PPG 49 8/10/84, 62-63 8/26/84
A. Medical and Spiritual Definition.
1. Metabolism is defined as the sum total process in the building up of protoplasm and its destruction incidental to life. In other words, it is the chemical changes in the living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities. New material is assimilated to repair waste material in living cells.
2. The greek METABOLEUS means change or transition. Used by Hypocrates, medicine has translated this word into the English language as the medical term “metabolism.” 3. Metabolism refers to both the intake and the absorption of food, plus the process of respiration by which oxygen is made available to the tissues for the manifold chemical transformations involving.
a. ANABOLE, or anabolism, the building up.
b. KATABOLE, or catabolism, the tearing down.
4. Hence, metabolism as a medical term includes all the body processes by which matter, either organic or inorganic, is utilized for growth, repair, and maintenance. The metabolic processes by which oxygen is supplied to the neurons of the brain is how you think.
5. This makes a wonderful analogy to the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Physical metabolism is analogous to the four stages of operation Z at gate #4. Anabolism is the doctrine which provides momentum in our spiritual lives. Catabolism is the doctrine which provides discernment and the destruction of human viewpoint in our lives.
B. There are two categories of metabolism in medicine.
1. Metabolism of Air.
a. Air is carried into the body through inhale. This air hits the epiglottis where it triggers the traffic system which opens the trachea and shuts off the esophagus. The objective is not to metabolize air in the stomach, but food. Therefore, the esophagus is shut off. Then the air goes into the left and right bronchus, from which it travels through primary, secondary, and tertiary routes, then goes to sacs in the lugs called alveoli. In the alveolus, the oxygen is taken from the air and entered into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide is exhaled. This occurs even while you sleep, because you have an involuntary respiratory center where carbon dioxide builds up in the blood and pulls the trigger causing you to gasp for air. This automatic breathing device is located in the brainstem. When a person takes in a deep breath, he possibly inhales as much as 300 cc’s of air. With maximum effort, he can exhale about 150 cc’s, or half that. What remains in his lungs is called residual oxygen, analogous to the metabolized air.
b. So there’s always a certain amount of doctrine you hear that’s not immediately metabolized at the time you hear it. The metabolism of air is analogous to the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit inside the divine dynasphere, metabolizing doctrine. Just as the Holy Spirit metabolized GNOSIS Gospel, so He metabolizes GNOSIS doctrine you learn.
c. Metabolism involves both eating and breathing. Perception of doctrine is the function of the believer at gate #4, but the metabolizing of that doctrine is the function of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
b. Grace is involved in both air and food metabolism. Oxygen and other gases reside in stable form in the atmosphere around us, which is undeserved grace. So when air hits the epiglottis, it closes the esophagus and opens the trachea; this is grace. None of us could think without oxygen to the brain, making it possible for information to be printed on the neurons of the brain.
2. Metabolism of Food. Food enters the mouth and hits the epiglottis. This time the traffic signal closes the trachea so we won’t get food in our lungs (a quick way to die)! But this time the esophagus is opened and food enters the stomach. In the stomach, sugar (C12 H22 O11) is broken into various factors necessary for sustaining energy in life like glucose, fructose, and dextrose, and these travel to the brain and provide energy for the brain to print information on neurons; this is grace.
C. Air and food metabolism make an excellent analogy to operation Z.
1. Metabolism is the sum total of the process in the building up of protoplasm (cell nucleus) and its destruction incidental to life. In other words, it is the chemical changes in the living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities, plus new materials assimilated to repair waste material in living cells.
2. Like a good Doctrinal sermon, food on the table can be prepared magnificently. But the food on the table must be eaten and metabolized to sustain life and create energy. Food on the table in itself is not energy. The key to your physical energy is metabolism. Any malfunction in metabolism produces disease.
3. So also, a good message from a pastor-teacher is not spiritual growth; it does you no good until it’s metabolized. We have a whole generation of believers exposed to doctrine who simply look at the food and leave. They are suffering from spiritual anorexia nervosa, having all GNOSIS but no EPIGNOSIS at all. And believers who suffer from spiritual anorexia seek emotional stimulation and entertainment.
4. The greatest doctrinal message in the world from any pastor is no guarantee of spiritual growth; it is merely the first phase in bringing the believer up to the point of metabolized doctrine. Metabolized doctrine is a matter between you and the Holy Spirit. You provide the non-meritorious positive volition; the Holy Spirit then metabolizes the doctrine.
