We are currently studying prayer for the purpose of determining just how and what we should pray for. At the moment we are examining Paul's prayers and we have seen in that the major focus in his prayers has been for the believer's advance in God's plan for their lives.
In our present study we are examining Paul and Timothy's prayer in Col 1:9-12; where Paul is praying for the believer's spiritual growth.
9- Because of this, since the day we heard Epaphras' report we have not stopped praying for you asking specifically that you would be completely filled up with the knowledge of God the Father's intent in the sphere of wisdom and spiritual understanding.
10- to the end that you would conduct yourselves with conduct becoming the Lord to please Him completely (Conduct that imitates the pattern established by the Lord in his presentation and conduct that is empowered by the Lord in the age of his re-presentation) while being prolific by divinely good activities and growing in
the knowledge of God,
Paul's prayer for them to be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding was for the purpose that they be able to walk and persevere in the Christian way of life in their regenerate identity (the "new" man) as a members of the new spiritual species who are the Royal Family of God members of the church and the body of TLJC.
This knowledge of God's will and spiritual wisdom and understanding was to enable them to persevere or "keep on plugging” in their spiritual advance by means of Bible Doctrine and the power of God the Holy Spirit for the purpose of pleasing him in all respects, to bear fruit in every good work and increasing in the Spirit taught knowledge of God.
At the moment we are examining the process whereby the believer grows or increases to the maximum possible in the Spirit taught knowledge of God via the process called Operation Z or "GASP" an acronym for Grace Apparatus for Spiritual Perception which occurs in (4) stages.
GASP Stage 1: the pastor studies the Word under the ministry of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of arriving a clear understanding of a passage by utilizing the ICE procedure.
Last time we started a discussion of the hermeneutical principles or rules that the pastor uses when studying the Word under the mentor ministry of God the Holy Spirit for the purpose of arriving a clear understanding of a passage and then communicating that information to believers in their local assembly.
The first rule of hermeneutics that we use, is the application of the ICE (Isagogics, Categories, and Exegesis) approach to Scriptural analysis:
The second rule of hermeneutics that we use is the principle that the Bible contains progressive revelation and is to be understood as literal unless the context indicates otherwise.
In order for believers to function properly in their spiritual life, they must learn the mandates that are revealed in God's word regarding how they are to function in God's plan for their specific time period which we refer to as a dispensation.
The Greek word "oikonoma" which is found in Eph 3:2-3; NET note 3 and Col 1:25-26; where it is translated "stewardship", Eph 1:10, Eph 3:9-11; and 1Tim 1:4; where it is translated "administration", in the NASB refers to Paul being appointed to administrate during this period which we call the dispensation of the church or the church age where the mystery doctrine which had been previously hidden would be revealed and taught.
The third rule of hermeneutics that we use is the principle that demands that when properly interpreted all Scripture is at harmony with itself in all parts and there are no contradictions.
This rule is related to the veracity and immutability of God's integrity. Heb 13:8;
The fourth rule of hermeneutics that we use is the principle that the original manuscripts of Scripture are inerrant in transcription and infallible in content.
This rule is related to the faithfulness of God in providing accurate information for believers. 2Tim 3:16; 2Cor 1:18;
Using these principles, the pastor takes the " Logos", the entire realm of the Word of God, and after having interpreted its content, communicates it to the believers that gather in the local assembly where he communicates and it is taught to them by God the Holy Spirit as "Rhema".... the spoken word of God.
GASP Stage 2: The Holy Spirit teaches the believer’s human spirit the content of what is communicated by the pastor. He is referred to by our Lord in John 14:26 as the “Helper” (NASB), “Comforter” (KJV), or “Counselor” (NIV).
The Greek word is Paraklçtos, which means one who goes along side in order to help to teach, counsel or advocate. See Net note 37 John 14:16;
What is communicated is truth from which comes encouragement, orientation to grace, objectivity, and discernment.
As Paraklçtos the Holy Spirit teaches the believer with positive volition. The word for “teach” is the future active indicative of the verb didaskô, the act of instructing and refers to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. The future tense indicates that this ministry is yet future and will follow the dispensation of the Incarnation of our Lord's unglorified humanity.
This statement by our Lord is therefore a prophecy pertaining to the future dispensation of the church is an example of progressive revelation.
