Until one is born again, he is spiritually dead. Accordingly, until a person receives a (Titus 3: 5) "regenerated" human spirit, he is neither spiritually weak or spiritually strong. He is spiritually dead. Spiritual death is NOT a state of non-existence, but existing while separated from God and/or the things of God. This was the form of "death" that Adam and the woman, later named Eve, received on the day they sinned.
Whatever h-u-m-a-n strengths a spiritually dead person has is a matter of personal or human discipline that he has received and developed. Whatever h-u-m-a-n weaknesses he has is a manifestation of the fallen nature (Romans 7) with which every soul comes into this world.
A "strong willed" person can be spiritually dead. In such a frame of mind, his "strength" can be the means of much self-induced harm, as such persons are not open to correction or learning.
Ever since the Fall of Man, this spiritually dead status is passed down at the moment of conception through the male partner (1Cor. 15: 22) during sexual intercourse (Psalm 51: 5). This is a key factor in understanding why it was that Mary could not conceive the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ via Joseph's input. Details on this principle can be examined in the Doctrine of the Hypostatic Union. While in the spiritually dead mode, the individual has neither spiritual strengths nor weaknesses. He/she is spiritually dead.
The spiritually dead individual has human strengths and weaknesses, but thee must be distinguished from spiritual strength and weakness.
As of the moment of spiritual regeneration (Titus 3: 5), the born again (John 3: 5, 7) believer will THEN begin to develop areas of spiritual strength, but will also have areas of spiritual weakness with which to contend in the midst of post (after) salvation spiritual combat Eph. 6.
The building, maintaining, and application of a Biblically edified soul structure is an essential part of post (after) salvation discipleship. It is a life-long process of learning, refining, fine-tuning, and applying accurate Bible doctrine while removing false doctrines that have become a part of one's thoughts process. It begins at the moment of salvation, with the believer THEN having an accurate understanding of the true Gospel Message. One can not truly believe, that is to place his full trust and confidence, is something that he does not truly understand.
It is the pre-salvation Work of God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, removing the pre-existing barrier that impacted the thought processes of the natural man (Roman 7). Man is not naturally disposed to listening to the things of God, In fact, Man is inherently predisposed to being "hostile" (Romans 8:7 NASB) towards God and the things of God. Such hostility can become overt in the reactions that an unbeliever or a believer out of fellowship with God may have when presented with a principle of doctrine if it "hits a nerve."
In Romans 8:7 (NASB) we read, "because the mind set (dominated by) on the flesh (fallen sin nature) is hostile towards God; for it does not subject itself to the (commands/requirements of the) law of God, for it is not even able to do so (Roman 8: 7 NASB italics mine)."
In our day and age of modern means of communication, God use many diverse means to present and communicate the Gospel Message, but it is the pre-salvation work/ministry of God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, affording the soul being presented with it to believe and be saved. Refusing to listen to this pre-salvation call of God the Holy Spirit, and/or choosing not to place one's full trust and confidence in the Gospel Message being offered is what amounts to the "unpardonable" sin of disbelief (John 3: 18).
It is "unpardonable" because there is no divine provision for atonement. By divine design, the sin of disbelief was the ONLY sin that was not paid for by the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ while on the cross. Payment for this sin requires spending ALL of eternity in what the Bible calls the "lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15 NASB)."
With strong mental resolve, one can choose to be VERY moral and/or "religious" for a variety of social health, and/or legal reasons, yet remain in the same spiritually dead condition with which he came into this world.
Man measures the quality and the quantity of prosperity that one obtains as a result of the human good or services that one produces, and the lifestyle that such activity provides.
Producing human good or services is a practical reality common to all persons in order to "make a living" and provide support for one's dependents here on Earth. Accordingly, producing human goods and services is an activity that is shared by both believers and unbelievers alike.
The production of "human good" with "human power" is promoted by the devil, but for different reasons. Such a scenario promotes a win-win situation for the devil. His world (Luke 4: 6) wins by receiving the benefits from all the good and services that such human desire and ability generate, contributing to his long standing desire to establish a productive kingdom that is independent of God (Isa. 13: 13, 14). Because such things are the products of human desire and ability, God is NOT glorified. God is glorified by what HE (not we) produces through the lives of Spirit-filled believers (John 15: 5) with the enabling power that HE provides.
While making use of human good and services, all of the corruption and deceitfulness found in virtually ever category of h-u-m-a-n goods and services leaves clear fingerprints of the devil's presence and input.
In many cases, the OVERT end result of the production of human good APPEARS to be the same as what is produced by divine good. This appearance is what the devil uses in his attempt to deceive the human soul into believing that human good and divine good are one in the same. The truth is that they are not. To the extent that God allows, atheists and the followers of the world's religions (Psalms 96) can produce just as much h-u-m-a-n good as can a born again believer.
The classic example is the human good that is produced by non-Christian surgeons around the world every day in the operating rooms. No one will dispute the positive input that such human good has on the ones who benefit by it while here on Earth. However, as great and useful as many forms of human good can be, all the human good and services in the world cannot generate as much as a split second of eternal life, nor merit the reception of eternal reward (1Cor. 3: 15) in Heaven.
God will use the various type of human good that born again believers can produce in order to place them in virtually every walk of life where they are to function as His ambassador (2Cor. 5: 20). For this reason, some of God's children will find themselves among the "worldly" rich and famous, whereas others will find themselves living in very humble means. Most will find themselves somewhere in the middle of the these two extremes. For the advancing disciple, his only concern is that he is where God wants him to be and doing what God wants him to be doing at any given time.
A surgeon and a cleaning person pass by each other in a corridor as each one is going about producing the human good of his labor or profession. From human viewpoint, the surgeon is the more successful. He/she is receiving much temporal prosperity for saving physical lives and/or improving the quality of life of his/her patients here on Earth. From human viewpoint, the cleaning person is less successful, making a living on a lower scale of prosperity, and earning much less by cleaning up human waste and providing others with a clean environment.
From divine perspective, however, it is neither the prosperity or the type of human goods or services being produced that determines each one's "success."
From divine perspective, until one is born again (John 3: 5, 7) his spiritual life here on Earth has failed to materialize, regardless of the type, or the quality, or the quantity of human good that one has produced or the prosperity that he or his dependents have experienced. Gaining and/or providing the whole world will prove to be worthless when one departs this world and leaves it and them all behind (Mark 8: 36), and if he/she lose (fail to prosper) one's soul in the process.
Earthly prosperity with God (3John 1: 2) can be a wonderful blessing for ourselves and with whom we share the prosperity that we have received. One of the reasons God prospers us is for us to share it with others.
