Lesson for May 31, 2020
Suffering and Testing in the Christian Life
Lesson 3
Suffering and Testing
Suffering for Blessing
I Peter 5:10, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” God is a good Father and wants only the best for His children (believers in Christ). However, God recognizes the fact that a certain amount of testing is necessary for believers who are advancing in the Christian Way of Life. Therefore, God periodically sends a test for the purpose of accelerated spiritual growth. This testing is in no way meant to hurt spiritually maturing believers or make them miserable. If God does not believe a believer can handle testing, He will not send it. It is an honor and privilege to be counted worthy by God to be tested. When God sends a test to a believer, the end result when the test is passed is blessing from God because the believer has developed the capacity to handle it and appreciate God, and the resources He provides to handle the test.
For believers who have advanced into spiritual adulthood, there are three categories of suffering for blessing: 1) providential presentative suffering 2) momentum testing 3) evidence testing. All three categories are designed by God for accelerated spiritual growth. There are three categories of spiritual adulthood: 1) Spiritual self-esteem, which is spiritual self-confidence, the beginning of the effective function of the Ten Problem-Solving Devices of the Protocol Plan of God and providential preventative suffering 2) Spiritual autonomy, which is spiritual independence and the continuation of the effective function of the Ten Problem-Solving Devices of the Protocol Plan of God and momentum testing 3) Spiritual maturity, which is spiritual invincibility and the maximum effective function of the Ten Problem-Solving Devices of the Protocol Plan of God and evidence testing.
Spiritual Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is defined as respect for self, satisfaction with one’s self or a good opinion of one’s self. Self-esteem is confidence in what you know, and how to put it into operation. Spiritual self-esteem is all of the above from a spiritual perspective that results in maximum humility on the basis of the Bible doctrine in your soul. Spiritual self-esteem is confidence in God, and confidence in the Word of God. It is not confidence in Human Viewpoint Thinking. (Romans 12:1-3)
Spiritual self-esteem is attained through building a spiritual life within our souls. Living the spiritual life means understanding how the Christian Way of Life works related to our Portfolio of Invisible Assets, the Problem-Solving Devices and to everything that God has given us. An understanding of the mechanics of the Christian Way of Life is the first step in the development of spiritual self-esteem. Having attained spiritual self-esteem means you can make proper doctrinal applications so that your life becomes full of meaning, purpose, and definition. Spiritual self-esteem means the effective use of the Problem-Solving Devices. A successful Christian experience during life’s disasters includes the following: 1) Occupation with Christ replacing self-absorption. Therefore, you meet the disaster through the principle of occupation with Christ 2) Impersonal love for all mankind replacing preoccupation with people 3) Sharing the happiness of God which includes tranquility of soul and contentment replacing eyes on the circumstances that surround you.
In spiritual self-esteem, a believer keeps priorities aligned with accurate Bible doctrine. Priority number one is to learn accurate Bible doctrine. Priority number two is to apply what you learn which results in divine production. Spiritual self-esteem keeps Christian service in proper perspective. Spiritual self-esteem gives you the spiritual knowledge to know the difference between human good and divine good.
Reaching spiritual self-esteem occurs through the consistent study and application of doctrine which develops doctrinal orientation and the following: 1) humility, without which there is no teachability in life 2) avoidance of selfish ambition and selfish competition 3) spiritual common sense and good judgment related to the divine viewpoint of life 4) correct and accurate application of Bible doctrine which destroys any distortion of the truth and any attempt at self-justification 5) understanding and utilization of the Problem-Solving Devices as a way of life 6) Divine Viewpoint Thinking instead of Human Viewpoint Thinking so the believer is thinking the thoughts of Christ 7) making good decisions from a position of strength to replace bad decisions from a position of weakness.
