February 2007
In John 13:2 is the Greek word KARDIA
that is translated “heart”. This leads us to another important doctrine, the
Doctrine of the Heart. We are studying this topic because it is the place of
influence inside a man's soul. The Old Testament verse says, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he, Proverbs 23:7. Well the fact is,
we do our thinking through what the Bible calls the heart.
We have already
studied Satan and his tactics in the deception of man, and we have noted Demon
Influence. So with this doctrine, we
will understand the place within man that is the target of Satan's tactics and
demon influence. But, let us also not
forget that the heart of the soul is the place that God targets too. Our heart is the place where we store and
retain the Word of God that gives us functionality in the spiritual life and
protection from Satan's tactics and demon influence.
1. A Physiological Analogy of the Spiritual Life.
The physiological
heart is used rarely in the Bible but it makes for a great analogy. Some facts concerning the heart are; it is
estimated that the heart pumps five quarts of blood every minute, seventy-five
gallons an hour, seventy barrels a day, and about eighteen million barrels in
seventy years. The heart's anatomy and relation to the circulatory system
includes a double pump: two atriums and two ventricles. The thick muscular
walls of the ventricles are primarily responsible to pump the blood. Used blood
is low in oxygen and high in CO2. To be cleansed, the used blood enters the
right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cava. (When you think of used blood, think of it like the false ideas and
thinking we pick up in life inside Satan's Cosmic System.) The right
ventricle then pumps blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs where it
discharges CO2 and picks up oxygen from the alveoli. Then the blood travels
through the pulmonary veins to the left atrium, which in turn pumps the oxygen‑refreshed
blood out through the aorta to the entire body. (So to is it with metabolized doctrine in your
soul; it is pumped through various valves and circulates through the brain
giving you a dynamic mental attitude. Likewise, the CO2 of the soul, i.e., all
the false and erroneous ideas we've learned, must be replaced by the oxygen of
Bible doctrine.)
The Bible also uses
another anatomical filtration analogy for the inner workings of the soul in Revelation 2:23 where NEPHROS
or kidneys is the analogy for the mind and emotions, while KARDIA
reference the right lobe of the soul.
As we have noted in
our doctrines of Satanology and Demon influence, John 12:40 tells us, “He has blinded
their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their
eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”
The function of the
blood is to bathe tissues with fluid, preserving their slight alkaline
condition, supplying tissues with food and oxygen, to provide building material
for their growth and repair, distribute heat generated by cells in order to equalize
body temperature, carry hormones which coordinate and stimulate the activities
of various organs, and convey antibodies and white blood cells which fight
infection. Blood cannot support life
unless it keeps circulating.
Bible doctrine
circulating in the soul as a result of the function of the Grace Apparatus for Perception
(GAP) provides these same functions. This begins and is accomplished in the
heart, or what we call the right lobe of your soul.
The energy used by the
heart is fantastic. Many tissues of the body use as little as one-fourth of the
oxygen brought to them by the blood. The heart uses eighty percent of the
oxygen brought to it by the blood. Therefore, the amount of blood supplied to
the heart is extremely important, especially when its activity raises its
demand for oxygen. That is analogous to positive volition in spiritual warfare.
The heart transforms
chemical energy into the mechanical energy of contraction through a series of
electrical ignitions much like a car's engine does. Likewise, our spiritual
heart transfers academic thought into spiritual energy inside your soul.
Until the atomic age,
nothing man made ever came close to the efficiency of energy transfer compared
to the heart.
All of these statements
provide fantastic analogies to the heart or right lobe of the soul as the
circulator of Bible doctrine into the thinking part of the soul. When Bible doctrine reaches the heart, Bible
doctrine is converted into spiritual energy, (i.e., the Ten Problem Solving
Devices, Divine Viewpoint, and the Momentum of the Spiritual Life). No one can grow spiritually except through
perception of Bible doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness of the
Heart.
Psa139:13-14, "You have formed my inner parts; I will
give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your
works, and my soul knows it very well."
The Biblical nouns
for heart always refer to the right lobe of the soul. The Hebrew LEBH and
the Greek KARDIA are both translated "heart." Both are used outside the Bible for the
literal heart, but never anatomically in the Bible.
So clearly from
these and other verses, as we will see, this word is used for the mentality of
the soul, which we call the right lobe of the soul and not the blood-pumping
organ in your chest.
2. The First Mention of Heart in the
Bible, Genesis 6:5.
Gen 6:5, "Then the
LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. 6The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
This tells us that in the days leading up to the flood man stopped taking
in and applying the Word of God. He was not cycling the Word within his soul.
As a result, God's heart was grieved by man’s predicament.
Here the word heart is used of both man and God. As for God this is both
an anthropomorphism
and an anthropopathism, as we know God is not
built like man and is instead a spiritual being without the blood pumping organ
or brain as we have, nor does He think the way we do, or have the emotions we
have.
Anthropomorphism is a physical attribute of man ascribed to God, which
He does not literally possess in order for man to understand something about
God and His policy toward man by the use of language of accommodation. Likewise
an anthropopathism
ascribes to God mental characteristics found in man to describe God's thinking
and God's planning in human terms.
3. The First Mention in the New Testament,
Matthew 5:8.
Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God."
This verse tells
us that when we have the cleansing of our soul through the circulation of the
Word of God through our heart, we will come to have knowledge and understanding
of who and what God is and our relationship with Him.
Hebrews 10:22,
"Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water."
4. The Second Mention is in Matthew 5:28.
Matthew 5:28, "But I say to you that
everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery
with her in his heart."
The second mention
tells us that our heart can also be a place of sin influence over our soul when
we allow temptation from our Sin Nature to circulate through our heart/soul.
Just as the first
two mentions of "heart" in the Old Testament had the meaning of
sinfulness verses the thinking of God, the New Testament's first two mentions
show the same potential dichotomy in man's heart but in reverse order.
