Follow The Colors
Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be
sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins]
(1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready
to learn Truth from the Word of God.
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.
(John 4:24)
THE CHALLENGE TO FOLLOW THE COLORS
Since the dawn of civilization, warfare has played a major role in the
affairs of mankind. (Gen 4:22-23) The Bible testifies to this fact, not only by
Prophecy, (Gen 3:15; Matt 24:6-8; Rev 6:2-4) but also by historic
commentary. A great number of the Inspired writers of the Canon of
Scripture; utilized warfare idioms and metaphors to express Doctrinal
Thoughts. It is significant, therefore, that the example of Spiritual maturity,
(SPIRIT AND TRUTH; John 4:24) should be described in the Scriptures in
terms of military terminology.
Down through the ages, military organizations have employed various
types of regimental standards or flags by which soldiers could recognize their
unit amidst the confusion of combat. For example, emblazoned on the ancient
Roman standard was a proud silver spread eagle, a bolt of lightning in its
beak, with the initials S.P.Q.R. (Senatus Populusque Romanus} (The Senate
and the People of Rome) and the number of the particular legion prominently
displayed. Napoleon’s regimental flag, which can still be seen hanging in the
Invalides in Paris, also boasted the eagle on the red, white and blue French
Tricolor, with a wreath in the white area that contained the number of the
fighting unit. Every regiment in the War Between the States possessed its
own colors, and under the earlier system of close-order battle, a single
standard was borne in front of the entire legion or regiment.
With the introduction of the modern military tactics of extended order of
battle and dispersion of troops, the army developed the guidon system. Every
regiment was assigned its own particular colors, and each company or troop
carried its individual guidons. These were small, swallow-tailed flags bearing
the colors, insignia and number of each company. The crossed saber emblem
graced the yellow Cavalry streamer; crossed muskets, the blue and white
Infantry guidon; and crossed cannons, the scarlet Artillery flag. Whatever the
system of identification, the colors were the tactical means for rallying the
troops in the heat of battle!
Guidons not only served as an aid to organization but kept the military unit
together so that at the point of contact with the enemy, the attacking force
was better able to exploit the impact of a breakthrough. The battle cry,
“FOLLOW THE COLORS,” became the command to join the fighting and
strike a mortal blow against the enemy; to fight to attain the high ground —
the place of victory!
In a very real sense, the Command to follow the colors is issued to every
believer by Jesus Christ, the Supreme Commander of the heavenly host.
(Stay in fellowship and Think with Truth; UNTIL DEATH!) The Church Age
believer’s Salvation and regeneration have enlisted him permanently in the
ranks of the Royal Combat Divisions of the Family of God. Whether he so
desires or not, the Christian finds himself in enemy territory, in COSMOS
DIABOLICUS. (Satan’s world system) He is in the world, but not of the world.
(John 15:18-19) He is locked in invisible but deadly combat with an unseen,
mighty foe the devil and his demonic army. (Eph 6:12) This invisible warfare,
(“The angelic conflict”) will not terminate until the end of time; after the
Millennium.
In a military situation, the term “STRATEGY” defines the deployment of
troops over an extensive geographical area. Strategy serves the purpose of
attaining the best possible position from which the enemy can be attacked
and annihilated, while the term “TACTICS” refers to the movement of soldiers
on the battlefield.
In the angelic conflict, Jesus Christ won the STRATEGIC VICTORY by
His substitutionary death on the Cross, His burial, resurrection, ascension and
session at the right hand of the Father. To Satan and his demons, the
bruising of the Savior’s heel, (Gen 3:15) signaled the inevitable destruction of
every fiendish plan since Eden, (1Jn 3:8-10) as well as their ultimate doom.
(Matt 25:41) To the believer, the Cross meant a share of the spoils of victory.
(1Co 15:57; Eph 4:8) When Jesus Christ took our place on Calvary and was
judged for the sins of the entire world. (1Jn 2:2) He provided not only eternal
redemption for all mankind but also the most advantageous position for
defeating our greatest antagonists: The world, (What people, news, and
celebrities, think is real and or important) the flesh (The old sin nature; lust of
the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life) and the devil. (Twisted false
Biblical Truth and or religion) Human false realities, our old sin nature and the
satanic onslaught will always challenge us on the battlefront of our thoughts.
(2Co 10:3-5) Every combatant in the angelic conflict can draw limitless
equipment from the Divine arsenal! (Eph 6:10-18) Every believer has the
opportunity to achieve TACTICAL VICTORIES in his Spiritual warfare! As we
once exploited the strategic victory of the Cross by personal faith in the Son
of God, (Acts 16:31) so we are now exhorted to FOLLOW THE COLORS by
a consistent intake of Truth. By means of that same Truth resident in our
souls, we advance to the HIGH GROUND OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY. Once
we have seized the high ground; which constitutes the normal Christian life,
we are Commanded to HOLD that position by continued positive volition
toward Truth and unfailing application of the Divine Viewpoint to every
Decision in life! This booklet is therefore intended to challenge the Christian
soldier to ADVANCE toward the objective the victory of the mature Christian
life.
OUR LORD’S DYING COMMAND TO FOLLOW THE COLORS
Victory in ancient warfare, as well as in more recent times, was always
related to the following of the colors. During the War Between the States, the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina, a crack regiment commanded by a twenty-one-
year-old full colonel, Henry King Burgwyn, was ordered to charge the famed
Iron Brigade, composed of the Second and Seventh Wisconsin, the
Nineteenth Indiana and the Twenty-fourth Michigan Regiments. After a
challenging speech, Colonel Burgwyn concluded: “Since you will be unable to
receive any commands from me during the noise of battle, I am issuing one
order right now — Close in on the colors!” The new regimental colors, just
issued by the State of North Carolina, were then uncased and placed unfurled
before the regiment. “Now,” he commanded, “all you men have to do is to
FOLLOW THE COLORS!”
Proud to be the first standard-bearer, though knowing full well he would
not be the last, J. B. Mansfield stepped smartly forward four paces to the
front of the line. Inevitably, color-bearers suffered a high mortality rate; and
true to form, eight color guards and ten standard-bearers had been shot
down by the time the North Carolina reached the main Federal line. At this
point in the battle, Captain W. W. McCreery, a staff officer, brought the order
to advance. So inspired was he by the fervor of those gallant men that he
picked up the fallen colors, waved the flag and dashed to the front of the line
to urge the regiment on. He had advanced only a short way when he too
collapsed, five bullet wounds in his chest.
Lieutenant George Wilcox rushed forward and pulled the blood-covered
flag from under the body, and again another valiant confederate fell after he
had advanced only a few steps. At this juncture, the regiment wavered, but
Colonel Burgwyn seized the colors and shouted, “Dress to the colors!” As he
moved forward, a young private, Frank Honeycutt, sprang from the ranks to
relieve the colonel too late. Colonel Burgwyn was struck in the chest, mortally
wounded. Honeycutt too was shot down instantly.
Although the colors changed hands thirteen times in all, that dauntless
regiment, outnumbered two to one, carried the hill and drove back the
powerful Iron Brigade. The North Carolinians suffered 71.7 percent casualties
— the third highest loss of any regiment in the Confederacy; but they had one
order — FOLLOW THE COLORS — and follow they did, to the death!
The Principle of victory was always the same: follow the colors! Yet
historically this dramatic and heroic action constituted a custom which
resulted in the loss of too many men and was thus discontinued toward the
turn of the century. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, one of the last men to
carry the colors was a young trumpeter in the First of the Fourteenth Infantry.
He carried the colors over the walls of Peking and planted the American flag
atop the rampart. For this courageous ascent, trumpeter Titus won the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
The last time the British Army carried its colors into battle was at Majuba
Hill, in NW Natal, a province of South Africa. Here, on February 27, 1881, a
British force of approximately five hundred men was soundly defeated by 150
Boer troops under the command of P. J. Joubert. The British suffered 93
killed, 133 wounded and 58 captured, while the Boers took only six
casualties. In order that we might understand our mission on earth, the Lord
Jesus Christ presented to the Royal Family of God its regimental colors and
issued the command to follow the colors and to seize and hold the high
ground of Spiritual maturity! While Truth forms our regimental colors, we can
advance only through the residency of Truth in our souls. This advance
demands a positive attitude toward the Word and a consistent function of the
grace apparatus for perception. (Operation Z)
Illustration
During the Incarnation, Jesus Christ Himself followed the colors to the high
ground, which culminated in the most dramatic and significant event in history;
the Cross. From there, He passed the colors on to us. This heritage of Truth
for the Royal Family of God can be discovered by tracing through four
Verses of Scripture, three from the Synoptic Gospels and one from the Old
Testament. Each Gospel writer placed a special emphasis on some phase of
the subject.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
(Matt 27:50)
“Cried” (Aorist active participle of KRAZO) is the key in this verse. The
constantive aorist, which gathers up into one entirety the action of the verb
and takes us from its beginning to its conclusion, describes the actual
SOUND of our Lord’s dying words, He screamed or shouted with a loud
voice! “Yielded up” is the culminative aorist of APHIEMI and views the event
from its existing results — His physical death. However, Matthew does not
give the content of the shout uttered by Jesus. Mark sheds further light on the
Concept of the constative aorist.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. [Expired]
(Mark 15:37)
Here, “cry” is the aorist active participle of APHIEMI, again a constative
aorist. Matthew used this same verb for the physical death of Christ, but
Mark uses it to emphasize His BREATH control. The constative aorist
describes the last breath of our Lord. Literally, “And Jesus, having exhaled
with a loud voice, expired. [By His own volition] (John 10:17) While Matthew
portrays the loudness of the sound, Mark indicates that Jesus exhaled these
words and by an act of His own volition did not inhale again. Mark
demonstrates that when Jesus uttered His last words, He was fully conscious
and lucid. Had Jesus bled to death, He would have fainted; yet He was in
perfect control of all His faculties, a fact also established by John in his
report: “. . .And he [Jesus] bowed his head. . .” (John 19:30) His head
remained upright until He had finished His mission.
Neither Matthew nor Mark reveals the content of the message. Now Luke
amplifies Jesus’ last sentence on the Cross by giving a partial quotation.
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, INTO YOUR
HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. Having said this, He breathed His last.
(Luk 23:46)
In the English, the word “crying” appears a third time. This time, however,
it is the constative aorist active participle of the verb PHONEO and means “to
vocalize.” By using this Greek verb, Luke emphasizes CONTENT. The
Scriptures now reveal the words spoken by Jesus. From the three Gospel
writers, we conclude that what the Lord said was important, as indicated by
His loud voice; He had perfect control, and His words were clearly
enunciated. “COMMIT” (PARATITHEMI) means “to deposit”; the aoristic
present indicates that only a portion of His sentence is recorded. The
completed message is stated Prophetically in the Psalms. (Psa 31:5)
It is interesting to note that all four Gospels have significant information
that compare and contribute to the period of Christ’s physical death; in each
instance, the culminative aorist is used. Matthew said, “APHIEMI” — the
sound was discontinued at the point of His last exhale. Mark and Luke used
EKPNEO to indicate that at the close of His words, Christ did not inhale
again. John emphasized the sixth cry of Christ on the Cross and used yet
another word for His physical death — PARADIDOMI — which means “to
deliver over.” (John 19:30) This word stressed that Jesus had no further need
for breath or physical life once His work was completed. He therefore
delivered over His human spirit to God the Father. His Spiritual death
provided for our eternal Salvation; His physical death provided for our
Spiritual sustenance in time. Consequently, what Jesus said just before He
died physically is so vital, that no member of the Royal Family of God can
afford to miss it!
Into Your hand I commit my spirit: You have ransomed [Delivered] Me, O
LORD God of Truth. (Psa 31:5)
“Commit” (PAQAD in the Hebrew) also means “to deposit.” “LORD,” the
Tetragrammaton, Jehovah, refers to a specific Person in the Trinity — the
Father. LORD is followed by an unusual word for “God” — EL — which
directs attention to His power and sovereignty. Next, the Psalmist, and later,
Christ stated the basis of His deliverance: “Truth.” (EMET) This Hebrew word
designates the source of our Lord’s deliverance and refers specifically to the
Word of Truth. Thus Christ literally addressed the Father as “Jehovah, God
of Truth!”
What sustained our Savior on the Cross? What preserved Him and gave
Him strength to bear our sins? What kept His mind clear and alert? Why was
He able to say, “TETELESTAI — It is finished?” Because of the Bible
resident in His soul! (Isa 53:11) He had matured Spiritually and physically with
maximum Truth in His soul. (Isa 7:14-15; Luk 2:40-52) The means of our
sustenance in Phase Two by which we may fulfill the Father’s Plan is that
very same strength which sustained our Lord throughout His ministry and His
deaths (Spiritaul and then physical) on the Cross. From there, in His dying
breath; He passed on the colors to the Royal Family. It is our mission to stay
in fellowship and Think with Truth until death! (Rev 2:10)
ENLISTMENT INTO THE ROYAL COMBAT BATTALION
The primary purpose of the Church Age is the formation of the Royal
Family of God. Upon an act of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, each
believer becomes a son who is brought unto glory. (Heb 2:10) You may well
ask, “Why, then, am I left on earth after Salvation?” The answer is that your
transfer from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God is a Spiritual
transfer and does not in any way imply an immediate PCS. (Permanent
change of station) Rather, upon your regeneration and accompanying
enlistment in the Royal Combat Battalion, your life has taken on a special
meaning. In the tactical disposition of His Royal Troops, Divine Omniscience
has allotted every believer a specified portion of time and a place on earth
where he can best serve his Lord. (Acts 17:24-28)
Lack of sound Doctrinal teaching has spawned many misconceptions
regarding the believer’s purpose in the Christian way of life. Among these are
the garbled opinions that for the remainder of your life, you must “suffer for
Jesus!” Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our continued presence upon
the earth is never a matter of what we can do for God, but what He can do
for us; be obeying the Command to stay in fellowship and Think with His
Thoughts! (Gal 5:16-25) However, God’s continuous provision of your daily
necessities is only a part of His design. The real reason why God has left us
here is so that He can be glorified by BLESSING US in the devil’s world! In
order that you might fully realize these blessings, you must understand the
separate categories, (Spiritual, temporal and eternal) of the very special Plan
God has for your life.
The entire Plan can be summed up in one word Generosity! Since God is
perfect, His Plan is perfect and complete. He needs no help from us in its
execution; and because GRACE is the issue, the Plan depends solely on Who
and What God IS! The Plan of Grace falls into five general categories.
(1) SAVING GRACE (Phase One) encompasses all that the Trinity has
accomplished for our Salvation: the Father’s Design, the Son’s Performance,
and the Holy Spirit’s Revelation of the Plan. While He hung between heaven
and earth, Jesus Christ died twice. His first death was a substitutionary
Spiritual death in which the sins of the world past, present and future were
poured out on Him and judged. This was the three-hour period when Jesus
was forsaken by God the Father. Upon its completion, Jesus cried, “It is
finished” (John 19:30) Salvation was provided in full; nothing can or need be
added to it!
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that [Salvation] not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one
may boast. (Eph 2:8-9)
The shadows of the Old Testament became Reality. Once a heavy curtain
barred entrance into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle; to all but the
Levitical high priest. (Heb 9:7-9) Now the way into the literal Holy of Holies —
the very presence of God — has been opened for all mankind.
(Heb 10:19-20) We enter by faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the Truth, and the life; no one comes
to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)
They said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household. (Acts 16:31)
(2) LIVING GRACE (Phase Two) includes all that the Trinity must do in
order to keep the believer alive in the devil’s world. Phase Two begins
immediately after Salvation and continues until death. Since God has
assigned each believer a certain span of time on this earth, no person,
neither angel, nor any circumstance can remove you from this life until your
allotted time has expired. (Rom 8:38-39) For this phase of the Plan of Grace,
God supplies the “beans and bullets,” those necessities in the physical and
Spiritual lives of His Family. There are the daily needs, such as food, shelter,
transportation and clothing; but more important. He has provided the drill
manual for the Christian soldier — The Bible; Truth — and Operation Z for
perception; and to sustain us in the Spiritual realm and to enable us to reach
the objective of Spiritual maturity — this is the tactical victory of the angelic
conflict!
Upon the resurrection, ascension and session of Jesus Christ, the Father
proclaimed: “...SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A
FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.” (Heb 1:13) In effect, this was the
announcement that the strategic victory of the angelic conflict had been
accomplished: Satan and the fallen angels were condemned; their sentence
is pending final execution at the close of the Millennium. Jesus Christ now
needed a Royal Family to celebrate and record the strategic victory. Thus, at
the moment of Salvation, as a part of the Plan of Grace, every believer is
placed by the Holy Spirit into union with Christ, given forty Spiritual assets
and made a member of the Royal Family of God.
God the Father attached such high value to the strategic victory of the
Cross, resurrection, ascension and session that He interrupted the Jewish
Age, which still had seven years to run, and instituted a complete change in
the Spiritual history of the human race. A new dispensation was ushered in
the New Covenant — Church Age; as the first group to use the New
Covenant Spiritual life. (Heb 10:15-17) The next dispensation to use it will be
the Tribulation and then the Millennium. (Jer 31:33; (2Co 3:5-10; Heb 8:7-12)
The Royal Family of God became heirs to the strategic victory of Christ and
was given the means to attain tactical victory in the angelic conflict. Just as
royal offspring in the human realm receive special grooming for their eventual
function as royalty, so nobility in the Spiritual realm must also be educated in
a certain way. Therefore, an entirely new system has been defined in this
dispensation for the communication of Divine will and Truth.
