believer who evaluates himself objectively perpetuates
his momentum and eventually reaches Spiritual maturity!
The Basis for Objective
Self-Evaluation
Brethren, I do not
regard [Logizomai] myself as having laid hold
of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind [The victories and the failures] and reaching forward to what lies ahead, [Full Spiritual maturity] I press on toward the goal
for the prize, [Full Reward] of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:13-14)
The Greek verb Paul uses to describe his
self-evaluation is (Logizomai) which has a
prominent place in Greek philosophical discourse. This
verb connotes non-emotional Thinking according to strict logical rules,
apprehension of something actually present, the representation of facts as they
are.
There are two objective standards for self-analysis available to
every member of the royal family of God:
1.
Perception, metabolism, and application of TRUTH,
2. The Doctrine of
SUFFERING.
The believer's attitude
toward Divine Thinking changes as a result of post-Salvation Epistemological
rehabilitation. Truth in the soul creates a
desire for more Truth. Initially the immature
Christian listens to Bible teaching for a variety of motives that carry over
from his life as an unbeliever, but gradually human thinking is replaced, by Divine Thinking. (Pro 11:20) The
believer's academic discipline and concentration on the Word of God become
stronger as he develops Personal love for God, the highest motivation in life! The Spiritually adult believer approaches the perception of
Truth with a new mental attitude. He
concentrates on the Mind of Christ, (1Co 2:16) because he
is Occupied with the person of Christ, (Php 1:21) and has
begun to share the happiness of God. (Joh 15:11)
The believer knows that he has attained Spiritual
adulthood because his perception, metabolism, and application of Truth cease to
be a means to an end and instead become ends in themselves! He takes genuine pleasure in the Word of God. The
perception of Truth is the highest form of worship! (Psa 101:6)
The Christian's second Standard for objective self-evaluation is
the Doctrine of suffering. This Spiritual yardstick must be
used with caution because many variables are involved. The overt circumstances
of life have a wide variety of causes. Comparing the experience of one believer
to that of another is never precise. Two believers may experience similar
disasters, but in one case the pressure is suffering for blessing while in the
other it is Divine discipline. The difference lies in the Spiritual advance or
retrogression of the believer, not in the overt circumstances of life. Therefore, no suffering in itself conclusively indicates a
Christian's Spiritual status. Furthermore,
the blend of adversity and prosperity is unique in every life by Divine design.
Yet even prosperity can have at least three legitimate
sources: blessing by association, logistical grace or escrow blessings. Of these three sources, only escrow blessings are
connected with a specific Spiritual status. Blessing
by association can prosper anyone in the periphery of a mature believer, (1Co 10:2) and
logistical grace is guaranteed to every believer, whether winner or loser. (Luk 6:35) Neither adversity itself nor prosperity itself is
necessarily a sign of Spiritual progress. In
fact, Paul's self-evaluation emphasizes the stage of growth he has not
attained, (Humility) rather than the stage he
has attained. A
believer can use suffering as a barometer of Spiritual growth only in the sense
that pressure forces him to apply the Truth in his soul. His ability to utilize
the Doctrinal inventory in his soul under stress indicates his level of
advance! If he falls apart in every crisis,
he has a long way to go before reaching Spiritual maturity. If his Occupation with
Christ, reliance on Truth, and utilization of the Spiritual life enable him to
take suffering in stride, he is making progress in Spiritual adulthood. From Paul's experience of the Reality of Truth under
momentum testing, he knew that he had reached Spiritual autonomy, and was closing in on Spiritual maturity. The purpose of this self-knowledge is not to compare oneself
with other Christians, (2Co 10:12) but to
motivate continued momentum in the protocol plan of God. There is no substitute for Truth, as the only measure and
standard for self-analysis in the plan of God. The successful application of Truth under pressure
demonstrates the effectiveness and power of the Spiritual life, (2Co 12:9) and as a
result, increases
the advancing believer's Personal love for God
and Spiritual self-esteem.
An Athlete's
Determination!
(Php 3:13)
Following Paul's self-evaluation, he uses ellipsis in an idiom of concentration; an abbreviated
interjectional clause-to eliminate the negative and emphasize the positive. “But [I concentrate on] one thing” indicates that he has blotted out, forgotten, or
disregarded past failures and is pressing on to Spiritual maturity, as the
final objective! Paul used rebound and rapidly recovered from his
Jerusalem fiasco. By “forgetting the things which
are behind,” Paul demonstrates a Principle
that applies to every believer. Recalling past
failures causes bitterness, self-pity, and a guilt complex, and hence further
involvement in Satan's cosmic system. When
remembered and pored over, failures compound current problems and hinder
advance in the Spiritual life. God has a
purpose for every believer, and that purpose is to rebound and keep moving! Paul's retrospective exposition is designed to encourage
believers to confess their sins to God, to keep short accounts with Him, to
forget past failures, to concentrate on present momentum in the Spiritual life.
