Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday, May 16, 2014
1. The first principle is this: – The primary purpose of the pastor is to teach the believer the difference between their position and condition in TLJC.
2. Being connected to the vine is simply being in union with Christ which is really what is known as the doctrine of positional truth.
3. Positional truth takes place at the moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit places the believer in union with Christ; ACT 1:5, 1CO 12:13, EPH 4:5.
4. In union with the vine or our being in union with Christ belongs to the carnal as well as the spiritual believer (1CO 1:2;1CO 1:30; 1CO 3:1-3).
5. Positional truth or being in union with the vine, our Lord Jesus Christ protects the believer from divine judgment in eternity, ROM 8:1.
6. Positional truth means that when God redeemed us He raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, EPH 2:6.
7. Once we are in Christ our position totally changes in 1CO 15:22, 2CO 5:17, GAL 6:15.
8. Our condition is what we are in our Christian walk as we develop from infancy to maturity.
9. Understanding your position can change your condition, but your condition can never change your position; ROM 8:38-39.
10. When we concentrate upon our condition we are not living by faith but by feelings, emotions and appearances.
If the believer is not clearly aware of certain doctrines in the Word of God, he cannot exercise the necessary “faith” for growth and service.
Faith toward our position in Him will bring growth in our condition here on earth.
Our justification is “in” Christ and not in ourselves – it is the truth concerning our position not our condition.
Our justification has nothing to do with our condition but everything to do with our position.
If we understand that our justification is in Christ our spiritual condition will be affected.
Positional truth is also related to our acceptance with God – EPH 1:3-6 says.
The believer who is not aware of his position of acceptance “in Christ” is caught up a struggle.
He is constantly trying to improve his condition in order to feel accepted by God.
The responsibility that we have concerning positional truth then is to simply believe it.
AMP – ROM 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Message Bible – ROM 6:11 From now on, think of it this way:
BBE – ROM 6:11 Even so see yourselves as dead to the sin nature,
TLB – ROM 6:11 look upon your old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to the sin nature
TNIV – ROM 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Kenneth Wuest – ROM 6:11 Thus, also, as for you, you be constantly counting upon the fact;
When it comes to baptism or identification with Christ leading us to positional truth, there is one major word we all need to master and understand and that is the verb logizomai.
Consider yourselves; Reckon ye also yourselves; Think of it this way;: See yourselves; look upon your old sin nature; Constantly counting upon the fact;
This is how you need to think when it comes to Positional Truth.
The believer is cleansed by means of faith in ACT 15:8-9; “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
ACT 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
It is through faith that the early churches were being strengthen in ACT 16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.
When it comes to our position in Christ in ACT 26:18 that the Lord has sent us to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God,
ROM 1:17….as it is written, “But the righteous {man} shall live by faith.”
When it comes to our position in Christ, we also see that in ROM 3:26 that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Thinking position truth as a lifestyle causes us to know that we are perfectly righteous, ROM 4:5.
Thinking position truth as a lifestyle causes us to know that we are perfectly justified, ROM 5:1.
Thinking position truth as a lifestyle causes us to be able to stand against our unbelief, ROM 11:20.
We are saved by faith; EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
We are to live by faith; GAL 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God;
We are to walk by faith; 2CO 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight‑‑
We are to grow by faith; as 2CO 10:15 says We are not boasting beyond measure in other men’s labors, but with confidence that as your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
Security is very vital in all aspects of life including the spiritual life.
Am I unconditionally and forever saved or am I on probation?
What they fail to understand is that the believer who truly stands in the grace of positional security is the one who truly respects God and hates sin.
He hates sin for what it is – not just for its consequences.
Grace gets rid of all the doubt and the guess work and give some assurance. Whereas, the law and legalism keeps one guessing and hoping.
As 2TI 3:7 puts it, these are the ones who are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We have liberty “in Christ” – GAL 2:4. Blessings in Christ – EPH 1:3. Been chosen in Christ – EPH 1:4. Acceptance in Christ – EPH 1:6. Redemption in Christ – EPH 1:7.
Boldness in Christ – EPH 3:12 Election in Christ – ROM 8:33 Predestinated in Christ – ROM 8:29 Called in Christ – 1TH 5:24 Condemnation removed – ROM 8:1
Crucified with Him – ROM 6:6 Dead with Him – ROM 6:8 Buried with Him – ROM 6:4 Raised with Him – ROM 6:4 Freed from the law – ROM 7:4
Adopted in Him – ROM 8:15 Justified with Him – ROM 3:24 Forgiven in Him – EPH 4:32 Righteous in Him – 2CO 5:21
Objects of His love – EPH 2:4 objects of His grace – EPH 2:8-9 Objects of His power – PHI 2:13 Objects of His faithfulness – PHI 1:6
Objects of His peace – JOH 14:27 Objects of His intercession – ROM 8:34
We share in His priesthood – HEB 10:10-14 His kingdom – 2PE 1:11 His heirship – ROM 8:16-17
The word true is an adjective alethinos which means true, trustworthy, dependable.
The vine is the source of wine. Wine is used not only literally as it often is but sometimes it is used as an analogy to happiness.
When the Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am the dependable vine’ it means He is dependable for perfect happiness.”
The word vinedresser – georgos means farmer, cultivator of the soil, the one who does the planning and the planting and the cultivating and the harvesting.
a. Relationship with the vine. When we believe in Jesus Christ we have relationship with Him, we are in union with Him, just as the branch is in union with the vine.
b) The branch indicates productivity. The productivity for the Church-age must come from the believer who is on the earth.
By production is meant thinking doctrine, not hustling around. When you stop thinking God eventually pulls you out because you are a spiritual zombie, a dead branch.
a) The knocking type discipline, this is warning; b) The intense discipline; c) The dying discipline.
The pruning is the mature believer getting occasional adversity, suffering, trial, etc. in order that he might be blessed even more.
Pruning only makes the branch stronger and more productive.
“that it may bear forth more fruit” means that – adversity is designed by God to intensify the blessing and happiness of the mature believer.
“I in you” – the ECS.
The believer cannot bear fruit from the source of itself.
This is a reference not to eternal judgement but it is the fact that when branches dried up in a vineyard they collected them all and threw them in a fire. In other words, they are removed.