Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
The believers responsibility part 4.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (JAM 4:8). You take that first step - F/HS and BD circulating in your soul.
Ephesians- chapters 1-3 is what Christ has done for you (sit) and the last three chapters is what you can do for Christ; the believer’s responsibility (walk and stand).
Applying the truths surrounding your position is to live in a manner that is worthy of this calling, which is to reside in the PPOG that has been designed for your life.
Keep short accounts of your sins. Put away MAS’s and understand how much you have been forgiven of so that you will conclude that you must forgive others.
We do not feel the filling of the HS, but we do experience the results of it.
In vs. 19-21 Paul gives us insight into three of the manifestations of the F/HS: joy, thanksgiving, and humility.
The singing and melody with your heart is directed at the Lord; this is a beautiful picture of fellowship with Him.
The second manifestation listed is thanksgiving. The filling of the HS will result in an appreciation in the believer’s heart for all that God has done for him which results in giving thanks - for all things.
The third manifestation of the F/HS listed here is humility towards one another - “others”.
Matt 23:11-12
"But the greatest among you shall be your servant. "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
I don’t have to try to be happy, thankful, or humble. I have to be filled with the Spirit and allow Him to manifest these qualities in me.
Under the Law it was the best man could do, under grace it is the best God can do.
Luke 24:49
"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
The work of the Spirit in and through the believer has a positive and a negative. Positive - that which is good. Negative - victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil.
When we are occupied with the positive, divine good production of the Spirit within, then the negative will be overcome.
7 positive aspects of the Spirit:
1) The fruit of the Spirit;
2) function of the spiritual gift; 3) praise and thanksgiving;
4) teaching of the Spirit;
5) leading of the Spirit;
6) the life of faith;
7) intercession of the Spirit.
Under the Law it was the best man could do, under grace it is the best God can do.
Two procedures are possible, namely, dependence upon one’s own ability and dependence upon the power of the indwelling Spirit. These two methods are totally incompatible.
You are called to walk in a manner worthy of your high election after salvation and you cannot do it. You must admit that you cannot, that you are powerless, and that only God can do it through you.
It’s better to talk to God about people than it is to talk to people about God. Talk to God about people and when God softens their heart talk to them about God.
There are three tenses of salvation: you were saved when you believed from the penalty of sin, you have now been saved from the power of sin, you will be saved from the presence of sin.
Any fool can make a plan whereby good people can go to heaven; only God can make a plan whereby bad people can go to heaven. Based on the death of Christ God is able to forgive you and make you His own.
When the positives in the plan of God are capitalized upon, the negatives - evil - are overcome.
Those who accomplish the positives in the plan of God by their positive volition are called overcomers in the Word of God.
REV 2:7
To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
REV 2:11
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’
REV 2:17
To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
REV 2:26-28
‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.
REV 3:5
‘He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.
REV 3:12
‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
REV 3:21
‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne
Three different Greek words for “world”. 41 times is aion = an age. 14 times oikoumene = the inhabited earth. 186 times kosmos = a vast world system.
The world [kosmos] has all kinds of amusement. This is the anesthetic that the world has to deaden the pain of an empty heart.
“Abide” - meno, which means to stay in a place, (figuratively) to remain in a sphere, to stand against opposition, to hold out, to stand fast, to stay still, and to remain, to endure, to stay in force.
1Jn 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.