Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. Part 21. The mystery behind our permanent dwelling place.
Friday, February 18, 2005
“Be troubled” - pres-pass-imp - tarasso = to be confused, upset, distressed, discouraged, to be stirred up or disturbed in your thinking -
“Do not become discouraged in your heart.”
Do not become disturbed in your heart from your failure.
PHI 3:13-14, Brethren [members of the Royal Family of God], I evaluate myself as not yet having attained the objective [ultra-supergrace or the ultimate objective in time, living in resurrection life]; but one thing I concentrate upon: constantly forgetting the things that lie behind and pursuing vigorously to what lies ahead, I keep on pressing on toward the objective for the purpose of the reward belonging to the upward call of God[Father], by means of Christ Jesus.
Forgetting - epilanthanomai - “forgetting” = does not mean to forget something important; it means to disregard silly things, things that are really not important in life, things that are distracting, petty, unjust, or evil.
You do not forget the bad things that happen to you as a part of suffering for blessing as you advance to maturity, but you disregard them and do not let them become a distraction through the reaction of bitterness, self-pity, vindictiveness, implacability, etc.
It does not really mean forgetting those things which are behind, but disregarding those things good or bad in your past which distract you from God’s plan for your life.
Past failure must never interfere with present momentum.
Past failures must never distract you from taking the high ground of spiritual maturity.
Past failures (skeletons in the closet) must never interfere with present spiritual momentum.
Both past failures and past successes can distract you from God’s plan.
“You will deny Me Peter, three times within the next 10 hours, however, if you are going to move forward, you cannot be distracted by your failures.”
The spiritual life is not designed to be haunted by past failures or past success.
To “believe in God” means to believe God when He says something.
JAM 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
MAR 1:24 “What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God!”
“Believe in God” = the inhale of Bible doctrine resulting in understanding the plan of the Father.
When you “believe God” it is simply recognition and orientation to His plan for your life.
“And believe also in Me” = whatever TLJC has taught, believe it.
Dwelling places - mone’ = a place of residence; a permanent place of residence.
JOH 14:23 If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our [mone’] abode with him.
MAT 26:75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Weeping expresses his frustration but the bitterness expresses the mental attitude, he tried so hard and failed so miserably.
Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.
If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much.
You are never a loser until you quit trying.
History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed.
God the Father has provided from eternity past everything that the believer would need to execute His perfect Plan for the Church-age, and this includes encouragement in times of adversity and failure.
The believer can receive encouragement simply by gathering together with other believers to hear the Word of God communicated by their divinely appointed pastor-teacher, 1PE 5:3, ACT 20:28.
He can also derive encouragement in adversity by understanding the immanency of the Rapture.
The believer can derive encouragement from the two immutable things: Who and What God is. What God has provided.
They do not need sympathy and someone to feel sorry for them, they need information by which to get up and go forward.
That permanent dwelling place is there not because of who and what you are, Peter, but because of who and what I am.
Because of the immutable, eternal, infinite attributes of God, He cannot cancel the salvation of any believer, no matter how gross that believer may be.
JUD 1:24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
The perfect integrity of God cannot be canceled by the failure or renunciation of any believer living on earth.
1CO 1:9 “God is faithful, through Whom you have been called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
It is impossible for him to fail, grace plus the essence of God says God cannot and will not ever fail.
If = a second class condition of supposition, suppose it had been true, I would have told you Peter.
You can fall from grace, but falling from grace simply means to operate under legalism -
GAL 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
“I go” = to travel from one place to another - poreuomai.
By His death on the cross, Jesus Christ has propitiated the Father, he has reconciled Peter, he has procured the right for every believer to live in heaven forever, regardless of whether they fail or succeed in this life