"study The Scripture"

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Jesus was a man of prayer and He wanted His disciples to be photocopies of Himself.
Quote:
John 13:15-17
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
He has introduced us to active loving service, listening to the Word and now personal prayer.Life's first necessity is to listen to the Lord speak to us in His Word (as we saw with Martha and Mary) and the second is that we speak to Him, in prayer (as in His outline prayer) The "our Father" is seen as an outline to prayer.
We have 5 requests, 2 reflecting God's interests (His name and His Kingdom) and 3 reflecting our interests (daily bread, forgiveness and freedom from testing((!!!!!))))
God's interests are served first as a true priority demand.
Quote:
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Once God's priorities are seen to we may ask for our own most important needs. But note that it says "give us" and not "give me" so we pray as a collective family of the Father "Abba"
Substanance, personal relationships thru forgiveness and the ability to overcome our sins and faults.
But also there is the spiritual warfare that disciples are plunged into for the sake of the kingdom as they come to grips with the demonic evil in people (I think Angelwind was referring to this further revelation in her post)
Quote:
Acts 16:16-18
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
and the resistance of the gospel from those who stand to lose power or position.
Quote:
Acts 14:19-22
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.
We're expected to find our strength and inspiration in prayer just as Jesus and the disciples did.
Quote:
Acts 4:23-31
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]' 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Then comes perseverence required in prayer and the continueing labor involved in the conquest of evil for the Kingdom.
A prayer I love also is walking thru the tabernacle and thanking Jesus for His sacrifice at the altar, washing the world from my hands (work) and feet (walk) at the lavar, thanking Jesus again for His teaching (our priest's bread) and the Holy Spirit's light shining upon it (the candlestick) and say intercessory prayer at the altar of incence.
From there it's into the Holy of Holy that Jesus has ripped the curtain from to worship the Father and His King/Prophet/Priest Son and be thankful for the mercies shown.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful (mighty before God) for the destruction of fortresses.
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,
2 Cor 10:3-5
And, really that's why we need prayer so badly too in our walk with him b/c we're no match for satan and his devils. Taking every thought to God really tightens the reins but it must be nec.
Luke 11:14-36
To kind of summerize this section, we have the 4 food groups that the disciples are to partake in continuously
1) agape love (a true love of God's character and that in others) (breaking of bread in fellowship))
2) service in giving the most nutriciuos recipe in your repitior as you serve others in your work He gives you to do and allowing Jesus to serve you your portion and not take more than He allows. (His teachings and yours)
3) prayer in talking to Him and listening to His Word, giving of your time to Him
4) And I think finally that to keep the unity of His presence with us all day and night, singing pure gospel is the #1 way to keep His Words with us and brings meaningful fellowship with Him even as we sleep.
quote from ~Words of Luke~Francis Hogan~

Quote:
A solemn warning is issued to the opponents of Jesus (especially in His position as the Christ) that if they are so blind to call Good "evil", and attribute to Beelzebub the work of the Holy Spirit,
"Luke 12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."
then they are against Jesus , and opposing God's plans for them personally, and for the salvation of the world. He would not allow them to remain "sitting on the fence."They must decide for or against Him, and take the consequence of their decision. There can be no nuetrality in the spiritual in the spiritual warfare between Jesus and Satan. He also issued a warning to those who are healed. It's not enough to have evil removed from your life and just remain empty. A basic principal of life is that nature abhors a vacuume. The refusal to change leaves an opening for an even greater infesation of evil
"Luke 11:24-26 "When an evil[a] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Jesus' healings and exorcisms are not magic, but require the active cooperation of repentance and change of lifestyle.
Jesus addresses a nation now, calling it a wicked generation
"Luke 11:29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah."
The disciples knew that if they hear and obey the Word of God, they will produce signs by the power of the Spirit working thru them
"Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
In Luke's usual manner he balances a story of a man (Jonah) with a woman (Queen of Sheba) Both characters had made a long journey, one to preach and the other to hear, and both recieved what God wanted to give them. God sees to it that we're not shortchanged b/c of the weakness or sinfulness of the messenger.
"Luke 1:23-25 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
God in His justice will take into account the oppurtunities each person and nation had for hearing the Word of God. For those to whom much was give, much was expected. The generation that refused to take God's Word from the greatest witness of them all, the Son Himself, could expect the severest Judgement.
The light of Jesus Himself is clear for all to see. Neither He nor His message is hidden.
"The Lamp of the Body
33"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."
If we still remain in interior darkness, prisoners of Satan's Kingdom, we cannot percieve the light of Christ all around us. But if we allow Jesus to set us free, He will lighten up our whole body, and the day of judgement can be faced w/o fear, for it will be a journay into the fullness of eternal light.
"35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."

I'm sure that helped no one but my personal vindeta to not see it dispersed or whatever. God bless!

actually me brother, Bobby, said he couldn't get around all the posts to read it and would I simplify it. Cheers!

 

[angelwind]

