Hypocrites and Backsliders Lesson 055

GAP Mechanics

1 Cor 2:14

• The soulish man [ unbeliever with a soul but no human spirit ] does not accept the things from the Holy Spirit[ta: plural neuter article: divine knowledge ] for to him they are foolishness and he is not able to even acquire academic understanding because they are spiritually discerned.

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1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (NLT)• 12 And God has actually given us his Spirit

(not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

• 13 When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. = GAP

• 14 But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. = Need for GAP

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1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (NLT)• We speak words given to us by the Spirit,

using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. = GAP

• 1. We speak words given to us by the Spirit.• 2. using the Spirit’s words.• 3. explain spiritual truths.

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1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (NLT)• 14 But people who aren’t Christians (Soul-

only) can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. = Need for GAP

• 1. But people who aren’t Christians (Soul-only) can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit.

• 2. It all sounds foolish to them.• 3. only those who have the Spirit can

understand what the Spirit means.

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Human Life and the Soul, and the Spirit

• Who is the Soul-only Man

• 1 Cor. 15:45—“The first man Adam became a living soul. The last man Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

• The Spirit Man

• “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts” (Gal. 4:6).

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Regeneration: Union with Christ• Rom. 8:2—“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

made me free from the law of sin and of death”;

• 2 Cor. 5:17—“if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature” (marg.—“there is a new creation”);

• Gal. 1:15, 16—“it was the good pleasure of God.…to reveal his Son in me”;

• Eph. 2:10—“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

• As we derive our old nature from the first man Adam, by birth, so we derive a new nature from the second man Christ, by the new birth.

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MindMind

HEARTKardia

Heart

SOUL

The Soulical Man

BODY

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MindMind

HEARTKardia

Heart

SOUL

The Soulical Man

BODY

Appraisal

Choice

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The Event

Perception

Appraisal

The Representation

The Faith Response The Rejection ReactionThe Volitional Interlude

Spirituality Emotional RevoltOR

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GAP• 13 When we tell you this, we do not use

words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. = GAP

• GAP is the acronym for Grace Apparatus for Perception.

• GAP is the system God uses to complete the process described in 1 Corinthians 2:13, above.

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GAP• 2 Corinthians 5:17 it is written: “Therefore if

any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

• Eph 4:23, 24—“that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth”

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Spiritual Life - Regeneration• Ezek. 36:26-27: "I will give you a new heart and put a new

spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

• John 1:12–13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

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Regeneration: Union with Christ• “And because ye are sons, God hath sent

forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts” (Gal. 4:6).

• 2 Pet. 1:4—“that through these [promises] ye may become partakers of the divine nature”

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Spiritual Life - Regeneration• The new nature has divine qualities and longs after the things of God.

• Although in itself it does not have the power to fulfill its desires apart from the Holy Spirit, it gives a new direction to the life and a new aspiration to attain the will of God.

• GAP is how we learn the things of God and how to attain the Will of God.

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Regeneration: Union with Christ

SoulSoul

SoulSoul

Spirit

Old Man New Man

17

Sin Sin NatureNature

Sin Sin NatureNature

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MindMind

HEARTKardia

Heart

SOUL

GAP for the New Creature Regenerated by the Holy Spirit

BODY

Human Spirit

Holy Spirit

The FLESH(Sarx)

Residence of the Genetic Sin Nature

HUMAN SPIRIT(Pneuma)

(Residence of the Godhead)

Spiritual/Carnal Valve

The MIND(Nous)

(Staging area of the SOUL)(Psuchos)

The HEART(Kardia)

(Action area of the SOUL)

Volition(Master Valve of the SOUL)

The BRAIN(Master of the Body)

andEMOTIONS

Interfaces of the Body to the Soul

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The FLESH(Sarx)

Residence of the Genetic Sin Nature

HUMAN SPIRIT(Pneuma)

(Residence of the Godhead)

Spiritual/Carnal Valve

The MIND(Nous)

(Staging area of the SOUL)(Psuchos)

The HEART(Kardia)

(Action area of the SOUL)

Volition(Master Valve of the SOUL)

The BRAIN(Master of the Body)

andEMOTIONS

Interfaces of the Body to the Soul

Matthew 6:21 (ESV)21 For where your

treasure is, there your heart

will be also.

Spiritual Death

Slave to SIN

Reckon Yourselves Dead to

SIN

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The Sanctification Process

Sin NatureGood

Heart

Sin NatureBad

Human Spirit

Soul

Volition Matthew 6:21 (ESV)21 For where your

treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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Life’s Choices

• Event• Perception• Appraisal• The Representation• The Volitional Interlude• The Cognitive Response and Emotional

Reaction• Spirituality (Righteousness, Peace and Joy), or• Carnality (Arrogance Skills) leading to

Reversionism

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The Event

Perception

Appraisal

The Representation

I Agree I DisagreeThe Volitional

Interlude

Faith UnbeliefOR

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SAMBAK

The Doctrine of GAP

• 1. The whole function of the grace apparatus for perception (GAP) finds the believer at the beginning of his spiritual life in a state of ignorance regarding the thoughts of God.

• 2. As the Christian life progresses, ignorance may continue because of negative volition to doctrine, indifference to doctrine, or distraction.

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The Doctrine of GAP• Positive volition is a consistent attitude

wherein believers make clear cut and confident decisions to study, learn and apply doctrine without allowing obstacles to get in the way.