Prosperity without God can be a satanic trap (Mark 8: 36/ Luke 4: 6/Rev. 3: 17).
There is nothing wrong with receiving and enjoying earthly prosperity that has been legitimately secured 3John 1: 2). Many of God's greater servants were wealthy. At the same time, the pursuit of worldly prosperity and even the receiving of it opens the door to many forms of temptation and evil that one will have to contend with if the "blessing" is not to be turned into a curse.
Note that in our surgeon/cleaning persons illustration, if either the surgeon or the cleaning person chose to reject the Gospel Message, his/her life, from divine viewpoint, would be a complete failure no matter how much human good either one produced.
If born again, one's primary success or failure in the post (after) salvation spiritual life is determined by the number of souls that any given believer evangelizes (presents the Gospel Message) or edifies (presents principles of post salvation doctrine). This is why places His "ambassadors" in virtually every walk of life. God is just as interested in the salvation/edification of the souls huddled around a barrel fire under a bridge on "skid row" as He is interested in the souls of the rich and famous.
The heavenly rewards referenced in 1Cor. 3: 12-15 are not based or limited by WHERE or by WHAT means one makes a living, but on the degree in which one shared the Gospel Message to unbelievers and/or shared edifying principles of post salvation doctrine with others who shared the same profession or type of labor. A godly homemaker can be just as "successful" as anyone else out in the devil's world if she maintains a godly home and exercises her ambassadorship with others that she interacts with on a daily basis.
Divine good, as opposed to human good, will ONLY be produced by God (John 15: 5) through Spirit-filled believers during the Church Age. It is divine good that glorifies God, and it is divine good that will be rewarded at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation of deeds. At that evaluation, ALL the GOOD deeds (symbolized as wood, hay straw) that a born again believer accomplished with his/her human desire and abilities will be totally REJECTED as far as having any consideration for eternal reward, even though such deeds of human good had great value to those who benefitted by them while here on Earth. It is ONLY the GOOD divine deeds (symbolized as gold, silver, and precious stones) that God produced through the born again believer (John 15: 5) that will receive eternal reward and accompanying privileges in the life to come.
We do not serve God in order to be rewarded, but has revealed to us in His Word (1Cor. 3: 12-15) that Church Age believers will either receive or forfeit eternal rewards as a result of the production (or lack of production) of divine good during the course of the post salvation spiritual life.
The good news is that even if any given believer receives NO reward, he/she remains saved and never loses his/her salvation (1Cor. 3: 15). Never-the-less, the forfeiture of what one could have received in addition to home in Heaven that ALL believers receive will be a day of regret when much of what many b-e-l-i-e-v-e-r-s spent their lives accumulating goes up in smoke. It is on that day that the Earthly attitude of, "I just want to get in (to Heaven)." will come back to haunt those who chose to organize their post salvation spiritual life accordingly.
At least being an unrewarded resident of Heaven is better that the alternative!
What's the alternative?
Those who choose to leave this world spiritually dead (by rejecting the Gospel Message) will find themselves in the Torments of Hades and eventually in what the Bible calls the lake of fire for all of eternity (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
Other than choosing to believe in a presentation of the Gospel Message, the process of s-a-l-v-a-t-i-o-n is the exclusive WORK of God. It is NOT obtained or retained through the "religious" rituals, relatively good human behavior, or humanitarian deeds.
God will use humans and technology to communicate the Gospel Message and post salvation doctrine, but it is God that makes the information being provided understandable, affording the recipient the opportunity to be saved or edified (1Cor. 3: 7).
It was God that provided the means for salvation (John 1: 29/1John 2: 2). It is God that makes the Gospel Message and post-salvation doctrine understandable (Romans 8: 7/1Cor. 3: 7). It is God that seals (Eph. 4: 30) the saved soul, permanently identifying (baptizing) him/her as a Heaven-bound child of God (Eph. 4: 30). It is God that regenerates (Titus 3: 5) the spiritually dead human spirit. It is God that bestows (John 3: 16) eternal life. It is God that maintains (Romans 14: 4) the integrity of one's salvation, assuring the arrival of all saved souls in Heaven.
One can NEVER be any more or any less saved than he/she was or becomes when he/she first believed in a presentation of the Gospel Message. One can NEVER be any more condemned that when he/she chooses to disbelieve it (John 3: 18).
God did not retire or go on vacation after the first three centuries of the Church Age, handing over ANY of the salvation process (other than communicating the Gospel - Matt. 28: 19, 20) to anyone.
Salvation, therefore is not a matter of being strong or weak. Like pregnancy in the natural realm, in the spiritual realm one is either 100% spiritually alive and well, or one is 100% spiritually dead.
Our areas of spiritual strengths and weaknesses that pertain to the post (after) salvation spiritual life is another story. We are VERY much involved in the Work of building, maintaining, and applying our Biblically edified soul structure. Without our desire and daily input, this will NOT be accomplished.
Every day are soul structure becomes stronger or weaker.
God (1Cor. 3: 7) is the power source (John 15: 5) in this life-long process, but it takes a DAILY commitment and devotion on the part of a born again believer to identify and execute the true post salvation spiritual life.
Just as the devil has/had a plan to prevent every soul from ever being saved, the devil has a plan designed to do all he can do to prevent a born again believer from ever identifying, developing, applying, and sticking with the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship. To whatever extent any one of us is not aware of what the post salvation spiritual life is all about or are not advancing in it, the devil is succeeding that critical area of spiritual combat.
While our spiritual strengths and weaknesses can do NOTHING to either improve or diminish the integrity of our salvation, our strengths and weaknesses will definitely impact the quality of our post salvation spiritual life! Once saved, the devil has lost that battle over salvation, but will continue to fight on in an attempt to destroy the post (after) salvation spiritual life of the saved believer.
Spiritual strengths are areas of one's thoughts and actions that are under the filling (control) of God the Spirit. Areas of strength are always consistent with ACCURATE Bible Doctrine.
In the course of time and eternity, the "seeds" that our strengths have sown WILL produce its fruit, as will the seeds that our weaknesses have sown. "Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6: 7 NAB)". Our soul structure is like a garden. If we are wise, we will cultivate the plant that our seeds of strength are growing, and will uproot the plants that our seeds of weakness are growing BEFORE the day of harvesting!
Building areas of strength begins with receiving accurate information. With spiritual maturity comes a spiritual appetite for the principles of the Word of God. The devil has plenty of junk food out there to take their place. Filling up on junk food will diminish the appetite for the Word of God. The spiritual "stomachs" of "baby " (spiritually immature) Christians will not be able to "hold down" the more advanced doctrines of the faith . Immature believers will be content to live on "milk" and "baby" food and the "comfort" food that "religion" has to offer.
