CHANGE OF DISPOSITION THROUGH REGENERATION 

The Only Remedy For The Decadence of Our Time. (Part 2b) 

                        The Heart Of The Matter Is Essentially                            The Matter Of The Heart.

In the first section of part 2, we looked at Why A Change of Disposition is the evidence of real and authentic Christian conversion. We saw that one can claim to be a Christian for a long time (even ‘from birth’) or even ‘lived right inside a church for 100 years’,  If there is no change of disposition, it is all a waste of time and great deceit. Such one can only hope to turn up ‘there’ just to be informed that he has been a spectator all along. We also examined The Application of Redemption – how The Holy Spirit applies the finished work of redemption of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to us through regeneration, when there is a change of disposition. We also looked at Apostle Paul’s Journey from persecutor of the Church to a “Servant of Jesus Christ” We saw how Apostle Paul’s intellectual abilities, zeal (to persecute the Church); religious passion, all got translated to being used for good purposes when his disposition changed; how his change in disposition and not personality made it possible to translate from being a Jewish zealot to an apostle to the gentiles.

In this last section of this two part series on change of disposition we have a look at why it is impossible to be a Christian without a change of disposition. Change of disposition being the result of regeneration – the supernatural change in the very core of man’s being that occurs through the exclusive act of God by which a principle of new life is implanted in man, with the result that THE GOVERNING DISPOSITION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SOUL IS MADE HOLY.

In Parts 1 and 2a, we looked at:

1. An Introduction
2. Regeneration & Disposition – Definitions “Except A Man Be Born Again”
3. Man’s Sinful Nature
4. Quickening (Regeneration) ‘Awakening’ Leading To The Governing Disposition of The Functions of The Soul Being Made Holy And Then Repentance
5. Sorrowful Turning From Sin
6. Disposition
7. Result of A Changed Disposition

In Part 2 Section b  we will look at:

1. Why it is impossible to be A Christian Without A Change of Disposition
2. Assurance of Salvation

Why it is impossible to be A Christian Without A Change of Disposition

The Conscience

The dictionary defines conscience as a “a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right; moral judgment that opposes the violation of a previously recognized ethical principle and that leads to feelings of guilt.”

The Unbeliever’s Conscience (In Its ‘Natural’ State)

The conscience in its ‘natural’ state is governed by a “compulsion to do right” OR “moral judgement” – “a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right By self WITHOUT ANY IMPUT FROM GOD.

There is a part of our understanding (A function of the intellect) that judges us and gives us a sense of moral approval or guilt according to our understanding of right and wrong.

The conscience is that internal voice that sits in judgment over our will; but then acts of the will are based on the nature of information obtained from or contained in the intellect. In conjunction with the body, these three will always have the tendency to naturally act in defiance to the will of God while the emotions just adjust to the trend. Under these conditions The control of the soul (will, intellect and emotions) and the natural experiences, opinions, desires, stimuli, actions, temperament, abilities, faculties and powers etc. that are derived from them is non existent

“I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart”. (Jeremiah 24:7)

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his

The believer’s Conscience (Now under the control of the spirit)

The conscience is for us to discern right from wrong, to justify or to condemn. Knowledge shows what is right or wrong but our conscience is that part of us that approves of what is right and disapproves of what is contrary to it. The believers conscience is a part of our spirit:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit. Romans 9:1)

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16)

In the unregenerate man, the conscience as a part of the heart is devoid of guidance from the Spirit of God; but restricted within limits by the grace of God (The restraining grace). But at salvation the conscience is restored to perform its full functions as part of the spirit of man.

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)

The Main purpose of the supply of this holy principle or seed of new spiritual life to the soul (change of disposition), is to release the conscience from the control or inordinate hold of the will, intellect, emotions and demands of the flesh.

A Severing of The Soul And Spirit

In both the un-regenerate (being born again) and the regenerate (awakening or being revived); the severing of the spirit and soul is principally the transfer or ceding of the control of the conscience from the soul to the spirit; a spirit that is also under the absolute control of the Holy Spirit.

So He has gotten a new principle of life operating in him and controlling him. He still retains all his natural experiences, opinions, desires, stimuli, actions, temperament, abilities, faculties and powers etc. Whatever a man is by nature, as regards his natural experiences, opinions, desires, stimuli, actions, temperament, abilities, faculties and powers etc. they remain exactly as they were before. BUT what changes and becomes new is the thing that controls these natural experiences, opinions, desires, stimuli, actions, temperament, abilities, faculties and powers etc.

Through the instrumentality of a conscience that is absolutely under the control of the Holy Spirit

The soul being saved should reflect the purity of the heart; meaning that the effect of the functions of a liberated conscience, intuition and communion with God is demonstrated by the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of our righteousness and sanctification and redemption (that we cannot physically see) and the conviction of the reality (perceiving as real what is not revealed to the senses) of this fact being made real to us by our seeing ourselves hidden in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God.

Then, at this point of being saved and having a regenerated heart, the soul [(Functions of Will, Intellect & Emotions now being controlled by the spirit (Functions of a liberated conscience, intuition and communion with God ) that is in turn now also under the control of the Holy Spirit] should be committed solely to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and enabled to comprehend the solid biblical and historical facts that Christianity is built on.

In regeneration (change of disposition), the conscience is released from the deceptive domineering tendencies of the soul when intuition, the function of “spiritual sensing” and fellowship (Communion) our contact and our communication with God are activated.

A heartfelt determination by man to turn with his whole will to the Spirit of God, Who is the Spirit of Jesus. The converted heart expects everything from The Holy Spirit, who now has dominion over the self-willed spirit of man (care should be taken here so that the believer does not fall into passivity of his/her will thinking it is the Holy Spirit working while evil forces have taken over the dormant will) . Conversion leads to an undivided heart that listens attentively for The Holy Spirit because he wants, from now on, to be directed, led, and ruled by this Spirit alone and no other (under the strict guidance of the Word of God as written in the Holy Scriptures – The bible).

