The effects of false teaching

Its interesting to have a reaction to the regulating of teaching. The moment that we say that the church is to be regulated by the word of God then there is a reaction to us being too dogmatic. And i know that you like certain teachers. So that you would defend that teacher because they have a certain appeal in their presentation. And there is some truth in saying that you dont agree with all of the persons teaching. And i am sure that there is a balance between the charisma of a person and the teaching. So that some people are attracted to a teacher not for some of the teaching but how a person is effected by that teaching. So that to focus on being dogmatic about the proper way to teach may be a form of legalism.

But every student of the word of God is faced with the danger of accepting something first in the understanding that is not accurate and then having a disposition formed by that understanding. We are not important in the sense of our personal likes and dislikes about what we think is the standard of truth. But at the same time it matters how we are treated as a student under the teacher. So we are important. But we need to see that there is a difference between the balance between how a certain teaching brings on the desired effect to bring on the proper choices, and the evidence of a life of holiness toward others. That is having faith and living it out. I am not sure this is a balance but there is a progression here. Since teaching is not just an intellectual effect , but it is of a spiritual nature. Since the effect of teaching in a spiritual sense is the cause of our choices, then we can say that bad teaching causes a spiritual sickness of the soul that will effect our living it out.So we are forced to be dogmatic so that we will have the full effects of the spiritual conversion in our desires in order to walk in a manner worthy, that is choosing what is best according to the nature of the dogmatic desire. Which is the strongest desire.

If we think that our choices determine our living it out before men, then there will be a mechanical element to our performance. It would be short sited to not acknowledge the powerful effects of all of the workings of the word of God and the Spirit of God in focusing on the origins by the willing effects in that conversion experience. To say that there is a balance between faith and works may be to avoid a dogma of acknowledging the effects of the means in coming to a proper choice. The dogma of this is that we are in a spiritual understanding of the frames of mind by the spiritual dogma according to the teaching. So that we know that the sickness of a person according to the teaching is a lack of understanding by the effects of the spiritual power in the desire. Thats why accurate teaching is of a nature of its own conversion effects on the soul. If we just focus on the balance between faith and works then we may be creating a mechanical faith.

The Arminians Machine-ology

Therefore persons cannot reasonably make this improvement of the doctrine of necessity, that they will go into a voluntary negligence of Means for their own happiness. For the principles they must go upon, in order to this, are inconsistent with their making any improvement at all of the doctrine: for to make some improvement of it, is to be influenced by it, to come to some voluntary conclusion, in regard to their own conduct, with some view or aim: but this, as has been shown, is inconsistent with the principles they pretend to act upon. In short, the principles are such as cannot he acted upon at all, or, in any respect, consistently. And, therefore, in every pretence of acting upon them, or making any improvement at all of them, there is a self-contradiction.

As to that objection against the doctrine, which I have endeavoured to prove, that it makes men no more than mere machines; I would say, that notwithstanding this doctrine, man is entirely, perfectly, and unspeakably different from a mere machine, in that he has reason and understanding, with a faculty of Will, and so is capable of volition and choice; in that his Will is guided by the dictates or views of his understanding; and in that his external actions and behaviour, and in many respects also his thoughts, and the exercises of his mind, are subject to his Will; so that he has liberty to act according to his choice, and do what he pleases; and by means of these things, is capable of moral habits and moral acts, such inclinations and actions as, according to the common sense of mankind, are worthy of praise, esteem, love, and reward; or, on the contrary, of disesteem, detestation, indignation, and punishment.

In these things is all the difference from mere machines, as to liberty and agency, that would be any perfection, dignity, or privilege, in any respect: all the difference that can be desired, and all that can be conceived of; and indeed all that the pretensions of the Arminians themselves come to, as they are forced often to explain themselves; though their explications overthrow and abolish the things asserted, and pretended to be explained. For they are forced to explain a self-determining power of Will, by a 69power in the soul, to determine as it chooses or wills; which comes to no more than this, that a man has a power of choosing, and, in many instances, can do as he chooses. Which is quite a different thing from that contradiction, his having power of choosing his first act of choice in the case. J Edwards

Divine illuminations

This truely is a place where there is a true sense of that intuitive spark of divine consciousness. And yet, every desire we have is of its own nature. Since we are made new by the Spirit, then there is no desire that we have that is not transferred by grace. I find in this life that my natural inclination is to become sullen by the weight of some kind of fallen spiritual paradigms with the thoughts of this earth and a conscious independence to rest in my own power. Its so subtle that it just creeps up on my spiritual awareness. But since there is a deep well of heart issues, those desires that we have for the eternal, then there is nothing that we can do to smother them completely. So that we are most miserable creatures under the burden of our sin and our lack of thankfulness. This comes in just resting from any struggle.
When we desire to have all of the blessings of the promises of God, then we are made to rejoice. But our understanding only comes by increasing these desires since what we desire is what is going to be done in the end. And since we have this inner world of acting, then we are living in the reality of His life in us when we are having the springs of His Holy Spirit increasing the life of Christ as a constant disposition of living in the eternal conscious communications of His revelation. We know this because we gain an understanding of the nature of these attributable paradigms that lighten the weight of this struggle in temptation and cause us to be raised up in our affections to spend our hours longing for eternal immunations of His love and faithfulness. If we have a taste of His goodness, then all is well with our souls. Oh that the Spirit would baptize us in the confidence and assurance of the reality of the glorious knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh that divine illumination that translates us into a hope that is sure and steadfast. We must get used to living with a level of eternal communications in the deep recesses of our souls. To hear when there is silence, to long for Him when there is only voices around us that are complaining, and to be enraptured in His eternal powerful resurrection calling that takes us out of this world so that we are lost in His wonder and praise. For when we have desires for His glory then we will experience the pleasure of having fellowship with His Spirit.