Reflection on the IBLP seminar 2.doc
My Reflection/Report
On
basic seminar
By:
Allan C. Balalao
THE PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN
This principle help us in understanding the specific purposes for which God created each person, object, and even the relationship in our lives and as we live in harmony with them. So, in understanding God’s design we have to acquire wisdom and not just through mere knowledge. Through wisdom we will be able to see life from God’s perspective and not from our own perspective. Seeing ourselves from our own perspective is the very reason why most people do not accept the way God made them. And if we reject our design, it will be difficult to trust our Designer also. Moreover, wanting to change the way you are made only shows your feeling of inadequacy and inferiority. Consequently, it will affect the aspect of your self-acceptance or self-worth.
It is thus proper for us to have an insights for accepting God’s design. First, is the balance of truth. Such truths are of course in the Scripture. Psalm 139:14 for instance is talking about how God wonderfuly made His creation. Then on Genesis 1:27 is telling us about the truth of God creating us in His own image and likeness. And when we say God’s image, it means His character, not the physical appearance for we all know that as far as our human capacity is concerned God is imageless, no living human being has seen God physically. So, being thankful for how we are made or designed should be our proper attitude, for through our defects or weakness, we are made perfect. At times our physical or outward defects are part of God’s design for us to develop our inward character. As II Corinthians 4:16 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day.” It should be our inward character that we should constantly renew or develop for this is what matters to God, not the outward or physical aspect. Another thing we can do to respond to our defects is to look at our defects as God’s mark of ownership, our motivation to develop inward qualities, and as the means to be a better servant of God.
For us to have this acceptance, we first need to detect any ungratefulness toward God. People who never finds satisfaction in how they look are those who don’t know how to count their blessings one by one or those who don’t know how to be thankful to God. In relation to having a grateful heart, we have to thank God for the way He has made us so far, especially for our defect. And lastly we have to put ourselves back on God’s easel and purpose to cooperate in developing inward qualities.
THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY
Authority must be understood by every Christian since it is the entire basis of our relationship with Christ. “Authority” means “the right to command and enforce obedience.” When we accept Jesus Christ as our “Lord,” this means that He is supposed to become our “boss” or “authority” over our whole life (Luke 6:46). In addition, the Bible becomes the source of authoritative instruction for our Christian Life (2 Tim. 3:16).
Since submission to authority is basic to Christian Life, it is important that we understand that all authority is a God-given institution, and all types of authority are related. The Lordship of Christ is the highest source of authority that we must answer to (Matt. 28:18), but God has also ordained at least four other categories of subordinate authority in the world that we must also submit to:
(1) The Family - Children are to obey their parents (Eph. 6:10). The wife is to cooperate with her husband, which is the head of the family (Eph. 5:22-24, 1 Tim. 2:12), and the husband is to submit to Christ and love his wife (Eph. 5:23,25).
(2) The State - We are to cooperate with those authority figures and obey the local and federal laws of the land, within the boundaries of God’s laws (1 Pet. 2:13-14).
(3) The Church - Christians are to submit to the headship of Christ which is exercised through His Spirit (Rom. 8:14), His Word (2 Tim. 3:16), and Church leadership (Matt. 18:17-20, Heb. 13:17).
(4) The Employment- as we need to work and labor for our daily sustainance, we will be put under the authority of an employer. In 1 Peter 2:18 it says: “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” As a modern day worker you have chosen your place of employment. First Peter 2:18 is telling you to submit to and respect your manager whether that person is good and considerate, harsh, or something in between. It doesn’t make any difference. When it comes to your job performance give your manager all respect. To submit to your manager is to obey your manager. We have then to separate the position from the personality. Why? Because God says so. 1 Timothy 6:1: “All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.”
God has established these authorities as the “delegated” extensions of His authority. If we resist cooperation, we are in effect, resisting God’s own authority and Lordship. This is why Paul told wives to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22). But just as all authority is related to other authority, all rebellion is also interrelated. It does not regard any class of authority. Rebellion is “the unwillingness to be ruled by any source other than self.” It is an indiscriminate contempt toward all authority.