The Christian must not handicap himself. Past
punitive suffering, whether self-induced misery or Divine discipline, must not hinder his execution of Divine protocol in present
suffering for blessing. All believers periodically fail; only losers allow past failures to hinder their current
progress in the protocol plan of God! On the
one hand, Paul forgets past failures, and on the other hand, he “stretches out or strains forward toward the goal or finish
line!” In (Php 3:13-14) Paul
uses an athletic analogy. Just as an Olympic class runner maintains his form in
spite of physical agony, so also the believer continues to follow Divine
protocol in the midst of suffering! Paul has rounded the final turn of
Spiritual autonomy and is sprinting down the home stretch toward Spiritual
maturity. Just as the athlete drives for the finish
line, so also the believer concentrates on the objective, unhindered by
distractions, (Heb 12:1) as he undergoes momentum testing. “Straining forward” and “pressing on” portray the aggressive
mental attitude of the believer who has nearly reached Spiritual maturity. His goal is the maximum glorification of God which will
become a Reality in his life at reaching Spiritual maturity. God glorifies Himself,
by distributing the special blessings He created for each believer in eternity
past, but only the mature believer has the
ever increasing capacity to receive these fabulous blessings. God has an infinite
amount of Truth and Blessings, for time and eternity, and this is the prize,
the goal, the purpose for which the believer was
saved. To Love God, and to be loved by God! (Rev
21:7)
The “upward call from God” refers to the ministry of God the
Holy Spirit at the instant an individual first believes in Christ! (Joh 6:44-45) Every member of the human race is born Spiritually dead,
unable to comprehend Spiritual Thoughts and totally incapable of a relationship
with God. (1Co 2:14) We have a Spiritually dead understanding and a Spiritually
dead faith. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit is necessary, first, to make
the Gospel clear and, second, to make our faith in Christ effective for
Salvation. In
itself our faith has no power to save us; the
Holy Spirit must take our faith and make it effectual or effective in
establishing an eternal relationship with God. (Tit 3:5-7)
We receive no credit even for believing in Christ; all glory
belongs to God. We are
saved exclusively as a gift, and all the power is from God. The “upward
call” is the work of God the Holy Spirit in the lucid presentation of the
Gospel. This call is designated common grace
because it is extended to every individual. (Psa 19:1-4; Rom 10:18) The Holy Spirit's ministry
in converting the believer's faith into eternal Salvation is called efficacious
grace. (Eph 2:8-9) In every case where common grace is not followed by faith in
Christ, efficacious grace does not occur. The
Divine purpose in saving us is that we might attain the prize of Spiritual
maturity! Spiritual maturity, Divine
blessings, and the glorification of God, form the complete package awarded to
the Spiritual winner! (Rev 22:12-14)
Therefore, as many
as [Are] Spiritually mature, let us
keep on Thinking with the Mind of Christ, and
if you think differently on some point, even
this God will reveal to you. (1Co 2:9-16) (Php 3:15)
Paul has completed his
retrospective exposition and now writes from his current status of Spiritual
maturity. He infers from the preceding verses, which describe Spiritual
self-esteem and Spiritual autonomy, that in every generation a certain number of
positive believers will continue their momentum until they attain Spiritual
maturity. These Bond-servants,
(Rev 1:1; Luk
17:10) represent a special group. Once
they understand the objective of the Christian way of life, they do not waver.
Instead, they organize their lives and priorities for the purpose of glorifying
God to the maximum! As a result of passing that
portion of momentum testing classified as thought testing, the mature believer
has fulfilled the Biblical Command related to Divine Viewpoint mental attitude. (Rom 12:2-3;
Php 2:2) “Let
us keep on Thinking” refers to an action
that began in the past and continues into the present. The same process of
utilizing metabolized Divine Thinking in the power of the Spiritual life is
what enables the believer to attain Spiritual maturity, and is the means of facing maximum suffering for blessing;
after reaching maturity. Paul is urging readers, at every stage of Spiritual
growth, to join him in the system of Divine Thinking that leads to Spiritual
maturity. A dynamic and powerful mental attitude is required for the mature
believer who is facing evidence testing!
Failing a Test
(Php 3:15)
warns the believer that even after he fulfills the
protocol plan of God by reaching Spiritual maturity, he must not let up.
He must continue to utilize the Spiritual life, and
cognition of Truth. (Joh 4:24)
The ability to Think under pressure perpetuates the believer's momentum through
each stage of Spiritual adulthood. The Spiritual
winner Thinks; the Spiritual loser emotes
without Spiritual Thought. Courage is
Thinking Spiritually under pressure; cowardice
is failing to Think under pressure-and falling apart emotionally. Under suffering for blessing, the believer's content of
Thought is the Divine Thoughts he has metabolized over many years. Right
Thinking from metabolized Truth and the right motivation from Personal love for
God create the positive determination and esprit de corps (Hoorah) needed to fulfill the
protocol plan of God.
No matter how far a believer advances in
God's plan, he is still human. No believer on earth is perfect; we are all
prone to failure, especially under the pressure of suffering for blessing. Failure can come from a lack of Truth, or from a particularly
difficult thought test. The believer may have resisted or rejected the specific
Principle of Truth that he now needs under pressure. More likely, however, he has learned the Truth but has
become disoriented, motivated by fear, or by arrogance. The solution after failure is to rebound and keep moving, as (Php 3:13) Commands! Immediate rebound
keeps the believer from losing ground. Although he fails to advance, he retains
his current level of Spiritual growth, ready for another administration of
testing at the proper time.
The Spiritually adult
believer learns quickly from failure. When his attitude has wavered or when he
has made a wrong application of Truth, he uses rebound to reenter the Spiritual
life. Inside his invisible palace he either draws upon the Truth he already
knows to make a correct application or he is receptive to learning the Truth he
previously may have resisted. “God will
reveal” Through Divine Guidance: (Act 11:5-16) Prayer,
Thinking Truth, the Word, God the Holy Spirit, repetition, remembering
Scripture, coincidence, comparing of events and information. In Fellowship. (Mat 7:7-11)
A Soldier's Steady Advance
Although provision is
made for failure, the purpose of momentum testing is not failure, but success.
