“FOUR DIMENSIONS OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST”
COURSE OUTLINE
Opening Prayer
Ephesians 1:16-19, "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
Course Objectives
2 Timothy 2-25-26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
Does this sound familiar?
Romans 7:15, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
I. THE WORK OF CHRIST
A. There are four dimensions to the work or love of Christ.
Ephesians 3:17-21, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
B. There are four precepts that denote “the rest.”
Isaiah 28:9-13, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."
Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."
C. There are four measurements that take you into waters to swim.
Ezekiel 47:1-5, "Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."
II. RESTING
Full and Complete Faith/Trust. There are 4 things that lead to Trust -
Learning, Knowing, Deciding to Believe, Deciding to Trust.
A. Laboring to enter rest (believing).
Hebrews 4:10-11, "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
John 6:28-29, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
B. Take my yoke upon you.
Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
C. The rest.
Isaiah 28:11-12, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
D. Old paths.
Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
III. OVERVIEW OF MAN
Spirit, soul and body; the creation of man and his makeup. Motives – Soul divided from the spirit.
Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
1 Thessalonians 5:23, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Hebrews 4:11-12, "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Greek Words for Spirit, Soul and Body.
1.Spirit (Greek – Pneuma - powerful) A current or blast of air, breath or breeze; figurative of the human or Holy Spirit, innermost being.
2.Soul (Greek – Psuche - soft) Breath, referring to breath as in the natural breath of life; a soft breeze as opposed to a blast of air. Soul is the place - our emotions and our mind are the battleground.
3.Body (Greek – Soma) The body as a
whole; used in a very wide application, literal or figurative, usually referring to the physical body.
IV. THE FALL OF MAN
Genesis 2:15-17, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thoushalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
- The Fall.
Genesis 3:1-5, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."
- Mankind’s denial. Blame-shifting. Adam did not admit his mistake/sin. “Blameshift” Mentality (the woman you gave me). Come to the light – because there is liberty in the light.
Genesis 3:11-13, "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."
C. Corruptible seed vs. incorruptible seed.
Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
1. Incorruptible seed, where is it sown.
John 6:63, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
2. Corruptible seed, where is it sown.
1 Corinthians 15:45, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Now we know why the scripture is teaching us to find rest unto our souls. While the soul rests through faith in the work of Christ, the mind renewal process can begin while we walk in the spirit – then light can be shed upon the seed of the serpent that has been sowed genetically into the soul.
V. OVERVIEW OF MAN’S DILEMMA AND REMEDY
A. Dilemma.
Romans 7:15, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
B. God’s remedy – Re-creation - Divine nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
2 Peter 1:4, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Note: What we are talking about is regeneration through the blood of Christ grafting us into the genesis of Christ by making us partakers of divine nature.
Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Matthew 19:28, "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
VI.THREE LIFE GOVERNING LAWS
A. The Law of Sin and Death.
All of Romans Chapter 7 and 8.
James 1:13-14, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
B. Ten Commandments (From the outside - in).
Deuteronomy 5:6-21, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work, But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. "
C. Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (From the inside – out).
Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
VII. THE GENESIS OF CHRIST
John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
VIII. MAN’S REGENERATION THROUGH NEW BIRTH
Matthew 19:28, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Titus 3:5“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”
A. Regeneration factor, grace, seed in the spirit.
Romans 1:3-5, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name.”
B. Royal priesthood, chosen generation.
1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
IX. BY NATURE, DIVINE NATURE
2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
A. Instead of soul nature which is man’s replication of his former Christ life, we enter into spiritual Pheuma nature through our divine connection to the genesis of Christ in the blood of Jesus.
B. Even as in Adam, all die and received Adam’s seed and/or nature which brings death, even so in Christ, in His genesis, being grafted in by the Holy Spirit, through a divine operation made without hands, we are made partakers of divine nature.
Colossians 2:11-12, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
C. Essentially it occurred in the work of Christ wherein He wisely tricked/outwitted the enemy into crucifying Him and in that work, in the genesis of Christ, merged with us. That work is wrought in us internally by divine nature and the very work He worked to overcome the enemy is worked already for all mankind – in Him.
Romans 5:17, “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:8, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”