As each dispensation occurs on the time line of human history some aspects of the preceding period are retained such as salvation through faith alone in Christ alone, some are rescinded such as: the ritual plan of God, the Sabbath Day and the Feast Days, and new ones are revealed such as the mystery doctrines of the Church Age. In this case, the Lord reveals a unique aspect of the next dispensation, the “Church Age’” and one of the mystery doctrines of the New Testament.
When the Holy Spirit indwells and fills the Church Age believer He provides the spiritual IQ necessary for spiritual growth attained through Bible study.
With spiritual IQ the believer is prepared to be taught by the Holy Spirit, indicated by the verb, didaskô, “He will teach you all things.”
The target of this supernatural instruction is the human spirit which is a divinely provided asset that enables the human mind to comprehend divine thought.
When this comprehension occurs it is called pneumatikos: or “spiritual phenomena.”
In 1 Cor 2:13; NET"pneumatika" is repeated at the end of the verse.
The first use is "pneumatikois" referring to spiritual things or the content of what is communicated by the pastor and taught by the Holy Spirit to the human spirit.
The second use is pneumatika and refers to the spiritual system, or the entire process for the perception of Bible Doctrine that we have defined as the Grace Apparatus for Spiritual Perception.
This sequence of events that must occur for the believer to acquire academic understanding of Bible Doctrine. When this understanding is accomplished, the Holy Spirit then transfers the information from the human spirit to the human soul.
GASP Stage 3: When “spiritual phenomena” arrives from the human spirit, the Holy Spirit directs it to the left lobe of the soul which is called "nous" in the Greek and is often translated as "mind". Here the soul is linked up with the association cortex of the brain.
This may be referred to as “receptive comprehension.” Here the believer considers whether they will accept or reject the information which is now understood academically.
At this stage, the knowledge being considered by the believer is strictly academic and is referred to as “gnôsis”
At this point the believer's volition is challenged: “Do you believe the information that you now understand academically to be true, or do you not believe?”
If the information is rejected then it is quickly forgotten because it has only been considered in the short-term memory. This results in the current belief system being retained unaltered.
If the information is accepted, the Holy Spirit transfers the information to the kardia or heart as epignôsis: or human cognizance and retention of divine thought which results in a renovated belief system.
GASP Stage 4: We have studied epignôsis and understand it to refer to human cognizance of divine thought or spirit taught knowledge.
The Greek word "kardia" is translated “heart” in the English but we understand it to be the stream of consciousness of the soul.
This is the area where retention of divine thought occurs in seven compartments of the soul. As doctrine is learned, one’s inventory of ideas is increased in the compartments of the soul, (the frame of reference, memory center, vocabulary storage, categorical storage, and the conscience.)
These five areas of storage of Divine thought are advanced by the consistent inculcation of epignôsis (Spirit taught knowledge) and becomes the major factor in the believer’s spiritual advance.
In advancing, momentum is developed in the momentum compartment by the application of epignosis which results in wisdom in the wisdom compartment which the ability to apply Bible doctrine, the thinking of TLJC to every situation in life.
Wisdom is the function of epignôsis knowledge in the stream of consciousness plus motivation for the advance from reciprocity 1John 4:19; and results in spiritual growth and the execution of the Christian way of life. This is called plçrôma, or “the fullness of God,”
Retention also occurs in the brain which serves as the hard disk of the soul. Doctrine believed is stored along with other knowledge in the cerebral cortex where it is available for recall and application under the recall ministry of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 - But the Paraklçtos, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you (future tense of didaskô) all and will cause you to remember (hupomimnçskô) everything I said to you."
We are able to remember and then recall information because it is retained in the long-term memory traces of the brain’s cerebral cortex.
The renovation of the soul results in the renovation of these memory traces in the brain.
Rom 12:1 - I urge you therefore fellow believers by the grace blessings from the justice of God that you place your bodies (the CPU for the body is the brain) under orders as a living, holy sacrifice the believer in (status quo spirituality). This is well pleasing to our Lord your rational or reasonable worship of God.).
Doctrine in the believer's soul coordinates with the brain in the body to produce a mental attitude that motivates acts of worship which are enabled by the filling of the Holy Spirit.
The major expression of this worship is for believers to function under GASP utilizing the three spiritual skills. (The filling of the Holy Spirit, The metabolization, residence and circulation of Bible Doctrine in the Stream of Consciousness, The 10 PSD’s)
When this is done consistently, it results in transformation of thought as the soul is refurbished. It is characterized by peace and tranquility from inner harmony with the Word of God which results in confidence and courage as outer harmony with God and mankind.