Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Sun., June 14, 2009        

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html   

 

2 Pet 3:18

 

GOD’S PROBLEM SOLVING DEVICE #10:

OCCUPATION WITH JESUS CHRIST

Part 45:  THE HYPOSTATIC UNION & THE BLESSINGS OF

UNDESERVED SUFFERING

 (Messiah & A.C. #226)

 

A.   The Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ, Philip 2:5-8; Jn 1:1 with 1:14; Col 2:9.    

            1.    The OT and NT unmistakably affirm both the humanity and deity of JC.        

                        2.  It is the hypostatic union that enables us to understand what seems to be a clear contradiction between being both God and man.

            3.   There are no less than 20 possible heretical views on the Person of Christ:                    

                        1)   Rejection of His humanity, (Gnostics);  “God is perfect; all material things are imperfect;  therefore God could not have entered into the imperfect material realm.”   2)  Rejection of His deity (Ebionitism, 100-300 A.D.), “There is only one God.”  3)   Rejection of His full humanity (Alexandrian, 200-400 A.D.), “Christ is the Logos, the mind of God.”  4)   Rejection of the distinctiveness of Persons in the Trinity (modalism, 215 A.D.): “there is only one God.”  5)   Rejection of His full deity (Arianism, 250), “as begotten of the Father, Christ had a beginning as firstborn.”  6)  Rejection of His human soul (Apollonarianism, 310-390); “It is impossible to have two self-consciousnesses if there be a divine soul and human soul.”  7)  Rejection of unity of Person of Christ (Nestorianism, 428):  “there has to be a human soul to redeem human souls and there God for salvific work to be accomplished.”  8)   Rejection of distinct of His two natures (Eutychianism, 448):  “the nature of God and man are blended together.”  9)   Rejection of His two natures (monophysitism, 400s): “Christ was metamorphosed into man.”   10)   Rejection of the one volition of Christ (Diothelitism, 620-683):  “Christ as God had a separate volition from Jesus as man.”  11)   Rejection of His eternal deity (adoptionism, 8th century):  “Christ became divine at the baptism.” 12)   Rejection of His full deity during incarnation (kenoticism, 19th century):  “Christ dispossessed Himself of non-essential attributes of His deity.”   13)   Rejection of the objective doctrinal truths in the hypostatic union: “Christ is beyond rationalistic explanations, what is important is that we trust Him, it is not the doctrines but the Person that is important,” (existential Christology, Kierkegaard, 19th century);  14)   Rejection of the importance of Christian orthodoxy: “Christology begins and ends with the downtrodden and their vision of life…we need orthopraxy not orthodoxy). (Liberation Christology, 1950-).   15)   Rejection of White European (Greek, German, English, and French) Christology: “We reject Christology that does not begin with black power...we reject forms of Christianity that teach  that Christology in not interested black suffering (Northern approach) or a Christology that teaches that black suffering is compatible with Christology (Southern approach).  16)   Rejection of the maleness of Christology:  “we must castrate God and completely overturn concepts of God as Father so we can build a Christology on the experience of women (feminist “Christology”).  17)    Rejection of the immutability of Christ:  “all reality is dynamic and this includes God; God is not to be thought of as a static possessor of attributes and qualities, but as an active, dynamic, creative being.  (Process “Christology,” 1940-).  18)    Rejection of the exclusivity of Christ:  “Christ is just one of the many ways to God” (universalist “Christology,” 20th century ).   19)    Rejection of Christ’s absolute truth (postmodern deconstruction of “Christology”): “there is no such thing as Absolute Truth.”   20)   Rejection of the importance of Bible doctrine and the understanding Christology and the Hypostatic Union:  “we just need to imitate Jesus and deepen our interfaith dialogue to share and build our views of Jesus (emerging/Laodecian church of the 20-21st centuries).   

            4.   Back to the doctrinal standard:  the Chalcedonian Creed (451 A.D.).   

            5.   The principal struggle regarding the Person of Jesus Christ among Christian theologians was between the Alexandrian Logos-man Christology  (Monophysitism) and the Antiochene Chistology (Dyophysitism).

            6.  The solution to the dilemma regarding the two natures of Jesus Christ is found in a modified form of Apollonarianism where the Eternal Second Member of the Trinity as the archetypal man provides the attributes of a pure human soul  in which He lived within its conscious confines.

