Lesson 18

The Brain Soul Complex

DOCTRINE: Rulership of Life    (Part 3)

 

V.  Only by knowledge of doctrine can believers live the Christian life   Rom. 6:17,18; Col. 1:9-10  [objective is to "walk in wisdom" acquired]

 

 VI.  The Power and ability to defeat the sin nature's rulership and  establish God/HS's rulership is by grace not by the law.      Rom 6:14;  Gal 5:18

 

VII.  Whenever the Believer is under the rulership of one of the two rulers the other is seeking to influence the Real You:

   A. The flesh being hostile to anything of the Spirit and all DVPT. Rom 8:7;  Gal 5:17

B. The New man who hates the works of the flesh.  Rom 7:15;      Gal 5:17

 

VIII. Issue for the believer who is carnal is found in Eph 5:14 (aor. act. imper.  Of  anisthmi - arise, stand again reestablishing fellowship) as well as 1 John 1:9

 

IX.  A significant player in the battle between good and evil, which dominates or rules our life is the operation of what is called the "conscience."  [function of the conscience is critical]

It must be noted that one's conscience is only as good as the standards that make it up.  [by what standard]

     A. Each person develops a system of right and wrong. Rom 2:15

 

     B. In an unbeliever the "good" can either be the result of compliance with LDE (recognizes the consequences of breaking  the law) or human good.

Adherence to either cannot provide salvation or spirituality. Heb 6:1 (dead works); relative righteousness  Isa. 64:6

     C. The believer must reprogram their conscience with Divine norms and standards.              Heb 9:14; constant process  Rom. 12:1-2 no short cuts;  Eph. 4:23; 

- Notice the context vs:22-24:  I think it's significant that sandwiched between the decisive act of putting off and the putting on is the constant renewing of the mind, an emphasis on the growth process needed to live the CWOL.    

Lit vs:23 "and that you keep on being renewed in the spirit of your mind," 

- spirit and mind are used together to designate or focus on the individual's innermost being as the focus of the renewal;

- There must be a constant development of the believer's perception and discernment, [distinguishing between] which results in practice, in the ability to choose what is right in any given situation.

- This calls for an new mind set over against the empty, futile aimless mind set of the UB'r.

** Point is this; if your not learning, taking in the Word of God regularly, and being changed in the way you think, in what you believe, you can forget about the way you conduct yourself;  W/O  BD, truth, your conduct will be nothing but a set of rules, legalism, you will be responding to some external standard, you will do or not do some things because of a perception that, well, Christians just don't do those things, not because your convinced in your own mind that it is or isn't the right thing to do because that's what the Word of God teaches and it is your desire to honor and please our Savior.

Also Col. 3:10

     D. A new believer is said to have a "weak conscience" because of their lack of a solid doctrinal foundation. 1 Cor. 8:7,10,12

 

     E. The advancing and mature believer maintains a conscience with  Div/N&S. Acts 24:16 (example of Paul, a blameless conscience)

 

     F. When we sense guilt it indicates a recognition of failure to apply the "good" standards. 

[no guilt, a failure to understand the Righteousness of God, no norms and standards based on His standards]

 

     G. Failure to apply any known standard of DVPT not only is sin but it leads to a searing of that N & S in the conscience. Continual searing results in scar tissue. 1 Tim 4:1-2

- literally be seared in respect to the conscience, i.e. refuse to listen to one's conscience

- The result is less sensitivity to DVPT in that area; if it is perpetuated over a period of time, no guilt reaction, no function of the conscience in that area.

Eventually there is no conviction of sin in that area, with the resulting build up of scar tissue. 

 

     H. Thus the importance for the believer to maintain the Divine  N & S and they're consistent application in our life.

        - this is critical if we're going to reflect the character of Christ in our life as we are His ambassadors.

The “but” introduces the contrast between Tim­othy’s message and that of the ones teaching strange doctrine, the pretended “teachers of the law.” [1 Tim. 1:5,19]

Their teaching produced strife and contention, but the instruction of Timothy has as its aim the production of true and pure love.

- Rem: Love is an attitude that motivates you to do what is right and best for another in the light of eternity no matter what the cost to you.  [G/H-S motivates through the Word]

- It was love that motivated the Father to send His Son.

- It was love that Jesus demonstrated in being obedient even to death on the Cross.

It was just such love that prompted Paul to give the charge to Tim­othy and this charge is aimed at producing the same kind of love in the hearts of these deluded teachers.

The ultimate source of this love is the love of God poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). Only possible with H/S's empowerment. [only have correct MA with H/S's empowerment and illumination of the Word]

 

The nature of this love Paul says flows out of,  evk  as a source, from the three things mentioned;  a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.   [unhypocritical faith]

What's Paul describing? One who is not dominated by Sin Nature, who is empowered by H/S, walking by the Spirit, walking in the light, walking worthy of their calling.

A pure heart” is a heart made pure in affection and single in purpose by consistency with faith. [essentially a Hebrew concept]

- Prov. 20:9   Can you make your heart pure?   No!!

Some comments about the word heart first;

- whether its  kardia  or  bl  so rare is its use of the physical organ;

- its metaphorical use is most important

- It is the most frequently used term for man's immaterial nature in general; as the  seat of man's spiritual and intellectual life, the whole of the inner mature!

- Range of use then is of the soul, the whole range of emotion both pos/neg; as a synonym for life/living; but also for the function of the mind, thinking.

   * And we will discover that the mind is under the control of the  volition, our will!

 

Rabbit trail

 > To see that the use of the heart takes in the idea of mind;  go to Prov 4:20-23

 >  INTRO:  As we look at heart in WOG we have to eliminate from our  thinking our common understanding of heart;  what it conveys today.

If I said; "This is an affair of the heart."  then you would be thinking emotion, feeling, I suspect.

This is a bonifide use of heart,  but not the one which we are    looking at here.

 > READ 4:20-21

 

- How is heart used?   Says here that its the place to keep words!

- That it is the place to keep sayings!

- What is it talking about?  He's talking about the mind!

- As the writer says;  give attention; incline your ear; do not let them depart; keep them;  

- There is a common thread;  all are imperatives!

- What does that imply?   Its an appeal to our volition, says there is a need to make decisions to get the results desired.

- When God addresses us in His Word to do something;  He appeals to our will, our volition.

- This says we are to act in such a way with our choices that we do something with our mind. 

Take in the Word, treasure it in our mind and then apply it.

Read Prov. 4:22-23

For love to flow out of a pure heart there obviously needs to have been some decisions made! And some ongoing decisions.

 Back to 1 Tim. 1

The word “conscience” quite literally means “knowing with” and “represents the self sitting in judgment on self;

A “good conscience” is one that first has been freed from the guilt of sin by the application of Christ’s work on the Cross;

Secondly is now operating or living consistent with the N&S of the Word of God that is known. 

Faith is described here as “unfeigned” or “un-hypocritical” that is, it is not a mere lip-faith, not mere pretense, but the sincere trust and confidence of the heart in the revelation of God.

When our whole moral and spiritual nature is thus purified by the Word of God it be­comes a fertile soil that bears an abundant harvest of the love that Paul mentions here.

Passages on a good conscience which give us a flavor of what's in view.

- Acts 23:1      - 2 Cor. 1:12                                    What's the common thread?

- Heb. 13:18    - 1 Pet. 3:16                                   Conscience linked to what?