Lesson for October 9, 2019
Our Spiritual Assets
All Judgment Removed, All Scar Tissue Removed and Access to God
All Judgment Removed
At salvation, all judgment is removed from believers. Faith in Christ removes all condemnation. Christ was judged in our place and therefore believers will not be judged for sin. At physical birth every member of the human race is condemned because of Adam’s original sin. This condemnation can be removed only by faith in Christ. He took our condemnation (judgment) on the Cross and paid the penalty that was demanded by the righteousness and justice of God. (John 3:16-18; Romans 8:1)
The word for sin in Greek is “hamartia” and literally means, “missing the mark.” There are three types of sin in the Bible. Imputed sin is Adam’s original sin imputed to the entire human race at physical birth. It is this sin that separates us from God (spiritual death). (Romans 5:12, 6:23; I Corinthians 15:21-22) Inherent sin is the sin nature inherited at physical birth by every member of the human race, passed down genetically by a human father. (Romans 5:12,18,19; Psalms 51:5) Personal sin is not imputed to the human race but is committed after physical birth. (Psalms 32:2; Romans 4:8; II Corinthians 5:19)
Adam’s original sin results in spiritual death, which is separation from God for all eternity. (Romans 5:12-21, 6:23) This means that the human race lacks the righteousness necessary to have a relationship with God or to enter Heaven. (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 64:6) Inherent sin makes people sinners because they possess a sin nature. A person is not a sinner because he commits personal sin; he sins because he possesses a sin nature. Personal sin results from succumbing to temptation from the sin nature. Every person chooses to sin from his or her own volition. (Romans 7:15-20; James 1:13-15; I John 1:8-10)
The Scriptures are clear that spiritual death is a result of Adam’s original sin, which is imputed at birth. It is therefore spiritual death that is the penalty for sin. It was Christ’s spiritual death on the Cross that paid the penalty for Adam’s original sin. This judgment satisfied the justice of God and faith in Christ secures forgiveness forever. Forgiveness of sin means deliverance from the penalty of sin and the complete removal of sin. The word in Greek for forgiveness is “aphiemi” and means “to send forth” or “to send away,” which is a perfect description of what God does with our sin. (Matthew 27:26; John 19:30) The Bible says, “In Adam all die (spiritual death), but in Christ shall all be made alive (eternal life).” (I Corinthians 15:22)
Christ also paid the penalty for inherent sin (the nature passed to us from our fathers). The power of sin in the life of a believer can be broken, but only on the basis of Christ’s payment for inherent sin. Positionally, believers are secure forever since they possess eternal life and are kept secure by the power of God.
Experientially, believers still possess sin natures. (John 3:16; Romans 8:8-10; II Corinthians 5:17) Since the sin nature is not eradicated at salvation, believers commit personal sin. (I John 1:8-10) These personal sins were imputed to Christ and judged. At salvation pre-salvation personal sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. (Psalm 103:12; I John 2:2; Ephesians 1:7)
There must also be a solution to post-salvation sinning in order for believers to have fellowship with God after salvation. God, in His magnificent way, has provided the solution. After salvation, a believer simply names, admits, or acknowledges his personal sin directly to God and is forgiven and cleansed. Not only does He forgive the sins we name, He cleanses us from any unknown or forgotten sins. (I John 1:5-10)
All Scar Tissue Removed
Human Viewpoint Thinking tells us that happiness is found in fulfilling our every human desire. This, of course, is not in harmony with God’s Word. This kind of thinking will eventually lead to “scar tissue on the soul” (hardness of the heart). Scar tissue on the soul leads to a frantic search for happiness within Satan’s world system. (Ephesians 4:18; Hebrews 3:12-15; I Timothy 4:2)
Scar tissue on the soul shuts down Divine Viewpoint Thinking and removes the capacity for happiness. On the inside, mental attitude sins produce self-induced misery and on the outside, the details of life become your master. Reversionism, the condition of a believer who is negative toward Bible doctrine or has stopped growing spiritually eventually results in scar tissue on the soul. The reversionist is a believer in perpetual carnality, out of fellowship with God and controlled by his sin nature. If you are not advancing toward spiritual maturity as a Christian, you are retreating into reversionism. (Ephesians 4:19)
As a reversionist moves farther away from God, his conscience becomes more and more “seared,” his norms and standards revert to human viewpoint and the “scar tissue on the soul” begins to build. Capacity for life is replaced with the temporary pleasures of this world system: entertainment, money, power, social status, material possessions, and even personal relationships. What a person thought was going to bring lasting happiness brings only misery and disillusionment. Disillusionment then leads to frustration, discouragement and even depression because true happiness never comes from what the world system has to offer. (I Timothy 4:2; II Timothy 3:1-7)
Removal of this “scar tissue” is not easy, but it is possible. Scar tissue on the soul can be removed only by the consistent, persistent intake and application of Bible doctrine. As a believer utilizes I John 1:9 (confession of known sins) and replaces Human Viewpoint Thinking with Divine Viewpoint Thinking by learning and applying accurate Bible doctrine, the “scar tissue” slowly begins to be removed.
In Ephesians 4 we find the decline into reversionism, and the recovery process. In the first half of the chapter we see believers executing the Christian Way of Life and growing spiritually. It is the “worthy walk” of believers that is being described by Paul in verses 1-16. In verses 17-19 Paul admonishes these believers for sliding into reversionism. In verses 20-32 Paul gives them the recovery process.
