Pastor-teacher
Don Hargrove
Faith Bible
Church
Wed., June 24, 2009
2 Pet 3:18. Principles on
grace: 1) God commands every believer to
continue to increase in extent, size, and state of God’s grace (αὐξάνω). 2)
There are two broad categories of grace:
logistical grace for winner and loser believers, and greater grace which
is only for growing/winner believers. 3)
To grow in grace is to advance beyond common and logistical grace.
4) Only through consistent and
persistent growth in grace can the believer become a winner believer (Ὁ νικῶν
, Rev 3:21) and avoid becoming a loser believer ( 2 Pt 3:17). 5) A common practice among many loser
(persistently carnal) believers is to blasphemously use God’s “grace” to reject
advancement into greater grace. 6) Any believer who does not grow in God’s
grace will remain a baby/loser believer (characterized by human good, weakness,
whining, self-absorption and various forms of self-justification). 7) In any generation very few believers have
really understood grace and the need to grow in the greater grace blessings. 8) It is impossible for any believer to move
into the greater grace blessings apart from growing in grace. 9) Growing in grace only comes by BD – which
alone provides the required mechanics and means (BD + HS). 10)
To reject persistent growth and thus miss out on the greater grace
blessings is one of the easiest things to do.
GOD’S PROBLEM
SOLVING DEVICE #10:
OCCUPATION WITH JESUS CHRIST
Part 48: THE
HYPOSTATIC UNION &
5 BLESSINGS OF UNJUST SUFFERING
(Messiah &
A.C. #229)
A. The Hypostatic Union and Suffering, Heb
5:8.
1. Heb 5:8, “Son thou He was, He learned
obedience…”
2. God, the Eternal Second Member of the
Trinity, suffered as He lived and functioned through the limited human nature
of Jesus Christ, Philip 2:5-8; Heb 5:8.
3. All false views of the HU destroy the
integrity of the humanity or deity of JC.
4. All false views of the HU result in making
Christ too distant (deity) to really understand or too limited (humanity) to
help or too vague to make much of a difference
5. The power and blessings of OWC require
understanding Christ on a functional as well as on an ontological level.
6. It is the hypostatic union that makes our so
great salvation possible.
7. All false views of Christ are a result of
rejection of BD:
Ebionism - Rejection of
passages/BD on deity of JC
Gnosticism - Rejection of passages/BD on humanity of JC
Modalism – Rejection of
passages/BD on the Triune God.
Arianism – Rejection of
passages/BD on the full deity of JC.
Apollinarianism – rejection of
passages/BD on Christ’s soul.
Nestorianism – rejection of
passages/BD on the single identity/SC of JC.
Eutychianism - rejection of passages /BD on the integrity of human
& deity in JC.
Monophysitism - rejection of passages on two separate natures of Christ.
Diothelitism – rejection of
passages on one volition/SC of Christ.
Adoptionism – rejection of
passages on eternality of JC
Kenoticism – rejection of
passages on the immutability of JC
Existential “Christology” – rejection of BD for personal
experience
Liberation “Christology” - rejection of BD because of
economical exploitation
Black “Christology” – rejection of BD because of “black”
oppression
Feminist “Christology” – rejection of BD because of male
oppression
Functional “Christology” - rejection of BD because of
self-centered “pragmatism”
Process “Christology” – rejection of BD because of
changing nature/views of reality
Universalist’s “Christology” – rejection of BD because of
anthropocentricism
Postmodern “Christology” – rejection of BD because of
rejection of truth and logic
Contemporary/Laodecian “Christology” - rejection of BD because of the SCL.
B. The 5 categories of Suffering: 2 are punitive and are deserved; 3 are for
greater blessings and are undeserved.
#1 – Deserved/punitive
suffering: Law of volitional
responsibility, Gal 6:7.
#2 - Deserved/punitive suffering of divine
discipline, Heb 12:5-11; 1 Cor 11:30-31.
#3 - Undeserved: General suffering designed to refine and
advance the believer to maturity with its blessings of epignosis, + H, contentment,
mental stability, composure, grace orientation, DV thoughts, a personal sense of destiny in all areas of
life, self-regulation, new perspective on life with a new love for God and new
attitude toward suffering and difficulties in life, advancement in the unique
CA life, et al.
#4. Undeserved:
Suffering designed for the blessings of victory over the various
categories of testing, 2 Cor 12:7-10.
#5 Undeserved: special honor as an invisible hero.
C. Undeserved suffering enables the believer
to move into the fantastic blessings associated with the victories over the 5
major tests of life, 2
Cor 12:7-10.
1. #1:
Victory over helpless situations, “weaknesses.”
2. #2:
Victory over all people testing, “slanders.”
3. #3:
Victory over thought testing, “distresses.”
4. #4:
Victory over unfair treatment, “persecutions.”
5. #5:
Victory over disaster testing, “difficulties.”
D. More on Christian Suffering.
1. Suffering in Christianity is actually an
asset and not a liability.
2. Suffering warns,
trains, teaches and motivates us to live and grow in the WOG and reflect the
glory of God.
3. All suffering in life must be related to the
Plan of God – no exceptions.
4. All suffering is designed to remove
arrogance from our lives.
5. Undeserved suffering is designed to bring
the fantastic blessings of
power, focus, and a closer relationship with JC, 2 Cor 12:7-10.
6. All suffering is designed to get our focus
back on the grace of God.
7. Solutions to suffering require far more than
prayers.
8. In undeserved suffering God’s power is
perfected in our weaknesses.