Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html

1 John 2:28

GOD’S PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICE #10:

OCCUPATION WITH JESUS CHRIST

Part 57: CHRIST’S SALVIFIC WORK &

THE 5 PROFILES IN SUFFERING

(Messiah & A.C. #239)

A. Christology: From the Person to the Work of the God-man Jesus Christ.

1. The state of Christ’s Person after the resurrection/exaltation, Heb 2:7.

a. A resumption, on the part of the Eternal logos of His independent exercises of divine attributes.

b. The withdrawal, on the part of the Logos, of all limitations in His communication of the divine fullness to the human nature of Christ.

c. Glorified humanity.

2. The work of the God-man on the Cross, Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 2:8.

3. Christ’s substitutionary sacrificial work on Cross (the atonement) is the center of Christianity, Mark 10:45; Mat 26:26-28; Lk 24:25-26.

4. There are at three great emphases as far as the object of Christ giving Himself in the atonement: toward sin (Gal 1:4), for us (Rom 4:25; 5:6-8; 8:32; 1 Cor 15:3; Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 5:14-15; 1 Thess 5:10); and towards God (Rom 3:25).

5. The death of Christ was a substitutionary sacrifice for sin, Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7; Heb 9:11-14, 24-10:11; 1 Pt 2:2; Isa 53.

6. The work on the Cross included both propitiation (God-ward) and expiation (sin-ward), Rom 1:17; 3:5 -6; 5:9; Eph 2:3.

7. Dominant views of the atonement in Christian history.

a. Christus Victor theory.

b. Satisfaction theory.

c. Penal theory.

d. Moral influence theory.

e. Existential theory.

B. Biblical Principles on Suffering.

1. Bible explains the final causes of all human suffering.

2. All suffering in life must be related to the POG and the spiritual life.

3. A believer’s attitude regarding towards the POG in times of suffering is perhaps the greatest indicator of where he is spiritually than any other factor, cf. Heb 12:5; Psa 32; 51; 38; 1 Cor 11:28-30; Js 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Cor 10:13; Rom 5:3.

4. All suffering is located in one of two categories: deserved or undeserved.

a. Deserved: VR (SIM) and DD (SIN)- 1 Pt 2:20a; Heb 12: 5.

b. Undeserved: from immaturity to maturity (Js 1:2-4), development in maturity (2 Cor 12:7-10), and in full development of maturity.

5. The issue in all suffering is always the WOG & POG, Heb 4:1ff; 11:2-12:7.

6. There are only 5 final causes of suffering.

C. The 5 profiles in suffering.

1. #1, VR (Gal 6:7): the believer causes his own misery with human viewpoint thinking; no confidence that the WOG provides all of the solutions to life; tremendous mental, psychological, and emotional suffering due to consequences of evil/false thinking; does not take responsibility for his own life; blames others, circumstances, etc for his own misery; self-centered; lives in self-justification, self-deception, self-absorption; bitter at the negative circumstances of life; seeks solutions to his problems through human viewpoint; lives in active rejection of BD and POG; miserable b/c of inability to handle the pressures of life; suffers due to false thinking and motivations; lacks mental stability; lacks true spiritual self-esteem that comes from the WOG; never feels strong enough or appropriate for all of the challenges of life; tries and tries and tries with human effort but never is able to get on top of things; lives in self-deception; generally feel somewhat estranged from their proper selves; sleepwalk through life; sensate; FSH; fails to wake up to his own self-induced misery; lives outside of the protection of 1 Cor 10:13;; -vol to the WOG; bad attitude to life as result of not being able to parlay sufferings into blessings; saturated evil thinking characterized by self-absorption, legalism; SR, and self-justification; continues to bring misery around him, friends and loved ones; self-esteem is all related to KD; lives in delusions about own his importance and his difficulties; rejects the riches of the grace of God for his own human good , etc. ad nausea et al.