However, as a result of what we have attained, (Growth
with the Mind of Christ) keep advancing in
ranks by means of, [The Spiritual life].
(Php 3:16)
Paul has shifted from an athletic to a
military analogy. The verb (Stoicheo, “living”)
connotes marching in ranks. Members of the royal family are executing a powerful plan
when they obey the Commands of the Spiritual life. (Joh 14:15) The
objective of this plan is no less than to demonstrate, (God's Thoughts and Nature) God's
eternal glory. (Eph 3:10-11; 2Pe 1:4) This
verse establishes that there are stages of Spiritual adulthood, stages in the
fulfillment of God's protocol plan. “What we have
attained” is Spiritual self-esteem when the believer is undergoing
providential preventive suffering. “What we have
attained” is Spiritual autonomy; when undergoing momentum testing,
as is Paul in this context. “What we have attained”
is Spiritual maturity when the believer receives evidence testing. The same
system that the believer uses to pass providential preventive suffering and
momentum testing; must also be used to pass evidence testing. “Advancing in ranks” is a most significant
translation. Far too many Christians fall out of ranks and become casualties in
the angelic conflict. We must remain in ranks, which
is tantamount to the following:
1.
Residence, function, and momentum inside the SPIRITUAL LIFE,
2.
Consistent and prompt use of REBOUND to avoid prolonged residence in Satan's
cosmic system,
3.
AVOIDANCE OF DISCOURAGEMENT by any failure or setback in any category of
suffering for blessing,
4.
Consistent use of the PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICES of Spiritual adulthood, and
5. Unrelenting perception, metabolism and application
of Divine Thoughts.
The believer advances in ranks from one
stage of Spiritual adulthood to the next. As he progresses, he scores tactical
victories in the angelic conflict. This Spiritual warfare will come into
dramatic focus in the final category of suffering for blessing. Spiritual
maturity puts the believer in position for the most significant and beneficial
of all suffering for blessing: evidence testing,
relationship with God, and relationship with
life, people, thoughts, systems, disasters, and self! The book of Job. (Job 1:1) thru (Job 42:17)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL
MATURITY
A CATEGORICAL DESCRIPTION OF SPIRITUAL
MATURITY indicates the happiness and inner strength
related to this final stage of Spiritual growth. These characteristics mark the highest attainment of the Christian way
of life. The purpose of this summary is not to
establish a model of behavior for the immature believer to legalistically
imitate. Instead, these characteristics, when compared to the previously
described characteristics of Spiritual self-esteem and Spiritual autonomy, enable the advancing believer to accurately anticipate the
marvelous benefits of faithful persistence in the protocol plan of God.
1.
MAXIMUM CONTENTMENT. Sharing the happiness of God is the highest of all
problem-solving devices in the protocol plan of God. (1Jn 1:4) The advancing believer began to share
the happiness of God upon entering Spiritual adulthood in Gate 5 of the
Spiritual life. Now in Spiritual maturity at Gate 8, his “happiness [Is] fulfilled”
or complete. (Joh 15:11) Suffering, which would normally be difficult, becomes
relatively easy through residual happiness in the soul! Happiness is a mental
attitude which equates adversity and prosperity, living and dying. (1Pe 1:7-8) Maximum capacity for happiness enables the mature
Christian to face every challenge in his experience. God strengthens the
believer through metabolized Truth, and suffering for blessing,
so that His own shared happiness may be
tested, developed, and completed in the believer's soul in adversity, as well
as in prosperity. God shares His happiness with the believer for the believer's
own benefit; therefore, happiness is the problem-solving device directed toward
self.
2.
MENTAL STABILITY. Truth saturates the mature
believer's Thinking. He has maximum application of Truth to every experience.
Cognizance of Truth enables him to give Divine
Viewpoint precedence, over empirical experience.
Consequently, his mental attitude is stabilized
by the Truth he knows, rather than destabilized
by the circumstances of his life. The mature
believer Views his life in the light of God's Declared Reality, which
gives him tremendous confidence regarding time and eternity! This confidence in God's ability to provide for him, and to
bless him in any future contingency, is the Biblical definition of “hope.”
(Rom 8:24-25) Hope
is the mature believer's problem-solving device directed toward Truth and
related to his mental stability.
3.
MAXIMUM USE OF VIRTUE LOVE AS A PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICE. Virtue love includes
Personal love for God as a motivational Virtue (Gate 7 of the Spiritual life)
and Impersonal love for all mankind as a functional Virtue. (Gate 8) The mature believer has maximum use of both categories of
Virtue love. Therefore, he is Occupied with the Person of Christ. (Php 1:21) Furthermore, because Virtue-love for
God motivates Virtue-love toward others, Personal love for God in Spiritual
maturity becomes the dynamic basis for resolving all kinds of problems. Virtue-love is the problem-solving device directed toward
God, toward self, and toward other people.
4.
COGNITIVE INDEPENDENCE. The mature believer can Think
and apply Truth for himself from the Truth stored within his own soul.
As a result of post-Salvation Epistemological rehabilitation and persistence in
the perception of Truth, the mature believer has a superior understanding of the
mechanics of the protocol plan by which he attained Spiritual maturity. The mature believer understands God's plan for his life
and can face his problems with clarity of Thought.
5.