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but to as men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able (1COr. 3 1, 2 NASB)."
Matt. 7: 24-27 emphasizes the importance of having already secured the right answers (area of strength) BEFORE the storms (adversity) strike. In the middle of a crisis, especially when we are slammed by it on the blind side, is NOT the time to go searching for the answers. It is the time for applying the answers that we (should) already have stored away in our edified soul structures. One of the reasons that God allows adversity is for US to identify areas of weakness that God wants US to address. If we have issues with such things as pride, gossip, forgiveness, respect for authority, priorities, or any other SIN, don't be surprised if we find ourselves in repeating situations that brings such areas of weakness to our attention. When we fail to respond as God desires, not only will the scenarios repeat themselves with ever-increasing frequency and intensity, but so will the accompanying divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6).
If, for instance, we live in the SIN of refusing to forgive others, we may find ourselves in painful scenarios that call for us to forgive others. If we have authority issues, we may find ourselves in scenarios in which we have to deal with harsh, unjust, and even incompetent superiors. If we have issue with pride, we may find ourselves dealing with painful scenarios that bring us down or remind us of the rock from which we crawled out from under.
The Lord gives and takes away things to accomplish His will, not ours! Once saved (John 6: 40), the Lord's will is to conform us (in thought and action) to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8: 29). Most of us will spiritually grow the most during periods of adversity, not prosperity.
The first question than an advancing disciple will (should) ask is not WHY, but WHAT is it that God wants to accomplish by having sent or allowed the present adversity to take place. Is it an area of strength that needs some exercise, or is it an area of weakness that needs to removed? Sometime we spend time praying for relief from some form of pressure or adversity when it is God who sent or allowed it in the first place. God will keep or repeat the pressure for as long as it takes for Him to get through to us.
On the other hand, the devil knows what buttons to press and when to press them for maximum effect. He (usually) will not directly attack an area of strength, but will discover and exploit our area(s) of weakness.
Having prepared ourselves by learning the right answer(s), but not choosing to apply them will not do us or the situation much good (James 1: 22).
While God the Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher and mentor here in the Church Age, God has chosen Biblically qualified pastor-teachers to edify born again believers for the development of their individual soul structures as a base of operation. Under the teaching of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher, the born again believer will be given the opportunity to c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God (2Pet. 3: 18).
In the early stages of the post salvation spiritual life, one's knowledge is likely to grow in leaps and bounds, whereas when one matures, the incoming knowledge will become more of a fine-tuning process.
The devil desire to cut off the supply of incoming, accurate Bible teaching, or at the very least, bombard the soul with his alternatives. The devil will do so by exploiting the personal weaknesses of a pastor teacher. Pastors should be wise enough to strive towards not giving the devil a toe-hold, but they are just as human as the next guy and certainly a bigger target for the forces of evil (Eph. : 12) to attack. When (not if) pastors fail, their ministries take a hit as well. Advancing disciples know that it is NOT the MAN, but the quantity and accuracy of the information that he communicates that matters, but the number of advancing disciples in any given congregation will always be in the minority.
One of the greatest apostles (Paul) of the early Church was formerly one of its greatest persecutors (Acts 8: 1, 2,3), and some of the earliest believers came into the Church after living in great immorality (1Cor. 6: 9-11). So much so, that Paul was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to address some of these issues in his letter to the believers in Corinth (1Cor. 6: 9-11. James 2: 10 clearly places ALL of us in the same stinking, sinking, boat of sin, and in EQUAL need of salvation, edification, and conformation.
If you claim to be a Christian, but there are no major differences between your lifestyle, priorities, and daily choices and the lifestyles, priorities and daily choices of the "ungodly" persons in your personal periphery, there is an immediate need for a 2Cor. 13: 5 SELF examination.
The more our areas of strengths and weaknesses are fed and exercised (through application), the greater positive or negative impact they will have on our post salvation spiritual lives. Any area of former strength can become an area of weakness if it is not exercised. Areas of weakness will be exploited (Eph. 4: 27) by the devil, our primary spiritual enemy (1Pet. 5: 8).
Learning accurate Bible Doctrine is what builds our base of operations, but knowledge without application will accomplish nothing. "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1: 22).
Discipleship requires that we c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e (2Pet. 3: 18) to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, but we are also more accountable for the application of all the knowledge we obtain (Luke 12: 48).
We may or may not be given the same opportunity to evangelize or edify another soul again, but the glory that God was denied when we say "No!" to an opportunity that He engineered is lost for all of eternity.
God has an awaiting big fish (Jonah 1: 17) for advancing disciples who do not want to follow His leading.
Areas of weakness are areas of one's life that are NOT under the filling (control) of God the Holy Spirit. An area of weakness can be one in which the believer is aware of the related Bible Doctrine, but does not put it into practice. An area of weakness can be one in which the believer is ignorant of what God has to say about any given situation. An area of weakness can be one is which the believer has been deceived into accepting and substituting an alternative teaching/practice.
"...If therefore the light that is in you is (actually) darkness, how great is the darkness (Matt. 6: 23 NASB)."
ALL areas of weakness have the support of the fallen nature in Man that is inherently "hostile (Romans 8: 7 NAB)" towards God and the things of God, and often times harmoniously coexist with human rationalization and self-justification.
It is a part of the post (after) salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit to bring to our conscious minds the areas of weakness that we need to address as we proceed along the road to spiritual maturity.
The born again believer who desires to engage in post salvation discipleship must have an understanding of the difference between being Spirit-i-n-d-w-e-l-l-e-d (1Cor. 3: 16) which is true of all born again believers, and being Spirit-f-I-l-l-e-d. To be Spirit-indwelled means to have the Spirit of God living in our physical bodies throughout the course of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life.
" Do you (born again believers) not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God indwells in you? (1Cor. 3: 16 NASB italics mine)."
To be Spirit-filled means to be submitted to the teaching and leading of God the Holy Spirit at any given time.
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (Romans 8: 14 NASB)."
Throughout the course of any given day we make choices between glorifying/pleasing God, the devil, ourselves, or other people and things. When we are "being led by the Spirt", we will choose what pleases God in the midst of ANYTHING else that we find ourselves engaged.
If the issue at hand involves what the Bible identifies as sin, the choice that discipleship requires of us (should be) is clear, revealed to us in the areas of strength of our edified soul structure. As (If) one spiritually matures, one will increasingly see the s-p-i-r-i-t-u-a-l issue(s) behind much of what goes on all around us on daily basis, calling for a response that God approves. If it is a non-sin issue, it is a matter of establishing and living by a set of priorities in which God and the things of God are given first place in the setting of our daily agenda.
