John 1:14 - And the Word (undiminished deity) became flesh (true humanity), and dwelt among us (the Incarnation), and we (James, Peter, and John) beheld His glory (the visual manifestation of the Uniform of Glory), glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Bible Doctrine).
In our previous lessons we reviewed the doctrines that relate to TLJC in his first advent when he was incarnated via the virgin birth.
We have studied the doctrine of the virgin birth that was necessary for there to be no transmission of the OSN and then took up the doctrine of the hypostatic union that explains the mechanics of how undiminished deity and true humanity reside in the person of TLJC and then discussed the doctrine of the kenosis that defines God the Father's protocol for the deity and humanity of TLJC in hypostatic union.
In the context of these doctrines, we have been looking at some of the names and titles for our Lord Jesus Christ in order to see more clearly what God has done for us through him, so we can more completely understand who he is and what he has done for us, and from our knowledge of him have our confidence established in our occupation with him. Heb 12:2;
In view of this, we are presently looking at the phrase "body of Christ" that is used to describe all Church Age believers in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are presently looking at the system that God has set up for believers to learn the thinking of TLJC and to maintain experiential unity within the body of Christ. Last time we concluded with the idea that it is the word of God that is the power that makes this unity possible and that the word is taught in the local assembly by the communication gifts. Eph 4:11-14;
This means that the pastor must be diligent and persevere in the teaching of truth. He must not become distracted by involvement in theological controversies or personality conflicts.
There are two traditions for the communication of Bible doctrine to the believer in the Church Age. Face-to-face teaching in a local assembly, and non-face-to-face teaching outside the local assembly. Both are traditional from the beginning of the church age.
When Epaphras left his pulpit in Colossae and traveled to be with Paul in Rome, Paul filled in for him with non-face-to-face teaching with the epistle to the Colossians. Col 1:7, Col 4:12; Paul had not visited Colossae prior to sending this letter to them.
While the apostle John taught face-to-face in Ephesus, he was also teaching non-face-to-face in other parts of the Roman Province of Asia. We see this in 2John1:1; Net note 3. He also taught Gaius with written communication in 3John1; Net note 3
The book of Revelation is a series of non-face-to-face messages to seven churches in the Roman Province of Asia that were sent after Nero banished John to the island of Patmos.
We see from this that non-face-to-face teaching has been a legitimate system of teaching from the beginning. This means that whether it is face-to-face or non-face-to-face, the pastor who is faithful in teaching Bible doctrine is the key to unity among believers within the body of Christ.
No pastor has the ability to bring about unity among believers by the use of his personality or authority. The power to bring about unity belongs solely to the Word of God, as it renovates their thinking and is expressed in the believer's thoughts, motivations, decisions, and actions.
We have seen that while God the Holy Spirit places all believers into union with TLJC and into the body of Christ at salvation, the only basis for experiential unity among believers within the body is from their PMA of the Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age because it requires post-salvation renovation of the thinking, plus the understanding and the application of the ten problem solving devices of the PPOG.
The arrogance that results from ignorance of Bible doctrine is the biggest enemy of unity. Ignorance is the cause, arrogance is the result.
Ignorance of the mystery doctrine for the Church Age means there is ignorance of their position in Christ, PPOG, the ten problem solving devices of the protocol plan, the portfolio of invisible assets, and the operational power system that God has given to believers at their salvation.
The result of this ignorance and arrogance is life in cosmic one, where the believer grieves the Holy Spirit.
Arrogance is a complex of sins that result in fragmentation among believers in the body of Christ. This includes such sins as jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, self-pity, guilt, anger, hatred, inordinate ambition and inordinate competition, revenge motivation and function, gossip, maligning, judging, the demand syndrome, unrealistic expectation, and role model arrogance.
The unity of the royal family of God as the body of Christ is based on Bible doctrine perceived, metabolized, and applied to experience. In other words, it is based on the consistent and persistent function of post-salvation renovation of the thinking that comes through the inculcation of the word of God.
When there is a lack of momentum in the protocol plan of God from consistent and persistent PMA of Bible doctrine there will be fragmentation among believers.
Scriptural Documentation for this is found in 2Tim 3:2-7; "For men (in the context believers) will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents,
v3 ungrateful, unholy, without love, implacable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, haters of God,
v4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
v5 having a form of godliness but denying its power; avoid such believers as these.
v6 For they are the kind who creep into homes and captivate weak, silly women who are loaded down with sins and swayed with all kinds of evil desires.
v7 They are always learning (gnosis or human knowledge), but never able to come to the (epignosis or spirit taught) knowledge of the truth"
Both arrogance and conceit are listed. Conceit is arrogant preoccupation with self. Arrogance is arrogant preoccupation with others.
1Cor 12:25; "That there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another."
Rom 16:17-18; "Now I urge you brethren, be alert for those believers who are causing division and hindrances contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; in fact, separate yourself from (avoid) them.
v18 For such believers are slaves to their own emotions, and by smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the thinking of the naive."
Emotion is not a spiritual. Emotion is not a characteristic of the filling of the Spirit until the Millennium.
While Christ is absent from the earth during the Church Age, the filling of the Spirit is designed for believers to appreciate Him but it carries no emotion. Believers may have an emotional response but it is not a spiritual function.
Emotion cannot think and cannot apply Bible doctrine. Emotion is all too often irrational because emotion is simply a response to something and may or may not be according to doctrine.
Again, ignorance is the basis for fragmentation because ignorance leads to arrogance.
1Cor 1:10; "Now I exhort you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another, and that there be no fragmentations or divisions among you, but that you may be properly equipped in the same mind and in the same thinking (united in mind and thought)."
Notice that the source of unity is in the mentality and thinking of the soul.
1Cor 3:3; "For you are still under the control of the OSN, for since there is jealousy and fragmentation among you, are you not living according to the OSN? Are you not walking like unbelievers?"
1 Cor 11:18, "For in the first place, when you come together in your church, I hear that divisions (fragmentations) exist among you and in part I believe it."
v19 For there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are honorable will become evident.
The wrong execution by the wrong power is an enemy of unity. God is perfect. Therefore His plan is perfect and His plan for the royal family is the protocol plan.
Perfect God can only design a perfect plan. God's plan for us is perfect, but the problem is that we as believers are imperfect.