2. #2, DD: (Psa 32; 38; 51; 1 Cor 3:1-6; 11:28-31; Heb 12:5-11; Rev 3): lives a painful life under warning discipline, intensive discipline or moving into the Sin Unto Death; fails to regularly confess sins thereby moves into more and more chain sinning (jealousy, envy, etc – Gal 5); lives like an unbeliever; religious but rejects the power of BD; lives in self-delusion; lives in rejection of the CCL; sees no intrinsic value in the CCL; unable to handle the pressures and stress of life; lives outside of the protection of 1 Cor 10:13; suffering is unbearable which requires some form of sublimation; - vol to PG; no benefits to sufferings; lives a self-deluded life under the power of KD; does not get it, et. al ad nauseam,

3. #3, IM: Suffering designed to get the baby believer to spiritual maturity (Js 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:6-7): believer enters into the beginning of real contentment in life as he lives in freedom from the DOL; enjoys mental stability from applying the principles of the WOG to the details of life; enjoys beginning of composure and self-assurance in suffering; enjoys a new appreciation of grace and moves into greater grace orientation to life; enjoys doctrinal orientation to ultimate reality that brings great mental stability; enjoys freedom from inordinate ambition and the traps of envy, jealousy, and covetousness; enjoys motivations, thoughts, and decisions from a position of strength (BD/ FHS); begins to really thrive in his priesthood and ambassadorship as the life is more focused on God; leaves behind the double mindedness of immaturity; has moved to the point where BD really is #1; enjoys great confidence that all of the solutions to the problems of life are in God’s Word; views all suffering in light of the WOG; enjoys divine happiness even in the difficulties; quickly confesses sins and regularly walks by the HS; seeks to live for the Lord in all areas of life; discovers and begins to really enjoy his niche in the POG; begins to have a real sense of a personal sense of destiny on life and with the Lord; gains who new attitude to life; begins to receive greater grace blessings; continues to thrive spiritually as arrogance continues to be rooted out of the life; loves the Giver more than the gifts due to PLG; lives under the protection of 1 Cor 10:13; continues to move into vast areas of undiscovered truths regarding life, the POG, self, and God Himself; lives in the grace power of God; moves into spiritual autonomy where he has enough doctrine to think independently; continues to grow in the biblical realities of JC and the POG; does not feel threatened by others; cannot be manipulated by others; lives without fear of life or death; assumes responsibility for his own life; gains tremendous spiritual self-esteem; lives by principles; integrity; is motivated by personal love for God, et al.

#4. DM: (Psalm 23; 2 Cor 12:7-10; 2 Tim 4:6-8): Greater capacity for life; greater focus on JC and the POG; love of God with all heart, soul, and mind; maximum happiness even under maximum pressure; superhuman attitude; his cup of life overflows; all sufferings are parlayed into most fantastic spiritual dynamics; enormous sense of spiritual destiny; lives with enormous meaning, purpose, and definition in life; enjoys complete command over self with regard to all DOL; lives in full contentment enormous power even in the face of human inadequacies, insults, persecutions, and stressful situations; remains calm and collective in times of turmoil; has no fear of death; looks forward to being with the LJC; enormous mental stability; lives without bitterness thereby has enormous capacity for impersonal, personal and romantic love; no longer has problems with thought testing in regard to BD; enjoys mental stability; further removal of pride from the life; HV is no longer a temptation; lives free of fear and anxiety; his mind is greatly fashioned according to the image of JC (1 Cor 2:16); further development in the perfect plan of God, et al all to the glory of God.

#5. SMGG: Suffering for maximum glorification of God, (Job; Eph 3:16-20; 4:12-16; 1 Cor 2:9-10; 2 Cor 10:4-6); final stage of spiritual maturity; life above what one could ask or imagine; maximum glorification of God in the AC in his priesthood and ambassadorship; fully development of Christ in the believer; lives in the reality of loving God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and might; fulfillment of purpose in life; et al. all to the glory of God.