Spir Dynamics 391, 406-9, 1038 3/30/97; 5/11/94
A. Definition.
1. An absolute refers to something that is complete, perfect, entire, and irrevocable. An absolute being is not derived from anyone or anything else. God is independent of origin. The absolutes from God are stated in Bible doctrine and are irrevocable, infallible, and are not derived from anyone or anything else.
2. Bible doctrine is divine revelation from an absolute being. Therefore, doctrine has absolutes. As such, Bible doctrine is independent of any arbitrary standard or relative or variable concept. Bible doctrine is absolute values from absolute truth.
3. A variable is dependent on external conditions for its specific nature. Variables are relative, comparative, and considered in relationship to something else, e.g., in relationship to salvation, the spiritual life, or the absolutes of the resurrection of the Church.
4. The absolute either accepts or rejects the variables. The variables that are accepted are called true variables. The variables that the absolutes of Bible doctrine reject are called false variables. Variables often adhere to absolutes as true variables. Variables may be rejected as false on the basis of understanding the absolutes of Bible doctrine.
5. While an absolute is something that is not dependent on external conditions but is independent of any conditions or restrictions, a variable is liable to change and is dependent.
6. The key to variables often involves human volition.
a. A true variable is the loser believer, Phil 3:18-19.
b. A true variable is the winner believer, Phil 3:20-21. The greatest differences that ever exist will exist in the resurrection bodies of the eternal state, and this variable is dependent on the function of human volition in time.
7. A personal sense of destiny concentrates on the absolutes of Bible doctrine to resolve problems. Problems deal with variables, not the absolutes of Bible doctrine. This is why a personal sense of destiny is the first great objective of the spiritual life.
8. The basic problem solving devices (rebound, filling of the Holy Spirit, faith-rest drill, grace orientation, and doctrinal orientation) are upgraded or enhanced by the advanced problem solving devices. A personal sense of destiny plus enhancement of the basic problem solving devices and the deployment of the advanced problem solving devices (personal love for God, impersonal love for man, sharing the happiness of God, and occupation with Christ) accomplishes two magnificent advances in the spiritual life.
a. True variables are reconciled to their pertinent absolutes.
b. False variables are rejected by the pertinent absolutes.
9. The Christian way of life is far greater than morality because it is related to an absolute being. The absolutes from God (Bible doctrine) are the foundation for living. When you anchor your life on absolutes, you can deal with anything in life. Your spiritual life is made up of absolutes.
10. The absolutes solve the problems of the variables through three functions: enhancement of the basic problem solving devices, a personal sense of destiny which becomes the enhancer, and the fulfillment of the sophisticated spiritual life. You are never protected from false variables until you have absolutes circulating in your stream of consciousness.
B. The Absolute and Variables of the Rapture.
1. There are two categories of variables related to the Rapture: the human life variables (being dead before the Rapture occurs or being alive when it occurs) and the spiritual life variables (being a winner or a loser when it occurs). Metabolized doctrine deals with all the true variables and all the false variables in life. True variables include the fact that some believers will be alive at the Rapture and that must believers will be dead at the Rapture. True variables include the fact that some believers will be winners and some believers will be losers at the Rapture. A personal sense of destiny rejects false variables; for they neither adherence or relationship to the absolutes of Bible doctrine.
a. A personal sense of destiny is not controlled by variables but always by the absolutes of Bible doctrine. The absolutes resolve all variables in life.
b. A personal sense of destiny resolves all problems related to variables through the application of the absolute—metabolized Bible doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the only way you will ever have any absolutes in your soul. You need the filling of the Spirit to metabolize doctrine in your soul. Metabolized doctrine is the absolute origin of problem solving devices.
(1) While an absolute may be defined as something that is not dependent on external conditions but is independent of any conditions or restrictions, a variable is liable to vary and to change. The key to variables is often the function of human volition where deviation from the absolutes may or may not occur.
(2) Variables that involve volition can be true or false, but the variables related to the Rapture are related to two categories, both of which are true. There is a soul status variable which finds believers who have already died and their souls are in heaven and believers who are alive at the Rapture. There is a spiritual life variable which finds both winners and loser believers at the Rapture.
