MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
First John: Chapter Three
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
2 Chronicles 7:14, “And if my people [a client nation] who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven; will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We need to pray for our president, our military and civilian leaders every day.
Matthew 6:34, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself [Don’t concern yourself with the problems which may occur tomorrow.]. Each day has enough evil [trouble] of its own."
This nation cannot be delivered by any person or political party.
For purposes of illustration, I would like to make the Christians in Client Nation, USA analogous to a beautiful black stallion. When the stallion is healthy and strong, the nation is blessed whereas when it is unhealthy and weak, the nation declines and loses its blessing. The stallion remains strong if 10 to 15% of the Christians are advanced believers and many have reached spiritual maturity and beyond (Those having passed evidence testing); it becomes weak when more and more Christians fail to execute that life and thus fail to obtain spiritual maturity etc. Presently, it appears that less than 1% of the Christians in Client Nation USA are executing the spiritual life. (As Americans know, red represents the Republican Party and blue represents the Democratic Party.) By analogy the color of the tail of this stallion may be red or blue at different times in history; whether the color be red or blue it has no impact on the health of the stallion or lack of it. The stallion only becomes healthy and strong by feeding on the Word of God! If that stallion does not feed on the Word of God, it will become sickly and die. In summary, though a healthy stallion may dictate the color of his tail, the color of his tail cannot change the health of the stallion.
1 John 3:1
Understand how great a love the Father has given to us that we should be designated students [under discipline; a spiritual child under authority] of God, and we are. Therefore, the cosmos [people involved in Satan’s cosmic system both unbeliever and believer] does not understand us [the advancing believer] because it did not understand Him [from the Incarnation to His Ascension].
ἴδετε ποταπὴν ἀγάπην δέδωκεν ἡµῖν ὁ πατὴρ ἵνα τέκνα θεοῦ κληθῶµεν· καὶ ἐσµέν. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κόσµος οὐ γινώσκει ἡµᾶς ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν.
Understanding God’s Love:
The primary components of the love-composition are righteousness, justice, omniscience and grace. In order for God the Father to make us his spiritual students or children under strict discipline, his righteousness had to be satisfied by the punishment of every sin of human history. So, there had to be a mediator who would become a savior; this, his omniscience understood. After the humanity of Christ had prepared himself by developing in his soul maximum integrity, he went to the cross. Then, the justice of the Father punished the humanity of Christ for the penalty of every sin in human history. After which in grace, he could offer salvation to every member of the human race. Finally, for those who would appropriate this work of grace, they would become the spiritual students of God for the duration of their life on earth. As students under authority, there had to be a spiritual program based on grace and discipline that would take the infant Christian all the way to spiritual maturity. A partial explanation of the Father’s love!
The Greek word teknon usually refers to a student or child under strict discipline. Paul referred to Timothy as his teknon in 1 Corinthians 4:17a, “For this reason, I have sent to you Timothy who is my beloved and faithful student [under discipline; or spiritual child under authority] in the Lord.” Whereas, the Greek word Huios emphasizes relationship as in Galatians 3:26, “For you are all the sons [υἱοὶ: transliterated as huioi] of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Introduction to Satan’s Cosmic System:
Definition.
The cosmic system is Satan's strategy as the ruler of this world to control believers as well as unbelievers. (However, our study will primarily deal with Satan’s strategy regarding believers.) Satan's cosmic system is composed of two separate power spheres namely Cosmic 1 and 2. Cosmic One is Satan's exploitation of believers through their own arrogance. Cosmic Two is Satan's propaganda to educate and promote antagonism toward anything related to God, His word or anyone one learning or, teaching His word. Cosmic one represents Satan's attitude from the time of his prehistoric fall up to the prehistoric angelic trial. Cosmic Two represents Satan's attitude from the time of Adam's fall in the garden to the end of the Millennium. Cosmic One emphasizes arrogance and abnormal preoccupation with self. Whereas, Cosmic Two emphasizes antagonism and intolerance toward the plan, purpose, and will of God, as well as toward all Christians executing it. Thus, Cosmic One is Satan's philosophy in the prehistoric angelic conflict. Cosmic Two is Satan's philosophy in human history as the ruler of this world.
COSMIC ONE:
1. Emphasizes arrogance; preoccupation with self.
2. Target: ego, self-consciousness of soul.
3. Results in preoccupation and obsession with self to the exclusion of God and man.
4. Emphasizes self in contrast to God and objective reality.
5. Represents Satan's attitude at time of his prehistoric fall.
6. Represents Satan's philosophy in the prehistoric angelic conflict when he was obsessed with self in maximum arrogance.
7. The believer in cosmic one assumes the arrogance of Satan at his fall.
8. The believer is a slave to self.
COSMIC TWO:
1. Emphasizes animosity, hatred, antagonism toward God and His plan.
2. Target: truth or doctrine.
3. Results in antagonism toward Christ as the living Word and doctrine as the written Word.
4. Stresses human viewpoint over Divine viewpoint.
5. Represents Satan's attitude from the time of man's historical fall to the end of human history.
6. Represents Satan's philosophy as ruler of this world after the fall of man. Now he's obsessed with destroying the plan of God as the #1 enemy of the plan of God.
7. The believer in cosmic two becomes inculcated with the antagonism of Satan which antagonism began at the fall of the human history.
8. The believer is a slave to Satan.
Ephesians 2:2, "in which sphere [in spiritual death] you formerly walked [as an unbeliever] according to the lifestyle of this cosmos [Satan’s cosmic system], according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit [Satan] who is now operational [working via Cosmic 1 & 2] in the sons of disobedience [believers not executing the spiritual life]."
The religious Jews who lived during Christ 1st Advent did not understand Christ since they rejected revelation from God. Certainly today, cosmic unbelievers and cosmic Christian cannot understand the Christian who is advancing in the spiritual life and executing God’s plan though a Christian can understand those in Satan’s cosmic system through the Word of God.
DOCTRINE OF COSMIC ONE
Gate 1: Motivational Arrogance.
All arrogance starts with thinking, moves into motivation, and from there moves into decisions and actions. By definition, motivational arrogance is a complex of mental attitude sins, all of which are related to arrogance or have their foundation in the basic concept of the sin of pride. Pride is defined as inordinate self-esteem, unreasonable conceit, insolence (impudence), being anti-authority, vanity, and employing the three arrogance skills: self-justification, self-deception and self-absorption. Furthermore, pride is an inflated concept of self, and the exaggeration of one's own self-importance. The complex of sins in motivational arrogance includes pride, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness, implacability, revenge motivation, self-pity, guilt reaction, and operation overthink.
The first victim of motivational arrogance was the greatest creature-genius of all time. This arrogance motivated Lucifer the Son of the Morning to reject God’s plan. It was his vanity of beauty and splendor which brought about his arrogance. Ezekiel 28:17a, “Your right lobe was lifted-up [puffed-up with arrogance] because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.” Once arrogance made its way into Satan’s thinking, he became excessively ambitious “I will raise my throne above the shining ones (the angels) of God” as found in Isaiah 14:13. It made him ambitious to the point of irrationality and insanity, “I will make myself like the Most High [God the Son]” as per Isaiah 14:14b.
Arrogance is a real or imagined sense of superiority which distorts reality, resulting in presumptuous self-righteousness and a false sense of destiny (to be ‘like God’). Thus, arrogance was the original sin of the prehistoric angelic conflict, and became the motivation for the woman's original sin in the garden for she said yes to Satan’s temptation, “you will be like God.” Arrogance is the most basic motivational sin of human life. It is the foundation for all sins, human good and evil, both moral degeneracy based on self-righteousness and immoral degeneracy based on lust related to sex, chemical and criminal arrogance. Thus, arrogance divorces the believer or unbeliever from the realities of life i.e., personal divorcement (Hitler and the Nazis were going to take over the world), historical divorcement (The citizens of a Client Nation can reject truth and continue to prosper. A government can print money as a substitute for productivity.), and divorcement from spiritual reality (The Christian can become spiritually great apart from the Two Power Options).
Gradually arrogance forces reality out of life, which is how believers become neurotic and psychotic. After all mental illness is a form of divorcement from reality. An example of mental illness is paranoia (excessive or irrational suspiciousness or distrustfulness of others, leading to a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur). The Jews of the Exodus generation had delusions that Moses was trying to persecute and murder them (Exodus 14:11; 17:3). Their arrogance could not accept the fact that they hated Moses and wanted to kill him. So, these sins were repressed into their subconsciousnesses. After which they accused Moses of their very own sins which is called Projection in psychology, “for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3b).
Arrogant persons are easily deceived and are also very vulnerable to flattery. We have all heard of the wealthy person who was deceived by some smooth talker into investing his funds into some financial scheme which did not pan-out, and so he lost his entire investment, or the arrogant woman who was flattered out of her virginity. 2 Timothy 3:6, “For among them are those [immoral Christian men] who creep into homes [slyly enter the homes] and seduce [captivate] silly women [morally weak women because there is no doctrine in their souls] who are overwhelmed by their sins and are carried away by various lusts.”
Arrogance becomes motivation for both inordinate ambition and inordinate competition. When inordinate ambition manifest itself in a lust for power, all integrity and honor vanish. Proverbs 11:2, "When arrogance comes, then comes dishonor; but with the humble is wisdom." In its place, there is deceit and lies. (Sounds like American politicians). This becomes a tragic flaw which neutralizes the beauty, genius, ability, and potential of anyone who entertains it. This arrogant flaw gives a false perspective of life, resulting in a drive toward happiness, but failing to reach it. The politician who seeks power and approbation in the hope of obtaining happiness, a hope he never realizes. He fails to see his own instability and inconsistency and his impact on others from preoccupation with self which preoccupation drives his lust for power.
What does the Scripture say about arrogance? Proverbs 13:10, "Through arrogance comes nothing but strife; but wisdom is with those who receive instruction." Proverbs 16:18, "Arrogance precedes destruction, and before a fall a lifestyle of arrogance." Proverbs 29:23, "A person's arrogance will bring him low, but a lifestyle of humility will attain honor." Isaiah 13:11, "I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity [cosmic involvement]. I will put to an end the arrogance of the proud. Furthermore, I will humble the pride of ruthlessness [tyranny]." James 4:6, "God gives greater grace. This is why the Scripture says [Proverbs 3:34], `God makes war against the arrogant [believer], but He gives grace to the humble [believer].'" 1 Peter 5:5-6, "In the same way, young men [the members of the congregation], be under the authority of the pastors. All of you [in the congregation], fasten yourselves to each other with grace thinking, because `God makes war against the arrogant and gives grace to the humble.' Therefore, humble yourselves under the powerful hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time." Romans 12:3, "For I say through the grace which has been given to me and to everyone who is among you: Stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance, beyond the point of what you ought to think, but think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational without illusion, as God has assigned to each one a standard of thinking from doctrine.” The believer's arrogant lust for ascendancy in life destroys the right priorities in the Christian way of life and replaces them with a false scale of values and gives him false goals in life. Arrogance emphasizes self and people to the exclusion of God emphasis.
Gate 2: Negative Volition Arrogance.
1 Timothy 6:3-4 is the transition from gate 1 to gate 2. 1 Timothy 6:3-4, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine [false doctrine] and does not concur with sound doctrine; those doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ even doctrine pertaining to the spiritual life. (4) he has become puffed up with arrogance, understanding nothing [He doesn’t understand anything about the spiritual life] having a morbid obsession about controversies [He wants to argue about everything he doesn’t understand or agree with.) and verbal conflicts from which originate jealousy, strife (discord), abusive language, evil speculation [as found in certain gates of Cosmic 2]." The doctrines come from our Lord Jesus Christ because all precedence for the Church Age was established in the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union. Mental attitude arrogance results in preoccupation with self, which results in indifference to Bible doctrine, which results in accepting the cheap substitutes of emotional activity, legalism, human good, and becoming a loser in the Christian life. A fragmented believer that is a believer out of fellowship with God has personality conflicts with people who have wronged him, and he is morbid about it. He cannot deal with personality conflicts objectively. An example of evil speculation is making a villain out of someone else after you've pulled the pin on your own spiritual life. It's a speculation; it isn't true at all.
There are three stages where doctrine can be rejected namely at the Gnosis stage, the Epignosis stage and finally at the application stage. At the reception stage (Gnosis Stage), arrogance rejects doctrine by failure to be consistent in the daily exposure to Bible teaching or if one is consistent, he may distort it due to a lack of concentration or because of arrogance. Subjectivity bends what is taught to suit his own purpose. At the Epignosis Stage, arrogance attacks this stage by making doctrine your servant instead of your master. Also, doctrine stored as epignosis can also be removed through black-out and destroyed through scar tissue of the soul. At the application Stage, arrogance rejects doctrine at the recall stage by failing to apply metabolized doctrine to experience through the utilization of the ten problem solving devices of the protocol plan of God. Recall is the application of metabolized doctrine to the various and multifarious experiences of life. Arrogance attacks this stage by relating metabolized doctrine to personal self-righteousness or to personal self-justification.
Negative volition rejects the following: Reception includes finding the right pastor, i.e., someone who is faithful in the verse-by-verse teaching of Bible doctrine under the principle of line upon line, precept upon precept. Consistent if not daily exposure to Bible teaching either through attendance at a local church where doctrine is taught, called face-to-face teaching or through a consistent program of non-face-to-face teaching, such as audio, video, radio, television or the printed word. Positive volition toward doctrine means that doctrine has #1 priority in your life, and nothing takes precedence over it, including Christian service. Concentration and the avoidance of distractions, whether they are from your own soul or from others. 2 Timothy 3:2-7, "For persons [Church Age believers] will be lovers of self [in Cosmic One], lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers [abusive], disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy [wicked], without love [virtue-love], implacable [unforgiving], slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good [of intrinsic value], treacherous, thoughtless [rash], being puffed up or conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an overt appearance [outward form] of being spiritual, although they have denied its power [the two power options]. Therefore, avoid these believers. For among them are those believers who creep [worm their way] into homes and captivate [gain control over] weak- willed women who are loaded down with sins, led on by multifarious lusts, always learning but never able to come to the epignosis knowledge of truth."
Gate 3: Self-Righteousness Arrogance.
Self-righteousness means to be righteous in one's own esteem; in fact, to be Pharisaical. Our Lord condemned self-righteousness in His great dissertation of Matthew 23, which begins: "Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites." It is the arrogant reliance on one's own assumed, inconsistent, and hypocritical righteousness. Self-righteousness is the arrogant conviction that one's own righteousness is superior to that of all others. It is the conclusion that one's own righteousness is so great that intolerance of all others becomes the modus operandi of such blind arrogance. You’ve heard someone say, "after all I've done for you." Self-righteous arrogance is defined as divorcement from reality; it is the logical progression from preoccupation with self. It always produces a system of fantasizing, of bolstering self at the expense of others. There are seven categories of self-righteous arrogance such as: (1) The arrogance of legalism; (2) Personality arrogance; (3) The arrogance of morality; (4) Authority arrogance; (5) Crusader arrogance and Christian activism; (6) The arrogance of Christian service; (7) Transference arrogance:
Arrogant self-righteousness is the motivational arrogance which manifests itself in these seven categories, all of which comprise another step in the drive toward unreality. By the seventh category, the person is locked into arrogance, explaining why believers can become mentally ill. If a believer divorces himself from Bible doctrine, he divorces himself from reality, and the drive toward unreality results in becoming mentally ill.
(1) The arrogance of legalism: From self-righteousness originates the arrogance of legalism from which comes the vanity of the unique experience and erroneous emphasis on human achievement. It begins with believers not understanding the uniqueness of the Church Age, their portfolio of invisible assets, their escrow blessings, the divine decree, equal privilege and equal opportunity in the protocol plan of God, their union with Christ producing the royal family of God and a new spiritual species, the ten problem solving devices, the indwelling of the Trinity, and the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union and how it is perpetuated into the Church Age. (Failing to understand these things, they go back to the Mosaic Law for their spiritual life.) Self-righteous arrogance includes any form of legalism. It has three general categories. (1) Salvation by works or human achievement namely adding to faith for eternal life. (2) Spirituality by works, in which people observe certain taboos and get involved in some type of Christian service and call it spirituality; (3) Blessing by works which teaches that blessings from God are based on works, human achievement, self-sacrifice, morality, giving, conforming to a church program, or participating in some ritual. This leads to the erroneous conclusion that the believer is victorious, mature, or great because of some unique experience, some sacrificial modus vivendi, or some system of human works. Self-righteous arrogance is the motivation, while legalism is the function which comes from that motivation. Self-righteous arrogance correlated with the arrogance of legalism concludes that the plan of God succeeds or fails on the basis of human works, rather than concluding the truth, which is that the plan of God succeeds on the basis of what He does in grace, working on our behalf. Therefore, legalism establishes false standards and measures spiritual success on the basis of complying with these false standards. Self-righteous arrogance seeks to impose its standards on others, judging them for not complying.
(2) Personality Arrogance: From the arrogance of legalism comes a change in personality, called personality arrogance. Self-righteous arrogance seeks to dominate people, policy, and authority in its periphery. Self-righteous arrogance establishes false standards and then seeks to impose those standards on other people. Therefore, self-righteous arrogance produces a domineering personality and a bully, a person who assumes that he is never wrong in human interaction, a person who often claims sinless perfection. Yet 1 John 1:10 says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and doctrine is not in us." The result is the blind leading the blind, or personality arrogance motivated by self-righteousness rejecting human privacy, forcing erroneous standards on others in the name of Christianity. (People have a right to make their own mistakes before the Lord. Correction comes either through the teaching of Bible doctrine or divine discipline.) Personality arrogance is irrational and never satisfied until everyone in his periphery is a puppet on a string dancing to his tune, using his standards, fulfilling the principle of the blind leading the blind. Anyone who succumbs to personality arrogance and legalism falls into the worst possible ditch. Personality arrogance attacks the teaching of Bible doctrine at two points: its subject matter, and its communicator. Personality arrogance is the superimposition of personal and false opinions over the principles of God's Word. If the pastor does not agree with their false concepts, personality arrogance attacks the pastor, seeking to discredit him and his ministry. So, indirectly, personality arrogance seeks to destroy true Bible teaching.