                               The Heart Of The Matter Is Essentially                                       The Matter Of The Heart.

As the Main purpose of the supply of this holy principle or seed of new spiritual life (change of disposition), is to release the soul (mainly the conscience) from the control or inordinate hold of the will, emotions and demands of the flesh – A Severing of The Soul And Spirit; When this supernatural  (That which cannot be achieved by a mere mortal) change of  disposition takes place as a result of the regeneration of the heart.

Contrary to the demands of the flesh, the intellect (mind) is settled (made up) on a particular matter or thing; backed up by the will, irrespective of any emotion that is whipped up or not: All this made possible by the supply (by God through the Holy Spirit) of a holy principle or seed of new spiritual life which releases the soul (mainly the conscience) from the control or inordinate hold of the will, emotions and demands of the flesh.

 The intellect (mind) is settled (made up) on a particular matter or thing

 Mind must be made up on (Amongst others) CERTAIN VITAL TRUTHS

1. The sovereignty of God
2. The authority of the Bible
3. The doctrine of sin and the wrath of God
4. The doctrine of the Trinity.
5. About Jesus – Jesus is God; Jesus Is More Than man; Jesus is Existing As God.
6. The Perfection of The Finished Work of Jesus Christ.

Prayers:

1. Give us the grace to confess our sins, forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness for you are faithful and just. By the cleansing power of the Blood of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, bring the spirit of each and every one of us into union with Christ, For he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in the Spirit. Let each and everyone’s spirit actively dominate him / her in full co-operation with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 19:17-20)
2. Heavenly Father, that You quicken us with Your presence like never before that we may continually be empowered to actively seek the marvellous truth taught in Your Word, that there is a way out of our guilt, a way out of our alienation, that we no longer need to be far off from you. (John 14:6; Matthew 11:28-30)
3. Any power of death operating in through, and against any aspect of our being; collide with the covenant of the Blood of The Eternal Covenant. (Galatians 3:13-14)
4. Give us the grace to confess our sins, forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness for you are faithful and just. By the cleansing power of the Blood of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, bring the spirit of each and every one of us into union with Christ, For he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in the Spirit. Let each and everyone’s spirit actively dominate him / her in full co-operation with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 19:17-20)
5. Heavenly Father, for the grace to come to that point where we realise the true place of the Holy Spirit, that His entire work is to lead our souls into union with the our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, and the knowledge of you our Father in heaven whilst He Himself directs, and works in the background. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
6. Heavenly Father, that You will empower us to seek to be connected to the Holy Spirit that we may be surrendered to your Revealer, that we may be totally consumed by the revelation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. His life, His death, His resurrection, His position, His authority, His power, His compassion, His mind, His conscience, His desire – all that He is. (1 Corinthians 2:10)
7. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will fill us with the knowledge of your will through all wisdom and spiritual understanding; so that we may be able to recon ourselves to be alive unto You through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:5)
8. Heavenly Father, we pray that You quicken us with Your presence like never before; that we may continually be empowered to actively seek that Holy Spirit inspired change of our disposition. (Titus 3:5)
9. Heavenly Father, we pray that You quicken us with Your presence like never before; that we may continually be empowered to actively seek the purification our motives and conscience. (Hebrews 9:13, 14)
10. Heavenly Father, we pray that You quicken us to rejoice evermore; Pray without ceasing and in every thing give thanks: for this is Your will in Christ Jesus concerning us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
11. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will circumcise our hearts, that we may be able to enter the covenant of being Your people, who are fully joined to You and fully submissive to You. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
12. Lord, we bind the inner man of each and every one of us to a loving relationship with the Holy Spirit. Give us the grace to know that, ‘to seek you through knowledge about you without seeking a relationship with the Holy Spirit ends up in confusion and unbalance in our perception of You. (Matthew 18:18-20)
13. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will work in us to replace our heart of stone that is cold and unyielding with a heart of flesh that is alive and responsive to You. (Ezekiel 11:19)
14. Heavenly Father, we pray and bind each and everyone of us to the work of the cross of Calvary where the power, the authority, the love, the forgiveness, the mercy and the grace would flow into our lives. (Galatians 3:13-14)
15. Heavenly Father, we pray that by Your Holy Spirit You teach us to accurately and righteously fear You. (Matthew 10:28)
16. Lord we pray that as being indwelled by You is the great joy of salvation; You would grant us this honour; put Your Spirit within us O Lord and choose to take residence in us. (Ezekiel 36:27)
17. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will Keep us in Your Word daily, that we may be daily saved, nourished, and enlivened by Your Word. (2 Timothy 2:15)
18. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will give us the grace wisdom and power to recognise that the object and purpose of your instruction and charges to us is Love, which springs from a pure heart and a good and clear conscience and sincere, unfeigned faith. (Jeremiah 17:9)
19. Heavenly Father, we pray that You may give us the grace to have a prayerful attitude as we come to Your Word, receiving the Word into us by means of all prayer, thanksgiving, petition, singing, and psalming. (Philippians 4:6-8)
20. O Lord, we pray that as we are convicted of our own sins; the Holy Spirit of conviction and Holy Spirit inspired repentance will flow through us to others in our surroundings and beyond. ( Acts 2:37-38)

O Lord, continually multiply Your glorious riches in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto us and fill us with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; so that we may realize that, in us lies the power that was in Adam that is hidden and IS MEANT BY YOU TO BE PERMANENTLY HIDDEN AS LONG AS WE ARE IN OUR MORTAL BODIES. Continually give us the grace to resolve never to use it and to war in order to keep it.