Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, Feb 24, 2014

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan. Part 4

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan. Part 4



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan. Part 4

We are studying the Doctrine of the Theology of God's Perfect Plan.

Under Point 2 we have been noting the importance of the Essence of God.

So far we have noted the fact that God is sovereign. God is perfect righteousness. God is also just. One of the things that God has been revealing to us is the fact that God loves Himself because God's holiness includes His justice as well as His righteousness. (PSA 11:7; PSA 33:5; PSA 37:28; PSA 45:7; PSA 146:8).

We need to make sure we understand the best known verse in the Bible:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (JOH 3:16)

This familiar verse covers God's entire plan of love and grace. It begins in eternity past when the destiny of the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, said that He was going to be born true humanity, and go to the Cross to be judged for the sins of mankind.

A great deal of basic doctrine is covered in John 3:16. In it our Lord was presenting the plan of salvation to Nicodemus, a religious unbeliever. The Lord Jesus Christ was explaining the Gospel to him in extremely simple terms, drawing such analogies as being born again, or hearing the wind blow. However, even with this artistic explanation from the greatest pastor-teacher of all time, this intellectual Pharisee was still slow to catch on.

If He was struggling with these basic doctrines, how could he understand the inner functions of God's nature? The Lord Jesus Christ could not speak to Nicodemus as He might have spoken to a mature believer. In our Lord's day, as today, few people understood the essence of God, but nearly anyone could comprehend love in some sort of human relationship.

When we truly learn about the divine essence of God, and how He tries to communicate that heaven's ways are higher than our ways, and that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, then we are truly beginning to not just understand the divine essence of God, but we are now having the essence of God. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts" (ISA 55:8-9).

In 1CO 2:9 we read, But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We all are spiritually blind. We cannot discover God’s character or His divine essence if it were not for the fact that situations, or seemingly dark times, are designed to reveal to us the grace and the love of God. This is because the greatest way God can reveal Himself to man is through His love. "He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm" (PSA 40:2).

The apostle Paul said, For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; (2CO 4:5-8).

The Greek word for "afflicted" is the verb "thlibo" which means to be pressed as grapes bring forth wine, to press hard upon to trouble, to afflict, to distress, to suffer tribulation:

The Greek word for "persecuted" is "dioko" meaning to persecute, to follow after, to be given over to undeserved suffering, to pursue in a hostile manner, to harass, to suffer persecution on account of something. The phrase "struck down" is the Greek word "kataballo" means to cast down, to throw to the ground.

Here's how the true issue of the love of God, the motivator of the entire divine essence of God is revealed. Here's how believers who love God let their light shine:

Keep on doing all things without complaining, grumbling or arguing; In order that you yourselves may become blameless and not diluted by evil, students of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you appear as light giving bodies in the world, (PHI 2:14-15).

Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2CO 4:10)

What is the dying of Jesus? It is the fact that as an innocent individual, He went through undeserved suffering and He didn't complain, didn't quit. He went forward in the plan of God for His life. The word "life" is the Greek noun "zoe" which means the state of one who is possessed of vitality; it is used of the absolute fullness of life which belongs to God.

If ISA 55:8 is true, and it is, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. Then when ISA 55:10 says, But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting {Him} to grief; why do most believers have a difficult time understanding this?

In ISA 55:13 it says, Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.

How will He prosper?

Well, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord,” The Last Will Be First.

“Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.” (PSA 2:1-4)

How would He prosper?

He would be deserted by His friends. "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the Lord of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. (ZEC 13:7)

How will He prosper?

He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. (ZEC 11:12)

How will He prosper?

In Psa 22, He would be crucified. “I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me;” (PSA 22:14-17)

How will He prosper?

We have the prophecy of certain events which took place around the Cross. "But I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All who see Me sneer at Me; they separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, Commit Yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver Him; let Him rescue Him, because He delights in Him" (PSA 22:6-8). This was totally fulfilled. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, slaying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen one" (LUK 23:35).