Jesus was a man of prayer and He wanted His disciples to be photocopies of Himself.
Quote:
John 13:15-17
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
He has introduced us to active loving service, listening to the Word and now personal prayer.Life's first necessity is to listen to the Lord speak to us in His Word (as we saw with Martha and Mary) and the second is that we speak to Him, in prayer (as in His outline prayer) The "our Father" is seen as an outline to prayer.
We have 5 requests, 2 reflecting God's interests (His name and His Kingdom) and 3 reflecting our interests (daily bread, forgiveness and freedom from testing((!!!!!))))
God's interests are served first as a true priority demand.
Quote:
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Once God's priorities are seen to we may ask for our own most important needs. But note that it says "give us" and not "give me" so we pray as a collective family of the Father "Abba"
Substanance, personal relationships thru forgiveness and the ability to overcome our sins and faults.
But also there is the spiritual warfare that disciples are plunged into for the sake of the kingdom as they come to grips with the demonic evil in people (I think Angelwind was referring to this further revelation in her post)
Quote:
Acts 16:16-18
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
and the resistance of the gospel from those who stand to lose power or position.
Quote:
Acts 14:19-22
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.
We're expected to find our strength and inspiration in prayer just as Jesus and the disciples did.
Quote:
Acts 4:23-31
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]' 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Then comes perseverence required in prayer and the continueing labor involved in the conquest of evil for the Kingdom.
A prayer I love also is walking thru the tabernacle and thanking Jesus for His sacrifice at the altar, washing the world from my hands (work) and feet (walk) at the lavar, thanking Jesus again for His teaching (our priest's bread) and the Holy Spirit's light shining upon it (the candlestick) and say intercessory prayer at the altar of incence.
From there it's into the Holy of Holy that Jesus has ripped the curtain from to worship the Father and His King/Prophet/Priest Son and be thankful for the mercies shown.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful (mighty before God) for the destruction of fortresses.
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,
2 Cor 10:3-5
And, really that's why we need prayer so badly too in our walk with him b/c we're no match for satan and his devils. Taking every thought to God really tightens the reins but it must be nec.
Luke 11:14-36
To kind of summerize this section, we have the 4 food groups that the disciples are to partake in continuously
1) agape love (a true love of God's character and that in others) (breaking of bread in fellowship))
2) service in giving the most nutriciuos recipe in your repitior as you serve others in your work He gives you to do and allowing Jesus to serve you your portion and not take more than He allows. (His teachings and yours)
3) prayer in talking to Him and listening to His Word, giving of your time to Him
4) And I think finally that to keep the unity of His presence with us all day and night, singing pure gospel is the #1 way to keep His Words with us and brings meaningful fellowship with Him even as we sleep.
quote from ~Words of Luke~Francis Hogan~

Quote:
A solemn warning is issued to the opponents of Jesus (especially in His position as the Christ) that if they are so blind to call Good "evil", and attribute to Beelzebub the work of the Holy Spirit,
"Luke 12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."
then they are against Jesus , and opposing God's plans for them personally, and for the salvation of the world. He would not allow them to remain "sitting on the fence."They must decide for or against Him, and take the consequence of their decision. There can be no nuetrality in the spiritual in the spiritual warfare between Jesus and Satan. He also issued a warning to those who are healed. It's not enough to have evil removed from your life and just remain empty. A basic principal of life is that nature abhors a vacuume. The refusal to change leaves an opening for an even greater infesation of evil
"Luke 11:24-26 "When an evil[a] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Jesus' healings and exorcisms are not magic, but require the active cooperation of repentance and change of lifestyle.
Jesus addresses a nation now, calling it a wicked generation
"Luke 11:29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah."
The disciples knew that if they hear and obey the Word of God, they will produce signs by the power of the Spirit working thru them
"Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
In Luke's usual manner he balances a story of a man (Jonah) with a woman (Queen of Sheba) Both characters had made a long journey, one to preach and the other to hear, and both recieved what God wanted to give them. God sees to it that we're not shortchanged b/c of the weakness or sinfulness of the messenger.
"Luke 1:23-25 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
God in His justice will take into account the oppurtunities each person and nation had for hearing the Word of God. For those to whom much was give, much was expected. The generation that refused to take God's Word from the greatest witness of them all, the Son Himself, could expect the severest Judgement.
The light of Jesus Himself is clear for all to see. Neither He nor His message is hidden.
"The Lamp of the Body
33"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."
If we still remain in interior darkness, prisoners of Satan's Kingdom, we cannot percieve the light of Christ all around us. But if we allow Jesus to set us free, He will lighten up our whole body, and the day of judgement can be faced w/o fear, for it will be a journay into the fullness of eternal light.
"35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."

I'm sure that helped no one but my personal vindeta to not see it dispersed or whatever. God bless!

actually me brother, Bobby, said he couldn't get around all the posts to read it and would I simplify it. Cheers!

This is really solid..."basic" pillars of our walk with the Lord...we need to hear this over and over and encourage each other to keep working on our walk with the Lord.

This study does bear fruit for me...it does take time to meditate upon the verses...I am pretty slow...have decided I am not slow enough...because if I "slow down" even more, I hear more from the Lord.

Jesus did say a sign would be given to that generation...the sign of Jonah. He was speaking of His resurrection I think. Wow!!!! I wonder if I am dull to this amazing sign, having heard and read and believed it for so long.

Paul speaking of Jesus & His resurrection: who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. Ro 1:4

This sign is vital to our witness...may the Lord give us this same grace the Apostles first had:

And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. Ac 4:33

 

[Uniting]

Hello...wow

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Last one that I missed

submission was given to women after the fall as a method to alleviate the effects of a world where satan was the reigning force. Submission is not needed in a correct relation of believers except where they ought to submit to one another (end strife) in the manner of the new testiment commandments. as well as a means of keeping peace in a home. ie: right refered to might, again a method of protection given by God to protect the weaker vessel.
submit:
as a verb: in action
1. "She submitted a proposal to the agency"
2. Put before " I submit to you that the accused is guilty"
3. Yield to the control of another
4. Hand over formally
5. Refer to another person for decision or judgment
6. Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion
7. Accept or undergo, often unwillingly
8. Make an application as for a job or funding
9. Make over as a return
10. Accept as inevitable
submit as in yielding
as a verb: in action
1. Be the cause or source of
2. End resistance, especially under pressure or force
3. Give or supply
4. Give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
5. Give in, as to influence or pressure
6. Move in order to make room for someone for something
7. Bring about
8. Be willing to concede
9. Be fatally overwhelmed
10. Bring in
11. Be flexible under stress of physical force
12. Cease opposition; stop fighting
13. Consent reluctantly
_the subject is generally viewed from a man/woman standpoint but refers to all situations of control in the workforce etc. and ultimately aapplies, it would seem) to the forces encountored by humans in a satan ruled world where yeilding as opposed to combating evil is generally the safest way to protect oneself. IOW get out of the way the evil is in control and the weak are only stronger where they are in God.
The correct definition of Christian submission is of course definition # 5 Refer to another person for decision or judgment" where submitting to each other is refering to each other.
and there should be no reason to go on to the yeild definition, except for # 8 Be willing to concede" with each other.