No longer is there a specialized priesthood functioning under the Tribe of
Levi and the family of Aaron. No longer is there an extensive system of ritual
portraying Christ and His work on the Cross. No longer are there prophets
ordained of God to proclaim the Word, either in writing or verbally. No longer
is the Nation of Israel the custodian of the Canon of Scripture; this is now the
heritage of the Church. In order that every member of the Royal Family of
God might receive his portion of the Word on a consistent basis, a new
classroom has been established — the local church; and now the computer;
for the DAILY reading and learning of God’s Thinking — and a new
communicating vehicle — the gift of pastor-teacher.
(3) SPIRITUAL MATURITY (The “greater grace” of; Jas 4:6) is the high
ground of tactical victory in the angelic conflict; and the objective of the
Christian life. This is the place of maximum utilization of grace in either
adversity or prosperity and the area of reaping what God sows! Basic for the
normal function of the royal priesthood, adulthood status is the initial stage of
Spiritual maturity. Every believer has a mature-grace category of blessings
designed in eternity past just for him. Characterized by temporal blessings of
contentment in any and every situation! (Php 4:11-13; (1Ti 6:8-9;
Heb 13:15-16) As well as Spiritual blessings, (Occupation with Christ, sharing
God’s happiness, capacity for life, love, freedom and respect for authority)
the adult Spiritual life is the road to glory for that believer who has maximum
Truth in his soul. These mature-grace blessings are the “spoils of victory,”
anticipated Prophetically by the prophet Isaiah.
As a result of the anguish of His soul, [Christ’s] He [God the Father] will
see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge [Divine Thinking] the Righteous
One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the
booty [His reward] with the strong; [Mature believers] Because He poured out
Himself to death, [Spiritual and physical death] And was numbered with the
transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the
transgressors. (Isa 53:11-12)
The strategic victory of our Lord demanded His triumphal procession into
heaven and the distribution of the spoils of victory. The spoils would be
divided in two directions: first, to the Old Testament believers, who would be
transferred into the third heaven from Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom to wait
until the time of their own resurrection. (Eph 4:8-10) More specifically, the
spoils relate to all Church Age saints, who are Royal Family forever and the
recipients of the bountiful riches that correspond to our privileged position.
“Therefore” in the Hebrew of (Isa 53:12) introduces a strong conclusion.
As a result of the strategic victory of the Cross (Isa 53:11) God the Father
would “divide or cause to distribute spoils to the victorious One the — Lord
Jesus Christ.” The dividing of spoils is portrayed throughout Scripture by the
victory celebrations of the ancient world.
The Roman celebration was one of the most spectacular and unusual of
any recorded in history. It often lasted as long as fifty days, depending upon
the number of campaigns and victories. During the celebration, the heroes of
battle were presented with various awards earned for bravery in action.
These were not decorations, such as are given for military heroism today, but
large monetary rewards, which ranged from fifty to two hundred thousand
dollars. Their system of honoring individual heroism was the splitting of the
plunder to the victors. In addition to the presentation of the rewards, the
booty and the prisoners were paraded in the famous triumphal procession;
for a month the entire army was honored with parties, feasts and promotions!
God the Father presented to Jesus Christ in His triumphal procession the
spoils of victory because: “My Servant will justify the many” — those who
believe in Christ. Notice the sequence: God the Father gave the spoils of
victory to Christ: Christ, in turn, “divides the spoil with the strong’ [The
“mature ones”] — believers who have attained Spiritual adulthood and
beyond. We know from, (Eph 4:7-11) that these spoils mentioned in the
Isaiah passage anticipate certain unique features of the Church Age: A Royal
Family; the baptism of God the Holy Spirit, whereby every Church Age
believer is entered into union with Christ and lives in the “Palace,” (The
completed New Covenant Spiritual life) the written Word and or Bible
Thinking; in the filling of God the Holy Spirit. (1Co 4:20; John 4:24)
The greater portion of the blessing which God has designed for believers,
is related to the mature status of growth in the Spiritual life. Our present
Dispensation of the Church is the age of splitting the plunder of the strategic
victory of Christ! Ours is the privilege of advancing to the high ground of
Spiritual maturity — the tactical victory of the angelic conflict!
(4) DYING GRACE constitutes the transfer of the mature believer into
heaven under conditions of special blessing, whereby dying becomes even
greater than living. Dying grace is the golden bridge between the mature
blessings of time and the surpassing grace blessings of eternity. (2Ti 4:7-8;
Heb 11:13)
(5) SURPASSING GRACE (Phase Three) embodies the special blessings
and rewards that belong to the Spiritually mature believer in eternity. If you
have experienced your mature category of blessing in time, God has even
more superabundant blessings for you in eternity, called “surpassing riches of
His grace” in, (Eph 2:7). Above and beyond the normal blessings of heaven,
such as those described in, (Rev 21:6-7) these are reserved for those
believers who seize and hold the high ground of Spiritual maturity in time.
The issue is, how can a believer advance from the status of “buck private
in the rear ranks” (Spiritual infancy) to that of “field grade officer” (Spiritual
Maturity) in a minimum amount of time; so that he can fulfill his purpose in
Phase Two and receive maximum blessing? The answer lies in following the
regimental colors of Truth. How this is accomplished, is the subject of four
passages of Scripture: (Heb 10:32-39; Heb 11:1-3; Heb 12:1-3; Php 3:3-21)
TAKING THE HIGH GROUND
Hebrews 10:32-39
Beginning the Advance
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you
endured a great conflict of sufferings. (Heb 10:32)
“But” (The particle DE) is used in the Greek language for continuity of
Thought. Here it sets up a contrast between the previous six verses
concerning the carnal believer, whose life has little purpose or definition and
whose destination is judgment, (Heb 10:26-31) but for the Spiritual believer
walking in fellowship, whose objective is the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
(Heb 10:38-39) We advance by following the regimental colors of Truth;
therefore, the Command, “dress to the colors,” will now be explained.
“Call to remembrance” (ANAMIMNESKO) means to recall something
again and again; to remember a moment of happiness, a loved one, some
triumph or an event that you have enjoyed in your life. You do not spend
every waking moment remembering, but memories will recur at successive
intervals all your life. That is the meaning of the iterative present tense used
here. In the preparation for the advance, the Christian soldier must expect
Commands: consequently, this phrase is in the imperative mood. (A
Command)
What are the mechanics of remembering again and again? The function of
memory resides in the soul. The soul area contains: self-consciousness,
(Awareness of your own existence) volition, (Freewill) faith, emotion,
conscience, (Norms and standards) and mentality, which is divided into two
lobes. The right lobe is the dominant lobe of the soul, designated in the Greek
by the word KARDIA. (Translated “heart” in your English Bible) “Heart” is
never used in a physical sense; it always refers to the Thinking part of the
mentality. The left or perceptive lobe, where all information first enters, is
called the NOUS (Translated “mind”) and acts as a staging area for
knowledge. When, under the filling of God the Holy Spirit; (Which neutralizes
the influence of the old sin nature) we accept the initial Information, it is
transferred to the right lobe and processed into the frame of reference, the
memory center and the vocabulary storage. As you begin to put words
together, your vocabulary increases and you develop categories. The greater
your vocabulary, the better you can Think and the more capacity you have for
life! The right lobe also contains a “launching pad” for the application of Truth
to experience; that constructs the Divine Reality in our human spirit!
(1Ti 6:20-21) We must be equipped in order to advance. (2Ti 3:16-17) Many
times in warfare the lack of equipment has neutralized a great thrust. At the
Battle of Shiloh, the Confederates had U. S. Grant’s Yankees backed up
against Pittsburgh Landing. Just as they were on the verge of a great victory,
the Southerners ran out of ammunition. The Federals, with plenty of
ammunition, rallied and overcame the weaker bayonet charge of the
Confederates. If, as believers, we are going to take the high ground, we
need sufficient ammunition on the launching pad in the right lobe; hence, the
importance of transferring Truth from the Bible into the mentality of the soul.
Truth on the printed page has no value to you whatsoever; until it becomes
resident in your soul! It must permeate the frame of reference and the
memory center; form vocabulary and categories and be moved onto the
launching pad. Here in the right lobe is the area where you fulfill the
Command to recall to memory. Holding Ground in Prosperity or Adversity.
What is it that must be remembered over and over again? The Jews were
commanded to “recall the former days in which after you had become
enlightened, [Truth resident in the soul] you held your ground in a great
conflict of sufferings.” The “former days” relate us to the interpretation of this
passage. The Book of Hebrews was originally addressed to believers in
Jerusalem in A.D. 67. They had the advantage of sitting under some of the
greatest Bible teachers of all time. These Jews had begun to advance
Spiritually; they had been following the colors, as demonstrated by the next
phrase, “being enlightened.” Even though they were advancing into the enemy
fire of persecution, they remained positive to Truth. This is brought out by the
verb “endured,” (HUPOMENO) which means “to remain, to stay under
pressure.” In military terminology, they held their ground! In the ancient world,
the method of advance involved moving for a short distance, then holding the
position; moving again, and holding. At one time, the Jewish believers were
following this Principle, just as many of you may have been. What stopped
your advance? You may have had a shock; perhaps you discovered that
believers have old sin natures! Someone rubbed you the wrong way or said
something that shocked you. You became disturbed and bitter and rebelled
against Truth. As a result, you no longer exposed yourself to the teaching of
the Word, and you became a casualty in the conflict. What happened to the
Hebrew believers who had been advancing so well? When God began to
send blessing their way and they became prosperous and successful, they
failed to pass the prosperity test. (Deut 8:11-14) The greatest danger in
prosperity is to lose track of the Source and to assume YOU had something
to do with your promotion or success. When you lose the grace perspective,
you neglect Truth. Neglect and rejection of Truth go hand in hand and lead to
reversionism. This was the case with the believers in Jerusalem. What was
the result of their reversionism?
In A.D. 67, the believers in Jerusalem had drifted back into the Temple,
where the veil had been replaced and the old ritual worship of the previous
dispensation had been resumed. In their reversionism, they preferred to
stand before a veil which proclaimed, “Keep out,” rather than to enjoy the
privileges of living in the real Holy of Holies beyond the veil. God Himself had
ripped the veil apart from top to bottom; but many of these Jewish believers
did not recognize the significance of the torn veil. Why not? Because they had
retreated and fallen away from Truth. This passage is designed to warn us
as it did those Jews in Jerusalem.
There is no temple today or people returning to offer animal sacrifices at
its brass altar, described in, (Heb 6:6) as “crucifying the Son of God afresh.”
There are believers, however, who peel off because they prefer
entertainment or a program for the young people or a church social life over
Thinking with Truth; and cannot endure the teaching of the Word day after
day. This is characteristic of so many in fundamental Christianity and is the
reason that fundamentalism is presently at an all-time low. The majority of
fundamentalists are no longer sticking with Truth nor taking it in; they have
gone A.W.O.L. from following the colors. Instead, they pursue many forms of
allurements and “thrilling” experiences to satisfy their negative volition. As a
result, they have fallen by the wayside and are failing to continue the advance
toward the objective!
Notice in, (Heb 10:32) You must remind YOURSELF over and over again
that Truth, (THE MIND OF CHRIST) is more important than anything else in
life! Every believer in Jesus Christ has one objective in Phase Two; to move
to the high ground; not to be caught up in some “service” organization to
assuage a guilt complex or to gain a certain social standing or to get
sidetracked by doing good works. There are many barricades and dead ends
that hinder the advance to the high ground. When these arise, it is necessary
to stop momentarily and hold your ground. You MUST keep taking in Truth or
you will succumb to the pressure and retreat into carnality and reversionism.
Remember that the Christian life is a disciplined life! (An ordinary, organized,
routine life; with self-command self-limitation and self-restraint; with no
nonsense, no silliness and no absurdity!)
Our purpose as a believer is related completely and totally to Truth. It is
more essential for us to make Truth resident in our soul than to accomplish
anything else in life! Our capacity for life, our happiness and blessing, the
glorification of God and the nobility of the Christian life are linked to Truth. All
service and function in the Christian life is a matter of guidance based on
Truth. This does not mean that everyone must pass out tracts on the street
corner, knock on doors, witness to a specified number of people or spend an
hour a day in prayer. Certainly, the production of Virtue is a definite part of
the Christian life; but it must come as a result of Spiritual maturity! Doing
things without Spiritual growth is Satan’s plan! All that the Bible Commands,
will be fulfilled according to our Spiritual gift; ONLY when Truth is resident in
our soul!
What is the means by which we receive our colors? Just as the colors of
the military represented authority in battle, so God has provided a system of
authority by which we are to take in the Word; the gift of pastor-teacher.
Even royalty is subject to higher authority. In the Royal Family of God, two
systems of authority must be recognized: an outer authority — the pastor-
teacher; and the inner authority — the Bible: Truth, the very Word of God
Himself, Who is the highest Authority of all! No one can learn from a teacher
unless he respects his authority. It is the pastor-teacher’s responsibility as
the commanding officer to pick up the Standard and to lead his congregation
to the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
In warfare, distinct orders are absolutely essential. Accurate knowledge
based on reconnaissance information relative to the situation, the terrain, the
enemy, the supporting forces and the ultimate objective must be transmitted
before the troops can move out. Confused and unclear orders lead to
confusion and needless casualties on the battlefield and often result in tactical
defeat. History is strewn with the wreckage of mismanaged warfare. One of
the most famous occurred during the Crimean War at the Battle of Balaclava.
The poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, graphically describes the tragic episode in
his epic poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew someone had
blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to
do and die. Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred.
As part of the only major cavalry action of that war, the Light Brigade was
plummeted into disaster by a series of unrealistic orders, both written and
verbal.
Even greater is the need to avoid tactical defeat in the angelic conflict,
where this same Principle for the necessity of clear-cut orders also applies to
the Spiritual realm. Drawing from the military of the first century, the Apostle
Paul metaphorically states the importance of implicit instruction. (1Co 14:8-9)
God has never left any believer in the dark with regard to the exact plan for
his life. (1Co 14:20) Divine instruction is never obscure where the Word of
God is rightly divided! Commands from the heavenly Headquarters are never
unclear. Because of His perfect essence, the Divine Commander in Chief has
all the facts on which to issue His orders for your life. It is the mission of the
pastor-teacher to relay the orders to his “unit” from Headquarters through the
clear teaching of the Word of God.
Combat Support
The success of all military operations requires the joint action of the
fighting units and their combat organizations. Modern combat support is many-
faceted. It involves the personnel whose duty it is to keep the front-line troops
well supplied the “beans and bullets” Concept. Although these support teams
are not actively engaged in battle, they are nevertheless essential to the men
on the battlefields. Theirs is the responsibility to supply the fighting men’s
equipment, ammunition, arms; to repair and keep in working order all
machinery; to handle all transports, clothing and field kitchens — in short, to
render the services needed to maintain a mobile and effective fighting force.
In the Spiritual sense, effective combat support is equally vital to the
Royal Family’s advance to the high ground of Spiritual maturity. The believer
behind the lines can no more afford to desert his post than the believer who
spearheads an assault in the forefront of the angelic conflict. Once combat
support breaks down, the team can no longer function as it should. This was
the case among believers in Jerusalem in A.D. 67 — a serious situation that
had to be rectified. The unknown writer of the Book of Hebrews subtly
braced the recipients of his letter by reminding them of their former status:
Partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and
tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.
(Heb 10:33)
In a superb expression of sanctified sarcasm, the writer resorts to the
classical Greek: the word translated “partly” is the accusative neuter singular
from the demonstrative pronoun HOUTOS and is coupled with the affirmative
particle MEN. I sometimes think of classical Greek as a “gingerbread”
language. Its unexpected use in the straightforward language of the common
or Koine Greek provides an eloquent contrast and aptly conveys the writer’s
point.
Once these Jewish believers had followed the colors of Truth. Not only
had they emerged victorious from the fires of persecution but had in turn
given combat support to others who suffered even greater affliction. When
they had tasted success and prominence; they had made friends outside the
periphery of the Royal Family of God and had become casualties to a
barrage of flattery! Consequently, they were immobilized by approbation lust,
neutralized by that devastating mental attitude sin of pride! “You were once
great believers,” the writer reasons, “but now you have developed a grossly
exaggerated sense of self-importance.” “Although God has blessed you —
you are ashamed to acknowledge Him or the other members of the Royal
Family!” Spirit-filled sarcasm is a legitimate weapon when its use becomes
necessary in the local church. The effectiveness of sarcasm lies in its indirect
attack, in the subtle way it jabs its unsuspecting victims. A verbal parry of this
nature could be compared to the gentle words of a lieutenant whose platoon
has just retreated down the hill. Can you visualize the impact this little speech
would have on its hearers? “Well, now, fellows, what would you like to do?
Charge up the hill again? No, I can see you wouldn’t. So, Private McDougal, if
you will break out the petunia seeds, we’ll all plant a flower garden right here!
And Specialist Hennesey, you set out the hollyhocks. Sergeant Thomas will
be in charge of making pink lemonade, while I send back the beans and
bullets for some watercress sandwiches; and then we’ll all just relax here and
have a tea party!”