In verse 17 Paul warns these believers not to walk as unbelievers (which some were doing), in the vacuum or emptiness of their mind, which leads to “blackout of the soul” and “scar tissue on the soul” as described in verse 18. Verse 19 gives the next progressive step in reversionism, which is total indulgence to the trend of the sin nature, whether the trend is toward self-righteous arrogance or uncontrolled overt sensual desires.
Verses 22-24 give the beginning of the recovery from reversionism and the removal of scar tissue on the soul. Verse 22 is the importance of Rebound in reversion recovery. Rebound is one of the great principles in reversion recovery, obviously. In fact, Rebound is necessary for any kind of advance in the Christian life. You can’t go one inch forward in the Christian life apart from the ministry of God the Holy Spirit and Rebound.
Your former manner of life in verse 22 refers to reversionism. Laying aside the old self begins with the Rebound Technique. Laying aside, in effect, becomes the road to reversionism recovery. We cannot get away from the sin nature in this life, but we can control it by means of the power of the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine. To do this demands that we use the Rebound Technique consistently as a function in the Christian life. Laying aside is a word in Greek that means to remove as in clothing but is used as an analogy for reversionism recovery by replacing Human Viewpoint Thinking, attitudes and actions with Divine Viewpoint Thinking, attitudes and actions.
Which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit in verse 22 uses the Greek word “phtheiro” for corrupted, which means to be depraved, to decay, to rot or to destroy. We all have a sin (corrupt) nature, which will always be corrupt. It was corrupt from the moment it entered Adam and Eve at the time of the Fall. It was corrupt in us the moment we were born into this world. The sin nature can be controlled in members of the royal family, but it will never ever be improved, which is why in the resurrection body there will be no sin nature.
And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind in verse 23 is when a believer begins to study and apply doctrine consistently to recover from reversionism. Renewed means to be restored and is in the present tense meaning a repeated action and indicates the fact that you don’t take in doctrine just once in a while, but it has to be consistent for reversion recovery. The restoration takes place in the mind of the believer. (Romans 12:1-2)
And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth in verse 24 is the reconstruction of your spiritual building (Edification Complex of the Soul). This is a part of recovery and as you begin the building process you are now moving toward your objective of spiritual maturity again. The new self describes the fact that you and I are members of the Royal Family of God. The likeness of God means that believers possess the perfect righteousness of God. Our spiritual building is built by means of practical or capacity righteousness, which is executing the Protocol Plan of God.
And holiness of the truth means set apart to Bible doctrine. A believer with Bible doctrine possesses building materials for the construction of their very own spiritual building (Edification Complex of the Soul). So, ignorance of doctrine is replaced by devotion to doctrine. How do you know that you are advancing in the Christian life? You know when you are becoming more and more devoted to doctrine, you are learning to love doctrine and doctrine has become an important of your life.
The results of this recovery are in verses 25-32: recovery of divine viewpoint in verse 25, righteous indignation in verse 26, victory in the Angelic Conflict in verse 27, the production of divine good in business in verse 28, the control of the tongue as a sign of spiritual maturity in verse 29, discontinuing to grieve the Holy Spirit in verse 30, ceasing from mental attitude sinning in verse 31 and the application of impersonal love in verse 32.
Access to God
Access to God has been provided for believers through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our Royal High Priest and it is through His priesthood that a believer becomes a royal priest and is given access directly to God. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:6,10) In order to become our High Priest, Christ had to become true humanity. Jesus Christ represents us before God in Heaven at the throne of God. By becoming our High Priest, Jesus Christ became our Mediator. (I Timothy 2:5-6) As Church Age believers, we belong to His priesthood (the Royal Priesthood). This priesthood is far superior to any that existed in the past. (Hebrews 7) As our High Priest, Christ has won the victory over Satan in the Angelic Conflict. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 6:17-20) The priesthood of Christ is the reality of the priesthoods that existed in the Old Testament. Just as the rituals and the sacrifices were types of real things (to come in the future), “The Royal Priesthood of Christ” is the realization of those types. (Hebrews 8)
As believer-priests, we gain access to God and represent ourselves before Him. We do not need to confess our sins to a member of the clergy or anyone else – we confess our sins directly to God. Confession (acknowledging our sins) is to be done in private, silently and immediately.
We do not need someone else to pray for us, though we always appreciate the prayers of others on our behalf. As priests we are to come boldly to God and offer prayer for ourselves. Prayer is the grace system of communication with God for the believer. When you’re talking to God, you are praying, whenever and wherever you happen to be. The purpose of prayer is to communicate with our Heavenly Father. God communicates with us through His Word. We communicate with God through prayer. God, therefore, expects all believers to pray. We are actually commanded to pray without ceasing, which means to have a consistent prayer life. There are correct principles and procedures for praying and it is important that we learn and use these principles and procedures. We do not pray to Mary, a loved one that has passed away or some religious icon (religious saint). All prayer is to be directed to the Father, in the name of the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are praying and making intercession for us, therefore, we direct our prayer to the Father. This is how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. (Matthew 6:9; John 14:13-14; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:26-27; I Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 4:16)