 

B.  Suffering in the POG, Heb 5:8; Philip 2:5-8; Job 5:7.

            1.  There are two broad categories of suffering in life:  deserved and undeserved.              

                        a.   Deserved suffering does not bring blessings Psa 32, 38; 51.

                        b.   Undeserved suffering brings fantastic blessings in life, 2 Cor 12:8-9

            2.  Only through Bible doctrine/divine viewpoint can the believer understand the issues of suffering in his life and parlay all unjust suffering into blessings, Js 1:2-4.

                        a.   Understanding that ALL suffering is designed to teach us SOMETHING, Psa 32:8-9; 2 Cor 12:7-10.

                        b.  Understanding that only through BD can we learn about suffering.

                        c.   Understanding that an enormous amount of suffering can be eliminated simply through the execution of the SL and growth in BD.

                        d.  Understanding that we are all responsible for our own motivations, choices, and actions in life, Gal 6:7.

                        e.  Understanding that we need suffering to move us from spiritual adolescence to spiritual maturity, 2 Cor 12:7-10.

                        f.   Understanding that suffering is needed for the development of true humility and spiritual virtue, Heb 5:8; 2 Cor 12:7-10.

                        g.  Understanding the marvelous promise in 1 Cor 10:13

                        h.  Understanding that 1 Cor 10:13 does not include what you do to yourself: you can put more on yourself than you can bear.

                        i.   Understanding that full power of 1 Cor 10:13 is found in proper orientation during suffering: orientation to the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the Plan of God, Mt 4:16.

                        j.   Understanding that life’s blessings and sufferings are all part of God’s grace package to enable us to continue travelling up the Glory Road, Psa 23; Philip 1:21-24; 4:4, 11-13.

 

C.   Undeserved Suffering, Mat 4:1-4; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Job.

            1.   Undeserved suffering always comes with great purposes & fantastic benefits. 

            2.  While there are many aspects to undeserved suffering they all revolve around 3 fundamental spiritual orientations in life:  orientation to the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the Plan of God, Mat 4:1-6.

            3.  When the believer is properly oriented to the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the Plan of God, he has command of himself in relation to self (OSN), others, and God.

            4.  Undeserved suffering is designed to prevent as well as remove arrogance.

            5.    While prayer is a wonderful weapon when used in conjunction with the Word of God and spiritual growth, it was never designed to replace Bible doctrine.

            6.   Undeserved suffering exposes our weaknesses and thus motivates us to find true strength in God, 2 Cor 12:9.

            7.   Undeserved suffering orients us to the total sufficiency of God’s grace,

            8.   Unjust suffering is designed to move us into the blessings of +H.

            9.   Unjust suffering is designed to enable the believer to have victory over any and all people testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “insults.”

                        a)   People testing is part of life.

                        b)  Every believer will face people testing with those whom he does NOT personally love or particularly care for.  

                        c)  Every believer will face people testing with those whom he has great personal love and admiration.

                        d)    Victory over people testing enables the believer to break the bondage of seeking human approbation. 

                        e)    Victory over people testing orients the believer to the fact that no one is perfect.

                        f)    Victory over people testing enables the believer to remain calm and to  continue to exercise Christian spiritual love in the face of enormous irritation.

                        g)   Victory over people testing is a mark of spiritual maturity. 

                        h)   Victory over people testing results in great mental stability.

                        i)    Victory over people testing enables the believer to love his enemies as he loves himself (spiritual self-esteem).

                        j)   Victory over people testing is a result of personal love for God. 

                        k)   Victory over people testing enables the believer to advance in personal and romantic love.

                        l)   Failure to pass people testing results in being a slave to others.

            10.   Unjust suffering is designed to give the believer victory over thought testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “distresses.”

            11.  Unjust suffering is designed to give the believer victory in times of injustice, 2 Cor 12:10, “persecutions.”  

            12.   Unjust suffering is designed to give the believer victory in disaster testing, 2 Cor 12:10, “difficulties.”

            13.    Unjust suffering is designed to give us capacity to empathize with others, 2 Cor 1:3-10; Heb 2:17-18.

            14.   Unjust suffering is designed to refine your faith and move you forward in the POG, 1 Pt 1:7; Js 1:2-4.

            15.   Unjust suffering reaches its peak in evidence testing, Job.