We have the prophecy of His hands and feet being pierced in PSA 22:16. This was fulfilled throughout the Gospels when they nailed His hands and feet to the Cross, MAT 27:31 and MAR 15:24.

Then there was the prophecy of casting lots for His garments (PSA 22:18). This was totally fulfilled in MAT 27:35.

There is the prophecy that not one of His bones would be broken (PSA 34:20). is broken." This fulfilled in JOH 19:34-36. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. For these things came to pass, that the scripture might be fulfilled, "not a bone of Him shall be broken." (JOH 19:34-36)

Then there is the prophecy of the false witnesses. "Malicious witnesses rose up; they ask Me of things that I do not know" (PSA 35:11). Thiswas fulfilled in MAR 14:57-58. And some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.” (MAR 14:57-58)

There is the Old Testament prophecy of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. "Even My close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me" PSA 41:9). This was fulfilled in LUK 22:47-48. While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?" (LUK 22:47-48).

There is the prophecy that they would offer The Lord Jesus Christ gall and vinegar. "They also gave Me gall for My food, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." (PSA 69:21). This was fulfilled in MAT 27:34. They gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. (MAT 27:34).

There is the prophecy of the physical abuse and humiliation of Jesus. ISA 50:6 "I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spiting"(ISA 50:6).

This was fulfilled in MAT 26:67. Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him (MAT 26:67).

Before we go on, let's be sure we know the difference between impersonal and personal love.

And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us (1JO 4:16). God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. When John says "we have come to know," he uses the per-act-ind of "ginosko" which is "egnokamen," meaning to know, to become aware, to perceive, to understand, to be conscious of, to comprehend intellectually.

The reason it is translated "we have come to know the love which God has for us" is because knowing that God loves you is a process that comes from learned facts. The more doctrine you learn the more you will realize how much God loves you. What is it that we have come to know and have believed? It is the love, or the agape, which God has for us. Agape love is used here in the sense of virtue love and divine love. This is the love which God has from His own virtue or perfect righteousness. It is from His own perfect character, His own perfect integrity, from His own perfect virtue.

Everything begins with understanding the fact that God loves you. We love, because He first loved us (1JO 4:19). Our relationship with God begins by truly understanding the agape love that God had toward us. God's love for us is based upon who God is, not who we are. Just like agape love, or impersonal unconditional love, in us is based upon who we are, not those who we are showing love to. God loved us billions and billions of years ago without any strings attached. In fact, God's love impersonally and unconditionally all believers, whether they are living in His plan for their lives or not. This is why even though God knew in eternity past who would be a winner and who would be a loser, He still blessed losers. Those believers with negative volition toward doctrine, and who could care less about the plan of God have an escrow account. Losers have equal privilege and equal opportunity. How can God love losers? How can God love the carnal believer? The same way He loves winners and the same way He loves the mature believer: Impersonal unconditional agape love.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Wkly Bible Study postponed due to server issues.

Hi Everyone,

Regarding the weekly bible class, Grace Bible Church is having problems with their server.  They are working on it and will get it back up and running ASAP.  I will post the next bible study when their server problem is fixed.  Please pray they will get it running soon.

By His Grace,

Mark

Internet Church Service, Sunday, Feb 23, 2014

This week’s sermon title:
Hell and Other Bad Places to Live, Part 1

Today’s Sermon Message:
Hell and Other Bad Places to Live, Part 1

Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

Just a closer walk with Thee – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Hymn #2

Just As I Am – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

Due to the bad weather on the East Coast, the Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries website is off-line. We will resume as soon as their website is back on-line. In the mean time, I’ve chosen embed a video sermon by Bob Bryant of Cypress Valley Bible Church in Marshall, Texas.

If the embedded video is not visible above, click the following link to view it.
Hell and Other Bad Places to Live, Part 1
(drag the video progress bar to 18 minutes to skip music)

SERMON – NOTES
(open in new window or new tab)

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95
(you can change to NKJV which is what Bob Bryant uses for follow-along)

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

King of Kings, Majesty – Lyrics in Video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, Feb 17, 2014

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan – Part 3 .

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan – Part 3 .