Spiritual self-esteem is synonymous with a personal sense of destiny. The doctrinal status of spiritual self-confidence means that doctrinal concepts are fully realized, though perhaps not fully developed. You have attained the first objective with regard to spiritual self-esteem, but that objective needs to be stabilized by the application of accurate Bible doctrine. Personal love for God the Father and impersonal love for all mankind are stabilizers and motivators for continued spiritual advance. Spiritual self-esteem eliminates emotion as a criterion for the spiritual life. The spiritual life is a system of thinking under the filling of the Holy Spirit. When spiritual self-esteem uses the Problem-Solving Devices of personal love for God the Father and impersonal love for all mankind, it establishes two things which stabilize spiritual self-esteem: an organized system of humility (teachability) and focus on God and His Word which replaces self-absorption (eyes on self).
A believer with spiritual self-esteem continues to make Bible doctrine the number one priority and fulfills the command of Philippians 3:16, “Let us keep on living by that same standard to which we have attained.” A believer with spiritual self-esteem is not discouraged by the setbacks in life. Therefore, he is free from self-pity, which is the function of self-absorption. The momentum of spiritual self-esteem eliminates the three risk factors upon entering the adult spiritual life: 1) sins of arrogance 2) emotion as a criterion for the spiritual life and 3) incompetent problem solving. Spiritual self-esteem begins with the effective harmonizing of all the Problem-Solving Devices into one effective system.
Spiritual self-esteem is related to all ten of the Problem-Solving Devices of the Protocol Plan of God. Spiritual self-esteem means confidence in the Rebound Technique rather than in the shock of one’s sins. A person’s personal sins are never as important as what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the Cross about our sins.
We will fail and shock ourselves from time to time, but we will never shock God. Spiritual self-esteem is the knowledge that after Rebound, the believer has recovered fellowship with God and is filled with the Holy Spirit no matter how he feels. How you feel about your sin or failure is never the issue; the issue is what the Bible says and applying that knowledge.
Spiritual self-esteem emphasizes the reality of the Faith-Rest Drill over the reality of one’s problems, adversities, disasters and stress situations. Spiritual self-esteem is grace orientation rather than circumstance orientation. Too often, we think that our happiness depends on the circumstances around us. Our circumstances are not the issue in the Christian Way of Life. Bible doctrine must be more real to us than our circumstances. Spiritual self-esteem is sharing the happiness of God in every circumstance of life whether it is good or bad.
A believer who keeps learning and applying accurate Bible doctrine eventually gains spiritual self-esteem. Spiritual self-esteem is not arrogance; it’s wisdom. Wisdom is the result of the study and application of Bible doctrine to our daily experiences. Bible doctrine in the soul is guarded by the rate of learning exceeding the rate of forgetting. Scar tissue of the soul replaces doctrine when the rate of forgetting doctrine exceeds the rate of learning doctrine. This means that believers must be consistent and persistent in Rebound when necessary so that their spiritual lives stay on track.
Spiritual self-esteem functions through “the mirror into the soul” concept. No Bible doctrine in the soul results in no “mirror into the soul.” Knowing who you are in Christ and what you have as a result of the study and application of Bible doctrine develops the Christian life into a life of humility (teachability), Christian integrity (a strict adherence to the truth of the Word of God) and consistent utilization of the Problem-Solving Devices.
Spiritual self-esteem is that virtue (strength of character) of the Protocol Plan of God whereby a believer’s self-confidence is based on accurate Bible doctrine which has been learned and properly applied. The secret to spiritual self-esteem is love and respect for God and His Word and understanding the tremendous difference it will make in your life when you attain it.
