Hypocrites and Backsliders Lesson 045

Operation Ocular Deforestation:

Retaining the Filling of the Holy Spirit through Resistance

AND

The Armor of God

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Matthew 16:11-12 (YLT)• 11 how do ye not understand that I did not speak to

you of bread—to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?’

• 12 Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Hypocrisy• Leaven of the Pharisees”. • Why did Christ feel compelled to warn His

disciples to avoid it? • What is this "leaven of the Pharisees"? • We find the direct answer in Luke 12:1. "In the

meantime, when an innumerable multitude had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.'"

• Hypocrisy is here described as the leaven of the Pharisees

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Hypocrisy• The leaven of the Pharisees is more than

hypocrisy; it is also their doctrine. • The clearest connection between the hypocrisy of

the Pharisees and their doctrine is seen in Mark 7:1-9, where the Pharisees complained about the disciples eating with unwashed hands.

• It should be understood that the traditions, or rulings, passed down generation to generation by the wise men of the Pharisaical persuasion took on power exceeding that of the Law.

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Hypocrisy• To Christ this was hypocritical.

• How can a body of men who claim to be the most righteous observers of the law of God create traditions that nullify the law of God and still claim righteousness?

• This didn't make sense.

• Christ saw their doctrines, in this case, as hypocritical.

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Hypocrisy• As we continue in Mark 7, we can see the

conflict. • The Pharisees came to Christ and challenged,

"Why do Your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" (Mark 7:5).

• Christ responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (Mark 7:6-7).

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Jesus and the Pharisees

• "‘For I say to you, that if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens." (Matthew 5:20, YLT)

• Mt 7:1-5 DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.

• 2 For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

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Matthew 7:1-5 (AMP)

• 3 Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?

• 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?

• 5 You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye (Operation Ocular Deforestation), and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother’s eye.

•

Hypocrisy (Wikipedia)• Hypocrisy (or the state of being a hypocrite) is the

act of preaching a certain belief or way of life, but not, in fact, holding these same virtues oneself.

• In psychology, hypocritical behavior is closely related to the fundamental attribution error: individuals are more likely to explain their own actions by their environment, yet they attribute the actions of others to 'innate characteristics', thus leading towards judging others while justifying ones' own actions.

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Hypocrisy (Wikipedia)• Also, some people genuinely fail to recognize

that they have character faults which they condemn in others.

• This is called psychological projection. • This is self-deception rather than deliberate

deception of other people. • In other words, "psychological hypocrisy" is

usually interpreted by psychological theorists to be an unconscious defense mechanism rather than a conscious act of deception, as in the more classic connotation of hypocrisy.

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Temptation Vs. Testing• There is a difference between Temptation

and Testing

• It is important for the Believer to distinguish the two.

• Temptation is designed to find fault or produce failure in the thing tempted.

• Temptation is a solicitation to express independence form God through violation of His standards.

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TESTING

• Testing, on the other hand, comes from God, and is an examination and evaluation designed to find quality in the thing tested.

• Dokimadzö: an examination and evaluation designed to find quality in the thing tested.

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The Targets of Testing

• God tests our Volition and Emotions.– Psalm 7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the

wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts (Volition) and reins (Emotions).

– Jeremiah 17:10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

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Temptation comes from 3 sources:• The tempter:

– 1 Thes 3:5 “For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”

• The lusts of the sin nature: – Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the

Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

• The World:– 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the

things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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Temptation and the growth process:

• James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

• Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.