(3) The Arrogance of Morality: Legalism, personality arrogance, and the arrogance of morality all go together. There are two categories of morality found in the Bible. True morality is based on the laws of divine establishment as delineated in the Mosaic Law. True morality is designed for both believer and unbeliever. It is related to responsibility to government, society, and the authorities delegated by God under the laws of divine establishment including its ethics, motivation, character, conduct, honor, and integrity. Genuine morality includes respect for privacy, freedom, property, and life and the basis for providing both evangelism and the right to hear Bible doctrine taught. Arrogant self-righteousness distorts human morality into a system of works in opposition to the protocol plan of God. Salvation by morality, spirituality by morality, and blessing from God by morality is the three tenets of this blasphemy. The protocol plan of God for the Church Age produces something higher than morality through residence, function, and momentum in the spiritual life. It produces virtue and the ten problem solving devices. Morality is the function of the human race living under the laws of divine establishment. Virtue is the function of the believer who, under the Filling of the Spirit, has advanced to spiritual adulthood. Virtue and grace orientation must be added to morality to avoid arrogance and the fragmentation of one’s spiritual life. Morality-arrogance is the ignorant and self-righteous believer substituting human morality for virtue produced by the ministry of God the Holy Spirit and consistent cognition of Bible doctrine. Furthermore, morality-arrogance produces a pseudo happiness in contrast to sharing God’s happiness by the execution of the spiritual life. Morality has limitations which are completely ignored by arrogance. Morality cannot provide salvation, but the arrogant seek salvation through morality and works. Morality is not spirituality, but arrogance alleges so. The morality of establishment cannot compare with the virtue produced by the two power options of the spiritual life. Morality relates to freedom; the spiritual life relates to that which is greater than freedom: the Christian way of life, the foundation for all systems of freedom in life. Morality is not the means of establishment function in the client nation, but the result of it. Therefore, morality is everything from paying taxes to serving in the military, respect for law and law enforcement agencies, recognition of the privacy of others, respect for freedom, and recognition of the sacredness of the property and lives of others. Morality demands that the believer and unbeliever be law-abiding citizens and patriotic, dedicated to the principle of freedom plus the authority necessary to protect that freedom; willing to join the military, pay taxes, and do jury duty. Morality is related to freedom: freedom to believe in Christ, freedom to learn Bible doctrine, freedom to grow in grace, or freedom to reject Christ and to reject learning Bible doctrine. So morality is very vulnerable. Just add arrogant self- righteousness and the virtue is gone from morality.
(4) Authority Arrogance: Legitimate authority in life is defined as those powers delegated by God to the human race in such categories as husband over wife, parents over children, government over the people, management, coach, teacher, professor, senior rank in the military, judge on the bench, police officer, and the traffic light. When does legitimate authority break-down? Well, authority-arrogance always begins in the home. The family is divine institution #3. The parents have the opportunity of teaching their children establishment principles, the greatest of which is respect for authority. The objective of parenthood is to train your children in all the principles of life, especially respect for authority in every area of life. Christian parents have an additional responsibility of evangelizing their children and after their salvation, to teach them the spiritual life. In the spiritual realm, the royal family of God includes the Word of God, the pastor of the local church, and the volition or self- determination of the believer to respond to or reject Bible doctrine. While God has delegated authority in these realms, such authority is useless without human consent. Human acceptance of authority is often negative because arrogance rejects authority with devastating results, such as crime, violence, terrorism, civil disobedience, and revolution. All misery comes from individual volition, from making decisions from arrogance, and from losing all sense of destiny in life. It comes from our failure to accept authority and learn. Authority arrogance is the enemy of freedom, privacy, property, and life. Privacy is destroyed through gossip, maligning, judging, which stems from jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, or hatred. Freedom is destroyed through the malfunction of our divine institutions in the arrogant attack upon authority. Freedom without authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny.
Authority arrogance results in the destruction of freedom through socialism, crime, drug addiction, violence, crusader arrogance, the attempt of self-righteousness to superimpose one's will on others. Drug addiction takes away one's individual sense of responsibility, and destroys the proper use of volition. Authority arrogance attacks free enterprise by destroying capitalism via redistribution of wealth and lately via lock-downs. Authority arrogance attacks military establishment, destroying the command structure (for example peer ratings) necessary for the preservation of the nation. Authority arrogance attacks law enforcement, destroying government authority.
Where does this arrogance originate and how does it affect the local church? The organized humility of the home includes a system for teaching. No parent is always fair. Yet children must learn to face situations which are not fair and still respect and obey the authority of their parents. Without respect for parents and without learning to take responsibility for their decisions, children leave home immature. At salvation, eternal life is imputed to the human spirit. Now the organized humility is the local church, the authority for enforced humility is the pastor; and again, you have volition (positive or negative) to exercise toward the authority of the doctrine and of the pastor. Authority arrogance attacks the pastor who is faithful in teaching doctrine, distracting believers from learning the Word. So vital is the doctrinal message to the royal family of God that many Scriptures warn against undermining the authority of any pastor. No matter how bad or good any pastor is, he is not your responsibility; God can handle him magnificently! Isaiah 54:17, "`No weapon formed against you will prosper, and every tongue that accuses you in judgment, I [you] will condemn. This is the heritage of the servant of the Lord, and his vindication is from Me,' says the Lord." Hebrews 13:17, "Keep obeying those pastors who themselves are ruling over you. Submit to their authority, for they keep watching for the benefit of your souls as those who have to render an account." The pastor receives his authority from God through the delegation of the spiritual gift, proper preparation, and a call from a specific congregation. The pastor exercises his authority through exegetical teaching of the Word of God. His authority does not exist apart from the Word. Thus, the local church becomes the environment for the authority of teaching the Word of God. It is inevitable that some persons in a congregation will become dissatisfied or disenchanted with a specific ministry. If the dissatisfaction originates from some form of arrogance, the believer will suffer from the law of volitional responsibility plus divine discipline. If the fault lies with the pastor, God will punish him beyond anything you could even imagine. If you change churches or reject a ministry, do so without undermining the authority of the pastor. Leave him entirely in the Lord's hands. Otherwise, you will reap triple-compound divine discipline doubled; so, you get discipline six-fold. In the home, children are blessed by accepting parental authority; they are cursed from rejecting parental authority. In the local church, believers are blessed by consistent positive volition toward the doctrine; they are cursed by negative volition toward doctrine. Just as a child or adolescent in the home who rejects parental authority is disciplined for authority arrogance all his life, so the believer who rejects the authority of good Bible teaching spends his entire Christian life on earth under discipline.
Authority arrogance comes from having more authority or power than you can handle. Instead of producing a sense of responsibility and challenge to leadership, it produces arrogance. Such a person has no capacity for authority, and no sense of responsibility toward God or others in relationship to that authority. He relates that authority only to himself. He uses his authority for his own personal advancement rather than to fulfill the purpose and policy of an organization.
All legitimate organizations have three principles of normal modus operandi: authority, a purpose, and a policy. Institutional arrogance attacks one or more of these three principles of organizational modus operandi. Institutional arrogance assigns more importance to self, the opinions of self, and self-righteousness, and thereby undermines the authority, attacks the purpose, and seeks to destroy the policy of a legitimate organization. Changes in purpose and policy of an organization must be accompanied by consensus or respectful approach to authority through a form of grievance committees.
To bring about changes in authority, purpose, or policy of an organization through any function that undermines that authority is generally associated with some form of arrogance. When you are on the job, what you think is not important. What is important is the purpose, the policy, and the authority of the organization. Your opinion is totally inconsequential. We all face the temptation of this institutional arrogance when we are overlooked, maltreated, under an inferior or jackass authority, etc. But if you succumb to this temptation, you've had it!
Conspiracy arrogance, a sub-category of authority arrogance is the function of a mutual admiration society designed to overthrow legitimate authority. The mutual admiration society is composed of two categories of arrogance and subjectivity. The arrogant who have aggressive subjectivity. The inadequate who have passive subjectivity. The arrogant one assumes that he is greater than the system and the authority structure of the system. The inadequate one assumes that the system has overlooked his talent and ability. The arrogant leads the inadequate in forming a conspiracy against a person or persons who represent authority in that system. These societies are started by someone who is ambitious to take over. This takeover starts with complimenting, then socializing with the inadequate. As they criticize, they slowly but surely build up their own organization to take over. The pattern for conspiracy arrogance is the subject of Psalm 12:2-4, “They [mutual admiration society] speak each one [arrogant] to his friends [inadequate] with lips of flattery. They speak heart to heart [idiom for double standard]." The arrogant flatters the inadequate so that he will join him in the conspiracy, using the old ploy, "You have been overlooked; you are better than they." The arrogant flatters the inadequate, causing the inadequate to become dissatisfied with authority. They both malign and slander the authority. Finally, they both combine to form an effective conspiracy. The purpose of the conspiracy: the arrogant wants to replace the authority, and the inadequate wants to be recognized by the authority as being great in the organization. 12:3-4, "The Lord will destroy all flattering lips [conspiracy of the arrogant], the tongue [conspiracy of the inadequate] which speaks boastful things, who have said, `We will triumph in this conspiracy with our tongues. Our lips are with us; who is our master?'" They use verbal language to undermine the authority by slander, gossip, maligning, judging, and false propaganda. Their authority arrogance is seen in the last rhetorical question: "Who is our master?" They are an authority only to themselves and recognize no other.
Absalom is the perfect illustration: 2 Samuel 15:2-6, “And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that, when any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and would say, ‘Of what city are you? And he would reply, ‘Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. (3) Then Absalom would say to him, ‘See, your claims are good and right; but no man listens to you on the part of the king. (4) Moreover, Absalom would say, Oh that one would appoint me as judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come unto me, and I would give him justice! (5) And it was so, that, when any man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put forth his hand, and take hold of him, and kiss him. (6) In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment: so, Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.”
(5) Crusader Arrogance: Crusader arrogance is defined as self-righteous arrogance with strong or impulsive desires to superimpose one's opinion and principles on others without their consent. The person afflicted with crusader arrogance believes he is so right and his cause so just that he is justified in using any means to gain his objective, including violence, destruction of property, and causing others to lose their jobs or to be driven from their environment. The perfect illustration of this is the fundamentalist groups who attack abortion clinics. They do not know that the Word of God says that, in every case, God creates life and imputes it at the point of birth. So, abortion in the first tri-semester of pregnancy is a private matter between a woman and her doctor, and it is no one else's business. Crusader arrogance ignores the honorable and judicial system for the redressing of grievances. Crusader arrogance believes in vigilante solutions which bypass governmental law and order. Hence, crusader arrogance practices and advocates civil disobedience.
(6) The Arrogance of Christian Service: Every believer is in full-time Christian service from the very point of his salvation until his death or the Rapture. Therefore, there is no such thing as dedication to full-time Christian service. Motivation for Christian service must relate to spiritual growth, to the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, to humility, and to cognition of Bible doctrine. To be effective, all Christian service must be related to humility. This is compatible with the filling of the Spirit and with the principle that God provided authority before freedom. Christian service performed inside the cosmic system, classified as wood, hay, and stubble in 1 Corinthians 3:12, will be burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Therefore, Christian service should not be confused with spirituality. It is all too often executed while grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit. Christian service is a legitimate function in the protocol plan of God, but always as a result, never as a means. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness. (17). that the man of God might be proficient [capable], having been well equipped [prepared] for every good work [Christian service].” Verse 17 is the result of verse 16. You are not spiritual or mature because of your Christian service. Christian service is never a substitute for momentum in the protocol plan of God and resultant glorification of God. Therefore, it becomes imperative to understand that Christian service is the result of momentum and spiritual growth in the protocol plan of God, not the means. Christian service must never be confused with spirituality or the filling of the Spirit, the means of effective service. The arrogance of works or Christian service is the erroneous conclusion and the false doctrine that Christian service and works are the means of fulfilling and executing the protocol plan of God. In Luke 14:11, Jesus said, "Everyone who exalts himself [arrogance of Christian service] shall be humbled [losers under divine discipline], but he who humbles himself [enforced and genuine humility] is exalted [by the fulfillment of the protocol plan of God]." Arrogance substitutes Christian service for spirituality and for spiritual growth, both of which are unacceptable to the plan of God. You were given a spiritual gift at salvation by God the Holy Spirit, eventually to be manifest in some type of Christian service. But the function of this gift and any other production is destroyed completely by this arrogance. Only the daily feeding on the Word of God can protect your motivation, guarantee your momentum, and maintain your status of genuine humility. Hebrews 6:1, "Not laying again the foundation of a change of thinking from dead works." Christian service without momentum in the protocol plan of God is dead works. It is the quintessence of human arrogance to assume that Christian service without doctrine in the soul is pleasing to God.
(7) Transference Arrogance: Becoming involved in transference arrogance namely assigning one’s own arrogance to another. One example should do. Joseph's brothers assumed in arrogance that once their father Jacob died, Joseph would take revenge on them for selling him into slavery. It was the brothers themselves who had motivational and functional revenge in their souls which flaws they transferred to Joseph. The brothers assumed that because they had such arrogant thoughts, that Joseph had them also. Therefore, they concluded that Joseph was biding his time, waiting to take his revenge on them, waiting until Jacob’s death. However, this was not true.
Gate 4: Sexual Arrogance.
Not only is sexual arrogance defined as illegitimate sex namely any sex outside of marriage, but it is sex in which there is total preoccupation with self. This preoccupation disregards every factor of virtue or consideration of others. Sexual arrogance belongs to those who are classified in 2 Tim 3:4 as "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." Hence, sexual arrogance is ritual without reality. It precludes love as a motive for sex, and so destroys the honor and integrity of the individuals involved. The result is one more step toward unreality.
Lasciviousness is a trend in the old sin nature which seeks self- gratification in some form of sex. When linked with arrogance, it produces three categories of sexual arrogance namely normal, abnormal and criminal. Normal sexual arrogance includes adultery, fornication and polygamy. Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone else other than his or her spouse. Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons, and of course, polygamy is having more than one wife. Abnormal sexual arrogance includes at least four categories: (1). Masturbation as sexual self-gratification, (2). Homosexuality as sexual activity with a person or persons of the same sex. This includes lesbianism which is sexual activity between two women. (3) Incest is sexual intercourse between members of the same family. (4) Voyeurism is sexual gratification while watching others engage in sex. Criminal sexual arrogance includes at least four categories. (1) Rape is forcing a person against their will to have sex. (2) Pederasty is an adult male having sex especially with boys. (This is popular with many Muslims.) (3) Necrophilia is erotic attraction to a corpse or having sex with a corpse. (4) Bestiality is sexual relationship between a human being and an animal.
Promiscuity in the man and woman is detrimental to every facet of life, including the spiritual life. Above all, it is detrimental in developing capacity for love, life, and happiness. This is why the Word of God forbids adultery, fornication, pederasty, incest, masturbation, and bestiality. God is not trying to deprive anyone of fun; rather he is trying to guide the person toward happiness. Sex can only be a blessing as an expression of love in monogamy.
Sexual arrogance in the woman can manifest itself through seduction of important persons; e.g., Cleopatra's seduction of Caesar, Messalina's seduction of Claudius, or the famous Aspasia of fifth century B.C. Miletus who seduced the great Athenian statesman, Pericles. Sexual arrogance in the woman relates to the number and importance of her conquests. Her flirtatious attitude is designed to receive flattery and to stimulate her arrogance. On the other hand, male sexual arrogance includes a harem or a multiplicity of seductions. The more women with which a man has sex, the more intensified becomes his lust and arrogance. In conclusion, sexual arrogance in both women and men is extremely destructive to the soul. It destroys any capacity for love, life and happiness that the person may have had.
Gate 5: Criminal Arrogance.
There are two categories of criminals in the world today: unbelievers and believers.
All criminality is acquired through arrogance. No one is born with a genetic tendency toward crime. It is all a matter of arrogance; e.g., authority arrogance, mental attitude arrogance, self-righteous arrogance, sexual arrogance, the arrogance of unhappiness, and above all, psychopathic arrogance. All criminals are such because of their own volition, because they have made a decision to be a criminal. Environment is not the issue in criminality. The environment does not mold the criminal, rather the criminal molds the environment. Honor and integrity can belong to all, not just to one social caste. There may be 8 siblings from a very poor home. Seven become wonderful responsible citizens while one becomes a criminal. Criminals are criminals not because of their environment, but because they will to be so.
Criminality actually begins with rejection of authority in the home. Rejection of parental authority eventually results in the rejection of all legitimate authority including God’s Laws of Establishment, and therefore is totally disoriented to life. He seeks to superimpose his authority on society. In arrogance, he gives lip service to the authority he encounters, but in his soul, he despises any and all authority except his own. A law-abiding citizen may be irresponsible without being a criminal. But all criminals are irresponsible all the time.
The criminal lives inside the cosmic system. He is totally preoccupied with himself. He is hypersensitive about himself and insensitive toward others. Strangely enough, he is very self-righteous, and filled with self-justification regarding his criminal deeds. It happens many time in prison riots during which criminals will kill other criminals. When asked why they killed another criminal, they will answer because the other criminal deserved to die. He raped and killed children whereas I merely raped and killed adults for I would never touch a child.
The criminal is a bored person. He wants excitement and proof of his power. In fact, the criminal's desire for excitement is so great that he becomes jaded without constant stimulation from excitement. To the criminal, living without excitement is a put-down. Therefore, the criminal requires constant stimulation related to his crimes, sex, torture, alcohol, or drugs, making others afraid of him. Eventually, only extreme criminal activity related to torture, rape, and murder is satisfactory as an antidote to his boredom.