The members of the human race are under a 24-7 surveillance by God, and often by other people, the devil and/or his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil, taking note of the decisions we make that ultimately bring or deny God the glory that He created us to bring to Him.
Putting or not putting God and/or the things of God ahead of the devil, our spouses, our family, our career, ourselves, and even our very lives is what qualifies or disqualified each one of us as a disciple (Luke 14: 26). Discipleship is what the post salvation spiritual life is all about.
Whenever we choose to sin, we are rejecting the mentorship and leadership of God the Holy Spirit. As a result, God the Holy Spirit is "grieved" (Eph. 4: 30), and we have stepped out of fellowship (2Cor. 13: 14) with Him. While out of fellowship with God, one will not be in a frame of mind conducive to producing divine good. Being out of fellowship with God is what opens the door for human rationalization and self-justification.
Fellowship is restored when the sin is confessed (1John 1: 9), but the restored fellowship will not last long if the sin(s) involved are not forsaken (John 8: 11), a well.
As long as we are here on Earth, our soul structure contains both areas of strength and weaknesses. As (If) we spiritually mature, the areas of our strength will increase and our existing ones will be reinforced through the daily intake and application of the Word of God. When we go though periods of independence or back-sliding, our areas of strength will diminish and the our areas of weakness will increase.
The bodies (1Cor. 3: 16), of ll born again believers, as of the moment of salvation are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit. They remain so-indwelled throughout the course of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life here on Earth. Being "indwelled" and being "filled" (under the control) of God the Holy Spirit are two critically different things. To be Spirit-filled, requires that our thoughts and accompanying actions are voluntarily submitted to the "mind (thinking) of Christ (1Cor. 3: 16 NASB italics mine)."
When a human soul is functioning under the influence/control of our fallen nature, we will be self-centered and doing what comes natural to us.
"... a natural man doe not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1COr. 2: 14 NASB." Making matter worse, while being hostile (Romans 8: 7) towards God and things of God, the natural man is open to all the "religious" alternatives and additives that he (Man) has engineered and the devil promotes.
This hostility is usually kept within, but can become overt (Matt. 7: 6) when the soul is challenged with the truth of a Biblical principle.
When a born again believer is functioning under the "filling" (control) of God the Holy Spirit, he will be Christ-centered and will choose to do the things that pleases God.
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Roman 8: 14 NASB)."
Thinking and doing what is discipleship requires of us and thinking and doing what comes natural to us are often opposites. For example, such things as submitting to authority, forgiveness, and doing all things without grumbling and complaining is not what comes natural to us, especially when we are being treated unjustly.
It will not be too far down the road of post (after) salvation discipleship that we will discover the reality of Isaiah 55: 8. ""For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are My ways are your ways," declares the Lord (Isa. 55: 8 NASB)."
As we learn what the thinking of God (vs. the thinking of Man/religion, etc.) is, we will identify our own areas of strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is to make the necessary adjustments so that OUR thoughts and actions are in line with HIS thoughts and actions. Through post (after) salvation discipleship, that is the study and the application of the Word of God, we will fine tune and reinforce our areas of strengths, and identity and remove our areas of weakness.
Accordingly, the first step in building an edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) is to learn (2Pet. 3: 18) what God has to say about any given subject. We can not obey God if we do not know what He requires of us in any given situation. While only a secondary issue at best in the minds of many who claim to be Christians, accurate doctrine is the primary focus point all of the post salvation spiritual combat (Eph. 6) that will take place. Everything that one does (or doesn't do) begins with what he/she thinks about the issue at hand. Many things can impact our thinking process, but the "bottom line" for the advancing disciple is to determine and apply what God thinks, knowing that, "My (God is speaking) thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your (Man's) ways," declare the Lord (Isa. 55: 8 NABS italics mine)."
As one learns what God has to say, there will be the need to adjust some and purge other existing beliefs and accompanying practices that are presently circulating in one's soul structure.
Internal stress has been defined by temporal sources as the presence of u-n-r-e-s-o-l-v-e-d conflicts within the mind. The same principle can be applied to the "soul" in the spiritual realm. As long as one entertains the principles of the Word of God AND any conflicting ideas as well, he will be or become what Scripture (James 1: 8 James 4: 8) refers to as a "double-minded" individual. One day the double-minded person believers one thing, and on another day he believes just the opposite concerning any given subject. Scripture defines such a man (or his soul structure) as being "unstable in all his ways-James 1: 8 NASB)." Needless to say, the devil will not overlook the opportunity to create such turmoil in the soul of what could be an advancing disciple. The devil accomplishes this objective by promoting "religion" and other forms of human viewpoint that appeal to the fallen nature in Man. Such alternatives appear to offer Man the same results (Luke 4: 6) without having to pay the price for having done things God's way.
There is an old saying that no GOOD deed will go unpunished. Certainly ANTHING that can impede the forward progress of an advancing disciple will be of great interest to the devil and his Eph. 6: 12 force of evil. Just as God's plan for the Church Age believer involves the development and application of an edified soul structure, the devil has a plan to destroy it. The tricky part is that the devil's strategy will be to deceive the soul into believing that what he/she is doing (or refraining from doing) IS what God requires.
Certainly, a part of the 2Cor. 13:5 self-examinations that we (should) engage in is to determine if we are continuing to grow in the knowledge (2Pet. 3: 18) and in the application (James 1: 22) of the principles of the Word of God. All one has to do is to take a blank sheet of paper and write down what points of Bible Doctrine is it that she/she now knows and/or better applies that he/she did not know or apply so well say six month ago. If one is not able to write anything down, then he/she is living in disobedience by not growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord as commanded in 2Pet. 3: 18.
Are we, as individual believers, stronger or weaker in our faith (faith =knowledge and application) that we were six months ago? The significance of one's faith is not just the act of believing, it is WHAT we believe as well. Believing with all one' heart what is false will accomplish nothing.
Do we have new or more refined information (areas of strength) that we had six months ago? Are we applying what we have learned to how we think, what we do, and what we say? Are we entertaining the same old areas of weakness) that had did six months ago? Or worse, have we developed some new ones?
There is no neutrality in the spiritual realm. The salvation of a born again believer is never any greater or any less that it became the split second that one first believed in the presentation of the Gospel Message, but the quality of one's post salvation spiritual life is either progressing or regressing at any given time. The post salvation spiritual life is of no interest to someone who has not been born again, but is (should be) the primary reason and purpose for the getting out of the bed in the morning for an advancing disciple. Developing the quantity and the quality of one's areas of strength is a primary part of executing the post salvation spiritual life, as is the identification and the elimination of our areas of weakness.
