Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday,
June 10, 2018
The eighth commandment in Exo 20:15 "You shall not steal."
Lo' tignob --- correctly translated "You shall not steal" refers to anything that falls under the category of things that are natural or spiritual, including people.
Your life is protected; marriage is protected, and the family is protected, all by commandments in the Mosaic Law.
One of the main reasons for the Mosaic Law was to reveal to mankind what sin is all about.
GAL 3:24 "Therefore the Law has become our tutor or school bus to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
The Ten Commandments and the principles of freedom that are intimately related.
Divine Institution #1 Volition = that which protects your freedom and your life and so a commandment is given to prevent others from taken your freedom away.
Divine Institution #2, Marriage, - we are given all the doctrine necessary to protect those involved in the marriage; EXO 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."
Divine Institution #3 the family, which is to protect those involved within the family unit in EXO 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother so that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."
We have a command in our passage that deals with the stealing and violations of the property or materialism you own or possess; EXO 20:15 "You shall not steal."
This commandment establishes the divinely given right" of the individual to own personal property and possessions, and it limits government interference to the protection of this property.
There are two words coming up that we need to recognize; The word for Temple and the word for Body and what they refer to.
The Greek noun naos = a safe place to dwell, a shrine or a temple.
It is true that your physical body is a temple of the Holy Spirit but so is your "spiritual body, the Church," which you are a part of forever, is also called a "temple of the Holy Spirit."
Every time the word Temple is used we need to define and recognize if it is a real temple or is it the spiritual temple that is in the passage.
There are times when the word Temple is used and it refers to the spiritual Temple or a group of believers who are worshipping the Lord together.
Soma = a "physical body" or a "spiritual body," which is His church also known as the "body of Christ.
So, soma refers to your body, literally or figuratively, meaning your physical body or His spiritual body, which is His Church which you are a part of called the "body of Christ" .
Temple = naos which can be translated "the temple" referring to the temple of your physical body or it can also refer to the Temple of your spiritual body which is His Church.
Notice here the temple is called "we" not "you" referring to the those in the church.
It is when we recognize the intimate relationship and fellowship we can have with our Lord when we realize that we are His Church, His body,
His bride.
The analogy indicates that the members of the body of Christ are formed into one organic whole with a common plan, a common goal, common objectives, and a common purpose.
"One body" emphasizes the status of unity among the members of the body of Christ.
The baptism of the Spirit results in the creation of both the new spiritual species and the royal family of God.
It is designed not only to give us the most fantastic happiness and blessing in every circumstance of life, but also so that we can get along together.
We are not combined by the same genes; we're combined by something far greater through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
The body of Christ is composed of two categories of Church-age believers.
a. Those located on earth.
b. Those located in heaven, who have died physically.
You will never live in the new until you truly believe that God gave you a new nature and that new nature learns how to reject the old life and recognize the new life for the new creature.
People have a tendency to forget that all people are sinners, including the pastor who must very careful not to allow anyone to make a role model out of him or for that matter a "role model" out of anyone.
ECC 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
GAL 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
The only true role model we should have is the one we develop in spiritual adulthood in our occupation with Jesus Christ.
PRO 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding."
When things seem to be chaotic and are filled with confusion that is when you need to: "Trust in the Lord not in people!"
When you find yourself in a situation that is filled with "Cosmic Thinking" Do not lean on your own understanding.
You cannot change other people; you can only change yourself.
You cannot change yourself through Christian fellowship, but only through perception of Bible doctrine.
Your relationship and your fellowship with God is the major issue.
Changing yourself is a matter of consistent perception, metabolization and application of Bible Doctrine from which comes the consistent use of the ten problem solving devices of the predesigned plan of God.
The most dramatic change in the life of any believer occurs when he is using all ten of these problem solving devices.
Relationship with God must precede relationship with people. Christian fellowship is secondary to perception of doctrine.
Christian fellowship is not the source of spiritual growth or momentum.
- It establishes wrong priorities in the Christian life through the influence of confused believers.
- It is a distraction from Bible doctrine through preoccupation with romance or friendship.
- It is the acquisition of legalism through association with legalistic and arrogant believers.
- It involves anti-nomianism, therefore association with promiscuous believers, which is also distracting.
- Using Christian fellowship as a dating bureau or a marriage pool is a distraction from growing in grace.
- Christian fellowship often results in acquiring erroneous views of doctrine, or the ridicule of doctrine in a group of Christian believers.
- Christian fellowship uses people as a crutch rather than learning and using the ten problem solving devices of the Christian way of life.
- A lifetime friendships develop among positive believers while they're growing in grace.
- Encouragement from conversations among believers of like faith and practice.
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you [you is the second person plural = ya'll or believers] you all are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you [second person plural = ya'll]?
1CO 3:17 If any man destroys the temple of God that is the church of God, --- [notice the temple of God is called the Church of God.]
God will destroy him, for the temple of God is Holy, and that is what you [Second person plural = you all are.
"not discerning" - the value of the impeccability of our Lord's physical body as well as it can refer to His Church, the spiritual body of Christ or the Temple of God.
Not discerning the blood of the Lord or His spiritual death is to reject the Work of the Lord and Word of the Lord.
PHI 3:18 For many keep walking, concerning whom I have warned you many times, and now continue to affirm, even weeping, the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Which is why true fellowship should be based upon 2CO 5:16 Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh or according to human viewpoint but rather divine viewpoint;
It is EPH 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender‑hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
The divine viewpoint of the church or the temple of God is found in such passages as JOH 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
It is Heb 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but gather together for the purpose of encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.
ACT 17:11 Now these were more noble‑minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.
For the best results and for the correct and the most accurate translation of any passage, it is wise to stay under the authority of the principle we call "ICE."
- Isagogics is the historical setting of the passage.
- Categories is the systematic theology developed from combining Scripture with Scripture.
- Exegesis is the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages.
As we go forward in the PPOG and fulfilling our personal sense of destiny, it is important that we also know not "what glorifies the Lord" but "how to glorify the Lord."
1Co 3:17 that God will destroy him, for the temple of God is Holy, and that is what you are.
Because you have not judged or evaluated the Lord's body, His church, His temple, correctly.
For this reason many among you are weak [mentally] and sick [physically], and a number sleep or died.
Because they did not or do not discern the Lord's spiritual body which is His church, also called His Temple.
For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep or died because they did not or do not discern the Lord's physical body which He kept impeccable or His spiritual body which is His church and His Temple.
The fact that His spiritual body presently also known as His church, His Temple will forever be known as the bride of Christ for all eternity and it cannot be overstated or should ever be taken for granted; Pro 20:25.
The bride of Christ will be occupied with her right man, TLJC, for all of eternity and she will do whatever her husband desires for all of eternity.
Do you operate with the Temple of God with your spiritual gift when needed, well, ROM 12:6 says And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly:
Do you neglect or reject your spiritual gift for 1TI 4:14 says Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you.
1PE 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Notice the three main words I mentioned, exercise, neglect, serve.
Exercise -- ROM 12:6, let each exercise their gift accordingly:
Prin. The operation of your spiritual gift has been given to serve others in the Temple of God or the Church of Jesus Christ.
How do you judge yourselves rightly?
PSD#1 - Rebound or confession of sin or rebound and recovery, if needed or necessary.
If you steal something, you are a thief who thinks you have the right to take what you can or whatever you are lusting after.
Because Satan loves to torture us to try and get even with us because our husband, TLJC, already shut the lid on his Angelic butt when He defeated Satan and the kingdom of darkness on the cross.