All liars are not criminals, but all criminals are liars. For the criminal, lying is a way of life. Therefore, the criminal becomes a pathological liar. Habitual deceit and lying is the criminal's total disregard for the truth in any form. Lying is the criminal's standard way of dealing with the world, a part of criminal manipulation.
The criminal is saturated with a lust pattern of arrogance. He has sexual lust, killer lust, power lust, approbation lust, money lust, stimulation lust requiring extensive use of drugs or alcohol, cruelty lust from which comes torture and abuse of others, as well as homicide. From his arrogant preoccupation with self, the criminal is involved in a lust pattern from which it is almost impossible to break away. His only hope is to become a believer followed by intensive study of God’s word. He needs several years of listening to good Bible teaching just to become a normal human being with a normal soul filled with correct norms and standards and priorities etc. Very few are able to make this transformation even after becoming believers. This is one reason why the Word of God demands the use of capital punishment for criminals.
The believer criminal: The arrogance factor in crime is the major issue. The only way a criminal can break out of criminal arrogance is by making good decisions; no one can help him. After conversion, there must be consistent positive volition toward doctrine. If there is any inconsistency, the criminal factor continues. The real problem for a believer-criminal is not occasionally getting doctrine, but permanently accepting the authority of some teacher and staying with doctrine. Any personality conflict immediately arouses the arrogance in him, and he's right back in the arrogance complex, and right back into crime. The criminal believer being anti-establishment is often, anti-God and anti-doctrine. The believer living in the cosmic system and involved in the various stages of reversionism (spiritual apostasy) is capable of burglary, robbery, kidnapping, shoplifting, mugging, blackmail, larceny, drug activity, prostitution, rape, murder, etc. The criminal often pretends to accept some authority, like that of pastor or evangelist or psychiatrist. Often, he appears to be positive to the Gospel, and even to believe in Christ. But all of this is to advance his own ends in most cases.
If you are interested in further study regarding how a criminal thinks, may I suggest reading, “The Criminal Personality: Volumn I, “A Profile for change” by Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow.
Gate 6: Psychopathic Arrogance.
The pre-psychotic personality is subjective, inhibited, chronically worried, always stubborn, intolerant, inflexible, always lacking a sense of humor. This personality is further characterized by rigidity (inflexibility) which acts as a neurotic defense, plus arrogance related to self-righteousness, perfectionism, and/or the guilt syndrome. Instability is caused by the oscillation between these things. It is irritable, peevish (querulous in temperament or mood), complaining, unable to concentrate, depressed, and full of paranoid ideas (excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others). It is full of anxiety, has a tendency toward hypochondria (extreme depression often centered on imaginary physical ailments), and has a morbid anxiety about one's own health accompanied by the conjuring up of imaginary illnesses.
Psychopathic arrogance is a volitional drive toward unreality, and it begins with arrogance at a very young age. In the normal person, (the non-psychopathic person) the emotion is under the control and domination of the intellect, the right lobe or mentality of the soul, and so always blends with the intellectual life so as not to disrupt rational modus operandi. Arrogance, the seed for psychopathic arrogance, begins in childhood, where personality is dominated by primitive basic drives to the exclusion of rational behavior. This is seen in children who are permitted tantrums by permissive parents, children who are allowed to sulk, who are deceitful, obstinate, boastful, shameless, and erratic. Christian parents with locked-in legalism who are so involved in their own arrogance that they have actually established an environment for others, such as their children, to move step by step in the drive toward unreality into a psychotic condition. Parents living in the Cosmic System can rear their children under legalism from the cradle, creating the environment of unreality, so that if the children have the same predilections, they will move, step by step, toward a psychotic condition.
The mind in the normal soul is designed to control the emotions and to make the emotions responsive to certain things in life, but when emotion takes over the mind, then there cannot be any rational thought since emotion has no ability to think, to rationalize, and is not related to any field of cognizance. The emotions were designed to respond to what is in the right lobe: the frame of reference, memory center, vocabulary and categorical storage. In the psychopathic person, this normal subordination of emotion to the intellect is not present because of cultivated arrogance and cosmic involvement with its resultant drive toward unreality.
Psychopathy is a general term for mental disturbances or mental disorders. However, psychopathy is also used specifically for certain mental disorders characterized by emotional instability, perversity of conduct, undue conceit, suspiciousness, lack of self-control, lack of social feeling, lack of truthfulness, lack of common sense, and lack of persistence. The psychopathic personality likes to surround himself with others who also lack common sense and who are also moving toward unreality. A society of arrogant people with no respect for legitimate authority, naturally breeds psychopathic personalities. This is prevalent in our fragmented society today. As a result, America's psychopathic persons find the environment in which they live so filled with categories of arrogance that their drive toward unreality seems perfectly normal to them!
The arrogance of self-righteousness and legalism is one of the greatest contributing factors to this problem of Psychosis especially among believers. Typical characteristics of the psychopathic believer include the following: instability namely oscillation from self-righteousness in prosperity to self-pity in adversity, egocentricity regarding everything in relationship to oneself, and egoism which is an excessive love of self which divorces the individual from reality, so that eventually mental disorders occur. The psychopathic believer is the product of his own arrogance and multifarious bad decisions from a position of weakness (Decisions made out of fellowship with God). The environment for his bad decisions is provided by certain segments of so-called Christianity, the holy rollers, the Pentecostals, and the legalistic fundamentalists. These groups have provided a tremendous environment of unreality which is an incubator for these bad decisions.
In a psychotic state, the believer can no longer recover through perception of Bible doctrine and rebound technique; he first requires psychiatric treatment. Whereas normally, perception of Bible doctrine causes recovery from many things and puts us back on the right track, it cannot cause one to recover from a psychotic condition. Until such a person has psychiatric treatment, there can be no recovery. Psychiatry has made tremendous advances in the field of drugs and medicine, so that the psychotic person can function in an almost normal manner. However, without the use of these medicines, it is impossible for such a believer to learn doctrine, regardless of how much and how often he listens. There can be no recovery without medicine!
It is the tendency of those who have provided the environment of unreality through legalism to try to resolve this problem of psychosis through prayer. This problem of mental illness cannot be resolved through prayer since prayer cannot reverse the process by which a believer has become psychotic. A thousand bad decisions cannot be reversed by fervent, daily prayers. That is not the purpose of prayer; prayer was never intended to reverse the law of volitional responsibility just as you are not going to deliver a person through prayer if he has just jumped off the Empire State Building. He will hit the pavement with a splat!
The psychopathic believer or unbeliever lacks the ability to evaluate realistically the object of his emotional responses or reactions. Arrogant preoccupation with self excludes reality and leads to the drive toward a false object. For example, a psychopathic female may fall in love with a male in her periphery, making him the object of her hallucinations (imaginary perceptions) and fantasies. Pursuing this pseudo-love with arrogant fanaticism, the arrogant psychopath loses all objectivity, reasoning power, and moral stability. Regarding procedure, the psychopathic person parlays arrogance into illusion and hallucination. Also, because of his arrogance related to psychosis, he becomes very hypersensitive about himself. He may feel slighted where slighting does not occur. He may blame others for his failures and avoids taking any responsibility for those same failures. Because of his preoccupation with himself coupled with his hypersensitivity, he easily becomes jealous, implacable, resentful, bitter, and can easily entertain delusions of persecution. Apart from medicine, his situation is quite hopeless.
Locked-in arrogance in the psychopathic person results in several categories of psychopathic personalities, such as the manic-depressive person. How does this state begin? In the mild depressive state, the Christian has physical complaints which have no factual basis. This is followed by lack of confidence and a lack of a sense of destiny; instead, he has a sense of inadequacy, unable to stay with a job. This is followed by the manic phase where the believer is very self-righteous, very self-satisfied, and even arrogantly aggressive. He is childish, proud, and intolerant of criticism, irrepressible (without self-control), uninhibited, effusive (marked by excessive emotion or enthusiasm), and often unconventional in speech and manner. Such a person courts the limelight as boastful, flippant, argumentative, has wandering thought patterns, is easily bored, lacks the ability to sustain anything, and never has an enthusiasm sustained for very long. Arrogance in the manic phase is characterized by hostility toward members of one's own family, combining arrogance with unreasonable and unprovoked anger. Oscillation of emotions is very common. In the middle of exuberance, the person may suddenly burst into tears. The manic is self-righteous, officious, and meddlesome. Hallucinations (to affect with visions or imaginary perceptions) in manic excitement are usually arrogant illusions as the manic (unreasonable enthusiasm combined with an elevated mood) builds himself up in order to interfere and straighten out everyone. Therefore, the manic-depressive believer is characterized by alternating mania (emotional highs because of unreasonable enthusiasm) and mental depression. He goes from being depressed to being very excited and self-righteous.
Gate 7: The Arrogance of Unhappiness or the Arrogance of Subjective Preoccupation with Self.
This arrogance is classified as subjective preoccupation with self which destroys any capacity for happiness and frustrates the execution of the protocol plan of God. Involvement in cosmic one not only guarantees unhappiness, but at the same time it invokes erroneous ideas about what constitutes happiness. The myth of arrogance is that people or pleasant circumstances or prosperity can make you happy.
There are three different categories of happiness: pseudo-happiness (minus H), establishment-happiness (neutral H), and sharing God’s happiness (plus H). Pseudo-happiness, refers to this gate, the arrogance of unhappiness. It is a counterfeit happiness; a stimulation or euphoria which for a moment is mistaken for happiness. Establishment-happiness is derived from the execution of the Laws of Divine Establishment. Sharing God’s happiness is true and permanent happiness which resides in the soul of the mature believer who has executed the protocol plan of God.
Arrogant believers are unhappy people, so that neutral H and plus H do not apply to them, only minus H, a happiness which requires no capacity or virtue. Pseudo Happiness (minus H) is a guarantee of misery and unhappiness which you make for yourself, to which the Lord adds the three categories of divine discipline namely warning, intensive and dying discipline. No matter what you achieve in life, arrogance destroys your capacity to appreciate it or enjoy it, and prevents any development of virtue. Satan has perpetuated a myth on the human race, which is that people, pleasant circumstances, or moments of stimulation can make you happy. This system of pseudo happiness is a locked-in system that very few people ever overcome. It never occurs to most people that happiness is in the soul, and not related to the happenings of one’s environment.
Satan doesn't need to chase after you in an attempt to make you unhappy. Rather, Satan, as a super genius, has developed a system to ensure that. He simply watches and laughs as you proceed through the different gates of his cosmic system. When the believer uses his own volition to leave God’s system only to enter the cosmic system, he becomes deluded, distracted, and deceived by false concepts of happiness. Arrogance is developed from negative volition toward doctrine, and arrogance wallowing in Satan’s cosmic system destroys the potential for contentment and happiness. Satan relaxes in his executive chair while laughing at the stupidity of most Christians!
The so-called "free spirit" recognizes freedom without any sense of responsibility. The “free spirit” is a totally self-indulgent person living in the cosmic system. Therefore, the more he seeks happiness, the more happiness eludes him. (You are not happy because you are free to do what you want to do; that is one of the great myths of life.) If you fall into the free spirit syndrome, you will make yourself miserable, all your life. You will never convince anyone, but yourself that you are happy by rejecting all responsibility. All of us have responsibility regarding both establishment and the protocol plan of God. You can be free to indulge yourself in every whim of life, but when you do so, you make yourself frustrated when you are not able to get those things you desire, and miserable when you do gain a few things, but without happiness. Your misery is only intensified when God adds divine discipline. The free spirit associates happiness with every form of stimulation, excitement, and pleasant environment, but never finds true happiness which is found only in the soul of the responsible person.
In the arrogance of unhappiness, the believer associates happiness with money, success, approbation, fame, pleasure, social life, health, sex, romance, friendship, marriage, approbation and power etc. If the believer functioning under the arrogance of unhappiness obtains some of these things, his unhappiness will intensify; if he doesn’t get them, his frustration will intensify. Most people, whether they are aware of it or not, build their life around pleasure seeking goals. In between reaching those goals, much of their pseudo happiness comes from anticipation of those pleasures. “I can’t wait until I can get married, and have some little ones;” or “I can’t wait until I become wealthy that I may travel around the world.” Having things or the anticipation of obtaining them neither brings about neutral H nor Plus H.
Unhappiness combined with unrealistic expectations: Marriage combined with the arrogance of unhappiness equals disaster. One of the greatest misconceptions in life is the myth that marriage is a panacea. Many people grow up believing that if you can get married, you will "live happily ever after." How can this be since a person is no better in marriage than he is in single status? An arrogant unhappy person in single life will be an arrogant, unhappy person in marriage. Such a believer in marriage causes trouble; two such believers in a marriage will destroy that marriage. Another great myth is that having children can make a person, happy. How can this be since the more problems one faces, the harder it is to be happy? A single person has a certain amount of problems. If he gets married his problems are now three times as many namely his problems, her problems and the problems of interaction. If the couple have children, their problems increase exponentially. What is the bottom line? People, sex, money, prosperity, health, marriage, and children cannot make the believer happy. Those who possess happiness of soul because of their spiritual advance do enjoy people, entertainment, possessions, success, etc. These things are not the source of their happiness, merely an expression of it.
Let’s develop the concept of unrealistic expectation a bit more. Very few people are loved the way they want to be loved; very few people are treated the way they want to be treated. Because believers are not loved the way they want to be loved or treated the way they want to be treated, they develop a frustration which intensifies the arrogance of unhappiness. Unrealistic expectation only intensifies when the unhappy believer assumes that by attending a so-called "friendly" church full of hypocritical, unhappy cosmic believers that somehow, he will find happiness. (Usually, the friendlier the Christians are, the more hypocritical they are.) Until the Christian comes to the realization that happiness is only found in God’s plan, can he stop this drive toward unrealistic expectation.
The arrogance of unhappiness via power lust seeks to control environment and to enslave people such as family, friends, loved ones, business associates, etc. The unhappy person seeks to control people through guilt, trying to make people feel guilty for alleged neglect, through the arousal of self-pity for himself, or seeks control by becoming abusive, argumentative until he whips you into line. The arrogance of unhappiness seeks to dominate and enslave, to control, and to exercise power. However, gaining power and controlling others does not make an unhappy person, happy.
Illusions about happiness are rejected: You cannot build your happiness on the details of life such as money, success, pleasure, social life, friends, relatives, health, sex, marriage, children; you cannot build your happiness on pleasant environment; you cannot build your happiness by changing the devil's world, e.g., through crusades, reforms, social engineering (influencing particular attitudes and social behavior), violence, civil disobedience, or revolution. You cannot build your happiness on a moment of time, a moment of pleasure, a moment of power, a moment of stimulation, a moment of approbation, or a moment of success. You cannot build your happiness on self-gratification, including drug abuse, beauty, attractiveness, promises, or marriage. You cannot build your happiness on someone else's unhappiness. Satan himself is an illustration of the arrogance of unhappiness. As Lucifer, Son of the Morning, Satan was the most beautiful creature ever to come from the hand of God, and the most brilliant and personable. Satan has had more success, power, and approbation than any creature that has ever existed. Satan rules millions and millions of both fallen angels and humans. Yet having "everything," Satan is unhappy, frustrated, bored, and the most miserable creature ever. So why should you think you can be happy with the limited things you have or want? You will never be happy with any of those things! Without metabolized truth in the soul, you can never be happy. The arrogance of unhappiness is the tragedy of Christmas, the tragedy of family gatherings, the tragedy of marriages, the tragedy of friends and social life, the tragedy of success, the tragedy of wealth etc. ad nauseam.
Happiness is an individual state of your soul. First there must be capacity for sharing God’s happiness before this happiness can occupy the soul. This is why Rom 12:3 warns us, "For I say through the grace which has been given to me to everyone who is among you: Stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance, beyond the point of what you ought to think, but think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational without illusion, as God has assigned to each one a standard of thinking from doctrine." Being "rational without illusion" describes capacity. Note that happiness is a standard of thinking, not doing, and not being stimulated. The standard of thinking is doctrine, which explains why most believers are so miserable for they don't know doctrine.
Gate 8: Iconoclastic Arrogance.
This is subjective preoccupation with others. Unhappiness can come from both preoccupation with self and with others. Iconoclastic arrogance deals with all the problems that come from relating to others. In iconoclastic arrogance, an unhappy person, creates an image of perfection out of a person. Then, when he discovers the person’s feet of clay namely their sins or flaws, he attempts to destroy that image or icon since the person he greatly admired or even idolized has failed him. Illusion becomes disillusion! Enchantment becomes disenchantment.
The mechanics of iconoclastic arrogance are three-fold. Arrogance in a relationship with someone else creates an idol (icon) through excessive admiration or love for another person, and so puts him or her on a pedestal. Note that it is the arrogant one who puts the other on a pedestal, creating problems for himself immediately. Arrogance eventually becomes disenchanted with the object of admiration for arrogant people cannot really be objective toward anyone. Disenchantment occurs quickly in those who are subjective. By becoming disenchanted with the object he formerly admired, the arrogant person seeks to destroy the idol he created from his own arrogance. Once he sees the idol's feet of clay, his unstable arrogant personality which yesterday had excessive admiration for someone, now is full of antagonism.