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Whatever h-u-m-a-n strengths a spiritually dead person has is a matter of personal or human discipline that he has received and developed. Whatever h-u-m-a-n weaknesses he has is a manifestation of the fallen nature (Romans 7) with which every soul comes into this world.
A "strong willed" person can be spiritually dead. In such a frame of mind, his "strength" can be the means of much self-induced harm, as such persons are not open to correction or learning.
Ever since the Fall of Man, this spiritually dead status is passed down at the moment of conception through the male partner (1Cor. 15: 22) during sexual intercourse (Psalm 51: 5). This is a key factor in understanding why it was that Mary could not conceive the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ via Joseph's input. Details on this principle can be examined in the Doctrine of the Hypostatic Union. While in the spiritually dead mode, the individual has neither spiritual strengths nor weaknesses. He/she is spiritually dead.
The spiritually dead individual has human strengths and weaknesses, but thee must be distinguished from spiritual strength and weakness.
As of the moment of spiritual regeneration (Titus 3: 5), the born again (John 3: 5, 7) believer will THEN begin to develop areas of spiritual strength, but will also have areas of spiritual weakness with which to contend in the midst of post (after) salvation spiritual combat Eph. 6.
The building, maintaining, and application of a Biblically edified soul structure is an essential part of post (after) salvation discipleship. It is a life-long process of learning, refining, fine-tuning, and applying accurate Bible doctrine while removing false doctrines that have become a part of one's thoughts process. It begins at the moment of salvation, with the believer THEN having an accurate understanding of the true Gospel Message. One can not truly believe, that is to place his full trust and confidence, is something that he does not truly understand.
It is the pre-salvation Work of God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, removing the pre-existing barrier that impacted the thought processes of the natural man (Roman 7). Man is not naturally disposed to listening to the things of God, In fact, Man is inherently predisposed to being "hostile" (Romans 8:7 NASB) towards God and the things of God. Such hostility can become overt in the reactions that an unbeliever or a believer out of fellowship with God may have when presented with a principle of doctrine if it "hits a nerve."
In Romans 8:7 (NASB) we read, "because the mind set (dominated by) on the flesh (fallen sin nature) is hostile towards God; for it does not subject itself to the (commands/requirements of the) law of God, for it is not even able to do so (Roman 8: 7 NASB italics mine)."
In our day and age of modern means of communication, God use many diverse means to present and communicate the Gospel Message, but it is the pre-salvation work/ministry of God the Holy Spirit that makes the Gospel Message understandable, affording the soul being presented with it to believe and be saved. Refusing to listen to this pre-salvation call of God the Holy Spirit, and/or choosing not to place one's full trust and confidence in the Gospel Message being offered is what amounts to the "unpardonable" sin of disbelief (John 3: 18).
It is "unpardonable" because there is no divine provision for atonement. By divine design, the sin of disbelief was the ONLY sin that was not paid for by the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ while on the cross. Payment for this sin requires spending ALL of eternity in what the Bible calls the "lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15 NASB)."
With strong mental resolve, one can choose to be VERY moral and/or "religious" for a variety of social health, and/or legal reasons, yet remain in the same spiritually dead condition with which he came into this world.
Man measures the quality and the quantity of prosperity that one obtains as a result of the human good or services that one produces, and the lifestyle that such activity provides.
Producing human good or services is a practical reality common to all persons in order to "make a living" and provide support for one's dependents here on Earth. Accordingly, producing human goods and services is an activity that is shared by both believers and unbelievers alike.
The production of "human good" with "human power" is promoted by the devil, but for different reasons. Such a scenario promotes a win-win situation for the devil. His world (Luke 4: 6) wins by receiving the benefits from all the good and services that such human desire and ability generate, contributing to his long standing desire to establish a productive kingdom that is independent of God (Isa. 13: 13, 14). Because such things are the products of human desire and ability, God is NOT glorified. God is glorified by what HE (not we) produces through the lives of Spirit-filled believers (John 15: 5) with the enabling power that HE provides.
While making use of human good and services, all of the corruption and deceitfulness found in virtually ever category of h-u-m-a-n goods and services leaves clear fingerprints of the devil's presence and input.
In many cases, the OVERT end result of the production of human good APPEARS to be the same as what is produced by divine good. This appearance is what the devil uses in his attempt to deceive the human soul into believing that human good and divine good are one in the same. The truth is that they are not. To the extent that God allows, atheists and the followers of the world's religions (Psalms 96) can produce just as much h-u-m-a-n good as can a born again believer.
The classic example is the human good that is produced by non-Christian surgeons around the world every day in the operating rooms. No one will dispute the positive input that such human good has on the ones who benefit by it while here on Earth. However, as great and useful as many forms of human good can be, all the human good and services in the world cannot generate as much as a split second of eternal life, nor merit the reception of eternal reward (1Cor. 3: 15) in Heaven.
God will use the various type of human good that born again believers can produce in order to place them in virtually every walk of life where they are to function as His ambassador (2Cor. 5: 20). For this reason, some of God's children will find themselves among the "worldly" rich and famous, whereas others will find themselves living in very humble means. Most will find themselves somewhere in the middle of the these two extremes. For the advancing disciple, his only concern is that he is where God wants him to be and doing what God wants him to be doing at any given time.
A surgeon and a cleaning person pass by each other in a corridor as each one is going about producing the human good of his labor or profession. From human viewpoint, the surgeon is the more successful. He/she is receiving much temporal prosperity for saving physical lives and/or improving the quality of life of his/her patients here on Earth. From human viewpoint, the cleaning person is less successful, making a living on a lower scale of prosperity, and earning much less by cleaning up human waste and providing others with a clean environment.
From divine perspective, however, it is neither the prosperity or the type of human goods or services being produced that determines each one's "success."
From divine perspective, until one is born again (John 3: 5, 7) his spiritual life here on Earth has failed to materialize, regardless of the type, or the quality, or the quantity of human good that one has produced or the prosperity that he or his dependents have experienced. Gaining and/or providing the whole world will prove to be worthless when one departs this world and leaves it and them all behind (Mark 8: 36), and if he/she lose (fail to prosper) one's soul in the process.
Earthly prosperity with God (3John 1: 2) can be a wonderful blessing for ourselves and with whom we share the prosperity that we have received. One of the reasons God prospers us is for us to share it with others.
Prosperity without God can be a satanic trap (Mark 8: 36/ Luke 4: 6/Rev. 3: 17).
