Lesson for June 17, 2012

Christian Integrity

DOCTRINE OF THE EDIFICATION COMPLEX OF THE SOUL

The doctrine of edification is based on the Greek noun “oikodome.”  This word for edification has a dual connotation.  Collectively it refers to the formation of the Royal Family of God during the entire period of the Church Age; i.e., the building up of the body of Christ. When the royal family is completed, the Rapture of the Church will occur.

Individually edification refers to the spiritual growth of the positive believer, and/or momentum in the Christian way of life.  Hence, the individual connotation refers to the execution of the protocol plan of God and the subsequent manufacture of the “invisible hero,” resulting in the glorification of God.

When the collective connotation is used, “oikodome” should be translated “construction, building up, or building process.” When the individual connotation is used, “oikodome” should be translated edification complex of the soul.  The collective connotation of “oikodome” is based upon our Lord’s title of King of kings and Lord of lords, the Bright Morning Star, given to Him as a result of His strategic victory in the Angelic Conflict.

The edification complex of the soul is technical nomenclature found in the epistles of the New Testament for the attainment of spiritual maturity.  The consistent function of intake and application of Bible doctrine under one’s right pastor-teacher is the only way to construct an edification complex of the soul. The mature believer possesses a completed edification complex in their soul.

Accurate Bible doctrine perceived must feed the soul of the believer for capacity.  The edification complex of the soul is the result.  The development of virtue-love is synonymous with the development of an edification complex of the soul.  You cannot have an edification complex of the soul unless you are using virtue-love within the divine power system. Virtue-love is a sign you are metabolizing doctrine. (I Corinthians 8:1; Romans 14:19; II Corinthians10:8, 13:10; Ephesians 4:12-16, 29; II Corinthians 14:5,12,26) 

Synonyms for the edification complex of the soul are:

1. “Light” is used for the divine power system and sometimes for the edification complex of the soul.
2. “Christ formed in you” in Galatians 4:19 connotes both the edification complex of the soul and spiritual self-esteem.
3. “The new man” in Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 refers to both the edification complex of the soul and divine power system.
4. “The perfect man,” in James 1:4 refers to the spiritually mature person.
5. “Imitators of God” in Ephesians 5:1 refers to following the example of Jesus Christ.

The Motivation of the Believer in Edification.

1. There are two categories of motivation.
   1. Positive volition.
   2. Humility as a mental attitude.
2. Positive volition is expressed in Romans 14:19. “Consequently, we run after [pursue] those things related to prosperity and edification.”
   1. Running, not walking, expresses positive volition toward the mystery doctrine of the Church Age, which gives us all the details regarding God’s plan, purpose, and will for our lives after salvation.
   2. These details include the perception, metabolization, and application of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age as the means of executing the protocol plan of God. The execution of the protocol plan of God results in the manufacture of invisible heroes. Invisible God plus invisible assets plus invisible power equals invisible heroes who glorify God.
   3. Prosperity and edification go together; both are the result of continual positive volition.
3. In order for perception of doctrine to occur, it is important to have a mental attitude of humility. Romans 12:2-5, “Stop being conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renovation of your thought [divine viewpoint of life] that you may prove what the will of God is; namely, the good of intrinsic value achievement [advance to spiritual maturity], the well-pleasing to God [fulfilment of the protocol plan], the mature status quo [manufacture of invisible heroes]. For I say through the grace which has been given to me to everyone who is among you: stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance beyond what you ought to think, but think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational without illusion as God has assigned to each one of us a standard of thinking from doctrine. For just as we have many members in one body and all members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.”
   1. Conformity to this world means involvement in Satan’s cosmic system.
   2. There must be a complete renovation in your thinking if you’re ever going to demonstrate what the will of God is for your life.
   3. Certain types of thinking are out of bounds, i.e., thinking related to the arrogance complex (self-deception, self-justification, self-absorption).
   4. The standard of thinking from doctrine includes every aspect of divine viewpoint, orientation to life through humility in the soul, and everything that makes us objective and teachable toward the Word of God.
   5. “Many members in one body” emphasizes that although we have different spiritual gifts and different personalities, we all belong to one royal family, the body of Christ.
   6. “Individually members one of another” refers to interaction within the royal family of God.
4. Without humility, there is neither objectivity nor teachability. Without objectivity and teachability in life, you will be miserable, whether you are a believer or unbeliever, successful or not. Without objectivity and teachability, there can be no edification complex in your soul as a believer.
5. Edification is the execution of the protocol plan of God through your daily perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.
6. Edification is the status of the invisible hero. He has completed the edification complex of the soul, the most beautiful structure in life. It is found in the soul of the invisible hero.
7. Edification is therefore impossible without humility, teachability, and objectivity.