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

The Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Justice
of God as it relates to the theology of God's plan – Part 4 .

We have been noting the Doctrine of the Theology of God's Perfect Plan. Under Point 2 we have been noting the fact that the Essence of God is necessary to understand the Theology of God's Perfect Plan:

1. God is Sovereign.

2. God also is perfect Righteousness.

3. God is also Just. God's holiness includes His justice as well as His righteousness.

God's righteousness and justice are tantamount to the integrity of God, guaranteeing His entire essence is completely involved in all He does. God’s love stands upon His integrity, composed of perfect righteousness and absolute justice. This marvelous principle of Bible doctrine demonstrates that the God of love and grace is not sentimental, partial or indecisive toward anyone. Grace is divine strength which expresses the love of God, but grace is also the uncompromising policy of the justice of God. For the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing] has appeared, bringing salvation and or deliverance to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly [spiritual] in the present age (TIT 2:11-12).

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (JOH 3:16)

This familiar verse is God's entire plan of grace. The verse begins in eternity past when the destiny of the Second Person of the Trinity was established to be born a true man (His uniquely born Son), that He might go to the Cross to be judged for the sins of mankind. Then it specifies the mechanics of our entering God's plan: Faith in Christ. It concludes with one of the advantages gained from believing in Him: Eternal life. A great deal of basic doctrine is covered in JOH 3:16, because in it our Lord was presenting the plan of salvation to Nicodemus, a religious unbeliever. Jesus was explaining the Gospel to him in simple terms, but even with an explanation from the greatest Teacher of all time, this intellectual Pharisee was still slow to catch on. If he was struggling with these basic doctrines, how could he understand the inner functions of God's nature? Jesus could not speak to Nicodemus as He might have spoken to a mature believer. Then, just as now, few people understand the essence of God, but nearly anyone could comprehend love in some sort of human relationship. However, there is a vast difference between divine love and human love.

When we talk about God loving the world, we are not talking about the cosmic system; we are talking about loving the human race. Do you know what would be entailed if God loved the world? The world is Satan's kingdom (JOH 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2CO 4:4; EPH 2:2). Satan rules his domain according to a plan and policy called "good and evil" (GEN 3:5), or simply "evil" (GAL 1:4). Evil is the sum total of Satan's genius; it is the thinking of Satan as opposed to the mind of Christ, Bible doctrine. Satan sponsors many different false systems of thought by which he seeks to gain control of the human soul (MAT 15:19), and hence of the entire human race.

When we understand Satan's reason for revolting against his own Creator we have a frame of reference for understanding evil. Satan revolted because of arrogance, and his objective has always been to be independent from God, trying to be like God, and trying to usurp the throne of heaven (ISA 14:14). He wants to prove that he is as good as God. In order to do so, Satan is determined to solve the problems of life independent of God's design and Bible doctrine. Thus, he promotes human good which are any good deeds accomplished apart from the filling of the Spirit and Bible doctrine, or any solutions contrary to the laws of divine establishment. Evil thinking leads to evil function and such satanic doctrines as altruism, philanthropy, legalism, socialism, and communism lead people to sincerely pursue noble ends at the expense of human freedom, privacy, property, prosperity, and spiritual growth. Satan operates under the proposition that the end justifies the means; therefore, he resorts to violence whenever necessary to accomplish his "good" ends (JOH 8:44).

Satan intends to prove God a liar, to supplant God's perfect design, to win the angelic conflict, to expose God as unfair for sentencing him to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire (ISA 14:14). The devil's world is totally hostile to the essence of God, to the plan of God, to the freedom, and salvation of man and to the spiritual advance of believers, and to everything related to God. There is absolutely no basis for compatibility between God and Satan's world (JOB 34:10; JAM 1:13). God judges evil and the primary characteristic of evil, arrogance. “Thus I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (ISA 13;11). Not only is the world enemy territory, but since the Fall of man, when Satan usurped the earthly throne from Adam, every person born into the human race (except Jesus Christ) are all born under divine condemnation, physically alive but spiritually dead. Adam rejected God's provisions in the Garden, and decided instead to eat from the tree of the knowledge of Satan's plan of good and evil. This act plunged the entire human race into spiritual death under Satan's new regime.