John Brown Gordon, the Confederate General and Georgia statesman, a
believer who distinguished himself in brilliant campaigns in the War Between
the States, was noted for his biting sarcasm. His men were known to have
often pleaded in embarrassment, “General, lead us on!” It is possible to
become so accustomed to the incessant shouts of “Don’t!” “Cut it out!”
“Stop!” That these cease to be effective. But introduce a change of pace for
contrast now and again, and presto! You have the attention of all in your
vicinity!
This tack is pursued in the phrase, “being made a public spectacle.”
(THEATRIZOMAI) (Theater) The Jewish believers in Jerusalem who were
under great pressure and ridicule had become a source of embarrassment to
some of their fellow believers. Yet, who were those maligners? Were they
vital to the Plan of God or to His scale of values? Not at all! These
inconsequential and petty individuals had become important only because the
believers had lost their perspective. Embarrassment reflects a lack of poise,
a lack of concentration on Who and What Christ is. If you are ashamed of
your church, of your Christian friends or of carrying a Bible, it is a sure
indication you are not following the colors. You are bogged down in a ditch
and not advancing in the Christian life. A hypersensitive person is a miserable
person!
The second “partly” introduces the problem of the believer’s social life.
Pressure had been brought to bear on these Christians to follow the “religious
crowd” instead of following the colors of the Bible. If you discover that you
are more attracted to unbelievers and or carnal believers outside the
periphery of your church than you are to your own kind, or if you are
embarrassed by certain believers who find themselves in a period of
adversity; then you have lost your grace perspective! Has it ever occurred to
you that some Christians around you may be under persecution for taking a
stand for the Lord? Yet by taking in Truth these very persons may be steadily
advancing toward the high ground while you stand still! Are you going to align
yourself with them, or will you slink off in cowardly retreat toward
reversionism?
The specific lesson derived from these two verses is the Concept that we
are in the same ranks with other members of the Royal Family; therefore, our
social life should always be directed toward members of the Royal Family of
God! Only in unbroken ranks can we stand by each other in the pressures
and persecutions which all believers undergo at one time or another in the
devil’s world. We become support units to one another in our tactical advance
to the higher ground.
But remember [Keep remembering] the former days, when, after being
enlightened, [Truth in our soul] you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
partly by being made a public spectacle [Theater] through reproaches and
tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers [Team spirit] with those who
were so treated. (Heb 10:32-33)
Team Discipline and Authority
For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the
seizure of your property, knowing that you have for [In] yourselves [Truth and
the new creation] a better possession and a lasting one. (Heb 10:34)
(SUMPATHEO “to suffer with,” from which we derive the word
“sympathy”) has a slightly different meaning in the Greek than in the English.
Sympathy to most people implies tenderness or sweetness; but “to suffer
with” is actually a term which expresses the Principle of group discipline. It
does not announce an emotional activity, as exhibited today by socialism or
the “brotherhood” movement, nor is it referring to a love-your-enemies
operation which advocates that Americans give comfort to our enemies in
wartime. Such “sympathy” is not only grossly misplaced but actually
constitutes treason! True sympathy based on the Principles of the Word of
God takes awareness of Divine establishment and the Divine institutions.
Biblical sympathy includes killing the enemy in order to preserve the freedoms
of our country, our homes and our families. (Team spirit) (Neh 4:14)
SUMPATHEO says in effect that the dynamics and capacity for life reside
in the function of discipline. There can be nothing of value in this world without
discipline in every area of life! The reason we enjoy freedom is that someone
else submitted to discipline, responded to authority and allowed himself to be
molded along with thousands of others into one well-trained team, ready to
cope with any emergency in the national entity! A military organization cannot
function successfully without group discipline and authority. Raw recruits must
suffer with their fellow soldiers under a “beast-barracks” (Difficult) system of
discipline and authority. No matter how they may chafe under its severity or
disagree with its method, they keep their minds on the objective! When finally
they are whipped into a perfectly coordinated unit; then they will have the
ability to advance in unbroken disciplined ranks to victory.
This Principle of sympathy was best expressed to me by a young
lieutenant who graduated first in his Ranger class at Fort Benning, Georgia,
one of the toughest training schools in all of the military experience. He
related that the commanding officer of his group said, upon completion of this
rigorous course, that he loved them too much not to train them adequately for
battle! THAT is “sympathy!” The development of self-disciplined individuals
being merged into a disciplined team. Whatever the system involved, no one
can advance toward the goal unless he first recognizes authority!
The Jews were reminded of the fact that they had once submitted to the
authority of the Word. Together with their fellow believers, they were
following the colors toward the high ground of maturity. This may be true of
many of you. You have been taking in Truth every day; and as you are well
aware, this requires self-discipline, concentration and respect for both the
authority of the Word and the authority of the pastor-teacher. There are times
when-you may not enjoy a certain passage because the Concepts delineated
step on your toes. But if you remain objective, learn the Principles and store
them in your frame of reference, you will advance to the high ground of
Spiritual maturity. By so doing, you have manifested true sympathy for other
believers as well as for your nation; for the Spiritually mature believer is truly
a patriot and a contributor to the preservation of his country! (Matt 5:13)
“For you even demonstrated sympathy to those in the embarrassing
position of being prisoners.” Many of the believers in Jerusalem were being
cast into prison because they refused to renounce their Testimony for Jesus
Christ and Truth. Let’s face it, a prison sentence, no matter how unjust,
carries with it a blemish. Yet the Jews who were free were not ashamed to
be associated with these victims of persecution. Why not? Because they
were not ashamed of their Lord!
Not only did they team up with those who were unjustly imprisoned, but
they also “accepted to [Themselves] with happiness the plunder of [Their]
material possessions.” Scores of wealthy and successful believers had been
dispossessed of money, homes and livelihood; yet their mental attitude had
remained stabilized. Why? They lived by the Divine Thinking of Truth! Thus
their scale of values was fixed, and the norms and Standards of the
recipients of this Epistle placed Christ’s Thinking above all else. The details of
life — job, materialistic possessions, health and or people — can be removed
or lost; yet as long as Truth is the sentry of your soul, you will always be on
top of life. No fiery dart of the enemy will be able to demolish your inner
fortifications.
You see, these early Christians KNEW something: KNOWING! (Present
active participle of the verb GINOSKO) This retroactive progressive present
means what had occurred in the past and continued to the time of their
reversionism. Notice where the knowledge is located: “in yourselves” — not in
a book. It is always what you know Spiritually that counts! By the time
adversity strikes, the knowledge must have already been transferred from the
Bible to the human spirit. A Ranger may carry a manual on an FX, (Field
exercise) but once he is under fire, it is too late to pull out his manual and
thumb through it to find the page which outlines the correct procedure. His
reactions must be instinctive and automatic; the THOUGHTS must be
ingrained in his soul before he ever goes into combat. This is developed
through persistent training, study and discipline. So it is with believers: it is
not what is in the Bible that will see you through the emergency situations; it
is the Truth resident in your soul!
What did the Hebrew believers know? That we have (ECHO — “to have
and to hold”) a better possession, (Truth) and one which is constantly
enduring. Believers have something now and in the future that is absolutely
perfect a possession that cannot be lost: God’s Thoughts! Truth is permanent
just as God is permanent! (2Jn 1:2) Through Truth, you have the opportunity
now to anticipate heavenly riches. Although the glories of eternity are future,
you can begin to prepare for them in time. Just as military victory is achieved
through aggressive action, so it is in the Christian life: by moving out on the
offensive with positive volition, by taking in Truth through the daily function of
Operation Z, you will obtain Spiritual victory and have heaven on earth!
Once Truth permeates your soul, you have the world by the tail. Neither
adversity nor success can defeat you! You have but one enemy to fear —
your own negative volition toward Truth! When you reject Truth, you will
destroy your own soul as surely as these Jews finally did. They succumbed
to the pressure and assault of legalism. Consequently, the moment that first
barrage hit them, they turned tail and ran!
Only this side of heaven do we have the opportunity to be tried under fire.
Why do I say “opportunity?” Because to pass adversity or testing in time
glorifies God. Remember that this was written to a group of people who had
almost captured the high ground but who had allowed themselves to be
defeated by quitting. Now they were bogged down in the mud of failure; only
three years and a stern warning to recover from reversionism lay between
them and certain destruction.
Pressing the Attack
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
(Heb 10:35)
The armor which God designed and issued to the members of His Royal
combat team provides the Christian soldier with all that is essential for both
offensive and defensive action in the unseen conflict. (Eph 6:10-18) It does
not, however, permit retreat; for with his back to the enemy of the soul, the
believer is most vulnerable. (Psa 73:27; Jer 17:13) Despite the intensity of
demonic assaults launched against us, we are Commanded to keep
advancing, to keep pressing the attack! One of the most important tactics of
warfare is putting pressure on the enemy.
“Do not throw away,” aorist active subjunctive of APOBALLO, means “to
throw away as worthless.” The inferential particle OUN (Therefore) calls for a
conclusion and indicates that the believers involved did exactly that; they lost
all interest in Truth. Other activities and celebrities became increasingly
fascinating to them and eventually crowded out the Word of God entirely. To
neglect Truth for even a day is to invite disaster!
At some time or other, every believer is faced with the temptation of
throwing away the opportunity to take in Truth. You may fall in love with
someone who will lead you astray, just as Samson did with that tempting
creature Delilah; who took him to the cleaners! Any distraction, such as
promotion, social life, involvement with attractive or prominent people, often
becomes more important than learning the Word. You must come to the
place where your life revolves around Truth, and this requires self-discipline!
You must keep pressing every day, no matter how tired, worn out or
distracted you become. Truth is as vital to our Spiritual life as food is to your
physical well-being! (Job 23:12) It is your only defense in the devil’s world
against angelic attack, human conflicts, catastrophes and just day-to-day
annoyances.
From this heavy concentration of Truth, you acquire the confidence
necessary to face your threefold enemy: The world, (What people, news and
celebrities think is real and or important) the flesh, (The old sin nature; lust of
the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life) and the devil. (Twisted false
Biblical Truth and or religion) Human false realities, our old sin nature and the
satanic onslaught will always challenge us on the battlefront of our thoughts.
(2Co 10:3-5) Confidence to win in this conflict is expressed by the word
PARRESIA. Such confidence is not the result of our own ability or strength
but of Truth in the soul. The writer of Hebrews employed the verb ECHO,
(“To have and to hold”) more extensively than any of the other simple verbs.
The dogmatic declarative indicative mood graphically explains the Concept of
pressing the attack. Truth in the soul is acquired through the daily function of
Operation Z.
Illustration
You keep on HAVING or possessing Truth through a continuous
absorption of the Word; you keep on HOLDING that Truth when you utilize
Biblical Thoughts in all circumstances of life prosperous or adverse!
Although the passage taught may not absorb your interest or even pertain
to your life at the time, all pieces of information will, eventually fall into place
to form the whole realm of Truth in your soul. (The literal Thinking that Christ
used to defeat Satan!) There is, therefore, no portion of the Word of God
that you can afford to miss or that does not have great meaning and
importance!
The dividends of having and holding confidence in Truth are fantastic.
They are called a “great reward.” (Heb 10:35) These refer to future, eternal
rewards and to the division of plunder in time. “Great” (MEGAS) primarily
means “rich” and emphasizes the abundant riches the Lord has made
available to every believer. “Reward” (MISTHAPODOSIA) is made up of two
Greek words: MISTHOS — “wages,” which denotes monetary reward, and
APODIDOMI, “to give expectation.” Together, they encourage us to
anticipate blessing from God. Maturity blessings fall into two categories —
Spiritual and material — this verse focuses on Spiritual blessings but does not
exclude material blessings. As we stick to our guns with Truth, we possess
confidence that “great reward” — a rich distribution of blessings will be
forthcoming! The taking of a poverty vow, dressing only in somber clothes or
the concept of “suffering for Jesus” is NOT synonymous with being a good
Christian! Nowhere does the Bible teach that the believer who appears
attractive or possesses materialistic wealth is worldly. Worldliness is a
mental attitude; thinking with human realities! We are ONLY to Think with the
Mind of Christ in fellowship with God; NO MORE NO LESS! (John 4:24) I
know such a statement comes as a shock to believers, who, reared in
fundamental Christian homes, were taught that all the virtues of Christianity
are related to poverty and self-denial. All their lives they have considered
material wealth non-Spiritual and have advocated that such possessions
should be given away.
To the contrary, the Bible teaches that it is God’s desire to provide
mature blessings for you in time. While this does not necessarily mean that
you will be a millionaire, keep in mind that the focus of the Christian life is
blessing not — provision! As long as God’s Plan calls for you to remain here,
He will keep you alive. Regardless of your Spiritual status, He has promised
to supply your needs. (Matt 6:31-34; Php 4:19) You need not even pray in
order for them to be supplied!
God is actually “tapping His foot” while He waits to pour out the prosperity
and happiness He has designed for you! (Isa 30:18) When this occurs, it
literally tears up the devil! As the ruler of this world, Satan always tries to
promote or prosper people, to set up a social life totally divorced from God’s
provision. Human viewpoint says, “That person will never be promoted — he
refuses to cater to this one and that one!” The devil’s program may call for
such activity, but not God’s. In business, in the military, in every area of life, it
is not necessary to compromise Truth in order to get ahead. As a believer in
Jesus Christ, you need only to do your job as unto the Lord and leave the
promotion to Him! (Psa 75:6-7) In due time, He will prosper and give, “more
abundantly beyond all that we ask or think!” (Eph 3:20)
At one time the Jewish believers had made a strategic penetration into
enemy territory — in the devil’s domain — through their faithful intake of
Truth. Now they had surrendered to the reaction phase of reversionism. They
came so close to the victory of Spiritual maturity and the subsequent
blessings; yet their lack of persistence destroyed their confidence in Truth;
they became negative and their advance was halted!
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, [Believing and Thinking
with Truth] which has a great reward. [Now and in eternity] (Heb 10:35)
Exploiting The Victory
On 16 June 1815, during the events that preceded the Battle of Waterloo,
Marshal Ney led his Cavalry against the British at Quaere Bras. While he
methodically cut down the regiments of the Black Watch, Napoleon himself
directed a successful attack on the Prussians at Ligny. Then Napoleon made
the fatal mistake: he did not take advantage of his own victory at Ligny. Had
he ordered Grouchy into immediate pursuit of the Prussians, Napoleon could
have prevented Blucher and his Prussian army from making a conjunction two
days later on the field of Waterloo with Wellington’s “infamous army.”
Because he failed to exploit his tactical victories, Napoleon lost the campaign
that became a synonym for ignominious defeat! No Christian need ever meet
his Waterloo in the devil’s world! He need but exploit the strategic victory of
the Cross by following the Divine Commands.
For you have need of endurance, [The daily Rebound, Reception,
Retention, Recall, Resisting sin, human realities and Repeating] so that when
you have done the will of God, [Reached Spiritual maturity] you may receive
what was promised. [Mature blessings now; and rewards in eternity]
(Heb 10:36)
The explanatory use of the particle GAR (For) introduces an explanation
of why we are here and how we can avoid defeat by exploiting the victory
that God intended for us to have. We live in a wonderful country under the
laws of Divine establishment; we enjoy all the freedoms that increase from
observing these laws; and we are privileged to believe in Jesus Christ, to
take in Truth and to grow in grace without persecution by our government.
We “have” (ECHO — “to have and to hold”) a possession that is priceless
— the written Word of God, which contains, God’s Thoughts and Promises,
taught to us categorically. This is our manual for obtaining victory, our source
of instruction in both defensive and offensive tactics to reach the high ground.
Such fantastic privileges demand an attitude of “patience,” (HUPOMONE)
and or perseverance on the part of the believer. We must press on with our
Spiritual advance!
In most military situations, the offensive is the most tactically
advantageous position. Defensive tactics should be employed only as a
holding force while an attack is launched in another area. In the same
manner, it is God’s will for every believer to keep moving and then keep
moving some more! This requires self-discipline — the fortitude to take in
Truth today, tomorrow, the next day and the next — and is a part of the
Concept of HUPOMONE.
No military unit can be successful apart from the preliminary phase of
training and instruction through a system of strict discipline and authority. The
raw recruit in boot-camp is drilled by his instructor until every order is
ingrained in his mind and body! Patience and tenacity are involved in the
training of an effective fighting team. There must be the continuous exercise
in tactical field maneuvering and in the use of various weapons and
equipment. The soldiers are required to persevere regardless of how they
may feel. They are expected to “gut it out” to stay with it so that in an actual
combat situation they will function with the skill and confidence that will defeat
the enemy and save their lives!
Endurance is equally essential in the Spiritual realm. Your soul must be
prepared for the advance in the angelic conflict just as the military
establishment must prepare for combat. Paul stressed the Principle of
endurance and self-discipline in his Epistle to the Corinthians when he wrote:
But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have
preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. [From reward] (1Co 9:27)
You must be challenged to function under Operation Z daily, no matter
what distractions arise in your life, no matter what circumstances or people
may deter you. The grace apparatus for perception belongs to every
believer, but it functions only through the filling of God the Holy Spirit, and the
consistent exposure to Truth and the persistent determination to learn it!
