Weekly Bible Study – May 5, 2014

Knowing how to glorify God, or how believers resist the will of God. Part 2

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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

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STUDY TITLE:

Knowing how to glorify God, or how believers resist the will of God. Part 2

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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

Knowing how to glorify God, or how believers resist the will of God. Part 2


Doctrine of Glorifying God.
Point 1. How the Believer Glorifies God.
Point 2. What Does Not Glorify God.

We are now on Point 3. The Pattern for Glorifying God in the Church-age.

We have established the fact that the pattern of PMA of Bible doctrine requires our understanding of the three “R”s.

a. Reception of Bible doctrine being your is the #1 priority.

b. Retention refers to the metabolization of Bible doctrine, so that gnosis doctrine, or knowledge in the left lobe, becomes epignosis doctrine, wisdom in the right lobe, the heart, which is the basis of momentum in the PPOG.

c. Recall which is comparable to the concept of wisdom; it refers to the application of doctrine.

PRO 24:5 is not really saying that knowledge is power, but really the application of that knowledge is power, “A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.” It is true that knowledge is a tool that can be used to control and change the world, but this does not occur unless knowledge is applied. Once doctrine is metabolized, it becomes material for momentum concerning knowing how to glorify God.

An interesting process takes place in metabolism, there is what is known as anabolism. Anabolism is the part of metabolism that is converted for good. It is called the constructive part of metabolism. Anabolism takes small cells of energy and enlarges them. That it what the pastor-teacher is suppose to provide for you. However, the balance of this principle is taught in 2CO 10:8, For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame,

For this reason I am writing these things while absent, in order that when present I may not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down. (2CO 13:10)

The Bible teaches where this principle of anabolism or the building up process comes from: And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (EPH 4:11-12).

Then there is catabolism, which comes from the Greek word katabole which means to throw down. This process breaks down the cells which could be destructive.

Metabolizing doctrine does two things: First, it destroys some things that are no good and secondly it builds you up. In the building up process, a soul structure is built. So, Bible doctrine doesn’t always build you up, sometimes it tears you down. It convicts you, or it destroys some of the wrong norms and standards that you have developed. Through PMA of doctrine, we are put together and shaped for the work, or divine good, that produces the knowledge of glorifying God.

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: (2TI 4:1)

God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. What kind of judgment does the Lord Jesus Christ operate under?

“And if anyone hears My sayings [doctrines], and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (JOH 12:47-48)

There will be times when people will have no time nor interest for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food, catchy opinions that tickle their fancy (2TI 4:4-5). They will turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. Keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant. Therefore, when you put the mechanics and purpose of spiritual metabolism, you come up with the combination of anabolism and catabolism.

I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. (1CO 4:14-15)

The Greek word for “countless tutors” refers to those who give you instruction as being in a position of authority over many. The point here is that these tutors gave the children attention, and even though you have ten thousand people who will give you lots of attention they do not have your best interests at heart. They will all compliment you; tell you you’re great.

God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life. Therefore, metabolized doctrine does two things for us; It gives us momentum and discernment in our spiritual lives (analogous to anabolism), and it destroys human viewpoint (analogous to catabolism). Metabolism (anabolism and catabolism) has functions to neutralize the poison materials which enter the body through contaminated foods. Similarly, metabolized doctrine neutralizes false doctrine that would try to sneak it’s way in through the cosmic evangelist, preacher, or believer. Only the doctrine that is eaten or taken in can become metabolized doctrine ready to give vitality an energy to the spiritual believer for the purpose of knowing how to glorify God or the doctrine of the glorification of God.

As long as you're motivated by people, people will hurt you, even people you love. They will control you. In fact, sometimes the people you love do the best job in controlling your life. However, Bible doctrine is designed to be your motivation not people. Motivation must come from God, not from man. A great doctrinal message is not energy. A great doctrinal message is no guarantee of spiritual growth. A doctrinal message is no good to you until it is metabolized. God’s grace guarantees that God has provided everything necessary for the believer to assimilate Bible doctrine.

