Class Notes: 2/21/2016

John 8:32 Gal 5:1;The Doctrine of Freedom part 4

In our study of the doctrine of freedom: John 8:32: Gal 5:1; We noted that positive volition to any aspect of God's Word of truth creates freedom because God imputes grace through the divine decree to bless positive volition wherever it is found. Lam 3:21-23; James 4:6;

We noted that Positive volition to Divine Establishment provides for temporal human freedom, positive volition toward the Gospel creates spiritual freedom and positive volition to Bible Doctrine creates experiential spiritual freedom and spiritual advance.

Within our doctrine of freedom last time we took up a study of the doctrines of morality and virtue because when truth is applied it is deployed into our lives as morality and virtue.

Morality and virtue create targets for God to impute additional or "greater" grace. This is how God provides 100% of the spiritual power that is necessary to comply with His mandate to execute His plan for our lives.

This power exists for every believer as the power of the filling ministry of God the Holy Spirit and the power of God's word functioning as metabolized doctrine circulating in the believer's thinking. This is why we are what we think.

The inverse or opposite of arrogant immoral degenerate lawless Christian is the arrogant moral degenerate Christian who reject and misuse God's grace thinking that their being "righteousness" and doing good works is the basis of their blessing.

When this occurs people become legalistic and judgmental because they think they are better than others. This was the problem of the Pharisees. Luke 18:11-14;

In this case morality and the works of the Mosaic Law form self-righteousness that rejects God's grace because of self-absorbed arrogance setting up the arrogant complex of sins where the individual thinks they are superior to others.

In this case morality without humility produces the arrogance of self-deception that destroys the spiritual life. Remember the spiritual life requires humility that is comprised of the synergy created by the union of grace orientation, authority orientation and doctrinal orientation. Isa 66:1-2;

God has no alternative but to make war against all forms of arrogance under the principle that God wages war against the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble, James 4:6; 1Pet 5:5;

When the believer becomes proud of morality or tries to use morality as leverage to manipulate or guilt others or enters into some form of Christian do gooder activism or civil disobedience the believer has destroyed their spiritual life by violating the morality code of the word of God. Do gooder civil disobedience violates Rom 13:1-10.

Christian activism adopts policies that result in anti-morality when because of their self-righteousness they think that the means justifies the end. When this happens Christian activism results in the destruction of property and possibly even life, and destroys privacy thereby destroying the human freedom that is the true objective of morality.

Most detrimental is that the self-righteous arrogance and the legalism of Christian activism completely ignores impersonal love that is the mandate and objective of the spiritual life. John 15:17;

If a stand must be made because freedom is being threatened the only place a legitimate stand can be taken is at one of the boundaries of divine establishment. This means that it is legitimate to use force in virtuous violence to protect your nation, your state, your county or your town or to protect your family, your marriage, your own private property or yourself.

In this country if your beliefs are under assault because of the constitution you have the moral high ground to stand your ground or may also choose to relocate to some location where those with legitimate authority will take a stand with you at a legitimate boundary of divine establishment.

This is what the founders of our nation did when they fled the religious tyranny of Western Europe and stood their ground and fought when their freedom was threatened and attacked by King George. Rom 12:18;

Divine establishment boundaries are the only places where one's position is such that it is moral to take a stand. In some cases for the sake of the advancement of the Gospel or the plan of God it can be God's will that we choose not to take a stand at all.

This is what Jesus did because of His unique place in the divine decree. Matt 26:51-54; A guiding principle would be If in doubt and the attack is unavoidable through the application of the wisdom of God's Word (Prov 4:10-19;) suffer the wrong. 1Pet 3:17; Allow God to render His verdict in the supreme court of heaven. Rom 12:19-21;

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