Class Notes: 1/23/2008

Col 1:11 Rom 12:1-2 The believer's transformation via Operation- Z or Grace Apparatus for Spiritual Perception

We are continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG 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 is for them to be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding was so that they would 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 "G.A.S.P." 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 hermeneutical procedures including " ICE ".

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).

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" where it becomes intellectual knowledge which challenges the believer's volition.

GASP Stage 4: God the Holy Spirit transfers the gnosis into epignosis when the believer has positive volition to the intellectual knowledge he has presented to the believer's nous. This results in the renovation or transformation of the believer's thinking. Divinely taught knowledge (Epignosis) then becomes available to be applied to the believer's experience as "Sophia" wisdom and "Sunesis" understanding

We are presently studying that the mandate for the believer's mental transformation via G.A.S.P stage 4 found in Rom 12:1-2;

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 spiritual service or worship of God.

Rom 12:2;
Stop being molded to this age (the teaching of satan’s cosmos)
but "alla" (conjunction of contrast)
be transformed (present passive imperative of metamorphoô) mandate to undergo spiritual transformation that results in internal and external accord with the plan of God,
by the renovation "anakainôsis" (to take out the old and replace it with the new by inculcation of the doctrinal curriculum taught by God the Holy Spirit)
of your thinking or worldview " nous” Renovation begins when the believer makes different volitional choices at the point of academic understanding
in order that you may prove what the will of God is,
the good "agathos" or divine good (The believer in spiritual maturity),
the acceptable or well-pleasing "eurestos" (the believer's rewards in time),
and the complete or perfect " teleios" (the believer's rewards in eternity).
The believer’s Uniform of Glory in eternity is dependent upon how much they permit Christ to be formed (Galatians 4:19) in them while they are "under the sun" Ecclesiastes 1:3b; "under Heaven" Acts 4:12; "while it is still called Today" Hebrews 3:13; and believer's have the opportunity to "redeem the time" Eph 5:16; and "make the most of the opportunity" Col 4:5;
That's why the God-breathed Scripture 2Tim 3:16; compares the panorama of stars of the second or celestial heaven which are visible at night, to the panorama of resurrected believers in the third Heaven because each believer's magnification of TLJC in time differs. 1Cor 15:41-42;
The body of every believer in resurrection will be unique, 1Cor 15:38; but every believer's body will be imperishable, immortal and incorruptible. 1Cor 15:53; Phil 3:20-21;
The believer's transformation is directly related to their continuity in the PMA of Bible Doctrine under G.A.S.P. Col 1:22-23; "If" in verse 23 is in the first class condition assumed to be true refers to the believer's continuity in Doctrine.
The believer who, along with millions of others, comprises Christ's corporate body in this age, will show forth or re-present the life and virtues of God's unique son, TLJC to a degree which corresponds with their continuity in the Word as a "BUD"...a Believer Under Doctrine... (John 8:31) as "a plugger" Col 1:23; 2Tim 3:10-12; James 1:25) in
Operation Z via G.A.S.P. 1Cor 2:9-15;
The Believer's election to salvation is contingent upon merit less faith expressed voluntarily and personally and directed toward the person of Christ for a moment Acts 16:31;
The believer's election to superior privilege is contingent upon consistent non-meritorious faith perception 2Cor 3:; 18;of the mind of Christ 1Cor 2:16; the Word of God Heb 6:5; which provides grace-incentive, and results in grace momentum and progress toward the objective of spiritual adulthood Eph 4:11-13; with it's liberties, privileges, responsibilities, honor and glory. Gal 5:1;
The mandate for continuity is documented in Col 1:22-23 where freedom from censure at the Judgment Seat of Christ is contingent upon the believer's continuity in faith or" the doctrine".
The word translated continue is the Greek word 'epimeno" which means to continue or persevere or stay in the faith or the doctrine to be believed; not being moved away distracted; from the hope or forward confidence of the gospel."
Being blameless and beyond reproach implies freedom from loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ before which all believers must all appear Rom 14:10,12; 2Cor 5:10; and implies in the positive sense, rewards which surpasses the blessings that have already accrued to the believer at their salvation.
The word translated "if " in verse 23 is also in the first class condition, assumed to be true. Paul is assuming that the Colossian believers will continue and not be moved away from their confidence or the Gospel.
TLJC, in the dispensation of His unglorified humanity made it clear that being a disciple of His was contingent upon continuing in His Word John 8:31;.
The freedoms and blessings of being a student apprentice or disciple of TLJC are dependent, on the believer's persistent positive volition John 7:17; John 8:31,32; to Bible doctrine.
James, the Lord's brother, speaks of the necessity of continuity in doctrine when showing the value of the doing of the Word beyond the hearing.
God, by grace, gave new-birth to all who believe James 1:18; the message of truth is the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone in TLJC alone results in the believer's positional relationship with TLJC.
The same grace the Word which is implanted in the soul of the continually teachable believer, saves the believer's soul in time, James 1:21; The "word implanted" is Bible Doctrine received or learned after salvation which results in the believer's experiential relationship with TLJC.
That believer who continues in the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God, is blessed in the application of the Word of God to their experiences of life James 1:25;
In the end, that after being tested, the believer is crowned with a crown of life at their evaluation James 1:12;
The believer who perseveres through the adversity, using the problem solving devices that God has provided in the Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit fulfills the the mandate for continuity and the royal law of love James 2:8;
That believer therefore glorifies God, which is the purpose for man's creation Isaiah 43:7;
The believer's transformation is enabled, performed and completed in them by God. 2Cor 3:17-18;

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