2. The variables are reconciled through the application of the absolutes. All variables in life are settled by Bible doctrine.
a. True variables are reconciled to the absolute; false variables are rejected. Therefore, variables related to human status quo (being alive or dead) and to the spiritual life (being a winner or loser) are true variables and reconciled to the absolute truth of Bible doctrine. All true variables gravitate to an absolute of Bible doctrine and are resolved by that doctrine. Bible doctrine rejects all false variables, like setting a date for the Rapture.
b. All Church Age believers in time have the same equal opportunity to execute the protocol plan of God. At the judgment seat of Christ loser believers for the first time will take responsibility for their own decisions.
c. All Church Age believers will be resurrected regardless of the variables, evaluated, and then live forever in the eternal state. Spiritual freedom gives every believer equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.
d. Being a winner believer is a matter of volition and values. Therefore, there is no excuse for being a loser believer. Volition and values is the issue, not circumstances, and never environment. The believer has to come eventually to establishing a system of values. The highest value has to come from Bible doctrine in your life.
e. The Rapture is not a matter of human volition; for God brings the exit-resurrection to all believers regardless of their status quo. This is an exclusive resurrection for just the Church. Only the sovereignty of God brings this final objective. Therefore, a personal sense of destiny concentrates on the absolutes of Bible doctrine, and by so doing resolves all problems related to the variables. True variables are related to doctrine, and false variables, which are in conflict with Bible doctrine, are rejected.
3. Phil 3:11, “and so by some means I shall advance to the exit- resurrection which is out from the dead.”
a. The Rapture is an absolute doctrine which solves all problems of variations. A personal sense of destiny applies this absolute doctrine to the variables of Christian status, 1 Thes 4:16-18; 1 Cor 15:51-55.
b. The variables do not exclude any Church Age believer from the resurrection no matter what the status of the soul (dead or alive) or what kind of a winner or loser he is. The Rapture of the Church is an absolute to which the true variables adhere. The false variables such as the mid or post tribulational Rapture are rejected.
c. A false variable related to the Rapture includes any believer who tries to set a date or time for the Rapture. The date setter accepts a false doctrine of rejected variables. Date setters encourage abnormal living which becomes a distraction to the execution of the protocol plan of God.
d. The resurrection of the Church is a function of the sovereignty of God, and therefore, the Church Age believer cannot predict the time of the resurrection through his or her volition or cognition.
C. A Personal Sense of Destiny Related to Absolutes and Variables.
1. A personal sense of destiny concentrates on the absolutes of Bible doctrine, and by so doing resolves all problems of the variables, orienting to the ones that are pertinent and rejecting the ones that are false.
2. Through a personal sense of destiny the absolutes of Bible doctrine resolve all problems related to variables.
3. Through a personal sense of destiny variables that adhere to an absolute are resolved, while variables that conflict with an absolute are rejected.
4. Therefore a personal sense of destiny is not controlled by the variables but by the absolutes of Bible doctrine.
5. Cognition and metabolization of the absolutes of Bible doctrine make it possible for right application through the function of a personal sense of destiny. As a system of application, the personal sense of destiny must be kept clean.
6. A personal sense of destiny plus enhancement from the basic problem solving devices and the deployment of the advanced problem solving devices accomplishes two magnificent advances in the spiritual life. True variables are reconciled to pertinent absolutes. False variables are rejected by pertinent absolutes. The problem with most Christians is that they have false variables clinging to them and they suffer from distraction, disillusion and reaction.
7. A personal sense of destiny uses enhancement of basic problem solving devices for advancement to advanced problem solving devices. In the sophisticated spiritual life all basic problem solving devices are enhanced and upgraded to meet the challenge of taking the high ground of spiritual maturity. The second challenge of the problem solving devices is the attainment of the advanced problem solving devices.
D. The Absolutes Related to the Destruction of the Universe.
1. Another case of the absolutes is found in 2 Pet 3:10-14, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will be dissolved with intense heat, and the earth and its works [human good and evil] will be incinerated. Since in this way all things must be destroyed, what sort of person must you become in a dedicated to God lifestyle, that is to say, your spiritual life, while looking forward with confidence and the hastening of the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But on the basis of His promise [of better things in the eternal state] we are looking forward with confidence to a new heavens and a new earth in which perfect righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since we are looking forward with confidence for these things, be self-motivated to be found in Him in a state of tranquility, spotless [the execution of the spiritual life with emphasis on capacity] and blameless [the result of fulfillment of the spiritual life].”