The arrogant believer takes an ordinary mortal who has feet of clay, and from romantic illusions, or from deluded idealism, or from his repertoire of subjectivity, he fashions in his mind an idol of perfection. Arrogance is prone to illusion, never seeing people as they really are. Arrogance only sees people as arrogance would like them to be. The idol of perfection created by arrogance can be a romantic image, a spiritual image, a beautiful or attractive image; nevertheless, it is an image that really doesn't exist. The illusion, which is an arrogant misconception, becomes the delusion of imposing on the conscious mind an idol which really does not exist. Iconoclastic arrogance creates the idol of perfection, becomes disillusioned when the feet of clay are manifest, and then destroys the idol when the delusion is shattered. For example, an arrogant woman can idolize a man and even marry him in her state of idealism. After the marriage, when his flaws begin to appear, the woman reacts to his feet of clay. The problems that ensue usually eventuate in a horrible marriage or even divorce. A Christian may idolize a pastor, an evangelist, or a missionary, and then demand attention from this created icon. Once that attention is lacking or lagging, the arrogant person becomes frustrated and looks for flaws. Flaws are easy to find if you're looking for them. Illusion created by arrogance becomes illusion destroyed by arrogance. When illusion becomes disillusion and enchantment becomes disenchantment, the pattern for iconoclastic arrogance is obvious. The arrogant reaction of disillusion or disenchantment enters into all the mental attitude and verbal sins of motivational arrogance. The arrogant iconoclast never blames himself for what he has done in creating an idol and then, in disenchantment or disillusion, destroying it. But in his irrational state of mind, he blames the idol for being created by his own fantasies. Arrogance never takes the responsibility for being arrogant.
The object of arrogant admiration is all too often a believer with attractive qualities. But like all believers, he possesses an old sin nature, his own "feet of clay." Once his old sin nature shows, the arrogant person feels betrayed that he had misplaced his admiration. The problem is that the arrogant person has no true humility, no true love, and no virtue. Furthermore, arrogant subjective believers in their preoccupation with self, ignore the reality of the old sin nature and the universal depravity of man.
However, with true love from a state of humility, one has the capacity to love people with their faults. Your eyes are wide open to their failures and their faults. This is because impersonal love, the problem solver for personal relationships, accepts and tolerates people as they are, not as you wish them to be. Admiration is a normal expression of one's standards. Normal admiration is very wonderful and is a sign of having some worthwhile standards. When you admire people in certain fields, it merely reflects your own thinking and standards, your priorities. It is not degrading to admire others. But it is arrogant to be idolatrous about people. It is evil and morally degenerate to be iconoclastic about people. The standards of the protocol plan of God always relate to virtue, honor, and integrity, and these are expressed in admiration for people. But to become disillusioned, disappointed, or disenchanted with the idol of your own making is abnormal and a sign of moral degeneration. Love, respect, and admiration when normal are related to two things in your life: virtue (good standards and priorities) and humility in your own soul. Humility with virtue never manufactures idols out of humans. Therefore, a person with humility and virtue can form tremendous friendships and have a wonderful marriage and family life.
Role Model Arrogance: Role is defined as the proper or customary function of a person. Society and people in general have assigned certain customary functions to those who perform certain activities in life. This is particularly true of politicians, professional athletes, husbands, wives, teachers, public servants, and pastors. When anyone departs from his role model, he is condemned, rejected, criticized, judged, slandered, and maligned. People in society in general have a predilection for desiring everything to be in its proper place, and they resent any form of deviation. For this reason, society inevitably has a double standard; they have one standard for the role model, and a second standard for themselves. While a person may excuse himself for his own sins, failures, and flaws, he inevitably condemns the role model for identical sins, failures, and flaws. In essence, this is another aspect of iconoclastic arrogance. Role model arrogance manufactures hypocrites, legalists, and self-righteous persons. Role model arrogance creates hypocrisy in the clergy, pretending to be superior and legalism in the congregation from becoming self-righteous. Therefore, both clergy and congregation are distracted from what is important, i.e., the mystery doctrine of the Church Age by which the protocol plan is executed. In summary, role model arrogance tries to impose impossible or perfect standards on others. This ignores the fact that all believers have a sin nature, and continue to sin after salvation, 1 John 1:8-10.
The Combination of Unrealistic Expectation and Role Model Arrogance: Unrealistic expectation is described as part of the arrogance of unhappiness, subjective preoccupation with self. Unrealistic expectation means that arrogant people are not loved the way they want to be loved or treated the way they want to be treated. Role model arrogance is part of iconoclastic arrogance, gate 8 of cosmic one, defined as subjective preoccupation with other people. Role model arrogance plus unrealistic expectation combine to form a tragic flaw in the believer. It is the tragic flaw of the double standard by which, on the one hand, people justify their own sins while judging, slandering, and condemning the sins of others. Role model arrogance plus unrealistic expectation results in three focus problems: Eyes on self which is a double standard used to justify self, to rationalize one’s own sins, and to ignore both moral and immoral degeneracy in oneself. Eyes on people include such sins as envy, hatred, bitterness, revenge, gossip, maligning, slander, inordinate ambition, and inordinate competition. Eyes on things is arrogant resentment because others possess material things or have the affection of people which you do not possess.
Principles of Iconoclastic Arrogance: For your happiness, contentment, and blessing, remember that you cannot change other people; you can only change yourself. Therefore, avoid crusader arrogance and iconoclastic arrogance, which is subjective preoccupation with people. If you're occupied with Christ, you will be able to take people as they are. If you're not occupied with Christ, people will make you miserable as long as you live. You cannot change people to conform to your unrealistic expectation or role model arrogance. When you suffer from unrealistic expectation and are not loved or treated the way you want, you try to change people to conform to what you want. You cannot change people; you can only change yourself. Only by changing yourself can you avoid iconoclastic arrogance, unrealistic expectations, and role model arrogance. You cannot change people by imposing upon them impossible standards, which is what role model arrogance attempts to do. You could never keep such standards yourself; nevertheless, you impose them on others. This explains why marriages explode, as each spouse pulls the pin on their grenade of arrogance and rolls it under the other person. You cannot react to the failures, flaws, and sins of other people through iconoclastic arrogance. Now let’s finish this subject with an example. A shocked wife tries to destroy the idol of perfection she created before marriage. A shocked husband complains to the bartender that the woman he married is not the woman he dated. Observe the feet of clay before marriage to avoid creating an icon, and after observing the feet of clay, decide whether you can deal with it or not.
Gate 9: Rational and Irrational Arrogance.
Rational arrogance is pseudo-intellectualism whereas irrational arrogance is the arrogance of emotion. These are the inevitable result of the arrogance gates 1-8.
Rational arrogance is the vanity of intellectual arrogance, or the elitism of the genius I.Q. Elitism might be defined for this study as that arrogant consciousness of pride which belongs to a select or favorite group of people. People with a high I.Q. have a tendency to look down their noses at those who are less endowed. Rational arrogance is the vanity of giving precedence to human I.Q. and intellectual attainment over spiritual I.Q. and momentum from doctrine. The human viewpoint of life rejects or sets aside divine viewpoint.
Rational arrogance generally afflicts those believers in Jesus Christ whose superior I.Q. or educational background which gives them a false sense of elitism or superiority. All too often, intellectual arrogance compromises Bible doctrine by attempting to reconcile those things found in the Word of God with philosophical and scientific speculation. Because rational or intellectual arrogance is so anthropocentric, it has a tendency to accept as fact theories and philosophical speculations in the field of rationalism and empiricism, and make them a part of Christian doctrine. For example, a favorite practice of rational or intellectual arrogance is to choose something like the theory of evolution over creationism, because it seems to them to be "more reasonable" than divine revelation in the canon of Scripture. This is consistent with the human viewpoint objective of glorifying self over God.
The trends of rational or intellectual arrogance are noted in the attempt to reform Christianity, beginning with Gnosticism in the second century which tried to reinterpret the Scriptures and to add philosophical concepts which the Word of God rejects. The scholasticism of medieval times tried to merge the theories of Plato and Aristotle with Christian doctrine. In the twentieth century, it is manifest in existentialism (Existentialism is a form of philosophical enquiry that explores the nature of existence by emphasizing experience of the human subject, not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual.), social action, socialism, utopianism, and communism.
The truth of Bible doctrine forms a system of absolutes, but arrogance intrudes with the glorification of some form of human speculation which excludes doctrinal viewpoint. This results in such philosophies as existentialism and the arrogant system of subjective humanism (a system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.) Without the truth of Bible doctrine as the means of establishing the norms of life, intellectualism is meaningless and often very harmful. Allegedly, man can only be understood by the subjective analysis of his suffering, guilt feelings, and anxiety. Existentialism is twentieth century Gnosticism which emphasizes the arrogant and subjective aspects of man as a creature of God. It glorifies man by saying that man is good and honorable by nature and by birth. Therefore, it denies the existence of the old sin nature and the total depravity of man. This arrogance is advocated by such men as Kerkegard, Sarte, Carl Barth, and Emil Bruner. They call themselves modern theologians, but they are really philosophical speculators. They do not to teach doctrine, but attempt to explain Christianity in terms of philosophical speculation. This subjective approach to doctrine is arrogance.
Intellectual arrogance is difficult to overcome even with good Bible teaching. It often distorts the trends of history and establishes false trends. It uses academic subjects to contradict the lucid and perspicuous statements of Scripture. It uses history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, historical geology, anthropology, and certain aspects of political science; it ends up glorifying Marxist theories, inserting them into academic subjects. Learning these academic subjects often create in the believer an intellectual arrogance which is difficult to overcome when he hears Bible doctrine which contradicts these subjects.
Irrational or Emotional Arrogance is the antithesis of rational arrogance. Rational arrogance uses human viewpoint and academic theory as the criterion for life instead of Bible doctrine. Irrational arrogance uses feeling and emotion as the criterion for life instead of Bible doctrine. Normal emotional function responds to the thinking of the precordial frontal lobes of the soul. Emotions are designed, under normal living, to respond to the content of your intellect and to the standards developed from your thinking. When your standards are met in any field of life, your emotions respond.
Emotion is normal only when under the authority of thought. Just as your volition must be under human authorities of establishment and under the divine authority of the Word of God, so emotion is only normal when it is subordinate to thinking. Emotion is a responder and reflector of thinking or lack of thinking in a normal person. As a system of feeling and response, emotion in itself does not contain any of the following. Emotion has no ability to reason. So, the ability to reason is lost if emotion dominates the soul. Emotion has no capability of thought. Emotion was not designed for thinking, but for responsive stimulation. Emotion has no doctrinal content or criteria, and so has no common sense. So if emotion dominates the soul of a person, he will be irrational!
Emotion is never the criterion for Christian experience. You are not saved or spiritual because you feel saved or spiritual. Your feelings have absolutely nothing to do with your spiritual status quo. However, your emotions can respond to your spiritual growth or to doctrines you finally understand, just as your emotions respond to other things. Under the principle of irrational arrogance, emotion becomes a major distraction to the execution of the protocol plan of God. Preoccupation with self in arrogance enjoys substituting emotional stimulation for Bible doctrine, therefore forcing doctrine out of your life. Emotion rejects the three R's of operation Z: reception, retention, and recall of doctrine, all of which require the function of the frontal lobe. Emotion is not involved in the process of learning doctrine. However, emotion benefits from doctrine learned and responds to it. To the extent that you get emotional about some doctrinal point in class, you lose your objectivity and your ability to actually take in doctrine. Emotional arrogance concludes the following blasphemies: A person is not saved unless he feels saved. A person is not spiritual without an ecstatic experience. A person is not forgiven of his sins without a lot of emotional weeping and wailing.
Emotions cannot solve problems. They cannot solve problems since solving problems requires rational thought, judgment and decision making. Emotional stress causes the believer to act on impulse rather than the application of Bible doctrine. A few examples: The emotion of fear causes flight. The emotion of disgust causes repulsion. The emotion of anger causes violence. Therefore, emotions are feeling functions, and they should never become the criterion for Christianity.
Emotion is defined as a complex, biochemical, physiological process or function concerned with somatic expression of feeling. The prefrontal lobes are the cortical areas associated with thought and decisions. Normal emotions respond to thought in the prefrontal lobes. In cases where the prefrontal lobes have been removed, such as a frontal lobotomy, such individuals still have emotional activity since emotions are located in the body not in the frontal lobes. So while the removal of the prefrontal lobes may eliminate thought, it does not eliminate emotional activity. In summary, emotional arrogance (emotion dominating the soul) is a denial of divine power which is stored and utilized in the prefrontal lobes.
The cosmic believer has three emotional malfunctions. He makes a god out of his emotions as found in Philippians. He is distracted from the protocol plan of God by the improper use of his emotions as found in Romans. He is hindered by emotion in the perception of Bible doctrine as found in 2 Corinthians. In these ways, irrational arrogance makes emotion the criterion for the Christian way of life.
Philippians 3:18-19, "For many [cosmic believers] keep walking [modus operandi in cosmic system] concerning whom I have communicated to you many times and now continue communicating, even though weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction [sin unto death], whose god is his emotions, whose fame is by means of dishonor, who keeps thinking about earthly things."
Romans 16:17-18, "Now I urge you, brethren, be alert for those who are causing dissensions and apostasies contrary to doctrine which you have learned. For such believers do not obey our Lord Jesus Christ, but their emotions, serving themselves. And by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the right lobes of the ignorant [of Bible doctrine]."
2 Corinthians 6:11-12, "O you Corinthians, our mouth has been opened face to face with you; [Paul, Apollos, Timothy] our right lobes have been enlarged [by Bible doctrine]. Therefore, you have not been hindered by us, but you have been hindered by your own emotions."
Characteristics of emotional arrogance: Emotional arrogance is vulnerable to flattery, and flattery encourages unreality about self. Emotional arrogance encourages fear under pressure since emotion cannot think. (Courage is the ability to think under pressure.) Emotional arrogance produces personality disturbances, called psycho-neurotic disorders. Psycho-neurotic personalities use emotional arrogance to try to deal with stress, but instead of solving stress, they manufacture anxiety, piling more pressure on their life. Since emotional arrogance cannot handle anxiety. So, phobic, depressive, obsessive, and compulsive reactions result from emotional arrogance. Emotional arrogance not only eliminates rational thinking in the soul, but produces arrogant preoccupation with the insignificant. Arrogant preoccupation with the insignificant not only destroys any true scale of values in life, but develops an arrogant self-centeredness which destroys capacity for life, love, and happiness. Without capacity from correct thought, details of life will make you miserable. Again, knowledge is the environment for thinking - not emotion. Emotions are wonderful when they are the result of thinking; that's what emotions are for. Therefore, emotions are designed to enjoy life, not to run life.
Gate 10: Client Nation Arrogance.
The client nation to God is defined in terms of the laws of divine establishment, providing the necessary freedom for three great spiritual functions: Evangelism, the presentation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ followed by the teaching of Bible doctrine, and finally missionary activity to non-client nations. (In addition to these three spiritual functions, the client nation has the responsibility of providing a safe haven for Jewish people.) All three categories involve the spiritual life beginning with perception of Bible doctrine, producing spiritual growth which is so important.
The client nation to God is blessed by those who have reached spiritual maturity, and especially by those mature believers who have completed Evidence Testing. These great believers whose invisible historical impact is the key to the Client Nation’s function and perpetuation. In principle, as goes the believer in any given generation, so goes the Client nation and history in that generation. Thus, the true issue for the Church Age is the invisible impact of the spiritual life of the believer. This was never as true as it is in the Church Age. Always in the Old Testament it was a matter of individual leadership, as with Moses, David, Hezekiah, etc. But now the issue is invisible historic impact. God has made blessing in any generation dependent upon the individual attitude of the Christian toward Bible doctrine.
However, when a maximum number of Christians are living in Satan's cosmic system and, when the citizens of the client nation reject the laws of divine establishment, the nation comes under cursing by being punished by the five cycles of discipline. With the administration of the fifth cycle of discipline, the client nation status is removed, and all too often that nation goes into slavery.
A perspective regarding Client Nations: There are two categories of client nations in history namely Old Testament category: Jewish client nations, of which there were four (Israel, the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, and Judah). These client nations existed from Moses until the fall of Judah in August of A.D. 70, and New Testament category: Gentile client nations exist during the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). These client nations began with S.P.Q.R. and continue up to the present with the U.S.A.
Since we are discussing Client Nation arrogance, we should know something about nations and their governments. So, let’s begin. There are two general categories of government in any nation in history: good government and arrogant government. It is important to distinguish between the two. There are three categories of good government, and three categories of arrogant government. It isn't the form of government that matters so much, but whether it is good or arrogant. First category: Monarchy is the rule of one man in the interest of the common good (e.g., a king). The arrogant distortion of this is tyranny, the rule of one man for his own advantage (e.g., a dictator). Second category: Aristocracy is the rule of a group of men in the interest of the common good. The arrogant distortion of this is oligarchy, the rule of an interest-group for its own benefit. Third category: Republic is the rule of the better part of the people in the interest of the common good. Its arrogant distortion is democracy, the rule of the worst part of the people for their own selfish benefit.
But regardless of the form of government, the purpose of a client nation is to establish freedom, privacy, and the sacredness of both property and life. The client nation, regardless of government, should provide the environment of freedom so that there can occur evangelism, Bible teaching, missionary activity; and should provide a safe haven for Jews who are being persecuted. However, when arrogance begins to permeate the client nation in the form of apostasy among believers, indifference among unbelievers, and irresponsibility by all, then the Client Nation attacks the very purpose of its existence namely to allow for evangelism, Bible teaching and the sending out of missionaries.
Client nation arrogance includes moral and immoral degeneration, and blurs the distinctions between church and state, between the military and state, and between free enterprise and state. Therefore, client nation arrogance is characterized by social degeneration, economic depression, military disaster, and the apostasy of believers resulting in the shrinkage of the pivot of mature believers. It is characterized by an ever-increasing bureaucracy in government rather than leadership and integrity. Arrogance destroys consensus, neutralizes integrity, caters to privileged groups, and demands equality without earning or working for it at the expense of everyone else's labors. Client nation arrogance destroys human freedom and privacy and confiscates property. Client nation arrogance is that presumption that the blessings and prosperities from God to a client nation are the result of national and ethnic superiority. Arrogance rejects the laws of divine establishment, ridicules the Gospel, and ignores the fact that all national blessing is associated with the pivot of mature believers. Under Client Nation Arrogance, the government advocates such evils as the welfare state, redistribution of wealth, big government, unjust taxation, the rule of the proletariat (blue collar workers) through labor unions, an irresponsible extension of the voting franchise, and the destruction of non-belligerent sovereign nations to gain some economic advantage. Client nation arrogance finds believers involved in activism, crusader arrogance, civil disobedience, violence, and revolution.
