In our study of the lifestyle of wisdom last time we were discussing the fact that the lifestyle of wisdom begins with the development of a personal sense of destiny that is based on metabolized doctrine and as a result is divorced from the fantasizing and arrogance of human viewpoint.
A personal sense of destiny resolves the problems related to God first, then to self, and then to others. Matt 22:37-40;
This means the believer with a personal sense of destiny is in command of self. This means self-control, self-restraint, poise, and self-regulation. You cannot accurately and properly relate to others apart from command of yourself.
With spiritual self- esteem and the lifestyle of wisdom personal love for God revise one's priorities of life, establish a new mental attitude and a new scale of values.
This is where believers make their own application of doctrine to experience. The believer is now qualified for providential preventative suffering that will be the means of the believer's grace advance into spiritual freedom from arrogance.
This is where the phase of the unique life known as "Christ being formed in you," described in Gal 4:19; is developed because the believer is functioning in the same way that TLJC did while he was on the earth in his unglorified human body.
Our Lord spoke of this in John 12:26; "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me, and where I am (in the prototype divine dynasphere), there My servant will also be (in the operational divine dynasphere). If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
The Father honors the believer in spiritual self-esteem with the opportunity to advance through of providential preventative suffering.
The cognitive independence of spiritual autonomy includes the continuation of the contentment that began with spiritual self-esteem, that reaches its peak in spiritual maturity.
Spiritual self-esteem is where believers begin to develop mental stability from their orientation to what God has designed for their unique place in his plan.
The doctrinal viewpoint of spiritual autonomy perpetuates and strengthens this mental stability.
Prov 19:8. "He who gets wisdom loves his own soul (momentum from metabolized doctrine that results in spiritual self-esteem); he who cherishes understanding prospers (in spiritual maturity)."
Phil 2:5-8; "Keep on having this mental attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus."
The word translated "have this mental attitude" is the present active imperative of the Greek word "phronew" that is also translated as "think" so it is a command to keep on thinking as our Lord did during his time on this earth in unglorified humanity.
Personal love for God, the highest form of motivation for the believer is established in spiritual self-esteem. Personal love for God is the capacity of spiritual self-esteem. Spiritual self-esteem reduces the arrogance factor in the believer's life.
The impersonal love that is established in spiritual autonomy provides the believer with a huge problem solving advantage. Spiritual autonomy means the believer is spiritually independent or self-directing because of consistent residence and function in the integrity envelope of personal love for God and impersonal love for mankind.
In spiritual autonomy you finally discover that only virtue-love solves the problems of our relationship with God, self and others. Problems with our relationships with people can never be solved by personal love because people are imperfect.
Spiritual autonomy is characterized by a mental attitude of cognitive independence that is not based on talent, ability, success, attractiveness, admiration, or respect from others.
It is based entirely upon the viewpoint that is developed from metabolized doctrine in your soul, and the fact that you know exactly how to use it. Rom 1:17;
The application of the doctrine that is used to pass providential preventative suffering results in cognitive independence. This means you have the ability to handle every problem in life, Phil 4:11-13;
Spiritual autonomy is preparation for spiritual maturity that demands that you solve your problems on your own totally apart from anyone's encouragement or external motivation.
Your motivation, capacity for life, and blessing come exclusively from the recall and application of the doctrine that is resident in your thinking.
The believer in spiritual autonomy understands grace orientation because they do not distort grace as many believers do pray and ask God to remove their problems before they have learned the lesson God wants them to learn.
We have seen that this is the error that Paul made in 2Cor 12:8;
Grace is the genius of God, doctrine is the manifestation of that genius, and spiritual adulthood is the glorification of that genius. The believer who reaches spiritual autonomy glorifies the genius of God in grace by their application of doctrine in the pressures of life.