Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday August 28, 2019
The gift of Salvation is offered to all members of the human race.
“Every branch in Me” = “every believer” is said to be in our Lord called “in me” which is a dative of advantage prepositional phrase “en moi” correctly translated “in me” or “located in me.”
Living in Positional truth which belongs to the carnal as well as the spiritual believer, to the supergrace believer and the reversionist; 1Co 1:2, 30; 3:1.
We began to look at the Doctrine of Positional Truth as it relates to the epistle of the Romans; Rom 8:28-39.
Positional truth or literally the doctrine that allows our Lord to look upon us in our position and not our condition, is what really protects the believer from divine judgement in eternity; Rom 8:38-39.
In Christ Jesus is the prepositional phrase “en Christoo Ieesou’ too’ kurio heemoon which is correctly translated literally “in Christ Jesus our Lord” or “located in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Being in union with Christ also means that we share His life [eternal], His righteousness [+R], which means it is impossible for us to be judged at The Great White Throne Judgment].
Being in union with Christ also means that we share His sonship, His heirship, His priesthood, His election, His destiny, His kingship; all of these are involved in our positional truth; Rom 8:1.
Positional truth also qualifies the believer to live with God forever because we are all sanctified or set aside for our Lord for the purpose of honoring Him and respecting Him as we should; 1Co 1:2,30.
If we are going to live with God forever there are certain things we must have: for example, we must all have eternal life, not everlasting life but eternal life; 1Jo 5:11-12.
Positional truth also explains both election and predestination.
Isa 42:1 "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him;
MAT 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well‑pleased."
EPH 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
The whole point of understanding the doctrine of positional truth is that whatever is said about our Lord is the positive realm is also said about us.
Retroactive truth and current positional truth which is vital in our understanding and recognizing that positional truth also exists in these two categories: known as retroactive and current.
Retroactive means something that began in the past and has present results that benefit the believer whereas current positional truth refers to the truth one is living in presently.
The sins of the old sin nature were poured out on Him and judged, however, human good, which is also a manifestation of the sin nature was not judged, it was rejected.
JOH 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
The payment for sin is called death, that is spiritual death; ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Who was this gift offered to?
The gift was offered to all members of the human race because of Rom 3:10-20.
When we believe in Christ as Savior, we also enter into union with Christ as He is seated at the right hand of the Father; Eph 2:6.
When was positional truth offered to the believer according to the book of Romans; Rom 5:8.
When it comes to positional truth, when was positional truth related to the believer according to the book of Romans chapter 6?
Notice that in Rom 6, we are identified with Christ in His death, we are identified with Christ in His resurrection, ascension, and session.
The implications of positional truth have to do with the fact that we share what Christ has.
Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, we share everything that Christ has and is.
- Christ is eternal life; 1Jo 5:11-12.
- Christ is absolute righteousness (+R); 2Co 5:21.
- Christ is elected, we share His election; Eph 1:4.
- Christ has a destiny; we share His destiny; Eph 1:5.
In Verse 5, we have the Doctrine of Predestination or what we also refer to as the PPOG and your very own spiritual niche in life which is called your PSD.
- Christ is a Son to the Father, we are in union with Christ, we share His sonship; 2Ti 2:1.
- Christ is the heir; we share His heirship; Rom 8:16-17.
- Christ is sanctified, we share His sanctification; 1Co 1:2.
- Christ is a King; we share His kingdom; 2Pe 1:11.
- Christ is a Royal priest; we share His priesthood; Heb 10:10-14.
- Christ is an ambassador; we share His ambassadorship; 2Co 5:20.
No fruit (or production) can be any better than the vine that produces it.
Because of positional truth, our union with Christ and the grace provision of the filling of the Spirit, makes it possible for the believer to produce divine good.
The phrase "in Me" is a reference to the believer in union with Christ.
The Corinthians believers were still not able to learn advanced doctrine because they were under the control of the old sin nature, which limits what you can learn.
He mentions one of the mental attitude sins of arrogance: jealousy.
Another biblical description of the sin nature is "our body of sin" in Rom 6:6, which emphasizes the old sin nature's headquarters where it resides in the cell structure of the body.
Its genetic home is in the cell chromosomes.
The "corruptible man" refers to the sin nature in Rom 1:23.
"Corruptible seed" in 1Pe 1:23 refers to the transmission of the old sin nature.
The old sin nature always gets to the soul of man by attacking the heart.
This principle is found in such passages as Jer 17:9; Mat 12:34‑35, 15:19; Mar 7:21‑23.
Jer 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?
sold-per-pass-part, pepramenos means to be sold as a slave to the sin nature.
We were born slaves to the O.S.N. and the only time that we will ever be free from slavery to the O.S.N. is not at salvation but when we enter into perception, metabolization and application of Doctrine.
Gal 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Therefore, keep standing fast [residence, function, and momentum in the plan of God] and do not again become entangled in the yoke of slavery [cosmic system]."
Psa 119:45 And I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts.
These good intentions are hindered by the overtime work of the O.S.N. with its trends toward good and evil.
The O.S.N. can make us think we are good enough without a crash diet of doctrine.
Paul is saying if I keep on doing what I do not want to do then I realize that the law is good because it does reveal my helplessness.
The old sin nature is the source of temptation and also the source of inherent flaws from birth.
He is saying that because he has received TLJC, that he is no longer the one alive, but Christ is living in him.
Because the nature of God cannot sin, and Christ is in him, Paul has learned to separate the 2 natures.
Self-righteousness and legalism and guilt and condemnation exist in the lives of most believers today.
Before any believer can appreciate the divine solutions to the indwelling problems of the O.S.N. and the magnificent grace of God, the believer must be brought to the end of himself.
The effects of sin are guilt and condemnation, and therefore there is no place for any guilt and condemnation in the life of the believer.
Psa 32:5 You have forgiven the guilt of my sin;
Psa 65:3 Iniquities prevail against me; but as for our transgressions you do forgive them.
Psa 85:2 You did forgive the iniquity of your people; you did cover all their sin.
Psa 103:10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Isa 1:18 Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.
Isa 38:17 For you have cast all my sins behind Your back.
Isa 44:22 I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. return to me, for I have redeemed you.
In Eze 16:63 the Lord said to people who were involved with the grossest sins you could imagine "I will forgive you for all that you have done"
As you grow in the knowledge of doctrine, there can arise a tremendous conflict in the soul, not from the temptation of the old sin nature, but from the evil and the inherent weaknesses which are there.
Doctrine is important because it helps you to recognize your flaws and the control that the O.S.N. has over you.
There are many ways that the O.S.N. will try to shatter the believer with personal or self-explosion.
Heb 6:1 Therefore, leaving or [graduating from] the elementary teachings about the Christ [basic doctrines of Hypostatic Union, Christology, soteriology],
let us press on to maturity [execution of PPOG and the glorification of God], not laying again a foundation [doctrines of salvation and spirituality] of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God."
When God can bless the believer in the devil's world on the basis of residual doctrine God is glorified!
God is glorified as the Provider, we are blessed as the beneficiaries.
Either doctrine is going to influence you or the evil of the cosmic system.
Doctrinal intake, inhale and exhale is the determining factor.
PSA 23:3 "He restores my soul"
Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
To be influenced by doctrine means blessing, to be influenced by evil means cursing, discipline and eventually the sin unto death.
1Co 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
Love is the pres-act- ind PHILEO which means personal love for TLJC.
Only mature believers with S.S.E. and maximum doctrine in their souls are able to take residence in experiential sanctification called the state of godliness.