I had the most profound thought. And think on it I did and I really do believe we all must live, as individuals, thru maturity, which is beyond the learning of Genesis as disciples, we all must live Revelations too. Like Angelwind I have no more words for it than each must become an overcomer (Gen) and then produce more overcomers (Rev 12)
When reading both Genesis and Revelation it's as tho God has declared His statement ...ie..God made mankind in His image repeated...this is the revelation of Jesus Christ chap 1-3, repeat...and then proceeded to explain what that means.
The law of double reference of using the visable to explain the invisable but also the known to explain the unknown, if that makes sence to anyone besides me..

PRAYER FOR INTEGRITY
God, give us workers! At a time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and and ready hands.
Workers whom the lust of office does not kill;
Workers whom the sloils of office cannot buy.
Workers who possess an opinion and a will
Workers who have honor, workers who will not lie.
Workers who will stand before a demagogue
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking
Tall, Soncrowned, who live above the fog
In public duty and private thinking.
For while the rabble, with their thumbworn creeds
their large professions and their little deeds
mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps
Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice weeps.

One of the best studies I have found to do is to go through the bible Gen-Judges and highlight what God is saying and doing. Then highlight the actions of the people (briefly) in response to God.I often just read that and leave out the filling of stories and that gives me a good look at what was going on from God's perspective.
and most importantly also to constantly be sorting out what is tradition and what is gospel. Many (not all!!) traditions show stepping stones but are not the foundational truths and our job is to recognize the differences and find the patterns to follow.
The overcomers in the churches in rev. are the ones that collectively are the bride not the ones who had fallen away from their first love or those who had failed to discern tradition from doctrine.
*the last large section of posts combines all posts relevant to the topic.*

LEARN TO DISCERN

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Uh yes, so many things so little time. Moving on.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I hope you enjoyed the last study on search the scripture. Now we have: (I wrote this in January 2000)

A TONGUE IN CHEEK TESTAMONY WITH INTERPRETATION TO FOLLOW....PART 1 of 14

I was born as bad off as I could get. I couldn't stop doing things totally wrong and I knew that before I'd really lived, I knew I was condemned to die. That old wicked one that ruled this world had me rocked to sleep in his arms. I had no idea how lost I really was. I mean, I lived in the material world and my whole self moved in the physical, yet half of me was dead. I couldn't have pleased God if I'd tried b/c I was totally unable to. I was not only spiritually dead, but I was accountable for sins of mine and also sins I'd inherited. But the most fearsome thing of all was that I was under the control of Satan. I needed help desperately.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Doctrine of Depravity (doctrine #1 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 1 of 14

Depravity = mankind as bad off as can be.

Galatians 3:17-24

17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.



State of mankind=under sin
"the scriptures hath concluded ALL under sin."
"the scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin"

Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

There are 3 aspects of sin (the 3 to continue in further lessons) (4 facts remain of depravity)

Unless a person accepts all 3 no redemption is possible.
His decree is, one category but mercy for all.

The natural state is "LOST" "no hope" and "W/O God in the world"

The Word of God says when Adam fell, they fell all the way. They became depraved, unable to do anything to please God. They are under sin, dead, under judgement, under Satan's control, they are lost.

Jesus is the answer to mankind's depravity

Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

depravity to be continued

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Doctrine of Depravity (doctrine #1 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 1 of 14

Depravity = mankind as bad off as can be.
There are 3 aspects of sin (the 3 to continue in further lessons) (4 facts remain of depravity)

Fact #1 in the 3 aspects of sin
a)Personal sin:
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

-transgressions (overstepping bounds)
-ungodliness (lacks respect for God)
-lawlessness- (open contemnpt)
-iniquity- (altogether wrong)
-disobedience (unwilling to be led in truth)
-unbelief (failure to trust in God)
-evil- (opposing force, actual wrong)
-sin- (falling short of mark, wide of target)

b)Sin nature:
Romans 7:25
Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 8:2
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

-like begets like
-law of sin and death

c)"Under sin" placed by act of God
(we must accept this as God's judgement and decree)

Romans 3:9
No One is Righteous
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

Romans 11:32
For God has imprisoned all people in their own disobedience so He can have mercy on everyone.
-His decree-(one catagory but mercy for all.)

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Doctrine of Depravity (doctrine #1 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 1 of 14

Depravity = mankind as bad off as can be.
There are 3 aspects of sin (the 3 to continue in further lessons) (4 facts remain of depravity)
Fact #2 in the 3 aspects of sin

Spiritually Dead
-physical death is the result of spiritual death
-Adam's spiritual death begat our spiritual death

Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

Ezekiel 18:4
For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die

Romans 5:12
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (that is Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death (physical death) came to all men, because all sinned—

Again Unless a person accepts all 3 no redemption is possible.
His decree is, one category but mercy for all.
So, aspect #1 we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God
...........#2 we are in a state of being spiritually dead

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

***I dedicate this study to the soldiers of Christ fighting our battles everywhere*** 2 U **
*especially those who so recently touched my heart. Thank you for calling my attention to this much needed ministry.* I'm giving my time to them thru this study. I pray you Lord for blinders against those who flaunt there so-called freedom.

Doctrine of Depravity (doctrine #1 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 1 of 14

Depravity = mankind as bad off as can be.
There are 3 aspects of sin

Fact #3 in the 3 aspects of sin

We are under condemnation
(God didn't appoint us to wrath but Christ took our curse)

2 Thessalonians 1:9
They (the wicked) will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Fact 4 We are under the power of Satan.

He's delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us to the Kingdom of His Son.

1 John 5:19
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

We must focus on the facts and know that we are condemned in sin, are spiritually dead and under the control of Satan for us to be able to clearly see and define the road ahead. And to make a conscious choice to put us in the right way so He can come to save us.
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After Christ becomes our choice these 3 new facts come into play.

The spiritual perfection:
- the interaction of 3 facts within the spiritual nature
Love, responding to light, appealed to will.
Will responding strengthened love and increased light.

That is the perpetual process of human life.