5. God provides in logistical grace everything you need to assimilate doctrine: life, a local church, a pastor-teacher, the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, the operational divine dynasphere, and the protocol plan of God. God’s grace provision of the human spirit makes possible the understanding of that doctrine and sets up a spiritual I.Q. to prepare you for spiritual metabolism.
6. Metabolized doctrine is known as SUNESIS or EPIGNOSIS.
7. Spiritual metabolism occurs between stages three and four of operation Z. Actually, spiritual metabolism is the Holy Spirit converting GNOSIS doctrine into EPIGNOSIS doctrine. But the Holy Spirit cannot do so without your consent. Therefore, you must have positive faith perception; the Holy Spirit only metabolizes what you accept on a non-meritorious basis. 8. Between GNOSIS, stage three or receptive comprehension, and EPIGNOSIS, stage four, spiritual metabolism occurs.
9. Spiritual metabolism is the function of positive faith perception, whereby the believer inside the divine dynasphere acknowledges in his own soul the truth of GNOSIS doctrine. He understands it through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in his human spirit (PNEUMATIKA or SOPHIA), and then it is transferred to the left lobe. Only after the believer acknowledges the truth of it does the Holy Spirit metabolize it. The pattern, verbalized, is, “I understand what you are saying, and I believe it.” If you are negative, you do not believe it but you reject it.
D. Principle of EPIGNOSIS, the Concept of Metabolized Doctrine.
1. The will of God for mankind is two-fold.
a. For the unbeliever: salvation.
b. For the believer: metabolized doctrine. 1 Tim 2:3-4 summarizes this will of God in one sentence.
2. The pastor-teacher through teaching is the source of metabolized doctrine, Tit 1:1. 3. The cosmic believer fails to metabolize doctrine, 2 Tim 3:2-7. The enabling power of the Holy Spirit does not function in the cosmic system. Verse 7 says those in the cosmic system are “always learning” .They are always learning academic subjects and doctrine, but it is all GNOSIS and only academic; “but are never able to come to epignosis doctrine.” Therefore, their condition is described in verses 2-6. 2 Tim 2:23-26 also deals with this subject. The majority of believers are in Satan’s cosmic system and doing his will.
4. Only metabolized doctrine can be useful for problem solving, Eph 1:17. The “spirit of wisdom” refers to the application of metabolized doctrine under the enabling power of the Spirit. This is God the Holy Spirit taking epignosis doctrine and giving you the ability to handle your problems. Whether in adversity or prosperity, you must solve your problems from the base of inner happiness from epignosis doctrine. Phile 6 says that all genuine fellowship with believers is based on metabolized doctrine and virtue.
5. Therefore, only metabolized doctrine can fulfill the mandate of virtue first in the protocol plan of God. Phil 1:9, “Pray that your [virtue] love may abound more and more through epignosis doctrine and all discernment.” 2 Pet 1:8.
6. Consequently, only metabolized doctrine can fulfill the protocol plan of God, Col 1:9-10.
7. Only metabolized doctrine can provide blessing under the protocol plan of God. If you have only gnosis doctrine, there is no basis for blessing. 2 Pet 1:2-3. 8. 2 Pet 3:17-18 is the challenge to spiritual metabolism. Jas 1:19-25 is the principle of spiritual metabolism. Col 1:9-12 is the prayer for spiritual metabolism.
E. Principle of Spiritual Metabolism as a Problem Solver.
1. Only metabolized doctrine causes spiritual growth and momentum.
2. Only metabolized doctrine forms an instant reaction force in your soul; i.e., a red alert system in your soul for discernment regarding people and circumstances and problem solving. 3. The job of the pastor is to communicate doctrine so that you can solve your own problems. To the extent that you go to others for counseling, you are using a crutch. God’s plan for the Church Age is not designed for you to seek counseling. The only reason you go to others for counseling is because you have failed in the field of spiritual metabolism! You would not last long if you did not metabolize food and air. A believer who dies the sin unto death is one who has gone as long as he can without metabolized doctrine; then he dies.
