Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Florida Conference, Part 6.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
The Nicolaitans were gnostics who were into the pursuit of intellectualism, they trapped believers into the cosmic system due to the function of the phallic cult.
The Nicolaitans were derived from two Greek words, the noun Nike and laos for peoples – the winner over the people.
They distracted believers with PVTD through promoting drunkenness, fornication, feasting, and not just eating things sacrificed to idols, but partying in relationship to the idols.
They also had special ecstatic experiences.
The combination of the two, intellectualism and licentiousness, made them an attractive package for a person whether he was a cold intellectual or a warm licentious type.
The phallic cult possessed two areas of distraction – religion and licentiousness.
The phallic cult is designed to perpetuate a downtrend in history through involving a maximum number of believers in the cosmic system.
The power of doctrine, the power of the PPOG, acting as a wall of fire, as long as a believer stayed in that wall of fire, was being manifested right under the nose of Satan.
The doctrine of the Nicolaitans justified lasciviousness, and anti-establishment behavior, through a system of substituting religion for Bible doctrine; and for the spiritual experiences, a licentious system.
Doctrine of the Nicolaitans is the contradiction of antinomianism, and arrogance and emotion and experience takes the place of Bible doctrine.
REV 2:16 = a mandate for a divine solution.
He issues forth declarations of divine discipline from the Supreme Court of Heaven toward the believer who fails to rebound and substitutes religion for Bible doctrine.
Arrogance and emotion are the two great enemies of the spiritual life and are responsible for the manufacture of loser believers, even if those believers had reached spiritual adulthood.
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
Emotion is the caboose of the soul essence, not the engine.
The engine is volition and thought.
When emotion is put before thought, or emotion is the basis for decisions, our spiritual life is derailed.
An enemy of the cross of Christ, whose god, small g, is his emotion, PHI 3:16-19.
Rebound is not victory over sin, it’s just recovery from sin. The victory over sin comes with the other problem solving devices.
This is anguish as God would have it in order to encourage the believer to rebound.
Winners are believers who live in the PPOG, learn doctrine, pass the different momentum tests, advance to maturity, fulfill the plan of God, and glorify TLJC.
Winners are described in Rev 2-3 by pres-act-part of nikao, as in REV 2:7,11,17,26; REV 3:5,12,21.
At the Rapture, all winners will receive a white pebble, a resurrection body with a new name of knighthood.
The new order of knighthood and eternal order of chivalry will be added to the believer’s name in eternity,REV 2:17, COL 3:4.
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good [winners] or evil [losers].
1. The crown of righteousness –
awarded at Judgment Seat of Christ to Church-age believers who fulfill the PPOG by the advance to spiritual maturity.
This crown emphasizes virtue directed toward man and circumstances and the fulfillment of the Royal Family Honor Code.
They’ve worn the invisible uniform of honor, Eph 6, and will receive crown of righteousness in eternity.
2 Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
2. The crown of life –
awarded to Church-age believers who endured trials, heartaches, disasters, and ended up glorifying the Lord. Jas 1:12, REV 2:10.
3. The incorruptible crown is given to those who mastered the OSN, 1Co 9, through dedication and devotion to the PPOG.
4. The crown of rejoicing – given for being soul winners. 1TH 2:19.
5. The crown of glory –
awarded to pastors who faithfully study and teach Bible Doctrine, by which faithful members of the congregation will attain spiritual maturity.
SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI = the glory of this world is passing away
Satan’s plan was to use any means possible to sow discord and division in the local assembly.
The bread broken is the body of Christ, and the cup shared is the blood of Christ.
GAL 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
1Cor 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Cor 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1 Cor 10:24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
ROM 15:7 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.