Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
Spiritual mechanics must be parlayed into spiritual dynamics. Part 10.The doctrine of the Joints and ligaments, Part 4.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Point 4. Joints Provide Body Coordination.
If the joints are stiff, you have rigid body action (analogous to the legalistic joints in the spiritual realm). If the joints are free and loose, you have freedom and liberty (analogous to the pastor-teachers who teach you about the grace of God).
Without the faithful teaching of the pastor, there would be no fulfillment of the PPOG and no spiritual mechanics parlayed into spiritual dynamics, and therefore no invisible heroes.
A. Personal impact.
B. Historical impact.
C. International impact.
D. Angelic impact.
E. Heritage impact.
Karl von Clausewitz - On War.
In Book One of Chapter Three - “Every specific calling in life requires special qualities of intellect and temperament.”
“When these are of a high order and manifest themselves by extraordinary achievements, the mind to which they belong is termed genius. Genius is a superior mental capacity for certain activities.”
“The essence of military genius is to bring under consideration all of the tendencies of mind and soul in combination toward the business of war.”
“We say “in combination,” for military genius is not just one single quality bearing on war, as for instance courage, but it is a harmonious combination of powers in which one or the other may predominate, but none must be in opposition.”
When we have different parts of the body of Christ in opposition and causing division, we are seeing believers living the fragmented spiritual life in the cosmic system.
a. Acknowledgment of personal, postsalvation sins, 2SA 12:13; PSA 51:4; 15:18,21; PRO 28:13; 1JO 1:9; JER 3:13.
b. Appeal to the finished work of Christ as Basis for rebound (instantaneous recovery), HEB 9:14; 1JO 2:1-2.
c. Isolation of the sin (forgetting it), PHI 3:13; HEB 12:15-17.
d. Moving on, PHI 3:14; HEB 6:1; HEB 12:12-13.
For us to be in unity, you must be rightly related to the joint of the body that God has assigned you to, 1PE 5:3.
You must learn and use the spiritual mechanics to strengthen your spiritual skills and have them parlayed into spiritual dynamics or living the dynamic spiritual life.
Four Spiritual Mechanics that you need to learn:
_________________________
1. Filling of the Holy Spirit.
2. Metabolized Bible doctrine circulating in the soul.
3. Ten problem-solving devices.
4. The execution of the PPOG.
The Three Spiritual Skills.
1. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the first spiritual skill in the spiritual life. The filling of the Spirit converts human I.Q. into spiritual I.Q., so that we have equality to learn spiritual phenomena.
2. The word of God circulating in your soul.
3. The problem-solving devices deployed on the FLOT line of the soul.
Body coordination demands communication of the mystery doctrine of the Church-age by the pastor-teacher, so that winners may be produced in every generation of the Church-age.
Just as military genius must have the coordination of all of its faculties, so the body of Christ must have the coordination of all the spiritual gifts, which function to the maximum when the believer involved has attained spiritual maturity.
1TI 4:8 it holds promise for this life - “Life” - descriptive genitive singular - zoe = a life which is energetic and enthusiastic.
PHI 3:1-2 Finally, my brethren, keep on having inner happiness in the Lord. On the one hand, to be writing the same doctrines to you is not troublesome to me, while on the other hand, it is a safeguard or a basis of security for you. Beware of those dogs [Judaizers, legalists], look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
PHI 3:3-4 for we [supergrace-believers] and only we keep on being the true circumcision [the true circumcision in the Church-age], who keep on worshipping in the Spirit of God and glory or boast in Christ Jesus and we put no confidence in the flesh. even though I myself might be having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone of the same category [Judaizers] assumes to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
PHI 3:5-6 circumcised the eighth day, [born] out from the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an outstanding Hebrew]; with reference to the Law, a Pharisee; with reference to zeal, constantly persecuting the church; with reference to the self-righteousness which is in the Law, having become blameless.
