Lesson for May 26, 2024

The Fragmented Life

Lesson 4

Negative Volition

I Timothy 6:3-4,“If anyone advocates a different [false] doctrine and does not agree with sound words (doctrine), those (doctrines) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness [life inside the Divine Dynasphere], he is conceited (arrogant) and understands nothing; but he has a sick craving (obsession) about controversial questions and disputes about words (doctrines) from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between people of depraved mind and depraved of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”

A fragmented life is the result of negative volition by a believer. This negativity may come immediately after salvation or later as a result of neglect or rejection of God’s Word.

There are three stages where doctrine can be rejected:

1. Gnosis Stage – negative volition rejects doctrine at the reception stage by failure to be consistent in the exposure to Bible teaching. This stage is due to an attitude of subjectivity which fails to believe the Word of God as it is taught accurately.
2. Epignosis Stage – negative volition rejects doctrine at the retention stage by rejecting the doctrine heard at the gnosis stage. Retention is the ability to remember and recall academic (gnosis) doctrine that has been converted into spiritual (epignosis) knowledge by the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. Application Stage – negative volition rejects doctrine at the recall stage by failing to apply accurate Bible doctrine to experience because of self-righteousness arrogance, self-justification, self-deception, or self-absorption.

Spiritual growth comes in two ways: 1) from doctrine retained 2) from doctrine recalled and applied. A fragmented life may listen to doctrine and reject it, may understand doctrine and reject it, or may recall doctrine and reject its application. The filling of the Holy Spirit provides equal privilege and equal opportunity to learn Bible doctrine, therefore we have no excuse to be ignorant of Bible doctrine. If a believer is ignorant of Bible doctrine, when adversity or prosperity comes, they will not be able to handle it. You must know truth to apply truth. If you are ignorant of doctrine, you cannot apply doctrine.

There are three stages to understanding and using Bible doctrine. The major distraction to this is preoccupation with self. Even though someone may allege that they want to learn Bible doctrine, preoccupation with self (arrogance) results in negative volition regarding the execution of God’s plan for their life. The three stages are:

1. Reception:
   1. Finding the right pastor who is faithful in the accurate teaching of Bible doctrine systematically
   2. Consistent, if not daily, exposure to Bible teaching either through attendance at a local church where doctrine is taught, through the internet, audio, tape, video, radio, television, or the printed word.
   3. Positive volition toward Bible doctrine. This means doctrine has #1 priority in your life, and nothing takes precedence over it, including Christian service.
   4. Concentration and the avoidance of distractions, regardless of the source.
   5. Living in the Divine Dynasphere, where the Holy Spirit teaches Bible doctrine as it is communicated by your pastor. The communication of doctrine always includes the principle that no one can learn doctrine on their own. God has delegated the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher for the communication of doctrine.
2. Retention: Retention is the spiritual function of converting academic doctrine into spiritual knowledge. This is a function of your positive volition under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
   1. Only accurate Bible doctrine can provide spiritual growth and momentum when it is properly applied. It is the only way to fulfill God’s plan for your life.
3. Recall:
   1. Recall is the application of Bible doctrine to the experiences of life. It is the practical use of doctrine that accelerates your spiritual growth and the fulfillment of God’s plan.
   2. It is the necessary means to handle adversity and prosperity with the Problem-Solving Devices. And it is the means of sharing the happiness of God.

Galatians 6:7-9, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this they will also reap.For the one who sows to their own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”

Negative volition comes in many forms in the life of believers. For example, there are believers who fail to make studying and learning Bible doctrine a priority in life. They give a “nod” to God by attending a church service once or twice per week but neglect His Word the other days of the week. One or two hours of Bible study per week seems like a very small amount of time to give God. There are 168 hours in a week, 2 hours is a little over one percent of the week. We reap what we sow!

The Greek word for destruction is “phthora” and means to bring into an inferior or worse condition. This would describe believers who are out of fellowship with God and being controlled by their sin nature (flesh) through negative volition. They have destroyed their spiritual lives.

Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.There is a solution to every problem, including negative volition. If you truly love God, you will want to learn all you can about Him by spending time in His Word. Being persistent, without becoming discouraged, will benefit you as a believer in a multitude of ways. And your persistence will pay great dividends when you appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

II Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for their deeds done through the body, in accordance with what we have done, whether good or bad.”