There is nothing wrong with receiving and enjoying earthly prosperity that has been legitimately secured 3John 1: 2). Many of God's greater servants were wealthy. At the same time, the pursuit of worldly prosperity and even the receiving of it opens the door to many forms of temptation and evil that one will have to contend with if the "blessing" is not to be turned into a curse.
Note that in our surgeon/cleaning persons illustration, if either the surgeon or the cleaning person chose to reject the Gospel Message, his/her life, from divine viewpoint, would be a complete failure no matter how much human good either one produced.
If born again, one's primary success or failure in the post (after) salvation spiritual life is determined by the number of souls that any given believer evangelizes (presents the Gospel Message) or edifies (presents principles of post salvation doctrine). This is why places His "ambassadors" in virtually every walk of life. God is just as interested in the salvation/edification of the souls huddled around a barrel fire under a bridge on "skid row" as He is interested in the souls of the rich and famous.
The heavenly rewards referenced in 1Cor. 3: 12-15 are not based or limited by WHERE or by WHAT means one makes a living, but on the degree in which one shared the Gospel Message to unbelievers and/or shared edifying principles of post salvation doctrine with others who shared the same profession or type of labor. A godly homemaker can be just as "successful" as anyone else out in the devil's world if she maintains a godly home and exercises her ambassadorship with others that she interacts with on a daily basis.
Divine good, as opposed to human good, will ONLY be produced by God (John 15: 5) through Spirit-filled believers during the Church Age. It is divine good that glorifies God, and it is divine good that will be rewarded at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation of deeds. At that evaluation, ALL the GOOD deeds (symbolized as wood, hay straw) that a born again believer accomplished with his/her human desire and abilities will be totally REJECTED as far as having any consideration for eternal reward, even though such deeds of human good had great value to those who benefitted by them while here on Earth. It is ONLY the GOOD divine deeds (symbolized as gold, silver, and precious stones) that God produced through the born again believer (John 15: 5) that will receive eternal reward and accompanying privileges in the life to come.
We do not serve God in order to be rewarded, but has revealed to us in His Word (1Cor. 3: 12-15) that Church Age believers will either receive or forfeit eternal rewards as a result of the production (or lack of production) of divine good during the course of the post salvation spiritual life.
The good news is that even if any given believer receives NO reward, he/she remains saved and never loses his/her salvation (1Cor. 3: 15). Never-the-less, the forfeiture of what one could have received in addition to home in Heaven that ALL believers receive will be a day of regret when much of what many b-e-l-i-e-v-e-r-s spent their lives accumulating goes up in smoke. It is on that day that the Earthly attitude of, "I just want to get in (to Heaven)." will come back to haunt those who chose to organize their post salvation spiritual life accordingly.
At least being an unrewarded resident of Heaven is better that the alternative!
What's the alternative?
Those who choose to leave this world spiritually dead (by rejecting the Gospel Message) will find themselves in the Torments of Hades and eventually in what the Bible calls the lake of fire for all of eternity (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
Other than choosing to believe in a presentation of the Gospel Message, the process of s-a-l-v-a-t-i-o-n is the exclusive WORK of God. It is NOT obtained or retained through the "religious" rituals, relatively good human behavior, or humanitarian deeds.
God will use humans and technology to communicate the Gospel Message and post salvation doctrine, but it is God that makes the information being provided understandable, affording the recipient the opportunity to be saved or edified (1Cor. 3: 7).
It was God that provided the means for salvation (John 1: 29/1John 2: 2). It is God that makes the Gospel Message and post-salvation doctrine understandable (Romans 8: 7/1Cor. 3: 7). It is God that seals (Eph. 4: 30) the saved soul, permanently identifying (baptizing) him/her as a Heaven-bound child of God (Eph. 4: 30). It is God that regenerates (Titus 3: 5) the spiritually dead human spirit. It is God that bestows (John 3: 16) eternal life. It is God that maintains (Romans 14: 4) the integrity of one's salvation, assuring the arrival of all saved souls in Heaven.
One can NEVER be any more or any less saved than he/she was or becomes when he/she first believed in a presentation of the Gospel Message. One can NEVER be any more condemned that when he/she chooses to disbelieve it (John 3: 18).
God did not retire or go on vacation after the first three centuries of the Church Age, handing over ANY of the salvation process (other than communicating the Gospel - Matt. 28: 19, 20) to anyone.
Salvation, therefore is not a matter of being strong or weak. Like pregnancy in the natural realm, in the spiritual realm one is either 100% spiritually alive and well, or one is 100% spiritually dead.
Our areas of spiritual strengths and weaknesses that pertain to the post (after) salvation spiritual life is another story. We are VERY much involved in the Work of building, maintaining, and applying our Biblically edified soul structure. Without our desire and daily input, this will NOT be accomplished.
Every day are soul structure becomes stronger or weaker.
God (1Cor. 3: 7) is the power source (John 15: 5) in this life-long process, but it takes a DAILY commitment and devotion on the part of a born again believer to identify and execute the true post salvation spiritual life.
Just as the devil has/had a plan to prevent every soul from ever being saved, the devil has a plan designed to do all he can do to prevent a born again believer from ever identifying, developing, applying, and sticking with the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship. To whatever extent any one of us is not aware of what the post salvation spiritual life is all about or are not advancing in it, the devil is succeeding that critical area of spiritual combat.
While our spiritual strengths and weaknesses can do NOTHING to either improve or diminish the integrity of our salvation, our strengths and weaknesses will definitely impact the quality of our post salvation spiritual life! Once saved, the devil has lost that battle over salvation, but will continue to fight on in an attempt to destroy the post (after) salvation spiritual life of the saved believer.
Spiritual strengths are areas of one's thoughts and actions that are under the filling (control) of God the Spirit. Areas of strength are always consistent with ACCURATE Bible Doctrine.
In the course of time and eternity, the "seeds" that our strengths have sown WILL produce its fruit, as will the seeds that our weaknesses have sown. "Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6: 7 NAB)". Our soul structure is like a garden. If we are wise, we will cultivate the plant that our seeds of strength are growing, and will uproot the plants that our seeds of weakness are growing BEFORE the day of harvesting!
Building areas of strength begins with receiving accurate information. With spiritual maturity comes a spiritual appetite for the principles of the Word of God. The devil has plenty of junk food out there to take their place. Filling up on junk food will diminish the appetite for the Word of God. The spiritual "stomachs" of "baby " (spiritually immature) Christians will not be able to "hold down" the more advanced doctrines of the faith . Immature believers will be content to live on "milk" and "baby" food and the "comfort" food that "religion" has to offer.