5.
"The Heart of Man" is the Place Where Wickedness Flourishes or is
Eliminated in Parable Relationship to the Body's Metabolization System, Matthew 15:11, 15-20.
Matthew 15:15,
"Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16Jesus said,
“Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17“Do you not
understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach,
and is eliminated? 18“But the things that proceed
out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19“For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, slanders. 20“These are the things
which defile the man.”"
6. Our Lord Uses this Word (5) Times in
the Upper Room Discourse.
He first uses the
heart in our text of John 13:2, then He uses it in:
John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:27, “Peace I
leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you. Do not let
your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
In these two verses the heart is the originator of fear from within. If
we do not circulate the Word of God through our heart, we will instead
circulate fear, worry, and anxiety.
John 16:6, “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your
heart. 7“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go
away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I
will send Him to you."
John 16:22,
“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart
will rejoice, and no one will take your
joy away from you."
In these two verses, we see the heart as the initiator of emotions which
come from another part of the soul. We will see more of this a little later but
we note that our emotions are to be led by the thinking in our heart and not vice
versa.
7. The Usage of "Heart" is a Basis for Analogy.
Just as the physical
heart is the pump that circulates blood throughout the body and thereby
supports physical life, so the right lobe of the soul circulates Bible doctrine
supporting the spiritual life of the believer. Bible Doctrine is actually
perceived and understood in the left lobe of the soul, but it is in the right
lobe where it is actually circulated and utilized.
The mentality of the
soul is divided into two lobes: The left
lobe, called the NOUS, meaning mind or thought; and the right lobe, called KARDIA,
meaning heart. This is noted in Job
38:36, "Who
endowed the heart with wisdom, or who gave understanding to the mind?"
The right lobe is the
dominant lobe designed by God to dominate the entire soul. Whenever you are
logical, analytical, or categorical in your thinking, you are using your heart,
1 Samuel 16:7.
1 Samuel 16:7,
"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the
height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at
the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 23:7,
"As a man thinks in his right lobe [heart], so he is."
The Hebrew word for "thinks" is øòÇLÜ - sha’ar
[shaw-ar']..
SHAAR means to split open,
reason out, calculate, reckon, or estimate. It is a primitive root that
literally means to act as gatekeeper (compare to SHOER); figuratively it
means to estimate or think.
So again we see the dichotomous action of the heart choosing for or
against the ways of God through discernment based on what he has received in
his heart, cosmic demon influence or the Word of God.
8. The Bible Never
Uses the Heart for Emotion.
Emotions are designed to respond to thinking that comes from the heart
of your soul, never the other way around. Faith too comes from the heart because faith
is thinking, not emotion.
2 Corinthians 6:11,
"Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O
Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. 12You are not restrained by
us, but you are restrained in your own affections (emotions)."
Notice that emotions
and heart are in contrast in this passage. Therefore, emotions are not a part
of the function of the heart/right lobe of the soul.
Romans 1:21,
"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give
thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart
was darkened."
This is a reference to the person who is negatively influenced and led by
their emotions.
Romans 6:17,
"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became
obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and
having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."
This is a reference to the person who has rejected emotional control of
the soul and is instead led by the Word of God circulating in their soul which
causes them to build upon their souls with more and more Bible Doctrine.
9.
True Happiness Emanates from the Word of God Circulating in the Heart of
Your Soul.
Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a
broken spirit dries up the bones."
Having a joyful heart
means you share God's happiness (+H) in your right lobe, which is Problem Solving
Device #9.
Proverbs 15:13-15, "A happy heart makes the face
cheerful, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. The heart of the intelligent seeks
knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast."
That reminds me of a
story I received via email last week:
A holy man was having a conversation with
the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and
Hell are like."
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He
opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room
was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting
around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were
holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each
found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but
because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons
back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and
suffering.
The Lord said, "You have seen
Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the
first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which
made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same
long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and plump,
laughing and talking.
The holy man said, "I don't
understand."
"It is simple", said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You
see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of
themselves."
Now from Proverbs 15:13-15 we also note:
a) "God's +H in the heart
makes for a cheerful face", means you will have a marvelous life with
vibrancy and animation when you have the Word of God in your right lobe.
b) But the "spirit is
broken" meaning the heart is sad, down, or complaining when you do not
have the Word in your right lobe.
c) "The heart of the
intelligent seeks knowledge," means that your motivation for learning
more Bible doctrine comes from the Bible doctrine you already have in your
right lobe.
d) "The continual
feast" means continuous circulation of Bible doctrine in the heart
with never ending supply and sustenance.
10. The Heart is a Part of the Essence of the Soul.
The soul is composed
of at least four invisible but real parts:
Self‑consciousness,
Acts 20:10,
Mentality, Proverbs 19:2,
Volition, Acts 3:23,
Emotion, Luke 12:19.
The Mentality of the
soul is divided into two parts: The left
and right lobes.
According to
scientists, one lobe is verbal and analytical, while the other is mute and
mysterious. Scientists say that the right hemisphere has language ability and
is analytical; and the left hemisphere is artistic and talented. In most people
one side is more dominant than the other is. Talented people tend to live using
mostly the non‑thinking part of their brain.
In the Bible we
classify the mute side as the left lobe (Mind) and the verbal hemisphere as the
right lobe (Heart).
The right lobe is
where you do your thinking, analyzing, applying of knowledge, and is the seat
of common sense.
The left lobe is your
place of assimilating information, and the area where your talent functions.
The Bible says the
heart is part of the essence of the soul; it is the thinking, reasoning part.
It is designed to dominate the soul. Therefore, it must be the target for
doctrinal teaching, 1 Kings 3:9,12; Psalms 119:11, 19:14.
