8/29/76
A. Definition.
1. Eph 2:7, “that in the approaching ages, He might demonstrate His surpassing grace riches in generosity toward us in Christ Jesus.”
2. Surpassing grace is the optimum in spiritual achievement. It is the maximum place of blessing and reward, and the ultimate in glorifying Jesus Christ. Surpassing connotes something beyond supergrace and beyond time.
3. There are two special blessing paragraphs in the grace plan of God.
a. Supergrace blessings, the rewards and blessings in time.
b. Surpassing grace, the special rewards for eternity for the mature believer only. 4. Surpassing grace is the status of special blessings and rewards in eternity for the believer who breaks the maturity barrier. The daily function of GAP is the key to breaking this barrier, James 1:25 cf 2:12-13. There are no surpassing grace blessings without the attainment of supergrace blessings, 1 Cor 3:11-16.
5. Surpassing grace is the status quo above and beyond ultimate sanctification, 1 Jn 3:2-3. Surpassing grace is the ultimate in glorifying God.
B. The Judgment Seat of Christ is the time of distribution of surpassing grace blessings, 2 Cor 5:10; 1 Cor 3:11-17, 5:10, 9:24-27.
1. Therefore, the Judgment Seat of Christ eliminates any necessity of judging or maligning any other believer, Rom 14:10-11.
2. The analogy to the Judgment Seat of Christ is found in Heb 6:7-12. In this passage the ground is the believer with positive volition, the rain is Bible doctrine plus the function of GAP, the crops are supergrace blessings, the thorns are evil, and the promises are surpassing grace blessings.
C. The reversionist can lose supergrace and surpassing grace blessings, but not his salvation, 2 Tim 2:11-13.
D. Crowns are some of the highest decorations given in eternity. 1. Crowns are given to believers who break the maturity barrier.
2. The crown of righteousness, 2 Tim 4:7-8; Phil 2:11-14. Given to the mature believer, i.e., supergrace believer for breaking the maturity barrier.
a. All who break the maturity barrier not only have maximum love for Jesus Christ, but love the Rapture as the parade in which they display their formal decorations.
b. This wreath or crown is the total fulfillment of spiritual progress. This crown is given to every supergrace believer who holds on to his status as a mature believer after breaking the maturity barrier.
c. Every believer who receives dying grace also receives this reward.
3. The crown of glory, 1 Pet 5:4; Phil 4:1; 1 Thes 2:19.
a. This reward is for the supergrace or ultra supergrace pastor who leads some of his congregation into supergrace or ultra supergrace.
b. No pastor can take his congregation beyond his own spiritual growth. His messages must reflect his own personal study. He must be faithful.
c. Phil 4:1, “Therefore, my brethren, loved ones, deeply desired ones, my happiness and victory wreath, in this way [persistent metabolization of doctrine] keep on being stabilized by the Lord, ones worthy of His love.”
d. 1 Thes 2:19-20, “Who is our wreath, is it not you? You are our glory and happiness.”
e. 1 Pet 5:4, “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading wreath of glory.”
f. When the pastor is faithful and consistent in studying the Word, two things happen: he reaches maturity, and he teaches consistently enough so that those who are positive to doctrine will also reach maturity.
4. The crown of life, Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10; Phil 3, is given to the ultra supergrace believer.
a. This reward belongs only to the ultra-supergrace believer. This decoration is a part of the ultra-supergrace believer’s surpassing grace paragraph of blessing.
b. This reward includes the mantle of opposition from Satanic forces. You reach ultra-supergrace by the intensification of daily perception and application of doctrine under the most adverse conditions.
c. Jas 1:12, “Happy is the man who perseveres under testing. He will receive the wreath of life, which God has promised to them constantly loving Him.”
d. Rev 2:10, “Do not fear those things which you are about to suffer. Become faithful unto death and I will give you the wreath of life.”
5. These rewards are only given to believers who reach maturity and remain there until death.
E. In the Old Testament, “STEPHANOS” was related to the eternal Holy City, Heb 11:9-16. 1. God is not ashamed of mature believers. Therefore, He gives them fantastic blessings in time and even greater blessings in eternity.
2. The key to surpassing grace blessing is pleasing God in time. Heb 11:5-6, “Without doctrine in the soul, it is impossible to please God.”
3. The eternal holy city is used to designate surpassing grace blessings and rewards for the patriarchs and leaders of Israel, Heb 11:9-10, 16, 23; Acts 7:20. At birth God said that Moses was destined for the eternal city, “an infant pertaining to a city.”
4. “Cities” in the Old Testament are used as the equivalent of crowns in the New Testament. Only certain believers get these decorations in heaven.
5. Crowns and cities are used to describe our eternal rewards because these rewards are beyond the ability of human language and thought to describe or understand.
F. The Analogy of Self-discipline Related to Eternal Rewards, 2 Tim 2:5.
1. You don’t receive a wreath unless you compete according to the rules. To enter the games, an athlete had to live by a very strict set of rules, which if broken even once disqualified him.
a. The ATHLETAI was a professional athlete. No one had more self-discipline than a professional athlete.
b. He had to be a citizen, analogous to being a believer.
c. He had to train for ten months prior to competing, analogous to the advance to spiritual adulthood.
d. He had to answer every trumpet call, analogous to the daily intake of Bible doctrine.
e. He had to exercise under the exercise master in all kinds of weather, analogous to positive volition under one’s right Pastor.
f. He could have no contact with anyone outside of the training camp, analogous to no distractions to taking in doctrine.
g. He had to obey the dietary rules, analogous to objectivity.
G. Self-discipline and Surpassing Grace Rewards, 1 Cor 9:24-27.
1. Self-discipline is living your life in the light of eternity. Life is short; eternity never ends. Self-discipline requires more motivation than anything else in life. It takes self-discipline to be consistent.
2. Once you get even a small glimpse of eternity, you are motivated to that self-discipline which is so necessary for the consistent metabolization of doctrine and resultant spiritual growth. 3. The overriding considerations of eternity are more important to you than the distractions of time. Yielding to the distractions of time can only produce reversionism.
4. Self-discipline counters this tendency and brings the believer under the academic discipline of the local church, where spiritual growth is accomplished.
5. The persistent metabolization of doctrine is the only source of growth in time. No growth occurs through works or Christian service.
6. Spiritual growth occurs in the soul from words, which produce concepts, which produce categories, which develop the frame of reference for understanding more doctrine. Knowledge of doctrine leads to understanding of doctrine, which leads to wisdom.
7. You cannot read the Bible for yourself and understand it. Only the Pastor can do that, because that is the nature of his spiritual gift. You must be taught under the principles of self-discipline and academic discipline.
8. Through these two, you grow spiritually, receive your supergrace blessings, hold on to maturity, advance to ultra-supergrace, and receive your surpassing grace rewards.
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© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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