Remember our Lord’s evaluation is of the “good” we produced in time, to see if it was “human good” or “divine good.”
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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]; 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, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, 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 simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive 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 McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Remember our Lord’s evaluation is of the “good” we produced in time, to see if it was “human good” or “divine good.”
This past week we noted the difference between Divine good and human good, both are mentioned in 2Co 5:10.
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 [agathos = Divine good] or bad [phaulos – evil or human good].
This is a very important principle concerning not just what took place on the cross concerning our “personal sins” but also what happened to the “human good” that the old sin nature produced while on earth.
We are very familiar with sins being judged for all the human race but what happen to the good things or the human good man produced with his own power? The answer is the fact that the human good is not judged but is evaluated which is different than sins which were all judged.
In other words, personal sins are judged while the production of human good is rejected.
Remember our Lord’s evaluation is of the “good” we produced in time to see if it was “human good” or “divine good.”
And the main principle that He judges by is said to be His word, the word of God.
John 12:37-49, But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them.” These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.
Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me. I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears My sayings, 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.” For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment, what to say, and what to speak.
Human good is that which Satan tries to steal from us and rob us by causing us to rely on the creature power rather than the power of the word and the power of the Holy Spirit; Rom 1:25.
Rom 1:25, For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Therefore, Human good must never be confused with morality or the legitimate production of the believer. There is legitimate morality and there is legitimate production of good called divine good. Therefore, Human good is the production of the believer who lives in the cosmic system and who does not rely on the power or the filling of the Spirit. Therefore, human good is not valid in God’s eyes.
Human good is simply the production of evil. All personal sins were judged on the cross while all human good is waiting to be evaluated at the “Bema Seat Judgment for believers” or at “The “Great White Throne Judgment” for the unbelievers, both angelic and human; Rev 20:11-15.
Whether it is altruism or any form of asceticism of self-sacrifice, human good is the production of the believer in Satan’s domain or kingdom, called in the Bible the cosmos or the world system. It is this world system that the Lord delivered us from says Col 1:13, For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
This is why to advance in the spiritual life, you must distinguish between human good and divine good; Heb 5:11-14.
Being arrogant means you have negative volition towards doctrine.
James 3:14, But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against doctrine.
In their arrogance, they are always murmuring and complaining about others while flattering others to gain an advantage over them.
Jud 1:16, These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
In dealing with some of the early problems in the beginning of the Church-age, Jude is writing, insisting, and even begging!
That they would fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish.
Jud 1:3, Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
What has happened is that some evil people have infiltrated their ranks as our Scriptures warned us this would happen.
And therefore, beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels, Satan was trying to shed the grace of God and doing away with Jesus Christ, our One and Only Master.
Then in the next twelve verses he says in effect, I’m laying this out as clearly as I can, even though you once knew all this well enough and shouldn’t need reminding.
Here it is in brief: The Master saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Later he destroyed those who defected.
As Jud 1:6 says, And you know the story of the angels who didn’t stick to their post, abandoning it for other, darker missions. [But they are now chained and jailed in a black hole deep in earth until the great Judgment Day.] Sodom and Gomorrah went through perverted sexual sins along with the surrounding cities that acted just like them, are another example to us.
The point being that relying upon human good and entering into legalism produces pride and pride makes one stupid; (Psa 94:8).
So, the recipients were in no position to receive advanced doctrine. They were ignorant of doctrine, and added to that they had become involved in human good and the religious activity of their day.
Now, notice that the writer gives the reason why doctrine is hard to explain to certain believers in Heb 5:11, Concerning Him we have many doctrines to communicate [is the corrected translation] and hard to explain because you have become dull of hearing. They were not like that before.
They were positive for a while, then they would peel off, then they would come back, then they would peel off, etc. Finally, they regressed, to the place where they became dull of hearing.
Why?
Because once you repeat certain actions over and over again, you reach a place where you just continue to exist in that state or action. In fact, that is what the old sin nature is doing, it is “being corrupted” continually.
Eph 4:22, In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.
2Pe 1:2-4, 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.
So, notice that even though the old sin nature is dead to God and it is in a state of constant corruption, all the unbelievers will keep on getting worse and worse in eternity, says the apostle John in Rev 22:11-15, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.
Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
Heb 5:12-13, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, [or teaching other people] but you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God [basic doctrines all over again], and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness not self righteousness but divine righteousness.”
And, notice next, the reason is stated…because he is a babe, or immature.
Therefore, verse 14, Heb 5:14, But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
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.
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