Application to Client Nation, USA: Under client nation arrogance, we have extended the voting franchise to the point of irresponsibility. Everyone is arrogant enough to think that his vote is important, that he is discerning enough to distinguish the good from the bad. This results in silly laws, irresponsibility, stupid demagogues, arrogant bureaucracy, and the inevitable distortion of our own wonderful Constitution. So, what is your responsibility as a Christian to the United States of America as a client nation? As a believer in the United States, it is your primary responsibility to grow-up spiritually in order for the Lord to have a reason for blessing Client Nation USA. To the contrary, activism finds arrogant Christians living inside the cosmic system, practicing that terrible evil of civil disobedience which is the quintessence of arrogance and demonization. Nothing is ever solved by protests or violence. Violence is distinguished from the function of law and order, i.e., executing violent criminals and destroying national enemies. Christians involved in protest-functions are arrogant and have no sense of destiny from the inculcation of doctrine. Only believers living the spiritual life have a true sense of destiny. Not only are we as individuals the products of our own decisions, but tragically today, we are also the products of our decisions collectively made from the demonizing inculcation of the cosmic system. In the year of 2020, a large portion of unbelievers and the majority of believers are involved in Client Nation Arrogance.
DOCTRINE OF COSMIC TWO: THE ANTAGONISM COMPLEX
Introduction: The doctrine of cosmic two deals with the subject of quenching the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, "Do not quench the Spirit." Cosmic two is the function of the believer in apostasy under the principle of antagonism. The gates of cosmic two are antagonistic not only toward Bible doctrine, but also toward the protocol plan of God in general and anything related to God, including the laws of divine establishment.
Gate 1: Motivational Antagonism toward Bible Doctrine and the Protocol Plan of God: The Old Sin Nature as the agent.
We have a built-in system of antagonism toward God namely the sin nature. The old sin nature is the primary source of temptation in life. But more than that, it represents the corruption of the cell structure of the body through our relationship with Adam. (There are two general categories of temptation in life: Inner temptation from the old sin nature, outside temptation from Satan, demons, people, and situations or circumstances of life. However, there is only one source of sin: human volition. To be tempted is not sinful or evil. But to succumb to the temptation by utilizing your own volition in doing whatever the temptation suggests becomes the basis for sin. Therefore, the guardian of the human soul is human volition.) The old sin nature occupies every cell of the human body, except the twenty-three chromosomes of the female ovum. The old sin nature residing in the body is the major source of temptation directed toward the volition of the soul.
We must take responsibility for our sins. When we succumb to temptation due to negative volition, the old sin nature controls our soul and the believer is carnal. We remain in this position until we use the recovery procedure. At which time the Holy Spirit regains control of our soul. Every day, we make constant decisions for either the old sin nature or the Holy Spirit. Even when we sin in ignorance, we still wanted to do it, and so, we are responsible for that decision. Our volition gave the go-ahead to that temptation to sin, and so as far as God is concerned, we are guilty. There are two categories of sin from human volition: The sins of cognizance in which volition is aware that a sin is committed, and the sins of ignorance in which volition made the decision to sin but was unaware that it was a sin. Both categories of sin make us equally guilty before the Lord and, as believers, antagonistic toward God's plan. Since volition wanted to and did commit the sin, whether in ignorance or cognizance, the individual is responsible for all of his sins.
There are three characteristics which form the essence of the old sin nature: An area of weakness, an area of strength and the lust pattern. There is such variation in temptations and sins from these two different areas and the lust pattern among people that we cannot measure our spiritual advance by comparing ourselves with others. First, there is an area of weakness which tempts us regarding our brand of sin. Secondly, there is an area of strength which tempts in the areas of human good and moral degeneration for example you might say, “I would never get drunk like that drunken bum,” or “How could anyone steal a hymnal,” after hearing of a stolen hymnal. From this comes a strong tendency toward self- righteousness, and a holier-than-thou attitude. This is being neither devout nor pious, but simply functioning in another area of the old sin nature. Third, there is the lust pattern which tempts us in certain fields, such as lust for money, sex, chemical stimulation, power, approbation, lust for revenge and even killer lust. These explain Satan’s inside agent.
God has provided human volition as a defense against temptation related to sin, human good, and evil (a few examples: socialism providing the welfare state, redistribution of wealth, the destruction of privacy and property etc., and socialism evolving into Marxism). Human volition guards the gate of the soul against the pressure of temptation. Through temptation, the old sin nature is constantly seeking to gain control over our soul. Therefore, the soul of every believer is a battleground as long as he lives. The old sin nature has no power beyond temptation, so we are responsible for all of our sins.
The absolute status quo of every believer falls into two categories. The believer is either living the spiritual life in God’s protocol plan where he is said to be filled with the Spirit, or he is living in the cosmic system either one or two or both. In cosmic one he is grieving the Holy Spirit, and in cosmic two he is quenching the Holy Spirit. Therefore, spirituality and carnality are absolutes; you are either completely spiritual or completely carnal. No matter what your stage of spiritual growth, you are either controlled by the Spirit or by the old sin nature. Spirituality namely being in fellowship with God and carnality are mutually exclusive. You can be spiritual as a baby believer; you can be spiritual as a mature believer. You can be carnal as a baby believer; you can be carnal as a mature believer. The relative status quo of every believer is his spiritual growth or retrogression. As a new believer he begins as a baby, moves into adolescence, and eventually advances to spiritual adulthood in three categories; or he can retrogress through the eight stages of reversionism known as backsliding. You are either a winner or loser at any given point in your spiritual life.
Rebound is a grace decision by which we get out of the cosmic system. We get into the cosmic system through sin; we get out through naming that sin as a priestly function. Believers who never learn to rebound spend their whole life in benign and active evil. There is no way you can execute God's game plan on your ability; it can be executed only through grace. In grace, God does the work and man is the beneficiary apart from his merit.
Under the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, the believer does not sin. When he decides to use his volition to sin, that decision removes him from the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. If the believer remains out of fellowship for a prolonged period of time, he will become demonized via blackout and scar tissue of the soul (Ephesians 4:17, 18). The old sin nature, gate one is the system by which we, as believers, give our own personal consent to demonization. It is also the gate in which the unbeliever begins to give consent in two categories: demon influence and demon possession. So, the old sin nature is the snare that gets a person into the cosmic system through temptation, but he still has free will to escape. The believer through the Recovery Procedure and his spiritual advance. The unbeliever through his learning and adhering to the Laws of Establishment.
Gate 2: Negative Volition.
Cosmic one and cosmic two both have a negative volition gates. The negative volition gate of each cosmic system emphasizes the basic difference between the two systems. Negative volition in cosmic one always results from arrogance and preoccupation with self, but does not necessarily indicate antagonism toward Bible doctrine. Negative volition in cosmic two is the direct result of hostility toward the Word of God or toward the one who communicates it. Gate 2 of cosmic one can be described as indifference to doctrine or wrong priorities; either comes from arrogance. Gate 2 of cosmic two can be described as open antagonism toward the teaching of doctrine and the one who communicates it. There are three areas of antagonism toward Bible doctrine at gate 2 of cosmic two. Negative volition at God-consciousness, a characteristic of the unbeliever only as in Romans 1:18-25, "For the wrath of God is being revealed [evident, plain] from heaven [decisions and judgments from the Supreme Court of Heaven] against all ungodliness and unrighteousness [becomes a distraction or suppression of truth] of mankind who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, (19) because what may be known [evident, plain] about God in them [the basis for knowing about God] (is revealed) [at the point of God consciousness]; because God has made it plain to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly perceived, being perspicuous through things He has created, namely, both His eternal power and His divine nature, so that they [the entire human race] are without excuse. (21) For even though they knew him as God, they did not glorify [honor] Him [Christ] as God [negative volition at God-consciousness] nor did they feel obligated to thank Him, in fact, as a result of their negative volition they became futile [received worthless thoughts] in their speculations [the arrogance skills: evil deliberations], and their foolish heart [ignorant right lobe] receives darkness [black out of the soul]. (22) Although professing themselves to be wise, they became fools [the use of the arrogance skills is the major factor in forgetting about God], (23) and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles. (24) Therefore God turned them over to the lusts of their stream of consciousness [unrestrained sin nature function] to sexual impurity [any sex outside of marriage], for the degrading of their bodies with one another [there is degradation and degeneration when a people forget God] (25) for they exchanged the doctrine [truth] of God for the lie, and they worshiped and served the creature [Satan and his system] rather than the Creator, who is worthy of praise and glorification forever, Amen.” Negative volition at Gospel hearing, a characteristic of the unbeliever only as in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Negative volition toward Bible teaching after salvation, a characteristic of the believer only. There are three spheres in which the believer can be negative toward Bible doctrine, called the three R's namely reception, retention and recall. There is no reception since negative volition refuses to listen to good Bible teaching on a consistent basis. Negative volition at the point of understanding rejects the message when it is presented by the pastor either in a local church or its equivalent. Therefore, the truth of God’s word is not metabolized-no retention. And finally, negative volition at the point of recall means you make no application of metabolized doctrine, make no use of the problem solving devices, have no momentum, and therefore have no fulfillment of the protocol plan of God.
All negative volition in the human race can be classified as rejection or antagonism toward truth in one or more of the three categories of truth which are as follows: The laws of divine establishment for believer and unbelievers. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for unbelievers, and Bible doctrine for believers in Jesus Christ. When a person rejects truth whether he be unbeliever or believer, he will enter into the Eight Stages of Reversionism (going backwards in the spiritual life). The first sign of this is social degeneration or anti-establishment which is gate 3 of cosmic two.
Gate 3: Anti-establishment.
The laws of divine establishment are for both believer and unbeliever. These are the basic laws of freedom which permit evangelism, Bible teaching, and missionary activity. The laws of divine establishment balance freedom with authority. Freedom without authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny. The unbeliever involved in anti-establishment is described in Rom 1:26-32, “For this reason God [the function of the Supreme Court of Heaven] he delivered them over to shameful lusts [turned them over to their sin natures]; even their own women exchanged their natural sexual function for that which is unnatural [lesbianism], (27) and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural sexual function with a woman and were inflamed with their lusts toward one another [homosexuality], men with other men committing the shameful deed [homosexuality: indecent acts] and receive in themselves the due penalty of their perversion [many plagues in history]. (28) And just as they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge any longer [negative volition at God-consciousness], God delivered them over to a depraved mind to do the things that are not proper, (29) being filled with all unrighteousness, greed, malice, full of jealousy, murder, dissension, deceit, evil motivation; they became gossips, (30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, (31) without understanding, lacking honor and integrity, unloving [no capacity for love], implacable. (32) And although they know the righteous decree of God, that those who practice such things deserve death [capital punishment], they not only continue to do these very things, but also they approve of others who practice them." The believer involved in anti-establishment is described in 2 Tim 3:2-7. "For persons [Church Age believers] will be lovers of self [cosmic one], lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self- control, brutal [emotion bringing about the irrational person: unreasonable, cruel, savage, violent, and inhuman], haters of good [of intrinsic value], treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an overt appearance of the spiritual life [hypocrisy of legalism], but they have denied its power [the two power options of the spiritual life]. Therefore, avoid these believers [who are anti-establishment and anti-protocol plan of God], for among these are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly [weak] women who are loaded down with sins and swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to the epignosis knowledge of the truth."
Gate 4: Cosmic Panaceas.
Rejecting all laws whether civil or spiritual and substituting cosmic panaceas. Rejection of the laws of divine establishment and the delegated authority assigned to them results in the substitution of false solutions to the problems of life. The problem-solving devices of the protocol plan of God are rejected or ignored or both. This gate is that function of seeking solutions to the problems of life apart from truth in its three categories: The laws of divine establishment. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Bible doctrine. Human viewpoint solutions to the problems of life are no substitute for divine solutions which are resident in the protocol plan of God.
Cosmic panaceas demand a full mobilization of arrogance, pride, and jealousy; so that self-righteousness, legalism, personality arrogance, authority arrogance, and Christian service arrogance can be expressed through crusader arrogance. (By definition, a panacea is a cure-all; a simple, stupid, disastrous solution from the tunnel vision of legalism or emotionalism.) Both authority and freedom are sacrificed on the altar of equality. Laws may guarantee equal opportunity, but no sane government would attempt to provide equality such as in mental health, mental ability, strength, motivation, love ad nauseam, but they try to makes us all equal economically, and so both Christians and unbelievers seek solutions to fix this inequality issue which include such things as taxing the rich to feed the poor, i.e., the redistribution of wealth, the break-up of successful business enterprises, the confiscation of property, the nationalization of industry, and the passing of laws to suit or conform to this false doctrine of equality.
Cosmic panaceas inevitably result in big government fat with bureaucrats and little people with less and less freedom in terms of rights, privacy and property. Cosmic panaceas advocate the criterion that make people slaves to the state instead of the government being the servant of the people. In a democracy, the citizens become the slaves of the state while demanding their rights. Cosmic panaceas are based on self-righteous arrogance. Hence, they promise all sorts of things that cannot be fulfilled. They are divorced from reality. Some of the so-called greatest Christian leaders of our day advocate violence to get their way. They support violence in destruction of property and even in destruction of life; e.g., attacks on women seeking abortions. Cosmic panaceas promote tremendous prejudice, violence, terrorism and warfare. Too many believers are influenced by Marxism, Bolshevism, Menshevism, some form of socialism, and other anti-Biblical idealisms which blind them to the evil they both advocate and practice.
No government or personal interest group can create equality in the human race. Only God can create equality, which He has done with the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. So, a myth is destroyed. Equal opportunity is not equality. In fact, equal opportunity guarantees inequality, as demonstrated in both the temporal and spiritual realm. By creating equal opportunity in the protocol plan of God, God has guaranteed that in heaven there will be great inequality. There are always some people who use their equal opportunity, and some who do not.
In the name of the greater good for the greater number, the government commits crimes, sets itself above the law, and therefore destroys the laws which protect our freedom, privacy, property and lives. Socialism and Marxism are anti-freedom and anti-God, though many Christian organizations advocate their false doctrines and try to merge them with Christian doctrine. Without freedom, the individual cannot have a destiny. Without authority or establishment, one cannot have freedom.
Cosmic panaceas are designed to promote the rule of Satan on earth. He is the ruler of this world in name, but he becomes the ruler in effect through the arrogance of believers and unbelievers who cooperate to help his regime through crusader arrogance and cosmic panaceas. History has demonstrated the failure of cosmic panaceas in the devil's world. Crusader arrogance and its resultant cosmic panaceas add up to a false premise, and there is no solution to life based on a false premise or a false conclusion.
Gate 5: Cosmic Degeneration.
Degeneration is defined here as deterioration or retrogression of born-again believers who constantly live in Satan's cosmic system. They deteriorate spiritually and retrogress, so that they go from one category of degeneration to another. Basically, degeneration means to become worse. Under cosmic degeneration, the standards and modus operandi of the believer who lives in the cosmic system declines. Hence, degeneration in the cosmic system is a process of deterioration, passing from a higher to a lower status quo. Cosmic degeneration rejects the doctrine and the power of the protocol plan of God for the Church Age believer. Cosmic degeneration means that the believer either does not understand or rejects the Recovery Procedure, the Ten Problem Solving devices, the indwelling of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit; the power God’s thinking metabolized in the soul, the significance of the new spiritual species; and the unique ministry of God the Holy Spirit in the Church Age etc.
There are two categories of cosmic degeneration namely immoral degeneration which is obvious, and moral degeneration which is not so obvious. To understand this, let’s look at the Sin Nature. The old sin nature has both an area of weakness and an area of strength. This results in a diversity of sins, failures, and flaws. Therefore, we cannot compare our area of strength with someone else's area of weakness and conclude that we are spiritual. When the believer prolongs his residence in the cosmic system, he begins to deteriorate spiritually so that he moves toward his area of weakness which can be immoral or moral degradation. Therefore, a prolonged stay in the cosmic system can result in either immoral or moral degeneration.
Immoral degeneration includes such things as crime, violence, sexual perversion, and drug addiction. All of this goes back to a basic rejection of authority in the home and at God-consciousness (awareness). Romans 1:24-27 describes such a person who rejects God at awareness. "Therefore, God delivered them over to the lusts of their right lobes to an immoral status [through black-out of the soul], that their bodies might be degraded among themselves; they who exchanged the doctrine from God for a lie. They both worship and serve the creature [Satan] rather than the Creator [the Lord] who is blessed forever. Because of this, God has delivered them over to the passions of dishonor [or shameful passions namely immoral degeneracy]. For not only their women exchanged the normal function of sex for that which is contrary to nature [lesbianism], but also in the same manner, the men abandoned their natural relationship with women [homosexuality] and became inflamed with their lust for one another, males with males, accomplishing the perverted act of homosexuality, and received in themselves the judgment of their perversion which was inevitable." When the believer becomes immoral, he sometimes shocks himself and often concludes that he is not saved, or he is convinced of this by his friends. Nevertheless, these things occur among believers every day. Abraham committed adultery with the Egyptian, Hagar; David committed adultery with the Jewish Bathsheba, and then murdered her gentile husband, an honorable believer and a general in David’s army. Paul mentions a partial list of sins that were prevalent among the Galatian Christians in Galatians 5:19, “Now, the works of the flesh [sin nature] are plainly seen such as [a representative list] fornication [pornea: including adultery], mental defilement from wrong doing [1 Thessalonians 2:3; Matthew 23:27] and sexual sins related to abnormality and criminality, licentious behavior [the Greek word aselgeia: extreme indulgence in sensual pleasure related to alcohol, drugs and sex including sexual sins related to idolatry and human sacrifice]. The born-again believer in the cosmic system is far worse generally than the degenerate unbeliever, because the believer must go through far more systems of resistance to do what he does. Consequently, the worst people on the face of the earth are degenerate believers.
