Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday, January 31, 2014
1. Remembering friends, – A tribute to Ray Almeida MC 2. Remembering Him – Celebration of the Lord’s Supper 3. Remember the Passover
These things refer to the man who had been sick for thirty‑eight years in JOH 5:5 where TLJC said to the man in JOH 5:8“Arise, take up your pallet, and walk” and also the fact that our Lord claimed His equality with God.
The most miraculous and important thing in the world is the message of the Gospel and the miracle of an individual receiving eternal life.
A miracle is easy for God to produce, whereas it is a lot harder for man to receive eternal life because it takes the work of God plus the volition of man working together.
2PE 3:9 The Lord is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
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 [but really the epignosis knowledge] of the truth.
Many of the translators define gnosis and epignosis the same, basically they translate both words to mean knowledge, when you can clearly see there’s a difference in the original language.
For the believer in Jesus Christ, there is a fantastic life beyond gnosis or knowledge which is epignosis meaning thoughts of wisdom or epignosis doctrine in the right lobe of the soul.
The real difference between gnosis and epignosis is that gnosis means knowledge whereas epignosis means wisdom.
1CO 8:1, We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes a person arrogant, but love or virtue love which is produced by epignosis meaning wisdom which edifies.
Epignosis doctrine is converted into motivation, decision, and action. It is the basis for the manufacture of invisible heroes.
Those who move beyond the barrier of gnosis into epignosis eventually become winners.
Believers who do not move beyond the barrier of gnosis are losers. They lose their escrow blessings for time and eternity.
The life beyond gnosis is the function of that great problem solving device: occupation with Christ, EPH 3:19, “And to come to know the love for Christ which goes beyond gnosis that you may be filled up to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
The context of Ephesians 3:19-21 describes three characteristics of life beyond gnosis.
In verse 19, it is described as being “filled up to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
In verse 20, beneficiaries are described as receiving “all they could ever ask or imagine.” This describes the spiritual adult on his way to becoming an invisible hero.
a. In verse 19, the life beyond gnosis is a life of great blessing. b. In verse 20, it is a life of great power beyond gnosis. c. In verse 21, there is great glory beyond gnosis.
There’s a tremendous difference between having gnosis (knowledge) and epignosis knowledge (wisdom).
1. The will of God for mankind is two‑fold. For the unbeliever: Salvation. For the believer: Metabolized doctrine.
1TI 2:3, This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the epignosis knowledge of the truth.
2. The cosmic believer fails to metabolize doctrine, 2TI 3:2‑7.
2TI 3:7, he or she is described by the phrase always learning and never able to come to the epignosis knowledge of the truth. The reason why the carnal believer does not metabolize doctrine is simply because the power of the Holy Spirit does not function in the cosmic system.
They are always learning academic subjects and doctrine, but it is all gnosis and only academic. They are never able to come to epignosis doctrine.
3. 2TI 2:23‑26 also deals with this subject. The majority of believers are in Satan’s cosmic system and doing his will because the majority of believers do not metabolize doctrine.
4. Only metabolized doctrine can be useful for problem solving, EPH 1:17.
EPH 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the epignosis knowledge of Him.
This is God the Holy Spirit taking epignosis doctrine and giving you the ability to handle your problems.
5. Only metabolized doctrine can fulfill the mandate of virtue first in the PPOG, PHI 1:9.
PHI 1:9 In fact, I pray this, that your virtue-love may excel to the maximum still more and more by means of epignosis knowledge metabolized doctrine resulting in all spiritual discernment,
2PE 1:8 for if these {qualities} are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge epignosis knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. Consequently, only metabolized doctrine can fulfill the PPOG, COL 1:9‑11.
7. Only metabolized doctrine can provide blessing under the PPOG.
8. If you have only gnosis doctrine, there is no basis for blessing. 2PE 1:2‑3.
2PE 1:2-3, Grace and peace be multiplied to you by means of the epignosis knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the epignosis knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
9. 2PE 3:17‑18 is the challenge to spiritual metabolism.
2PE 3:17-18, you therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him {be} the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
10. You can have a zeal to know God but if you do not have metabolized doctrine it is useless, ROM 10:2.
ROM 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
11. True wealth and prosperity comes from epignosis doctrine, COL 2:2.
12. The new man can only be renewed and energized through metabolized doctrine.
MAT 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
PSA 119:63, the writer who was under extreme pressure said, I am a companion of all those who respect Thee, and of those who keep Your doctrines.
PSA 101:6-7, My eyes shall be upon the “faithful” of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in integrity is the one who will minister to me. on the other hand, he who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
2SA 1:26, David says concerning Jonathan, You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women.
1SA 20:23 “As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.”
They usually have gnosis but no epignosis, and they’re the kind of people who destroy friendships and relationships and subtly sow discord.
The greatest destroyer of homes is the person who destroys their own.
It is that over a period of years, they are so full of gnosis and no epignosis that they destroy everything around them that is destroyable.
They polly parrot what they have learned and use it against others for their own convenience.
OBA 1:3 “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,”
PRO 16:18 Pride {goes} before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
PRO 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility {goes} before honor.
PRO 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.