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."
(John 4:24)
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.
Illustration cf. Illustration
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.
Illustration
cf.
Illustration
cf.
Illustration
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]
(John 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.
Illustration
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. (Matt 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. (Mark 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.
(Mark 12:31)
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you. (Matt 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] (John 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. (Prov 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. (Prov 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; (Matt 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 EVERY-TIME 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. (Mark 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; Matt 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! (Eccles
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 strength
ens 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, (Matt 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 ob
ligations 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 in
variably 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. How
ever, 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, 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, (Matt 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; John 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.” (John 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, (Matt 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. (Matt 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. (John 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.
Illustration
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. (John 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; Eccles 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; Matt 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. (Matt 8:10-12; Luk 13:28-30; Luk 14:16-27 ; (2Pe 2:13-22;
Jud 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; Mark 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 (Matt 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, (Matt 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.” (Prov 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. (John 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. (Matt 22:13; Mark 4:20;
Luk 12:46-48)
It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, (John 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, (Mark 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] (Matt 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 con
gregation 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 com
pounded. 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. (Matt 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. (John 12:31; John 14:30; John 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;
John 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. (John 15:8; John 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;
Acts 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, (Matt 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 up-trends and down-trends 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
down-trends 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. (Exo 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. (Exo 34:6) But when negative volition runs so rampant
as to threaten His plan, God “does not leave the guilty unpunished.” (Exo 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” (Exo 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]
(Exo 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.
(Prov 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.
Illustration
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. (Matt 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 re
served 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 be
comes SPIRITUAL MATURITY. (Matt 13:8)
4. When Spiritual maturity stands up under evidence testing, GOD IS
GLORIFIED TO THE MAXIMUM in the historic angelic conflict.
(John 15:8; John 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! (Matt 10:20; John 3:34; John 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 relation
ships: 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. (Matt 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. (Acts 1:8;
(1Co 2:4; (2Co 4:7;
Eph 1:19-20; Col 1:19-12; (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. (Acts 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. (John 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! (Matt 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, (Prov 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. (John 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; Acts 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. (John 17:22-23; John
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. (John 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.
(John 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. (John 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. (Matt 4:4; Luk 11:28; John 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; Matt 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! (Prov 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, (Matt 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 per
haps 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 con
duct 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. (Prov 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. (John 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. (John 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. POST-SALVATION 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. (John 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 re
newing 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. (Prov 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. (John 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. (John 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. (Mark 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. (Mark 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 un-lived.
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 in
creased! 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. (Matt 7:24-25;
John 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,
(John 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]
(Matt 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! (John 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! (John 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, (John 17:13) cause the
believer with Spiritual autonomy to conduct himself with confidence,
graciousness, and unshakable poise. (Acts 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, (John 15:12) our
neighbors, (Matt 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. (Matt 22:37-39;
Mark 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 com
pared 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] (Prov 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 (John 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. (Matt 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!
(Matt 20:26-28;
John 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.
(Prov 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.
(Matt 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, (Mark 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. (Matt 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.
(John 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. (John 13:34-35; (1Jn 3:16;
John 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. (Eccles 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. (Acts 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, (Matt 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. (Matt 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. (John 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. (Prov 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.
(John 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. (Prov 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. (Prov 16:7; John 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 SPIRITUAL 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. (John 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. (Acts 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. (Prov 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. (John 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! (John 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.
(Matt 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? (Matt 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?... (Matt 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, (Jud 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) (Matt 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. (Prov 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) (John 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] (John 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. (Prov 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; (Matt 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. (Matt 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, (Acts 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. (Acts 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. (Acts 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] (John 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, (John 12:24-26) to His [Christ’s] human
nature’s will and desires] (Matt 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; John 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. (Acts 2:27;
Acts 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.
(John 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