In logistical grace, God provides;

a. The formation and the preservation of the canon of scripture IQ the Bible.

b. The divine authorization of the local church as a classroom.\

c. The provision of a certain pastor for the communication of doctrine.

d. The filling of the Holy Spirit and spiritual phenomena understood, to that it can be metabolized. The provision and the privacy of the royal priesthood for receiving doctrine.

f. Logistical grace support to sustain your life so that you can fulfill the divine commands.

g. The grace provision of the human spirit which makes possible the understanding of doctrine and gives us the capacity to have an unlimited spiritual I.Q. When the human spirit understands the doctrine the believer is faced with gnosis.

The solution for every problem you will ever face in life is for you to use the divine assets and the divine power that God has provided and given to you. This means that there is no place for human works, human ability, or human talent in the plan of God under the principle of knowing how to glorify God or the doctrine of the glorification of God. The enemy of Christianity is human good, which is the doctrine of pseudo-spirituality and this is because divine power and human power are mutually exclusive.

It's like gas and carbohydrates or natural sugars. Gas is energy for your car. Carbohydrates gives you energy for your body. Carbohydrates that are natural sugars, supply the energy for the neurons in the brain to be able to print information. Gas does not and cannot do that. There is one thing that you never put in your gas tank and that is sugar. There is one thing that you never put in your body and that is gasoline. The point is simple: You cannot mix the two energies. You cannot mix human ability, human talent or human energy with the power of God.

The omnipotence of God is the spiritual energy in the Christian way of life. The only way that you can have this spiritual energy activated is through metabolized doctrine. If you get weary and faint it’s because you are relying on human power and not divine power.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. (HEB 12:1-3)

We grow weary and lose heart when “our” thoughts are not like “His” thoughts, when we are minus the mind of Christ. God the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine are the only means of energy sources whereby we are able to live a life which is glorifying to the Lord.

Combined together the three “R”s result in understanding the ten unique characteristics of the Church Age that ultimately glorify God:

1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

2. Dispensation of the unique PPOG.

3. Unique Equality in the PPOG.

4. The Unique Portfolio of Invisible Assets.

5. Two Unique Royal Commissions for every Church Age Believer.

6. The mystery doctrine of the Church-age.

7. The body of the Church-age believer is indwelt by each person of the Trinity.

8. The Unique Availability of Divine Power.

9. The Age of No Prophecy.

10. The Church Age is the dispensation of invisible heroes.

Those ten characteristics are the basis for your standard operating procedure. This also results in the understanding of the ten problem solving devices for the Christian way of life. Knowing how to glorify God results in problem-solving. There is X-amount of suffering for blessing involved in the three “R”s, Reception, Retention, and Recall, because this is the way you glorify God applying doctrine to your experience.

Glorification of God is ultimately the execution of the PPOG, the fulfillment of your personal sense of destiny, through the advance to spiritual maturity. If you desire to bring glory to God, your momentum must come from occupation with Christ and personal love for God. Again, you must be motivated from God and not from people.

However, Doctrine is designed to be your motivation not people. Motivation must come from God, not from man. The solution for every problem you will ever face in life is for you to use the divine assets and the divine power that God has provided and given to you. This means that there is no place for human works, human ability, or human talent in the plan of God under the principle of knowing how to glorify God or the doctrine of the glorification of God.

Visible heroes characterize every dispensation except the Church Age. In the Tribulation there are the two witnesses, the Tribulational martyrs, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists; all of whom are visible heroes. In the Millennium is a very visible hero, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But in this dispensation, heroes are invisible. Those ten characteristics are the basis for your SOP, your standard operating procedure. Again, this also results in the understanding of the ten problem solving devices for the Christian way of life. Knowing how to glorify God results in problem-solving. There is X-amount of suffering for blessing involved in Reception, Retention, and Recall, because this is the way you glorify God applying doctrine to your experience.

Glorification of God is ultimately the execution of the PPOG, the fulfillment of your personal sense of destiny, through the advance to spiritual maturity. That my friends, is The Pattern for Glorifying God in the Church-age.

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.