Title: 13
Author: JOEG
Last saved by: Matt Lawson
Company: Auth Co

© 2003 Joe Griffin		03-10-26-A.CC02-200 /

Bible Verses that Command the Believer to Study the Bible; Motivation & Functional Virtues: Responsibilities of the Priest; Obligations of the Ambassador
38.	The verses referenced by Friedrich indicate that the substance that holds the body of Christ together is unconditional love.  This attribute is developed from personal love for God.  These things are learned through Bible study communicated by a source of supply called the pastor who brings spiritual things to a spiritual system.
39.	It is mutual belief in the principles of the Word of God that “brings believers together.”  It is love for Christ that “holds them together.”  And it is by means of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit that they are caused “to stride together.”
40.	Spiritual growth therefore results in the development of reciprocity and unconditional love for all believers.  This is the mutual disposition that makes the individual members of a local church become front rankers in the invisible scrum of the Angelic Conflict.
41.	Those who are winners are those who prepare for battle in prosperity.  Preparation involves spiritual growth and then execution of the Lord’s battle plan as each individual manages the exigencies of life and circumstances that occur on a daily basis.
42.	There are several passages that sum up the purpose of the Grace Apparatus for Perception:
2 Peter 3:18 - Grow [ present active imperative of aÙx£nw, auxanō ] in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
John 14:15 - “If you love Me, you will keep [ aorist active imperative of thršw, tēreō ] my commandments.”
John 15:10 - “If you keep My commandments, you will abide [ figurative use of mšnw, menō: to remain or continue ] in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide [ remain, continue ] in His love.
1 John 5:1 - Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born from God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child [ Jesus as Savior and fellow believers ] born of Him [ personal love for God must precede unconditional love for one’s fellow man ].
v. 2 - By this we have come to know that we love the children of God by loving God and executing His commandments.
v. 3 - For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
2 John 6 - This is love, that we should keep walking with momentum [ a lifestyle based on wheel-tracks of righteousness & motivated by reciprocity ] in compliance with His commandments.  This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should keep on walking in it [ the double column advance: ™p…gnwsij, epignōsis knowledge plus ¢g£ph, agapē motivation equals pl»rwma, plērōma maturity: occupation with Christ and maximum glorification of God ].
43.	It is through Bible study and the acquisition of epignōsis knowledge that we develop an agapē love for God.  It is from this personal love that we develop reciprocal love motivation to continue our pursuit of truth and our advance toward the objective of plērōma: spiritual maturity.
44.	Along the way the advancing believer develops motivational and functional virtues:
(1)	A motive is a desire acting on the will of a person causing him to act.
(2)	A function is a definite end or purpose that one is intended to perform.
(3)	Motivational virtues are the causes and functional virtues are the effects.
(4)	In order for the functional virtues to be nondiscriminatory the motivational virtues must be discriminatory.
(5)	The motivational virtues are (1) worship, (2) confidence, and (3) personal love for God.
(6)	The functional virtues are (1) morality, (2) courage, and (3) unconditional love for mankind.
(7)	Worship must be discriminatory toward the several expressions of it delineated in Scripture: (1) Bible study, (2) the Eucharist, (3) prayer, (4) singing, and (5) giving, all directed exclusively toward YHWH Elohim.
(8)	The functional virtue that is the result of worship is the obligation of nondiscriminatory morality based on biblical mandates.
(9)	Confidence must be discriminatory toward the Word of God and its doctrines.
(10)	The functional virtue that is the result of confidence is the obligation of nondiscriminatory courage toward life and circumstances.
(11)	Personal love must be discriminatory toward God.
(12)	The functional virtue that is the result of personal love for God is the obligation of nondiscriminatory unconditional love toward all mankind.
(13)	The three categories of motivational virtues are the responsibility of the believer’s royal priesthood while the three categories of functional virtues are the obligations of the believer’s royal ambassadorship.
45.	Principle: Perception of biblical truth is the responsibility of the royal priest and it results in motivational virtues of worship, confidence, and personal love for God.
46.	Principle: Application of biblical truth is the obligation of the royal ambassador and produces the functional virtues of morality, courage, and unconditional love for mankind.
47.	Our commissioning as a royal priest is found in:
Revelation 1:6 - Jesus Christ has provided for us a royal power to function as priests to God even His Father.
48.	Our commissioning as a royal ambassador is found in:
2 Corinthians 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making His appeal through us.

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