Lesson for January 15, 2012
Christian Integrity
Spiritual Aristocracy
The divine power system was designed by God specifically for the Church Age in which we live. This privilege was never given to any other dispensation in history. The divine power system was actually designed for Jesus Christ to sustain Him while in His humanity upon earth. This system could not be given to believers before Jesus Christ had tested and proved it throughout His life. He did prove this system as He accomplished His mission of paying the penalty for mankind’s sin, earning Him the title of King of kings and Lord of lords. As royalty, He founded a new royal dynasty called the Royal Family of God. During the Church Age, God the Father is forming a royal family for Jesus Christ as people place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
As God, Jesus Christ’s title is Son of God and His family is God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As a man, Christ’s title is Son of David and His family is the royal line of King David. As the God-man, Jesus Christ’s title is King of kings and Lord of Lords and the bright morning star and His family is being formed during the age in which we live. These last two titles signify Christ’s battlefield royalty in winning the strategic victory over Satan. When Christ arrived in Heaven after His resurrection and ascension He was awarded these last two titles. As royalty He needed a royal family, which according to Scripture is the Church, the body of Christ and the bride of Christ, which is being formed during the Church Age. Everyone who believes in Christ becomes a member of Christ’s royal family forever and has access to the divine power system. (I Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16, 22:16)
As a man Jesus needed divine support. Remember that He was born a little lower than the angels. He waged war with Satan and demons while in His human body and subject to their tactics. However, Jesus received maximum divine support from the divine power system insomuch that His entire life reflected the character of God. As a matter of fact, as a demonstration of His love, the divine power system was designed by God the Father to sustain Christ and allow Him to win the strategic victory over Satan.
God the Father combined the principles of personal love and impersonal love and added the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to form a power system to sustain His Son while on earth. Given at the virgin birth to Jesus, this power system enabled Him to live a life free of every category of sin. (Isaiah 11:1-2; John 3:34-35; Luke 2:40; Colossians 1:19)
Fifty days before the Church Age began Christ prophesied to His disciples that they would receive the same power system that had sustained Him. Ten days after Christ ascended to Heaven and was seated at the right hand of God the Father, the Church Age began. It began on the Day of Pentecost as Jesus had prophesied, with the giving of God the Holy Spirit to all believers alive at that time.(Acts 2)
As part of the original power system designed by God the Father, Jesus Christ passed on to us the love complex which includes personal and impersonal love. Jesus Christ lived and functioned for thirty-three years within this system and now we are commanded to live within this same system. Just as Christ succeeded in fulfilling the Father’s plan for His life, we have the opportunity to do the same. No, we cannot live a sinless life as Jesus did, but with the Rebound Technique (acknowledging our personal sins to God) we can recover instantly from the power and control of the sin nature. Therefore, we can execute God’s plan, purpose and will for our lives. (John 15:9-10)
Believers who reside and function within the divine power system they are described as “filled with the Spirit,” walking by means of the Spirit,” “to be cleansed,” “has put on Christ,” “walking in love,” “loves others,” “resides in God’s love,” and “they are holding their ground against Satan and his demons with the full armor of God.” Each of these phrases describes a different aspect of the Christian Way of Life when utilizing the divine power system. (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16; I John 1:9; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 5:2; I John 3:23; John 15:9-10; Ephesians 6:11)
Christ won the strategic victory in the Angelic Conflict and established a new order of royalty called the Church. Since we depend entirely upon Jesus Christ, we must emulate His pattern as our prototype living within the power system that God has given to us. By following His example, we can manifest the superior life we have as Royal Family of God. Royalty is to live by a superior code. We do not simply follow the Laws of Divine Establishment, which are for all human beings. As Christians, we are to follow the Royal Family Honor Code and develop integrity in our souls as a result of functioning within the divine power system.
The Angelic Conflict began with the arrogance of Lucifer (Satan’s original name before he rebelled). Isaiah 14 details the thinking of Satan sometime in eternity past. As the most beautiful and powerful angel that God ever created, Satan eventually became full of self-pride and longed to take over God’s position. In Isaiah we see what is commonly called “the five I wills” of Satan.
In Isaiah we can clearly see Satan’s arrogance in phrases such as, “I will ascend into Heaven,” which means that he wanted to replace God, sit on God’s throne. Also a phrase like “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” shows his ambition to be ruler. The phrase “I will sit in the mount of the congregation” means he wants to rule over all creatures. We also see that he wanted to replace God as the Sovereign of the universe by the phrase “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.” And finally we see Satan’s power madness in the phrase “I will be like the Most High.”
The result of Satan’s arrogance was that he revolted against God. During his revolt he led one-third of the angelic host with him. As a result, God cast them from Heaven to the earth. Satan and his angels were sentenced to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. Satan apparently appealed God’s sentence and mankind was created to revolve the appeal. (Revelation 20:10; Revelation 12:3-4; Ezekiel 28:15-17; Matthew 25:41; I John 3:8)
God’s Game Plan for Believers
Generally speaking, God’s game plan has several characteristics.
- It has a purpose which is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. By the execution of the Christian Way of Life, believers win the tactical victory over Satan, thereby exploiting Christ’s strategic victory to the fullest.
- It has an objective which is to grow to spiritual maturity. Living within God’s power system, believers can achieve the goal of spiritual maturity.
- It has a policy which is grace. God’s policy is always grace in the administration of His plan, purpose and will for mankind.
- It has a protocol which is obedience to the mandates of God. Happiness within the power system of God is based on the execution of precisely correct procedures.
- It has a system which is virtue first. Virtue is defined as the highest qualities of excellence, honor, morality and strength in a person. Foundational virtue is directed toward God’s authority in the form of humility, which is teachability. Motivational virtue is directed toward God because of His great love for us as individuals, which motivates us to want to know and serve Him. And functional virtue is directed toward mankind and circumstances as we apply the truth of God’s Word to every situation we are faced with as believers.
- It has a point of reference which is the love of God. God’s great love for us and our great love for Him leads to impersonal and personal love for others. Some in our periphery will experience our personal love, but most will experience our impersonal love for them.
- It has an authority which is the Word of God. Bible doctrine reveals the essence and character of God and how He deals with mankind. Our response to His Word determines what our spiritual lives will look like.
- It has a result which is good decisions from a position of strength within the divine power system. Stability and control are the ultimate result of making good decisions.
- It has an enemy which is Satan and his cosmic system. Satan’s cosmic system erroneously counterfeits God’s power system using emotion, self-righteousness, guilt and fear to control and manipulate people into believing his lies.
There are certain principles that if followed will provide the necessary strength to make good decisions, take complete control of your life and acquire a personal sense of destiny, all within the framework of God’s divine power system.
These principles which should become priorities are as follows:
- In God’s plan, Mandates First
- In God’s system, Virtue First
- In God’s purpose, Christ First
- In God’s policy, Grace First
- In God’s objective, Momentum First
- In God’s authority, Bible Doctrine First
Making these six principles a priority in one’s life will result in a life that is superior to anything that can be produced outside of God’s power system. All that Satan’s cosmic world system has to offer cannot compare to what one has inside the divine power system that God has designed for believers.