To reach its target
(the right lobe / Heart), the Word of God must pass through two staging areas: The left lobe and the human spirit.
11. The Essence of the Biblical Heart.
There are six
compartments to the Heart of your soul including: the Frame of Reference,
A. Frame of
Reference.
Definition,
Webster Dictionary (1897), "An arbitrary set of axis with reference to
which the position or motion of something is described or physical laws are
formulated. A set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how
something will be approached, perceived, or understood."
The Frame of
Reference provides the basis for effective communication of ideas in
conversation, in professional functions, in witnessing, in social interaction,
and in the exchange of ideas.
In application to the
soul, it is the conceptual structure to which the Word of God, its principles
and categories of Scripture are related. It is the entrance of the heart as the
first place where Bible doctrine goes. This is because knowledge is built upon
knowledge; truth is built on truth. Isaiah
28:10
In the Frame of
Reference, information comes in and is processed out to the other parts of the
soul.
Throughout this
doctrine, we will utilize the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / heart of the soul works, the
overall Heart is the filing cabinet. It is the central resource center for
storing and finding information within our souls. Then there is the Frame of Reference which
are the various draws within the filing cabinet that provide first
access to the central resource center for storing and finding information
within our souls. It is the reference for entering new information and removing
old information, just as you enter new files into the filing cabinet and remove
old ones when they are no longer useful.
1) The Frame of Reference retains
metabolized Bible doctrine under the principle that doctrine is built upon
doctrine. You must learn from the simple to the complex.
The simple things are
the foundation in the Frame of Reference for building systematic theology. In
essence, spiritual growth is systematic theology in your soul.
2) The Frame of Reference retains
previously learned metabolized doctrines and becomes the entrance for new ones.
The Frame of
Reference is the location or area of retention of EPIGNOSIS doctrine.
1) The Frame of Reference is the
location of all concepts related to the Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age,
which explains the Plan of God, i.e., God's will, plan, and purpose for your
life.
2) The Frame of Reference is the seat
of the inventory of metabolized doctrine, from which application of Bible
doctrine or wisdom is performed. For example the Frame of Reference stores the
information pertaining to the Ten Problem Solving Devices for the Church Age.
3) Metabolized doctrine in the Frame
of Reference is the basis for the construction of the Edification Complex of the
Soul.
4) Metabolized doctrine in the Frame
of Reference is the basis for the execution of the Plan of God; therefore, it
is the basis for the glorification of God and for the manufacturing of
invisible heroes.
5) Metabolized doctrine in the Frame
of Reference increases your Spiritual I.Q. and provides the basis for learning
more advanced doctrines. The amount of doctrine you have in your Frame of
Reference is what really determines your Spiritual I.Q.
6) Metabolized Bible doctrine in your
Frame of Reference provides your first divine viewpoint, and it begins to shape
your mental attitude for the conflict between divine and human viewpoint, which
is a constant struggle until you reach spiritual adulthood.
7)
Metabolized Bible doctrine in your Frame of Reference provides the right
motivation for the Plan of God. It creates motivation for learning more
doctrine and so results in increased momentum. Metabolized doctrine is the
momentum factor that keeps you moving in the spiritual life and eventually
leads to execution of God's Plan for your life.
Proverbs 4:4, "Then He taught me and said to me, `Let
your heart [right lobe] hold fast My doctrines, keep My mandates, and live.'"
Your heart is the
source of concentration. Your ability and motivation for concentration starts
with your Frame of Reference.
1 Corinthians 2:9, "Things which the eye has not
seen and the ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of mankind all that God has prepared for those who love Him."
1) There is no way you can understand
all that God has prepared for you apart from your Frame of Reference being
saturated with the Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. You can only understand all that God has done
for you when Bible doctrine enters the right lobe of the soul.
2) To come to love God indicates
spiritual progress. Personal love for God the Father is the 7th
Problem Solving Device (PSD) and is the motivation for the Christian way of
life.
Occupation with the
Person of Christ, PSD #10, is the priority solution to problem solving in life,
which is only accomplished if you have the Word of God in your Frame of
Reference.
We do not have a
human Frame of Reference for the perception of God's Word, but a spiritual
Frame of Reference for spiritual phenomena (PNUEMAKITOS). 1 Corinthians 2:13
The Frame of
Reference constructs an instant reaction force or a red‑alert system from
metabolized doctrine, so that you can tell what is true and what is false in
the communication of the Word. 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 1:9-11
2 Corinthians 10:5, "We are destroying speculations
and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking
every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
Philippians 1:9,
"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real
knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things
that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of
Christ; 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which
comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Certain doctrines
form your instant reaction force to solve the problems of life and cosmic
involvement.
This is how the
construction of the PSD's for the Christian way of life is started. Metabolized
Bible doctrine in the Frame of Reference is the basis for the manufacture and
the function of all ten PSD's.
Many baby believers
have been delivered from many false doctrinal areas because, from their Frame
of Reference, they had certain instincts and knew something was wrong with
false ideas, emotional activity, ritual, and the like. So the Frame of Reference
is where you get your first protection in life.
The Frame of
Reference's alert system is so necessary in the Christian life because you must
learn to avoid error, con artists in the spiritual realm, false teachers, and
phony Christian service which is used to con
believers.
Metabolized Bible
doctrine in your Frame of Reference produces recall in various stages and
circumstances of life. Lamentations 3:20‑25
Lamentations 3:20‑25,
"Surely my soul remembers and is bowed
down (humbled) within me. 21 This I recall to
my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses
indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new
every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The
LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore
I have hope in Him.” 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
to the person who seeks Him."
The Frame of
Reference provides capacity for life, happiness, blessing, success, prosperity,
and promotion.
Psalms 119:16, "I delight in Your Bible doctrine; I shall
not forget Your Word."
That leads to the
next compartment in our Heart, which is the
B.