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but to as men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able (1COr. 3 1, 2 NASB)."
Matt. 7: 24-27 emphasizes the importance of having already secured the right answers (area of strength) BEFORE the storms (adversity) strike. In the middle of a crisis, especially when we are slammed by it on the blind side, is NOT the time to go searching for the answers. It is the time for applying the answers that we (should) already have stored away in our edified soul structures. One of the reasons that God allows adversity is for US to identify areas of weakness that God wants US to address. If we have issues with such things as pride, gossip, forgiveness, respect for authority, priorities, or any other SIN, don't be surprised if we find ourselves in repeating situations that brings such areas of weakness to our attention. When we fail to respond as God desires, not only will the scenarios repeat themselves with ever-increasing frequency and intensity, but so will the accompanying divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6).
If, for instance, we live in the SIN of refusing to forgive others, we may find ourselves in painful scenarios that call for us to forgive others. If we have authority issues, we may find ourselves in scenarios in which we have to deal with harsh, unjust, and even incompetent superiors. If we have issue with pride, we may find ourselves dealing with painful scenarios that bring us down or remind us of the rock from which we crawled out from under.
The Lord gives and takes away things to accomplish His will, not ours! Once saved (John 6: 40), the Lord's will is to conform us (in thought and action) to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8: 29). Most of us will spiritually grow the most during periods of adversity, not prosperity.
The first question than an advancing disciple will (should) ask is not WHY, but WHAT is it that God wants to accomplish by having sent or allowed the present adversity to take place. Is it an area of strength that needs some exercise, or is it an area of weakness that needs to removed? Sometime we spend time praying for relief from some form of pressure or adversity when it is God who sent or allowed it in the first place. God will keep or repeat the pressure for as long as it takes for Him to get through to us.
On the other hand, the devil knows what buttons to press and when to press them for maximum effect. He (usually) will not directly attack an area of strength, but will discover and exploit our area(s) of weakness.
Having prepared ourselves by learning the right answer(s), but not choosing to apply them will not do us or the situation much good (James 1: 22).
While God the Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher and mentor here in the Church Age, God has chosen Biblically qualified pastor-teachers to edify born again believers for the development of their individual soul structures as a base of operation. Under the teaching of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher, the born again believer will be given the opportunity to c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God (2Pet. 3: 18).
In the early stages of the post salvation spiritual life, one's knowledge is likely to grow in leaps and bounds, whereas when one matures, the incoming knowledge will become more of a fine-tuning process.
The devil desire to cut off the supply of incoming, accurate Bible teaching, or at the very least, bombard the soul with his alternatives. The devil will do so by exploiting the personal weaknesses of a pastor teacher. Pastors should be wise enough to strive towards not giving the devil a toe-hold, but they are just as human as the next guy and certainly a bigger target for the forces of evil (Eph. : 12) to attack. When (not if) pastors fail, their ministries take a hit as well. Advancing disciples know that it is NOT the MAN, but the quantity and accuracy of the information that he communicates that matters, but the number of advancing disciples in any given congregation will always be in the minority.
One of the greatest apostles (Paul) of the early Church was formerly one of its greatest persecutors (Acts 8: 1, 2,3), and some of the earliest believers came into the Church after living in great immorality (1Cor. 6: 9-11). So much so, that Paul was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to address some of these issues in his letter to the believers in Corinth (1Cor. 6: 9-11. James 2: 10 clearly places ALL of us in the same stinking, sinking, boat of sin, and in EQUAL need of salvation, edification, and conformation.
If you claim to be a Christian, but there are no major differences between your lifestyle, priorities, and daily choices and the lifestyles, priorities and daily choices of the "ungodly" persons in your personal periphery, there is an immediate need for a 2Cor. 13: 5 SELF examination.
The more our areas of strengths and weaknesses are fed and exercised (through application), the greater positive or negative impact they will have on our post salvation spiritual lives. Any area of former strength can become an area of weakness if it is not exercised. Areas of weakness will be exploited (Eph. 4: 27) by the devil, our primary spiritual enemy (1Pet. 5: 8).
Learning accurate Bible Doctrine is what builds our base of operations, but knowledge without application will accomplish nothing. "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1: 22).
Discipleship requires that we c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e (2Pet. 3: 18) to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, but we are also more accountable for the application of all the knowledge we obtain (Luke 12: 48).
We may or may not be given the same opportunity to evangelize or edify another soul again, but the glory that God was denied when we say "No!" to an opportunity that He engineered is lost for all of eternity.
God has an awaiting big fish (Jonah 1: 17) for advancing disciples who do not want to follow His leading.
Areas of weakness are areas of one's life that are NOT under the filling (control) of God the Holy Spirit. An area of weakness can be one in which the believer is aware of the related Bible Doctrine, but does not put it into practice. An area of weakness can be one in which the believer is ignorant of what God has to say about any given situation. An area of weakness can be one is which the believer has been deceived into accepting and substituting an alternative teaching/practice.
"...If therefore the light that is in you is (actually) darkness, how great is the darkness (Matt. 6: 23 NASB)."
ALL areas of weakness have the support of the fallen nature in Man that is inherently "hostile (Romans 8: 7 NAB)" towards God and the things of God, and often times harmoniously coexist with human rationalization and self-justification.
It is a part of the post (after) salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit to bring to our conscious minds the areas of weakness that we need to address as we proceed along the road to spiritual maturity.
The born again believer who desires to engage in post salvation discipleship must have an understanding of the difference between being Spirit-i-n-d-w-e-l-l-e-d (1Cor. 3: 16) which is true of all born again believers, and being Spirit-f-I-l-l-e-d. To be Spirit-indwelled means to have the Spirit of God living in our physical bodies throughout the course of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life.
" Do you (born again believers) not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God indwells in you? (1Cor. 3: 16 NASB italics mine)."
To be Spirit-filled means to be submitted to the teaching and leading of God the Holy Spirit at any given time.
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (Romans 8: 14 NASB)."
Throughout the course of any given day we make choices between glorifying/pleasing God, the devil, ourselves, or other people and things. When we are "being led by the Spirt", we will choose what pleases God in the midst of ANYTHING else that we find ourselves engaged.
If the issue at hand involves what the Bible identifies as sin, the choice that discipleship requires of us (should be) is clear, revealed to us in the areas of strength of our edified soul structure. As (If) one spiritually matures, one will increasingly see the s-p-i-r-i-t-u-a-l issue(s) behind much of what goes on all around us on daily basis, calling for a response that God approves. If it is a non-sin issue, it is a matter of establishing and living by a set of priorities in which God and the things of God are given first place in the setting of our daily agenda.