Our attitude toward Christ as our Lord, is directly associated with our attitude toward other authority. Jesus Christ cannot be fully “Lord” over the person who harbors rebellion toward authority figures. The Bible says, “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Rom. 13:2). Rebellion is the very spirit of Satan’s attitude (Eph. 2:2), and if we permit it to dominate us it will infect and taint our attitude toward all authority, including God and His Word. The prophet Samuel said, “...rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23). The Apostle Peter said that those who are corrupt “despise authority” (2 Pet. 2:10), and the Proverbs say, “An evil man seeks only rebellion...” (Prov. 17:11).
Obviously, in the absence of Godly and moral values, there can sometimes be abuses of authority and perversions in government. Thus, the only circumstance that disobedience to authority is justifiable by scripture, is if it conflicts with the laws of God. Authority should be cooperated with except in those situations where laws depart from the basic moral and righteous principles of God’s Word. Paul tells us to pray for all those in authority: “ I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). God can use our prayers for those in authority, to either change their heart or remove them from power entirely. God reserves the right of administering discipline and reproof to those who represent His authority (Rom. 14:4, 1 Chron. 16:21-22).
As a leader there are four required arttitudes he/she needs to possess based from 1 Peter 3:1-6. A Reverent Spirit, A Grateful Spirit, A Servant Spirit, and A Quiet Spirit.
THE PRINCIPLE OF RESPONSIBILITY
In here Bill explained that one of our responsibility is to have a clear conscience. A good conscience is the ability to look every person in the eye and know that not one of them can point a finger and say, “you offended men and never tried to make right.” As Acts 24:16 pointed out, “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
In maintaining a clear conscience we have to take these three steps- We have to list our parents offenses; then list your offenses; and most importantly is purpose to ask for forgiveness.
A clear conscience is very important in all our relationships such as in maintaining an ideal family harmony. Thus in Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus said: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Our offering will be rendered unacceptable if we are offering it with a disturb and burdened conscience. We should clear our cosncience with the Lord first, then with those we have offended, beginning with those we have hurt the most.
Strive then to maintain a good, clear conscience that is sensitive to the Spirit of God by confessing every sin that we are conscious of and walk in the light of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit always uses God’s Word to reveal sin to us. When the conscience reproves listen to it, and confess the sin to God, claim His forgiveness based on the atoning death of Christ. The blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin. Pray that the witness of your conscience and the witness of the Holy Spirit and the abiding presence of being “in Christ” becomes one. Hold “to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9).
So, whatever it takes, seek to gain the treasure of a clear conscience. The Apostle Paul understood the importance of a clear conscience and he challenged us with this instruction: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
THE PRINCIPLE OF SUFFERING
Bill explainedthat suffering can be God’s loving reminder that we have violated His ways, a motivation for spiritual growth, and a preparation for future leadership. It may also be God’s way of forcing us to stop sinning, or His way of drawing others to Himself.
The seminar also talked about God’s purposes for suffering and these are: Purifies our motives and lives; sets our affections on things above; completes Christ’s suffering to the lost; reveals spiritual ineefectiveness; gives us a spirit of God’s glory; opens deeper insights to counsel; and demonstrate Scriptural convictions.
It’s easier said than done, but when we face disappointment and pain, how can we continue to trust God, give Him thanks, and choose to rejoice always? Sometimes it seems impossible to obey the commands God gives us in His Word. However, as God enables you to understand the good that can come through suffering (see Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20), you’ll realize that it is possible to obey those “impossible” commands, because you’ll see life from a new perspective.
Jesus learned “obedience by the things that he suffered”(Hebrews 5:8), and so can you. When we obey God’s Word, especially when it does not make sense, we learn through experience that God’s ways truly are best. In the end, we find that His will is exactly what we would have chosen if we had known all the facts.
Thus, suffering is our calling when another person offend us, and we should rejoice in suffering because we have to cling to His promise that He will never leave nor forsake us; that He is our strength and our refuge. Thus, we must never think that no one seems to understand how we feel, for Christ Himself experience suffering. He knew the pain of a broken world. He endured sorrow; He suffered agony. And He stands ready to encourage us when the dark moments of life seems to cripple us. Thus in moments of desperation, loneliness and life’s tragedies, we must learn how to turn to Christ, for in our desert of grief, Jesus can provide an oasis of hope.