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Endurance of temptation

• is evidence of the believer's love for God. – James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that

endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

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The purpose of Testing:

• Always for benefit: Deut. 8.16

• To determine the presence of love and dedication to God. Deut. 13.3

• To confirm and establish your knowledge of Truth. Deut. 8.2 with 1 Chron. 32.31

• To teach the value of truth: Deut. 8.3

• To cultivate respect and fellowship stability. Ex. 20.20

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The MATURE Believer's Desire

• That God would continually be testing in order to weed out error and motivate the consistent application of truth. – Psalm 26:2 “Examine me, O Lord, and

prove me; try my reins and my heart.” – Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and

know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:”

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The Upward Call

• When the believer endures the testing (which includes temptation) his love for God and for truth is confirmed and strengthened so as to pave the way for further growth and victories in the future.– Romans 5:3-5– James 1:2-4

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James 1:12-15

• Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death

Understanding Temptation

James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone”.

• Corrected translation: “not even one person (medeis), when he is solicited to do evil, should say that it is from the ultimate source of God that he is tempted, because the God is untemptable by evil, and does not tempt any person (oudeis) with evil .”

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Understanding Temptation

• “when he is carried away …”–when he is carried away = ezelko =

taken in tow, pulled• “by his own lust and enticed.”

–by = hupo = under the authority of• his own = idios = his personal or his

individual• lust = epithumia = lust pattern

–and enticed = deleazo = baitedH and B-045 22LWBC 6-22-08

The Temptation Equation

• _____________________

+ _____________________

= __Temptation________

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How Temptation Becomes Sin

• James 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death

• Then when (THIS) lust has conceived, – then = eita = next in sequence– when (THIS) lust = ho epithumia = this

specific lust pattern– has conceived = sullambano = “receives

seed”, is impregnated

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MAJOR CORRECTION

• “it gives birth to sin...”– it gives birth = tikto = conceives (produces an

embryo)– to sin = hamartia = the general term used for

sin, meaning to miss the goal or target. This is the “embryo”.

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What Sin Produces

• “and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.“– sin = hamartia – and when accomplished = apoteleo = from

the ultimate source of its completion, at “full term” (gestation)

– brings forth = apokueo = gives birth to– death = thanatos = death

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What Sin Produces

• “and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.“

• Corrected:

• Sin, when at “full term” gives birth to death.

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Doctrine of Deaths (Thanatos)

• There are 7 Types of Death mentioned in the Scriptures:– Physical– Spiritual– The Second Death– Positional– Sexual– Operational– Temporal

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The Doctrine of Deaths #1 Physical death

• For the plant and animal Kingdoms (Biological Life) it involves an end of physiological processes (the end of respiration).

• For the unbeliever, it involves the soul leaving the body (Lk.16:22) and traveling to Hades (Torments Compartment).

• For the Believer it involves the Soul and Spirit leaving the body and traveling to Heaven.

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The Doctrine of Deaths #2 Spiritual death

• Definition: all men are born physically alive but spiritually dead.

• Born without a human spirit (Jd.19), man is separated from God and is dead.

• Spiritual death began with Adam and was passed on to all mankind (Gen.2:17; Rom.5:12,14,15,17-19,21; 1Cor.15:22 "For as in Adam all die"; 2Cor.5:14,15; Eph.2:1; Col.2:13; 1Pet.4:6; Jd.12).

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The Doctrine of Deaths#2 Spiritual death

• Christ died spiritually on the Cross for all men, which provides salvation as a potential (Rom.5:6,l0; 6:10; Col.1:22; Heb.2:9).

• Spiritual death is canceled by the Holy Spirit in the new birth (Eph.2:1; 1Pet.3:18; 1Cor.15:22; Rom.5:17,18; Col.3:4; 2Tim.1:10).

• Faith in Christ is the mechanics (Jn.11:25-27).

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The Doctrine of Deaths #3 The second death

• Definition: spiritual death is perpetuated in the Lake of Fire for all who reject Christ (Last Judgment; Rev.2:11; 20:11-15).

• It is only for unbelievers (of all time).

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The Doctrine of Deaths #4 Positional death

• Definition: we are identified with Christ in His death on the Cross.

• This "death" must be understood in the light of current positional truth.

• Via the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we share everything Christ is.