In other words
Yeilding to God, light falls upon the pathway and creates love.
Love suggests obedience.
The will, impulsed by love, yeilds to light.
The experience that follows obedience
increases love and light,
thus there is a perpetual process,
growth, developement in the grace that makes
mankind grow in favor of grace in God and to their fellowman.
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This is something very worthwhile to know and understand!!!
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[Citizen of the Kingdom]

For any hard-core studyers out there

Understanding the Doctrine of Total Depravity
Scripture, of course, teaches from beginning to end that all humanity is totally depraved. Paul says unredeemed people are “dead in … trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Apart from salvation, all people walk in worldliness and disobedience (v. 2). We who know and love the Lord once “lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (v. 3). We were “separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (v. 12).
In those passages Paul describes the state of unbelievers as estrangement from God. It is that they hate God, not that they are intimidated by Him. In fact, Paul says, “There is no fear of God” in the unregenerate person (Rom. 3:18). Before our salvation, we were actually God’s enemies (Rom. 5:8, 10). We were “alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds” (Col. 1:21). Sinful passions, inflamed by our hatred of God’s law, motivated all our living (Rom. 7:5). We were tainted by sin in every part of our being. We were corrupt, evil, thoroughly sinful.
Theologians refer to this doctrine as total depravity. It does not mean that unbelieving sinners are always as bad as they could be (cf. Luke 6:33; Rom. 2:14). It does not mean that the expression of sinful human nature is always lived out to the fullest. It does not mean that unbelievers are incapable of acts of kindness, benevolence, goodwill, or human altruism. It certainly does not mean that non-Christians cannot appreciate goodness, beauty, honesty, decency, or excellence. It does mean that none of this has any merit with God.
Depravity also means that evil has contaminated every aspect of our humanity—our heart, mind, personality, emotions, conscience, motives, and will (cf. Jer. 17:9; John 8:44). Unredeemed sinners are therefore incapable of doing anything to please God (Isa. 64:6). They are incapable of truly loving the God who reveals Himself in Scripture. They are incapable of obedience from the heart, with righteous motives. They are incapable of understanding spiritual truth. They are incapable of genuine faith. And that means they are incapable of pleasing God or truly seeking Him (Heb. 11:1).
Total depravity means sinners have no ability to do spiritual good or to work for their own salvation from sin. They are so completely disinclined to love righteousness, so thoroughly dead in sin, that they are not able to save themselves or even to fit themselves for God’s salvation. Unbelieving humanity has no capacity to desire, understand, believe, or apply spiritual truth: “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). In spite of all this, people are proud of themselves! Lack of self-esteem is not the issue.
Because of Adam’s sin, this state of spiritual death called total depravity has passed to all mankind. Another term for this is original sin. Scripture explains it this way: “Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). When, as head of the human race, Adam sinned, the whole race was corrupted. “Through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19). How such a thing could happen has been the subject of much theological discussion for centuries. For our purposes, however, it is sufficient to affirm that Scripture clearly teaches that Adam’s sin brought guilt upon the entire race. We were “in Adam” when he sinned, and therefore the guilt of sin and the sentence of death passed upon all of us: “In Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15:22).
We might be tempted to think, If I’m sinful by birth and never had a morally neutral nature, how can I be held responsible for being a sinner? But our corrupt nature is precisely why our guilt is such a serious matter. Sin flows from the very soul of our being. It is because of our sinful nature that we commit sinful acts: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man” (Mark 7:21–23). We are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). Original sin—including all the corrupt tendencies and sinful passions of the soul—is as deserving of punishment as all our voluntary acts of sin. What is sin, after all, but anomia—“lawlessness” (1 John 3:4)? Or as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “Sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God” (q. 14). Far from being an excuse, original sin itself is at the heart of why we are guilty. And original sin itself is sufficient grounds for our condemnation before God.
Moreover, original sin with its resulting depravity is the reason we commit voluntary acts of sin. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote,
Why is it that man ever chooses to sin? The answer is that man has fallen away from God, and as a result, his whole nature has become perverted and sinful. Man’s whole bias is away from God. By nature he hates God and feels that God is opposed to him. His god is himself, his own abilities and powers, his own desires. He objects to the whole idea of God and the demands which God makes upon him.… Furthermore, man likes and covets the things which God prohibits, and dislikes the things and the kind of life to which God calls him. These are no mere dogmatic statements. They are facts.… They alone explain the moral muddle and the ugliness that characterise life to such an extent today.
Salvation from original sin is only through the cross of Christ: “As through the one man’s disobedience [Adam’s sin] the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One [Jesus Christ] the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). We are born in sin (Ps. 51:5), and if we are to become children of God and enter God’s kingdom, we must be born again by God’s Spirit (John 3:3–8).
In other words, contrary to what most people think—contrary to the presuppositions of self-esteem doctrine—men and women are not naturally good. Just the opposite is true. We are by nature enemies of God, sinners, lovers of ourselves, and in bondage to our own sin. We are blind, deaf, and dead to spiritual matters, unable even to believe apart from God’s gracious intervention. Yet we are relentlessly proud! In fact, nothing is more illustrative of human wickedness than the desire for self-esteem. And the first step to a proper self-image is a recognition that these things are true.