God's view and inevitable judgment of homosexuality is memorialized in the Dead Sea. AIDs and other plague judgments against homosexuality are God's way of protecting mankind. Inevitably, God must judge all forms of immoral degeneracy and eliminate such people from humankind for the preservation of mankind. For one of the greatest dangers relating to the destruction of mankind is immoral degeneracy, not nuclear weapons. Though, man has the potential for self-destruction, God keeps immoral degeneracy in check through judgment. The punishment for immoral degeneracy is related to two categories of suffering: The law of volitional responsibility, Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap,” and divine judgment administered from the justice of God i.e. Sodom and Gomorrah.
Much more subtle is moral degeneracy which often passes for spirituality among believers who are ignorant of good Bible teaching. Moral degeneracy can be classified as uncontrolled and unrestrained legalism. Prolonged residence in the cosmic system results in some believers exercising the functions of self-righteous arrogance to the point of violence, destruction of property, and murder. Peter was about to enter into moral degeneracy when Paul nipped it in bud. Galatians 2:11-13, "But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him face to face because he stood condemned [for his legalism and hypocrisy which ultimately lead to moral degeneracy]. Before certain men [legalistic believers] came from James [a legalist for a while], he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when these legalists came, he began to withdraw and to separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of the circumcision party. Consequently, the rest of the Jews joined Peter in his hypocrisy with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by this hypocrisy." The apostle Paul as the unbeliever, Saul of Tarsus was guilty of moral degeneracy, resulting in his persecution of Christians, Act 8:3, "But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house. He would drag off both men and women and put them in prison." Because of the function of moral degeneracy in his pre- salvation days, the apostle Paul, the greatest Christian of all, states in 1 Timothy 1:15 by way of retrospective exposition, "It is a trustworthy statement [true deposition] deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the worst." So, Paul ranked himself as the worst sinner who ever lived not because of immorality for many people persecute and murder people for example Hitler and Stalin murdered millions, but because of his moral degeneracy for he was the most self-righteous person who has ever lived. There was no one in his league. So, one of the worst sinners who ever lived, Saul of Tarsus, was a very moral, self-righteous person, a strong adherent to the legalistic distortion of the Mosaic Law. Born-again believers through prolonged residence in the cosmic system can also become involved in moral degeneracy. The Galatian believers were guilty of moral degeneracy which came from their keeping the Mosaic Law for spirituality. This is described as their problem in Galatians 3:1-3, “You foolish Galatians, who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so stupid? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being brought to completion [in the spiritual life] by the flesh [functioning out of fellowship under the legalism of the Judaizers]?”
Moral degeneracy often leads to false doctrines, such as sinless perfection. 1 John 1:8, "If we allege that we have no sin [post- salvation], we are deceiving ourselves and the truth [Bible doctrine] is not in us." Moral degeneracy is characterized by self-deceit combined with ignorance and/or rejection of doctrine. Moral degeneracy had become an evil influence in the Colossian church, as stated in Colossians 2:16-18, "Therefore, let no one act as your judge in regard to the food that you eat or what you drink or with regard to any religious day or the observance of the new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are shadows that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility, even the worship of angels, defraud you or disqualify you from your prize [escrow blessings]. Such a person [believer in moral degeneracy] takes his stand on alleged visions and his non-spiritual mind inflates with idle notions." This is an excellent description of self-righteousness arrogance which includes the arrogance of legalism, personality arrogance, authority arrogance, crusader arrogance, and the arrogance of Christian service (works).
Gate 6: Demonism.
1. There are four categories of fallen angels namely those incarcerated in the Abyss, in Tartarus and under the Euphrates River, and operational fallen angels who function under the rule of Satan during human history.
2. There are two categories of demon activity in human history namely demon influence and demon possession. Demon influence is Satan’s thinking entering the soul of the believer or unbeliever through the concept of black-out of the soul. When there is insufficient truth or a lack of truth in the soul, the person will accept the lies of Satan. Demon possession is a demon indwelling the body of an unbeliever only. Since the believer is indwelt by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, no demon can indwell the body of a believer.
3. For either demon influence or possession to occur, the person must be in the cosmic system. There cannot be demon influence or possession apart from human consent, which requires decisions made from a position of weakness. The believer is in a position of weakness when he is functioning out of fellowship with the Spirit. The unbeliever is in a position of weakness when he rejects the Laws of Establishment.
4. Demons are capable of two categories of violence namely indirect and direct. In indirect violence, the demon must attack either through demon influence or demon possession. Much more common today is demon influence from the cosmic system, which is the source of most of the violence we face motivated by hatred, and anger, also criminal activity, and terrorism are an illustration of demon influence resulting in violence. Direct violence is a phenomenon reserved for the last half of the Tribulation. The demon attacking force includes the three angelic assault armies. (1) The attack of the first demon assault army stationed in the Abyss, Revelation 9:1-12. (2) The attack of the second demon assault army stationed under the Euphrates River, Revelation 9:12-21. (3) The attack of the third demon assault army stationed in heaven under the direct command of Satan, Revelation 12:7-17, and Satan’s attack at the end of the Millennium called Gog and Magog, Revelation 20:7-10.
5. Believers and unbelievers in the cosmic system during the Tribulation are victims of violence from demon assault armies. Satan's rationale in destroying his human servants is that once he is cast to the earth, he doesn’t need them anymore. This is a case of finesse judgment, where God uses evil to judge evil.
6. Choose between living in God’s system or Satan’s. Every day, thousands of believers living in the cosmic system make hundreds of thousands of decisions from a position of weakness. These decisions reflect the cosmic philosophy of Satan. Once decisions are made from the free will to live in Satan’s cosmic system, the person loses his ability to make decisions from a position of strength. All decisions made under the influence of arrogance and in the cosmic system are decisions from a position of weakness. All decisions made from the Filling of the Spirit and application of Bible doctrine are decisions made from a position of strength.
7. You make decisions all the time and they will eventuate in a trend. They are either from a position of weakness which leads to a self-destructive trend or from a position of strength leading to an upward trend of spiritual growth and virtue.
8. The believer living under the two power options makes decisions from a position of strength, whereas the believer living in the cosmic system makes decisions from a position of weakness.
9. Satan destroys his own losers in the cosmic system because arrogance has no loyalty to arrogance as per Revelation 9:12-21 where one third of the population of the earth are killed. So also, people involved in demonism have no loyalty or integrity. The arrogance of the cosmic system cancels integrity, honor, and virtue.
Gate 7: Religion.
Christianity and religion are antithetical. In Christianity, God saves mankind through personal faith in Jesus Christ. In religion, man seeks to impress God with his works.
Religion can be classified as the devil's ace trump. For religion has been invented by Satan to counterfeit God's plan, purpose, and will for mankind, to blind the unbeliever from the gospel and to divert the believer from the execution of the protocol plan of God for the Church Age. Religion is part of the devil's strategy in being "like the Most-High God," as stated in Isaiah 14:14. Christianity is not a religion, but an eternal relationship with God through personal faith in Christ. In religion, Homo sapiens seeks the approbation of God through good deeds, human merit, and various categories of works. Religion reflects the evil genius of Satan, whereas Christianity represents the perfect integrity of God combined with His grace policy.
For deceit and error to be carried out effectively, Satan has devised a system of counterfeits which are the counterfeits of religion such as:
1. Gospel, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers [through religion, philosophy etc], so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
2. Ministers, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (14) Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? (15) Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.”
3. Communion table, 1 Corinthians 10:19-21, “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols in anything or that an idol is anything? (20), No, I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I do not desire you to become fellow worshippers with demons. (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
4. Doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:1, “But the Spirit [the Holy Spirit is the teacher of Bible doctrine] explicitly teaches that in latter periods of time [between the 1st and 2nd Advents: the Church Age and the Tribulation] some [believers] will withdraw from doctrine, concentrating on deceitful spirits [demon telepathy via black-out of the soul] and doctrines from demons [involvement in Cosmic 1 & 2].”
5. Spirituality, Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians who has hypnotized you [has given you the evil eye]? Before whose eyes [refers to perception, they saw it in their mind’s eye] Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified [was designated clearly: You used to have your eyes on Christ, now you have your eyes on the Mosaic Law]. (2) This only I desire to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law or by hearing of faith? (3) Are you so stupid that having begun in the sphere of the [Filling of the] Spirit, are you now being brought to completion by the flesh [using human power out of fellowship to advance spiritually]?
6. System of righteousness, Matthew 19:16-22, “Now behold a man came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to obtain eternal life?” (17) And He replied to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good [What good shall I do]? There is only one [Jesus] who is good. If you desire to enter into [eternal] life [through your righteousness], and you do, then keep the commandments [impossible]. (18) The man inquired, “Which ones?” Jesus replied, “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness [in court]; (19) you shall honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (20) And the young man answered, “All these, I have guarded. What do I still lack?” (21) And Jesus said to him, “If you desire to be perfect [through works] and you do [though it is impossible], go and sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven then [return] here [after you realize that you are not perfect] and follow Me [in regeneration]. (22) After the young man heard the instruction, he departed grieving for he possessed a lot of property.
7. False gods. All throughout history people have and will worship demons as gods. In the latter half of the Great Tribulation the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will be worshiped as a god. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way since it [the Day of the Lord: the Tribulation and 2nd Advent] will not come unless the departure [Rapture], and the man who is lawless [anti-establishment] shall be revealed, the son of perdition [doomed to destruction], (4) who opposes [the Lord Jesus Christ] and exalts himself above every so called god, or object of worship, so that he is installed in the temple of God [the Jewish temple of the Tribulation], proclaiming himself to be god.”
8. Power (dynamics), 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, “And then [after the Rapture] the lawless one [dictator of the revived Roman Empire] will be revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy with the breath of His mouth [the least power of God] in fact he shall neutralize him by the very appearance of His coming [2nd Advent], (9) the dictator whose presence [in history] shall be according to the modus operandi of Satan with all power and by means of miracles even wonder miracles of the lie. Satan promotes him by means of power and miracles.
9. Way of life, Matthew 23:13-36: In this passage, the Pharisees emphasized the external condition of a person and ignored the internal condition. They emphasized taboos and outward morality. They ignored internal sins which made external righteousness a sham. Their outside was clean = morality and taboos, but their inside was filthy = mental sins and lusts.
Religion is Satan's strategy for distracting Homo sapiens from the three categories of truth. First, are the laws of divine establishment as taught in the Mosaic Law. Religion seeks to become the state and once it is in power, it attacks human freedom. Also, the union of religion and state is a major attack on human freedom. Second, is the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Religion distorts salvation by grace through faith into many diverse systems of salvation by works, and third is Bible doctrine for the believer. Religion substitutes false doctrine (or the "doctrine of demons," 2 Tim 4:1] for truth. Religion sets up a system of works and ritual to replace the protocol plan of God.
Religion motivates and produces, through false teachers, every category of evil, violence, terrorism, and murder to force people into their religion which is not only characterized by the doctrine of demons (2 Tim 4:1), but it has both false teachers and false prophets to communicate this information. There are at least five characteristics of false teachers in the Church Age.
1. False teachers are masters of hypocrisy. They use a phony facade, first exposed by our Lord in Matthew 7:15, “Beware (constantly be on your guard) of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” and further developed by Paul in Romans 16:18, “For such believers do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own emotions, and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the right lobes of the unsuspecting [those ignorant of truth].” Behind a public relations facade, false teachers use legalism to convert their victims to religion, Galatians 4:17-18, “They [Judaisers] zealously affect [seek or woo] you [into legalism], not well [not honestly] yes, they wish to exclude you [this means they wish to separate you from me, so that I can’t woo you with grace] in order that you might affect [court or woo] them. (18) But it is good always to be properly courted [by good Bible teachers] in an honorable manner, and not only when I am present with you.”
2. False Teachers flatter their victim, making them feel wanted which flatter appeals to victim’s pride. 2 Timothy 3:5-7 “Holding to a superficial form [outward appearance] of the spiritual life, but they themselves have disregarded its power; avoid such ones as these. (6) For among them are those [immoral Christian men] who creep into homes [slyly enter the homes] and seduce [captivate] silly women [morally weak women because there is no doctrine in their souls] who are overwhelmed by their sins and are carried away by various lusts. (7) Always learning [these women], but they are never able to come to an epignosis knowledge of the truth.”
3. False teachers promote idolatry as a part of the devil's communion table, Habakkuk 2:18-19, “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. (19) Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.” 1 Corinthians 10:19-22, “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? (20) No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become a sharer in demons. (21). You cannot drink the cup of the Lord [the Communion table requires fellowship] and the cup of demons [demon influence: living in the cosmic system]; therefore you cannot partake of the table of the Lord [the Eucharist for this worship requires the spiritual life] and the table of demons [demon influence].”
4. False teachers promote self-righteousness, to include legalism, personality arrogance, authority arrogance, crusader arrogance, and works arrogance, 1 Timothy 1:6-7, “From which some men [pastors] have deviated [apostasy through reversionism]. They themselves have turned aside to ineffective teaching desiring to be teachers of the Law. (7) Since they do not understand either what they are teaching or concerning the things about which they speak dogmatically.
5. False teachers continue to operate throughout the Church Age, as this is the intensified period of the angelic conflict, 1 John 4:1-6, “Beloved, do not believe every personality, but test the person to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have come out into the world. (2) By this you know the person of God: every person [pneuma] that confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. (3) and every person that does not confess Jesus is from God: this is the person of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it is already in the world. (4) You are from God, little children and have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (5) They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. (6). We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the person of truth and the person of error.”
Gate 8: Evil as Satan's Policy.
Evil in two categories is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world. The power of Satan is administered to the human race via the cosmic system. Evil is the ultimate expression of man's relationship with Satan. Evil in the cosmic system is both the motivation and momentum of the cosmic system. In 2 Timothy 3:13, the advance to "more and more evil" is momentum in the cosmic system. Evil comes in two categories namely motivational evil, which originates from false doctrine in the cosmic system, and functional evil, which is the modus operandi and lifestyle within the cosmic system.
While the spiritual life is the place for the function of absolute good, Satan's cosmic system is the place for the function of absolute evil. In the protocol plan of God, good and evil are mutually exclusive. This means that no evil exists in the spiritual life under the Spirit, and no good exists in the cosmic system. Under the authority of God the Holy Spirit and the use of metabolized truth, the believer can only produce agathos which is good of intrinsic value. The mandate regarding evil is given to us in Romans 12:21, "Stop being conquered by evil, [consistent living in the cosmic system] but conquer evil by means of good [functioning under God’s system of power]." Living one’s life under God’s authority is classified as the purchase of time which is necessary because of evil as per Ephesians 5:16, "redeeming [purchasing] the time because the days are evil."
The protection of God’s power system and the continuance of evil will continue. As long as Satan rules the world, evil will continue to be a part of human history. 2 Timothy 3:13, "But evil men, even deceivers, will advance more and more evil, deceiving and being deceived." Bible doctrine protects the believer from Satan's policy of evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful; He will both empower you and protect you from evil." The Lord's Prayer for the Church addressed this subject in John 17:15, when He asked the Father to "guard them from evil."
Gate 9: Anthropocentric Academic Speculation.
2 John 9, "Everyone who advances in knowledge and does not remain in the field of play [the spiritual life] by means of the doctrine of Christ does not have God [fellowship with God]; for he who persists with doctrine, this same one has both the Father and the Son [fellowship with them]." Pseudo-intellectual arrogance is the basis for many believers trying to reconcile philosophical and scientific speculation with Bible doctrine. Hence, the believer involved in this arrogance must choose between the truth of doctrine and the false concepts in the areas of academic speculation. For example, arrogance chooses evolution over creationism as found in Genesis. Psychology and psychiatry blame man's problems on his environment instead of his bad decisions. Many theories in many academic subjects contradict Bible doctrine in such subjects as history, philosophy, geology, economics, political science, etc.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, now we are the students [under strict discipline] of God, and it has not been made evident yet, what we will be [like]. We know that when He appears [at the Rapture], we will be like Him [a resurrection body similar to that of Jesus] because we [in resurrection bodies] will see Him just as He is [in His resurrection body].
Ἀγαπητοί, νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσµεν, καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόµεθα. οἴδαµεν ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇ ὅµοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόµεθα, ὅτι ὀψόµεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν.
We know that our resurrection bodies will be like the resurrection body of Christ, but not equal to his. Furthermore, we are not sure if all the believer’s resurrection bodies will be equally the same. There may be some variances.
There are no prophesies namely no guideposts during the Church Age to inform us as to when the Rapture will take place only at the beginning and end of the Church Age are there prophetic guideposts. The Church Age is framed by two prophesies namely the Day of Pentecost, the first day of the Church Age, and the exit-resurrection of all believers, the Rapture which is prophesied as the last day of the Church Age. God uses prophesies as guidepost for example after the Rapture of the Church, 144,000 Jews will immediately believe in Jesus Christ. As soon as the Abomination (the idol) of Desolation (causing great sorrow) occurs namely as soon as the statue of the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire is placed into the Holy of Holies of the temple, the Jews are told to flee to the mountains to hide for the rest of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:15, 16). There are no such prophesies during the Church Age for determining the date of the Rapture for the most obvious reason - we don’t need to know the date of the Rapture in order to execute the spiritual life.
Passages on the exit-resurrection (the Rapture) of Church Age believers):
Distortion of the Imminency of the Rapture results in instability and foolish explanation or speculation about the time of the Rapture; hence, James gives us an admonition in James 5:7-8, “Therefore [if you desire to recover from reversionism], have patience [execute the spiritual life and don’t concern yourself with the timing of His coming] until the coming of the Lord [Rapture]. Behold, the farmer waits with expectation [because he has done everything right] for the valuable production of the land [as the result of his hard work], and constantly being patient over it [the land] until he has received the early rains [October - December] and the latter rains [March, April]. Be you also patient and have stability [from knowledge of God’s word and from the execution of the spiritual life] in your right lobe, because the coming of the Lord [the Rapture] draws near [every day it gets closer].”