MAXIMUM GRACE ORIENTATION TO LIFE. Orientation to
the grace of God characterizes the mature believer's Thinking, motivation,
decisions, and actions. He understands that the
Principle of grace in Salvation is multiplied into the policy of grace after
Salvation. (Gal 3:2-3) The believer is saved under the Principle of grace; he
lives under the policy of grace. He is
delighted to do things God's way! He is free from being motivated by: The
flaw of the twisted nature, Feminine: To be told you look good, to be
stroked like a dog, to fear, be controled, to be dominated. Or Masculine: To take advantage of, to hurt, control,
use, and dominate: Toward the government, employer, employees, husband, wife,
self, family, friends, house, car, Etc. The flaw
of the twisted nature, masculine and feminine, in every
soul, male and female. (Jas 3:14-16) The pimp and hooker sin
nature in all of us! Is a responder or initiator, pitcher or catcher, giver or
receiver, and both at the same time! Now; the
Spiritually mature believer uses God's Nature, (2Pe 1:4) God
initiates and gives, we respond and receive, the perfect love relationship. Not
that God is the male, and believers are the female. (Eph 5:26-27) But that
God has an eternal infinite capacity to give love, happiness and Truth, Etc.
And we as believers have an ever increasing capacity to respond and receive it,
forever and ever! (Jas 1:17-18; Jas 3:17) The mature
believer is also free from fanaticism, sincerity, tradition, asceticism,
sentimentality, legalism, moral and immoral degeneracy, emotionalism,
arrogance, and habitual cosmic involvement! (Rom 6:17-18; Jas 1:21-22;
1Pe 1:22)
6.
MAXIMUM DOCTRINAL ORIENTATION TO REALITY. Capacity for
prosperity and the ability to apply Truth to experience, give the mature
believer Spiritual common sense. Spiritual common sense is an astute (With it) outlook on life that
can penetrate confusing, complicated situations and discern the key issues. The mature believer is realistic. He is not easily deceived.
He has the wisdom to synthesize the situation and identify the best course of
action and the courage to do a right thing in a right way.
7.
THE GREATEST DECISIONS IN LIFE FROM A POSITION OF MAXIMUM STRENGTH. Every
decision by a mature believer can be a great decision. He has a full, practical
understanding of the mechanics of God's protocol plan so that he can relate his
decisions to the invisible but real assets that God has provided. Because he has established the right scale of values, the
mature believer consistently makes right decisions. For him, Truth takes number
one priority.
8.
MAXIMUM CONTROL OF ONE'S LIFE. No one who tampers with the lives of others can
at the same time control his own. Therefore, the mature believer does not seek
to coerce or manipulate others. He is not possessive with those whom he loves
and thus avoids the pitfall of jealousy. He does not give expression to power
lust. Instead, he fully utilizes the privacy of his
priesthood; God is the focus of his life. Personal love for God motivates
Impersonal love for others. He eliminates false applications from his
life: no competitiveness
from arrogance, no comparativeness from subjectivity, no conspiracy
from inordinate ambition. In other words, he neither demands superiority over everyone
else, nor derives his self-esteem from comparisons with others, nor demeans
others in order to elevate himself. He
controls his own life by faithfulness in the execution of God's protocol plan. God has control over his life. Because his Thoughts,
motives, decisions and actions are consistent with God's Thoughts and Will,
(Joh 15:7-14) the believer lives in a
state of sharing the happiness of God. He makes decisions with the full
understanding that he bears the responsibility for their consequences.
9. MAXIMUM DYNAMICS IN LIVING. The mature believer has an unwavering personal sense of
destiny. He knows that God has a purpose for his life; he understands God’s
purpose; he applies his understanding of God’s plan to the particular
circumstances of his life, whether good or bad. Self-command, poise,
self-restraint, and self-control are established traits of his character. He recognizes that he continues to fulfill his
destiny by executing the protocol plan of God. This
results in a life of maximum Spiritual production.
10.
ESCROW BLESSINGS. The first stage of the maximum glorification of God in
Spiritual maturity is the distribution of escrow blessings. In eternity past
God created an inheritance of special blessings for each believer. (Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:4)
These blessings are the “prize of that upward
call from God” described in, (Php 3:14).
The distribution of these unique blessings
demonstrates the matchless grace of God and glorifies Him in the angelic
conflict. He
placed this unique treasury on deposit, as if in escrow, to be distributed to
the believer when he acquires the capacity to enjoy God’s “greater grace.” (Jas
4:6) The believer gains capacity to receive, utilize, and enjoy his
escrow blessings through the execution of the protocol plan of God, resulting
in Spiritual momentum and the attainment of Spiritual maturity. Capacity for blessing is a characteristic of Spiritual
maturity; therefore, the distribution of escrow blessings is also a
characteristic of maturity!
11.
QUALIFICATION FOR EVIDENCE TESTING. The second stage of the maximum
glorification of God in Spiritual maturity is evidence testing. Never before in
history has God made so much of His omnipotence available to the believer as in
the Church Age, and never before in the believer’s lifetime does he have
greater exercise of God’s power as in Spiritual maturity. These tremendous
Divine dynamics are necessary for the final increment of suffering for
blessing. As a result of reaching Spiritual maturity
and achieving maximum utilization of his problem solving devices, the dynamics
of the believer’s life are manifest in both living and dying, in both
prosperity and evidence testing — under the consistent utilization of Divine omnipotence.
12.
ATTAINMENT OF THE FINAL PHASE OF THE UNIQUE LIFE. Spiritual maturity is
characterized by that phase of the unique life described as “Christ [Being] glorified in [The] body.” (Php 1:20-21)
This glorification of Christ occurs through escrow
blessings and evidence testing.
