Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. part 49. Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
Friday, May 6, 2005
Self-examination must always be done with the greatest amount of objectivity which means no self-introspection or guilt or self-condemnation or lying to yourself.
“Test yourselves” - pres-act-imp - peirazete - peiravzete = to test for what is good or bad; to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character, concerning a certain subject, here it is the indwelling of TLJC.
Pres-act-ind - eimi = if you keep on being in the faith or if you keep on being into doctrine.
1TI 6:4 they have received blind arrogance and understand nothing [of true doctrine]; but they have a morbid obsession about controversies and verbal conflicts out of which arise or originate jealousy, discord, speaking evil, [SOT] evil speculations or presumptuous sins
LUK 14:18 - They have bought a piece of property and need to look it over.
LUK 14:19 - they just bought five teams of oxen, or their job is getting in the way of a faithful, dedicated devoted life to the Shekinah glory.
LUK 14:20 - They have a relationship that has taken them away from the PPOG.
“En” + locative singular of sphere - “pistis” = in the doctrine or into doctrine.
Bible doctrine must have number 1 priority in the life of the believer to fulfill the word of God and to live in God’s predesigned plan and fulfill the principle of relationship with God taking priority over relationship with people.
There are constant distractions in your life designed to de-emphasize Bible doctrine, and to frustrate the will of God for your life, which is His highest and best for you.
Pres-act-imp - dokimazo = to test for the purpose of approval or to examine; to test to see whether a person is genuine or a phoney.
It is the opinion that you have about yourself that matters, not the opinions that others have of you.
a. You examine yourself regarding sin.
b. You examine yourself for fear, worry, and anxiety, and you use the faith-rest drill to overcome these.
c. You examine yourself for proper objectives in life.
d. You examine yourself with regard to your personal love for God.
e. You examine yourself with regard to human interaction.
f. You examine yourself with regard to your relationship with God, which peaks out at spiritual maturity.
g. You examine yourself with regard to your status quo.
h. You examine yourself regarding your suffering status, when and why. Is it self-induced, punitive, or suffering for blessing?
To recognize - pres-act-ind - epiginosko = to metabolize doctrine, the same as the noun epignosis.
Customary present - denotes that which is reasonably expected to occur when the believer has had PVTD for a period of time.
Active voice - the positive believer produces the action of the verb.
This is an interrogative indicative mood for a question which can be answered by any believer at any stage of spiritual growth.
Part of spiritual growth is self-knowledge in relationship to the divine provisions for your life.
ROM 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
1. Only metabolized doctrine can be utilized in self-examination.
2. You cannot fulfill this mandate unless you personally have an understanding of the pertinent doctrine, which here is the doctrine of the indwelling of Jesus Christ.
3. Part of spiritual self-esteem is self-knowledge in relationship to the divine provision for your life.
4. Until we reach the point of occupation with Christ and personal love for each member of the Trinity who indwells us, spiritual self-esteem is impossible.
The status quo of Christ being in us is not an experience, but understanding the doctrine and applying the doctrine brings in an experience.
You fail the test when you do not understand the indwelling of Christ.
“Fail the test” - predicate nominative plural -adokimos = to flunk the test.
Ignorance of the fact that Jesus Christ indwells your body.
Failure to apply that metabolized doctrine to your life.
1. Self testing for PVTD as the number one priority in your life.
2. The persistence in the perception of doctrine - metabolizing it resulting in accurate and objective self-examination under the privacy of your own priesthood.
3. Application of a specific doctrine, the indwelling of Christ, for two purposes: to motivate in spiritual growth and to frustrate and to neutralize arrogance in your life.
1. The rhetorical question dealing with the indwelling of Jesus Christ is designed to test your spiritual self-esteem, and to motivate continued advance through the various stages of spiritual adulthood.
2. Spiritual self-esteem cannot be parlayed into spiritual autonomy until the believer passes providential preventative suffering, 2CO 12:7-10.
3. Cognition of the indwelling of Jesus Christ not only motivates the believer to continue his spiritual momentum, but it also motivates his application of doctrine, which will frustrate the impending danger of spiritual self-esteem being neutralized by arrogance.
4. Understanding the doctrine of the indwelling of Jesus Christ and applying it to the Christian life becomes a necessity in status quo spiritual self-esteem.
5. Two doctrines are important to understand in spiritual self-esteem: the doctrine of providential preventative suffering which provides momentum in spiritual self-esteem, and the doctrine of the indwelling of Jesus Christ which motivates the believer in spiritual self-esteem.
6. Like the Shekinah Glory dwelling between the cherubs in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle of Israel, the indwelling of Jesus Christ is just as invisible but just as real.
7. The glory of the indwelling of Jesus Christ is seen in two ways.
a. The attainment of spiritual maturity and the distribution of our escrow blessings.
b. The passing of evidence testing as a witness for the prosecution in the appeal trial of Satan and the fallen angels.