The doctrine of glorifying God, Part 2, John 15:8.

Title: The doctrine of glorifying God, Part 1, John 15:8.

John 15:8"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

Doctrine of glorifying God.

Point 1: Definition: Glorify - to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration.

Point 2: The description of how does a Church-age believer glorify God.

The production of divine good by the mature believer is the normal Christian way of life; therefore it is the attainment of spiritual maturity that glorifies God.

Glorifying God is attaining the life beyond gnosis and the life beyond dreams, EPH 3:19-20.

EPH 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

EPH 3:20Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

EPH 3:21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

The precondition of the life beyond gnosis and the life beyond dreams is knowing the plan of God and the love of Christ.

EPH 3:14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

EPH 3:15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name [prayer and the divine decree],

EPH 3:16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;

EPH 3:17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

EPH 3:18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

EPH 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

The precondition of knowing the plan of God and the love of Christ is knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ through the inculcation of doctrine.

This is the function of discipleship.

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

1 John 2:2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 2:3And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep [guard] His commandments [categorical doctrines].

1 John 2:4The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

1 John 2:5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

1 John 2:6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Therefore, PVTD and the filling of the Spirit are abiding in Christ as the branch abides in the vine.

The doctrine necessary for knowing God, coming to love God, having the love of God and understanding of the PPOG for the life beyond gnosis and dreams comes from your right pastor-teacher.

EPH 4:12 [He gave the PT] for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

EPH 4:13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

The only production or service that glorifies God in the Church-age is that which results from the metabolization of mystery doctrine and spiritual growth.

EPH 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles —

EPH 3:2if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;

EPH 3:3that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

EPH 3:4And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

EPH 3:5which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

EPH 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

EPH 3:7of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

EPH 3:8To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,

Mystery doctrine = the inexhaustible wealth that belongs to the humanity of Christ as He sits at the right hand of God.

Hold your place:

COL 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

COL 3:2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Col3:3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

COL 3:4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

EPH 3:8To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,

EPH 3:9and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;

EPH 3:10in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

EPH 3:11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

 “eternal purpose” = the predetermined plan of the ages. It was not God’s directive will that Israel reject Christ, but it was a part of His predetermined plan of the ages.