THE PRINCIPLE OF OWNERSHIP
The principle of ownership is illustrated in the account of Abraham’s dedicating his son Isaac to God in Genesis 22. Abraham placed Isaac on theAltar. When he raised the knife in obedience to God and God saw that the transfer was clean and complete, God worked through Isaac as “a living sacrifice” and through his descendants to accomplish His mighty purposes in the earth.
What Abraham do with Isaac,we must do with all our possesions and objects of affection. For when we dedicate our posessions and relationships to God, we are saying that we are placing them under His control and that we will use them according to His designed purposes. With ownership, we must also give our rights and expectations to God. We will then be able to conquer the cause of anger, worry, and irritations.
Of all the things discussed about the Principle of ownership I would like to focus on Yielding Rights and Expectations to God. In here, it says that it is only when we yield our rights and expectations to God are we free to focus on fulfilling our responsibilities. God is not as interested in giving us what we “deserve” as He is in our recognizing that He is the Owner of all things and that He is able to work all things together for good. He may choose to withhold something you expected to receive in order to help you grow in maturity or to reveal more of Himself to you. By yielding our rights to God, we can respond to life with patience and teachable hearts. Here are the things that we can do to be able to yield our rights and expectations to God fully: Identify Personal Rights- Unresolved conflicts and irritations may indicate rights that need to be relinquished. Focus on areas of life where you have felt angry or worried. Discern your responsibilities in those areas, as well as the rights and expectations that you associate with them. Yield Rights to God- Remember that God owns all things. Through the grace and strength God provides for you, embrace the responsibilities that God has entrusted to you, but surrender to God the rights and expectations that accompany your responsibilities. This deliberate surrender of your rights and expectations frees those around you from the prison of your expectations and removes the grounds of many conflicts. Transfer Ownership to God- Give your rights and expectations to God. Trust Him to take good care of what belongs to Him. Remember that even if your hopes are not fulfilled, He is always able to work things together for good in your life. Thank God for Whatever Happens- In Scripture, we are challenged to thank God in all things. When you surrender your expectations to God, you’ll have a new freedom to rejoice in all circumstances, knowing that God is in charge and that He will take care of you. Moreover, surrendering your rights and expectations to God opens a whole new capacity for gratitude in your life. After all, if someone does something for you that you are expecting, you may not feel obligated to express gratitude. However, if you are not expecting anything, you will be delighted and your gratitude will bless others.
To sum up everhtying, we have to practice MEEKNESS (taking our rights and placing it on God’s altar), then we have to lay down to God everything, so that God can use us mightily.
THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but the power to do what we ought. Paul explained in Romans 6:16-22 that to be free from the Law of God is to be enslaved to sin, but to be servants of righteousness to God is to be free from the bondage of sin. The key to freedom is learning how to walk in the spirit and appropriate the victory that Christ has already won through His death, burial, and resurrection.
What we ought to do then, which is actually the ultimate goal of God’s Law, is GENUINE LOVE. Thus when we have the power to show gunuine love to others, then we are free. And in practicing genuine love we need to have a Pure heart, a Genuine Faith, and a Clear Conscience (1 Timothy 1:5).
Galatians 5:1 says, “It is freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burndened again by the yoke of slavery.” This is a clear warning not to be back in our old self, when we’re unbelievers yet, and was under the bondage of sin. Now that we put our trust in the Lord, we are already free and is under His mighty love and protection. We therefore have to make our ultimate responsibility to live a clean and pure life. Thus the need for the development of reprobation (condemning those things which are unworthy, unacceptable or evil). And in developing reprobation we have to guard ourselves from these 13 things: Natural Curiosity; Awakening of conscience reason; Sensual focus; Questioning Scripture; Violation of Conscience; Awakening of guilt; Response to guilt; Incomplete Repentance; Religious Compensation; Frustration over drives; Re-examine Scripture; Justify Immorality; and Argumentation.
