Weekly Bible Study – December 19, 2016

Doctrine of Imputations. Part 4.
The Imputations of Divine Blessings to the Resurrection Body.

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Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links 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), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up and it will take you to the online bible. On older computers some word definition or message hover popups may not work unless you are using an up-to-date Firefox browser – some of the latest versions of other popular browsers that require Windows 10 work well also. If you don’t have Firefox on your XP, Vista, Win 7, Win 8.1 or other operating system, that’s OK, try left clicking the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.

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]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

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 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

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 3:14-15, 16, 17, 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

Doctrinal Statement

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

STUDY TITLE:

Doctrine of Imputations. Part 4.
The Imputations of Divine Blessings to the Resurrection Body.

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
Old Sin Nature = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine [Bible Truth]
+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, scripture quotes and references are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible. However, a few may be corrected translations developed from the exegetical study of the original languages.

Doctrine of Imputations. Part 4.
The Imputations of Divine Blessings to the Resurrection Body.

We have noted the relationship between the doctrine of imputations and the Judgment Seat of Christ.

2Co 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Rom 14:10, But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.

This is the beginning of the final imputations to the believer, the imputation of divine blessings given to the believer in his resurrection body. We also noted that when the operational power of the resurrection reached its peak in human history. First, in the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union when God indwelt the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ which is known as the first Christocentric dispensation. By Christocentric I mean a time when God indwelt man. Secondly, there is the great power experiment of the Church-age indwells every member of the Church-age.

Both dispensations are known as periods of time when resurrection life and power was made available for God’s people. Although, it is not given enough attention, there is a direct relationship between resurrection life and the power of God. Look at Eph 1:18-20, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might [and when did He make this power known and available to us?] which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Please notice it was not until our Lord was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God that resurrection power was made available.

Eph 3:14-20, For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

Now, both of these periods of great power end with a resurrection. For example, the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union terminated with the resurrection, ascension, and session of the humanity of Christ. The great power experiment of the Church-age will terminate in the “Exit Resurrection” or “Rapture” of the Church.

And so the final imputation takes place sometime after physical death or the rapture or the “exit resurrection” of the church. Remember, that while the believer has control over his life in the execution of the PPOG through consistent positive volition toward doctrine and through the use of his portfolio of invisible assets, He has no control over the manner or time of his physical death. He cannot prolong his life or cut it short (except, of course, by suicide, which is the sign of a loser believer). Neither does he have any control over the manner of time of the resurrection. The death of the believer is always a matter of the wisdom, integrity and sovereignty of God. You might want to remember that when someone dies and you don’t understand why!

Psa 68:20, God is to us a God of deliverances; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Isa 57:1, The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil,

The death of the believer is always God’s victory and those who are raised from the dead are His trophies. The type of believer makes no difference; because all go to heaven. The believer’s death means he is absent from the body, face to face with the Lord, in a place of “no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death,” and the Lord’s timing is perfect neither too soon and never too late. Death always comes at the exact right time.

Every generation of believers in the Old Testament died a physical death but none of them have experienced resurrection up till this day. The Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead but that takes place seven years after we, the Church-age believers are raised at the rapture also known as “Exit Resurrection” of the Church.

Moses had a dramatic death, climbing the mountain and the Lord taking him home from there.

Elijah had a ride to heaven in a special conveyance.

But there was no resurrection in the Old Testament. There could not be a resurrection in the Old Testament, for the first resurrection in history was that of Jesus Christ at the end of the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union.

God is perfect; His wisdom and decisions are perfect. God decides the time and manner of the death of each of us.

As Job said when he heard of the death of his children in a terrible storm: Job 1:21, “The Lord gave; the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Rom 8:38 39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.”

Psa 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

Phil 1:20-21 “On the basis of my intense concentration and confident expectation [a personal sense of destiny] that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but with all confidence, Christ shall even now [in time] as always [in eternity] be glorified in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ, likewise dying is profit.

Now, when it comes to the believer being blessed in his resurrection body, he will receive something which now follows at the judgment seat of Christ. First of all, the judgment seat of Christ is the time of the seventh imputation from the justice of God. Some of these imputations that take place in your resurrection body are classified as crowns.

There are at least five categories of crowns for believers in the word of God.

The first four are available to all believers; the last one is available to those who have the spiritual gift of pastor teacher only.

1) The crown of righteousness.
2) The crown of life.
3) The incorruptible crown.
4) The crown of rejoicing.
5) The crown of glory.

Well, let’s note what these crowns are given at the judgment seat of Christ.

