The election of Jesus Christ, part 7; Election benefits to the bride of Christ; John 15:16.Title: The election of Jesus Christ, part 7; Election benefits to the bride of Christ; John 15:16.
9. Christ has completely fulfilled His own election and therefore the election of Israel and the individual Church-age believer are completely fulfilled since they depend on His election alone.
Therefore, there is nothing to add to your election in Christ. The benefits, privileges, and blessings of election in Christ are yours to maintain through positive volition or lose through negative volition.
The great benefits and blessings of an election realized reside in the mental attitude of the believer. The soul becomes the true battleground of PV and NV.
Rom 8:29-39.
Election benefits: predestination, justification, glorification, God always for us, intercessory ministry of Christ, uninterrupted love of Christ, all problems conquered, uninterrupted love of the Father, and the potential to have the mind of Christ.
Col 3:12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on [clothe yourself] a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
The correct word order: “Clothe yourselves therefore, as elected ones of God, set apart and having been loved with the result that you keep on being loved …”
“… clothe yourselves with an inner heart of grace compassion, a grace disposition of generosity, a mental attitude of grace, meekness, and steadfastness.”
Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Col 3:14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond [cement] of unity [completeness or spiritual maturity].
“And upon these things put on agape love, which is the cement of spiritual maturity.”
Eventually there will be personality conflicts in the local assembly which can hinder your intake of doctrine and cause division. God’s solutions to our trouble with RMA is forgiveness and agape love. God doesn’t advocate personality change because inculcation of doctrine will change the inner personality by manifesting a RMA.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule [umpire] in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
“And the tranquility [blessing, prosperity] of Christ be the cause to umpire your hearts, into which also you were elected into one body, and keep on being thankful ones.”
Whenever an adversity hits your soul, your mental prosperity from Christ, which is maturity in His system of thinking will umpire that thought so that it does not become stress and thus maintaining your tranquility.
2 Cor 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Every believer has been elected to tranquility of heart. A stressed believer is saying no to his election.
And God will not give you more than you are able to bare. Either you fail to apply what you have learned, or you have not learned by ignoring doctrine. Every believer has been called to a doctrinal pastor teacher and they are responsible for what their pastor has taught.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you [have a soul saturated with doctrine], with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
“Let the word of Christ keep on indwelling you abundantly, in all wisdom…”
Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word [not in terms of speaking but in doctrine = MA production] or deed [overt production], do all in the name of the Lord Jesus [according to His method], giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
“do in word” = mental attitude production; “deed” = overt production; do all according to the person of the Lord Jesus [according to His method].
Election benefits: a heart at peace and not at war, a life of grace orientation, thankfulness instead of complaint, and the production of divine good.
2 Thess 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
“God has elected you from EP for deliverance by means of sanctification [being set apart] of the baptism of the Spirit [deliverance from second death] and belief in the truth behind all things [deliverance from all enemies in life].”
2 Thess 2:14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ [the supergrace life].
“the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,” – the super-grace life, the life of total soul prosperity.
2 Thess 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught [letters and teaching of the apostle], whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
“stand firm under pressure and hold to all the categories of doctrine that you were taught by letters or by direct communication”
This passage reiterates the opposition against the super-grace life. Any place grace is in action the enemies of God take up arms in the form of false doctrines, evil, and lies.
Opposition in the age of Israel was against the nation as the client nation and people of Christ. Opposition in the age of the HU was directed against TLJC, but now He is out of their reach as He sits at the right hand of God. Therefore; in the Church-age the opposition is against the individual believer for the first time in human history. They can’t attack Christ any more so they go after those in union with Him.
Doctrine with the FHS is the only power greater than them and so they attack the pastor-teacher, the individual believers in the local assembly, and the doctrines of the ministries of God the Holy Spirit. You have the most attacks and the most doctrine to believe in. Do you think you should be passive with your election in Christ?
2 Thess 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
Verse 16 is a reminder that every believer has been elected to a resurrection body and a perfect environment for all eternity to cause us to reflect on that as a manifestation of God’s infinite love.
2 Thess 2:17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. |