• The word positive means: • 1) to express clearly and confidently a

certain action. • 2) A motion or decision that is definite,

unyielding, constant or certain in its action.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 3. There are two categories of faith in learning the mind of Christ:

• Faith Perception and Faith Application.

• 4. In learning doctrine, only faith perception applies. (“I believe it.”)

• In the application of doctrinal rationales (the second stage of the faith-rest drill), faith application applies. (“I believe it works.”)

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 5. The first stage in going from ignorance to cognizance is called GNOSIS in the Greek.

• a. Teaching from the pulpit is heard and understood in your NOUS, the Greek word for the Mind of the soul.

• b. GNOSIS is doctrinal information which resides in the Mind where it cannot be applied or used in spiritual growth.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• c. GNOSIS must be transferred to the Heart as EPIGNOSIS (the Greek word for information Believed and transferred to the Heart of the soul), in order for you to grow in the spiritual life.

• This is accomplished through faith perception, or being positive to the doctrine taught.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• d. Understanding and not believing is negative faith perception. (A Hearer of the Word)

• Understanding and believing is positive faith perception. (A Doer of the Word)

• e. Only EPIGNOSIS can be formed categorically into doctrinal rationales for application.

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The Doctrine of GAP• 1. There are three stages in the faith-rest drill.

• a. Stage one, claiming a doctrinal promise, is the means of concentration to stabilize the mentality for thinking.

• b. Stage two, concentration on the doctrinal rationales you have learned, is the dynamics of reverse concentration.

• c. Stage three, reaching doctrinal conclusions, is the result of reverse concentration.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 2. The dynamics of the faith-rest drill depend on the second stage of the faith-rest drill.

• Claiming promises is the means to the end, but is not the end.

• 5. The ultimate is the second stage of the faith-rest drill, which is the application of doctrinal rationales to one's environment and circumstances.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 3. The first stage of the faith-rest drill, claiming promises, can only stabilize the believer for the dynamics of applying doctrinal rationales in the second stage.

• 4. The real issue of the faith-rest drill is applying doctrinal rationales.

• Claiming promises will not apply doctrine to the situation.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 5. Without applying doctrinal rationales the believer cannot utilize epignosis doctrine.

• The believer must learn to think in terms of divine viewpoint.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• C. The Mechanics of GAP.

• 1. Stage one is the communication of doctrine from one's right pastor either face to face or in absentia.

• a. The congregation is placed under a system of spiritual humility for perception and reception of Bible doctrine.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• Spiritual humility requires the filling of the Holy Spirit and the existence of humility whether organized (in the local church), enforced (by the authority of the pastor), or genuine (from your own positive reception of doctrine).

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The Doctrine of GAP

• b. The believer must be motivated by positive volition to hear doctrine.

• (When you lose your motivation you lose your spiritual growth.)

• This leads to concentration and self-discipline.

• c. Therefore, learning the rebound rationale and applying it while listening to Bible teaching is very important.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• d. Stage one begins with the pastor communicating doctrine using the I.C.E. procedure.

• (1) "I" stands for isagogics, which is the interpretation of the Bible within the framework of its historical setting.

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The Doctrine of GAP• (2) "C" stands for the categorical

communication of doctrine, which fulfills the hermeneutical principle of comparing Scripture to Scripture to determine the classification of doctrine.

• (3) "E" stands for the exegetical communication of doctrine, which is the analysis of each verse in its context to determine the exact meaning of that verse in its relationship to the context as a whole, analyzing grammar, syntax, and etymology.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 2. Stage two is operation gnosis, in which you understand what you hear and comprehend it in the left lobe of your soul.

• The function of receptive comprehension means that under the ministry of the Spirit and with enough frame of reference, you actually understand the doctrine being taught.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• b. When you understand, the doctrine goes to the Mind, one of the two “thinking areas” which make up the mentality of the soul.

• c. The believer approaches doctrinal teaching in ignorance.

• The objective is to turn ignorance into cognizance.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• d. If ignorance persists, it is because the believer is negative to the doctrine being taught.

• e. If he is negative in attending class, it is because he is involved in the cosmic system.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• f. Other reasons for ignorance include lack of frame of reference, sporadic exposure to doctrine, distractions from the pleasures of life, and an erroneous scale of values, all of which perpetuate arrogance, discipline, and failure.

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The Doctrine of GAP• g. Apart from the ignorance factor, a believer

under the ministry of the Holy Spirit can and does learn doctrine from his right pastor.

• h. Once the believer understands doctrine under the principle of receptive comprehension, it is called gnosis and resides in his left lobe.

• Gnosis information cannot result in spiritual growth nor can it be applied to experience.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• Gnosis doctrine is waiting for the believer's faith to convert it into epignosis.

• It is doctrinal thought still in the staging area.

• Gnosis is protein; epignosis is muscle.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• 3. Stage three is the function of faith-perception.

• a. There are two kinds of faith: faith-perception and faith application.

• Both are related to the plan of God.

• b. Faith-perception is used in learning doctrine and Faith Reception converts gnosis into epignosis.

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The Doctrine of GAP

• Then faith-application can use epignosis doctrine in application to life.

• c. In stage three, gnosis is converted to epignosis through the function of faith-Rerception. The mechanics involve volition and faith.

• There are two possibilities: "I understand what you are saying, but I don't believe it," or "I understand and I do believe it."

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The Doctrine of GAP

• (1) This stage is critical to fulfilling the plan of God for your life, because only epignosis doctrine can be used in application, causing one's advance to spiritual maturity.

• (2) The faith-rest drill has no muscle without epignosis doctrine.

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