Edification is the key to the proper function of the local church.

1. 1 Corinthians 14:12, “So also you, since you are eager to have the function of spiritual gifts, seek to abound in spiritual gifts that edify the church.”
   1. “So also you” is a Greek idiom that should be translated, “this applies to you.”
   2. The Corinthians were all eager to get the gift of tongues because it was spectacular, and then they could assume they were spiritual.  
   3. “Seek to abound” means you should give precedence to those spiritual gifts which result in edification.  
2. 1 Corinthians 14:26, “When you assemble, let all things be done for edification.” There are a number of ways in which we worship God, but they must all relate to our spiritual growth. Everything in assembly worship should be done with a view toward the objective, which is edification. The objective is to communicate doctrine, the purpose of which is to produce edification.
3. The key to the operation of the local church is edification. Edification, or the advance to spiritual maturity, is the objective of the Christian way of life.

Edification follows the pattern of the priority solution.

1. Priority #1 for edification must be perception, metabolization, and application of the mystery doctrine for the Church Age. This demands concentration under the ministry of the Holy Spirit inside the divine power system. Therefore, when doctrine is taught, concentration means there can be perception through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
2. As you give Bible doctrine #1 priority in your life, you organize your life around priority #1. Therefore, you have an organized life and your life is in order. This means you always give proper time to the perception, metabolization, and application of doctrine.
3. As you learn doctrine your thinking inevitably begins to change; there’s a “renovation of your thought” (Romans 12:2). Therefore, you begin to organize your thinking around priority #1. The more doctrine you learn, the more you organize your thinking around doctrine.
4. Mechanically, that means you use the ten problem solving devices of the protocol plan of God. As these problem solving devices are developed in your mind, you concentrate on executing the protocol plan through the doctrine you have learned. That is how you construct the edification complex of the soul.
5. The purpose of the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher is found in Ephesians 4:12, “for the purpose of equipping the saints, for the production of Christian service, for the edification of the body of Christ.”
   1. The “saints” refer to the Royal Family of God with emphasis on the baptism of the Spirit, which forms the royal family.
   2. “Equipping” is the function of the pastor who, through teaching the mystery doctrine of the Church Age, is able to see people grow and become invisible heroes.
   3. All believers (saints) are in full-time Christian service from the moment of their salvation. Christian service is the normal result of spiritual growth but never the means.
   4. Edification is the execution of the protocol plan for the Church Age and subsequent manufacture of invisible heroes, resulting in the glorification of God.
6. The spiritual momentum of the believer comes from the teaching ministry of the pastor. Ephesians 4:16, “Because of whom [Lord Jesus Christ] the entire body, being joined together [baptism of the Spirit] and being inculcated by every joint of supply [pastor-teacher] on the basis of the operational power [Holy Spirit in divine power system], in measure one [pastor-teacher] for each part [of the royal family of God]; he himself [pastor-teacher] causes growth in the body, resulting in its edification by means of virtue-love.”
   1. The function of the body depends upon the proper use of joints. Athletic coordination depends upon the proper use of the joints.
   2. So in this analogy of the pastor to the joints, it is the pastor-teacher who gives the body of Christ its function on earth by supplying the joints.
   3. The result of the communication of doctrine is the construction of an edification complex in your soul.
   4. Virtue-love includes three problem solving devices.
      1. Personal love for God the Father is motivational virtue and motivation for perception of doctrine.
      2. Impersonal love for all mankind is functional virtue. It gives one the ability to listen objectively to a pastor-teacher regardless of his personality.
      3. Occupation with the person of Christ is the ultimate.