• This includes His deaths on the Cross (2Tim.2:11 "For if we died with Him we shall also live with Him"; Rom.6:3 "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized in His deaths?"; cp. vs.2,4,5,6,8; Col.3:3).

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The Doctrine of Deaths #5 Sexual death

• Definition: the inability to procreate.

• Examples: Abraham and Sarah (Rom.4:19); Zacharias and Elizabeth (Lk.1:7).

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The Doctrine of Deaths #6 Temporal Death

• Definition: the believer out of fellowship (carnality and/or reversionism; Lk.15:24,32; Rom.6:13; 7:9-11; 8:6,10,13a; 1Tim.5:6; Jam.2:26).

• The solution is the command "Arise (aor.act.imper. of anistemi) from the dead" (ek nekron) in Eph.5:14.

• This is based on the Grace Recovery Technique of 1Jn.1:9.

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The Doctrine of Deaths #7 Operational death

• Definition: failure to produce divine good (Jam.2:26; Jd.12 "doubly-dead").

– Example (Jam.2:14-17). – There is no application of Bible Doctrine

(Jam.2:24). – It means to be a hearer only (Jam.1:23). – It is possible for a local church (Rev.3:1).

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Physical Death

• Matthew 8:22; Philippians 1:21, and many others

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Spiritual Death

• Ephesians 2:1; Romans 5:12; 1st Cor. 15:22; Prov. 14:12

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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The Second Death

• Revelation 20:12-15; Hebrews 9:27

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Positional Death

• Colossians 2: 3-4

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Sexual Death

• Hebrews 11: 11-12; Romans 4:17-21

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Operational Death

• James 2:26

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Temporal Death

• Romans 8:6, 13; Ephesians 5:14; 1st Timothy 5:6; Revelation 3:1; and James 1:15

• Separation from ___________________________

• Non-functioning… ___________________________

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Hypocrisy Begins with Arrogance

• The Arrogance Complex skills, which include:

• self-justification,

• self-deception, and

• self-absorption.

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Hypocrisy Begins with Arrogance

• These are the 3 categories of Arrogance that hit the Hypocritical Believer.

• It begins with some form of Reaction.

• Reaction is the failure of the Believer to “walk in the light”, to think “the thoughts of Christ”, resulting in a sin, for which, as always, the “response” should be “confession” (to God, and maybe someone else).

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Hypocrisy Begins with Arrogance

• The failure to walk in the light results in some sin, causing conviction by the Holy Spirit, resulting in Guilt.

• Guilt is a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some real or imagined offense.

• Guilt is a sin resulting from second level reacting to Conviction or Conscience.

• Failure to confess and rectify the sinful thought, sinful word, or sinful behavior results in Guilt.

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Guilt-Reaction

• Guilt-Reaction results in a desire to eliminate from the soul of anything that is painful or disagreeable.

• When you fall into the sin of guilt, you have succumbed to the greatest weakness in your soul, and have begun the downward spiral into the Arrogance Complex of Sin.

• The most helpless and most easily manipulated people in the world are those that live under guilt.

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Self Justification

• To assuage Guilt, the Believer concentrates on Self Justification, by seeing the splinters of wood in other people’s eyes.

• Guilt often develops into Fear, characterized by worry, anxiety, panic, confusion, irrationality, dislocation, and hysteria.

• Or into Projected Anger leading to hatred.• Or into Implacability.• Or even, Inordinate ambition and inordinate

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Self Deception

• Because Guilt forces us to dwell on ourselves and our real or imagined “weakness”, it results in Hypersensitivity (concerning self) and Insensitivity (concerning others), resulting in the need for denial and blaming others.

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Self Absorption

• Because Guilt is not assuaged by anything but confession, it spirals on into either Self-pity and whining, or into implacability, resulting in jealousy, loathing, and animosity, then to vulnerability to imagined threats, insults or injury, next to revenge motivation and operation malice, tantrums, irrational violence, and even murder.

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