Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. Part 23. The profile of a reversionist.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
The Lord is answering Peter, and while Peter knows doctrine, he has failed to apply it.
Bible doctrine can be rejected at one of three stages:
1. Perception stage
2. Metabolization stage
3. Application stage.
Thomas is ignorant of doctrine and therefore cannot apply it.
Thomas is probably best known for his inability to believe that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.
MAT 14:31 “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
JAM 1:6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
JUD 1:22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
Once a person becomes a believer in TLJC and neglects or rejects or becomes negative toward doctrine, he appears to be stupid because he is in reversionism - going backward in the spiritual life, rather than forward.
PRO 14:14 The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
When a believer is disoriented to the plan of God for his life, ultimately he is disoriented to life itself.
A reversionist, someone who is going backward in the spiritual life rather than forward, inevitably gets into some form of neurosis or psychosis and inevitably he becomes a psychopathic personality.
Thomas is ignorant of the cross, the resurrection, ascension and session to which the humanity of Christ is going to be glorified.
“The way” = the entrance into the plan of God.
“The truth” = what Thomas should be learning after he enters into the plan of God.
“The life” = the function that comes from truth or doctrine.
“The way” is the noun hodos = used for entrance into a systematic course of planning and action.
ROM 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
1CO 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden {wisdom,} which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
EPH 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
EPH 3:3-4, that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
EPH 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;
EPH 6:19 and {pray} on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
COL 1:26-27, {that is,} the mystery which has been hidden from the {past} ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
COL 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and {attaining} to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, {resulting} in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, {that is,} Christ {Himself},
COL 4:3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
1TI 3:9 {but} holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Everyone enters into the plan of God at exactly the same place, which means everyone has the same chance and the same opportunity to glorify God and become a winner - equal privilege, equal opportunity.
“Hodos” - the way = entrance into the plan of God, a plan that is already laid out, a plan in which everything is provided, categorized by one word, “grace.”
Truth - “aletheia” = truth or doctrine taught categorically.
1TI 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
JOH 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
“The life” or the zoe is the function that comes from truth or doctrine.
After “the way,” the truth is the most important.
PSA 138:2 I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.
ACT 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they {began} rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
2TH 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;
As the entrance, TLJC is our savior and took our place on the cross instead.
As the truth, Bible doctrine is the mind of Christ.
As the life, once we enter supergrace, our greatest function is occupation with the person of Christ.
The second class condition of the word “if” is used to denote a statement of negation or unreality; a “contrary to the fact” condition.
“If” and it is not true = the second class condition.
“If” - conjunction ei - ei* + “had known” - pluperfect-act-ind - egnokeite - e*gnwvkatev = Thomas had the opportunity to know the Lord but he rejected it.
Pluperfect = every day that you log in reversionism, there is something that you could have understood and some question that you could have answered with doctrine in your own soul, if you had only recovered from reversionism and had P.V.T.D.
The more you live in reversionism, the more complex become the questions in your soul.
PSA 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
PSA 119:97 “O how I love Your doctrine, I think about it all day long.”
2CO 4:16 “Therefore we are not discouraged, for though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is renewed day by day.”
1. The principle of organized time, JAM 4:3-17.
2. Redeemed time -
EPH 5:16-18 “Constantly buying time, because the days are evil. Because of this, stop being ignorant, but completely understand the will [purpose] of the Lord.”
3. Utilized time, 1CO 7:29-31.
1CO 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;
1CO 7:30-31, and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.
Each day is a grace gift, JOH 11:9-10.
JOH 11:9-10, Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
The only time we possess to honor God in time is the number of days He provides for us in the Christian life,PSA 90:12, JAM 4:13-15.
It is important to learn Bible doctrine every day, JER 15:16, MAT 4:4.
When you waste time in reversionism, as well as all the other problems that accompany reversionism, you create in your soul a question box.
JOH 14:7 - when the Lord used the second class condition, if but it is not true, the Lord is saying, “Thomas you have had time to learn these things.”
Thomas is saved, he called the Lord “kurios,” and the Lord says “I am the entrance.”
“You know Him” -
pres-act-ind - ginosko - progressive present tense = you can begin to know and keep on knowing Him.
The iterative present recurs at successive intervals, or periods of time.
The Son is the revealer of the Father, JOH 1:18.
Once Christ ascends the plan of God the Father is seen through His word.
You cannot see it by going to the word and looking at it; you must be under the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher as doctrine is taken from the word and communicated to you.
EPH 4:12 - equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, to the building up of the body of Christ;
1. No believer can attain spiritual maturity and become an invisible hero or glorify God apart from perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine.
2. The Bible is our textbook, but the gift of pastor-teacher is designed to communicate the specifics of the mystery doctrine that cause spiritual growth.
3. No believer can read the Bible daily for himself and discover and learn the mystery doctrine for the Church-age, and understand the mechanics of the PPOG.
4. Every believer must take the responsibility for his own decisions, therefore, the believer must make decisions with regard to his selection of his own pastor-teacher, and his faithfulness in learning Bible doctrine from that pastor-teacher.