We now focus on the
second compartment of the Heart, the
As we have noted in
our analogy of a "filing cabinet" to explain how the KARDIA
/ heart of the soul works, the overall Heart is the filing cabinet. Then there
is the Frame of
Reference which are the various draws within the filing cabinet that
provide first access to the central resource center for storing and finding
information within our souls. The Frame of Reference is the location for the
classification of Bible doctrine. Now the
The
Recall is necessary
for the application of the Word of God to experience for worship, training the
Christian reflexes, and the function of the Problem Solving Devices.
The
Recall is synonymous
with the application of Bible doctrine to experience and is therefore a part of
wisdom (EPIGNOSIS and SOPHIA).
For example, recall
becomes the basis for structuring the Problem Solving Devices within your soul.
It may take only one
verse to apply recall of a Doctrine such as 1 John 1:9, or one word such as Rebound or several verses and words
combined to recall a Biblical principle of application.
More complex recall
occurs after we learn about the Plan of God, including our Portfolio of
Invisible Assets, the Unique Spiritual Life, Suffering for Blessing, and the
Life Beyond GNOSIS. It all depends on how your Frame of Reference is
developed.
Recall is the basis for the function of all three stages of the
Faith-Rest Drill. 1) Establish
a relaxed mental attitude and claim promises of God. 2) Concentrate on
pertinent doctrine in a logical order [doctrinal rationale]. 3) Reach doctrinal
conclusions.
We can not apply faith without information to believe in. When we
recall information from the Word of God, we now have the opportunity to apply
faith rest towards that information, but without information we have no basis
for applying faith. We will see more of this in our Sunday studies on the
PSD's.
Recall is the
application of the doctrinal rationales to the circumstances of life. The
principle of Doctrinal Rationale is when we combine various bits of knowledge
from the Word of God together to form categories of doctrines in our soul. Once
we have the doctrines stored in our souls, we can then recall and apply them
logically and rationally to the situations of life. So Doctrinal Rationale is
the recall and application, in faith, of the Word of God in our lives. For
example, the essence of God rationale, the Plan of God rationale, the POLITEUMA
rationale, the grace of God rationale, the logistical grace rationale, etc.
Recall has nothing to
do with whether or not you have a good memory as a human being. It has
everything to do with the intake of the Word of God and the building of our
Spiritual IQ by God the Holy Spirit.
Repetition is the
key. You must hear a doctrine over and over again. The more you hear a doctrine,
the quicker your spiritual IQ is built up and the sooner you will apply it to
life.
You haven't learned a
doctrine until you can't forget it! You cannot use what you cannot recall. You
can't look up the pertinent principles and doctrines in your notebook when
you're being tested. It must already be in your
Therefore, recall is
the application of EPIGNOSIS doctrine in the right lobe to the circumstances of
life. When EPIGNOSIS doctrine is applied, it is called wisdom (SOPHIA).
Lamentations 3:20‑25, "Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down (humbled) within me. 21 This I recall
to my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions
never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says
my soul, [Frame of Reference and
What memory brings
about humility as the basis for function in the spiritual life? Verse 21
answers the question; the memory of Bible doctrine.
In Jeremiah's case,
he had both Doctrinal Orientation and Grace Orientation, PSD's 3 and 5,
operating in his soul because he saturated his
Psalms 119:16, "I delight in doctrine; I shall not
forget Your word."
Psalm 119 was the thinking of those young people on
that long march from
Psalms 119:109, "My life is continually in my hand (an idiom for
"in constant danger"), but I
do not forget Your law (doctrines)."
The Frame of
Reference plus the
2 Corinthians 10:4‑6,
"For the weapons of our
warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of
fortresses. 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing
raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought
captive to the obedience of Christ, 6and we are ready to punish
all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete."
The context of this
passage is the angelic conflict, and the issue is your weaponry. You must have
the right weapons. You come to Bible class to arm yourself spiritually. God
provides the weaponry which is all in one arsenal, God's power system.
The phrase in verse
six "we are ready" is
better translated "holding in
readiness" and refers to EPIGNOSIS doctrine in the Frame of
Reference and in the
C. Vocabulary
Storage.
Throughout this
doctrine we have been utilizing the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / heart of the soul works, the overall Heart is the filing cabinet. Then there is the
Frame of Reference
which are the various draws within the filing cabinet that provide first
access to the central resource center for storing and finding information
within our souls. Then we noted the
Vocabulary Storage is
the place where thinking develops and where technical words are stored which
develop new ideas. You cannot think beyond your vocabulary.
Vocabulary begins in
the NOUS
/ mind / left lobe of your soul and is developed as a result of
learning new things and new information. Once you learn new things and accept
or believe them, it is then transferred to the KARDIA / heart / right
lobe of you soul.
Concepts are first
learned in the left lobe where they are meaningless until we accept them; then
they are transferred to the right lobe where they have form and meaning.
Often our capacity
for life is related to our vocabulary. If our vocabulary is limited, our experience
and thinking is limited. If our vocabulary is expansive, our experiences and
thinking will be expansive.
After salvation, the
believer must learn an entirely new vocabulary, including technical words for
theology which is tantamount to learning a new language for thinking, for
application, and for expression of their spiritual life.
Just as at physical
birth a baby must learn a language and the meaning of words, so after
regeneration the believer must learn an entire new language.
Cognizance of
technical language is necessary to understand and apply Bible doctrine to your
life. The plan of God, of necessity, is couched in technical, theological
terms.
For example:
Soteriology = the
doctrine of salvation
Harmartiology = the doctrine of
sin
Eschatology = the
doctrine of end times/kingdom of God
Bibliology = the understanding
of the Bible's design and development
Theology = the
doctrine of God.