Conveyance
of Escrow Blessings
There are two stages
in the maximum glorification of God by the believer on earth. Both are
exclusive privileges of Spiritual maturity.
1.
God is glorified when the believer attains SPIRITUAL MATURITY, Gate 8 of the
Spiritual life. At this point the believer begins to receive distribution of
the ESCROW BLESSINGS that God created in eternity past.
2.
God is glorified when the mature believer passes EVIDENCE TESTING.
Every Church Age believer belongs to a
unique plan designed by God in eternity past. The objective of this plan
includes blessing for the believer “beyond all
that [He can] ask or imagine.” (Eph 3:20)
God is glorified by distributing these blessings to
the believer in time.
The first thing God
ever did for us is the means of glorifying Him: He created the believer’s
blessings before He created the believer. “Before the foundation of the world,” (Eph 1:3-4) God the
Father tailored fabulous blessings specifically for each individual Christian;
and deposited those blessings in escrow.
Worthy of praise and glorification is
God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who [The Father] has blessed us
with every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Eph 1:3)
God’s plan for blessing the believer may
be compared to an escrow contract. An escrow is a deed, bond, or other
agreement by which one person conveys some form of property to another person.
Rather than being conveyed directly, however, the
property is deposited with a third party, to be delivered when the intended
recipient fulfills certain conditions set forth in the terms of the escrow
agreement.
Just as an escrow agreement has three parties, so also
(Eph 1:3) mentions
three parties: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the believer. God the Father is the grantor. In eternity
past He created each believer’s blessings for time and for eternity and
deposited them with Jesus Christ, who acts as a depositary
or escrow officer. Each believer is the grantee of an escrow contract
from God. If
you have believed in Christ, you are the grantee of blessings that stagger the
imagination. However, part of Divine wisdom
is the Principle that capacity for blessings must precede the conveyance
of blessings. God, therefore, designed the protocol plan to produce
that capacity which makes the distribution of blessings meaningful, enjoyable,
and glorifying to God. Blessing does not begin at Spiritual maturity. As part
of His logistical grace policy, God has designed a system of lesser blessings
which He distributes during the entire earthly experience of the believer. (Mat 5:45) This means that logistical
grace is not simply a vehicle for sustaining the believer’s life on earth but
is a system of providing undeserved blessing, whose
enjoyment can be surpassed only by the ultimate distribution of escrow
blessings for time. Furthermore, whatever
capacity we have for blessings in time is far exceeded by our escrow blessings
for eternity. Between the logistical blessings of Spiritual childhood,
and early Spiritual adulthood, and the escrow blessings of the eternal state, is this fantastic grace provision of God for the believer
who executes His plan, purpose, and will by the attainment of Spiritual
maturity. Obviously, God is glorified when any believer executes this plan, and as a sign of His pleasure He conveys escrow blessings
for time! The path to these magnificent
blessings involves undeserved suffering. These blessings come through suffering
as well as through prosperity. (Php 4:11-13)
The believer who attains Spiritual maturity is
classified as a winner! The question arises as
to what happens to the escrow blessings of the Christian who is classified as a
loser; the believer who fails to attain Spiritual maturity. To
illustrate the Biblical answer to this question, we again return to the analogy
of the escrow agreement. In the state of Texas, escrow contracts are irrevocable.
From the date the contract is signed, the property in escrow cannot be
retrieved by the grantor, and the contract cannot be canceled. Likewise, the
believer’s escrow contract with God is irrevocable. (1Pe 1:4) The only reason a
believer’s escrow blessings are not delivered to him is his failure to fulfill
the conditions of the escrow agreement. The
only condition the believer must fulfill is to advance to Spiritual maturity! (Joh 15:8) When he fails, he becomes a Spiritual loser. (Joh 15:6)
The loser’s escrow blessings still belong to him
irrevocably, but they will remain undistributed, on deposit in heaven forever
as a memorial to lost opportunity, and as a
monument to the eternal bounty of God’s grace. While
the Church Age believer will not go to the Lake of Fire, he can lose the conveyance of escrow blessings for time and
eternity. Escrow blessings are called “Spiritual”
in, (Eph 1:3) not because they are
intangible, but because God is emphasized as their
source. (Joh 4:24) Escrow blessings may
include material prosperity and temporal success as well as invisible impact
and the Spiritual strength of maturity itself. The characteristics of Spiritual self-esteem, which are
strengthened in Spiritual autonomy, become stronger in Spiritual maturity and
constitute fabulous blessings in the inner life. In addition to this marvelous stability and capacity of soul, Jesus Christ as the depositary begins with the conveyance
of escrow blessings for the mature believer’s life on earth. A treasury of blessings for time and eternity has
your name on it. Your personal blessings are irrevocable, “imperishable,
and undefiled and will not fade away”; neither you nor anyone else can
cancel them. (1Pe 1:4) The location of
the deposit is “in the heavenlies”; no repository could be more secure.
(Eph 1:3) The
date of the deposit is “before the foundation [Creation] of the world”; no
other fortune has an older heritage. (Rom 8:17)
The depositary is Christ; no one could be more
personally interested in delivering your blessings to you. (1Jn 3:16) The creator and grantor
of your blessings is God the Father; there is no greater giver.
He [God the Father] who did not spare
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He [The Father] not also
with Him [Christ, the escrow officer] freely give us all things [Our escrow blessings? (Rom 8:32)
Because God is
glorified by blessing the believer, the purpose of the believer’s life is to
receive escrow blessings. What must he do to receive them? Grace excludes all human works. Therefore, the Christian’s responsibility under
the conditions of the escrow contract is to utilize the assets of the Spiritual
life and advance to Spiritual maturity. (Mat 13:8)
Only in maturity does he have the capacity to
receive the marvelous blessings that God has placed on deposit for him.