The crown of righteousness is awarded at the judgment seat of Christ to the Church-age believer who fulfills the pre-designed plan of God by the advance to spiritual maturity. This is given to mature believers with emphasis on their attainment of spiritual maturity in the PPOG.

The believer who wears the invisible uniform of honor (Eph 6) will receive the crown of righteousness. The function of impersonal love is the manifestation of the invisible uniform of honor. The crown of righteousness is given for your virtue, honor, integrity, passing momentum tests, and fulfillment of the royal family honor code.

2Ti 4:7 8, “I have fought an honorable fight [advance to spiritual maturity]. I have completed the course [execution of the pre-designed plan of God]. I have guarded the doctrine [#1 priority]. In the future there is reserved for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award me in that day, and not only to me, but to all [winners] who have loved his appearing.”


He perpetuated spiritual self-esteem and spiritual maturity. As a mature believer, the perpetuation of spiritual maturity means to continue learning the word of God daily. So the crown of righteousness is a decoration for the attainment, perpetuation, and activity of spiritual maturity. This crown is presented to those believers who advance through the three stages of spiritual adulthood. Some believers will have the crown of righteousness for loving His appearing which means that they were totally occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ and produced a lot of divine good, 2Ti 4:8.

This is especially true of believers who are in a single status. As the apostle said concerning the subject of dating and marriage in 1Co 7:32-35, But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly, and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

Accompanying the crown of righteousness is a tremendous amount of extra privileges, blessings, and opportunities in the eternal state. Then there’s the crown of life, James 1:12, Rev 2:10. This crown of life is awarded to the Church-age believer who in spiritual maturity passes evidence testing. By passing evidence testing, the mature believer has glorified God to the maximum and so will receive the crown of life. Evidence testing is administered by Satan as an extension of the angelic conflict.

Rev 2:10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Note that the devil is about to cast some of you in prison, that you may be tested and you will have special persecution ten times. Keep on being faithful even until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

James 1:12, “Happy is that person who perseveres under testing, for once he has passed the [evidence] test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.”

This tells us that happiness is not confined to prosperity, to having things going your way. The happiness provided by Bible doctrine exists under the greatest categories of adversity. The crown of life is awarded to all members of the royal family of God who utilize the problem-solving devices and advance to maturity and then use +H to pass evidence testing.

The incorruptible crown is given to those who mastered the their O.S.N. through dedication and devotion to the PPOG. These are the believers who were discipline, faithful, dependable, and self-motivated. They didn’t look for excuses not to give, serve or be faithful to Bible class! They fulfilled their obligations even when they were not present! So, some will have the incorruptible crown for mastering their OSN.

1Co 9:24-27, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

The crown of rejoicing is for being soul winners, 1Th 2:19, For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

These individuals were accurate in their communication of the Gospel. They were not ashamed of the gospel of Christ! And they led others to the grace and truth found in the lord. They led many to the righteousness found in the word of God!

Dan 12:3, “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

They are said to be filled with life and wisdom!

Prov 11:30, The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.

The crown of glory is awarded to pastors who faithfully study and teach Bible doctrine to their congregation, doctrine by which the pastor and positive members of the congregation will attain spiritual maturity. He is described in Heb 6:10, For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

The motivation for the pastor is occupation with the Lord.

1Pe 5:1-4, Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd [Lord at judgment seat of Christ] appears [rapture], you [faithful pastors] will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

PHIhil 4:1 personalizes this concept, “Therefore, my brethren, loved ones [congregation who is respected for their faithfulness], deeply desired ones, my happiness and my crown, keep on being stabilized [winners of the crown of righteousness].”

1Th 2:19 20, “for who is our hope or happiness or crown of boasting [glory]? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and our happiness.”

At the judgment seat of Christ, those who have attained spiritual maturity are the crown of glory for the pastor. The pastor’s boasting or crown of glory is received because certain members of his congregation do two things by listening to the teaching of the word: They take the giant step to spiritual self-esteem, and they take the victory step to spiritual maturity where they can receive evidence testing to glorify God to the maximum.

So the happiness of the pastor comes from the positive response of those faithful to the teaching of the word of God.

The pastor’s happiness is different from that of anyone else in the sense that believers with P.V.T.D. are the basis for the pastor receiving the crown of glory.

