In our study of Mark we are in Mark 8:38; where Jesus tells His listeners that "whoever is ashamed of Me and My words will be ashamed when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
Based on this we have taken up a study of the doctrine of shame. Last time we saw that self-motivation in the execution of the spiritual life avoids shame at the judgment seat of Christ.
2Tim 2:15, "Be motivated to present yourself approved by God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed (at judgment seat of Christ), handling accurately the Word of Truth."
This aorist active imperative Greek verb "spoudazo" is translated as "be diligent" or "be motivated" or "make every effort" or "endeavor or "study" in the KJV because of it's context is a command for the believer to be self motivated.
This motivation along with the correct spiritual values and priorities enables the believer to learn and use the spiritual skills that are the mechanics for the execution of the protocol plan of God that when deployed protects the believer from shame.
Our self-motivation must be combined with accurate doctrine so we can learn and use the spiritual skills and execute God's plan so God will approve us when we stand before Jesus Christ at our evaluation.
The word "workman" is translated from the Greek word "ergaten" is used here for a pastor-teacher communicating doctrine and by extension addresses the congregation who is commanded to be diligent to concentrate on his teaching.
In the New Testament the Greek word is often used for a person who is involved in Christian Service. Christian service is always the end result of spiritual growth it is never the means of spiritual growth.
Christian service performed by believers who have not learned the spiritual skills is dead works, human good, and evil. Christian service without learning doctrine and using the spiritual skills is a total failure to fulfill God's will.
Learning doctrine is work. It takes effort to concentrate. Believers must be motivated to keep on listening even though the topic being taught may not be of interest or they do not see any use for it at the moment.
However In order to be approved when presented for evaluation you must be motivated with regard to spiritual values, spiritual skills and you have to receive the communication of the entire realm of doctrine weather you are interested or not.
God gives greater assets to Church Age believers and this demands a greater spiritual life from the Church Age believer. Your spiritual work is your motivation, your concentration, and your understanding under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
There is no substitute for the spiritual skills that result in the execution of the protocol plan of God for the Church to the glory of God.
The pastor is responsible for studying in order to accurately handle God's word and then to consistently communicate it. Every believer is responsible for accurately handling God's word by consistently and persistently listening and learning from that communication.
The Divinely provided problem-solving devices are the God-given means of accurate application of metabolized doctrine to our life experience.
As you relate doctrine to your experience, you are not only extracted from self-absorption but you change your scale of values so that you come to a greater realization of the importance of the power of filling of the Spirit and metabolized doctrine.
This change in your perspective of life increases your capacity, results in increased motivation and greater blessing from God.
In view of this doctrine we can ask ourselves: When I stand in the presence of the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ will He say to me, (Matt 25:21, 23) "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the perfect happiness of the Lord?"
Or will I be ashamed because I rejected the spiritual skills, spurned the divine initiative of grace, and lived my life on the earth in arrogance because of my ignorance the God given portfolio of invisible assets I received when I believed in Jesus Christ.
We can ask: How long has God known my needs? From eternity past God has wisely provided my needs based on the divine initiative of antecedent grace in eternity past and eschatological grace in time.
Not only has God known about my needs from eternity past and provided them in my very own unique portfolio of invisible assets, but He also knows that I must always keep His authority before me.
This means that I will most likely need a wake up call from divine discipline from time to time. Heb 12:6; "For those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and He chastises every son whom He receives." A quote or Prov 3:11-12;
When the Lord disciplines me I am grateful, because I know that He wants me to stand in His presence at the resurrection and receive those eternal rewards that He provided for me in eternity past which glorify Him and bless me forever and ever.
Our Lord always has my best interest in mind at all times because He has always loved me from eternity past and He gave His life on the cross as a substitute for me.
God is aware of my lack of capacity for blessing and He seeks to increase it by whatever means necessary. This includes the application of doctrine, the law of volitional responsibility, and when necessary divine discipline.
The fact that what is not corrected becomes worse because what is not restrained becomes lawless emphasizes the importance of the structure of legitimate authority that God has implemented through the laws of divine establishment and the function of divine discipline when legitimate authority is rejected.
If the Lord does not go before me in my life then, I am on the wrong path. Deut 31:8; "And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not fail or forsake you. Do not fear and do not panic."
In this passage the Lord is described as being on the point of an advancing military force. No believer can advance with security unless the Lord takes the lead. The Lord does not take the lead unless the believer is consistently using the spiritual skills while advancing.
Sometimes it takes divine discipline to establish and maintain legitimate authority and when that occurs the purpose of discipline is to help the believer identify the proper authority.
Spiritual advance requires the believer to have authority orientation. It takes a far greater love than human love to appreciate the divine initiative of grace. God has provided our needs with a far greater love than human love.
I have been given the capacity to love the Lord and at the same time I have been given the discipline to fear and respect the Lord. This means that I can be taught from authority to love from respect.