Evidence
Testing
Suffering plays an essential role in
advancing the believer to Spiritual maturity. After he reaches maturity, and
after he has received many escrow blessings, suffering then makes a unique and
specialized contribution to the maximum
glorification of God. (1Pe 4:19) Undeserved suffering in
the life of the mature believer furnishes evidence in a courtroom drama that
has been unfolding since long before human history began. (Eph 3:10-11)
In the appeal trial of Satan, (Zec 3:2) a summary of which follows, God calls mature believers to
the witness stand to testify concerning His
matchless grace. Evidence testing is
Satan’s attempt to discredit their testimony. (Job 2:1-10) Like
escrow blessings, evidence testing is the privilege of the mature believer and
the final category of suffering for blessing. Evidence testing follows the pattern of all suffering for
blessing in that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested
beyond what you are able to bear.” (1Co
10:13) Only Spiritual maturity has the
strength, and enough Divine Thinking, and Virtue-love, to endure, benefit
from, and even enjoy evidence testing! (Dan
6:20-23) In short, God can glorify
Himself to the maximum through escrow blessings and through evidence testing
only in the lives of mature believers. This is another reason Spiritual
maturity is the objective of the Christian way of life. (2Pe 3:18)
Epilogue
SUFFERING, HAPPINESS, AND THE ESSENCE
OF GOD
SUFFERING POSES NO THREAT to the plan of
God. The pain of adversity is real, but even the most horrible suffering loses
its dread in the light of the grace of God. In fact, the protocol plan of God incorporates
suffering and uses adversity for the purpose of blessing the
advancing believer. Suffering tests his understanding
and application of the Mind of Christ. [God's Thoughts] As he passes each test,
he confirms and deepens his love for the Lord Jesus Christ; and hones his use
of the problem-solving devices for Spiritual adulthood. God loves every
believer with His infinite, Personal love. Nothing “shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:39) God never desires any harm to come to
any member of the royal family. Yet suffering exists; believers face severe
pain of body and anguish of soul. This study of suffering has explained from
Scripture how and why Christian suffering coexists with God’s love for the believer. Most Christian suffering is self-induced misery under the
law of volitional responsibility. Believers defy God’s desires and bring harm
on themselves. (Pro 8:36) They ignore the precise protocol of God’s plan, and such
ignorance and arrogance merely complicate the problems of living in the devil’s
world. Apart from persistent self-induced misery, all suffering in the Christian way of
life is designed by God for the believer’s benefit. Even unbearable Divine
discipline; is a gracious attempt to restore
the believer to the Spiritual life. Indeed, the fact that ignoring and violating the
protocol plan of God is the cause of self-induced misery; demonstrates by contrast that learning and executing
Divine protocol bring blessing. No degree
of suffering can destroy the blessings of life, in the palace of the Spiritual
life. Through suffering; God reveals His marvelous power to sustain and bless the
believer who follows Divine protocol and utilizes his royal assets. (Act 5:41) Suffering focuses the attention of the believer, who is
imperfect and prone to distractions. Adversity and or testing compels him to remember, apply,
and thus more fully understand the Spiritual Thoughts in his soul! Suffering accelerates his Spiritual growth. Suffering
helps him see the essence of God.
Suffering is inevitable
for the believer on earth. Every Christian must prepare himself to meet and
conquer adversity as part of advancing to Spiritual maturity! To be ready for suffering when it comes, (Php 1:27-29) he must
give first priority to learning, metabolizing, and applying Truth, as
consistently taught by a Theologically orthodox pastor. Each believer must
receive, retain, and recall the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit in
the Spiritual life. (Joh 4:24) The purpose of this book is to delineate systematically and
comprehensively the Divine Viewpoint regarding Christian suffering. In the midst of adversity, the Spiritually adult believer
shares the happiness of God as a consequence of Thinking with God's Thoughts
and consistently utilizing the Spiritual life of God. We must Think as God Thinks; and regard adversity in the
light of His marvelous objectives for our lives. By perception of the Truths pertinent to suffering, we gain access to
the problem-solving devices that convert suffering into blessing. Each
problem-solving device is efficacious because of its relationship to the
essence of God!
REBOUND
Is based on Divine justice and faithfulness. Because
God judged all the sins of the human race at the cross,
(1Jn 2:2) He is always consistent in forgiving our sins, when we
acknowledge them, known, or unknown, when we realize we are out of fellowship,
and just want to get back in! (1Jn 1:9)
The FAITH-REST DRILL depends upon God’s omnipotence, immutability,
veracity, and faithfulness, which stand behind all His Promises. Furthermore, His integrity and omniscience guarantee
that God is rational and that true Conclusions can be reached logically from
God's Thoughts, The Word. (Rom 8:28-32)
HOPE as a problem-solving device also
depends on Divine veracity. Hope is our
absolute confidence that God is true to His Word! (Heb 6:18) Divine
Veracity is manifested in pertinent Biblical Doctrines that cause us to
anticipate future blessings that will glorify God to the maximum. Hope # 1
Salvation. Hope # 2 That we can reach maturity. Hope # 3 That we will receive
rewards in eternity. God never leaves us hopeless! And hope means in every case; confident expectation!
PERSONAL LOVE FOR GOD
focuses on His absolute righteousness, the Divine attribute that is the
object of His own Personal love. Only when directed
toward perfect God does our Personal love become a Virtue in itself.