That is why Jesus commended the tax-gatherer—rather than rebuking him for his low self-esteem—when the man pounded his chest and pleaded, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” (Luke 18:13). The man had finally come to the point where he saw himself for what he was, and he was so overcome that his emotion released in acts of self-condemnation. The truth is, his self-image had never been more sound than at that moment. Rid of pride and pretense, he now saw there was nothing he could ever do to earn God’s favor. Instead, he pleaded with God for mercy. And therefore he “went down to his house justified”—exalted by God because he had humbled himself (v. 14). For the first time ever he was in a position to realize true joy, peace with God, and a new sense of self-worth that is granted by God’s grace to those He adopts as His children (Rom. 8:15).
All Have Sinned and Fall Short
Deep in our hearts, we all know something is desperately wrong with us. Our conscience constantly confronts us with our own sinfulness. Try as we might to blame others or seek psychological explanations for how we feel, we cannot escape reality. We cannot ultimately deny our own consciences. We all feel our guilt, and we all know the horrible truth about who we are on the inside.
We feel guilty because we are guilty. Only the cross of Christ can answer sin in a way that frees us from our own shame. Psychology might mask some of the pain of our guilt. Self-esteem might sweep it under the rug for a time. Other things—such as seeking comfort in relationships, or blaming our problems on someone else—might make us feel better, but the relief is only superficial. And it is dangerous. In fact, it often intensifies the guilt, because it adds dishonesty and pride to the sin that originally wounded the conscience.
True guilt has only one cause, and that is sin. Until sin is dealt with, the conscience will fight to accuse. And sin—not low self-esteem—is the very thing the gospel is given to conquer. That is why the apostle Paul began his presentation of the gospel to the Romans with a lengthy discourse about sin. Total depravity is the first gospel truth he introduced, and he spent nearly three full chapters on the subject. Romans 1:18–32 demonstrates the guilt of the pagans. Romans 2:1–16 proves the guilt of the moralist, who violates the very standard by which he judges others. And Romans 2:17–3:8 establishes the guilt of the Jews, who had access to all the benefits of divine grace but as a whole rejected God’s righteousness nonetheless.
Since Romans 1 Paul has argued eloquently, citing evidence from nature, history, sound reason, and conscience to prove the utter sinfulness of all humanity. And in verses 9–20 of chapter 3, he sums it all up. Paul reasons like an attorney giving his final summation. He reviews his arguments like a prosecutor who has made an ironclad case against all humanity. It is a powerful and compelling presentation, replete with a charge, convincing proof, and the inescapable verdict.
The Charge
“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9). Paul’s indictment thus begins with two questions: What then? or, “Is there any need of further testimony?” And, Are we better than they? or, “Can anyone honestly claim to live above the level of human nature I have been describing?”
“Not at all,” he answers. Everyone from the most degenerate, perverted sinner (Rom. 1:28–32) to the most rigidly legalistic Jew falls into the same category of total depravity. In other words, the entire human race, without exception, is arraigned in the divine courtroom and charged with being “under sin”—wholly subjugated to the power of sin. All unredeemed people, Paul is saying, are subservient to sin, in thrall to it, taken captive to sin’s authority.
Paul’s Jewish readers would have found this truth every bit as shocking and unbelievable as it must be to those weaned on modern self-esteem doctrine. They believed they were acceptable to God by birth and that only Gentiles were sinners by nature. Jews were, after all, God’s chosen people. The idea that all Jews were sinners was contrary to the beliefs of the Pharisees. They taught that only derelicts, beggars, and Gentiles were born in sin (cf. John 9:34). But Scripture clearly pronounces otherwise. Even David said, “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5). “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Modern humanity, weaned on self-esteem psychology, also finds it shocking to learn that all of us are by nature sinful and unworthy creatures.
The Proof
Paul, continuing his courtroom summation, goes on to prove from the Old Testament Scriptures the universality of human depravity:
As it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known” (3:10–17).
Notice how Paul underscores the universality of sin. In those few verses, he says “none” or “not even one” six times. No person escapes the accusation. “The Scripture has shut up all men under sin” (Gal. 3:22).
Paul’s argument is constructed in three parts. First he shows how sin corrupts the character: “There is none righteous … there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:10–12). Here Paul makes six charges. He says that because of their innate depravity, people are universally evil (“none righteous”); spiritually ignorant (“none who understands”), rebellious (“none who seeks for God”), wayward (“all have turned aside”), spiritually useless (“together they have become useless”), and morally corrupt (“there is none who does good”).
The verse Paul is quoting is Psalm 14:1: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.” The words at the end of Romans 3:12, “not even one,” are an editorial comment from Paul, added to make the truth inescapable for someone who might otherwise think of himself as an exception to the rule—as is the common attitude of self-justifying sinners.
Notice, Paul does not suggest that some sinners might be prone to think worse of themselves than they ought to. The very opposite is true: “I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think” (Rom. 12:3). Undue pride is the typical and expected response of sinners. Self-esteem teaching is the expression of that very pride. Making a savage feel good about himself only increases his deadliness.
Again, the utter depravity Paul is describing certainly does not mean that all people play out the expression of their sin to the ultimate degree. There are certainly some people who are good in a relative sense. They may have characteristics of compassion, generosity, kindness, integrity, decency, thoughtfulness, and so on. But even those characteristics are imperfect and sullied with human sin and weakness. No one—“not even one”—comes close to true righteousness. God’s standard, after all, is absolute perfection: “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). In other words, no one who falls short of the touchstone of perfection is acceptable to God! What does that do to self-esteem theology? How does one feel good about oneself when God Himself declares us worthy of wrath?