4. Only metabolized doctrine produces the three categories of virtue: genuine humility at gate #3, motivational virtue at gate #5, and functional virtue at gate #6. You cannot get these three virtues without metabolized doctrine. It is obvious that people cannot understand impersonal love academically; they’ll never get it until they metabolize it. The spiritual energy for impersonal love is from metabolized doctrine. You can’t learn virtue academically. For the unbeliever, virtue can be learned from establishment, but for the believer, virtue can only come from metabolized doctrine.
5. Only metabolized doctrine fills the eight areas of the right lobe and provides spiritual energy for the execution and fulfillment of the Christian way of life. The eight areas in the right lobe are:
a. Frame of reference.
b. Memory center.
c. Vocabulary storage.
d. Categorical storage.
e. Conscience (norms and standards).
f. Launching pad (application vehicle for testing, problem solving, and accelerated growth).
g. Area of normal growth.
h. Subconscious.
6. GNOSIS doctrine which is rejected at stage three, and/or resistance of GNOSIS doctrine, means no spiritual benefit has accrued. All spiritual benefit comes from metabolized doctrine.
7. Therefore, under negative faith perception, GNOSIS doctrine remains in the left lobe of the soul as receptive comprehension. 8. This means that rejected doctrine becomes an academic subject, rather than spiritual nourishment. In other words, GNOSIS doctrine rejected is still food on the table. And you don’t store food on the table; you eat it! Academic subjects have no spiritual value. They can illustrate, but they cannot motivate nor provide momentum. Just as metabolism has mechanisms to neutralize the poisonous materials which enter the body through contaminated food, or which occur in the body because of some malfunction of metabolism, so metabolized doctrine neutralizes the false doctrine of the cosmic evangelist.
F. Scripture References.
1. Jer 15:6, “Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words [doctrines] became happiness to me, and the delight of my right lobe.” Metabolized doctrine in the right lobe of the soul becomes capacity for happiness and contentment in life. Only metabolized doctrine is the delight of the right lobe.
2. Phil 4:11-13, “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. For I have come to know how to be in need; also, I have come to know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled, the secret of being hungry. I have the endowed power to attain all things by means of the One [God the Holy Spirit] who keeps on pouring the power into me.”
a. Verse 11: Contentment is based on metabolized doctrine in the right lobe of the soul, which results in happiness in every circumstance in life, whether prosperity or adversity. Contentment or happiness is not based on prosperity, success, or any of the things you associate with happiness. If you are not content with what you have right now, you will never be content with any form of future prosperity. Your only chance for happiness is metabolized doctrine.
b. Verse 12: Momentum tests of gate #7 can only be passed through having metabolized doctrine in the right lobe. The potential distraction of disaster testing requires consistent living inside the divine dynasphere, and the consistent use of metabolized doctrine. For it is only the doctrine metabolized that provides you with the dynamics for living the Christian life. The momentum test of prosperity is potentially very distracting, and only maximum metabolized doctrine can pass the test, the last test before reaching maturity.
c. Verse 13: The endowed power is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit inside the divine dynasphere. “I have the power [spiritual self- esteem, spiritual autonomy, spiritual maturity] to attain all things [next stage past your stage] through Him [God the Father blesses each stage of spiritual adulthood with its category of suffering for blessing; i.e., providential preventative suffering, momentum testing and evidence testing] who makes me strong.” Maximum metabolized doctrine at every stage of spiritual adulthood alone won’t advance you to the next stage. Metabolized doctrine in spiritual adulthood must have a place to apply it, a place to put it, which is: providential preventative suffering, momentum testing and evidence testing.
G. Further Analogies.
1. Just as metabolism provides anabolism (build-up), so certain doctrines build you up until eventually you build an edification complex in your soul.
2. And just as metabolism provides catabolism (tearing down), so assimilated doctrines often tear down your human viewpoints, your erroneous ideas, your incorrect discernment. 3. Just as metabolism provides the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated to repair waste, so spiritual metabolism in operation Z provides everything necessary to fulfill the protocol plan of God.
H. Conclusion.
Only doctrine can be metabolized. To “walk by faith” requires metabolized doctrine. God the Holy Spirit only metabolizes what is acceptable to you. As a result you develop an instant reaction force to cope with every problem and situation in life. The degree of metabolized doctrine in the right lobe determines the degree of effectiveness and reality that you are spiritually self-sustaining.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr.
Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740
© 1995, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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