IMPERSONAL LOVE FOR
ALL MANKIND is modeled after God’s Impersonal love for
the fallen, degenerate, Spiritually dead human race. God
never feels threatened by sinful man. He saved
us because of His own integrity, not because we deserved Salvation.
Therefore, Impersonal love for the entire human race is based on our Christian
integrity, and follows the pattern of Divine self-esteem and Divine
love as expressions of the integrity of God.
HAPPINESS as a problem-solving
device is sharing the very happiness of God. The believer enjoys God’s
happiness as a consequence of learning, metabolizing, and applying Truth. He Thinks with God’s Thoughts and shares His Reality concerning
all things. By inculcating our souls with
the Thinking of God as revealed in the Scripture, by applying His Truths to the
circumstances of our lives, by executing Divine protocol in the power of His
Spiritual life, we come to appreciate Who and What God is! We grow in our respect for the One
“worthy of praise and glorification!” Our resultant contentment is the most
powerful solution to the frustrations, the difficulties and the heartaches that
we cannot avoid. No suffering in life is too
great for the plan of God!
OCCUPATION WITH CHRIST being aware of His presence, and Thinking about
Him and His Thoughts.
(Act 7:23; Heb
11:27)
Appendix
DIVINE JUDGMENT IN CONTRAST TO DIVINE
DISCIPLINE
GOD’S
DEALINGS WITH UNBELIEVERS IN TIME
AN ESSENTIAL DISTINCTION must be
understood concerning God’s punitive actions against man during the course of
human history: Divine discipline is
not the same as Divine judgment. Discipline is reserved for believers; judgment is for unbelievers (The lake of Fire) but may affect all categories of the human race
and fallen angels as well. The believer suffers in
time. (Rom 8:17-18) He is disciplined in time — (Heb 12:7)
individually and collectively — but his appointment with eternal judgment was canceled
when he believed in Christ. (Joh 3:18;
Rom 8:1) The
unbeliever suffers in time and in eternity. He may face individual and
collective Divine judgment in time; he will receive individual judgment
throughout eternity. (Rev 20:15) Because God deals with unbelievers as
well as with believers, the Doctrine of Divine
judgment toward unbelievers on earth reveals God’s justice and grace and also
explains a tremendous amount of worldwide suffering. Like discipline to the believer, (1Co 11:30)
Divine judgment in time to the unbeliever is administered
in progressive stages:
1. JUDGMENT BY PAIN
2. JUDGMENT BY DEATH
3. JUDGMENT BY FINESSE
Judgment by pain and
judgment by death are the progressive stages of Divine judgment in time. Finesse judgment presents a Principle by which Jesus Christ
controls history despite Satan’s rule over the world.
JUDGMENT BY PAIN
The first stage of
Divine judgment, judgment by pain, is an expression of God’s grace to the
unbeliever, just as warning discipline expresses God’s
grace to the believer. Evangelism is the objective of all judgment by pain!
On the Cross Jesus Christ paid for the Salvation of every human being who will
ever live, whether or not that person ever believes in Christ. (1Jn 2:2) Our Lord has
accomplished completely all the work of Salvation; nothing remains for an
individual to do but to accept the work of Christ on his behalf. The way
of Salvation is simple and plain: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall
be saved.” (Act 16:31)
Because God will never violate man’s free will, He must wait for
positive volition before He can actually apply Salvation to any individual. In
grace, God has already gone to the farthest extreme — the judgment of His own Son. With the work fully accomplished, God continues to do all that is
possible to bring the unbeliever to eternal Salvation. Normal evangelism involves the presentation of the Gospel. God has an obligation to supply Gospel information to
all who are receptive and desire to know Him when first they become aware of
His existence. (Psa 19:1) Their
positive volition at the point of God-consciousness usually remains positive
at Gospel hearing. (Rom 1:16) They
believe in Christ with no greater stimulus than a clear presentation of True Gospel
information. But for others, who are indifferent or antagonistic to their first
awareness of God — negative volition at God-consciousness — God still
repeatedly extends the opportunity to be saved.
But I say, surely they have never
heard, have they? Indeed they have; “THEIR VOICE
HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.” (Rom 10:18)
When normal evangelism fails, God shifts gears into crisis
evangelism. Crisis evangelism involves judgment by pain. (Act 9:8) As with discipline to the recalcitrant
believer, judgment by pain to the negative unbeliever is designed to shock him
into temporary objectivity. The pain proves his inherent weakness, his need of
a relationship with God, and provides a lucid moment in which the Gospel can be
considered.
The Salvation of the Apostle Paul is a
dramatic example of crisis evangelism. Saul of Tarsus, as Paul was known
during his meteoric career as a Pharisee, was a zealous persecutor and
murderer of Christians. Only when struck blind on the road to Damascus did he
objectively consider the Gospel of Christ. Judgment by
pain was responsible for the Salvation of the greatest believer who has ever
lived. (Php 3:3)
JUDGMENT BY DEATH
If repeated judgment by pain fails to
bring the unbeliever to faith in Christ, judgment by death becomes the only
alternative. (Act 12:23) Judgment by death against unbelievers and carnal believers,
who have hardened their volition against God, is Divine protection of the human
race. The
evils of cosmic influence must be restrained; therefore, following a period of
grace before judgment, God removes the cancer from society in order to preserve
Spiritual believers and perpetuate mankind. The Pharaoh of the Exodus,
Amenhotep II, suffered increasingly intense pain in the plagues against Egypt.