PHI 3:7-8 But whatever quality of things were gains to me, those things [gains] I have concluded as an expert as loss for the sake of Christ. Not only this but more than this, I conclude as an expert all things [Paul’s pre-salvation human celebrityship and achievement] to be loss [singular] because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have forfeited all things, also, I keep on concluding as an expert them to be piles of dung in order that I may win for Christ,
PHI 3:9-10 and that I may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness derived from the source of the Law, but that [righteousness] which is acquired by means of faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from the source of the God at the point of faith, that I may come to know Him [the purpose of this entire study of having the spiritual mechanics parlayed into spiritual dynamics], and the power of [behind] His resurrection and the participation of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
PHI 3:11-12 if, in some way, I may attain to the resurrection life away from the dead ones. Not that I have already obtained it [the resurrection life or the ultra-supergrace status], or have already reached the objective, but I continue pressing on that I may attain that [or overtake that, or gain that, arrive at the objective] on account of which I was overtaken by Christ Jesus.
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.
Amplified Bible - PHI 3:15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.
PHI 3:15 Therefore, as many as are spiritually mature, let us have this attitude, in fact, if in anything you have a different attitude, the God will also reveal that to you.
This is the true meaning of life on this earth, “knowing Him.”
Once we begin to know Him then we can begin to know ourselves.
Once we begin to know Him then we can begin to know Our Father and our Mentor.
We must not only learn the doctrines involved but even more importantly we must come to know Him more intimately as the One who presents and upholds those doctrines, for Bible doctrine is His mind.
No one can experience eternal life without knowing God the Father and God the Son.
Amplified Bible - “May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts). be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
The partakers of the divine nature are those who partake of their new position in Christ experientially and they can only do so through the spiritual mechanics being parlayed into spiritual dynamics.
Knowing Him all begins with one very simplistic word, simplistic but valuable.
Time.
We learn from the past and we have hopes regarding the future.
Sanctified time or time set apart to learn of Him and then the ability to wait on the timing for God as He works within us.
Most of God’s people have difficulty in realizing and facing up to the fact that God is not on a timetable and He is not in a hurry in His development of their Christian life, PHI 1:6.
This is important to see, since in most instances when seeming declension begins to set in, it is not, as so many think, a matter of backsliding or losing your love or apostasy or reversionism.
HEB 13:9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace,
JOH 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”
1. Sanctified time or time set apart to learn of Him.
2. The ability to wait on the timing for God as He works within us.
HEB 13:21 - God is strengthening and equipping you with everything good that you may carry out His will; while He Himself works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight.
We would rather have that which is pleasing in our sight.
Many times when it seems as though we are stagnating, it is not as so many think, a matter of backsliding or losing our love or entering in some form of reversionism.
Since the spiritual life matures and becomes productive by the principle of growth, 2PE 3:18, rather than by adversities and experiences, much time is involved.
George Goodman -
“Some have been betrayed into professing perfection or full deliverance, because at the time they speak they are happy and confident in the Lord.
They forget that it is not a present experience that ensures fruit unto maturity, but a patient continuance in well doing. To taste of the grace of God is one thing; to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit, and regular life, is another.
Experiences and blessings, though real gracious visitations from the Lord, are not sufficient to rest upon, nor should they lead us to glory in ourselves, as if we had a store of grace for time to come, or were yet at the end of the conflict.
No. Fruit ripens slowly; days of sunshine and days of storm each add their share. Blessing will succeed blessing, and storm follow storm before the fruit is full grown or comes to maturity.”
ECC 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
GAL 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
EPH 5:16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
There is a waiting period between the acceptance and the receiving of God’s word and then the real experiencing of it, often years.
Our responsibility is to patiently wait on Him and the time necessary for Him to work into our character, our life, that which we have learned and received as we are getting to Know Him.
HEB 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
It is usually a matter of years between the actual appropriation and the practical experience of that which we have claimed to believe.
PHI 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Press on - dioko = to press forward, to suffer persecution on account of something, to seek after eagerly, to earnestly endeavor to acquire.
Every bit of truth we receive, if we receive it with positive volition and a positive attitude, will take us into a conflict and will be confirmed through that conflict, if we remain faithful to that doctrinal principle.
We will not only know “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world,” we will experience it in our spiritual life.
We will not only know “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth,”
2CO 13:8, we will experience it.
PSA 119:32 I shall run the way of Your doctrines, For You will enlarge my heart.
2TH 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged,
PRO 24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in {time of} calamity.
ROM 14:22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.