Salvation is the grace gift of God to man, received by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16). No one ever earns or deserves anything from God. But in His infinite love and grace, God freely provides everything for us to have an eternal relationship with Him. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that [salvation] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9) God’s plan of “grace and truth is realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17), the uniquely born Son of God. Jesus Christ became true humanity to be our substitute and pay the penalty for our sins. When our Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross, He was judged for the sins of the world. Every sin that has ever been committed in the history of the human race was imputed to Him on the cross and judged. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24a) He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf [as our substitute], that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because of the work of Jesus Christ, salvation is available to everyone. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:31a) Believing in Christ means you accept as true the fact that He died as your personal substitute. In the moment you believe, God gives you eternal life and guarantees your salvation. Instantly, you are brought into an eternal relationship with God forever. Your attitude toward Jesus Christ determines your eternal future. You can either believe in Christ for eternal life or reject Him for eternal condemnation. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey [believe] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3;36) TEN PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICES Genuine tranquillity, contentment, and orientation to reality in the midst of the problems and hardships of life are the monopoly of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants your life to reflect the incredible inner peace that our Lord expressed under the extreme pressures of the Incarnation. During His turbulent existence on earth He overcame every slander, persecution, stress, and test that the world and the devil launched at Him. He pioneered a spiritual life now available to you, the Church Age believer. You glorify God by learning and using His system. How ridiculous to collect Bible doctrine in your soul and not apply it to your circumstances! You learn doctrine to use doctrine. Ten problem-solving devices unleash the power of metabolized doctrine that resides in your soul. Through spiritual growth you progress from the simplest faith decisions to the ultimate motivation and meaning for your existence—occupation with the person of Jesus Christ. In spiritual childhood you learn complete dependence on the infallible promises of God and the irrefutable rationales of Bible doctrine. In spiritual maturity you sustain an intense love for the Lord, express unconditional love for all mankind, and share the complete contentment that marked the unique spiritual life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Armed with these spiritual assets you cannot fail to solve life’s dilemmas. #1—Rebound How ironic that one of the exceptional mysteries in the Christian life is the meaning of and method for attaining spirituality. Spirituality, the absolute status of fellowship with God, is not dependent on pious living, penance, remorse, guilt, confession to others, but is a system of privacy and freedom that depends solely on God’s grace. You can learn in a matter of minutes the uncomplicated procedure for gaining and maintaining spirituality and use it to pursue a lifetime of meaning, purpose, and definition. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 83–90, 136–140) #2—The Filling of the Holy Spirit The biblical mandate “to be filled with the Spirit” is not an order to undergo emotional ecstatics or to raise your consciousness to mystically commune with God. Through rebound every Church Age believer has the privilege and opportunity of being controlled by God the Holy Spirit. He empowers you to reject the sin nature’s control of your life, metabolize the message from the Bible, and grow in the unique spiritual life. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 90–99) #3—The Faith-Rest Drill As a growing but still immature believer, what do you do when difficulty strikes? Do you seek counsel from others, lean on your Christian friends, or just deny the existence of a problem? Learn the technique of clinging to God’s promises until they become more real to you than your emotions, your experience, your circumstances, or your problems. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 99–208) #4—Grace Orientation Arrogance creates problems; humility solves problems. When you grasp God’s grace policy and how little you deserve the inconceivable bounty He provides, your soul is humbled within. Learn humility—the attitude for teachability and problem solving—and build Christian virtue. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 200–277) #5—Doctrinal Orientation How can you concentrate on your obligations and enjoy a relaxed mental attitude when problems intrude on every aspect of your life? Learn to think with the “mind of Christ” and apply that thinking to your circumstances. When you are inculcated with doctrinal norms and standards, you rely on the Lord, make good decisions from a position of strength, and employ the problem-solving devices of spiritual maturity. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 277–325) #6—A Personal Sense of Destiny Do you recognize your personal potential in the plan of God? Do you have a sense of your spiritual destiny? With confidence born from a ripening spiritual maturity you can learn to live in the light of an eternally secure future. Adversity fades in proximity to the spiritual self-esteem generated from a limitless relationship with the Lord. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 326–513) #7—Personal Love for God the Father When you understand God’s perfect essence and orient to His grace and His Word, you become motivated by an attitude of admiration and reverence toward Him. You learn to conform to His precedent of virtue and integrity. This motivational virtue based on absolute confidence in the divine ability to care for you supports and sustains momentum for problem solving and courage in the face of adversity. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 514–517) #8—Impersonal Love for All Mankind What is the most severe test in life? People! Learn to exhibit virtue-love, even toward those who are obnoxious or evil. When you obey and imitate the Lord, you can repay insults with patience and humility, antagonism with compassion and kindness, and reserve the tranquillity in your own soul. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 675–708) #9—Sharing the Happiness of God Does your happiness depend upon people, circumstances, or the details of life? Learn to have an attitude of optimism, confidence, animation, and joy in the face of adversity, stress, and pressure. When your spiritual life takes precedence over circumstances, you carry God’s happiness with you as a constant companion. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 781–790) #10—Occupation with the Lord Jesus Christ Are you always looking for a role model in life? You already have one! During the Incarnation, our Lord displayed impeccable spirituality, faith-rest, grace and doctrinal orientation, fulfillment of His destiny, personal and impersonal love, and the happiness of God. Now, your mental attitude can reflect the ultimate problem-solving perspective through occupation with Him. (Series No. 376, Spiritual Dynamics, lessons 929–930) Contact / Ordering Post Office Box 460829 Houston, Texas 77056-8829 (713) 621-3740
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 04:45:00 +0000
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