Grace and Truth
Bible Ministries

The believer in spiritual self esteem has the doctrine necessary to deploy the entire set of problem solving devices

In our study of spiritual self esteem we left off last time with the principle that the believer in spiritual self esteem recognizes their exclusive dependence on God's grace provision for the stabilization of self and the integration of self into the protocol plan of God.

Because of this, spiritual self-esteem becomes the beachhead of operation for effective application of Bible doctrine to your experience.

Spiritual self-esteem as the first stage of spiritual adulthood is characterized by cognitive self-confidence that means no dependence on self but dependence on the phenomenal grace provision God has provided for every believer from eternity past.

Spiritual autonomy, the second stage of spiritual adulthood, is characterized by cognitive independence and Spiritual maturity, the third stage, is characterized by cognitive invincibility.

Spiritual self-esteem originates from momentum of metabolized doctrine inside the God's power system. The believer must persist in functioning within the protocol plan of God to reach the motivational virtue of personal love for God.

Spiritual self-esteem plus providential preventative suffering results in spiritual autonomy where we have impersonal love toward all. There are three words for confidence in the New Testament.

The Greek word "Elpis" that is translated "hope" in the English versions of the Bible means absolute confidence with regard to the future.

This means absolute confidence that you will have eternal life if you believe in Christ, that you will have escrow blessings for time when you reach spiritual maturity, and that you will receive escrow blessings for eternity when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Another word that is used for confidence is the Greek word "parresia" that is translated as boldness, courage or confidence.

Eph 3:12; "In whom we have boldness and access in confidence (spiritual self-esteem)."

1John 2:28; Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

The Greek word "pepoithesis" is also translated as confidence and means self-confidence or spiritual self-esteem.

2Cor 1:15; "In this confidence (spiritual self- esteem) I intend to come, so that you might benefit twice."
2Cor 3:4; "And such confidence (spiritual self-esteem) we have through Christ toward God."
2Cor 10:2; "I ask that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence (spiritual self-esteem) with which I propose to be courageous against some."

We have seen that there are two categories of self-esteem in life. Human self-esteem, that is generally derived from the laws of divine establishment or from the personal integrity that comes from some system of honor that was taught in the home.

Human self-esteem is for both believers and unbelievers, but is never a substitute for spiritual self-esteem. Spiritual self-esteem is only attained by spiritual momentum through the filling of the Spirit and doctrinal inculcation under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit.

Human self-esteem has no spiritual connotation or relationship to the protocol plan of God for the Church. Spiritual self-esteem is not only the first stage of spiritual adulthood, but also the status where the entire set of problem solving devices finally becomes functional in the believer's stream of consciousness.

Spiritual self-esteem does not require any form of psychological self-esteem or any form of human self-esteem as a prerequisite.

The assets of the unbeliever, including human self- esteem, have absolutely no bearing on the fulfillment of God's plan, purpose, or will for the believer's life. Human self-esteem is not a prerequisite for spiritual self-esteem. In fact, human self-esteem can even be a distraction to the spiritual life.

The overt visible change that is expected of believers does not happen at salvation it happens at spiritual self-esteem.

Spiritual self-esteem solves the problems related to dependency: chemical dependence, peer pressure dependence, resentment of success in others resulting in the dependency of inordinate ambition and competition, dependency on others for guidance and counseling.

Significant changes in life occur at the point of spiritual self- esteem because the development of the spiritual skills, which must precede the function of production skills for the performance of divine good in Christian service.

It is not until spiritual self-esteem that the believer has the effective use of the problem solving devices as well as the doctrinal rationales and the accurate function of the conscience in the sphere of thinking, motivation, decision, and action.

Believers in spiritual self-esteem have learned from the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit from the doctrine communicated from the pastor-teacher to use their own doctrine in their own stream of consciousness to solve their own problems.

This is accomplished totally apart from counseling, controlling, bullying, manipulation, creating role models, or anything else.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 7/17/2011