SLB051 4 15 07 The Real 12 Steps

SLB-051 4 -15 -07 The Real 12 Steps of the Spiritual Life SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006

Resting by Faith • "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. " - Titus 2: 1114. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 2

Phase II Spiritual Life SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 3

Reciprocation • Reciprocation - the act of making and return or doing something in return • Reciprocation - mutual interaction; the activity of interchanging or reciprocating • There is no fear in love but full-grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love. • We love Him, because He first loved us. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 4

Reciprocation • “Reciprocation consists of responding to God’s Love with Respect and then becoming the initiator of Love through Devotion to God. • A genuine devotion to God [Reciprocation] transforms relationships and behavior in every context. ” (New Bible Dictionary) SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 5

Reciprocal Love for God SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 6

Reciprocal Love for God • “Reciprocal Love for God (R. B. Thieme, Jr. ) is the highest form of human love that can ever exist, a system of thinking beyond any human attraction, sentimentality, or emotion. Such love reflects the worship, respect, awe, deference, and enduring devotion that the mature believer possesses for God the Father, the Author of the divine plan; for God the Son, the Savior who accomplished the plan; and for God the Holy Spirit, who empowers the plan in the life of the believer. ” SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 7

Reciprocal Love for God • “In short, this doctrine defines the love relationship between God and the believer through the agency of the Holy Spirit. • At the moment of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, you become the recipient of Godﾕs personal love. • He imputes His own righteousness and eternal life to you. ” SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 8

Reciprocal Love for God • “He gives you the unique spiritual life of all human history. He provides Bible doctrine for momentum in your spiritual life. He disciplines you to correct your course. His love pursues you all the days of your life. The personal love of God becomes your point of reference for the spiritual life. When you get to know God through Bible doctrine, you respond with respect for Him. ” SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 9

Reciprocal Love for God • “When you respect Him, you accept His Word as your authority and guide. When you accept His authority, you obey His mandates. Now, you are growing in grace. You are gaining the capacity and means to truly love God. Reciprocal love for God is your response to the unfailing love of God. ” SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 10

Reciprocal Love for God • “In reciprocity you have true motivation to continue learning Bible doctrine so that you can advance to spiritual maturity. Only in the status of spiritual maturity can you share the happiness of God, be occupied with the Person of Christ, and glorify God to the maximum. ” (For audio lessons from Col. Thieme, see Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 1744 -1792) SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 11

Reverence • reverence: high opinion of something • 1 John 2: 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him. • 1 John 5: 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 12

Reverence SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 13

Reverence SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 14

Rest • "Come unto me, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; and ye shall find rest to your souls -Mt. 11: 28 -29 • Hebrews 3: 10 “for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. ” • Ephesians 2: 10 (YLT) “for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 15

Rest and Sanctification • Rest is the means to Progressive Sanctification, the process whereby God sets us apart in more and more areas of our life. • Sanctification is an on-going process • Those who are in Christ are "being sanctified" - He 2: 11 (NKJV) • It begins at conversion, and continues as we grow in the faith • As Paul prayed for the Thessalonians: "may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely" - 1 Th 5: 23 SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 16

Rest and Sanctification • Christians are to pursue sanctification by Rest. • As Paul commanded the Corinthians • 2 Cor 7: 1 1� Having, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God; SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 17

Rest and Sanctification • Because God is holy, so we are to be holy - 1 Pe 1: 15 -16 • This pertains to our relationship with God, our responsibility to live Set-apart, (Resting) lives. • Remember, Sanctification is ALL about Rest; God sanctifies us, we do not produce our own sanctification SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 18

Rest and Sanctification • SANCTIFICATION IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. . . • "sanctified by the Holy Spirit" - Ro 15: 16 "sanctified. . . by the Spirit of our God" - 1 Co 6: 11 • "sanctification by the Spirit" - 2 Th 2: 13 • "the sanctifying work of the Spirit" - 1 Pe 1: 2 (NASV) SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 19

Rest and Sanctification • The Holy Spirit naturally is 1/2 of our ongoing sanctification. . . • Because He was instrumental in our spiritual regeneration when we become Christians - cf. Titus 3: 5 -6 • Our bodies serve as the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor 6: 19 -20 SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 20

Rest and Sanctification • The Spirit is the instrumental agent by which God strengthens the inner man • Eph 3: 16 � that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man, SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 21

Rest and Sanctification • Sanctification is also said to be tied in with the Word of God: • "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. " - Jn 17: 17 • "that He might sanctify. . . by the word" Ep 5: 26 SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 22

