IV. Divine Authority is Delegated through the Word
This graphically illustrates how God the Holy Spirit teaches us. Now, let me give credit to who credit is due here. I owe much to Bob Thieme. I thank God for his ministry.
The next layer of the hierarchy is the Word of God, “the thinking or mind of our Lord. This category, the Word, should probably be on the same level as the Lord, because the Word is His thinking, preserved for us in written form: The Bible calls itself the thinking of our Lord in 1 Corinthians 2:16:
ü For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
How seriously does He take His word? He puts it above His name or person:
ü You [referring to human nature of Christ] have magnified Your Word above and beyond Your Person. Psalm 138:2
God has placed the highest possible value on the Scripture! The Word of God is divine phenomenon: it is totally above and beyond what a mere human can even hope to understand. So once again, God graciously provides us with power to both understand His word, which is power in itself, and power to apply His word. That power is His provision of the Holy Spirit:
ü For to us God revealed them (things from verse 9) through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God… 1 Corinthians 2:10-12
At this point let me bring up a diagram with which most of you are no doubt familiar. 
In this diagram, I want you to note the three issues here: first: for us to understand the Word, we need the power of God the Holy Spirit. Your pastor teaches the Word and you listen, under the ministry of the Spirit. When you listen to the teaching of the Word of God under the ministry of the Spirit, He is teaching you. For the Word to reach your human spirit three factors are necessary: first, the Word taught, second, the Spirit’s power, and thirdly, your volition. Those same three factors that give the Church life also cause you to grow up spiritually. I’m thinking that you all are familiar with the rest of this doctrine. God’s gifted power to us in the form of His Spirit Holy Spirit transfers the doctrine to your left lobe, your NOUS, where it resides as knowledge. At this point, your volition is once again a key to the process. You have to believe the doctrine that you understand. The Spirit takes you to the point of understanding, then you must believe it and once again, the Spirit transfers that doctrine that you believe into your heart or KARDIA. At this point, the Spirit circulates that doctrine through out your soul and you become supercharged, being able to apply the thinking of Jesus Christ to your life. You are on the way to solving every problem you have. You are on the way to being able to handle anything life can throw at you…and you can maintain you happiness the whole time. This is a gift from God.
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