Foundations Study - The Christ Centered Life Lesson #11 January 23, 2002

RULERSHIP OF LIFE

I. Preliminary observations and Introduction:

A. The principle of rulership is found in the theology of basileuo basileu,w in Romans 5:14,17,21; 6:12.

B. Must recognize that there exists two potential rulers of life for the believer: [your thinking and therefore your life]

1. The indwelling Holy Spirit along with the mind of Christ, the Word. (producing the character of Christ.)

2. The indwelling SIN NATURE which is programmed with a knowledge of good (human) and evil (Rom 6:12).

C. We must maintain a distinction between the:

1. Real you, your SOUL, with volition which determines just who rules. [Vol]

2. Indwelling SIN NATURE (each cell contaminated therefore mankind is totally depraved). Rom. 5:12 [ISN]

3. Indwelling Holy Spirit and mind of Christ (DVPT - BD producing the character of Christ). New man in Christ! [IHS+BD]

D. The volition of the Soul (Real You) determines which of the 2 is the ruler of life at any given moment. Gal 5:16-17 (the pres. a. subjunctive of poiew).

II. The Real You, your soul, determines who is the ruler of life at any given point in time: Ro 8:5. [Principle is stated.]

A. This is also seen in the exhortations to walk by the Spirit and not the flesh. Gal 5:16-18 cp. Ro. 6:12 [you pl. active voice]

B. All response to external stimuli (5 senses) coming into your body are translated into responsive action through either:

1. the SIN NATURE into either sin or human good on the one hand or

2. through the IHS into righteousness (DGP). Rom 6:13,16.

C. Neither the indwelling SIN NATURE or IHS can usurp authority over the Real You, the Soul, apart from the volition's cooperation. [all active voice verbs and commands]

III. When the SIN NATURE rules the LIFE:

A. In the believer the SIN NATURE is put into rulership when the volition sends out a command to sin. Paul uses himself to illustrate this process in Rom. 7:7-25; 7:9 "sin became alive and I died."

Sin Nature is the stimulator of sin;

B. The believer who is in this carnal state, under sin nature's rule is said to be:

1. Dead = Temporal death (Rom. 7:5, 9-11; connects the sin nature and death; Jas. 1:15)

2. A slave to the SIN NATURE AND it's lusts (Rom. 6:12-16; Titus 3:3)

3. A P.O.W. (Ro 7:23)

4. Pattern of life like the unbeliever (1 Cor 3:1-3); Eph 4:17-19

5. Having an affair with the SIN NATURE (Jas. 1:14-15)

6. Deceived by lusts (Rom. 7:11; Titus 3:3; Jer 17:9)

C. Synonyms for the SIN NATURE

1. Sin in the singular [all through Rom. 6 and 7] Rom 5:12,13,21; 1 Jn 1:8

2. Flesh Rom. 8:8; Gal 5:16,17; 6:8; Eph 2:3; 2 Pet 2:10,18; 1 John 2:16.

3. Mortal body Ro 6:12

4. Old man - old self; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9

5. Evil Rom 7:21

6. Corruptible man. Ro. 1:23

7. Fleshly or Carnal 1 Cor. 3:1-4 sarkikoj

8. Fleshly mind. Col. 2:18

9. Seed which is perishable (fqartoj corruptible/transitory speaks of the nature or character of the seed) 1 Pet 1:23

10. Body of this death Ro 7:24

11. Body of sin Ro 6:6 (sin possessed body)

D. As a spiritual POW, a slave of the sin nature, the Believer enters into/under the influence of Satan's plan which is in direct conflict with grace.

- Eph. 5:11 unfruitful deeds of darkness;

- Eph. 6:12; list of categories of the spiritual forces of wickedness

- Col. 1:13; domain of darkness

- 1 Jn 1:6; walking in darkness; 2:11

Operating in this sphere includes:

1. producing sins, fruit of sin nature - Gal. 5:19-21

2. Lack of discernment that results in falling under the influence of every wind of false doctrine - Eph. 4:14

IV. When the IHS and New Man rules the Real You:

A. You will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh - Gal 5:16

B. You will fulfill the legal requirement of the Law - Rom 8:4

C. You will practice or live out righteousness - Rom. 6:13b; 16b-19

D. You produce Divine Good - Eph 2:10; Col. 1:10 [which is rewarded]

E. You are constantly building up the New Man - 2 Cor 4:16; Col. 2:6-7

F. You will produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Gal 5:22-23 emphasis is on attitudes overflowing in life

G. The SIN NATURE is "isolated" separated from its rule - Rom 7:8b; 8:13b; Gal 5:24

H. Synonyms for this state: (descriptions of the believer while in this state)

1. Alive Ro 6:11, 13; 7:9

2. Filled by the Spirit Eph. 5:18

3. Walking by the Spirit, light, or love - Gal 5:16; 1 Jn 1:7; Eph 5:2.

4. Slave to righteousness - Rom 6:16,18

5. Under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ - Rom. 8:2

6. Imitators of God - Eph 5:1

7. Spiritual - 1 Cor 2:15

I. Synonyms for the New Man which is being constructed in the believer:

1. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ - Rom 13:14.

2. Transformed into the image of Christ - 2 Cor 3:18.

3. New man or new self - Eph 4:24; Col. 3:10

4. Inner Man - Rom 7:22

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

VI. The Power and ability to defeat the SIN NATURE's ruler ship and establish God/HS's ruler ship 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. 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, and to which dominates or rules in our life, the sin nature or God the Holy Spirit and the Word of truth, 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; 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

- 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 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.