The glory of God is His perfect essence with emphasis on His righteousness. Through His glory and His righteousness, He solved the problem man had, and that reveals His love. Can perfect God love imperfect, condemned, depraved, unregenerate man? The answer is yes, but only with impersonal love. We are born spiritually dead because of Adam's Fall (ROM 5:12), but from the moment of physical birth every human being is the beneficiary of the integrity of God. Our lack of merit does not prevent God from designing and executing a plan to save us without violating His own standard. Under the principle of grace before judgment, God delays final judgment to permit us the opportunity to believe in Christ and receive eternal life. Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly [by maliciously judging each other] of the riches of His kindness [God's impersonal love, His "kindness" to man based solely on His own integrity] and forbearance [His delay in judgment] and patience [His consistency regardless of our rejection], not knowing that the kindness of God [His impersonal love] leads you to repentance? (ROM 2:1-4).

God delayed mankind's final judgment so that He could extend to us His kindness, His impersonal love. An impassable barrier stood between man and God. God cannot tolerate sin (ROM 3:23; JER 17:9; ISA 64:6b); He cannot cancel the penalty of sin (ROM 6:23a); nor can He ignore the problem of our physical birth and spiritual death (EPH2:1). So, in phase one of this life for members of the human race, God offers salvation to all mankind from His impersonal love, but only the few accept Christ as Savior and come under God's personal love. In phase two all believers on earth are sustained and protected by God's logistical grace from His impersonal love, but only the few utilize logistical grace, advance to maturity, and become recipients of supergrace blessings motivated by His personal love.

So, Grace is divine strength which expresses the love of God, but grace is also the uncompromising policy of the justice of God. That policy relies on the entire character and nature of God. So, the policy of grace is based upon the following:

- Righteousness - (Principle of grace).

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. (ROM 5:17).

- Justice - (function of grace)

Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (ROM 3:24)

- Love (Motivation)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (JOH 3:16)

- Eternal life (Abundance of grace)

That, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (ROM 5:21)

-Omnipotence (ability)

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." (2CO 12:9a)

- Omniscience (plan)

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the 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 true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2PE 1:1-4)

- Omnipresence (Fellowship)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (2CO 13:14)

- Sovereignty (Authority)

Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, (ROM 1:5)

- Immutability (Steadfastness)

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (HEB 4:16)

- Veracity (Truth of Grace)

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (JOH 1:17)

So, in phase one of this life for members of the human race, God offers salvation to all mankind from His impersonal love, but only the few accept Christ as Savior and come under God's personal love. In phase two all believers on earth are sustained and protected by God's logistical grace from His impersonal love, but only the few utilize logistical grace, advance to maturity, and become recipients of supergrace blessings motivated by His personal love. In phase three all believers in heaven possess the resurrection body, but only the few receive special rewards, decorations, and honors as the most eminent eternal aristocrats. So we begin with divine love in salvation.

The category in view in phase one of God's plan is the entire human race. The doctrine of unlimited atonement declares that Christ died for all mankind (ROM 5:6; 2CO 5:15; 1TI 2:6; 4:10; TIT 2:11; HEB 2:9). God manifests impersonal love toward everyone. He imputed human life to evil men, and presented them with repeated occasions to be saved (ROM 11:32; 2PE 3:9). The Cross is unconditional. However, in contrast, God reserves His personal love for only those few who believe in Christ and thus fulfill the conditions of the Gospel. In each generation a different proportion of all living people will trust in Christ, but those few, whatever their number, are the objects of divine personal love with reference to Phase One. The work of salvation required a gruesome price, the spiritual death of Christ on the Cross. No unbeliever has ever earned or deserved salvation, but if God has accomplished the most for those He loves impersonally, He can do only do much more than the most for those special few He loves personally.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (ROM 5:17)

God imputed all man's sins to Christ on the Cross in behalf of the entire human race, but God goes much farther for those who believe in Christ: to them He imputes divine righteousness. The most remarkable of all Bible doctrines is that God credits His own righteousness to every believer. We possess forever the very principle and standard of God's integrity, the quality that God has respected, honored, and loved throughout all His eternal existence. so when we talk about the love of God, I want you think about what God loves.