During the learning process, however, you will encounter Truth which is
beyond your comprehension. Do not be discouraged! Persistence will enable
you to recognize the currently obscure Truth; and it will become clear when
you have established the necessary frame of reference! (Mark 8:25;
Jas 1:25) This Principle is readily, discerned in the human realm, for in
academic categories you begin with simple, basic Thoughts and progress
from the known to the unknown. Once fundamentals are mastered, you are
able to proceed to more advanced spheres of knowledge.
Of necessity, you must be under the authority of your pastor-teacher; In
this way, you also learn not to forget the Principle of authority. When the
Bible is taught exegetically, basic Truth will often be interspersed with
advanced Thoughts. This is advantageous in that each passage contains
information for every believer, regardless of his Spiritual stage of growth. No
believer is too ignorant or too academically deficient to learn Truth if he will
stick with it!
The Latin poet, Horace, understood and proclaimed the axiom of
perseverance: “Let him proceed as he began, and be consistent with
himself.” You began by listening to Truth; if you are consistent with yourself,
you will persevere until you take that high ground!
Perseverance was the one quality that perfectly characterized the
nineteenth century British soldier. In many instances, he was poorly led; and
with few exceptions, such as Sir Garnet Joseph Woolly, Eleven Wood,
Charles George Gorton, popularly known as “Chinese Gorton,” Field Marshal
Frederick Sleigh Robbers, and a few others, most of Britain’s military
fiascoes were the result of blundering leadership. Yet in spite of this
handicap, the Scottish, Welsh and English regiments so valiantly persevered
that a great empire emerged to extend to the four corners of the earth. While
most Britons were only remotely aware of the gallant deeds of these
undaunted defenders of the empire, the regiments themselves never doubted
their cause, never underestimated their own courage; and never faced an
enemy they could not eventually defeat!
The Apostle Paul affirmed the Principle of perseverance in the Epistle to
the Colossians:
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
[Believing the Word]having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him
and established in your faith, [Spiritual life] just as you were instructed, and
overflowing with gratitude. (Col 2:6-7)
Through persistence, the believer constructs his arsenal of Truth — the
“Temple complex” in his soul. When Divine Thoughts enter the right lobe thru
the function of Operation Z; Faith-Rest is developed. Through continued
intake of Truth, a second floor is erected — Grace Orientation. A third:
Doctrinal Orientation, Fourth, A Personal Sense of Destiny. Fifth Personal
Love for God. Sixth, Impersonal Love for all mankind. Seventh, God’s perfect
happiness: Plus H. Finally Occupation with Christ: this is the ultimate
possession of the Christian! From there, the believer progresses into the
sphere of the mature Christian life. It is here that the normal Christian way of
life truly begins, for maturity status constitutes that formidable fortress from
which all attacks from COSMOS DIABOLICUS (Satan’s kingdom) are
repelled!
Some of the devil’s schemes are thoughts of: Godlessness, atheistism,
communism, socialism, religion, pornography, moral and immoral degeneracy
and the occult. And when God’s Word is not implanted in the soul, the
resultant vacuum is filled with these twisted thoughts of demons. (Eph 4:17;
(1Ti 4:1)
A portion of this satanic thinking was demonstrated in the Communist invasion
of China. On the heels of the ruthless “liberators” followed the Communist
“elite.” There was instituted a program of human do-goodism, which amazed
even the fundamental clergy: firearms were collected; houses of prostitution,
bars and opium dens were closed down. Apparent reforms were then
proclaimed throughout the country by radio communiqués. Many of the
deluded preachers accepted invitations to praise this display of pseudo-
righteousness over the radio and urged the people not to resist Communist
aggression. With deception as their weapon, the Red hordes marched in
unhindered and enslaved town after town, a calamity which was aided and
abetted by cooperating missionaries! Thus, because of their deficiency of
Truth, believers betrayed their freedom for a mess of pottage!
Even worse than physical slavery is Spiritual slavery; it is God’s design to
give every believer the greatest possible blessing; which is far superior to the
crumbs that self-righteousness and legalism offer. Why? That “you might
carry off for yourself the Promise.” Your mature-grace category of blessings
that are associated with the Promise mentioned in, (Heb 10:36).
For you have need of endurance, [The daily Rebound, Reception,
Retention, Recall, Resisting sin, human realities and Repeating] so that when
you have done the will of God, [Reached Spiritual maturity] you may receive
what was promised. [Mature blessings now, and rewards in eternity]
(Heb 10:36)
Any exhortation to persevere to the high ground must contain precise
instruction on how the objective can be attained! The average local church
meets once or twice on Sunday some even add a midweek service. At best,
the most that the congregation receives at these sessions is a devotional-
type message. Under this system, it is impossible to persevere or advance in
the Christian life; these believers do not receive enough exposure to the Word
of Truth they so desperately need.
When the Confederate artillery ran out of ammunition on the third day of
Gettysburg, the high tide of the Confederacy turned and began its ebb down
the tragic road to Appomattox. Without this advance barrage, the so-called
Picket’s Charge (Which actually included troops from Longstreet’s and A. P.
Hill’s corps) won death, defeat and immortality! Truth is the ammunition for
our offensive action in the devil’s world. If believers are not taught Truth every
day, they are unprepared for battle and will suffer inevitable defeat from
reversionism! GUARANTEED!
The Importance of Taking the High Ground
FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL
COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. (Heb 10:37)
“For yet a little while,” literally, “how short, how short” is an excerpt
from, (Isa 26:20) the conjunctive particle GAR expresses both explanation
and continuation through documentation from the Old Testament Scriptures.
While Isaiah’s Prophecy pertained to the Second Advent of Christ, the
application concerns the brevity of our time on earth and the shortness of the
dispensation which will terminate with the Second Advent. (Luk 21:24;
Rev 11:2)
God has allotted to each of us a certain amount of time on earth after
Salvation. Fifty years, fifteen years or just ten days — whatever length it may
seem by human standards is a short span in the light of eternity. Yet, long or
short, God has certain objectives for us. Whether or not we reach these
objectives depends upon our training!
All military service is or should be preparation for combat. When troops
are committed to battle, whether they are the transportation or quartermaster
corps, a rifle or combat support company, an-artillery battery, beans and
bullets or headquarters; they should be thoroughly and completely trained!
Should troops be permitted to become slipshod in any area of preparation
during peacetime, the tragic results will always be reflected in any sudden
emergency. Constant training and alertness, first in mental attitude, then in
physical fitness, military science and tactics, therefore become imperative for
all branches of the military. When the balloon goes up, it may be on extremely
short notice; consequently, they must always be in readiness. (Luk 12:35)
It was our well-trained regular army that bought precious time at Bataan
and Corregidor for the preparation of new troops at the beginning of World
War II. How different would have been the outcome of the Pacific conflict had
these magnificent men not performed their task so valiantly! Too many
casualties have littered the battlefields on the Spiritual front of the angelic
conflict; too many lives are wrecked on the shoals of laziness and rejection of
Truth. What an utterly needless waste, when adequate preparation puts
victory within the reach of every believer!
Sometime in your life there will occur a full-blown disaster; you will walk
headlong into a maelstrom of adversity. Without Truth in your soul, you will be
caught by it and fall apart. On the other hand, if you have persisted in learning
Truth, you will never need a pastor or anyone else to hover over you; to utter
comments or to quote Scripture which you could not possibly assimilate under
pressure. With Truth in your soul, you will be Spiritually self-sustaining; you
will have inner resources necessary to meet any prosperity and or
emergency of life!
The pastor is your D.I. (Drill instructor) and his job is to train you for
prosperity or for disaster. Since he is not omnipresent, he cannot be by
everyone’s side the moment a catastrophe occurs — or need he be! God
intends for every believer in the present dispensation to be his own royal
priest. As such, you are to function on the Truth in your own soul, and you are
responsible directly to God. The time to prepare is now! As a prepared
Christian, your motto should be one which characterized the life of the
Apostle Paul and later became the motto of the Scottish Clan Fraser: “I am
ready!” (Rom 1:15)
“How short” does not mean that your time for training is necessarily short
but rather that when pressure does occur, it will be short in comparison to
your training period. A battle is relatively brief, even if it lasts thirty days. Let
us take a hypothetical case as an illustration: say a soldier has been in the
military service for twenty-five years. In those years he has fought in three
battles: one lasted thirty days; one, two days; and one, five hours — thirty-
two days, five hours of combat for twenty-five years!
We at Spirit & Truth Bible ministries have Bible class daily — day after
day after day, year after year after year — Why? So that we will be
adequately prepared. There is no excuse for anyone to be caught without
Truth, to be hopelessly overwhelmed or to cry feebly, “O God, help!” Too late
then to plead numbly, “O God, show me a Verse for this disaster!” That will
profit you nothing! True happiness in life is always the result of training in
Truth. Successful football teams are neither built on a sudden inspiration nor
on the exhilaration of the moment. Their bid for fame is a product of endless
discipline and monotonous, strenuous hours of agonizing training; yet the
games in which they participate may be relatively brief.
In the Spiritual realm, we too must submit to lengthy periods of training,
even though the actual test we face may be of short duration. Long or short
as these periods may be, we know that God will not test us beyond our
capacity, (1Co 10:13) and the earthly pressures and sufferings are not
worthy to be compared to eternal glory! (Rom 8:18) Rarely does any believer
spend his entire lifetime under disaster conditions. Yet, in a sense, he must
be constantly on “red alert!” (Mark 13:37) In order to enjoy all that is
wonderful and beautiful in this Spiritual life, there must be soul preparation!
While the introductory words of, (Heb 10:37) alerted us to our present
objective, the second phrase pertains to our future. In the original Prophecy
of, (Hab 2:3) which is quoted next, “HE WHO IS COMING” refers to the
Second Advent of Christ and is so used in this context.
For yet in a little while [How short! How short!] HE WHO IS COMING
WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. (Heb 10:37)
Retreating From Combat
BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE
SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. (Heb 10:38)
This Verse contains a third quotation from the Old Testament. (Hab 2:4)
The word “righteous” does not convey the best meaning of either the Hebrew
or the Greek. Both TSADIQ in the Hebrew and DIKAIOS in the Greek mean
“justified or vindicated ones,” or “someone who has been vindicated.”
Vindication exists in two areas: at the moment of Salvation, when the believer
is justified or vindicated by faith. (Gal 2:16) And after Salvation, when we are
called “approved ones” by reaching Spiritual maturity. (Heb 11:2)
We might picture Salvation as a balance sheet containing a debit side —
in the red — and a credit side in the black. Everyone is born into the world on
the debit side — hopelessly in debt. When Jesus Christ was judged for our
sins on the Cross, He won the strategic victory and paid that debt in full.
(Doctrine of Redemption) On the positive side of the ledger, God the Father
credited to our account PLUS-R — His righteousness — the moment we
appropriated Salvation. In His sight we are vindicated or justified — not on
the basis of any good deeds we might have done or because of our excellent
behavior pattern — but because of the saving work of Christ on the Cross.
“Justified ones” carries the possessive pronoun: “MY justified ones,”
Everyone who has ever exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is
included in the “chosen” of God, His justified ones. This means that God has
not only saved us form the Lake of Fire but, even more, in the strategic
victory of the Cross, He has provided the assets with which we can win the
tactical victories; and live a life that has profound significance. “SHALL LIVE”
(ZAO — “the function of life” — in contrast to BIOS — “biological life”) implies
an orderly, meaningful and satisfying life with concrete objectives — LIFE IN
GOD’S DIVINE NATURE! (2Pe 1:4)
God’s Plan for your life and mine has existed from eternity past; so have
the logistics He has provided to enable us to achieve that purpose. In the
simplest of terms, God wants us to be happy, successful and prosperous,
materially and Spiritually. The reason some do not reach the objective is that
they choose to remain on the outer perimeter of God’s Plan for their life; they
are negative towards the BEST! (Mark 8:34-38)
The next two words present the means of attaining our objective: “by
faith.” They are the preposition EK plus the ablative of the noun PISTIS and
should be translated “by means of Truth.” PISTIS (Faith) has three different
intensions in the Greek language. Unless each meaning is properly
interpreted, this critical word is subject to vagueness and misconceptions.
The first and most commonly used meaning is “that which causes trust or
faith,” variously translated “faithfulness, reliability, proof or pledge.” The
second usage is faith in the active sense of believing, always translated “faith,
trust or confidence.” A third use, incorrectly translated throughout the New
Testament, means “that which is believed, the body of faith or belief” and is
equivalent to Truth and or the Spiritual life. This is the correct meaning here:
“My justified ones shall live by means of Divine Thinking inside the Divine
Nature — Spiritual life!” (John 4:24)
Life is often a round of monotonous routine interspersed with brief periods
of excitement and stimulation. It is the monotony that tears people apart and
drives them into a frantic search for happiness. Since the nervous system is
not designed to tolerate a perpetual state of exhilaration, the emphasis of this
Verse is of utmost importance: with Truth in the soul, you can adjust to
monotony, to routine, even to being alone. Truth in the soul creates not only
capacity for life but also zest for living and causes you to become aware of
the fantastic blessings in life!
Note the practicality of Truth! The last phrase of, (Heb 10:38) applies the
quotation from, (Hab 2:4) to daily living and relates back to the warning of:
(Heb 10:35) (“Not to toss away Truth as worthless”) “IF HE SHRINKS
BACK...” “If,” a third class condition in the Greek — “maybe you will and
maybe you will not” always depends on two factors: volition and the frame of
reference. You may know what you should or should not do and yet go
contrary to Divine Thinking. Thus you may “shrink back,” (Aorist middle
subjunctive of the verb HUPOSTELLO) literally, “to retreat.” Those who go on
negative volition are the outsiders — the ones who do not stick with Truth and
who by retreating fail to follow the colors.
The constative aorist indicates a gradual retreat, which follows the pattern
of the descending stages of reversionism — from the reactor factors of
bitterness, disillusionment, frustration, jealousy, self-pity, to emotional revolt
of the soul, negative volition toward Truth, blackout of the soul, scar tissue
and reverse process reversionism. When you succumb to any of the reactor
factors, your soul begins to retrogress. Retreat never begins overtly but
originates in the Thinking of the soul often long before you move outwardly in
the opposite direction.
The soldier who retreats when he is ordered to advance bears the stigma
of a coward or deserter. Should you fail to follow the colors, prepare yourself
for a Divine court-martial and God’s verdict: “MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE
IN HIM.” This is an anthropopathism, expressing a Divine attitude in human
terms, and is often used to refer to the essence of God. Obviously, God
does not approve of the reversionistic believer; yet this in no way suggests
that God no longer loves him. God loves every believer with an equal amount
of love, regardless of his Spiritual status. The only detail that changes is the
manifestation of God’s love, which is now expressed through discipline.
During a training flight, a friend of mine — a P-39 pilot in the old World
War II Air Corps — was buzzing the Panama jungle while simulating low-level
attack. As he swished only a few feet above the treetops, he was highly
exhilarated by the sensation of speed and power that arises from low-altitude
flying. Too late, he saw a tall tree looming up directly in his line of flight. He
was moving too fast to avoid it and realized his wing had made contact; he
had time only to glance backward. To his horror, he saw, that the wing was
sheered off. His momentum carried him forward, only to strike several more
trees. On each collision, another section of his plane disappeared — the
second wing, then the tail assembly and finally, the engine. When it was all
over, one Air Corps pilot found himself five miles from the first impact, sitting
in a tree, still strapped to the cockpit, dazed and scratched, but in one piece!
Now this is somewhat the way the retreating believers will arrive at the
portals of eternity — as though they had been through fire! (1Co 3:15)
God’s disapproval of the believer means that he is disciplined in time.
There may be extenuating circumstances in life, but there is NO EXCUSE for
not taking in the Word. According to military code, the first answer a soldier
should give when anything goes wrong is “No excuse, sir!” The interrogating
officer then has the option to issue discipline or to seek an explanation. If the
soldier neglects to answer properly, his superior is obligated to order
discipline, if for nothing else than failure to apply the correct procedure! God
often keeps a believer in the “stockade” for many years to give him every
opportunity to reverse his direction and to pursue grace to Spiritual maturity.
BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE [Royal Family of God] SHALL LIVE BY
FAITH; [By means of Divine Reality inside the Spiritual life!] AND IF HE [Any
member of the Royal Family] SHRINKS BACK, [Continues to live by means of
the old sin nature and human realities] MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN
HIM. (Heb 10:38)
Volitional Determination to Follow the Colors
The most influential military writing in the western world from the time of
the Romans to the nineteenth century was De Re Militari by Vegetius.
Although little is known of his life, Flavius Vegetius Renatus was a Roman of
high rank, and his purpose for writing this manual was to arrest the
progressive decay of the Roman armies. It was Vegetius’ intention to restore
the Romans to the military glory and virtues they once possessed. This
incredible little book became the military bible of the great captains of history,
for between its covers are contained the universal axioms of warfare, the
Principles of which are applicable even in the Spiritual conflict.
It was Vegetius’ conviction that discipline, knowledge and training were of
greater value than numbers: “Few men are born brave; many become so
through training and force of discipline.” And thus, he concluded, “Valor is
superior to numbers.” This Concept also relates to the Spiritual realm. Any
mental attitude that is beneficial is the result of discipline and training, both of
which find their source in Truth!
