The Word
Vol.
9 No. 6
Upper Room Discourse
John 15:2
Suffering For Blessing
Doctrine of Suffering for
Blessing
F. Suffering and Spiritual Adult-hood.
The
Spiritual Life can be categorized by 2 phases:
a. Spiritual Childhood which includes two stages: Infancy
and Adolescence
b. Spiritual Adulthood which includes three stages:
Spiritual Self-Esteem (SSE), Spiritual Autonomy (SA), Spiritual Maturity (SM).
God’s pruning process of
Suffering for Blessing really kicks in when the believer reaches the first
stage of spiritual adulthood, SSE.
1.
SSE is the assertion of metabolized Bible doctrine in the heart (right lobe) of
your soul and the application of that doctrine on a consistent basis. You
cannot reach the point of consistent pruning (Suffering for Blessing) until you
reach the point where you live by the doctrine that is metabolized in your
soul. Otherwise you are constantly under God’s Punitive Suffering; the law of
volitional responsibility and Divine discipline which can be resolve by
utilizing the Rebound technique,
2.
With the exception of suffering left over after rebound, there is no Suffering
for Blessing until the believer attains SSE through residence, function, and
momentum inside God’s Power System. There is a limited Suffering for Blessing
in whatever is left over for you to bear after Rebound. But this is of short
duration and has no great significance.
3.
Therefore, SSE is the dividing line between Punitive Suffering and Suffering
for Blessing.
4.
Suffering for Blessing does not occur on a regular basis until the believer has
attained SSE. At SSE you are making consistent application of God’s Word and
His pruning process begins in your spiritual life.
5.
There are three categories of God’s pruning that match up with the three stages
of Spiritual Adulthood:
a)
Providential Preventative Suffering (
b)
Momentum Testing (MT), when you reach SA, and
c)
Evidence Testing (ET), when you reach SM.
6.
These also match up with our Lord’s discussion of the Father’s pruning process
in
a)
b)
c)
7.
Notice also verse 8, “By this is My Father
glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My
disciples.” This is classified as Evidence Testing as a result of Spiritual
Maturity; the third stages. At SM and ET we will “bear much fruit” and “prove
to be disciples” as witnesses for the prosecution (God) in the rebuttal phase
of Satan's appeal trial of the Angelic Conflict, just like Job. This should be
the goal of every believer.
8.
Nevertheless, all three stages are an extension of the Angelic Conflict in
history and every category of Suffering for Blessing means an advance in your
spiritual life. It means you are one step nearer to fulfilling the Plan of God
for the Church Age.
9.
Each category of Suffering for Blessing is provided by the sovereignty of God
under His grace policy so that the Church Age believer, as Royal Family, can
fulfill the Plan of God.
10. Principle: You should never
pray for the removal of any Suffering for Blessing which is the means of
fulfilling the Plan of God. Instead pray for God’s guidance and provision as
you endure the suffering to the glory of God.
G. Providential Preventative Suffering.
SSE is the prerequisite to
handling
1.
2.
a)
It insulates against the arrogance complex. This means you begin to eliminate
jealous, self‑pity, bitterness, vindictiveness, hatred, inordinate
ambition, inordinate competition, and all the other mental attitude sins in the
arrogance complex.
b) It is preliminary testing or warm‑up
testing before entering Momentum Testing under SA.
c) In
1)
People Testing is seen in the Greek noun for
“insults” which is HUBRIS that means “insolence,
mental injury, injury inflicted by the violence of a tempest, shame, insult or
mistreatment.” In Attic Greek law HUBRIS comprehended “all the more serious injuries done to the
person”, that is grievous assaults. Compare with
2) Thought Testing is seen in the Greek
noun for “distresses” which is ANAGKE (an-ang-kay)
that means “compulsion, constraint,
distress, force, or necessity imposed either by the
circum-stances or by law of duty regarding to one’s advantage, custom, or
argument. BDAG defines it as “a state of distress or trouble, distress,
calamity or pressure.” It was used to mean of necessity as a result of
calamity, distress or persecutions. So it
is speaking about the mental anguish that is brought on by outward troubles.
Compare with
3) System Testing is seen in the Greek
noun DIOGMOS that simply means “persecutions”. It comes from the verb DIOKO
that means “to
put to flight, pursue, and by implication
to persecute.” BDAG defines DIOGMOS as “a program or process
designed to harass and oppress someone, persecution.” Our
English definition of persecution means, “the subject-ing
of a race or group of people to cruel or unfair treatment, e.g. because of
their ethnic origin or religious beliefs.” So we see that it takes a
“system” or group of people to bring about this type of suffering. Compare with
2 Thes
1:4;
4)
Disaster Testing is seen in the Greek noun for “difficulties” which is
STENOCHORIA (sten-okh-o-ree’-ah). Literally it means
“narrowness of
space” and figuratively it means “difficulties or distresses, dire
calamity or extreme affliction.” BDAG
defines it as “a set of stressful circumstances, anguish or trouble.” Compare
with
So
3.
4.
SSE combines with
5.
SSE can only function on humility and orientation to authority. To the extent
that you reject any authority in life, to that extent your SSE is parlayed into
a system of arrogance. SSE is vulnerable to arrogance without
6.
7. When SSE combines with
a) Impersonal love for all mankind.
b) Authority orientation or enforced humility.
c) Genuine humility that insulates against arrogance.
d) Self‑discipline.
e) Obedience to the Word of God.
“Tested by fire” is
analogous to the pruning process of John 15. It is used because when you put
gold in fire, it changes the gold. The gold melts and the impurities are burned
off. Fire purifies the gold; makes it better and of more value. So also,
This is important. You don't
suffer for His sake when you make your own problems, reaping what you have sown
from your own bad decisions and bad judgment. Suffering for His sake is when
you finally reach SSE.
Once again, “complete” in this passage is HOLOKLEROS
an Adjective that is a compound word from HOLOS that means “whole or complete”,
and KLEROS that means “allotted to your charge or inheritance.” So it is
referencing your eternal rewards and blessing allotted to you at the BEMA seat
of Jesus Christ,
This passage describes
8.
If you would
like more information on this subject,
you may order
lesson: # 10-013 and 10-015
A PERSONAL NOTE FOR YOU
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell
you that Jesus loves you. He loves you
so much that He gave His life for you. God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only
Son for you by sending Him to the Cross.
At the Cross Jesus died in your place.
Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of
my sins. He was judged for our sins and
paid the price for our sins. Therefore
our sins will never be held against us.
Right where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest
decision in your life. To accept the free gift of eternal life by truly
believing that Jesus Christ died for
you. So wherever you are, pause to reflect on what Christ has done for you
and say to the Father:
"Father, I believe that Your Son,
Jesus Christ, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."
If you have done that, I welcome you to the Eternal
Family of God!