Grace and Truth
Bible Ministries

Mark 9:24-27; Positive volition toward God's Word (Faith) glorifies God and benefits mankind


In our study of Mark we are in Mark 9:24; where after coming down from mountain where He was transfigured Jesus met a man whose son's demon possession caused epileptic like fits.

In his conversation with Jesus he had expressed a small amount of doubt regarding his son being healed and Jesus challenged him with the statement.

Mark 9:23; "If you (Jesus) can?????" With doctrine all things are possible. So we took up a study on the importance of doctrine.

When we left off last time we were considering the balance between the potential established by the filling of the Spirit and the capacity that is created by Bible Doctrine that is resident in the soul.

The principle is that you cannot apply what you do not believe. Without doctrine resident in the soul there is no faith.

Since the Holy Spirit works through God's Word, a lack of doctrine in the soul creates a demand for the function of GASP (grace apparatus for spiritual perception) under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.

Consistent daily function under GASP maintains this balance. This is why we are to listen to doctrinal teaching on a daily basis. Luke 19:47; Deut 6:5;

Heb 10:25,35-36,39; and Col 2:6-7; emphasize the importance of the consistency of function under GASP.

You only have supergrace capacity through persistent positive volition and the daily function of GASP. Heb 10:35-36, "Don't throw away as worthless your confidence (in doctrine). because it has great reward"

Consistency is the secret to reaching maturity. The biggest distractions to being consistent are mental attitude sins, inordinate desires, and desire to be entertained.

Bible Doctrine in the soul produces confidence during our life in the devil's world in time, Job 5:24-27; 2Cor 5:6-8; Heb 10:35.

It establishes right priorities from divine viewpoint of life. Isa 55:7-9; 2Cor 10:5;

Doctrine orients the believer to the plan of God, Isa 26:3-4; Rom 8:28.

It produces stabilized rational thinking, James 1:8.

It is the basis for divine guidance and the execution of God's will, Rom 12:2-3.

It leads to occupation with Christ. Your social life with Christ creates the capacity and ability to love God and appreciate Him as the source of blessing when it comes, Phil 3:10; Eph 3:19; Heb 12:1-2.

Doctrine enables the believer to acquire and maintain the high ground of spiritual maturity, Phil 3:12-14.

It anticipates eternal grace blessing from God, Heb 11:9, 10, 13; James 1:25 James 2:12-13.

In His Word God uses metaphors to describe maximum doctrine resident in the believer's soul.

The words used include "chakmah, "epignosis" and "Sophia" that we have seen.

The theological principle is described in James 4:6 with the words "maizona charis" that is translated "greater grace" or "supergrace".

The worship concept is described by the "alter" and priestly function in Heb 13:10;

The building concept used in Eph 4:12, 16, refers to the "building up", edification or development of the soul.

The concept of purchasing time in Eph 5:15-18, is used for the believer "redeeming the time" and also refers to the opportunity for salvation for the unbeliever, 2Cor 6:2;

God's Word is described as the power of the soul.: Eph 6:10, Bible doctrine is the "strength of His power"

Military analogies include "Putting on the full armor from God." Eph 6:11-18;, "advancing with endurance behind those who have preceded us Heb 12:1-2; and "establishing discipline and stability in the soul." Col 2:5-8;

The principle of the Cross is used in Mark 8:34; Matt 10:38; Luke 9:23, and Luke 14:27, for believers with the words "Take up your cross" and "follow Me. " This emphasizes the destiny of the mature believer. Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6;

A chemical analogy for preservation is used in Matt 5:13; Mark 9:50; Col 4:6; Luke 14:34, with the words "Salt of the earth." Doctrine in the Believer's soul preserves and extends life on the earth.

Virtue or Integrity is used in 1Tim 6:3-4; 2Pet 1:3; with the Greek word "eusebeiah" that is word translated "Godliness." that means a lifestyle of virtue or integrity love.

Dan 2:47-48; shows us that Bible doctrine in the soul is the means of promotion.

In Luke 11:27-28; Jesus states that Bible doctrine resident in the soul is the only source of true happiness.

Some passages that reveal the importance of doctrine are Heb 11, Prov 8; 2Pet 1:12-21; and Isa 53:11;

We apply Bible Doctrine to our experience by thinking it. Learning results in understanding and understanding is thinking therefore, thinking is the application. Thinking doctrine is therefore the application of doctrine but in order to think and apply doctrine we must first learn and understand it.

Under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, learning leads to understanding and understanding leads to application and capacity for problem solving.

In its application, Bible Doctrine is directed toward the various facets of our life.

It is directed toward God in worship, personal love for God, and occupation with Christ.

It is directed toward self in spiritual self-esteem. It is directed toward people in impersonal love for all mankind.

It is directed toward death through the application of the doctrine of eternal life and dying grace.

In order to have faith the man in our passage in Mark 9:24; simply had to recall the doctrine of the identity of Jesus as the Son of God because faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ Rom 10:17; is the recall of the Word of Christ. Heb 11:1; Matt 4:4;

Mark 9:23; ..."Everything is possible for those who believe"

Mark 9:24; So the boy's father shouted "I do believe help my unbelief"

The person with doctrine in the soul understands God's plan purpose and will and as a result sets no limits on God's ability and humbly submits to God's will in confidence and waits for Him to come through. 1John 5:14-15;

Mark 9:25; So with a crowd gathering, Jesus orders the demon to leave the boy, and to go away and stay away from him.

Mark 9:26; After screaming and throwing the boy into convulsions it came out of him and the boy's body lay there like a dead corpse in such a way that many thought he was dead.

Mark 9:27; But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him and he stood up.

This is a perfect physical example of what happens spiritually when a person goes from the sphere of satan to the sphere of God. When a person believes in Jesus Christ they pass from spiritual death into spiritual life.

God stands the spiritually dead person up, raises and seats them in the heavenlies in union with Jesus Christ. Eph 2:4-6;

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 3/12/2014