Lesson for December 9, 2018
The Doctrine of Spirituality vs. Carnality
The Doctrine of Dying Grace and Surpassing Grace
By definition, dying grace is the spiritually mature believer’s experience of physical death or process of dying under the provision of grace whereby a believer has blessing and happiness at the time of death. His death has maximum happiness, and his soul is stimulated to the maximum in its last moments in the physical body. Not all believers go out under dying grace. Believers in reversionism do not go out under dying grace; they go out under the sin unto death. It doesn’t change their status in Heaven.
Application of the doctrine of dying grace removes the fear of death. Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the deep darkness of death.” This is describing the manner of dying and dying grace. “I will not fear” — dying grace eliminates the idea of fear connected with death. “For you are with me” — God is with every super grace believer, at the moment of his dying. Dying grace, therefore, is a super grace blessing. Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his godly ones [super grace believers].” A super grace believer gets the best possible send-off into Heaven.
Death is always a matter of the sovereignty of God, based upon His perfect character. (Psalm 68:19-20)
God can and does prolong life under certain circumstances. (Psalm 102:19-20; 12:23-24; 118:18; Proverbs 14:27) The sin unto death does not bring glory to God. (Isaiah 38:18) Dying is a promotion for the believer. (Philippians 1:21) Often, God will deliver a believer from physical death, but ultimately, we all die (unless the Rapture occurs first). (Psalm 121:7-8) A believer’s soul is delivered from spiritual death by faith in Christ. (Job 5:20; Psalm 33:19; 56:13; 116:8)
Dying grace is the experience of physical death under special blessing, the special provision of grace whereby dying is greater than living. This implies maximum happiness and maximum blessing so that dying becomes better than anything you had in life. This is the ultimate in departure from this life. Dying grace is the link between super grace blessings on earth and surpassing grace blessings in eternity. (Psalm 33:18-19)
The key to dying grace is being able to reach and experience the super grace life, which means to maintain the stability of spiritual maturity through positive volition toward Bible doctrine. (Philippians 3:12-14) We live to reach super grace, we die to reach surpassing grace. So, living a life of grace prepares a believer for dying grace.
The exception to dying grace is known as the sin unto death, which includes maximum discipline during the lifetime and increased misery and pressure in the dying stage of life. This applies to some extremely reversionistic believers who develop scar tissue on the soul and blackout of the soul. Once this believer reaches eternity, he has nothing to show for his life on the earth. He has not glorified God on earth and he will have no greater blessings in eternity with which to glorify God. (I Corinthians 5:1-5)
The Rapture generation will depart from this life without seeing death. The Rapture generation is interesting because at the time of the Rapture there will be super grace believers, those who have reached spiritual maturity and continued to advance. They will be transferred to eternity by way of the Rapture. Reversionists are also transferred to eternity, but their status in eternity with regard to blessing is dependent upon how much of the Christian Way of Life they executed while on earth.
To the unbeliever, death should be a reminder to be prepared for eternity. There is only one preparation for death and that is to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares an individual for death in the sense that he will have a resurrection body, that he will have the privilege of living forever in the presence of God. Therefore, death is settled by that decision. However, because of the doctrine of surpassing grace and because of the special blessing principle, it does become necessary to recognize that for the believer, the preparation for death is constant intake and application of Bible doctrine. For the unbeliever the death of others should be a reminder of the shortness of time and that life hangs by a very fine thread, a thread that can be snapped at any moment for any one of us. Therefore, it becomes important to constantly take in doctrine. Life is a constant preparation for death. Death is also a reminder that human gain in this life without a spiritual life is worthless. Once a person begins to die, material things fade away and only eternal things count. (Mark 8:36-37)
Surpassing Grace
Surpassing grace is the maximum place of blessing and reward, and the ultimate in glorifying Jesus Christ. Surpassing connotes something beyond super grace and beyond time. There are two special blessing in the grace plan of God: a) super grace blessings, the rewards and blessings on earth, and b) surpassing grace blessings, the special rewards for eternity for the spiritually mature believer only. Surpassing grace is the status of special blessings and rewards in eternity for the believer who reaches spiritual maturity. The consistent intake and application of doctrine is the key to breaking this barrier. (James 1:25) There are no surpassing grace blessings without the attainment of super grace blessings. (I Corinthians 3:11-15)Surpassing grace is the status above and beyond ultimate sanctification. (I John 3:2-3) Surpassing grace is the ultimate in glorifying God.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is the time of distribution of surpassing grace blessings. (II Corinthians 3:11-17, 5:10, 9:24-27)An analogy to the Judgment Seat of Christ is found in Hebrews 6:7-8. In this passage the ground is the believer with positive volition, the rain is Bible doctrine, the crops are super grace blessings, the thorns are evil, and the promises are surpassing grace blessings.The reversionist loses super grace and surpassing grace blessings, but not his salvation. (II Timothy 2:11-13)
God is not ashamed of spiritually mature believers. Therefore, He gives them fantastic blessings on earth and even greater blessings in eternity. (Hebrews 11:9-16)The key to surpassing grace blessing is pleasing God. Hebrews 11:5-6, “Without doctrine in the soul, it is impossible to please God.” The eternal holy city is used to designate surpassing grace blessings and rewards for the patriarchs and leaders of Israel. (Hebrews 11:9-10, 16, 23) “Cities” in the Old Testament are used as the equivalent of crowns in the New Testament. Only certain believers get these decorations in Heaven. Crowns and cities are used to describe our eternal rewards because actual rewards are beyond the ability of human language and thought to describe or understand.
Self-discipline and Surpassing Grace Rewards
I Corinthians 9:24-27 says that self-discipline is living your life in the light of eternity. Life is short; eternity never ends. Self-discipline requires more motivation than anything else in life. It takes self-discipline to be consistent. Once you get even a small glimpse of eternity, you will be motivated to self-discipline which is so necessary for the consistent metabolization of doctrine and resultant spiritual growth. The overriding considerations of eternity are to be more important to you than the distractions of life. Yielding to the distractions of life can produce only reversionism. Self-discipline counters this tendency and brings the believer under the academic discipline of the local church, where spiritual growth is accomplished.
The persistent metabolization of doctrine is the only source of growth. Spiritual growth occurs in the soul from words, which produce concepts, which produce categories, which develop the frame of reference for understanding more doctrine. Knowledge of doctrine leads to understanding of doctrine, which leads to wisdom (application of doctrine). You cannot read the Bible for yourself and fully understand it. Only the pastor can do that, because that is the nature of his spiritual gift. You must be taught under the principles of self-discipline and academic discipline. Through these two, you grow spiritually, receive your super grace blessings, hold on to maturity, advance to ultra-super grace, and receive your surpassing grace rewards.