It is the nature of war; that what is beneficial to you, is detrimental to the
enemy and what is of service to him hurts you. It is therefore a maxim never
to do or to omit doing anything as a consequence of his actions but to consult
invariably Divine Interests only! Vegetius succinctly states the very conditions
that are true of our position in the angelic conflict. When our mental attitude
reflects human realities, we serve the devil and his purpose; yet when we
Think with Divine Reality based on the Bible, not only are we benefited but
the Lord is glorified, and a blow is struck against satanic forces!
But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who
have faith to the preserving of the soul. [From Satan’s and the old sin nature’s
control] (Heb 10:39)
To follow the colors requires firmness of purpose. Persistence wins the
battle! The descriptive objective genitive of the first phrase of this verse
should read, but we are not the retreating type. To qualify for this select
category of believers, you must make constant Decisions to follow the colors;
positive volition toward Truth in the face of opposition from family or criticism
of friends; determination to take in Truth when good times call-us or attractive
people would lure us away!
“Unto perdition [The preposition EIS plus APOLEIA] is literally, “for the
purpose of destruction.” [The sin unto death and Judgment] Remember, “The
justified ones shall LIVE... Although the reversionist is alive, he is not LIVING!
He is merely vegetating — a walking zombie — or else he is running away
from life. “Destruction” here implies a system of Divine discipline which leads
to the sin unto death. The believer who refuses to recover from reversionism
not only misses the glory of dying grace but dies miserably and loses out on
his mature rewards in eternity. He is a deserter of God’s Plan for his life.
In military service, a person who has been tried and convicted in a court-
martial for some military offense is marched out to the parade ground in full-
dress uniform, where, before the entire unit, he is stripped of his buttons,
insignia and ribbons and given a dishonorable discharge. (As happened to
Aaron in; Num 20:23-28) This was the case of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who
had been unjustly sentenced to public degradation before his exile on Devil’s
Island! If a soldier’s sentence involves the death penalty, he is marched out
before a firing squad and shot, and the entire company is compelled to file
by! God has a similar system for the reversionistic believer: he is court-
martialed and placed under the sin unto death. Often he is turned over to
Satan for the administration of the judgment, (1Co 5:5) and there is no
suffering which man can inflict that can approach satanic torture. The
reversionist is under constant discipline for perpetual carnality.
The aggressive elite believers, whose souls are garrisoned by Truth, do
not retreat to be processed by destruction; rather, they advance on with the
Mind of Christ and press on to the high ground of maturity! God has assigned
to each of us a certain type of death. Just as He has supplied our needs for
living, so He has made provision for dying. God sovereignly decides the time,
manner and place of our death. For the Spiritually adult believer, dying is far
greater than living! I have seen individuals who have been assigned the long
and painful death of cancer; yet they experienced fantastic blessing and
unusual relief from pain or phenomenal endurance of pain. Why? Because
they were sustained by Truth in their souls. Through Truth resident in the soul,
God provides the essentials to insure that the period of dying will be a
marvelous experience!
The word “saving” is actually a prepositional phrase: EIS plus the
accusative of PERIPOIESIS, meaning “to possess something that is
wonderful, something that belongs to us as our heritage,” and should be
translated “for the possession by the soul.” The unbeliever can be demon-
possessed, but never Truth-possessed; the believer can be Truth-possessed,
but never demon-possessed but demon influenced! God wants us in
COSMOS DIABOLICUS to demonstrate to the devil that the best he can give
can never approximate what God offers the believer. We are not here to
pursue the allurements and glamorous pipe dreams of Satan’s world system
but to follow the glorious colors of Truth to the high ground: to be Occupied
with the Person of Jesus Christ; to develop and enjoy tremendous capacity
for life and to receive mature-grace blessings. These are all the result of
Truth in the soul. Therefore:
But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who
have faith to the preserving of the soul. [From Satan’s and the sin nature’s
control] (Heb 10:39)
THE GUIDON OF TRUTH
Hebrews 11:1-3
Truth in the Advance to Maturity
(Heb 11:1-3) is a continuation of the Concept presented in Chapter 10,
but emphasizes the significance of Divine Reality in the Spiritual life! The
remainder of Chapter 11 is parenthetical, intended to demonstrate that Truth
was available to the believers of the Old Testament even before it was put in
written form. With far less Truth than we possess, the heroes in the front
ranks of the Gentile and the Jewish Ages seized and held the high ground of
Spiritual maturity.
The entire thrust of this passage is the importance of the Word. In
Chapter 10, the Jews in Jerusalem had neglected Truth and had allowed
themselves to become sidetracked by the diversionary and deceptive tactics
of Satan. As a result, they threw away as worthless their confidence in Truth
and retreated from honorable combat into the disgrace of legalism! But
retreat is not in God’s Plan for the Christian soldier! Instead, we are born
Spiritually for the purpose of possessing Truth in our souls. Therefore, since
we have been designed to take in Truth, we must recognize it as our
authority; our inner dictator and guide!
Now faith [God’s Thinking] is the substance [Reality] from which we keep
receiving confidence [Expected Blessings; Physical and Spiritual] the
conviction [Evidence] of things not seen. (Heb 11:1)
“Now” (The intensive use of the particle DE) links the previous verse with
the opening of Chapter 11 and should be translated “in fact.” The word
“faith,” (PISTIS) here and throughout Chapter 11, denotes that which is
believed: a system of Truth. The definition: “Divine Thinking is the Substance
or Reality...” Since this Verse relates to, (Heb 11:39) the definition is not that
of faith but of Truth: Divine Thinking. Faith per se cannot accomplish all those
tremendous feats of victory mentioned in this passage. It is Truth resident in
the souls of believers which produces Understanding, confidence, strength,
and dynamics in life!
Depending on the context, HUPOSTASIS can mean “Reality, confidence,
assurance” as well as “substance.” Here, “Reality” conveys the correct
sense. Truth from the Bible must become more Real than what you see,
(2Pe 1:12-21) or you will discard it like trash. When you find excuses for your
failure to take in Truth on a consistent basis, you are saying in effect that
there is some object, some person, or some activity more fascinating and
more real to you than Truth. God does not desire to withhold good things
from us; (Psa 84:11) rather He wants to bless us to the maximum.
The English translation, “of things hoped for,” is vague and suggests some
obscure desire. Far from that, the present passive participle of ELPIZO
actually means “from which we keep receiving confidence.” Truth is the
Substance and or Reality from which we derive our confidence: expected
blessings, confidence in the Lord, in His Plan, in our function within that Plan;
our confidence of status as Royal Family of God forever; confidence in our
home in the Holy of Holies — heaven!
Men in military service have no permanent home; that is a part of their
sacrifice. Their wives often do not adjust well to constant moves unless they
realize that their husband’s destiny is theirs as well. Some wives complain to
commanding officers that prolonged separation destroys relationships. But
this is the nature of military service. In order to accomplish the mission of
national defense, long absences from home are commonplace.
There is a sense in which we of the Royal Family of God do not possess
a home in this life; (2Ti 2:4) our permanent dwelling place is in heaven itself.
(John 14:2) We are here on TDY (Temporary duty) to fulfill an objective to
seize and hold the high ground of Spiritual maturity! In the meantime, we can
anticipate that wonderful future habitation. You may own a lovely house here
on earth, and perhaps you have spent time and money to enhance its beauty;
but never lose sight of the fact that it is temporary; your real home is in
eternity! When you are away, letters from home are most welcome. So it is in
the Christian life. The Bible constitutes our “letters from home.” When you
discard Truth as worthless, you cut yourself off from your home as well as
from the ultimate source of blessings — God! In that case, He has only one
option left: to place you in the “guardhouse” until either you die the sin unto
death under maximum discipline or recover from reversionism.
The second half of the definition of Truth, “the evidence of things not
seen,” begins with the word ELEGCHOS. It is best translated “Guarantee
and or proof.” In other words, God’s Thinking is Reality and God’s Thoughts
and Word are GUARANTEED! (Matt 24:35)What does it guarantee? That
Jesus Christ is real; that the Father exists and has a Plan; that He created all
that exists and that God the Holy Spirit is the Source of our power. All
Spiritual Reality is bound up in God’s Thinking, not in such watered-down
substitutes as campfire dedication services, so-called victorious life
conferences or candlelight religious devotionals!
When Truth: Divine Reality replaces human experience and takes
precedence over people, circumstances, things and self; you can live in a
barracks, you can spend prolonged periods in the field, you can endure being
alone and the drudgeries of life “as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2Ti 2:3)
Furthermore, you will have the frame of reference to enjoy your
circumstances!
“Things or matter [PRAGMA] not being seen” encompass not only the
invisible realm of the angelic conflict, the unseen Members of the Trinity and
all other eternal issues, (2Co 4:18) but also the perspective from Divine
Thoughts. These are discernible through Truth alone! It follows, then, that the
more Truth you learn, the more apparent becomes the unseen mature-grace
blessings designed for us from eternity past, and the more real becomes
Jesus Christ, the Plan of God and the perfect essence of God behind that
Plan!
Now faith [God’s Thinking] is the substance [Reality] from which we keep
receiving confidence [Expected Blessings; Physical and Spiritual] the
conviction [Evidence] of things not seen. (Heb 11:1)
God’s Thinking is the Eternal Reality!
The entire eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews records the Divine
citations for “Medal of Honor” winners in the Spiritual campaigns waged
during the days of the Old Testament. In each commendation, Truth is
credited with having motivated valiant deeds of obligation. (Luk 17:10)
For by IT [God’s Thoughts] the men of old gained approval. [Reached
Spiritual maturity; Testifying positively regarding God and negatively
regarding Satan] (Heb 11:2)
The explanatory use of GAR — “for” — sets up the sequence and
explains how Truth is related to believers in the Old Testament. Although
there was no much written Scripture; and even when the New Testament
Canon was incomplete, Truth was always available. There never has lived a
generation to whom God did not reveal Himself and His will, either by means
of direct Communication, angelic messengers, dreams or visions.
“For by means of IT, [God’s Thinking] the elders (PRESBUTEROS — in
context, ‘the men of old or ancient people’ — a reference to mature heroes of
Old Testament times) obtained a good report.” [MARTUREO] MARTUREO
has several meanings; but here in the passive voice it means “reached
Spiritual maturity; a good witness.” (1Ti 6:13) Divine approval was obtained
by the ancients through the daily exercise of God’s Thoughts; just as it is
today. They thirsted for Truth, and God revealed IT. They submitted to a
system of discipline in order to learn that Truth by whatever means God was
pleased to impart the Information.
The gaining of Divine approval occurs simultaneously with the entrance
into Spiritual maturity. Then and only then do we become “THE FRIEND OF
GOD!” (Jas 2:23) Thus this verse implies that if the ancients could seize and
hold the high ground of Spiritual maturity on far less Truth than we possess
as the Royal Family of God, then our failure to make it to the high ground of
Spiritual maturity is inexcusable! Perseverance is the key!
God’s Thinking (Divine Reality) (Truth) is the Orientation to His-Story (History)
Truth plays more than a paramount role in the life of individual believers as
the means of reaching Spiritual maturity; it is the basis for the interpretation
of history. (Heb 11:3) establishes the importance of Truth in orientation to
history:
By faith [God’s Revealing] we Understand that the worlds [Ages] were
prepared by the [Spoken; Decreed] Word of God, so that what is seen
[History] was not made out of things which are visible. (Heb 11:3)
“Faith” (PISTIS) should be translated “by means of Truth.” Perception is
based upon Truth. In context, “Understand” (NOEO) assumes that you have
previously learned some Truth. The Royal Family of God to whom this letter
was addressed had mastered the subject of the dispensations (“Worlds”:
AION — ages) and other Doctrinal categories pertaining to the interpretation
of history. (Heb 11:2) notices the ancients, as having attained maturity. Like
them, we must be oriented to our objective — the high ground of Spiritual
maturity. (Heb 11:3) says that while we move through life we are involved in
the ebb and flow of history; therefore, we must be able to define our position
in regard to the Divine Plan in history. Together, these two Verses teach that
it is our responsibility to adjust not only to our own personal situation but also
to the larger area of our life; in relation to Divine Reality!
The recipients of this Epistle had learned that the ages or dispensations
“were framed”; (Perfect passive infinitive of KATARTIZO) of the several
meanings of this word, it is best rendered here “to put together” and indicates
the Divine purpose: Jesus Christ controls the course of history! (Rev 1:5)
Therefore, the events of history can never go haywire or get out of His hands.
The rise and fall of empires is always within the boundaries of Divine
guardianship. God will, however, allow the volition of both angels and
members of the human race to function freely, but never at the cost of the
annihilation of mankind or the cessation of time.
“Word” here is REMA rather than LOGOS, the usual term for Truth; it
therefore refers to the Speaking of God in eternity past, known Theologically
as the “Divine Decrees.” “What is being seen” (BLEPO) are the incidents of
history. While these are interwoven into the very fabric of our lives, we are
not to become enmeshed in them. (2Ti 2:4) It is only when we fix our eyes on
the colors, (Staying in fellowship and Thinking with Truth) that we can move
unharmed “Spiritually” through our sphere of the conflict and thus fulfill our
purpose for being here. In spite of the uncertain and unstable conditions of
our era, God has provided the means for our advance through the barrages
of life to the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
Those who are able to discern the true situation in our nation today often
wonder why we have not already surrendered completely to the demonic
conspiracy, why our tottering economy has not totally collapsed. Every new
day ushers in further evidence of the deterioration of our national security and
freedom. Since Woodrow Wilson’s administration, with two or three
exceptions, the leadership of this country has been traitorous; our presidents
have actually contributed to our present state of decadence. Why, then, in
spite of more than fifty years of treachery, do we continue as a free nation?
The answer lies in the fact that positive volition still exists among the
members of the Royal Family of God.
Historically, God has always favored the Royal Family, particularly those
who are positive to Truth. As long as any country possesses a nucleus of
believers who are following the colors and advancing toward Spiritual
maturity, that nation will remain intact. History was designed to glorify Jesus
Christ, and positive volition toward Truth on a consistent basis is the means
by which He is glorified! Therefore, God never allows the affairs of history to
hinder believers from reaching the goal.
The events we observe unfolding in history “have not come to pass
[GINOMAI coupled with the negative ME] from what is visible.” In other
words, it is not the visible which shapes the course of history but the invisible!
We see disaster, catastrophe, depression, wars, disease, death or their
impending possibility on every side; yet there is an invisible Hand at the helm
of the universe — Divine intervention and guardianship — that safely pilots
mankind past the cliffs and boulders of human lust and folly!
(Heb 11:3) additionally implies that the occurrences in history are
regulated by the positive mental attitude of the members of the Royal Family
of God. That is the slender thread that upholds our nation. Should that
positive volition turn negative, the thread could snap and the long-expected
collapse of this country would be an instant reality!
It is an arresting Thought to realize that your persistence in Truth,
wherever you are, is a vital factor in maintaining this nation. If the nation
depended on your positive volition and perseverance, where would we be
today? Some of you would have to answer that we would be in slavery!
Others, perhaps, never considered their lives to have any impact. Possibly
you have never related your activities to national freedom or to the course of
history. You may even think, “My presence at Bible class won’t make that
much difference; missing the study of the Word one or two days will have
little effect.” Yet your attitude toward Truth is a determining factor in the
preservation of our country! God honors positive volition toward Truth, and
the most patriotic activity you can ever pursue is to learn the Word of Truth!
Such a Decision on the part of any member of the Royal Family can change
the direction of history!
“The events which are seen have not come to pass from those who are
visible in history!” The leaders of a country and the established system only
appear to sustain the nation. In Divine Reality, Spiritually mature believers are
holding up the nation. That great invisible power from positive volition actually
causes the establishment to function, and its continuation is merely the
tangible manifestation or result of the positive volition of the Royal Family.
You are that imperceptible dynamic of history! Your positive or negative
mental attitude, as the case may be, is irrevocably related to history. As goes
the believer, so goes the nation! Should you make a decision to go negative,
all hell cannot stop you. But remember, without Truth resident in the souls of
that core of believers, the military will collapse, and then the government and
this nation will go down the drain into the sewer of socialism, communism and
slavery! YOUR attitude toward Truth has local, national and international
repercussions!
(Heb 11:3) defines the true interpretation of history. The Doctrine of
Dispensations has proved conclusively that even though the developments of
history occur in the devil’s world, they are shaped by God. No catastrophe,
no political maneuvering or national turmoil has ever caught God off guard;
from eternity past, His omniscience foresaw every event. More important, He
controls history without forcing human volition to believe in Christ or in His
Word. Free will was the issue in the creation of man and continues to be
paramount in this stage of the angelic conflict. Truth in the soul is the basis
for correctly evaluating our own Spiritual advance and our personal
relationship to present-day events.
By faith [God’s Revealing] we Understand that the worlds [Ages] were
prepared by the [Spoken; Decreed] Word of God, so that what is seen
[History] was not made out of things which are visible. (Heb 11:3)
God has a great sense of humor! He has chosen to confound the wisdom
of this world with the quintessence of insignificance itself! (1Co 1:27-29) It is
His purpose to take members of the Royal Family of God, who appear to
have no status in life, and to use their positive or negative volition to
determine the course of their nation! In Jeremiah’s day, and despite his
ceaseless warnings, the negative volition of believers caused the destruction
of Judah. The same was true of Noah and his generation. When all the
threads of positive volition were snapped, then the Flood came. Only Noah
and those seven other souls who were positive toward his teaching were
preserved. (1Pe 3:20) Thus the Word of Truth is of such consequence that
we should examine IT categorically.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S THINKING!