Christology = the
doctrine of Jesus Christ
Pneumatology = the doctrine of
the Holy Spirit
Angelology = the
doctrine of Angels
Anthropology = the
doctrine of man
Ecclesiology = the
doctrine of the Church
Hypostatic
Etc.
Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were discovered and I ate [metabolized] them, and Your words became for
me a joy and the delight of my heart."
Deuteronomy 8:3, "And He humbled you [the Exodus
generation] and He let you be hungry and
He fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your ancestors know that
He might cause you to understand that mankind does not live by bread alone, but
man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.", quoted in Matthew
4:4 by our Lord at the temptation by Satan.
Psalms 119:103
"How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way."
Psalms 119:130,
"The unfolding of Your words gives light; It
gives understanding to the simple. 131I opened my mouth wide and
panted, For I longed for Your commandments."
D. Categorical
Storage.
Throughout this
doctrine we have been utilizing the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / heart of the soul works, the overall Heart is the
filing cabinet. Then there is the Frame of Reference which are the various draws within the
filing cabinet that provide first access to the central resource center for
storing and finding information within our souls. The
Categorical Storage,
coordinated within the Frame of Reference, classifies Bible doctrine. This is
the storage area of any technical concepts or categorical information in any
area of life. It is related to recall from both the
By comparing
Scripture with Scripture, certain subjects are brought together in the
divisions of doctrine for the purpose of classification. In the various parts
of Scripture, many ideas are covered from different viewpoints but are still
part of the same subject. For example Christ spoke from the viewpoint of
fishing, farming, tax collecting, shepherding, etc. but conveyed the same
overall message of salvation and living the spiritual life.
Categories are
fundamental concepts of doctrine to which all knowledge of doctrine can be
reduced.
Categories are the
divisions of doctrine formed for the purpose of classification of subjects and
subject matter in the Word of God.
Categorical Storage
is the basis for conceptualism in the Perception, Metabolization, and
Application (PMA) of Bible doctrine post salvation.
Both Vocabulary and
Categorical Storage are essential to spiritual growth and the execution of
God's plan for your life.
Proverbs 2:2, "Make your ear attentive to (concentrate on) wisdom; apply your heart (right lobe) to understanding.This was Font/Pitch 2,12 - Off.Note: The change to pitch (12) and font (1) must be
converted manually." Only you can make your ear concentrate; no one can do
it for you.
You are to
concentrate on wisdom, which is CHOKMAH in the Hebrew.
CHOKMAH is the Word of God resident within your soul that is applied to
life. It is a combination of the Greek EPIGNOSIS plus SOPHIA. Wisdom is the
basis of spiritual growth.
By applying your
right lobe to understanding the Word of God by the power of God the Holy Spirit,
you develop Categorical Storage of Bible Doctrine in your soul.
The heart pumps EPIGNOSIS
doctrine through the Frame of Reference,
Proverbs 2:10, "Wisdom
will enter your heart, and knowledge (God's Word) will be pleasant to your soul."
Proverbs 3:3, "Do not let kindness and truth leave
you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 15:14‑15, "The mind of the
intelligent seeks knowledge;...a good heart has a
continual feast."
Proverbs 18:15, "The heart of the wise acquires knowledge (of Bible doctrine); the ear of the wise seeks knowledge (of
Bible doctrine).This was Font/Pitch 2,12 - Off.Note: The change to pitch (12) and font (1) must be
converted manually."
The "heart of the wise" is
spiritual growth. It acquires knowledge through PMA.
The "ear of the wise" is positive
volition. With positive volition everything falls into place. Positive volition
continually seeks the Word of God.
Categorical Storage
is the putting together of words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs,
paragraphs into chapters, chapters into books, etc. It is cognizance of the various doctrinal
categories used to communicate information to the believer.
Knowledge is built on
knowledge. Simple categories of doctrine lead to the more complex categories of
knowledge in the classification of Biblical categories.
The study of
doctrines categorically becomes the basis for greater and greater application.
It is very easy to mix the promises with faith in the simple form of the
Faith-Rest Drill. But to take a complicated Problem Solving Device in your life
and apply various concepts and rationales of Bible doctrine to it requires a
greater use of your right lobe.
Eventually, the
greatest Problem Solving Devices in spiritual adulthood are resolved by
categorical application. In the Faith-Rest Drill, instead of claiming a
promise, you begin to claim doctrinal rationales. It is from categories that
you get stronger application of doctrine to your experience.
Both vocabulary and
categorical storage are essential for renewing your mind, Romans 12:2. Cognition of a technical vocabulary of Biblical
theology is necessary for the fulfillment of the Plan of God.
Every term, including
Rebound, Faith-Rest Drill, Hope 1, 2, and 3, Spiritual Self‑Esteem,
Virtue‑Love, Problem Solving Devices, the Plan of God, God's Power System
for our life, the Portfolio of Invisible Assets, Escrow Blessings, Logistical
Grace blessings, Election, Predestination, etc., all have extensive doctrinal
explanations. They must be stored in both the Vocabulary and Categorical
compartments of the soul's right lobe for your reference.
E. Conscience.
Throughout this
doctrine we have been utilizing the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / heart of the soul works, the overall Heart is the
filing cabinet. Then there is the Frame of Reference which are the various draws within the
filing cabinet that provide first access to the central resource center for
storing and finding information within our souls. The
The word and meaning
of Conscience comes from a combination of Greek and Latin terms. The Greek word SUNEIDESIS means, "to know
with." The equivalent Latin CONSCIENTIA means joint knowledge,
i.e., to know with a standard. From these two terms we understand the
Conscience to be "the joining of knowledge together to from standards
within your soul".
Psalms 119:103,
"How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104From Your precepts I get
understanding; Therefore I hate every false way” (norms and standards).
The Conscience is the
heart's (right lobe of your soul) storage compartment for your norms and
standards and priorities in life, Romans
9:1, 2 Corinthians 5:11; Titus 1:15; Hebrews 9:14.
