Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Sunday, June 21, 2009          

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html   

 

2 Pet 3:16-18.  True or False:   A believer who is not persistently and consistently growing in grace and knowledge of JC (BD) is a loser believer because: 1) ___ we like to call people losers ; 2) ___ he must be a really bad person;   3)  ___ he must not pray, study the Bible, know any BD, or think kindly of JC;  4)  ____  he rejects the daily growing in grace & knowledge of JC for something else; 5) _____ he will not be able to gain financial or social success in this life; 6)  ____ he is weak and sinful and apart from increasing in grace he will fall to the domination of the OSN sooner or later  7) ___ he makes Christ sick at His stomach;  __ 8) because he takes his cues from contemporary Christianity;  ___ 9) lives under divine discipline because of failure to access the grace of God; 

___ 10) always lives with his set of handicaps because only grace sets aside all handicaps and enables the believer to be all that God wants him to be;  11)   ____ he thinks he can know God through prayer, experience, and “intuition.”     

 

GOD’S PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICE #10:

OCCUPATION WITH JESUS CHRIST

Part 47:  THE HYPOSTATIC UNION & 

UNDERSTANDING THE HYPOSTATIC UNION AND

THE BLESSINGS OF UNDESERVED SUFFERING

 (Messiah & A.C. #228)

 

A.  The Hypostatic Union (HU):  Jn 1:1-3; 14, 18; Philip 2:5-8; Heb 1:1-3.

            1.  Overview of the Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ:  

            2.    The hypostatic union brings into focus the unique person of the Universe:  very God and very man; brings together true human & true deity in one person forever. 

            3.   It is the HU that makes our so great salvation possible, Job 9:2-3.

 

B.  Historical overview of theological and philosophical discussion of  Christology/hypostatic union – WHO really is Jesus Christ?

 

Two natures?

1.  __  Ebionism                                                          a) Denial of full deity                        

2.  __  Gnosticism                                                       b) Denial of humanity

3.  __  Modalism                                                         c)  Denial of Trinity 

4.  __  Arianism                                                           d) Denial of deity

The relationship between the two natures

5.  __   Apollinarianism                                               e) Denial of unity of Person of JC

6.  __   Nestorianism                                                   f)  Denial of full humanity

7.  __   Eutychianism                                                 g)  Denial of integrity of 2 natures

8.  __   Chalcedon                                                       h)  Further denial of two natures

Denial of the two natures

9.  __   Monophysitism                                               i)  Denial of 2 volitions of JC

10.  __Monothelistism                                                j)  Superb definition of HU

Further attempts to understand the Incarnate State

11. __ Adoptionism                                                    k)   God absorbed human person.

12. __ Kenoticism                                                       l)  Irrational/experiential “Christology”

13. __  Existential “Christology”                                m)   Christ divested Himself of deity

 

Results of existential  “Christology” = using Christ as one wishes

14. __  Liberation “Christology”                                n) Racist “Christology” 

15. __  Black “Christology”                                        o)  Socialistic “Christology” 

16. __  Feminist “Christology”                                   p)  Sexist “Christology”        

 

17. __  Functional “Christology”                                q)   Ever-changing Christ  

18. __  Process “Christology”                                     r)  “Not important WHO Christ is”

19. __  Universalist’s “Christology”                           s)   Pluralistic; rejects exclusivism

 

20. __  Postmodern “Christology”                              t)  No interest in WHO (ontology) JC is

21. __  Contemporary/Laodecian “Christology”         u)  Deconstruction of biblical text 

 

C.   More on Liberation “Christology” (using Christ to promote Marxism).

            1.  Active movement in Latin America, Philippines, and some African nations to bring about a marriage between the Marxism and  the Christian faith.

            2.   Very influential in America and across the world.

            3.  Dominant functional Christology of RC church that affects not only South and Central America but the congress of the United States and parliaments and governments throughout the world. 

            4.   It is the politics of pity and revolution as it stokes animosity between the rich and the poor.

            5.  A “Christology” that uses poor people as pawns.  

            6.  Philosophical roots in Thomas Aquinas. 

            7.  Uses the name of Christ to take from the rich and give to the poor.

            8.  Contrary to tenets of Liberation “Christology,” only the true gospel of JC and BD has ever brought true freedom (Jn 8:32).

 

D.  Understanding the Blessings of Undeserved Suffering, Heb 5:8; Philip 4:4-11; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Js 1:2-4.

            1.   Suffering is part of man’s lot in life, Job 5:7; 

            2. The greatest issue in suffering is not the specific suffering but if the category of suffering:  deserved or undeserved;

            3.   There are no blessings while in deserved suffering, Psa 32, 38; 51; SOS;

            4.   God has given us His Word so we can understand suffering, avoid deserved suffering, and parlay all undeserved suffering into the most fantastic blessings imaginable;

            5.   All suffering in life must be related to the Plan of God – no exceptions; 

            6.    Undeserved suffering always brings spiritual joy that accompanies spiritual growth, Js 1:2-4. – deserved suffering never brings joy – Psa 32, 38; 51;

            7.  Undeserved suffering is designed to bring the fantastic blessings of  power, focus, and a closer relationship with JC, Philip; 2 Cor 12:7-10;   

            8.  Undeserved suffering is designed to enable the believer to have complete victory over all circumstances of life, 2 Cor 12:7-10;

            9.  Undeserved suffering is designed for the prevention and removal of pride and arrogance, 2 Cor 12:7-10;

            10.   Undeserved suffering is designed for the inculcation of humility so the believer will find it easier to submit and advance in the POG to the promised life; 

            11.   Undeserved suffering is designed to deplete us from our human resources so we will live in total dependence upon the grace of God;  

            12.  Undeserved suffering is designed to make God and His help very real to us, Psa 46:1;

            13.   Undeserved suffering is designed to bring us into greater conformity to the plan of God, Philip 3:10; 

            14.   Undeserved suffering is designed to break all dependence upon human resources for happiness, 2 Cor 12:7-10;

            15.    Undeserved suffering is designed to show the believer that prayer was never designed to replace the execution of the spiritual life.  

            16.   Unjust suffering is designed to enable the believer to have complete victory over all people testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “insults.”

            17.   Unjust suffering is designed to give the believer victory over thought/stress testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “distresses.”

            18.   Unjust suffering is designed to get the believer victory over all unfair treatment,   2 Cor 12:10, “persecutions.”  

            19.   Phase 4 suffering is designed to give the believer victory over disaster testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “difficulties.”