1. By definition, God’s Thinking is the content of the Canon of Scripture,
with emphasis on the communication of that content by teaching and
Instruction; i.e., the transfer of Bible Information by the pastor-teacher from
the pages of the Word of God to the individual souls of members of the Royal
Family of God. This includes the dissemination of Truth on the basis of
exegesis of the original languages, or the analysis and classification of the
English text. Since Truth is called the Mind of Christ, (1Co 2:16) it must be
communicated by authorized personnel: prophets, Levitical priesthood; (Old
Testament) apostles; (Apostolic Age) pastor-teachers. (Church Age)
2. In His dying breath, Jesus Christ bequeathed Truth to the Royal Family
as its Spiritual inheritance. By comparing (Luk 23:46) with (Psa 31:5) we are
able to determine the exact content of the Lord’s final words on the Cross:
“Into Your hands, O Father, I deposit My spirit; for You have delivered Me, O
Jehovah, God of Truth.” (Psa 31:5) By explaining the source of His own
Spiritual stamina, Christ passed on to us the regimental colors of the Royal
Family of God. (Spirit and Truth) He was the first to bear the completed
Standard! (Exo 17:15) In His humanity, positive volition motivated Him to take
in Truth until He seized and held the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
(Luk 2:52) The Truth in His soul, based upon numerous acts of positive
volition, shaped history and is the basis of God’s relationship with us!
3. The inheritance of Truth existed in Old Testament times.
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name
for Your lovingkindness and Your Truth; For You have magnified Your Word
according to all Your Name. (Psa 138:2)
There was no Temple in David’s day; yet David recognized where
Headquarters was — the abode of God — and worshiped in the Holy of
Holies in his soul. (1Co 3:16) When David said, “I will bow down toward Your
holy temple And give thanks to Your name,” he was expressing his
Occupation with Christ and celebrating the Second Person of the Trinity. As a
great soldier, both in the human and Spiritual realms, David possessed
maximum Truth in his soul; in effect, he had on the full armor of God. His
reasons for celebration indicated that he was oriented to the Plan of God and
was on the high ground of Spiritual maturity: “because of your lovingkindness;
[CHESED — Grace] and because of your Truth.” [EMET — Truth] Grace and
Truth are the motivation for true celebration: “because you have magnified
your Doctrinal teaching above your reputation.” Even more important than the
reputation of God is the Thinking of God. Why? God’s character is on the line
with what He Thinks. (Prov 23:7) He has revealed, utilized and centered His
entire Plan for us in Truth. The Father attaches the highest importance to
Truth because it expresses who and what He IS; it further provides the
logistics for His Plan. Doctrinal information is therefore the basis for glorifying
God and the channel to tactical victory in the angelic conflict!
4. God’s Thinking is eternal and preexisted the human race. (Prov 8:1-36)
Truth was the Thinking that Christ used, (1Co 2:16) to accomplish the Plan of
God the Father! (Matt 24:35; John 3:34; John 6:63; John 14:10; John 14:24;
John 17:8)
5. The believer’s attitude toward Truth is the basis for blessing or
discipline. (Prov 8:33-36)
What happens to those who go A.W.O.L. from Truth without recovery?
They can expect a quick court-martial and a firing squad!
But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love
death. (Prov 8:36)
God has allotted to each of us a certain amount of “time.” The question is,
how will you spend that time — in the thick of the combat or out of action?
Will you remain in the guardhouse or will you mature Spiritually and enjoy the
blessings God has provided for you at reaching Spiritual maturity? Point 5
calls for two implications, as defined in points 6 and 7.
6. Truth resident in the soul through the daily function of Operation Z is the
basis for the distribution of mature-grace blessings. (Isa 53:12) After the
victory of the Cross, the special plunder of victory, (Mature blessings) have
been made available in time to mature believers in the Royal Family of God.
7. Truth is also the basis for the distribution of reward blessings, in
eternity (Heb 11:9-10) compared with, (Heb 11:13; Jas 1:25; compared with.
Jas 2:12-13)
8. Truth is part of the Principle of living grace for Phase Two. Under living
grace, God provides temporal and Spiritual factors to keep the believer alive
in time. Temporal matters include food, shelter, clothing and other
necessities. Spiritual assets are in the sphere of academics: a Textbook —
the Word of God; a classroom — the computer — a communicator — the
pastor-teacher. (Eph 4:11-13; Col 1:25-29; Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17)
9. The Plan of God is both advanced and vindicated through the filling of
God the Holy Spirit and Truth. (1Co 2:4-5)
But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would
render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, [Believers] He will
prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His
hand. [CHRIST WILL REIGN FOREVER] (Isa 53:10)
In eternity past, God the Father commissioned Jesus Christ to provide
eternal Salvation for the human race. While Christ was on the Cross bearing
our sins and taking our place, that mission was accomplished. Now we need
simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and receive Salvation.
(Acts 16:31) From this point, the Plan proceeds through Truth in the souls of
believers. The same Concept is amplified in the Book of Romans. The
question is asked in: (Rom 3:3) “Shall unbelief cancel the faithfulness of
God?” The answer continues in: (Rom 3:4)
May it never be! Rather, let God be found True, though every man be
found a liar, as it stands Written in, (Psa 51:4) THAT YOU MAY BE
JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.
[Maligned]
10. God’s Thinking is more real than empirical knowledge. (2Pe 1:12-21)
If there is a conflict between what you see, hear, smell, taste or humanly
think or what the Word of God says, the Word is always right! When you
continue to take in God’s Thoughts; they become more real to you than any
other factor in life, and it motivates you to fulfill God’s design and purpose for
time and eternity!
11. Lack of Truth and the resultant reversionism of its people destroy a
nation. (Hos 4:1-7; Heb 11:3) Whenever I read this Hosea passage, written
around 700 B.C., I feel as though I am reading a current newspaper, so
closely does the situation in Israel parallel that in our country today. The
satanic objective to undermine the foundation of our strength — our Thinking
— has been achieved with unbelievable speed. This is evident in the carnal
trend of our seminaries and clergy and in the mental attitude of our youth.
Pornography, religion, the occult, sensuality, moral and immoral degeneracy,
communism and its related thoughts of socialism has been the tools used by
Satan to accomplish his goal!
12. The communication of Truth by the pastor-teacher establishes the
balance of residency between the filling of God the Holy Spirit and Truth in
the soul of the believer. The Holy Spirit resides in the body of every member
of the Royal Family of God, but He functions in the soul. By means of the
filling of God the Holy Spirit, we Understand and learn Truth as it is taught.
Whereas the filling of God the Spirit comes easily — through the rebound
technique — the filling up of the deficiency of Divine Thinking is more difficult;
it requires continued positive volition toward Truth over a period of time! The
gift of pastor-teacher and the function of Operation Z are the means which
God has ordained to transfer God’s Thoughts from the Canon of Scripture to
your soul. When you possess maximum Divine Thinking in your soul and reach
Spiritual maturity you will have a balance of Divine Thinking and Virtue which
empowers your EVERY THOUGHT. (2Co 10:5)
13. The only Truth which is usable is that which has been transferred from
the written page of the Bible into your soul; therefore, consistency in the
function of Operation Z becomes essential.
(Heb 10:25) presents the Command to attend Bible class regularly:
Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
(Heb 10:35) issues a warning concerning the danger of negative volition,
while (Heb 10:36) states the benefits of persistence.
14. There are many wonderful results of Truth resident in the soul. Truth
produces confidence for living. (Job 5:24-27; (2Co 5:6-8; Heb 10:35) Truth
orients the believer to the Plan of God, (Isa 26:3-4; Rom 8:28) produces
stability of soul, (Jas 1:6) and the Divine Viewpoint of life in the right lobe;
therefore, it is the key to mental attitude dynamics. (Isa 55:7-9; (2Co 10:5)
Truth is further the basis for Divine guidance and execution of the will of God,
(Rom 12:2-3) and leads to Occupation with Christ and maximum capacity to
love God! (Eph 3:19; Php 3:10; Heb 12:2-3) Divine Thinking is the only way to
attain and hold Spiritual maturity; (Php 3:12-14) and is the means of gaining
reward blessings for eternity. (Heb 11:9-16; Jas 1:25; Jas 2:12-13)
Therefore, when the absorption and Thinking with God’s Thoughts
continues on a consistent daily basis, the capacities for Spiritual and temporal
life is developed to the fullest; the Spiritually mature believer is thus prepared
for combat!
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you
continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will Know
the Truth, [God’s Thoughts and Reality] and the Truth [Believing and Thinking
with God’s Thoughts] will make you free. [From the old sin nature and Satan’s
false human realities of life] (John 8:31-32)
PREPARED FOR COMBAT!
A THREE-PARAGRAPH FIELD ORDER: (Heb 12:1-3)
Before any military mission, the commanding officer of a battalion issues
either a three-paragraph or a five-paragraph field order to his subordinates;
this follows the chain of command until everyone in the outfit is briefed. The
paragraphs include (1) Situation intelligence — report regarding enemy and
friendly forces; (2) Mission — a clear, concise statement of the objective; (3)
Execution — the means by which the mission is to be accomplished; (4)
Service Support — supply — the “beans and bullets” Concept; (5) Command
and Signal — pyrotechnics, radio equipment, etc.
Upon their challenge to follow the colors in, (Heb 10:23-39) and a
discussion on the importance of the Field Manual — the Bible — in,
(Heb 11:1-3) the Royal Battalion of believers of the Church Age is ready to
move out on the offensive. The first three verses of (Heb 12:1-3) form a three-
paragraph field order for the advance of the Royal Battalion: (1) Authorization
to advance; (2) Objective of the attack; (3) Description of enemy forces.
Authorization to Advance
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
[Spiritually Mature believers of the past] let us also lay aside every
encumbrance [All human realities] and the sin [The old sin nature] which so
easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race [AGON —
Wrestling of the mind] that is set before us. (Heb 12:1)
The inferential particle “Therefore” (TOIGAROUN) resumes the Thought
of (Heb 10:35) and recognizes as parenthetical the Verses in between.
(Heb 10:35) and (Heb 10:39) The mature-grace heroes of the Old Testament
portrayed in Hebrews 11 are to be a source of encouragement to the Royal
Family in their advance to Spiritual maturity. These believers of the Gentile
and Jewish Ages took the high ground with relatively little support when
compared to that which we have today in the completed Canon of Scripture.
“For that very reason, therefore,” indicates that we of the Royal Family do
not retreat. Because we have neither gone A.W.O.L. from Truth nor become
indifferent to Doctrinal teaching, we follow the road to glory: saving grace to
living grace; living grace to mature grace; mature grace to dying grace; dying
grace to surpassing grace! “Are,” present active participle of ECHO — “to
have and to hold” — is a static present and verifies a condition that
perpetually exists. The permanent Old Testament roster of mature grace
heroes will continue to challenge and encourage the Royal Family of God to
join them on the high ground of Spiritual maturity.
From Israel’s ancient battle cry, “Remember the LORD. . . great and
awesome, [Mighty Warrior] and fight. . .” (Neh 4:14; cf. Deut 20:4) In modern
times the challenge, “Follow me” and many meaningful challenges have
stirred the hearts of fighting men before battle. Over the centuries, such calls
to bravery as “Remember the Alamo!” have become synonymous with daring
defiance.
Traditionally, the British are not noted for their brilliance in military strategy
and tactics; but, to their credit, many of their officers have been excellent
leaders of men. A custom practiced for hundreds of years by British officers
perfectly demonstrates their uncanny ability to inspire unceasing loyalty and
respect. Before a battle, the commanding officer would unsheathe his saber
and walk up and down in front of his men. Often pointing the saber, he would
shout encouragement in the irreproducible British manner: “Up there is the
enemy; we must go up and get those chaps and put the bloody beggars out
of business!” Suddenly, he would raise his saber and present an invitation so
civilized that you might think the troops were being asked to have tea rather
than to attack the enemy: “Won’t you join me? Won’t you join me? Forward
march!” And up the hill they would charge undaunted, through shot and shell!
In the Spiritual sense, there is no war cry more pertinent to the Royal
Family than that of the Scottish regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders: “TULACH
ARD” — Gaelic for “Take (Or seize) the High Ground.” (Or the heights) If the
Old Testament believers could do this, how much more should we who are
“surrounded” (Literal translation of PERIKEIMAI) by that entire battalion of
mature-grace heroes! The past victories of “such great” (Distinguished)
believers cited in Hebrews 11, support the Royal Family of the Church Age
with a barrage of firepower in its Spiritual advance.
Now, in view of this “cloud” (NEPHOS) or host of witnesses, who testify to
the fact that it is possible to take the high ground even without a completed
Canon of Scripture, “let US lay aside...” The aorist middle participle of
APOTITHEMI, “having taken off,” could be rendered “having stripped for
action.” The action is holding the line of positive volition — not just once in a
while when you are in a jam — but regularly assembling in the local church,
and or your classroom for Doctrinal teaching, and the exercise of Operation
Z, despite all distractions or pressures.
“Stripping” is a military metaphor which depicts the soldier’s preparation
for action by the removal of his rucksack and other equipment that would
impede his advance up steep terrain. Two obstacles of the Christian soldier
are mentioned specifically: “every encumbrance” and “the sin.” “Weight”
(ORGOS) denotes a burden or impediment — any distraction that hinders us
from concentrating on Truth or consistently taking it in! Among these may be
involvement with human self-importance, pleasures, entertainment,
personality hang-ups. Such distractions are not classed as sin in this context,
though they are often sin-related.
“The sin” (HAMARTIA) incorporates the categories of sin: mental sins,
sins of the tongue, overt sins and the function of the lust pattern. Although
“the sin” varies for each individual, it is one that is “easily ensnaring” or
entangling; (EUPERISTATOS) the current sin from the area of weakness in
the old sin nature. No direct sin is specified here because areas of weakness
change as the believer progresses or retrogresses in his Christian life.
Whatever form of carnality constitutes the easily-ensnaring sin for the
advancing believer; the solution to carnality is invariably the rebound
technique. (Prov 28:13) HAMARTIA recognizes the Principle that we cannot
advance apart from rebound.
The retreating believer’s area of weakness is more complex in
reversionism; therefore, the solution is also more complex. It calls for
repentance, (A change of mental attitude toward Truth; 2Ti 2:25-26) rebound
and reversion recovery: a healing period by the intense function of Operation
Z.
After all hindrances have been removed through rebound and maximum
intake, we are ready to advance: “let us run.” (Present active subjunctive of
the verb TRECHO) This verb follows the military analogy of advancing toward
the enemy on the run. In modern military vernacular, we would say, “Let us
charge the enemy!” If we are to be victorious in the Spiritual conflict, the initial
attack must be followed through “with endurance” (DIA HUPOMONE) —
persistent positive attitude toward Bible teaching, regardless of the
circumstances of life!
The word “race” (AGON; “agony”) can refer either to a race and or
wrestling in a stadium or to a battle or tactical situation. Here it is used in the
military sense of a combat objective. The “conflict set before us” refers to our
aim in the angelic conflict. We are commanded, therefore, to advance “on the
double” with endurance to the present objective: to seize and to hold the high
ground of the mature-grace life — and on to glory!
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
[Spiritually Mature believers of the past] let us also lay aside every
encumbrance [All human realities] and the sin [The old sin nature] which so
easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race [AGON —
Wrestling of the mind] that is set before us. (Heb 12:1)
Objective of the Attack
The American War for Independence, mistakenly known as the
Revolutionary War; was not a revolution but a fight against tyranny based on
the rights of the individual to protect his life, freedom, privacy and property.
Throughout history, men have entered into the hardships and inconveniences
of war in order to seize and hold; and therefore to occupy a larger territory or
to gain greater prosperity and freedom. Likewise in the Spiritual conflict, we
are not only looking toward a better place but also seeking the freedom and
happiness of Occupation with our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(Heb 12:2) has this goal in view:
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, [The Spiritual
life] who for the joy set before Him [His perfect happiness and new family;
us!] endured the Cross, despising the shame, [Thinking very little of the
shame] and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Looking” (APHORAO) means “to look away, to turn your eyes from one
object and to fix them on another”; in other words, to set your sights on the
target. After you have glanced at the supporting battalion — those who have
already made it — you must move on toward the area of your objective:
concentrate on Jesus Christ and His Thoughts! (Psa 1:2-3; Psa 40:8;
Psa 94:19) Live on the summit of the high ground, the place of maximum love
toward God and Occupation with Christ!
“Author” (ARCHEGOS) does not refer to one who writes a book; rather, it
denotes a leader, a ruler or a prince in the sense of having originated a
dynasty or established a kingdom. Jesus Christ is our Prince-Ruler in that He
generated the Royal Family of God through His saving work on the Cross and
completed it with His session at the right hand of the Father. “Finisher”
(TELEIOTES) is a hapax legomenon — a word which occurs only once in the
Bible. It means “perfector, completer, consummator: the one who brings
through to final attainment.” Our Prince-Leader is the One who leads us to
the attainment of the maturity objective. How does He accomplish this?