Many privileges are given to believers at the moment of salvation and many are given after salvation. However, opportunities must be seized by personal volition. As a believer, you are the most privileged person on the face of the earth, but at the same time you may be missing the opportunities for fantastic blessing by not executing God’s plan, purpose and will for your life. Spiritual victory comes over a period of time as a believer makes thousands of right decisions regarding God, himself, others and circumstances. Winning the spiritual victory is done by a believer who is being empowered by God the Holy Spirit as he organizes his life around right priorities: Jesus Christ must be the most important Person in your life, learning and applying accurate Bible doctrine must be placed above personal pleasure, others or your career, and a strict adherence to the truth of God’s Word must drive every decision you make in life. (Ephesians 4:14-15)
Privilege in life is always accompanied by responsibility. This is also true with the Royal Family of God. Our first responsibility is to God as Royal Priests, and we also have a responsibility to others as Royal Ambassadors. Christ’s victory on the Cross secured potential for us to win spiritual battles and ultimately win the spiritual victory. As believers, we all have equal privilege and equal opportunity to live the Christian Way of Life. Some believers will choose to do so, and some will not. Those who choose to embrace and fulfill their responsibility to God will experience a victorious life of peace, happiness, success and fulfillment that only God can provide. Spiritual self-esteem is characterized by the status of “Christ being formed in you.”(Galatians 4:19)
The Test of Providential Preventative Suffering
Once a believer enters into spiritual self-esteem, it might be easy to forget the source and cause of this advanced status of spiritual growth. Therefore, God in His wisdom uses suffering for blessing to keep a believer on track spiritually. By doing this, God accelerates the momentum of a believer so that he continues to advance and depend on God and His Word instead of self. Suffering for blessing therefore prevents a believer in spiritual self-esteem from becoming arrogant or self-righteous. We call this suffering for blessing while in spiritual self-esteem, providential preventative suffering. Providential because it is from God, preventative because it prevents reversionistic tendencies and suffering because it is a test involving suffering. The Apostle Paul experienced this type of suffering as recorded in
II Corinthians 12:7-9 called a thorn in the flesh.
Paul had one of the greatest experiences in the Bible when on the way to Damascus as an unbeliever, recorded in Acts 9:3-9 and II Corinthians 12:2-4. Acts 9:3-9, “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” This light is described several times: verses 4, 7, 8. The light was literal, but the Light was also the Lord Jesus Christ who spoke to Saul of Tarsus. In verse 8 it was a blinding light. It was so bright that it blinded Saul temporarily, and he was helpless in his blindness. It was an arresting light, according to verse 7. The entire party was halted, and no one moved while Jesus Christ spoke personally with Saul. It was an awesome light. The entire party was speechless—no rebuttal, no one had anything to say. It was a powerful light in verse 4. It knocked Saul down. Also, in verse 4 it was a revealing light. Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Saul at this point.
He didn’t hear any voice until he was flat on his back. Heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”This was a very unusual statement, for this reason: Saul knew immediately, because he has been knocked down, that the Person speaking to him was God. I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. He used the word “Jesus” because this is the title for the humanity of Christ. Saul hadn’t persecuted Christ personally, but he had been persecuting believers, and since these believers were in union with Christ, he was actually persecuting Christ. So, here was the first introduction to the doctrine of positional truth.
Paul trusted in Christ while he was flat on his back and is saved now. The first thing he is going to have to do now is wait. Jesus Christ dealt with Saul only; He did not deal with the men of “his army.” Paul was now completely helpless. He had been blinded temporarily and instructed to go into the city, and to sit down and wait. There is a principle here. God doesn’t need human ability and success to get the job done. No novice should be shoved up in front of others as a testimony, and this ruins many people. Jesus Himself dealt with Saul of Tarsus, and now Saul was to wait. The first thing you do as a Christian is to get some doctrine and to grow spiritually before anything else, just as Saul did.
II Corinthians 12:2-4, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows) such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” In order for Paul not to become arrogant over his experiences on the road to Damascus and being taken into the third Heaven where he saw Jesus Christ face-to-face, God sent him a thorn in the flesh. This was Paul’s providential preventative suffering designed by God to keep Paul from becoming arrogant. Paul attempted to use prayer as a solution to this suffering, but prayer is not a problem-solving device. Paul’s application of doctrine was incorrect. Paul should have never asked God to remove something that was designed for his benefit and accelerated spiritual growth. But, like us, Paul was human and wanted the suffering to stop. But God had a lesson for Paul to learn, as He does for every advancing believer and that lesson is to depend upon God’s power and the Bible doctrine in your soul. Paul did finally learn the lesson and passed this important test. What Paul learned was that God’s grace is sufficient for any test in the Christian life because in our weaknesses, God power is made strong. A believer cannot execute the Christian Way of Life without the supernatural power of God the Holy Spirit and accurate Bible doctrine in his soul. Human solutions to divine testings are no solutions at all. Only by relying upon the grace and power of God will a believer be able to pass the test of providential preventative suffering.