Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Discovering the intimacy and the nearness of the Lord. Part 2.
Thursday, June 21, 2001
PHI 4:5 “Let your supergrace mental attitude be known to all men. The Lord is near.”
“The Lord is near” = near grace, a supercharger performing the same function as living grace except that the provision is intensified in the spiritual advance.
Saving grace = when you believe in Jesus Christ. Living grace takes you all the way through the maturity barrier to supergrace.
“Near grace” or “greater grace,” takes you from supergrace to the next objective, ultra-supergrace.
Saving grace, living grace, supergrace, near grace, ultra-supergrace leading all the way to dying grace and then surpassing grace.
Near grace is a supercharger which performs the same function in no man’s land that living grace performed in the advance to spiritual maturity.
Near grace recognizes the tremendous opposition which develops in the life of any believer advancing through no man’s land between supergrace and ultra-supergrace.
JOH 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
The increased opposition from the satanic forces of evil calls for the intensified provision of grace, “near grace” (the Lord is near).
“So that” is a result clause and the result is that “Christ may be dwell or be at home in your hearts.”
“to dwell” = aor-act-inf, katoikesai = to dwell, to live, to be at home.
“through faith” = dia + tes + pisteos = through the means of doctrine.
MAT 5:44 – a love that loves your enemies, and prays for those who persecute you!
JOH 14:15 – the type of love that motivates the believer to stay with doctrine, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”
1CO 13:4 – the type of love that is patient, gracious, not jealous; does not brag and is not arrogant,
1CO 13:5 – the type of love that does not act improper, is never selfish, is not resentful, does not think evil,
1CO 13:6 – the type of love that does not gloat over other men’s sins, but rejoices with doctrine; 1CO 13:7 – the type of love that overlooks faults, believes the best, hopes all things, endures all things.
1PE 4:8 – the type of love that covers a multitude of sins.
1JO 2:5 – the type of love that can only be developed from the intake of doctrine, “But whoever keeps His doctrine, in that believer the love of God has truly been matured.”
1JO 4:20 – the type of love that has respect for the Royal family of God, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
1JO 5:2 – the type of love that motivates love for doctrine, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His doctrines.”
2JO 1:6 – And this is virtue-love that we walk according to His doctrines. This is the command, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it [PPOG].
In near grace, the Lord makes special provision for the supergrace believer advancing to the next objective, and the Lord’s provision is greater than the stiffness of the opposition.
1JO 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
This spiritual attitude is to be revealed before all men, the saved, as well as the unsaved.
A supergrace MA manifested by a forbearing spirit or gentleness (part of the fruit of the Spirit) runs contrary to the normal attitude of the “flesh.”
A supergrace mental attitude is manifested by a mild disposition, mental strength under control, and obedience to the Word of God.
Epieikes (forbearing spirit) = mildness, patience, gentleness, moderation, unwillingness to litigate or contend, meekness under provocation, readiness to forgive injuries and judging the characters and actions of others.
PHI 4:5 “Let your supergrace mental attitude be known to all men. The Lord is near.”
JER 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
HEB 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
PRO 28:5 “Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things.”