The members of the human race are under a 24-7 surveillance by God, and often by other people, the devil and/or his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil, taking note of the decisions we make that ultimately bring or deny God the glory that He created us to bring to Him.
Putting or not putting God and/or the things of God ahead of the devil, our spouses, our family, our career, ourselves, and even our very lives is what qualifies or disqualified each one of us as a disciple (Luke 14: 26). Discipleship is what the post salvation spiritual life is all about.
Whenever we choose to sin, we are rejecting the mentorship and leadership of God the Holy Spirit. As a result, God the Holy Spirit is "grieved" (Eph. 4: 30), and we have stepped out of fellowship (2Cor. 13: 14) with Him. While out of fellowship with God, one will not be in a frame of mind conducive to producing divine good. Being out of fellowship with God is what opens the door for human rationalization and self-justification.
Fellowship is restored when the sin is confessed (1John 1: 9), but the restored fellowship will not last long if the sin(s) involved are not forsaken (John 8: 11), a well.
As long as we are here on Earth, our soul structure contains both areas of strength and weaknesses. As (If) we spiritually mature, the areas of our strength will increase and our existing ones will be reinforced through the daily intake and application of the Word of God. When we go though periods of independence or back-sliding, our areas of strength will diminish and the our areas of weakness will increase.
The bodies (1Cor. 3: 16), of ll born again believers, as of the moment of salvation are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit. They remain so-indwelled throughout the course of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life here on Earth. Being "indwelled" and being "filled" (under the control) of God the Holy Spirit are two critically different things. To be Spirit-filled, requires that our thoughts and accompanying actions are voluntarily submitted to the "mind (thinking) of Christ (1Cor. 3: 16 NASB italics mine)."
When a human soul is functioning under the influence/control of our fallen nature, we will be self-centered and doing what comes natural to us.
"... a natural man doe not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1COr. 2: 14 NASB." Making matter worse, while being hostile (Romans 8: 7) towards God and things of God, the natural man is open to all the "religious" alternatives and additives that he (Man) has engineered and the devil promotes.
This hostility is usually kept within, but can become overt (Matt. 7: 6) when the soul is challenged with the truth of a Biblical principle.
When a born again believer is functioning under the "filling" (control) of God the Holy Spirit, he will be Christ-centered and will choose to do the things that pleases God.
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Roman 8: 14 NASB)."
Thinking and doing what is discipleship requires of us and thinking and doing what comes natural to us are often opposites. For example, such things as submitting to authority, forgiveness, and doing all things without grumbling and complaining is not what comes natural to us, especially when we are being treated unjustly.
It will not be too far down the road of post (after) salvation discipleship that we will discover the reality of Isaiah 55: 8. ""For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are My ways are your ways," declares the Lord (Isa. 55: 8 NASB)."
As we learn what the thinking of God (vs. the thinking of Man/religion, etc.) is, we will identify our own areas of strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is to make the necessary adjustments so that OUR thoughts and actions are in line with HIS thoughts and actions. Through post (after) salvation discipleship, that is the study and the application of the Word of God, we will fine tune and reinforce our areas of strengths, and identity and remove our areas of weakness.
Accordingly, the first step in building an edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) is to learn (2Pet. 3: 18) what God has to say about any given subject. We can not obey God if we do not know what He requires of us in any given situation. While only a secondary issue at best in the minds of many who claim to be Christians, accurate doctrine is the primary focus point all of the post salvation spiritual combat (Eph. 6) that will take place. Everything that one does (or doesn't do) begins with what he/she thinks about the issue at hand. Many things can impact our thinking process, but the "bottom line" for the advancing disciple is to determine and apply what God thinks, knowing that, "My (God is speaking) thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your (Man's) ways," declare the Lord (Isa. 55: 8 NABS italics mine)."
As one learns what God has to say, there will be the need to adjust some and purge other existing beliefs and accompanying practices that are presently circulating in one's soul structure.
Internal stress has been defined by temporal sources as the presence of u-n-r-e-s-o-l-v-e-d conflicts within the mind. The same principle can be applied to the "soul" in the spiritual realm. As long as one entertains the principles of the Word of God AND any conflicting ideas as well, he will be or become what Scripture (James 1: 8 James 4: 8) refers to as a "double-minded" individual. One day the double-minded person believers one thing, and on another day he believes just the opposite concerning any given subject. Scripture defines such a man (or his soul structure) as being "unstable in all his ways-James 1: 8 NASB)." Needless to say, the devil will not overlook the opportunity to create such turmoil in the soul of what could be an advancing disciple. The devil accomplishes this objective by promoting "religion" and other forms of human viewpoint that appeal to the fallen nature in Man. Such alternatives appear to offer Man the same results (Luke 4: 6) without having to pay the price for having done things God's way.
There is an old saying that no GOOD deed will go unpunished. Certainly ANTHING that can impede the forward progress of an advancing disciple will be of great interest to the devil and his Eph. 6: 12 force of evil. Just as God's plan for the Church Age believer involves the development and application of an edified soul structure, the devil has a plan to destroy it. The tricky part is that the devil's strategy will be to deceive the soul into believing that what he/she is doing (or refraining from doing) IS what God requires.
Certainly, a part of the 2Cor. 13:5 self-examinations that we (should) engage in is to determine if we are continuing to grow in the knowledge (2Pet. 3: 18) and in the application (James 1: 22) of the principles of the Word of God. All one has to do is to take a blank sheet of paper and write down what points of Bible Doctrine is it that she/she now knows and/or better applies that he/she did not know or apply so well say six month ago. If one is not able to write anything down, then he/she is living in disobedience by not growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord as commanded in 2Pet. 3: 18.
Are we, as individual believers, stronger or weaker in our faith (faith =knowledge and application) that we were six months ago? The significance of one's faith is not just the act of believing, it is WHAT we believe as well. Believing with all one' heart what is false will accomplish nothing.
Do we have new or more refined information (areas of strength) that we had six months ago? Are we applying what we have learned to how we think, what we do, and what we say? Are we entertaining the same old areas of weakness) that had did six months ago? Or worse, have we developed some new ones?
There is no neutrality in the spiritual realm. The salvation of a born again believer is never any greater or any less that it became the split second that one first believed in the presentation of the Gospel Message, but the quality of one's post salvation spiritual life is either progressing or regressing at any given time. The post salvation spiritual life is of no interest to someone who has not been born again, but is (should be) the primary reason and purpose for the getting out of the bed in the morning for an advancing disciple. Developing the quantity and the quality of one's areas of strength is a primary part of executing the post salvation spiritual life, as is the identification and the elimination of our areas of weakness.
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