Rest and Sanctification • One who sets their mind on things the Spirit has revealed through the Word is setting their mind on "the things of the Spirit" • When we set our minds on "the things of the Spirit" (the Word of God), we are then able to "live according to the Spirit" - cf. Ro 8: 5 SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 23

Rest and Sanctification • Ro 8: 4 -5 � that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5� For those who are according to the flesh, the things of the flesh do mind; and those according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 24

Rest and Sanctification • • • Resting, ceasing from our own good works; Loving God through Reciprocation; Reverencing the Word as the lamp unto our feet; Residing in the Word and the Father; Drawing on our Genetic Reservoir of Righteousness; Renovating our minds for transformation through of the Word and The Spirit; • Rehearsing the Mind of Christ; • Recognition of the circumstances around us; • we will then produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives = Rest, then Revelation. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 25

Resting by Faith • "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. " (2 Co 7: 1) • For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 Jn 5: 4 -5) SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 26

Resting by Faith • "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" - Ro 10: 17 • "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" - 2 Pe 3: 18 SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 27

Resting by Faith • Rom 5: 4 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness… SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 28

Residency • Residency: the act of dwelling in a place. • Residency is the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place. • Residency: A duration of stay required by state and local laws that entitles a person to the legal protection and benefits provided by applicable statutes. • Jude 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 29

Residency • I Jn 4: 15 Anyone who confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. • I Jn 4: 16 And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 30

Reckoning • • • The verb reckon has 6 meanings: #1: expect, believe, or suppose #2: judge to be probable #3: consider or deem to be; regard #4: make a mathematical calculation or computation • #5: have faith or confidence in • #6: take account of SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 31

Reckoning • Reckon • The word means “to regard as being, to count as true. ” • Romans 6: 11 calls upon us to count upon the truths of our identification with Christ: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus” (ASV). • We count upon the truth that is made known to us; we exercise faith by resting upon the facts. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 32

Reckoning • Three Steps in Reckoning • (1) Know, and reckon upon, the identification truths. (Knowledge) • (2) Abide, and rest, in our Liberator. (Mechanics) • (3) Depend upon, and walk in, the Spirit. (Execution) • Not just the first step, not even the first and second, but all three comprise the walk of reckoning! SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 33

Resistance to Temptation • Resist - N. the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with • Resist verb - To oppose actively and with force: . Idioms: mount/offer resistance, put up a fight, standup to/against. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 34

Resistance to Temptation • Temptation is a solicitation to express independence form God through violation of His standards. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 35

The 3 Components of Resistance • Understanding temptation. – (Doctrinal Orientation) • Recognizing incidences of temptation. – (Spiritual Orientation) • The Will Power choice to resist. – (Volitional Orientation) SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 36

Understanding Temptation James 1: 13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone”. • Corrected translation: “not even one person (medeis), when he is solicited to do evil, should say that it is from the ultimate source of God that he is tempted, because the God is untemptable by evil, and does not tempt any person (oudeis) with evil. ” SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 37

Resistance to Temptation James 1: 14 “But each one is tempted…” • “but each one” = hekastos = each individual • “is tempted” = peirazo (Pres Pass. Ind. ) = receives a solicitation to do evil – Temptation arises from one of three sources: » World » Flesh » Devil SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 38

Resistance to Temptation • “when he is carried away …” – when he is carried away = ezelko = taken in tow, pulled • “by his own lust and enticed. ” – by = hupo = under the authority of • his own = idios = his personal or his individual • lust = epithumia = lust pattern – and enticed = deleazo = baited SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 39

Resistance to Temptation • “Lusts”/Desires/Happiness Attainment Motivator’s (HAM’S): – Sexual – Chemical – Religious – Approbation – Power – Materialism SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 40

Resistance to Temptation • James 1: 15 Then when (THIS) lust has conceived, • then = eita = next in sequence • when (THIS) lust = ho epithumia = this specific lust pattern • has conceived = sullambano = “receives seed”, is impregnated • “it gives birth to sin. . . ” – it gives birth = tikto = conceives (produces an embryo) – to sin = hamartia = the general term used for sin, meaning to miss the goal or target. This is the “embryo”. SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 41

Resistance to Temptation • “and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. “ – sin = hamartia – and when accomplished = apoteleo = from the ultimate source of its completion, at “full term” (gestation) – brings forth = apokueo = gives birth to – death = thanatos = death SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 42

The Sequence of Resisting • 1. Recognize Temptation. – Know what Sin is • 2. Refuse to entertain the temptation – “I reject that thought. ” • 3. Rehearse the appropriate doctrine or scripture. – Run it through your mind SLB-051 and 052 SLB 2006 43