Romans 9:1, "I am telling the truth in Christ, I am
not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy
Spirit, 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my
heart." This was Paul's attitude towards the Jews for rejecting Christ as the
Messiah. He had the knowledge of God in his heart and through the ministry of
the Spirit was able to express sorrow towards the unbeliever.
So you see you have
to know something to have a Conscience. The Conscience extrapolates from
whatever you put into your soul; the norms and standards for life. When you
know something, whether it is good or bad, you develop standards from that
knowledge. Whatever you learn in the right lobe becomes a part of your norms
and standards.
2 Corinthians 5:11, "Therefore, knowing the fear
of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope
that we are made manifest also in your consciences."
That is why it is so
important to be careful about what you put into your soul and to take every
thought captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5,
12-13
1 Corinthians 3:10, "According to the grace of God
which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and
another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11For
no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ."
Ephesians 5:15, "Therefore be careful how you walk,
not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time,
because the days are evil."
Ezekiel 36:27, “I will put My Spirit within you and
cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be
careful to observe My ordinances."
Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart from
your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be
careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make
your way prosperous, and then you will have success."
In the development of
your Conscience, you must have vocabulary and thought to establish norms and
standards. It is first built on one word, no or don't, negative words, which
forbid doing something. Later on there is explanation and reason in both
positive and negative terms to go along with the prohibition, but it begins
simply.
So too does the
Conscience develop in the spiritual realm; first with simple adherence to God's
ordinances; later with knowledge, obedience to His Plan for your life.
Romans 2:15, "the law printed [written] in their hearts [right lobes], their conscience bearing witness, and
their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."
Once you have norms
and standards, you orient to whether you are doing something right or wrong.
Therefore, the Conscience becomes the residency of the priorities of your soul,
Daniel 1:8.
Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel made up his mind that he
would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he
drank; so he sought permission from
the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself."
Your Conscience is Divided into Two Parts:
a) The place for norms and standards developed from the Word of God
resident in your soul.
b) The carnal norms and standards developed from your Old Sin Nature
and cosmic living.
The decisions you
make as a believer are generally based on your conscience inspired by either
the Word of God or your Sin Nature. Unbelievers can only make decisions from
their Sin Nature.
If your decisions are
based on your doctrinal norms and standards, then your decisions are divine
good decisions (fruit of Spirit) from a position of strength, (gold, silver, and
precious stones).
If your decisions are
based on your carnal norms and standards, then your decisions are bad decisions
from a position of weakness (wood, hay
and straw, 1 Corinthians 3:12;
2 Corinthians 5:10).
1 Corinthians 8:7, "Not all men have this knowledge
[about
food offered to idols], but some being
accustomed to idol worship until now [when saved] eat the food as if it were sacrificed to idols, and their conscience,
being weak, is defiled."
Our norms and
standards determine our priorities in life. Your priorities form your scale of
values. If you have false standards in your Conscience they cause spiritual
weaknesses in your soul.
"Some of the best food in
The Conscience is a
very sensitive thing. It can be erroneous in its concepts apart from Bible
doctrine. If the Word of God does not feed the Conscience, instinct will
quickly develop into legalism.
The norms and
standards located in the Conscience are directed toward both God and man, but
primarily toward mankind until you become aware of the existence of God and
what He has done for you.
Acts 24:16, "In view of this, even I myself keep
practicing to maintain even a blameless conscience, both before God and before
men."
True strength is to
develop your standards toward both God and man from the Biblical standards of
doctrine.
2 Corinthians 4:2, "But we have renounced the
things hidden because of shame [false doctrine and apostasy], not walking in craftiness, not
adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation of truth, commending
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."
Paul is saying that
there is a legitimate mode of operation that goes with the spiritual life. You
will build up norms and standards related to it from Bible doctrine, and at the
same time set aside false norms and standards related to legalism or any other Cosmic thinking.
Principles Related to
the Conscience:
a) The believer's Conscience demands that he submit to establishment
authority.
Romans 13:5, "Therefore, it is necessary to be in
subordination, not only because of wrath [law enforcement], but also for conscience sake."
In other words, the
Christian doesn't refrain from criminal activity because he's afraid of going
to jail, but because, with a strong conscience, his norms and standards refuse
to let him even consider any criminal or sinful activity. The Conscience in the
soul is far stronger than any fear of punishment from law enforcement.
b) The Conscience is a motivator within our soul to live in the
Righteousness of God under His grace.
2 Timothy 1:3, "I thank God whom I serve with a clear
conscience, the way my ancestors did, as I constantly remember you in my
prayers day and night."
We also see that the
Conscience has something to do with your effectiveness in prayer. Paul's
Conscience demanded that he prays for certain people, and he did so. Paul
didn't pray for people because he liked them, but for conscience sake, which is
the strongest possible motivation.
c) The Conscience is tested and trained when confronted with unjust and
unfair treatment.
1 Peter 2:18-19, "Servants, be submissive to your
masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle masters, but also to
the perverse and unreasonable ones; for this is grace, if for the sake of
conscience toward God anyone bears up under sorrows when suffering
unjustly."
"Though originally addressed to slaves, this verse
came to refer to anyone who is under the authority of someone else. Some people
in authority are perverse, but you are just as responsible to submit to their
authority. You serve them and do your best job as unto the Lord. Such a
believer has a strong conscience. The weak believer complains and rejects authority,
and so becomes a loser (of rewards). So it is very important to have a
Conscience based on EPIGNOSIS doctrine so that you can handle unjust treatment
in the same manner that you handle fair treatment." R.B. Thieme Jr.
d) When going through suffering for blessing a good Conscience is a
witness to others and causes the accuser to reflect upon their own Conscience. 1 Peter 3:14-16
1 Peter 3:14-16, "But
even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not
be troubled, 15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an
account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16and
keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered,
those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame."