The ultimate decoration: The order of the morning star. The winner who receives the crowns mentioned not only has vast estates in the eternal state, but he receives this decoration and others that go with it. This decoration is taken from and named after our Lord’s third royal patent, “King of kings, Lord of lords, the bright morning star,”

Mentioned specifically in Rev 22:16 and 2Pe 1:19. The order of the morning star is given to winners as the highest of all decorations in escrow blessings given by God. It is a part of the new order of chivalry in the eternal state for the royal family. This decoration is awarded for the maintenance of spiritual maturity in what may be called an ultra supergrace status. This decoration is mentioned as a part of escrow blessings for the eternal state in Rev 2:26,28, “furthermore, the winner, even he who keeps my assignments [execution of the pre-designed plan of God] until the end [perpetuation of spiritual maturity through evidence testing], to him I will give authority over the nations.”

Verse 28, “furthermore I will give to him the order of the morning star.”

The mature believer will be a ruler over a Gentile nation and rule during the Millennium.

Receiving this decoration is the highest manifestation of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church-age. This same title was given to Him at the ascension and session and is related to both the strategic victory and tactical victory of the angelic conflict.

Rev 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to declare these things to you for the churches; I am the root [Jesus Christ as eternal God], and the descendent of David [Jesus Christ in hypostatic union], the bright morning star [His title for the first and second advents].”

Num 24:17, “I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not near. Behold, a star [Christ as the morning star] shall come forth from Jacob [first advent] and a scepter shall rise from Israel [second advent].”

Matt 2:2 is a reference to the morning star related to the first advent, Matt 2:2 “where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.”

2Pe 1:16-19, For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so, we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

The order of the morning star is named after our Lord’s royal title and is given for historical impact in the church age.

It authorizes the recipient to reign with Christ in the Millennium and hold the highest privileges for all eternity. These believers can eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God, located in the New Jerusalem. There are at least seven privileges that accompany the order of the morning star.

1) The uniform of honor, being invisible and worn in the soul, is exchanged at the judgment seat of Christ for the translucent uniform of glory worn over the resurrection body. It was first modeled by Jesus Christ on the mount of transfiguration, Matt 17:2, “and His clothes became white as light.” The uniform of glory is a monument to right decisions. The uniform of glory is given as a translucent light which covers the resurrection body, Rev 3:4 5, “they will walk with Me in whites…”

2) The name of the winner appears on the honors list, and he is presented in the court of heaven during the tribulation on earth. Only those on the honors list are taken to heaven and presented to god the father. The honors list is made up of those believers who make Bible doctrine their highest priority daily.

Rev 3:5, “Thus the winner shall be clothed in white garments and I will never blot out his title [the winner is knighted at the judgment seat of Christ] out of the book of life. In fact I will acknowledge his title in the presence of My Father and before His angels [a formal presentation].”

3) A new order of knighthood and eternal order of chivalry will be added to the believer’s name in the Lamb’s book of life forever, Rev 2:17 cf Col 3:4,6.

The new knighthood is given to the winner, Rev 2:17, “To the winner, I will give him blessing from the hidden manna [escrow blessing for time and eternity]; also I will give him a white pebble [the resurrection body, God’s final vote of justification – they voted with colored pebbles in the ancient world], and on that white pebble has been inscribed a new Title [your royal patent in the eternal heraldry] which no one knows [you are an anonymous hero during the church age].”

4) The winner will rule with Christ during the Millennium.

5) The winner’s name is recorded in the permanent historical record section because of his invisible historical impact during the church age, Rev 3:12a. The impact of the winner is anonymous as far as the record of history is concerned, but not as far as God is concerned. The mature believer’s historical record will be recorded forever in the heavenly temple. Each pillar will have the record of his life as a winner.

Rev 3:12, “The winner, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God. Furthermore, he will never again vanish [go outside] from history. Also I will emblazon on him the title of My God, and the name of the city of My God”

This will be his pass to enter the eternal city, the New Jerusalem, a satellite city suspended above the earth in the atmosphere or in space, the New Jerusalem, which shall descend from heaven from My God; also My new title [King of kings, Lord of lords, bright morning star].”

The temple of God is the eternal record center in the future. This temple of God will be the historical textbook of the true heroes of history. The mature believer as a part of the pivot is the true impact on history. In Gal 2:9 the mature believer is currently called a pillar of the church.

6) The winner receives his own coat of arms of glory, Rev 3:12b.

7) The winner has special privileges related to the tree of life, the gazebo of the garden, called the paradise of God.

You are a member of a special club with special parties to which only you are invited; you’re a member of the paradise club forever, Rev 2:7,14.

Rev 2:7, “To the winner, I will give to him the privilege of eating from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.”

Rev 22:14, “Blessed are they [winners] who have washed their robes [rebound], that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city [New Jerusalem].”

The tree of life is the ultimate in eternal reward and blessing.

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.