Now to be able to walk in God’s Spirit and maintain a pure and holy life we have to follow these basic steps. First, we have to get under God-ordained authority, failure to do so is just like opening ourselves to temptations and danger. Then, we have to get into God’s Word daily, for this is this is the foundation of a Christian life and the key to prosperity in seeking the Lord. It is imperative for us to make God’s Word the focus of our life. Taking the example of Ezra we must also follow his threefold purpose in life: to know God’s Word, to apply it to his life, and to teach it to others. Yes, it is given that Bible reading and study is hard work. Some things in Scripture are difficult to understand. But there’s no magic formula or even a short cut in solving the sin problem. God promises victory over sin, but not by forfeit. Only disciplined, diligent study of Hid Word will bring about a pure heart and a clean conscience before God. We also need to become alert to Scriptural promptings of God’s Spirit, meaning to say we have to be sensitive on how the Holy Spirit is working in our life, and how it is directing us to become blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We must learn to hate evil,for in hating evil is the beginning of wisdom, and sin decreases our soul’s capacity. Besides Hebrews 5: 13-14 is encocuraging us to have a strong sense to discern both good and evil. We must not simply tolerate sin, we have to hate it. If not, we already sinned by our desire for it. We’ll never conquer sin until we hate it. Next, we have to make no provision for the flesh, for it will just bring us abomination and a curse (Deauteronomy 7:25-26). We must not allow Satan to exercise his power over us though such evil things. Lastly, we have to be sincere by seeking God with our whole heart, letting God fill our whole being.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SUCCESS
According to the seminar, the principle of success involves building God’s Word into every aspect of our being so we can receive His direction for every decision. It is only by accomplishing the purposes for which God created us that we experience true fulfillment and success in life. And in considering the purpose of our life we have to consider our whole being and reaching our 100% potential. This can be done by considering one’s Aptitude, Interest, Capacities, Problems, Irritations, and Responsibilities.
Most of the time the only hindrance for us to have a successful Christian life is SIN. Thus in the seminar, Bill Gothard discussed about the ways on how to overcome the power of Sin- learn why past efforst have failed, learn what it means to be “in Christ,” learn how to turn our position in Christ into daily experience, know the 7 steps to reckon ourselves dead to sin such as a. Engraft Romans 6 and 8:1-15 into your soul, b. Meditate day and night, c. Compare the law of sin to the law of gravity, d. Make no provision for fleshly lust, e. Picture yourself dead to the power and appeal of sin, f. Be accountable to God-given authorities, and g. Recognize and obey the scriptural prompting of God’s spirit. The fifth way to overcome the power of sin is to learn to yield to God, and leastly, expect God to confirm our need for Him.
I remember what one author said: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed” (Booket T. Washington). Taking this into our spiritual life, we can say that success only comes when we’re able to overcome the obstacles of Sin, and pursue the purposes which God created us.
Oftentimes, the world defines success in tangible, visible ways. The successful person has a high-paying job, a large house, plenty of spare cash for leisure activities, an attractive spouse, and lots of power and prestige. Too often Chhristians allow the world’s philosophy to color their own concept of success. But for a follower of Christ, success cannot be measured in worldly things. It’s measured in spiritual fruit. The successful Christian is one who accomplishes the tasks God has given him/her; he/she dedicates his/her life to God and does what God wants him/her to do.
Conclucion:
I have to admit that when I heard that we will be having the IBLP seminar for the second time, I thought, “it’s just a waste of time, we already finished it, why do we need to repeat the same seminar over again?” But as I attended the seminar and listen to Bill Gothard once more, I realized that even if I already took the seminar before, I was still able to learn new things. Moreover, what I learned before was just reinforced and each basic life principles were seems to be spoken on a different dimension, giving fresh ideas and concepts. And this can be liken to reading the Scripture. No matter how we read the Bible over and over again, there’s still new and fresh messages that we stumble upon, new treasures of wisdom that speaks to us and stirs us to action, as long as we’re open to the working of the Holy Spirit. May God be glorified as we apply these life principles and encourage others to do the same.
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