2. The destruction of the universe at the end of human history is an absolute Bible doctrine. The “end of the world” is a fact of the future. Before the end of the world we must complete the Church Age, the Tribulation, Second Advent of Christ and His millennial reign.
3. There are five things which survive the destruction of the universe: salvation—anyone who believes in Christ, your resurrection body, Bible doctrine, your escrow blessings, and the historical records of the invisible hero. These things are permanent values and absolutes. Each of these have variables. True variables gravitate to the absolutes, while false variables are rejected by the absolutes.
a. Salvation is a permanent value which survives the destruction of the universe. The variable that gravitates to it is faith alone in Christ alone.
b. The second permanent value is a resurrection body. The variable that gravitates to it is all believers, whether living or dead, winner or loser, will receive a resurrection body. The false variable is setting a date for the resurrection of the Church.
c. The third permanent value is the infallible word of God which survives the destruction of the universe. The true variable that gravitates to this permanent value is positive volition to doctrine. The false variable is rejection of doctrine.
d. The forth permanent value is the your escrow blessings. The true variable that gravitates to it is receiving your escrow blessings for eternity. The false variable is the believer’s rejection of his escrow blessings by negative volition to doctrine.
e. The fifth permanent value is the historical impact of the invisible hero. The true variable that gravitates to it is the invisible hero’s impact on his. The false variable is believer’s rejection of historical impact by negative volition.
4. The challenge of the absolutes is found in the question, “Since in this way all things must be destroyed, what sort of person must you become in a dedicated to God lifestyle, that is to say, your spiritual life?” Your lifestyle is not what you do; it is what you think. There is nothing in this universe worth keeping for the eternal state expect the five permanent values. You have a spiritual life as a part of your portfolio of invisible assets. Whether or not it becomes operational depends on your values, your volition related to values. You have to be self-motivated to ever live the spiritual life that you have in your portfolio.
5. Absolutes and variables focus on a personal sense of destiny as the objective of the spiritual life. A personal sense of destiny divides the spiritual life from childhood to adulthood. A personal sense of destiny is entrance into spiritual adulthood or the sophisticated spiritual life.
6. All absolutes are covered by the grace of God, so that you can learn the absolutes, attain the four objectives (a personal sense of destiny, spiritual maturity, occupation with Christ, and maximum glorification of God), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ as a winner with no regrets.
7. The verb PROSDOKAO (used in verse 12, 13, and 14) means to look forward with confidence or future expectation and describes a personal sense of destiny. Verse 12 states the fact of having a personal sense of destiny. Verse 13 states the function of a personal sense of destiny. Verse 14 states the result of having a personal sense of destiny. When you arrive at a personal sense of destiny, the use of problem solving devices one through five only enhance your personal sense of destiny and your personal sense of destiny makes your use of problem solving devices one through five more effective. For example, a personal sense of destiny is not distracted by past failures, but rebounds and keeps moving; the faith-rest drill takes on new meaning.
E. The Absolute and Variables of Salvation.
1. The absolute of salvation is that Jesus Christ did all the work for salvation on the Cross. The absolute is described in Rom 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died as a substitute for us.” The absolute is that salvation was accomplished by our Lord and finished while He was still on the Cross. The absolute is that Jesus Christ is the only savior and has done all the work for salvation, being judged for our sins as our substitute, so that faith alone in Christ provides eternal salvation. This absolute excludes all other variables.
2. The true variable is described in Jn 3:36, faith alone in Christ alone. Another true variable is that anyone who does not reach the age of accountability is automatically saved.
3. There are a number of false variables. Anything added to salvation through faith alone in Christ alone is a false variable and automatically cancels salvation. a. Faith plus giving up sin or feeling sorry for sin is a false variable related to salvation. Eternal salvation is not a matter of sin.
b. Faith plus accepting Christ as your lord is a false variable.
c. Faith plus repentance (feeling sorry for your past sins) is a false variable.
d. Faith plus commitment to do great things for God or to not commit certain sins is a false variable.
e. Faith plus having an emotional experience is a false variable.
f. Faith plus inviting Christ into your heart is a false variable.
g. Faith plus baptism is a false variable.
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