The farmer invests by sowing seed. He must break up the soil and sow the seed, then he must wait. There's nothing he can do while waiting; the seed via a sprout may come up or it may not. Either he will have production, or he will not. In the time of this writing, that depended upon the soil, the rains and other weather conditions.
Three times in Revelation is the phrase, "I am coming soon" Revelation 22:7, 12, 20. Remember that, to the Lord, a day is a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. This statement was made in A.D. 96, and this is now A.D. 2020. Therefore, "soon" connotes imminency, not immediacy. There is no prophecy to be fulfilled before the Rapture.
Titus 2:13, "Waiting with keen anticipation [The mature believer anticipates his blessings] for that blessed hope [Rapture], even the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus [The mature believer loves Christ]."
How do you wait with keen anticipation? You wait through thinking; you wait with patience and learn to concentrate all your energy on executing the spiritual life so that when it does occur, you will not be embarrassed by failure. On the other hand, if you become bored with the spiritual life, you might want to seek something more sensational like focusing on the Rapture even to the extent of becoming preoccupied with it, and in so doing, you will very likely become a weirdo.
1 Corinthians 6:14, “Now God [the Father] has not only resurrected our Lord, but He will raise us up through His power [The Father will provide resurrection bodies for those Church Age believers who are in their interim bodies].”
Romans 8:11, “Now if the Spirit of Him who has raised Jesus from dead indwells you and he does, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [mortality becomes immortality] through his Spirit who resides in you [The Holy Spirit will provide resurrection bodies for those alive at the Rapture].”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep [have died] that you may not grieve, as to the rest of the world [unbelievers] who have no hope. (14), If we believe that Jesus died and rose again [and we do], even so God [omnipotence of God the Father] will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [those who have died before the Rapture]. (15) For this matter we communicate to you by the Word of the Lord, that we [Paul identifies with those who will be alive at the Rapture] who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord [Rapture] shall not precede those who have fallen asleep [died]. (16) For the Lord, Himself shall descend from heaven with a command [to the archangel], with the voice of the archangel [relays the command to those who are alive] and with the trumpet of God [the Father’s command to those who are in interim bodies]; in fact, the dead in Christ shall rise first. (17) Then, we who are living who remain on the earth shall be caught up together with them [dead believers] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Therefore, comfort each other with these words.”
Philippians 2:9-11. “Therefore, also the God [the Father] has highly exalted Him, and He has bestowed on Him a title [King over Kings and Lord over Lords] which is above every title, 2:10. In order that at the title of Jesus every knee of heaven shall bow [all Church Age believers after their ascension into heaven], both the ones on earth [believers alive when the Rapture comes], and the ones under the earth [believers who died before the Rapture], 2:11. And every language [of all Church Age believers] shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, resulting in the glory of God the Father.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-55, “Now this I affirm, brethren, that flesh and blood [mortal bodies] cannot inherit the kingdom of God [eternal state for believers], nor does the perishable [the interim body] inherit the imperishable [the need for a resurrection body in the eternal state]. (51) Behold, I teach you a mystery: we shall not all sleep [die] but we shall be changed [at the Rapture]. (52) in a moment, in the winking of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound [1 Thessalonians 4:16], and the dead [the Christians who have died before the Rapture] will be raised incorruptible [the corruptible interim body becomes an eternal body], and we [Church Age believers alive at the Rapture] shall be changed. (53) For this perishable [the interim body of those Christians who died before the Rapture] must put on imperishable [an eternal body], and this mortal [the mortal body of those alive at the Rapture] must put on immortality [eternal body]. (54) But when this perishable [the believer in his interim body] shall have put on the imperishable [resurrection body], and this mortal [the believer alive at the Rapture] shall have put on immortality [resurrection body], then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in [as a result of] victory” (Isaiah 25:8). (55) “O Death, where is your victory [the mature believer]? O Death, where is your sting [the reversionistic believer]?” (All believers will be given a resurrection body and will live with Christ forever in happiness.)
2 Corinthians 5:10, “We must all appear before the Evaluation Throne of Christ that each of us may be rewarded for his accomplishments in the body on the basis of what he has done whether good [divine production] or worthless [human good produced out of fellowship].”
Chronology of the Rapture and the following events.
1. The Rapture takes place, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
2. The Big Genuflex occurs, Philippians 2:9-11.
3. The Judgment Seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
4. Bride returns with Christ at the Second Advent, 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:14.
5. The manifestation of the Bride, Colossians 3:4.
6. Operation Footstool (His enemies become his footstool.), Psalm 110:1; Zechariah 13:2; 1 Corinthians 15:24-27.
7. The Coronation of Christ, Revelation 19:6.
8. The Wedding Supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:7-9.
9. The purpose of the Rapture is to get the royal family of God prepared for the Second Advent and the Wedding Supper.
1 John 3:3
And everyone [the believer with momentum] who keeps having this confidence [from doctrine in the soul] in him purifies himself [by advancing in fellowship] just as that one is pure [The humanity of Christ remained in fellowship with God during the 1st Advent for he neither sinned nor failed in anyway. He is presently in the status of Ultimate Sanctification].
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἁγνίζει ἑαυτὸν καθὼς ἐκεῖνος ἁγνός ἐστιν.
Confidence (Hope):
1. The Greek word elpis means absolute confidence regarding something in the future, something that hasn’t occurred yet, but is guaranteed by the Word of God.
2. Elpis is confident anticipation of reality before that reality occurs, therefore linked to assurance and confidence about the future. In this verse assurance and confidence about the future, the Rapture of the Church.
3. Bible doctrine resident in the soul is the basis for this hope or confidence about the future. The believer who has fulfilled the three stages of spiritual growth and their assigned undeserved test has tremendous confidence regarding the future.
4. Therefore, confidence is a doctrinal motivator for those who possess hope 2 and hope 3 and so have the motivation to advance to maturity and to maximum glorification of God.
5. Divine blessing is anticipated through this confidence and administered through imputation.
6. The imputation is made from the justice of God to the indwelling righteousness of God which was imputed at salvation.
7. The third hope is absolute confidence and assurance that when we stand at the Evaluation Throne of Christ as mature believers, we will receive many eternal blessing and reward which will glorify God forever. This fulfils the principle of 2 Corinthians 5:10a, “For we must all appear before the Evaluation Throne of Christ so that each one may be recompensed for his accomplishments.”
The Plan of God rationale (XYZ) helps to explain both the development of confidence and the purification process.
Believers who do not execute God’s plan (XYZ) are called the following:
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The enemy of the cross of Christ: Philippians 3:18
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The enemy of God (hostility toward God): James 4:4
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Double minded (schizophrenic): James 4:8
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Carnal (in the flesh): Romans 8:7; 2 Corinthians 3:1-3
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The agents of the devil (out from the devil): 1 John 3:8
1 John 3:4
Every believer who commits sin also commits lawlessness [the believer has rejected the enabling power of the Spirit and is outside of God’s plan]; in fact, sin is lawlessness [the status quo of the believer out of fellowship].
Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁµαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνοµίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ ἁµαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνοµία.
Regarding Sin:
1. The sin nature is the source of temptation, but human volition is the source of sin.
2. The Sin Nature can tempt in three areas – sin, human good and evil, but it cannot succeed apart from the volition of the soul.
3. The volition of the soul guards the gate of the soul from the sin nature’s temptation.
4. Therefore no one ever sins apart from his own consent or function of his own volition.
5. Whether sins of ignorance or sins of cognizance the volition is involved in every sin. Therefore, ignorance is no excuse.
6. While the sin nature is located in the body, it must persuade the volition of the soul to yield to temptation in order for sin to occur.
7. When the sin nature’s temptations become sin through human consent the sin nature gains controls over the soul, and the believer enters into the cosmic system.
8. The sin nature, therefore, is Satan’s inside agent recruiting for the cosmic system.
9. Therefore, the believer is only pure and free from sin when he is functioning under the two power options.
10. Lawlessness is residence and function in the cosmic system. When the Christian functions outside of the spiritual life, he is in total violation of God’s authority and laws.
1 John 3:5
Indeed, you know that He was revealed [1st Advent] in order that He might bear our sins [be punished for our sins]; in fact, sin is not in Him [If Jesus had committed one sin or had been the recipient of Adam’s original sin, he would not have been qualified to go to the cross].
καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθη ἵνα τὰς ἁµαρτίας ἄρῃ, καὶ ἁµαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν.
Let examine the following two Latin phrases namely non posse peccare and posse non peccare. Non posse peccare means ‘not able to sin’, whereas posse non pecarre means ‘able not to sin’. Deity cannot sin: non posse peccare, whereas the humanity of Christ was posse non peccare by residing in the spiritual life given to Him. In hypostatic union, the Lord Jesus Christ is non posse peccare. It appears that Jesus in hypostatic union was not free to sin, though he was free to sin. It is quite simple! At the Incarnation, the deity of Christ knew from his omniscience that the humanity of Christ if born without a sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s original sin, would not sin. Therefore, he was free to unite with the humanity of Christ, the Incarnation. There was no gamble. It was a simple matter of omniscience.
Undoubtedly, none of the previous descendants of Mary could have accomplished this. So, God had to wait for a descendant who would have the integrity to remain sinless to meet the requirements of the cross.
Principles:
1. Temptation implies the possibility of sin. Because of the true humanity of Christ there was the same potential for sin as with the first Adam in the garden. The deity of the Son of God knew from his omniscience that the first Adam would sin, and that the 2nd Adam would not sin.
2. However, for both Christ and Adam the temptation had to come from outside of the body. Adam was created without a sin nature and Christ was born without a sin nature. Though they started the same namely perfect, their volitions took a different path.
3. The direct statement of scripture cannot be ignored. Hebrews 4:15b, “but one who has been tempted in all things in the same way [as we have], yet apart from sin.” The deity of God the Son knew that the humanity of Christ would resist all these temptations before the Incarnation took place. Do you think that the deity of Christ would have united with humanity if this were not true?
4. With the possession of an interim body in heaven, minus the old sin nature, and a resurrection body at the Rapture the believer in eternity will become impeccable. But in the meantime, impeccability is related to one person only, the unique person of our Lord Jesus Christ in hypostatic union. That impeccability is described by Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever .”
1 John 3:6
When anyone resides in Him [in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ; this translation is based on the previous verse], he is not sinning; when anyone keeps on sinning [the articular present active participle: the believer who remains out of fellowship], he has not seen Him [no love for Christ] nor come to know Him [no understanding of Christ].
πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ µένων οὐχ ἁµαρτάνει· πᾶς ὁ ἁµαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ἔγνωκεν αὐτόν.
1 John 1:3, "What we [apostles] have seen and heard, we communicate also to you [in a Bible class situation] that you may have fellowship with us [1st stage of fellowship occurs during Bible Class and any time Christians are discussing accurately the Word of God] and in fact our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ [2nd stage of fellowship is based on our love for God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ which will likely take thousands of Bible classes.]"
1 John 3:7
My dear children [John’s non-face to face congregation in Asia Minor who were taught through writing], let no one deceive you, when anyone performs righteousness [experiential righteousness through the execution of the Father’s plan] he is honorable, just as He [the humanity of Christ] is honorable.
Τεκνία, µηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑµᾶς· ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην δίκαιός ἐστιν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστιν·
1 John 3:8
When anyone commits sin, he is out from [has become the agent of] the devil [during the time the believer is out of fellowship], because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this reason, the Son of God was revealed, that He might destroy the works of the devil [By the saving work of Christ on the cross, the works of the Devil namely the works of cosmic one and two are destroyed.].
ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁµαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁµαρτάνει. εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου.
Principles:
1.The believer who sins and does not rebound becomes instantly negative toward doctrine. He is no longer motivated to learn the spiritual life.
2. Without doctrine as number 1 priority in the life, the believer who sins will remain in the cosmic system.
3. To remain in the cosmic system is not only reversionism or apostasy, but such a believer becomes the devil’s agent, luring his Christian friends out of the plan of God.
4. Without the momentum of the spiritual life, the believer serves Satan rather than our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:9
At the moment when anyone is born from God [intensive perfect: looks at the results of having been born spiritually: two results are in view here namely the pre-salvation sins are blotted out, and the believer is filled with the Spirit], he is not sinning [the Christian cannot sin in fellowship with the Spirit], because His seed [a reference to the Holy Spirit who produces the spiritual life within the soul of the believer] keeps residing in him [the believer is filled with the Spirit until he commits his first post-salvation sin]; furthermore, he is not able to sin [In fellowship with God the Holy Spirit, the believer cannot sin.], because he has been born from God [the intensive perfect looks at the moment of salvation at which time the believer is under the authority of the Spirit].
Πᾶς ὁ γεγεννηµένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁµαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρµα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ µένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁµαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.
Regeneration is a theological term explaining spiritual birth through faith in Jesus Christ. Regeneration means a second birth or being born again, as Jesus said in John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said to him, `Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" John 3:7, "Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born again.'" How is a person born again? Jesus answered this question in John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much, that He gave His Son, the uniquely born one, that anyone who believes in Him shall never perish, but have eternal life." Anyone refers to all races without exception. Jesus answered the question a second time in John 3:18, "He who believes in Him is not judged, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the person of the uniquely born Son of God."
When a person believes in Christ, he enters into fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and as long as the believer remains in this status, he cannot sin. However, this status may only last for a few minutes!
1 John 3:10
By this, the students [the Greek word ‘teknon’ is a child or student under authority] of God [the Christians who execute God’s plan] and the disciples of the devil [the Christians who execute Satan’s plan] are obvious: anyone who does not manufacture righteousness, and anyone who does not love his brother [The Christian living outside of God’s system has no virtue.] is not [a student] out from God.
ἐν τούτῳ φανερά ἐστιν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου· πᾶς ὁ µὴ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ µὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.
Principles:
1. Believers inside the cosmic system cannot be distinguished from unbelievers inside the cosmic system.
2. Trends toward morality, asceticism and self-righteousness characterize some disciples of the devil, while trends toward lasciviousness, immorality characterize other disciples of the devil.
3. In other words, disciples of the devil do not manifest themselves in the same way, whether they are believers or unbelievers. They manifest themselves in antithetical ways depending on the trend factor of their sin nature.
4. The trend toward asceticism leads to moral degeneracy, the dark side of morality related to self-righteousness; the trend toward lasciviousness leads to immoral degeneracy..
5. The cosmic system provides something for everyone, therefore both legalism and antinomianism were satisfied in the Gnostic system.
6. The lasciviousness of the Nicolaitans on the one hand and the asceticism of the Gnostic systems like the Marcionites both found justification and expression inside the Gnostic system.
7. No believer is strong enough to function on his own strength. Therefore, he is either under divine influence and power or under Satanic influence and power.
1 John 3:11
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another.
Ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶµεν ἀλλήλους·
Principles related to impersonal love:
1. A characteristic of believers residing and functioning in the spiritual life is the manufacturing of integrity which is required for the use of impersonal love in facing people testing.
2. Impersonal love emphasizes the subject as having integrity, honor and freedom from mental attitude sins. Impersonal love, a functional virtue cannot be manufactured in Satan’s cosmic system in which all the mental and emotional sins flourish.
3. Remember that both impersonal and personal love have normal emotional responses. If emotion however dominates the believer, he has no capacity for impersonal or personal love.
4. 1 Peter 1:22, “Since in obedience to doctrine you have purified your souls for a non-hypocritical love of the brethren, fervently love one another.” To fervently love means sensitivity toward others, thoughtfulness of others etc.
5. Romans 13:10, “Love works no evil to a neighbor. Therefore, [impersonal] love is the fulfillment of the Law.”
6. Impersonal love is the overt manifestation of integrity resident in the soul. Thus, impersonal love is the only way to perpetuated personal love since personal love requires integrity.
1 John 3:12
Not as Cain [living in the cosmic system] who was motivated from that evil one [Satan], and consequently murdered his brother with a sacrificial knife. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil [as a self-righteous unbeliever he was relying on human works to impress God], but the deeds of his brother were righteous [as a believer, he was worshipping the Lord in offering a lamb sacrifice as it depicted the cross]."
οὐ καθὼς Κάϊν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἦν καὶ ἔσφαξεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ χάριν τίνος ἔσφαξεν αὐτόν; ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια.
Impersonal love prevents overt sins of violence against people; the lack of impersonal love can easily lead to overt acts of violence for there is a very close relationship between the violence of murder and the violence in the soul of reaction. Reaction resulting in hatred, bitterness, jealousy, vindictiveness does produce overt sins. The greatest inner check to crime, evil, violence, is impersonal love. So, if a person doesn’t have the knowledge and virtue to deploy impersonal love which only a believer can, anger and hatred can easily lead to violence and even murder. Cain’s murder of Abel is the classical illustration of reactionary sins, out of control!
Since Cain had rejected the gospel information presented to him, he had no defence against Satan’s cosmic system. Under dark-out of the soul, he sucked into his soul, Satan’s thinking namely the cosmic system which Satan had begun developing for the human race. In this way, he was motivated by the “evil one” to murder one of God’s servants.
The Greek word sphazo was used specifically to cut the throat of sacrificial animal with the use of a knife. It comes to mean to cut the throat of a victim, and that is exactly how Cain committed the first murder. Cain, motivated from the cosmic system, committed the first murder in history by the use of Abel’s sacrificial knife. The constative aorist gathers up into one entirety the action of the verb. It refers to that monumental action of the first murder in history.
Why did Cain, a religious unbeliever commit this murder? All religious people try to gain the approbation of God or some false deity through their good deeds and works. Genesis 4:3, “So, it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the production of the ground.” This production did not represent the future work of Christ on the cross, but his own work. So, it was rejected as per Genesis 4:5, but his brother’s offering was accepted as per Genesis 4:4, “Abel on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions, and the Lord had regard for Abel [a believer] and for his offering [since it represented the work on the cross]” Hebrews 11:4a, “By means of doctrine Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. . .” His disapproval and his brother’s approval led to jealousy and the lust to murder.