Through “Thinking with God the Father’s Thoughts.” (Ablative of means from
PISTIS) The ablative is not the regular case for expressing means except
when there is an implication of origin or source, as in this instance in the use
of ARCHEGOS. Thus, “faith” describes that which is believed, or the Spiritual
life.
The only way anyone in the Royal Family will ever reach maturity status is
by means of God’s Thoughts resident in his soul. “Author and Completer”
emphasize both the means of obtaining Spiritual maturity as well as its goal
— Occupation with Christ. Together, they indicate that once you reach the
high ground, you must hold it. You secure your position in the same manner
by which you arrived — through Truth! (Psa 119:24)
From eternity past, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Eternal God, possessed
perfect happiness; yet He was willing to set it aside for the present objective.
“For the joy [ANTI plus the ablative of CHARA] that was set before him”
(PROKEIMAI) must be clarified from the Greek syntax. Without going into all
its ramifications, the dative of possession is literally “happiness to him”; but
since it has no exact equivalent in the English, it must be rendered as a
possessive pronoun: “his happiness.” Therefore, this phrase is best
translated: “who instead of His always present perfect happiness.” The
prepositional phrase, together with the ablative, follows the connotation of
substitution. A similar Principle is found in, (Matt 20:28) where, according to
the literal translation, Jesus said, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His soul a ransom INSTEAD OF many.”
(ANTI POLLON — ablative of POLLOS)
In order to fulfill the Father’s Plan for the Incarnation, Christ submitted
Himself to the excruciating agony of the Cross. The judgment of our sins in
His own body was the most intense suffering ever experienced by any
member of the human race. Why was Jesus Christ able to endure the
anguish of the Cross? What was the source of His courage? He possessed
maximum Truth in His soul; therefore, no diversionary tactic of the enemy
succeeded in turning His face from that objective! (Isa 50:5-9) Maximum
Truth resident in His soul, coupled with maximum pressure in life, culminated
in the strategic victory of the angelic conflict. Thus He set the pattern for us to
endure the pressure of maintaining positive volition, to get Truth in the soul
and to gain the tactical victory in the angelic conflict to seize and hold Spiritual
maturity.
Jesus Christ “despised,” or literally, disregarded (KATAPHRONEO) the
“shame” (AISCHUNE) of the Cross and moved right on to the pinnacle of His
strategic victory His session at the right hand of the Father — the highest
place of honor. Subsequently, Christ divided the plunder of His victory with us;
this became the basis of our paragraph of mature-grace blessings. Even
though we may fail to appropriate them, nevertheless great blessings will
always be waiting for us. To obtain them, we must scale the “hill,” and that
demands persistence in taking in Truth.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, [The Spiritual
life] who for the joy set before Him [His perfect happiness and new family;
us!] endured the Cross, despising the shame, [Thinking very little of the
shame] and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2)
- Description of Enemy Forces
Throughout His Incarnation, Christ encountered intense opposition from
both Homo sapiens and satanic forces. Satan had intensified to the utmost
his activities to prevent the Plan of God; yet not once did Jesus Christ falter
or succumb to weariness or discouragement. He moved through every
satanic barrage to complete the Father’s Plan for Phase One. His
determination becomes our challenge!
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [Give in to human
realities] (Heb 12:3)
“Consider” (Aorist middle imperative from the verb ANALOGIZOMAI —
another hapax legomenon) means: “to weigh in the mind, to deliberate, to
Think something over very carefully.” The ingressive aorist adds the Concept
that you begin to Think because of what you have just learned! This
Command can be obeyed only when you have mastered the Principles
defined in: (Heb 12:1-2) Consistency and persistence of positive volition
toward learning and Thinking with God’s Thoughts! (John 7:16-18) Once you
seize and hold the high ground, your Perspective changes and so does your
scale of values. You gain an entirely different Viewpoint of Who and or What
IS important in life! (John 4:34) You become aware of Jesus Christ as the
only Celebrity, and you begin to Concentrate on Him!
Your Thoughts are directed specifically in this Verse to Christ’s endurance
(HUPOMENO) under heavy concentration of enemy fire. The active voice
indicates that Christ produced the action of the verb by enduring both the
Cross and the “hostility” or opposition (ANTILOGIA) while on the Cross. The
opposition of sinners includes all His human foes — religious and political,
collective and individual. (Mark 15:29-32) The perfect tense is intensive; it
views the action as completed and summarizes the existing results: the
efficacious sacrifice of Christ; His saving work on the Cross; His dying words
in which He passed on the colors to the Royal Family; the resurrection,
ascension and session that completed the strategic victory of the angelic
conflict. Therefore, we are motivated to persist as He persisted; to remain
positive as He was positive!
Satan has now trained his sights on the Royal Family of God. In,
(Heb 12:3) his guns are leveled against the believer’s soul in an attempt to
cause fainting in the soul. We must be alert to all the dangers as we press
the attack toward the high ground: when victory is within your reach, pressure
begins to mount; the enemy intensifies his search for chinks in your armor; to
cause discouragement, depression, bitterness, self-pity, jealousy, lust, worry,
vindictiveness, implacability, laziness, boredom, and loneliness; ANYTHING to
keep you from learning and Thinking with the Word of God! What is more
attractive or important to you than Truth? What is your breaking point? As
these are discovered, Satan exploits your frailties and sins in an attempt to
soften your defenses and weaken your soul.
Only as you and I Concentrate on God’s Reality and our Lord’s example;
Who “...was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” (Heb 4:15)
can we overcome these temptations and sins which so readily assault us.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [Give in to human
realties and sin] You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in
your striving against sin. (Heb 12:3-4)
THE NEW PERSPECTIVE OF THE HIGH GROUND Philippians 3:4-8
The Concept of Human Celebrity-ship in the third chapter of the Book of
Philippians presents the true perspective from the high ground: of God’s
Reality in contrast to the false human realities. The Apostle Paul is the
example. As Saul of Tarsus, he was by human standards one of the foremost
celebrities in the history of Judaism. Therefore, he could demonstrate from
his own experience that there is a far more important issue in life than merely
attaining the pinnacle of human success! His declaration, “For to me to live is
Christ and to die is gain.” [A promotion] (Php 1:21) defines the main objective
for every believer! Once you become a member of the Royal Family of God,
Jesus Christ must be your only Celebrity! (Mark 8:38)
The believer who neglects or becomes negative to Truth has left his “first
love.” (Rev 2:4) No longer Occupied with Christ, he now values some person
or some thing above His Savior and in effect; is a Spiritual adulterer. (Jer 3:8;
Jer 9:2-3; Jer 23:10; Mal 3:5) This substitution is blasphemous and
reversionistic and explains the reason for the Divine discipline paragraph in.
(Heb 12:4-15) No one in the Royal Family has the right to dispossess Jesus
Christ of honor, fame or celebrity-ship.
In portraying himself as a man whose reputation has reached the zenith of
legalistic celebrity-ship, Paul refers to the rituals of Judaism as a basis for his
own self-righteousness. The Judaizers had infiltrated the church at Philippi,
which contained a large segment of retired military personnel from the Roman
Army, and had boasted of their popularity. Along with other Gentile believers
of the early church, the Philippians were impressed with and therefore
influenced by Judaism. It was the antithesis of Hellenistic culture and
eliminated the immorality and amorality of Hellenism. Fascinated with Judaic
self-righteousness, they followed this new way of life, (Matt 6:1) without a
clue to the consequences of legalism and self-righteousness of Judaism; they
said that Paul had not gone far enough in his teaching — as suggested by the
Judaizers themselves. Paul must correct this error:
Although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. [The power of
the old sin nature] If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I
far more. (Php 3:4)
The word “flesh” can refer to the human body or to the old sin nature;
but here it also represents the vast dimensions of all human reality. When it
came to earthly glory, Paul had more cause to boast, should he so desire,
than any of the Judaizers who had criticized him. “Even though I myself might
be having confidence in carnal standards of celebrity-ship,” — he no longer
possessed confidence in any human attainment! He had long ago abandoned
these apparent advantages. Now firmly established on the high ground of
God’s Thinking he enjoyed a new dynamic Perspective of life: GOD’S!
For we are the true circumcision, [New Spiritual Creation; Gal 6:15) who
worship in the Spirit of God [In fellowship; John 4:24) and glory in Christ
Jesus [Proud of Christ and His Thoughts; Mark 8:38) and put no confidence in
the flesh. [Human realities and or achievements; John 6:63; Rom 7:18;
Php 3:3)
Paul must construct a meritorious assumption. He does so from personal
experience and under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. According to, (1Co
1:26) “not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called”; but Paul was an exception. By the cosmic index, Paul was
superior in every way; yet his accomplishments are now simply biographical
material!
While you are still advancing toward the summit of Spiritual maturity, you
must learn that there is only one Celebrity in the Royal Family of God! This
new Perspective may not yet have caught up with your actual experience; but
you will fail to establish a foothold until you recognize and begin to Think
about our true Celebrity. This Concept connects, (Heb 12:2-4) with our
passage; and is summed up briefly in, (Php 3:10).
The conditional particle “if” (EI) coupled with the indicative mood
introduces a first class condition, a supposition from the viewpoint of Reality:
“if, and it is true.” While the Judaizers arrogantly presumed that they were the
quintessence of Spirituality, Paul was truly humble; although he cited his
factual achievements in the field of Judaism, he was totally free from pride.
He merely intended to demonstrate that Divine Thinking can transform the
illusion of human renown into one of genuine Virtue-humility.
Thus Paul countered the challenge of the Judaizers: “If you assume to
have confidence in achievement; I more!” Were Salvation attained through
adherence to Judaism, his own works would have promoted Paul to heaven.
In that case, when he came to Philippi, he would have taught Salvation by the
rite of circumcision. Instead, he declared to the Philippians: “and may be
found in Him, not having a righteousness [Self-righteousness] of my own
derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Php 3:9) Could
credit have been ascribed to legalism, then Paul himself would have been a
Spiritual giant by reason of his superior human morality and self-
righteousness.
Although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. [Human
accomplishments] If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh,
[Human realities] I far more. (Php 3:4)
The False Perspective
Paul had to establish a background of false criteria in order to present the
true norm of Spiritual maturity. By every standard of Judaism, Saul of Tarsus
possessed the highest rating. He would have easily qualified for a listing in a
Pharisaical counterpart to the Marquis “Who’s Who.” Under Judaistic legalism
he already had produced an impact on history as a human celebrity. The
categories of Judaism in which Paul outclassed all Judaizers are described in
the next two verses.
Circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a
persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness [Outward ritual] which is in
the Law, found blameless. (Php 3:5-6)
(1) Confidence in ritual. (“Circumcised the eighth day”) This ritual of
circumcision defined a true Israelite, but was practiced by the Judaizers
without the Reality of Salvation. By the gauge of Judaism, circumcision on the
eighth day indicated racial superiority. Yet even in Paul’s day, racial purity
had more or less disappeared. Paul’s superiority began at the place where
many of the Judaizers could not compete; for more often than not, they had
been circumcised as adults!
(2) Confidence in physical birth. (“From the race of Israel”) Israel, the
name given to Jacob once he had reached Spiritual maturity, became both
the racial and the national designation for the Jewish descendants of the
twelve sons of Jacob. If Salvation could be claimed on the basis of physical
birth alone, Paul would definitely be saved! But since the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob demanded a new birth, (John 3:7) Paul could have no
confidence in the flesh. All human values are eliminated by the glorious
Standards of grace. When you reach Spiritual maturity, you are not
impressed by the status of birth. Neither race nor birth is an issue in God’s
system.
(3) Confidence in family. (“From the tribe of Benjamin”) This tribe
possessed four outstanding qualities. Militarily, the Benjamites were
unsurpassed; they could boast many heroes on the battlefield. The first king
of Israel sprang from the tribe of Benjamin; thus they could claim royal
celebrity-ship. Furthermore, they were known for their undaunted loyalty to
the Davidic dynasty. As a part of the Southern Kingdom, they possessed
great stability and establishment. Next to Judah, on the scale of prestige, the
tribe of Benjamin was the most envied tribe. If relationship with God had been
based on the family escutcheon or national prominence, Saul of Tarsus would
have been automatically saved at birth! Down through the ages, ancestry has
been used by the arrogant to establish themselves as superior to those within
their area of influence.
(4) Confidence in nationalism or culture. (“A Hebrew from the Hebrews”)
This refers to both Jewish patriotism and cultural conservatism in contrast to
the liberal and licentious Hellenistic culture which had infiltrated Israel.
Traditionally, Hellenistic Jews were liberal; orthodox Jews, conservative.
“A Hebrew from the Hebrews; the best of the best” indicates Paul’s
orthodoxy.
A tremendous patriot, Saul of Tarsus had unswervingly rejected liberalism in
culture and heritage.
(5) Confidence in religion. (“As touching, or with reference to the Law, a
Pharisee”) The Pharisees were an ancient, exclusive Jewish sect that came
into being after the Babylonian captivity. They paid excessive regard to
tradition and ceremony and developed a concept of superior sanctity. While
their original intentions were sound — separation from all that defiled body
and soul (Ezr 6:21; Ezr 9:1) — they soon departed from Truth.
During the Maccabaean period, a sharp difference of opinion split the
party into two factions: Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sadducees, who
drew their members from the ranks of the priests, became the skeptics and
were primarily concerned with their social position. The Pharisees, whose
membership was composed of the scribes, pursued their legalistic tendencies
with zealous sanctimony. (Self-righteousness) It was no wonder, therefore,
that as an unbeliever, Paul persecuted the Church with great zeal! Jesus
Christ strongly condemned Pharisaism; and now Paul exposed them for what
they truly were: religious hypocrites whose confidence rested in human
righteousness and who rejected the Thinking of God! (Rom 10:2) Had Paul
placed any credence in the flesh, he would have relied on the religiosity of
Pharisaism for Salvation.
(6) Confidence of function. “With reference to zeal, persecuting the
church.” If the standard were zealous pursuit of his cause, then Paul was
superior to all zealots of Judaism; for he persecuted without discrimination all
types of Christians, whereas the Judaizers persecuted only true grace
believers! Since Paul had become a believer in Christ and had taken the high
ground, he constantly exposed the error of Salvation by works, sincerity and
or false thinking.
(7) Confidence of self-righteousness; “With reference to self-
righteousness in the Law, having become blameless.” Saul of Tarsus excelled
in the ritual observance of every jot and tittle of the Mosaic Law. While he
was undeniably a moral degenerate, he later realized that, in fact, his
religious fanaticism established him as the worst sinner who ever lived. (A
terrorist) (1Ti 1:12-15) In rejecting this triumph of self-righteousness, he
declared: “Man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith in
Christ Jesus...” (Gal 2:16) Truth had completely replaced the now dead ritual
of Judaism. (John 10:3-4) Ritual without Reality is meaningless! There must
be substance (God’s Thoughts) in the soul to link the ritual, (Reading,
praying, sacrifice of time, money; etc., praise and thanksgiving, self; etc.)
with Reality! (Prov 11:20; Prov 21:27; Prov 28:9; Eccles 5:1)
Traditionally, all ceremonies related to the presenting of our flag hold
great significance for Americans who love their country. On our military posts
during the formation of reveille, (Bugle call at sunrise) the color guard carries
the national standard in the form of a cocked hat as a reminder of the War
for Independence when our forefathers fought for our freedom. The standard
must be placed correctly onto the halyard to allow it to flow free as a symbol
that we WON that war and were now a FREE nation! At the Command,
“Present arms,” the colors are raised to the top of the pole to portray the fact
that two hundred years later we are still a free people!
Every evening another ritual is observed at the sound of the sunset gun,
when the entire post comes to a standstill from the smallest child to the
highest ranking officer. Those in vehicles dismount, face in the direction of the
post flag and stand at attention. If they are in uniform, they salute. As the flag
is lowered, there is complete silence except for the sounds of “To the
Colors!” This ritual repeatedly CAUSES THINKING and affirms the fact that
the military services are the guardians of our freedom, which has been
ordained by God himself. (Num 1:3)
Those of us, who understand the rituals of our freedom as they relate to
the military organizations, can appreciate the dramatic flag-raising and
lowering ceremonies and are inspired by them. Tragically today, they have
little meaning for the majority of the young men in the service and therefore
elicit neither response of patriotism nor national team-spirit! Ritual without
Reality is meaningless! There must be substance (God’s Thoughts) in the
soul to link the ritual of, (Reading, praying, sacrifice of time, money, praise,
thanksgiving, self; etc.) with Reality! (Prov 11:20; Prov 12:22; Prov 28:9;
Eccles 5:1)
Before World War II, Hitler knew full well how to capitalize on the
emotional impact of his famed torch-light parades that glorified the Nazi
youth, who marched in loyal tribute to the Fuehrer! Today, behind the Iron
Curtain, ritual is again being utilized to ignite fierce patriotism through
intimidation. On May Day, as units of the Russian Army thunder through Red
Square in Moscow to parade their vast military strength, they do so to
impress the free world as well as to intimidate their own people and satellite
nations. Yet we can possess in the soul a warhead that is mightier than any
of the conventional or non-conventional weapons devised by man. Truth can
halt any offensive launched against the believer by human or satanic forces.