For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. (PSA 11:7)

He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord. (PSA 33:5)

For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever; But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
(PSA 37:28)

The Lord opens {the eyes of} the blind; The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous; (PSA 146:8)

We could receive no more valuable or significant blessing, from the love of God than the righteousness of God. Think of it, the same phenomenal love that has always existed between the Members of the Trinity is directed toward us. God loves His own righteousness; He has given us His righteousness; therefore, He loves us (2CO 5:21; ROM 5:19; GEN 15:6; ROM 8:38). As spiritual royalty each Church-age believer possesses a double portion of divine righteousness. The righteousness of God the Father is imputed to us at salvation, as it is to every believer of all other dispensations (GEN 15:6). We are included in the dynamics of "God is love," not because of who and what we are, but because of who and what God is. Because of His integrity our position in Adam, which makes us objects of divine condemnation, cannot suddenly become pleasing to God (1CO 15:22). God's absolute righteousness can never accept our relative righteousness (ISA 64:6a; ROM 9:30-33), nor can any attribute of God's character be compromised (ISA 46:9; ROM 8:8; 1TI 6:16).

The barrier between man and God was removed by the work of Christ on the Cross. Now only the Cross now stands between man and God. Only one issue remains: our volition. God cannot coerce our free will without compromising His integrity; He cannot arbitrarily save us. We must freely believe in Christ to be saved and avoid the Last Judgment (ROM 8:1). If God preempted our volition in salvation, He would destroy His own plan. He would cancel the very purpose of salvation: that each individual might choose to have a personal relationship with Him. Therefore, in impersonal love God does everything except make the decision for us. Positive volition is the only missing link, the only factor needed to complete our reconciliation with God. A single decision of non-meritorious faith in Christ closes the gap, and establishes us as God's beloved children forever.

The mechanics of salvation demonstrate the tremendous scope of God's impersonal love, the absolute "riches of His generosity." Without violating His integrity or relying on the unworthy objects of His impersonal love, God deployed all His infinite genius and power for our advantage, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," to a change of mind concerning Christ. God has provided everything for the eternal salvation of every unbeliever, and the maximum prosperity of every believer in both time and eternity. If an unbeliever rejects God's saving grace, he remains the object of only divine impersonal love until he dies, when the delay in judgment runs out:

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (HEB 10:26-27)

When the unbeliever accepts Christ, he becomes the object of divine personal love just as Adam was the object of God's personal love in the Garden. However, God's plan for the royal family gives us a higher position after salvation than Adam enjoyed before the Fall. God's game plan is to make us like His Son:

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, (HEB 2:10-11)

This is the doctrine of sanctification.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service, Sunday, Feb 16, 2014

This week’s sermon title:
The importance of the belt or the girdle of truth and the
breastplate of righteousness for the Christian Soldier. Part 7.

Today’s Sermon Message:
The importance of the belt or the girdle of truth and the
breastplate of righteousness for the Christian Soldier. Part 7.

Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

In The Garden – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Hymn #2

It Is Well – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The importance of the belt or the girdle of truth and the
breastplate of righteousness for the Christian Soldier. Part 7.

TO VIEW THE SERMON: Right click the link above, a small window will open then left click either “Open in New Window” or “Open in New Tab” and the church service notes page will open, it has three options in the upper right side of the page, right click the link titled “download mp3” and just like before, select either Open New Window or Open New Tab to open the MP3 player, this will leave the notes page open so you can move back to it, so go back to the notes page to follow along in the notes, the streaming audio should begin automatically in your default audio/video player (like, Windows Media Player).

If you need to leave the service, when you come back, to move the MP3 player forward, press and hold the left click down on the player progress bar where you see the little arrow under the time on progress bar and move your mouse forward

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

Jesus What A Beautiful Name – Lyrics in Video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.