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

There is an answer to the dilemma, of course. God justifies the ungodly by faith (Rom. 4:5). Christ’s own perfect righteousness is imputed to our account, so by faith we can stand before God clothed in a perfect righteousness that is not our own (Phil. 3:9). This does not speak of external works that we do. It is a superior righteousness, the totality of Christ’s own righteousness, credited to our account. Christ, on our behalf, has already fulfilled the requirement of being as perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. His virtue is assigned to our account, so God regards us as fully righteous.
But we are jumping ahead of the apostle’s carefully arranged evidence. He adds a paraphrase also from Psalm 14: “The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (v. 2; cf. 53:3). Ignorance and depravity go hand in hand. But people are not sinful and enemies of God because of their spiritual ignorance; rather they are spiritually ignorant because of their sinfulness and their adversarial disposition toward God. They are “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18, emphasis added). In other words, because of their hatred of God and their love for their own sin, they reject the witness of God in creation and the testimony of their conscience (Rom. 1:19–20). This hardens the heart and darkens the mind.
The hard heart and darkened mind refuse to seek for God: “There is none who seeks for God.” That again echoes Psalm 14:2. God invites the seeker and promises that those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him (Jer. 29:13). Jesus also promised that everyone who seeks Him will find Him (Matt. 7:8). But the sinful heart is inclined away from God and does not seek Him. Without God’s gracious, sovereign intervention, seeking and drawing sinners to Himself first, no one would seek and be saved. Jesus Himself said, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him … (John 6:44).
Rather than seeking God, sinners inevitably go their own way. Still using Psalm 14, Paul cites verse 3: “They have all turned aside”—or as Romans 3:12 has it, “All have turned aside.” This is reminiscent of Isaiah 53:6: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” Sinners are naturally wayward. Inherent in human depravity is an inescapable drift away from truth and righteousness. Sinners always lose their way: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12).
The taint of sin further renders the sinner “useless” (v. 12)—translating a Greek word used to describe spoiled milk or contaminated food to be thrown out. Unredeemed people are unfit for any spiritual good, useless for righteousness, fit only to be thrown into the fire and burned (John 15:6). Their great need is not self-esteem or positive thinking, but redemption from their prideful sin.
In the next few verses Paul describes how sin defiles the conversation: “Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (3:13–14). One’s true character inevitably becomes apparent in conversation. Scripture is filled with affirmation of this truth:
• “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil” (Matt. 12:34–35).
• “The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart … ” (Matt. 15:18).
• “The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted” (Prov. 10:31–32).
• “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.… The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Prov. 15:2, 28).
• “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness” (Isa. 59:2–3).
• “They bend their tongue like their bow; lies and not truth prevail in the land.… Every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. And everyone deceives his neighbor, and does not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies … ” (Jer. 9:3–5).
Paul chooses more passages from the psalms to underscore the point:
• “Poison of a viper is under their lips” (Ps. 140:3).
• “There is nothing reliable in what they say; their inward part is destruction itself; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue” (Ps. 5:9).
• “His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and wickedness” (Ps. 10:7).
Those verses, all written to condemn “the wicked,” Paul applies to everyone. He is making the point that human depravity is universal. All are wicked. Everyone is guilty. No one can claim exemption from the charges Paul levels.
Moreover, he is illustrating how thoroughly sin pervades and permeates every aspect of our humanity. Note how completely sin contaminates the conversation: it defiles the “throat,” corrupts the “tongue,” poisons the “lips,” and pollutes the “mouth.” Evil speech, an expression of the wickedness of the heart, thus defiles every organ it touches as it “proceeds out of the mouth,” defiling the whole person (Matt. 15:11).
Third, Paul quotes several verses to show how sin perverts the conduct: “Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known” (Rom. 3:15–17). Here Paul is quoting a passage from Isaiah. This is significant, because in these verses Isaiah was excoriating Israel for their sins against Jehovah. This was no denunciation of wicked pagans, but an indictment of religious people who believed in God: “Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; they have made their paths crooked; whoever treads on them does not know peace” (Isa. 59:7–8).
The phrase “their feet are swift to shed blood” describes sinful humanity’s penchant for murder. Remember, Jesus taught that hatred is the moral equivalent of murder (Matt. 5:21–22). The seed of hatred ripens and matures, and the fruit it bears is the shedding of blood. Sinners are naturally attracted to hatred and its violent offspring. People are “swift” in their advance toward such acts. We see this very clearly in our own society. An article in Newsweek, for example, recently reported that “a 12-year-old boy turn[ed] without a word and [shot] dead a 7-year-old girl because she ‘dis’ed’ him by standing on his shadow.”
In some of our larger cities, as many as two hundred murders will occur in a typical week. Drive-by shootings, drunken brawls, gang violence, family strife, and other crimes all contribute to the body count. If lack of self-esteem is the problem of the human heart, why, we must ask, is the murder rate on the rise so dramatically in a society where self-esteem is also growing? The answer is that low self-esteem is not the problem. On the contrary, pride itself is the very problem that leads to all sin, including hate, hostility, and killing. A love for bloodshed festers in the heart of sinful humanity. Remove the moral restraints from society, and the inevitable result will be an escalation of murder and violence—no matter how good people feel about themselves.
“Destruction and misery” further characterize the tendencies of depraved humanity. Again, no one familiar with the trends of modern society can deny the truth of Scripture on this point. The lid is off, and we can see clearly the true nature of the human heart. What else could explain our culture—where people are robbed, beaten, raped, or murdered for no reason other than sheer enjoyment? Wanton destruction is so much a part of society that we have become inured to much of it.
“Gangsta rap”—music that glorifies murder, rape, and drug use—now accounts for many of the hottest-selling albums on the record charts. The lyrics of most gangsta rap are indescribably vile. They mix violence, sexual imagery, and unimaginable profanity in a way that is repulsive and purposely offensive. Worse, they openly incite young people to join gangs, kill policemen, rape women, riot, and commit other acts of wanton destruction. Gangsta rap is big business. These recordings are not sold secretly out of the back of some hoodlum’s car, but marketed openly in retail stores everywhere—with slick ad campaigns designed by executives in companies like Capitol Records. And the prime target for such products are kids younger than eighteen. A whole generation is being indoctrinated with these vices. Destruction and misery are in their path. And woe to those unfortunate enough to cross their path! In recent months several nationally-known rap artists have been charged with violent crimes, including murder and gang rape.
Why is it that misery and despair are so characteristic of this modern age, even though humanity has made such remarkable advances in technology, psychology, and medicine? It is because depravity is at the very heart of the human soul. All these problems are so bound up in the human heart that no amount of learning and no measure of self-esteem will ever erase them. As science advances, people only become more sophisticated in their use of evil means. The destruction and misery wrought by human sin does not diminish; it accelerates. The history of this century, filled with world wars, holocausts, serial killers, escalating crime, and bloody revolutions, is graphic proof of that. Depravity is bound up in the human heart.
In other words, “the path of peace” is unknown to sinful humanity (Rom. 3:17). Though we hear much talk these days of “peace, peace,” there is no peace (cf. Jer. 6:14).