All three categories
of suffering for blessing are in view here, Providential Preventative
Suffering, Momentum Testing, and Evidence Testing. Regardless of the category
of suffering you are under, you will be sustained by applying the Word of God
resident within your soul, (Occupation
with the Lord Jesus Christ). When you are faced with adversity, such as
slandering, your Conscience refrains you from
retaliating. Instead you turn the matter over to God, (the Supreme Court of Heaven), in faith and rest in Him.
e) Reversionism and apostasy in
a believer's life is related to a Conscience that has been destroyed through
neglect of Bible doctrine and absorption of Cosmic thinking, resulting in scar
tissue upon their soul.
1 Timothy 4:1-2, "But the
Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith,
paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2by
means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a
branding iron, (scar tissue as a
result of reversionism)."
f) The Conscience is purified from built up scar tissue and dead works
through the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus
Christ on the cross. Hebrews 9:14
Hebrews 9:14, "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?"
We are cleansed at the moment of Salvation. That is true. But if we
perform dead works (works performed in
carnality absent the power of God the Holy Spirit) post salvation, the cross remains effective for
cleansing through the confession of sin, 1
John 1:9. With a cleansed conscience you are now able to truly and
righteously serve and glorify God.
Divine omnipotence
and human power are mutually exclusive. Serving God and fulfilling His Plan
cannot be accomplished by human power. Human power, including legalism,
destroys the Conscience and results in dead works.
Serving God means the
utilization of divine power and the cognition of Bible doctrine, which
establishes the norms and standards for the right lobe / heart of your soul.
So the Conscience in
the Heart (right lobe) of Our Soul:
a) Demands the believer submit to establishment authority.
b) Motivates him to
live in the Righteousness of God under grace.
c) Tests and trains
the soul under unjust and unfair treatment.
d) Is a witness to and causes self-reflection
in others when suffering for blessing.
e) Is destroyed through neglect of Bible doctrine and absorption of
Cosmic thinking, resulting in scar tissue upon the soul when in reversionism
and apostasy.
f) Is purified from scar tissue and dead works through the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the
cross.
F. The Launching Pad.
Throughout this
doctrine we have been utilizing the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / heart of the soul works, the overall Heart is the
filing cabinet. Then there is the Frame of Reference which are the various draws within the
filing cabinet that provide first access to the central resource center for
storing and finding information within our souls. The
The Launching Pad is
the final and critical compartment of the Heart of your soul.
This is the
compartment that when confronted with an issue or situation,
gathers information from the other five compartments of the Heart and sets it
in motion.
It is the staging and
application of metabolized Bible doctrine resident in your soul and/or Problem
Solving Devices to the various experiences of life.
Applying the Word of
God that you have learned to the situations of life is called Wisdom.
The Launching Pad is
the staging area for EPIGNOSIS (complete knowledge) Bible Doctrine and setting it in motion to
become SOPHIA (wisdom) as
you apply it to life.
Wisdom should be the
natural outpouring of your soul as a result of learning the Word of God.
If it is not, then
arrogance has or will set in.
Unfortunately many
believers don't take in the Word of God after salvation and do not receive EPIGNOSIS.
That is problem #1.
Problem #2 is that
some believers with EPIGNOSIS Bible doctrine do not apply it in faith.
The most common cause
of Problem #1 and #2 is that arrogance (i.e.
independence and self-reliance emanating from the Sin Nature) has taken up
residence in the soul in the place of EPIGNOSIS.
Without wisdom
applied from your soul, there is arrogance.
The Greek word for
wisdom, SOPHIA and the Hebrew equivalent, CHOKMAH means the ability
to relate metabolized Bible doctrine in the Heart (right lobe) to life.
Therefore, it is the
ability to deal sagaciously (keen and farsighted judgment, acute discernment)
with life from the accumulated facts and knowledge of the Mystery Doctrine of
the Church Age.
The Launching Pad is
an entrance hall or conduit for EPIGNOSIS Bible Doctrine to be
applied. It works as follows:
Your
are
faced with a situation in life. The Frame of Reference sends first some general
reference points that are related to the situation. Then the
This all occurs under
the function of your very own Royal Priesthood through the enabling power of
God the Holy Spirit working within your soul.
You cannot apply what
you do not know. You can only apply Bible doctrine for yourself; the Pastor
cannot apply Bible doctrine for you.
John 16:13, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative,
but whatever He hears (EPIGNOSIS), He will speak (Launch Pad);
and He will disclose to you what is to come (Wisdom)."
The Launching Pad is
where thought is converted into action.
The standards from
your Conscience are applied to life and all of the other parts of the Heart come
together to make an application.
As you apply more and
more Bible doctrine to life, you develop greater and greater wisdom.
In the Launching Pad
all the Bible doctrine in the right lobe of your soul comes together for its
application.
This is where virtue
love, hope, and the other Problem Solving Devices have a phenomenal impact.
1 Corinthians 2:13,
"Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in
those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
This means
application of EPIGNOSIS Bible doctrine to your experiences in the privacy of
your Royal Priesthood.
Under the Royal
Family Honor Code, we are not to apply our own norms and standards to others
(unless you are a parent).
But in grace and virtue
(unconditional) love, we teach and train others with the hope that they will
develop EPIGNOSIS and wisdom within their own soul to the glory of God.
Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 1:30, "But you are from Him
in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, both righteousness and
sanctification and redemption."
1 Corinthians 2:7-8, "For we communicate
God's wisdom in a mystery which has been hidden, which God predestined before
the ages for the purpose of your glory, [divine wisdom] which none of the rulers of this age have understood; for if they had
understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
James 3:17, "But the wisdom from above is first
pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and divine good
production, impartial, without hypocrisy."
Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is integrity, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is admirable, if there is any virtue, if there is anything
worthy of praise, concentrate on these things."
12. Summary of the Six Compartments of the Heart.
Throughout this
doctrine we have been utilizing the analogy of a "filing cabinet" to
explain how the KARDIA / HEART of the soul works.
Basically the Heart is the overall filing cabinet. It is the central resource
center of your soul, the place where information is entered, stored, and
available for recall and application. As we have noted in this doctrine, there
are six compartments in the heart of your soul so we will use the "filing
cabinet" analogy to describe the six compartments.
1) The Frame of Reference is
analogous to the various drawers within the filing cabinet. The drawers provide
initial access to the central resource center for storing and finding information
within our souls.
2) The
3) Vocabulary Storage is
analogous to the tabs or headings we put on files as a technical reference to
the information within the files providing us easy access and recall.
4) Categorical Storage is
the order and arrangement of files, the systematic grouping of reference
material for application.
5) The Conscience is the
scanning of information within a file to use as a basis of reference,
establishing guidelines regarding the situations of life.
6) Finally, we arrive at the Launching
Pad. The Launching Pad is the place where the things stored in the filing
cabinet are gathered together for use and application. It is the animated
process of removing a file and utilizing what is in that file.
For example, you are
faced with a disastrous situation in life. The Frame of Reference sends initial
general reference points that are related to the situation. Then the
13. Spiritual Growth is the Result of Building Up Your Heart with the Word of God.
As a result of having
Bible doctrine in the Frame of Reference, moving it into the
This is the status in
which spiritual growth is obtained as a result of momentum inside God's power
system for your spiritual walk. This is accomplished through the enabling power
of God the Holy Spirit and momentum from the Word of God metabolized within
your soul. Learning God's Word provides momentum and motivation to learn more
of God's Word. This is the momentum factor of spiritual phenomenon resulting in
God's wisdom applied to your life.
There are two
categories of spiritual growth.
1) Normal spiritual growth
that comes from the renewing of your mind post-salvation.
Ephesians 4:23,
"And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put
on the new self, which in the likeness of
God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
Romans 12:2,
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good
and acceptable and perfect."
This is accomplished
through the Grace Apparatus for Perception (GAP) which includes the three R's
by means of the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit.
a) Receptive
comprehension, faith upon hearing.
b) Retention, the metabolization of Bible doctrine, converting GNOSIS
into EPIGNOSIS
doctrine and storing it within the Heart of your soul.
c) Recall, the application of the Word resident within your soul from
the Launching Pad of the Heart resulting in Wisdom.
2) Accelerated
spiritual growth as a result of Suffering for Blessing.
The acceleration of
your spiritual growth comes from the application of metabolized Bible doctrine
and the function of the Problem Solving Devices when you are faced with
pressure and adversity in life.
As is the general
rule, we tend to learn at an accelerated rate when we are faced with
difficulties or perceived failures within our lives. This is in contrast to the
times of success and prosperity when we are comfortable, think we are all set
and "have it all down pat". In the latter the trend is to not turn to
God, His wisdom or power.
But in times of
difficulty and pressure, we find ourselves in a position of hopelessness and
helplessness when it comes to human solutions and our human resources. In these
times, like no other, we are narrowed in our application to utilize the power of
God, His Word and Spirit.
This is called
Suffering for Blessing, which is facing difficulties, disasters, or pressure
when we are walking with God. This is in contrast to divine discipline, when
due to our negative volition, God allows discipline to
come into our lives to wake us up.
You can learn from
divine discipline, punitive suffering, the law of volitional responsibility,
and self‑induced misery. But that is a slow process and does not
necessarily advance you to Spiritual Self-Esteem. In those instances, if you
wake up and get back in fellowship with God, the discipline is turned into
Suffering for Blessing.
Suffering for
Blessing has three categories related to three stages of spiritual adulthood,
which moves us forward and provides momentum to achieve further spiritual
growth in spiritual adulthood.
1 Corinthians 9:24,
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such
a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games
exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore
I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating
the air; 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that,
after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified."
a) Spiritual Self‑Esteem plus
Providential Preventative Suffering (P.P.S.) equals Spiritual Autonomy. P.P.S. insulates
against the arrogance complex of sins. 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.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Peter 1:6‑8; Philippians
1:29
b) Spiritual Autonomy plus Momentum
Testing equals Spiritual Maturity. Momentum Testing includes People, Thought,
System, Disaster, and Prosperity testing.
1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20, Colossians 3:12‑4:1;
Matthew 9:4; Romans 12:2-3; Galatians 6:3; Philippians 4:12-13
Philippians 4:12, "I know how to get along with
humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both
of having abundance and suffering need. 13I can do all things through
Him who strengthens me."
c) Spiritual Maturity plus Evidence
Testing equals Maximum Glorification of God. Evidence testing is Satan's cross‑examination
of every witness presented by God in the historical trial of all fallen angels.
Zechariah 3:1; Romans 12:10, Ephesians
6:10-12; Revelations 2:8-11
Two categories of Evidence Testing.
1. The Relationship to the Plan of God Test, illustrated by our Lord
Jesus Christ. Matthew 4:1‑11
2. The Relationship
to Life Test, illustrated by Job.
No matter what stage
of Spiritual growth you are in, keep in mind 1 Corinthians 10:13.
1 Corinthians 10:13,
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it."
So in relation to
our verse, John 13:2 in the Upper
Room Discourse, we understand why it is so important to fill the Heart of our
Soul with the Word of God, so that we are not deceived and influence by demons
and doctrines of demons. In review we have noted:
Doctrine of the KARDIA/Heart Summary
13. Spiritual
Growth is the result of building up your Heart with the Word of God.
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James H. Rickard Bible Ministries.
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