Class Notes: 3/17/2010

Experiential unity in the Body of Christ comes from metabolized Bible Doctrine

John 1:14 - And the Word (undiminished deity) became flesh (true humanity), and dwelt among us (the Incarnation), and we (James, Peter, and John) beheld His glory (the visual manifestation of the Uniform of Glory), glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Bible Doctrine).

In our previous lessons we reviewed the doctrines that relate to TLJC in his first advent when he was incarnated via the virgin birth.

In the context of these doctrines, we have been looking at some of the names and titles for our Lord Jesus Christ in order to see more clearly what God has done for us through him, so we can more completely understand who he is and what he has done for us, and from our knowledge of him have our confidence established in our occupation with him. Heb 12:2;

In view of this, we are presently looking at the phrase "body of Christ" that is used to describe all Church Age believers in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are presently looking at the system that God has set up for believers to learn the thinking of TLJC and to maintain experiential unity within the body of Christ. Last time we concluded with the idea that it is the word of God that is the power that makes this unity possible and that the word is taught in the local assembly by the communication gifts. Eph 4:11-14;

When we ran out of time last time we were looking at the passage in 1 Cor 11:18, "For in the first place, when you come together in your church, I hear that divisions (fragmentations) exist among you and in part I believe it."

v19 For there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are honorable will become evident.

The wrong execution by the wrong power is an enemy of unity. God is perfect. Therefore His plan is perfect and His plan for the royal family is the protocol plan.

Perfect God can only design a perfect plan. God's plan for us is perfect, but all mankind including believers are imperfect.

We all possess an OSN and we continue to sin after salvation, 1John 5:8; The OSN continues to function in situations of prosperity and adversity.

The OSN never quits functioning until we leave our mortal bodies via death or the exit resurrection whichever comes first.

Therefore, the OSN functions through human dynamics, human works, and human abilities, using these things to displace the power of God in the execution of the PPOG.

But divine power and human ability are mutually exclusive. There is no place in God's plan for the function of human power or human ability. That is because God is perfect and His plan is perfect, but anything the believer tries to add to God's plan is not perfect.

The PPOG can only be executed in divine power that is supplied by God.

The omnipotence of God the Father related to our portfolio of invisible assets plus the ten problem solving devices.

The omnipotence of God the Son related to the preservation of the universe and the perpetuation of human history.

The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit related to life inside God's power system where the power of God is available for the execution of the PPOG.

Only during the Church Age has so much divine power been made available for every believer. Divine power is directly related to the first two problem solving devices of the PPOG.

Problem solving device #1 is the acknowledgement of known sin or the rebound technique that is required for believers to recover the filling of the Spirit after they sin and reenter God's power system.

When we use this power, we simply to name our known sins to God, as described 1John 1:9. No penance or public declaration of sins to people is required. All sin is against God.

David a man after God's own heart understood this when he said he after he raped Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, "Against You and You only have I sinned." Psa 51:4;

The reason why we only name our sins to God and are forgiven is because we are actually citing the court case of the cross, acknowledging the fact that all sins were imputed to Christ on the cross and judged by God the Father.

The Greek verb "homologeo" in 1John 1:9; that is often translated "confess" means to name, to cite, or to acknowledge, "If we name our sins, He is faithful and just or righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse or purify us from all unrighteousness."

When the believer sins and enters cosmic one arrogance, they grieve the Holy Spirit. When they persist in sin and try to deal with it in any way other than simply acknowledging it to God they enter into cosmic two evil where they quench the Holy Spirit.

The only way believers can ever recover the filling of the Spirit is to do it God's way. As royal priests, believers are to simply to name their sins privately to God, and they are forgiven because God' word says they are.

This is how God resolves the problem of the believer's sins, failures.

Problem solving device #2 is the filling of the Spirit, that provides the divine power for the execution of the PPOG.

The key to the execution of God's plan is the fact that divine power and omnipotence is guaranteed to every believer as a member of the body of Christ and a new spiritual species.

This power is made available when believers learn Bible doctrine under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit, and apply it through the filling of the Holy Spirit. This results in believer's thinking being transformed into the mind or thinking of Christ.

In God's system, all human power and ability is excluded from both the function and the execution of God's plan, will, and purpose for the believer's life.

When believers do not live in God's system, ignorance and arrogance combine and result in the attempt to use human power rather than divine power in the execution of God's plan.

Because of this ignorance and arrogance are major contributing factors to fragmentation among Church Age believers.

Another enemy of unity in the Body of Christ is unrealistic expectation

Unrealistic expectation is defined as the frustration of those people who are not treated the way they think they should be treated or loved the way they think they should be loved.

Unrealistic expectation causes three serious problems of focus that inevitably hinder the execution of the PPOG. These three problems are focus on self, focus on people, and focus on things rather than focus on TLJC.

Unrealistic expectation always reacts with sins of arrogance, including jealousy, bitterness, implacability, anger, hatred, vituperation, self-pity, hypersensitivity, revenge motivation and function, slander, gossip, maligning, and judging.

Believers with unrealistic expectations are divorced from reality, and move rapidly toward preoccupation with self and can even become mentally ill. Unrealistic expectation is the enemy of Christian unity and of the execution of the PPOG.

