Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The first and second victories over Satan during the Tribulation.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
They understand some portion of the doctrine of Soteriology, some portion of the gospel, and they make a decision, a positive faith decision – they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first great victory over Satan is the victory of a one-shot decision, personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ called propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, imputation – parts of Soteriology.
Volition is involved as the solution to the angelic conflict.
In salvation, non-meritorious volition expressed through faith in Christ becomes the greatest decision from a position of strength. The position of strength is grace.
We must recognize our weaknesses and link our weaknesses with God’s strength.
“For He has rescued us out from the dictatorship of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
Instead of a one shot option, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” he has daily options, developing the principle that good decisions result in great blessing.
The person who constantly makes good decisions from a position of strength, has control of his life, and has a personal sense of destiny, which is absolutely necessary for historical disaster.
Connective conjunction kai – kaiV = and, plus prepositional phrase dia – diaV – and accusative singular of logos, dia plus logon – diaV lovgon.
Logos – doctrine = “And because of doctrine.”
Ablative of means – maturias – marturiva” = testimony or witness.
The doctrine, or the logos, is the origin, or the means of their testimony, during the time of the eschatology of the Devil’s desperation.
1. A personal sense of destiny from the inculcation of Bible doctrine, requiring hundreds and even thousands of positive decisions.
2. Constant decisions from a position of strength generated by the application of doctrine to experience.
3. A believer must remain in control of his life through the avoidance of the cosmic systems.
Perception and application of doctrine during the last half of the Tribulation becomes the basis for the second victory over Satan.
In the last half of the Tribulation, abnormal circumstances demand the intensification of inculcation of doctrine, daily application in the time of the devil’s desperation, and therefore momentum tests are intensified.
The result of becoming a mature believer is production, but production is not how much you do, it is based upon the power or the means that you use.
The place of production is the result of spiritual growth.
All of the statements regarding Christian production, like witnessing, prayer, giving, all of the things that people do for the Lord in various organizations.
A right thing done in a wrong way is wrong.
A right thing done in a right way is right.
The testimony of the winner in the last half of the Tribulation is the person who has spiritual growth under these abnormal circumstances.
a. Refusing to hear the teaching of the word of God on a consistent basis, which is sin,
HEB 10:25-26, called sinning willfully.
b. Hearing the teaching of Bible doctrine but refusing to metabolize it – the failure to convert gnosis [knowledge in the Greek] into epignosis [wisdom in the Greek].
c. Metabolizing doctrine so that it exists in the soul but refusing to apply it when necessary.
First, there is the accumulation of scar tissue formed in the soul.
Secondly, withdrawal occurs resulting in the accumulation of trash or garbage in the soul.
“Affirm” – pres-mid-ind – marturomai = to give a solemn warning to those not growing up spiritually.
2TI 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
2TI 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
Middle voice – the apostle Paul is the one giving the warning but in reality it comes from the Lord.
Indicative mood = this was a reality in Ephesus, they were not growing up spiritually and feeding the new nature within.
“Mataiotei” = aimlessness, emptiness, vanity.
Being darkened – perf-mid-part – eskotismenoi = to receive darkness; it describes spiritual incapacity.
“Excluded from” –
perf-mid-part – apellotriomenoi = not to participate in what they belong to.
“Hardness” – porosin = callousness, dullness, stubbornness, hardness; scar tissue in the soul.
“Having become callous – perf-mid-part – apelgekotes = to cease to feel, to become apathetic, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested, and unresponsive toward the things of God.
“Have given themselves over” – aor-act-ind – paredokin = to betray oneself.
Sensuality – aselgeia = shamelessness, greediness, and pure self-enjoyment.
Practice – ergasian = to make a business or a profession.
Greediness – pleonexia = a search for happiness in spite of the negative consequences and the outright disobedience.