With Truth in the soul, we can celebrate not only our national heritage but
also our Spiritual heritage as we learn to respect and to appreciate Christ as
the true Celebrity, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
The True Perspective from the High Ground of Spiritual Maturity
While our concepts of status differ from those of Judaism, the issue of
human celebrity-ship remains as provocative today as it was in Paul’s day.
Therefore, Paul’s presentation of the true perspective is as pertinent now as
when it was first written:
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss
for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of
the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain
Christ. (Php 3:7-8)
The adversative conjunction “but” (ALLA) sets up a contrast between the
false standards of human realities and the true measure of God’s Reality!
“What things” comprise the false thoughts of human success and the false
realities of either the unbeliever or the reversionistic believer. The word “gain”
is the key to understanding Verses 7 and 8. Translated in the singular, it is
actually the nominative plural of KERDOS. The singulars and plurals in this
paragraph are noteworthy, for they differentiate between the use of God’s
Thinking by the mature believer and the human thinking of the unbeliever and
the carnal believer.
The “gains” are the seven apparent advantages of Paul’s ascendancy in
Judaism, which normally could lead to confidence in the flesh. “But what
things were advantages to me.”(EGO) The dative of disadvantage of the
personal pronoun classifies those “gains” as very real disadvantages. Grace
standards prevent all faith in human attainment! Paul knew that his attainment
under Judaism was never the basis of his Spiritual life.
Members of the Royal Family of God, carry-over from their lives as
unbelievers certain standards for human reality. (Isa 55:8-9) These establish
definite concepts of human prominence. In our society, acclaim might go to
athletics, drama, music, art, business, society, politics or professional and
military human celebrity-ship. I am not disparaging achievement in any field of
endeavor. The point is that high status in the human sphere must never be
allowed to displace Jesus Christ and or the Thinking of the Spiritual life. But
only YOU can decide who or what is most important in your life! A decision in
favor of human prestige and or reality can quickly turn you negative toward
Truth.
A second problem occurs when a believer seeks worldly recognition and
neglects Thinking with God’s Declared Reality; preferring and choosing to
think about self; and what the old sin nature wants; — honor, social life,
emotional fulfillment, sex, food, careless ease, power, family, approval, fame
and or wealth. (EVERYONE WANTS SOMETHING FOR NOTHING) That is
the issue in focus here. And that something and or NOTHING — must keep
us from consistency and persistence in the field of positive volition toward
Truth and Thinking ONLY with God’s Reality! By taking the high ground of
Spiritual maturity, we avoid the human celebrity-ship pitfall.
Consistent and decisive positive volition toward Truth orients the believer
to the grace perspective. Orientation to grace is essential in the consolidation
of Spiritual growth. Certainly you will fail and make mistakes as you capture
the glory road inch by inch. But once you gain a foothold on the lofty heights
of Spiritual maturity, you will be troubled less and less by human reality and
the tug-of-war between the old sin nature and the New Nature of Christ in us.
(Rom 8:10-14)
The attainment of success through grace is a definite part of the Christian’
s maturity package. Yet we must be careful to distinguish between human-
fame and mature-grace blessings. If prosperity and success do not come
from the Lord, they are not worth having! This quite possibly was the real
issue underlying the bitterness and hatred of the Judaizers toward Paul. He
had achieved a fame which they could never equal, and its source was the
Lord!
As the holder of seven world records in the field of Judaism, Paul was an
authority on that subject. True, from the aspect of Judaism, such merits were
advantageous; but for the Spiritual life, they were worthless baggage. It was
his expert opinion that they must be “counted” as loss! The basis for Paul’s
Deduction is emphasized by the present middle indicative of HEGEOMAI,
(“To Conclude as an expert”) and the seven gains of Judaism are termed
ONE loss. (Accusative SINGULAR of ZEMIA) Once you become Occupied
with the Person of Christ, all human worth becomes loss. (Jas 1:10-11) As
Truth takes up its residency in our soul, the old thoughts are replaced by new
Thoughts. On the high ground, capacity for life increases appreciation of the
fantastic mature-grace blessings which God provides!
Ask yourself: Who is the source of my blessings? Am I seeking fame and
fortune by my own ability, or am I content to scale the high ground first; and
there await my mature-grace blessings from God? To gain Spiritual maturity
glorifies God! To achieve honor apart from Spiritual growth plays into the
hand of Satan, for invariably, human pride, approbation and power lust enter
the picture of the self-made man!
Let me hasten to balance that statement by saying that the Divine Reality
is not acquired by RENOUNCING worldly recognition or achievement. The
Principle of the Christian life consists, not in giving up something, but in
replacing human thinking with God’s Thinking! (Rom 12:2) As you follow the
colors and Operation Z it to Spiritual maturity, there will be both replacement
and implementation of Truth; i.e., human reputation is automatically replaced
by the celebrity-ship of Christ!
More than that, I count all things [Human thoughts and achievements] to
be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, (Matt 10:37-39) and count them
but rubbish [SKUBALON; human excrement] so that I may gain Christ,
(Php 3:8)
The closest we can come to a literal translation of the five Greek particles
which form the phrase, “More than that,” would be “More emphatically,
therefore.” By reiterating the phrase, “I count,” (HEGEOMAI) he emphatically
asserted that he knew what he was talking about. His absolute conclusion
that “ALL THINGS” (Plural) be one pile of human excrement; was not a
matter of pride and or false-humility but of Knowing the Priceless Value of the
Thoughts of God! (Psa 19:7-11; Prov 3:13-15; Prov 8:10-11) Because of
Christ; Paul had flushed all human thinking and all the achievements of
Judaism. Yet he had suffered not loss but greater gain: the benefit of “the
excellencies or the surpassing greatness of the Thinking of Christ Jesus” and
therefore Knowing, his Lord! (Jer 9:24)
Please notice what constitutes surpassing greatness in the Christian life:
Knowledge of Truth which leads to Occupation with Christ! Paul kept on
concluding human effort and advantages SKUBALON (Plural) — “human
excrement.” The NASB translation; “rubbish,” is euphemistic; Paul is actually
comparing all energy-of-the-flesh deeds to a pile of human excrement, the
worst possible insult. Nevertheless, Paul has the true perspective of
surpassing greatness. The purpose of this complete break with the past and
its human viewpoint reasoning was to achieve the objective of Spiritual
maturity: “that I may win [Aorist active subjunctive of the verb KERDAINO —
‘to gain’] Christ.” As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, Paul set his sight on the
high ground and on Occupation with his Lord.
But whatever things were gain to me, [In the flesh] those things [Human
realities] I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [To reach Spiritual
maturity; Occupation with Christ] More than that, I count all things [Human
thoughts and achievements] to be loss in view of the surpassing value of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, (Jer 9:24) for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, (Matt 10:37-39) and count them but rubbish [SKUBALON;
HUMAN EXCREMENT] so that I may gain Christ, (Gal 2:20; Php 1:21)
(Php 3:7-8)
THE PERSISTENT DECISION TO FOLLOW THE COLORS
(Php 3:12-14)
Consolidating Your Gains
On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederates made their
final assault, commonly known as “Picket’s Charge.” Spearheaded by
General Lewis A. Armistead’s Brigade, the Southerners reached their
objective — the clump of trees and the stone wall at the Union center, known
simply as the “Angle” — but were unable to hold their position. Because they
were tragically outnumbered and lacked reinforcements, only a few hundred
were able to cross the wall before they were overrun by thousands of
Yankees. Each break-through must be exploited; reserves must be available
in order to follow through; otherwise, the offensive loses its punch and the
ground cannot be held. This Principle applies to the exploits of the Christian
life. Even though you have arrived at a point, unless you press on vigorously,
you will be forced to retreat!
Many of you will come right up to the crest of Spiritual maturity. You will
enjoy the view for awhile and bask in its splendor; but the accompanying
prosperity will prove too much for you and lure you away from Truth. Then as
soon as you are in trouble, back you will come. If you keep climbing up and
slipping down the hill without consolidating your gains, you will never truly
recognize your blessings. In fact, the blessings will turn to the cursing of
discipline! The continual enjoyment of maturity’s blessings is dependent upon
your tenacity in the function of Operation Z, which builds maximum Truth in
the soul!
The Apostle Paul had once been on the summit of Spiritual maturity but
had been driven off by reversionism. Defying God’s geographical will for his
life, as well as the warning from the Prophet Agabus, (Acts 21:11) Paul had
returned to Jerusalem in May of A.D. 57. Paul loved Jerusalem. Here the
Church had its origin, and here too his past greatness and present status
were well-known. However, the Jerusalem church had been infiltrated by
legalism, and Paul was considered to be highly controversial. Perhaps the
congregation would give him a hearing if he consented to some overt sign of
affiliation with Judaism. Paul knew better, but his emotional attachment to the
“Holy City” blurred his discernment. He compromised grace and entered the
Temple to take a vow. Giving in to legalism and subsequent reversionism,
Paul would have died the sin unto death had it not been for the grace of God
operating through the intervention of the military.
Four years of prison followed; during which time Paul recovered from
reversionism and wrote the prison Epistles. By the time he penned the Book
of Philippians, Paul had once more reached the high ground. Now that he had
planted the colors, he must hold his position!
And may be found in Him, not having a righteousness [Human ability; self-
righteousness] of my own derived from the [Ritual of the] Law, but that which
is through faith in Christ, [Believing and Thinking with the Mind of Christ] the
righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, [Experiential-
righteousness: Spiritual Maturity] that I may know Him (Jer 9:24) and the
power of His resurrection [Spiritual life] and the fellowship of His sufferings,
(1Pe 4:1) being conformed to His death; [Experiential death to His normal
human desires] (Matt 20:27-28) in order that I may attain to the resurrection
from the dead. (Luk 15:24; Rom 5:17; Rom 6:4) Not that I have already
obtained it [Completely and Totally] or have already become perfect,
[Reached full Spiritual maturity] but I press on [Exploiting my advances] so
that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
(Php 3:9-12)
The phrase, “Not as though [OUK HOTI] I had already [HEDE — ‘before
now’] attained,” [LAMBANO] but moves on to a second conclusion. The first,
at the end of Verse 8, was related to capturing the high ground: “I keep on
concluding them [Human systems of thinking] piles of excrement in order that
I may gain Christ,” [To seize Spiritual maturity] The second conclusion in
verse 12 refers to the consolidation of these gains: “Not that I have already
obtained it or have already become perfect,” — i.e., “I have not before now
reached the objective.” This indicates that Paul had returned to the high
ground but was not as yet totally stabilized.
His position on the high ground secure, Paul would not be driven off again!
This time he would exploit the breakthrough. He affirmed his determination by
the statement, “I press on,” (DIOKO) or literally, “I am pursuing or pressing
the attack.” The last five years of Paul’s life were extraordinary. He not only
held his ground, but he advanced Spiritually beyond any other believer of his
time. From that final period of his life emerged seven great Epistles that were
destined to reverse the course of history for every generation after A.D. 62.
Paul’s firm resolution not to repeat the same mistake but to press on is
expressed in the unusual conditional particle “if.” (EI plus the subjunctive
mood) The third class condition, coupled with a first class conditional particle
signifies that while the outcome of Paul’s resolution was still in question at the
time of writing, there was actually no doubt in Paul’s mind. Therefore, he kept
on driving: “I may lay hold of that.” (Aorist active subjunctive of
KATALAMBANO — ‘to seize, to attain, to make one’s own, and to overtake’)
He used LAMBANO for assaulting the hill; KATALAMBANO, for staying there.
The culminative aorist recognizes that he had attained the first objective only
to discover a new objective: he must remain on top until death!
“Press the attack” was one of Stonewall Jackson’s favorite battle cries.
Once he had achieved a breakthrough, he would ride from one outfit to
another and shout, “Press them! Press them!” When his troops were
successful, he moved through the regiment exclaiming, “Good ! Very good!”
After Paul had consolidated his gains and stood on the threshold of the
golden bridge of dying grace, he may well have said “Good! Very good!” or,
as he wrote to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight; [Against human
realities] I have finished the course... [Stayed at Spiritual maturity until death]
(2Ti 4:7) Of the galaxy of mature believers in history, Paul shines the
brightest because he exploited to the maximum the tactical victory of Spiritual
maturity!
It is God’s purpose that every believer in the Royal Family follow the
colors to Spiritual maturity. Jesus Christ has “apprehended,” (Seized and
held) us so that we can fulfill that objective. Everything we would need in time
and in eternity was provided in eternity past before we existed. Now while
God is still invisible to us, we can attain the completed resurrection Spiritual
life; so that the invisible God becomes visible to us through Divine Thinking in
our soul! (Heb 11:27)
Not that I have already obtained it [Completely and Totally] or have
already become perfect, [Reached full Spiritual maturity] but I press on
[Exploiting my advances] so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was
laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (Php 3:12)
Securing Your Position
Paul learned from his past failures. Never again would he let them hinder
his advance or cause him to retreat into reversionism. He demonstrated that
a person who has become submerged in great failures and mistakes can still
emerge a mature believer! Upon your arrival at the crest of the high ground,
you are established in the status of a NORMAL royal priest. To retain that
status and function to the fullest, you must exploit the break-through!
Therefore, in securing your position, you must not dwell on past failures, but
ignore them. Although Paul relates this Principle to his own experience, it
applies to each believer.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; [Completely
and totally] but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching
forward to what lies ahead. [The completed new Divine Nature] (Eph 4:13;
Php 3:13)
“Brethren” — Royal Family of God — implies that we can take Paul’s
autobiographical material and apply it to our own lives. “I do not regard
myself” (Present middle indicative of LOGIZOMAI) means “to evaluate” and
indicates objective Thinking in regard to oneself. The negative adverb “not”
(OU) should read “not yet.” His evaluation of himself is that he has not yet
“apprehended” (KATALAMBANO; again) — seized and held the high ground.
In the consummative perfect, it is not an existing state but a process not yet
completed. However, he anticipates that the objective will be secured.
“But one thing” is an idiomatic expression in the Greek which connotes
concentration: “but one thing on which I concentrate.” As long as we are
alive, we should concentrate on the objective — following the colors; Staying
in fellowship and Thinking with Truth! Keep pressing! Despite failure, get up
and keep moving! How is this accomplished? By “forgetting” the past!
(EPILANTHANOMAI) To add to your own agonizing memories, other people
will remind you of your failures. You will be the victim of judging, maligning,
pressure and other reactions. Consequently, you must concentrate on
forgetting your past sins. Notice what this does not say: cry over your
failures; defend yourself; justify your actions; try to straighten things out! All
this is eliminated by the word “forget.” Part of your advance is to completely
eradicate what lies behind you and or Understand that you have been
forgiven! (Psa 103:12) And that our old man died with Christ!
(Rom 6:11; Rom 6:13) But you cannot stop there; the advance is to be
continued. “Reaching forward” (EPEKTEINO) is used for a sprinter who
extends every effort as he approaches the finish line; to give every ounce of
energy to win a race; to exploit a breakthrough! “Constantly stretching
forward” toward that “which lies before” a completed resurrection Spiritual
life! Paul stresses the importance of unflinching positive volition which results
in the daily function of Operation Z — AFTER you attain Spiritual maturity. As
long as you are alive — keep pressing! This is the ONLY means by which you
secure your position!
Brethren, I do not Regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; [Completely
and totally] but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching
forward to what lies ahead. [The completed new Divine Nature] (Eph 4:13;
Php 3:13)
The Victory Prize
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. (Php 3:14)
Because of his own experience and the time he wasted in reversionism,
Paul could scarcely overemphasize the necessity of continued advance. Not
only did he intend to proceed from Spiritual adulthood all the way to Spiritual
maturity, but he hoped that all believers would follow his example!
Once you capture Spiritual adulthood, you see the panorama of the next
objective, (“The goal”) maximum Spiritual maturity then dying grace and then
surpassing grace in eternity. As Paul viewed the other side of the hill, he
anticipated and saluted his mature blessings of time and eternity! When at
last he crossed the golden bridge of dying grace, he embraced or received
the surpassing-grace rewards — “the prize.” (BRABEION) Dying grace
bridges the gap between Spiritual maturity and surpassing grace. By securing
his position, Paul achieved his maturity blessings in time, dying grace
happiness and surpassing-grace rewards in eternity. This portion of his
autobiography is recorded in:
In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, [Eternal
rewards] which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day;
and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. [Spiritually
adult believers] (2Ti 4:8)
The Lord keeps a daily ER (Efficiency rating) on all believers, (2Ch 16:9)
to determine their mature-grace blessings for time and surpassing-grace
rewards for eternity. These “decorations” are described in, (Php 3:14) as
belonging to “the upward call,” (KLESIS) or “the upward station.” The upward
station is the eternal state or Phase Three, when we receive the results of
our ER. The source of our surpassing blessings is God; the recipients, the
Royal Family of God — those “in Christ Jesus.” What is your daily ER as a
Christian soldier? You can either go down the “gory” road of reversionism;
and lose both your mature-grace and surpassing-grace rewards, or you can
take the glory road of Truth and win the prize in time and in eternity!
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. (Php 3:14)
There is a poem, author unknown, which I have adapted, for it beautifully
sums up God’s purpose for us in the angelic conflict: You cannot choose your
battlefield God does that for you; but you can plant the colors where the
colors never flew! Take up the challenge: FOLLOW THE COLORS!
Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner! (Exo 17:15)
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