1 John 3:13
Stop being surprised brethren if the world [those involved in Satan’s system] hates you.
[καὶ] µὴ θαυµάζετε, ἀδελφοί, εἰ µισεῖ ὑµᾶς ὁ κόσµος.
The attitude of hatred by both unbelievers and believers living in the cosmic system toward advancing believers should be expected. This antagonism becomes the basis for people testing which is the opportunity for the application of impersonal love as well as other doctrines. However, if the believer in spiritual self-esteem or there abouts is not alert to the potential of these antagonistic attacks, he may be distracted from his spiritual life.
The verse begins with the present active imperative of the verb thaumazo plus the negative me which means “stopped being shocked.” In other words, they are shocked and now must recover from this shock. So, we are now looking at believers of John’s flock throughout the Roman province of Asia, living the spiritual life who were shocked because their fellow believers who were not living the spiritual life despised them, hated them, maligned them, sought to destroy them in some way.
Principles:
1. Generally, involvement in cosmic one finds the believer preoccupied with himself. So, sooner or later, this type of believer feels a need to prove to himself that he is better than those around him! Therefore, he is motivated to do whatever is necessary to undercut those with whom he is in contact.
2. Involvement in cosmic two finds the believer antagonistic toward God, toward doctrine, toward God’s plan and toward believers advancing in the spiritual life. Part of people testing is to face the hatred of former friends, loved ones, and fellow believers who now reside in the cosmic system.
3. The believer cannot switch to impersonal love while he is in a state of surprise or shock. That is why the command, “Stop being shocked.” Like fear in thought testing, surprise or shock in people testing guarantees failure to overcome the obstacle and continue spiritual momentum. The believer who is shocked, amazed, surprised at cosmic hatred and antagonism is rendered incapable of switching to impersonal love.
4. Impersonal love, the function of Christian integrity cannot function under shock, surprise, wonder, amazement. Shock makes a person stop thinking and places him immediately under the influence of emotion, and since emotion cannot think or reason, it cannot solve problems.
1 John 3:14
We ourselves know that we have passed from death [The believer in carnal death functioning in the cosmic system] to life [The believer living the spiritual life under the filling of the Spirit.] because we love [impersonal love] our brothers. Anyone [any Christian] who does not love [with impersonal love] remains in death [carnal death which if prolonged will lead to the Sin unto Death].
ἡµεῖς οἴδαµεν ὅτι µεταβεβήκαµεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶµεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ µὴ ἀγαπῶν µένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ.
Principles:
1. Hatred is the antithesis of love, and one of those obvious signs of being involved in the cosmic system.
2. The first reference to death in this verse denotes carnal death; believers’ resident inside Satan’s system, the cosmic system.
3. The believer who malfunctions in the modus operandi of impersonal love is obviously not residing in God’s Protocol Plan.
4. Impersonal love is necessary for solving both the challenge of people testing and the pressure of system testing.
5. Impersonal love is also the most important function of the royal family honour code. When you function under impersonal love, you are automatically using Bible doctrine for impersonal love is the application of doctrine.
6. Failure to love the brethren stems basically from residence in the cosmic system i.e. carnal death. Prolonged residence in this system results in the sin unto death.
1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother [a Christian hating a Christian] is a murderer [murders, mentally through hatred], and you know that every murderer [the one who murders in his soul] does not have eternal life residing in him [is not a believer].
πᾶς ὁ µισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ µένουσαν.
Now, let’s look at the Greek word by word as it is written.
πᾶς (Anyone) ὁ µισῶν (who hates) τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ (his brother: a believer hating a believer) ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν (is a murderer, mental murder is in view), καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι (and you know that) πᾶς (every) ἀνθρωποκτόνος (murderer) οὐκ ἔχει (does not have) ζωὴν αἰώνιον (eternal life) ἐν αὐτῷ µένουσαν (residing in him).
The first sentence establishes the fact that hatred is a sin of mental murder, and that believers do hate other believers; otherwise John would not be making an issue out of it. The second sentence is a bit more difficult for Christians to understand since most do not understand English well. To make things worse, the translator deliberately changed the translation. Again, the second sentence of this verse goes like this, “Every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.” To help us understand what this is saying, let me give you the following example using the same grammatical pattern:
1. Every Jew does not have a high I.Q. Every Jew does not have a low I.Q. What does this mean? It means that 100% of the Jews do not have a high I.Q. and a 100 % of the Jews do not have a low I.Q. It does not tell us what percent of the Jews have a high or low I.Q. It just tells us that not all are in one category. So, the same is true with mental murder. This verse is not telling the percent of mental murdering by believers, it merely states that not all mental murdering is done by Christians.
2. The English equivalent to the illustration above would be as follows: Not every Jew has a high I.Q., and not every Jew has a low I.Q. Now, we could take the sentence of verse 15b, and translate it as follows: Not every mental murderer has eternal life residing in him. In other words, not every mental murderer is a Christian.
3. If someone were to say that every Jew does not have a high I.Q or stated in another way, ‘not all Jews have a high I.Q.,’ he would be insinuating that most Jews have a high I. Q. On the other hand, if someone were to say that every Jew does not have a low I.Q or stated in another way, ‘not all Jews have a low I.Q.,’ he would be insinuating that most Jews have a low I. Q.
4. Even though the grammar does not give us a percent of how many mental murderers are Christians, by writing the sentence in the way that John did, he is insinuating that Christians commit more mental murdering than non-Christians.
Christians can commit any sin; any act of hypocritical good; any act of evil as does the unbeliever. The only difference between these two is that the Christian in many cases is far worse than the unbeliever. A case in point were the Corinthian Christians who were by far, much worse than the average unbeliever. Even, great believers are capable of committing any mental or overt sin that an unbeliever is capable of committing. David, for example, a mature believer got out of fellowship with the Lord, and in that weak position began to lust for Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite’s wife. After having an affair with her, he began to worry about the implications. So, attempting to cover-up the entire matter, he had Uriah murdered. It follows that if a mature believer can commit overt murder, immature believers can commit mental murder.
Principles:
1. No one can apply doctrine until he has metabolized doctrine in the soul. Perception must precede application, both demand concentration. Concentration demands virtue both in perception and in application of divine truth. In perception, the virtuous believer realizes his responsibility to learn the Word of God on a daily basis. In application, the believer’s virtue will apply what he has learned to prevent hatred aka mental murder, and if he should fail to use the Recovery Procedure.
2. he believer is constantly learning doctrine, not only for spiritual growth and momentum, but for perspective of life and application under the pressure of testing.
3. People, thought, system, disaster and prosperity testing require an extensive application of doctrine. You cannot live the spiritual life without being prepared and alert regarding these tests.
4. Hatred is an intrusion on the privacy and freedom of the individual, whether it is impersonal hatred of an unknown person or personal hatred of a known person.
5. The absence of honor and integrity in the function of impersonal love means failure to execute the will of God. The plan of God for the believer in time can only be fulfilled when the believer is functioning under the two power options aka the Filling of the Spirit and metabolized divine truth in the soul.
6. The believer cannot score a spiritual touchdown by running out of bounds. Therefore, he must maintain his momentum by daily exposure to the Word of God under the authority of a pastor.
7. The people-test is a challenge to switch to impersonal love under the pressure of personality conflicts. Failure to pass the people-test through the function of impersonal love results in total unhappiness from motivational arrogance.
1 John 3:16
By this [functioning in the spiritual life] we have come to know impersonal love that He laid down His life as a substitute for us, consequently, we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow believers.
ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαµεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡµῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡµεῖς ὀφείλοµεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι.
Principles:
1. Jesus Christ on the cross is the greatest illustration of impersonal love. There is nothing that comes remotely close to it. He who was perfect was willing to be punished for the sins of the entire human race. This motivation in his human soul came from maximum integrity manufactured from executing the spiritual life. Now, he has given that spiritual life to all of us. How well are we doing in our spiritual life namely how much integrity do we have?
2. The willingness to give one’s life for any believer is a demonstration of maximum virtue, the maximum virtue of impersonal love.
3. One may be called upon to make the supreme sacrifice of giving one’s life for another. Only with maximum virtue in the soul is it possible!
4. If one has enough motivation from integrity for supreme sacrifice it follows that one has enough impersonal love motivation for facing all personnel problems related to people testing, system testing, and disaster testing.
5. The question arises: Would you be willing to give your life for the most obnoxious person of your acquaintance? This question demands an honest answer in the privacy of the believer’s own soul.
6. The believer’s answer to himself gives him some understanding of his own status quo spiritually regarding honor and integrity as the function of impersonal love.
7. Apart from the humanity of Christ, the apostle Paul demonstrated the greatest impersonal love of any human being. Romans 9:3, “ For I could wish that I myself would be accursed, consequently separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren [racial Jews], my fellow countrymen [national Jews] according to earthly descent [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & the 12 patriarchs].” If it were possible, Paul would have gone to the Lake of Fire as a substitute for his fellow Jews. It is amazing that any member of the human race could develop so much integrity that he would be willing to do what Paul would have done if were possible.
1 John 3:17
If anyone has worldly wealth, and observes that his fellow believer is destitute, and he has no compassion on him, how can this impersonal love from God be residing in him?
ὃς δ’ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσµου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ µένει ἐν αὐτῷ;
Sometimes believers are in need because they are victims of an evil system, not because they are lazy. System testing finds the believer living a good spiritual life becoming the victim of unjust and rotten systems related to social life, business life, professional life, academic life and to corrupt political circumstances in a nation.
Principles:
1. The hypothetical case is designed to force a conclusion namely you cannot possess impersonal love and at the same time have zero compassion. You cannot possess the highest virtue of the Christian life and have zero sensitivity.
2. This verse implies that the believer can attain wealth without honour, success without integrity. A wealthy person is not truly wealthy unless he has integrity, virtue, and honour. Promotion minus honour and integrity, is not really promotion. Success minus virtue is not success. Love minus honour, integrity, and virtue, is not true love.
3. Success, wealth, promotion, and recognition are available to any believer without ability who will reside and function in the cosmic system. Satan loves to promote believers in his system.
4. The believer in the cosmic system only has to link up with a rotten system which will promote him without leadership, without integrity, without ability, and without honour, and immediately he becomes prominent and successful and socially receives a lot of approbation.
5. But such promotion is a trap because it brings fame without honour, success without happiness, and divine punishment to the individual involved. Historically, the person who succeeds without integrity is going to be destroyed in his own historical environment. In addition to that, add divine discipline and you have a totally miserable life.
Leadership versus management is a related subject. The world is filled with corrupt systems which seek to destroy the honour and the integrity of the individual in that system, establishing false priorities and compromising true integrity. System testing is always recruiting for the cosmic system and those who cannot be recruited become victims of injustice, discrimination, and managerial pressure. All rotten systems have managerial authority controlling the organization, and again the principle: leadership motivates; management regulates. Management demands personality change while leadership demands execution of the objective of the organization, or production from the job. Leadership demands integrity and honesty while management demands hypocrisy, dishonesty, and statistical success. Leadership represents the ability of those functioning under the Laws of Divine Establishment or under the spiritual life while management represents the ability of the cosmic system. Many of the legitimate organizations in life are corrupted and neutralized by the cosmic managerial persons in authority.
1 John 3:18
My dear children, let us not impersonally love with word and language only, but also in function and by means of truth.
Τεκνία, µὴ ἀγαπῶµεν λόγῳ µηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
James 2:15-16, “If a male believer and a female believer exist insufficiently clothed and deficient of daily nourishing food, and any one of you might say to them, ‘Go in peace, be warm, keep on being filled and satisfied’, but you do not give them those necessities for the body, then what is the benefit?”
The specific reason for the extreme poverty of this couple is not given since this is an illustration. Because of economic disaster and persecution, situations like this occur many times in history. Christians with doctrine in their souls and functioning under the filling of the Holy Spirit would graciously help this destitute couple. They would realize that this is God’s will for them. They would consider it a great honor to help other members of the royal family in time of economic disaster or persecution etc.
However, self-righteous Christians who function under a pseudo spiritual life have no capacity for dealing with a situation like the one presented here. Self-righteous believers are always hypocritical. Therefore, what they say and what they think is two different things. They really don’t care about others, but they only mouth empty words, “Go away in peace, be warm, be satisfied.” Christians who are not living the spiritual life are always irrational. A rational person realizes that words don’t put food in the stomach or clothes on ones back.
Distinguishing Impersonal love from Personal love:
1. Personal love is optional; impersonal love is imperative.
2. Personal love is for a few; impersonal love is for the entire human race.
3. Personal love is a matter of attraction and rapport; impersonal love is a matter of honour and integrity.
4. Personal love is the option of the believer while impersonal is the mandate of God.
5. Apart from the honour and integrity of impersonal love personal love cannot be perpetuated.
6. Remember, impersonal love emphasizes the honour and integrity of the subject while personal love emphasizes the attractiveness, the beauty of the object of love.
1 John 3:19
By this [functioning under the two power options] we will come to know that we are out from the truth [ablative of source; the believer understands that truth is the source of his spiritual strength] and we shall have confidence in our right lobes [literally “assure our right lobes” namely to use the 10 Problem Solving Devices located in the stream of consciousness] before Him [in His sight].
[Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόµεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσµέν, καὶ ἔµπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσοµεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡµῶν
If the believer has confidence in the sight of God from metabolized doctrine in his soul, he will not lean on counseling namely confidence in man. Rather, he will apply one of the Problem-Solving Devices to solve his problems which use of divine power will please God.
1 John 3:20
Because if [probability] our right lobes condemn us, bear in mind that God is greater than our right lobes [the stream of consciousness where our conscience exists;] furthermore, He has known all things [omniscience].
ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡµῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι µείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡµῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.
The person who has a well-developed conscience and virtue is a well-balanced person with correct priorities. He will condemn himself when he does something sinfully wrong. This either precedes or follows the use of the recovery procedure. However, if the person is arrogant, he will never condemn himself for arrogance is self-justifying, but not self-condemning for the most obvious reason. Arrogance lacks both a well-developed conscience and virtue.
Since God is greater than the thoughts in our right lobes, He has already condemned our sins, human good and evil. After all, God is omniscient and so knows every detail about us.
1 John 3:21
Beloved, if our heart [stream of consciousness] does not condemn us, we keep on having confidence toward God.
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία µὴ καταγινώσκῃ ἡµῶν, παρρησίαν ἔχοµεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν,
Principles:
1. Confidence face to face with God is the believer’s social life with God. We call it spiritual life, but in reality, it is our social life with God, our worship of God. All true confidence is toward God, not toward man. Confidence can only exist between a person and God because confidence demands two parties, not one. The only way we can have confidence is to link up with someone we can depend on, and that someone is God.
2. Therefore, there can be no confidence in life apart from residence and function inside God’s power system aka functioning under the two power options. Confidence in God produces courage toward people and life.
1 John 3:22
Furthermore, whatever we have asked, we receive from him because we keep on guarding his mandates and keep on doing the things that are pleasing in his sight.
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶµεν λαµβάνοµεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦµεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦµεν.
The Christian who is filled with the Spirit consistently through rebound, has enforced and genuine humility which is the basis of his confidence toward God and the ultimate virtue of life namely impersonal love directed toward people and situations. Interestingly, part of courage toward people is prayer in which the problem-solving-devices are expressed in faith. You are going to the one in whom you have confidence [God] about people, situations, circumstances in life.
Principles:
1. The great and powerful weapon of prayer is only effective when the believer is using it with the virtue which he has developed through his spiritual life. Therefore, the believer, to be effective as a prayer warrior, must be consistent in living and functioning under the two power options.
2. The effectiveness of our Lord’s prayer life during the incarnation was based on his humanity of Christ residing inside of his very own spiritual life which he gave to all believers of the Church Age.
3. It is inevitable that compliance with the divine mandates is related to Christian service and activity. This includes the power of prayer which is dependent on developing a virtue called confidence.
4. Prayer has neither meaning nor power unless its use is to please to God, and is accompanied by virtue. Virtue in this case is confidence toward God.
5. Prayer can only be pleasing to God when the believer-priest uses this powerful weapon in fellowship with God.
6. There is a direct relationship between Christian service and the believer’s spiritual life. Christian service only becomes meaningful when it results from momentum in the spiritual life.
7. Prayer offered outside of God’s system of power cannot be answered. Also, prayer must be accompanied by doing what is pleasing in His sight, which is simply a way of saying virtue must accompany prayer.
1 John 3:23
Furthermore, this is His mandate that we believe [the aorist tense indicates a moment in time] in the person of His Son Jesus Christ [the God-Man] and impersonally love one another just as He has commanded us [for our advantage].
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωµεν τῷ ὀνόµατι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶµεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡµῖν.
It was decreed that Christ would be the only saviour. Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no other person; for there is no other person under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This answers the question of the Jews during the first advent. John 6:28, 29, “Therefore they [the Jews] said to him, ‘What should we do that we may accomplish the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in whom he has sent.’”
Principles:
1. We call this the phase-one mandate of God’s plan—to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where God’s plan begins for you and has no ending.
2. When our Lord was hanging on the cross, he received the imputation of all the sins of the human race, and judgement.
3. This resulted in establishing of only one saviour and only one way of salvation. Acts 16:31.
4. Faith then, as a non-meritorious system of perception can only have one object for salvation namely Jesus Christ.
The religious Jews asked Christ regarding the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:36-40, “Master [professor], which is the greatest commandment in the Law? (37). Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
1 John 3:24
The one who keeps [guards] his commandments, resides in [fellowship with Christ] Him. And we know by this [doctrine] that He resides in us [indwelling of Christ] through the agency of the Spirit whom He has given to us [the Holy Spirit teaches us about the indwelling of Christ].
καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ µένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκοµεν ὅτι µένει ἐν ἡµῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύµατος οὗ ἡµῖν ἔδωκεν.