Paul sums up the evidence for human depravity: “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). There he returns to the psalms for a final quotation. Psalm 36:1 says, “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.” Human sinfulness is a defect of the human heart itself. Evil commands the heart of man. People’s hearts are naturally attuned to wickedness. They have no native fear of God.
Fear of the Lord, of course, is the primary prerequisite to spiritual wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Moses commanded Israel, “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name” (Deut. 6:13). In fact, as Moses summed up the responsibilities of the Israelites, this is what he said: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deut. 10:12–13, emphasis added). We in the New Testament era are likewise commanded to “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). We are to “honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king” (1 Pet. 2:17, emphasis added, cf. Rev. 14:7).
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom” (Prov. 15:33). “By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil” (Prov. 16:6). “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death” (Prov. 14:27).
We do not hear much about fearing God these days. Even many Christians seem to feel the language of fear is somehow too harsh or too negative. How much easier it is to speak of God’s love and infinite mercy. But longsuffering, kindness, and such attributes are not the truths that are missing from most people’s concept of God. The problem is that most people do not think of God as someone to be feared. They do not realize that He hates the proud and punishes evildoers. They presume on His grace. They fear what people think more than they care what God thinks. They seek their own pleasure, unmindful of God’s displeasure. Their conscience is defiled and in danger of vanishing. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The fear of God, by the way, is a concept diametrically opposed to the doctrine of self-esteem. How can we encourage fear of the Lord in people and at the same time be obsessed with boosting their self-esteem? Which is the more biblical pursuit? The Scriptures speak for themselves.
The Verdict
Having presented a convincing case for total depravity, Paul makes the verdict clear: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19, kjv, emphasis added).
Here Paul blasted the assumption of those who believed that merely having the law of God somehow made the Jews morally superior to pagan Gentiles. The law carried its own condemnation against those who did not keep it perfectly: “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them” (Deut. 27:26; cf. Gal. 3:10). “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). Merely having the law did not make the Jews any better than the rest of humanity.
The Gentiles, on the other hand, were accountable to the law written on their own consciences (Rom. 2:11–15). Both groups are proven in violation of the law they possess. The prosecution rests. There can be no defense. Every mouth must be stopped. The case is closed. Unredeemed humanity is guilty of all charges. There are no grounds for acquittal. The whole world stands guilty before God.
Self-esteem is no solution to human depravity. It aggravates it! The problems of our culture—especially the anguish that wracks individual human hearts—will not be solved by the deception of getting people to think better of themselves. People really are sinful to the core. The guilt and shame we all feel as sinners is legitimate, natural, and even appropriate. It has the beneficial purpose of letting us know the depth of our own sinfulness. We dare not whisk it aside for the faulty teachings of humanistic self-esteem.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I recently read an unusually clear-sighted article dealing with the myth of human goodness from a non-Christian perspective. The author, a Jewish social critic, writes,
To believe that people are basically good after Auschwitz, the Gulag and the other horrors of our century, is a statement of irrational faith, as irrational as any [fanatical] religious belief. Whenever I meet people—especially Jews, victims of the most concentrated evil in history—who persist is believing in the essential goodness of people, I know that I have met people for whom evidence is irrelevant. How many evils would human beings have to commit in order to shake a Jew’s faith in humanity? How many more innocent people have to be murdered and tortured? How many more women need to be raped?
This article lists five consequences of the people-are-basically-good myth. Notice how they all contribute to the destruction of the conscience:
The first such consequence is, quite logically, the attribution of all evil to causes outside of people. Since people are basically good, the bad that they do must be caused by some external force. Depending on who is doing the blaming, that outside force could be the social environment, economic circumstances, parents, schools, television violence, handguns, racism, the devil, government cutbacks, or even corrupt politicians (as expressed by this frequently heard foolishness: “How can we expect our children to be honest when the government isn’t?&#8221.
People are therefore not responsible for the evil they commit. It’s not my fault that I mug old women, or that I cheat much of the time—something (chosen from the previous list) made me do it.
A second terrible consequence is the denial of evil. If good is natural, then bad must be unnatural, or “sick.” Moral categories have been replaced by psychological ones. There is no longer good and evil, only “normal” and “sick.”
Third, neither parents nor schools take the need to teach children goodness seriously—why teach what comes naturally? Only those who recognize that people are not basically good recognize the need to teach goodness.
Fourth, since much of society believes that evil comes from outside of people, it has ceased trying to change people’s values and concentrates instead on changing outside forces. People commit crimes? It is not values and character development that we need to be concerned with; we need to change the socioeconomic environment that “produces” rapists and murderers. Irresponsible men impregnate irresponsible women? It is not better values they need, but better sex education and better access to condoms and abortions.
Fifth, and most destructive of all, those who believe that people are basically good conclude that people do not need to feel accountable of their behavior to God and to a religion, only to themselves.
That author, oddly enough, denies human depravity as well as human goodness. He believes people are neither good nor bad but choose their way in life. (At the outset of his article, however, he quotes Genesis 8:21: “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.&#8221
Despite this inconsistency in the author’s position, the article shows very clearly the dangers of the myth of human goodness.
The Church must safeguard sound doctrine by recovering the doctrine of human depravity. As J. C. Ryle wrote nearly a century ago,
A scriptural view of sin is one of the best antidotes to that vague, dim, misty, hazy kind of theology which is so painfully current in the present age. It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast quantity of so-called Christianity nowadays which you cannot declare positively unsound, but which, nevertheless, is not full measure, good weight and sixteen ounces to the pound. It is a Christianity in which there is undeniably “something about Christ and something about grace and something about faith and something about repentance and something about holiness,” but it is not the real “thing as it is” in the Bible. Things are out of place and out of proportion. As old Latimer would have said, it is a kind of “mingle-mangle,” and does no good. It neither exercises influence on daily conduct, nor comforts in life, nor gives peace in death; and those who hold it often wake too late to find that they have got nothing solid under their feet. Now I believe that the likeliest way to cure and mend this defective kind of religion is to bring forward more prominently the old scriptural truth about the sinfulness of sin.
You may be asking, on the other hand, Does God want us to wallow in shame and self-condemnation permanently? Not at all. God offers freedom from sin and shame through faith in Jesus Christ. If we are willing to acknowledge our sinfulness and seek His grace, He will wonderfully deliver us from our sin and all its effects. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:1–2). The liberation from sin those verses describe is the only basis on which we can really feel good about ourselves.
MacArthur, J., F., Jr, Mack, W. A., & Master's College. (1997, c1994). Introduction to biblical counseling : Basic guide to the principles and practice of counseling (Electronic ed.) (101). Dallas, TX: Word Pub.