Unrealistic expectation also causes fragmentation in society. We see this today as client nation USA advances in the cycles of discipline.

Another enemy of unity in the body of Christ is role model arrogance.

Role is defined as the proper or customary function of a person related to their function in life or their work.

One's role is often demanded by the unrealistic expectation from others.

Society and people in general often assign certain customary functions to certain activities in life. People in certain roles are expected to act in a certain way.

This is often true for politicians, heads of state, husbands, wives, children, public servants, and pastors.

When anyone departs from the role model assigned to them, they become the object of criticism. They are maligned, slandered, condemned, and may even be rejected by society.

Both individuals and society as a whole like to see everyone and everything in what they consider to be their proper place and they resent deviation from their expectations.

Consequently, society and Christians have set up a double standard: a strict standard for the role model and a convenient standard for themselves.

The individual excuses his own sins and failures, but he condemns the same sins and failures in the role model.

An example of this is where members of the press have been infamous for illicit affairs. But let a politician or preacher or someone else do the same thing, and it becomes a media event.

Role model arrogance turns people into hypocrites, and turns Christians into legalists.

Role model arrogance manufactures hypocrisy in the clergy and legalism in the congregation, with the result that both clergy and congregation are distracted from Bible doctrine.

This double standard from role model arrogance causes fragmentation in the royal family of God.

When one combines unrealistic expectation with role model arrogance, false and conflicting standards in life are established.

This double standard eliminates virtue in society and in Christianity.

The Christian way of life demands virtue. Happiness does not exist without virtue. Freedom demands virtue. Freedom without virtue results in anarchy and a fragmented society.

Both unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance establish arrogant mores, cultural taboos, and legalistic hypocrisy. When these are introduced into the Christian way of life, they replace the grace policy of God and the ten problem solving devices of the PPOG.

The combination of unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance hinders the execution of the protocol plan of God as well as metabolization of Bible doctrine.

The only role model for the Christian way of life is our Lord Jesus Christ. This emphasizes occupation with Christ as the ultimate problem-solving device and creates unity within the Body of Christ.

Role model arrogance often exists regarding those who have communication gifts in the local assembly.

We must always remember that it's not the man but the message that is the issue in the communication of God's word. Communicators of doctrine have OSN just like every one else and as a result they commit personal sin just like everyone else.

No naturally born member of the human race is perfect, and that includes pastors and evangelists.

Another potential source of fragmentation in the body of Christ is "Christian fellowship".

Christian fellowship is never a substitute for fellowship with God. Christian fellowship is never a substitute for learning Bible doctrine.

Spiritual growth and momentum, execution of the protocol plan of God, becoming a winner and invisible hero, and thereby glorifying God comes only through the persistent and consistent PMA of Bible doctrine and advance under the various categories of Christian suffering.

The execution of the protocol plan and subsequent glorification of God never comes through Christian fellowship. Christian fellowship is often a part of people testing.

Assembling together with other believers for the teaching of the Word of God must never be confused with Christian fellowship. Believers should not come to church for Christian fellowship, but to learn Bible doctrine so they can advance spiritually.

Believers don't grow up through fellowship with other believers. In fact, Christian fellowship is often a distraction to the believer's advance unless the believer has reached spiritual autonomy.

This means that true Christian fellowship is the result of the believer's fellowship with God. 1John 1:1-7;

This advance comes from the communication of Bible Doctrine in the local assembly.

There is a mandate regarding this found in Heb 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as is the habit of some, but for the purpose of encouragement."

In some more popular English translations, the word's "Each other" shown in italics are not found in the original text of the Bible.

The verse is saying that encouragement comes from the perception of Bible doctrine under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit, not from Christian fellowship.

Any encouragement that believers get from other believers will not carry them in life's adversities. At best encouragement from others is only a temporary crutch. Only the doctrine that has been accumulated in the believer's own soul can carry them.

The only exception to the command for believers not to forsake their assembling together applies to believers who receive non-face-to-face Bible teaching. In some situations believers cannot assemble themselves together with other believers.

The handicapped may be unable to go to church. Those who are in pain from illness may not be able to go to church.

When Bible doctrine is not being taught in the believer's geographical area, that's a good reason not to go to a local church.

God will not deny the positive volition of these believers. They do have a right to hear Bible doctrine taught through some non-face-to-face system.

So when believers are isolated from face to face teaching, they are not deprived of encouragement from Bible doctrine. The point is that they need Bible doctrine, not Christian fellowship or personal contact with the pastor.

The encouragement clause of Heb 10:25; stands true for all, because God always supplies a right pastor for positive volition no matter where it is. God never fails to provide doctrinal teaching and encouragement to positive believers from Bible doctrine.


This is true whether believers are attending a local church or not.

In order to communicate the mystery doctrine for the Church Age, a right pastor is provided for believers in one of two ways.

For many with positive volition toward doctrine, a right pastor is provided in face-to-face teaching in a local assembly.

For others with positive volition, when their right pastor is not in their geographic area, Bible doctrine is communicated through some sort of media such as books, tapes, cds, mp3s dvds, radio, or television.

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