Lesson for March 10, 2019
The Doctrine of Christian Royalty
The Royal Family of God Honor Code
The Royal Family of God has an honor code, which each of us as believers is expected to follow. Adherence to this honor code brings magnificent blessings and rewards to the believer. Failure to adhere to this honor code brings misery and shame to the believer. This honor code is clearly taught by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12 through 16.
1. Respect the privacy of the royal priesthood
All Christians have spiritual freedom, but they also have a responsibility to others not to cause a stumbling block by the exercise of their liberty in Christ. It also means that we are to respect the rights of others, especially believers. It means that we are to refrain from gossip, maligning, judging, character assassination or listening to others as they do these things. We are to “live and let live.” Privacy is essential to freedom. Every believer has the right to grow spiritually at his own pace without interference from others. (Romans 12:4-8)
2. Love all people with impersonal love
Impersonal love is based on God’s integrity in our souls and demands that we do not hold a grudge or resentment toward anyone. Personal integrity rejects self-pity and does not seek pity from others. Impersonal love is treating others the way that Christ would treat them. (Romans 12:9-13)
3. Recognize that all believers have equal potential
Every believer advances to spiritual maturity at a different rate, if at all. It is our responsibility as royalty to be thoughtful and courteous to all believers, regardless of their stage of growth. The potential exists for any believer willing to learn and apply doctrine to advance to spiritual maturity. Some will and some will not, but in either case it is between them and God. (Romans 14:1-13)
4. Build integrity and do not distort morality
Integrity is superior to morality. Morality is included in integrity. Integrity is based on the useable Bible doctrine that you have stored in your soul. Morality can be distorted into a system of legalism, but integrity cannot. Integrity embraces morality without the distortion of legalism because integrity recognizes that morality is not the Christian Way of Life. (Romans 13:8-14)
5. Know that divine blessing is never the result of human production
Talent, personality, intelligence, self-sacrifice and human ability do not merit the blessings of God. The only reason you are blessed is that you possess the righteousness of God and have capacity in your soul to receive blessings. Capacity comes from time logged in the study and application of accurate Bible doctrine and no other way. (Romans 15:14-21)
6. Depend entirely on the integrity of God
You cannot depend on God’s integrity until you get to know Him – His character and attributes – and how they relate to the Christian Way of Life. It is confidence in God that motivates you to exhibit love for God and impersonal love for people. Since the Christian Way of Life is a life of thinking, knowing and understanding Bible doctrine, God is able to renovate your thinking away from Human Viewpoint Thinking into Divine Viewpoint Thinking. (Romans 12:1-2)
7. Remember that the honor code is for all believers
The Royal Family Honor Code is for all believers regardless of age, I.Q., social status, race, spiritual maturity, gender or position in the community. It is God’s honor code. Therefore, we are not to become arrogant because we have discovered a superior way of life. It is God’s laws, mandates and doctrines that sustain and advance us and it is always a matter of God’s grace, not our human effort. (Romans 15:10-12)
8. Keep in mind that the strong have greater responsibility than the weak
Every believer in Christ is royal family, but not all are at the same stage of spiritual growth. The spiritually strong believers have a responsibility to the spiritually weak believers to lead by example. The strong should be setting an example of tolerance, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, honor and generosity. While they maintain a relaxed mental attitude, the strong believers must also maintain a sense of humor about self, about life and about others. Impersonal love influences all behavior of the strong toward the weak. (Romans 15:1-3)
9. Orient to authority
Strong believers recognize the importance of submitting to authority. First they submit to the ultimate authority, which is God. And then they submit to the authority of their pastor as he teaches accurate Bible doctrine. Under the doctrinal concept of the privacy of the priesthood, each believer is to be given freedom and privacy to grow spiritually at his own pace without interference from another believer. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 4:11-16)
10.Support your local church
Supporting your local church means attending Bible class on a consistent basis, being positive and being attentive when you’re there. It means that the believer should pray for his pastor and others in the local body. And believers should support the local church with their offerings. Giving is commanded in the Scripture, but no one is ever to be coerced to give. God measures giving based on the motivation, not the amount. New Testament giving is not a set amount or percentage. We are commanded to give as we determine, in a joyful manner because of our appreciation of Bible doctrine. A believer is not to give money if it would in any way jeopardize the health or welfare of his family. (Romans 15:14-29; II Corinthians 9:6-9)