By persistently rejecting the message of Moses, Pharaoh “hardened his
heart.” (Exodus 8:32) His obstinacy
through the first five plagues locked him in the cosmic system beyond any
possibility of escape so that he was incapable of right decisions. For him, faith in Christ,
who is the God of Israel or His Word, had become
impossible; he had shackled his own volition. (Rom 3:18; 2Co 4:3-4)
When further grace becomes pointless, God normally removes the person from this
life. However, God did not remove Pharaoh but “allowed him to stand . . . in
order to proclaim God’s name through all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16) Following the fifth plague. “God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart” by allowing him to continue making negative
decisions. (Exodus 9:12; Rom 9:17-18) Pharaoh’s
deceitful negative volition presented an opportunity for God to
evangelize the world through further displays of Divine power. (Exodus 7:3; Exodus 11:9;
Jos 2:9-10) In the final Divine
exploitation of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God administered judgment by death as
the tenth plague. Pharaoh was not merely a private individual; he ruled an
empire. His negative volition represented the
obstinance of many of his subjects, who shared his rejection of God and
applauded his decisions to retain the Jews as a race of slaves. (Rom 2:9) The tenth plague killed the eldest son
of every household in Egypt that joined Pharaoh in rejecting the message of
Moses. God’s action was not indiscriminate genocide. Many Egyptian families believed
in the God of Israel and survived that night of judgment, and many joined the
Exodus as the “mixed multitude” of Gentiles. (Exodus 11:3; Exodus 12:38)
Furthermore, the Egyptian infants who died before reaching the point of
God-consciousness, which is also the age of accountability, received automatic
Salvation. (2Sa 12:23) Pharaoh himself
did not die in the tenth plague but was allowed to release the Jews and then
precipitate yet another crisis, at the Red Sea, which again glorified God. (Exodus 14:13-18) Judgment
by death was the extreme measure taken by God to remove individual negative
unbelievers and in doing so to demolish hardened
opposition to the Exodus. God’s Promises to
Israel, and to mankind hinged on the national freedom of the Jews; through
whom would eventually come all client nation Concepts, the Mosaic Law, the
written canon of Scripture, and above all the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God was protecting the human race and the Jews and
advancing His plan of grace by administering judgment by death.
JUDGMENT BY FINESSE
The third category of
Divine judgment demonstrates the genius of Jesus Christ in controlling history
despite the fact that Satan rules the world. In
finesse judgment, our Lord uses evil to destroy evil.
Arrogance cannot tolerate
arrogance; one form of evil despises another form of
evil.
An intense, human-good “moral” crusader cannot abide a lazy “immoral”
degenerate. The unrestrained by law or “morality”, regards the religious reformer with contempt. One form of prejudice despises another form of prejudice. The Nazi hates the Communist. Each is hostile toward
the other. The very multiplicity of gates into the
cosmic system, which successfully appeals to the weaknesses of so many different
kinds of people, is the system’s ultimate flaw. The greatest destroyer of evil
is evil!
For the
wrath of man shall praise You... (Psa 76:10)
The sons of Sceva were sorcerers who
traveled throughout the region around Ephesus discrediting Paul and promoting
themselves at his expense. (Act 19:13-20)
Thoroughly evil men, these exorcists claimed to cast demons out of the
possessed. Although they were permanent residents of the cosmic
system, these unbelievers tried to use the names of Christ and Paul in incantations
aimed at exorcising a demon from a young man. The
evil demon perfectly squelched the arrogance of these evil charlatans:
...I
recognize Jesus and I know about Paul, but who are you?
(Act 19:15)
The demon then attacked the Sons of Sceva
so that they fled wounded from the house. As a
result “the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (Act 19:17) in the
vindicated Doctrinal ministry of Paul. The Principle of finesse blessing,
and judgment applies to nations as well as to individuals.
An evil nation is often permitted power in history for the sole purpose of
being used by God to judge another evil nation. Israel is God’s chosen nation,
but in 721 B.C., again in 586 B.C., and again in A.D. 70, God’s client
nation had degenerated into evil as its citizens lived perpetually in the
cosmic system. The pivot of mature believers had
shrunk; the spin-off of cosmic believers was dragging down the entire nation.
On each of these three occasions, God raised up an evil empire to punish
Israel. Evil1 destroyed Evil2. In 721 B.C. the Assyrian
Empire destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In 586 B.C. the
Chaldean Empire destroyed the Southern Kingdom. In A.D. 70 the Roman Empire
destroyed religious, pharisaical, rebellious Judea. Finesse judgment of
collective groups is not reserved strictly for degenerate client nations. As
foretold in Prophecy, God
will destroy the worldwide religion of the Tribulation, which will be sponsored by
Satan, with an attack by a rival political entity, also sponsored by Satan. (Rev 17:16-17) God’s
objective will be achieved by Satan, when the
devil betrays one part of his own cosmic system in a treacherous ploy to
increase the power of another part.
How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? [Ignorant of God's Thinking]
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing [I
don't need Truth] And fools hate knowledge? [Living for what they want] Turn to my reproof, [Tells us: We are wrong] (1Jn 1:9) Behold, I will pour out my Spirit on you; I will make my
Words known to you. Because I
called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And
you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your
dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a
whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge [The Word of Truth] And did not choose the fear of the LORD! [Living in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit] They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my
reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of
their own way And be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness [Double-minded] of the naive [Ignorance of Truth] will kill
them, And the complacency [Prosperity] of fools (Jer 17:5) will
destroy them. But he who listens to me shall
live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil. (Pro 1:22-33)
END
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