The doctrine of Grace is our next study

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

A TONGUE IN CHEEK TESTAMONY WITH INTERPRETATION TO FOLLOW....PART 2 of 14

I was born as bad off as I could get. I couldn't stop doing things totally wrong and I knew that before I'd really lived, I knew I was condemned to die. That old wicked one that ruled this world had me rocked to sleep in his arms. I had no idea how lost I really was. I mean, I lived in the material world and my whole self moved in the physical, yet half of me was dead. I couldn't have pleased God if I'd tried b/c I was totally unable to. I was not only spiritually dead, but I was accountable for sins of mine and also sins I'd inherited. But the most fearsome thing of all was that I was under the control of Satan. I needed help desperately.
It was at this time that I looked up and saw Jesus standing there, reaching His hand toward me. He said he to wanted to show me the way to safety and this way was now mine. It made me feel so good when He said that in this "gracious state" He would be with me to supply all my needs.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Quote from ~The Normal Christian Life~ Watchman Nee~circa 1938-9

The Apostle Paul gives us his own definition of the Christian life in Galations 2:20. It is “no longer I, but Christ”. Here he is not stating something special or peculiar—a high level of Christianity. He is, we believe, presenting God’s normal for a Christian, which can be summarized in the words: I live no longer, but Christ lives His life in me.
God makes it quite clear in His Word that He has only one answer to every human need—His Son, Jesus Christ. In all His dealings with us He works by taking us out of the way and substituting Christ in our place. The Son of God died instead of us for our forgiveness: He lives instead of us for our deliverance. So we can speak of two substitutions—a Substitute on the Cross who secures our forgiveness and a Substitute within who secures our victory. It will help us greatly, and save us from much confusion, if we keep constantly before us this fact, that God will answer all our questions in one way only, namely, by showing us more of His Son.
Our Dual Problem: Sins and Sin
We shall take now as a starting-point for our study of the normal Christian life that great exposition of it which we find in the first eight chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, and we shall approach our subject from a practical and experimental point of view. It will be helpful first of all to point out a natural division of this section of Romans into two, and to note certain striking differences in the subject-matter of its two parts.
The first eight chapters of Romans form a self-contained unit. The four-and-a-half chapters from 1:1 to 5:11 form the first half of this unit and the three-and-a-half chapters from 5:12 to 8:39 the second half. A careful reading will show us that the subject-matter of the two halves is not the same. For example, in the argument of the first section we find the plural word ‘sins’ given prominence. In the second section, however, this changed, for while the word ‘sins’ hardly occurs once, the singular word ‘sin’ is used again and again and is the subject mainly dealt with. Why is this?
It is because in the first section it is a question of the sins I have committed before God, which are many and can be enumerated, whereas in the second it is a question of sin as a principle working in me. No matter how many sins I commit, it is always the one sin principle that leads to them. I need forgiveness for my sins, but I need also deliverance from the power of sin. The former touches my conscience, the latter my life. I may receive forgiveness for all my sins, but because of my sin I have, even then, no abiding peace of mind.
When God’s light first shines into my heart my one cry is for forgiveness, for I realize I have committed sins before Him; but when once I have received forgiveness of sins I make a new discovery, namely, the discovery of sin, and I realize not only that I have committed sins before God but that there is something wrong within. I discover that I have the nature of a sinner. There is an inward inclination to sin, a power within that draws to sin. When that power breaks out I commit sins. I may seek and receive forgiveness, but then I sin once more. So life goes on in a vicious circle of sinning and being forgiven and then sinning again. I appreciate the blessed fact of God’s forgiveness, but I want something more than that: I want deliverance. I need forgiveness for what I have done, but I need also deliverance from what I am

God’s Dual Remedy: The Blood and the Cross
Thus in the first eight chapters of Romans two aspects of salvation are presented to us: firstly, the forgiveness of our sins, and secondly, our deliverance from sin. But now, in keeping with this fact, we must notice a further difference.
In the first part of Romans 1 to 8, we twice have reference to the Blood of the Lord Jesus, in chapter 3:25 and in chapter 5:9. In the second, a new idea is introduced in chapter 6:6, where we are said to have been “crucified” with Christ. The argument of the first part gathers round that aspect of the work of the Lord Jesus which is represented by ‘the Blood’ shed for our justification through “the remission of sins”. This terminology is however not carried on into the second section, where the argument centers now in the aspect of His work represented by ‘the Cross’, that is to say, by our union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. This distinction is a valuable one. We shall see that the Blood deals with what we have done, whereas the Cross deals with what we are. The Blood disposes of our sins, while the Cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.

To read this book online:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/nee/normal.html

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Doctrine of Grace (doctrine #2 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 2 of 14

John 1:6-17
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[a]
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[c] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Doctrine of Grace (doctrine #2 of 14)
Interpretation of Tongue in Cheek Testimony Part 2 of 14



Grace in the Old Testement was thru the covenent of Abraham and in the New Testenent it comes thru the dearth of Jesus.

Grace (God's responce to mankind's need)

Jeremiah 3:12
Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
" 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD,
'I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,' declares the LORD,
'I will not be angry forever.

Hebrews 4:6
It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.

John 1:16-17
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

We'll look next at 5 aspects of Grace

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Isaiah 35:8-10 (King James Version)
8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 11:16
16And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 40:3
3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 51:11
11Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

The Doctrine of Grace
5 aspects of Grace

(to be appropriated=taken possession of by force, as after an invasion)
(assimilated and digested)

1)God has manifested grace

Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Romans 5:15
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

2)Grace manifested in salvation

Romans 3:24
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 5:20
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

3)State of Grace (whole life lived in the sphere of grace)

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 5:2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

4)Grace- God's operating principal for His children
(Law was suited to spiritual infancy)
( Grace sets Jesus as our example of standard)
(If you return to the law you have left the grace principal)

Galatians 5:4
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5)Grace provides daily needs
(God is a gracious god and spontainiously responds to our needs b/c that is His nature)

Philippians 4:9
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Grace Cannot Be Compromised, no part grace/part law.

btw the doctrines are from a rough outline of a book called ~Things that become sound doctrine~