L. Wade Johnson

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Psychology

And Salvation

The study of Psychology is

as old as Mankind itself.

Our creator installed it in the humans He

created.

Psychology is the scientific study of

mental processes and behavior.

Mental processes = Thinking > behavior

So.

Just how does Psychology relate to our

salvation?

As a man thinketh in his heart,

so is he. Proverbs 23:7

Our thoughts

and

subsequent

behavior make

us who we

are.

Humans do not think in words we think

in

cognitions.

A cognition is made up of

billions of bits of data.

When we think, billions of bits of

data come from our memory

banks into our conscious mind.

Lets experience a

cognition!

When you came to

the assembly this

morning you Re-

cognized people

To recognize some one is to recall

everything you know about them and

how you feel about them.

Cognitions are developed,

improved and changed, when

needed as we engage in new

and repeated experiences.

The more experiences you have

the more complete are your

cognitions.

This is why we have problems with teen

agers.

They know they can reason, and they

believe they have reasoned correctly.

But their conclusions lack

sufficient knowledge

and savvy that can only

be attained from

experiences over time.

You can see by this chart – the more we

engage in Bible Study and personal

research, the more we understand

Perception Interpretation

Keep this in mind, it is a fact of human nature;

we don’t see things as they are.

We see things as we are.

Usually a great deal more inquiry is needed

before we can determine what is really going

on in any given situation.

How data is interpreted is

determined by the

internal state (values,

culture biases etc).

Selective Attention:

There is always an excess of sensory

information, but the brain manages to

sort out what we consider the

important messages at the moment

and discard the rest.

Too often we as humans tend to consider

as important only that which we want to

believe.

Many who think they know and follow

Bible truths actually shove aside

information that is contrary to those

sheltered beliefs.

Humans, are by nature curious entities.

We want to explore and discover and see for

ourselves.

From these cognitions we form concepts

and we arrange those concepts into

words.

You are what you think about.

Out of the mind the mouth

speaks.

Every word you speak tells others the kind

of person you are.

But what may be even more startling your

words tell you the kind of person you are.

What you think about

prompts your words

and by your words

your character is

revealed.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but

the tongue of the wise brings healing –

Proverbs 12:18

When man’s ways please the lord he

makes even his enemies to be at peace

with him proverbs 16:7

Demonstrate your faith and your beliefs by

your words.

Your words will betray you or establish

you.

But you must walk the talk, not talk the

walk.

Thoughts, no matter how

spontaneous does not occur in

a vacuum.

What we focus on, read, talk

and harbor becomes a self

fulfilling prophesy.

From these experiences we can

draw conclusions and develop

our own set of heuristics, or

rules of thumb.

Heuristic

exploratory problem-solving techniques that utilize self-educating techniques

Thinking based on

experiences allow us

solve problems

Human nature, then is

made up of mental

processes and behavior.

We could say Psychology is the

study of human nature.

The study of Psychology is as old as

Mankind itself.

Human

nature

does not

change!

Adam and Eve were created with

Human Natures.

Did Messiah take on the form of a man in

order to better understand human nature?

NO!

He understood human nature very well.

He created human nature and placed in the

human he created!

He took on human nature and

died as a human.

Humans, are by nature curious entities.

We want to explore and discover and see for

ourselves.

Satan used that feature

of human nature to

deceive Eve.

Satan knew Eve could influence Adam.

God had to give Mankind (Adam and Eve) a

choice.

Without free will to choose, Adam and Eve

would have been mere puppets.

True love always requires choice.

God wanted mankind

(Adam and Eve)

to choose to love and trust

Him.

The only way to give this choice

would have been to command

something that was not allowed.

Since God had planted in the

garden all the different trees from

which we now get fruit, the test

was not too difficult.

They had plenty to eat and a large

variety of fruits from which to choose,

and could have chosen to believe God.

Satan found Eve by herself

away from Adam.

Ja has put his saints on a

specific path.

He has given you fellow saints in

which to fellowship.

He has given us a conscious

Conscience is your early warning

system, designed to keep you out of

trouble.

Freud’s Personality Structure

Personality consists of three interacting mental structures:

Id: (it) Innate biological instincts

The creator gave man a conscience for a good reason. To conform to His will.

Ego: The conscious identity of ones’ self (based in reality)

Super Ego: one’s conscience (ethical rules and personal Standards)

The creator gave man a conscience for a

good reason. To conform to His will.

“Reason often makes mistakes but

conscience never does.” Josh Billings

“Most people follow our conscience as we

follow a wheelbarrow. We push it in front

of us where we want to go.” Billy Graham

He has given you wisdom and knowledge

about His WAY.

When we stray from that

path we are vulnerable

to Satan’s

confederates.

“To walk out of God’s will is walk into

nowhere.”

C.S. Lewis

Satan has studied the

psychology of man.

Satan used the oldest

Psychology ploy in his

playbook of deceit to

deceive mankind

Play Book for Evil against

mankind

Why is God keeping something from you?

There is a difference between doubt and

unbelief.

Doubt is a matter of mind; we can’t

understand what God is doing or why He

is doing it.

Unbelief is a matter of will: We refuse to

believe God’s word and obey what he tells

us to do. (Warren Wersbe)

He used Eve’s human

curiosity to convince her to

eat of the tree of Good and

Evil

Satan Told Eve she would come to know the

difference between good and evil.

Adam’s human

nature gave in

to Eve’s pleas

and those

decisions cost

them eternal

life and

estranged

mankind to

the true God.

All decisions have consequences. All big

decisions have big consequences, and if

you don’t think about those consequences

now, you may pay a big price later.

You are a child of Ja When it comes to moral decisions you will

not need to talk yourself into making the

right decision, but will have to talk yourself

into making the wrong one!

When Satan said she

would know good and

evil all he was offering

her was evil.

She already knew good,

she had never

experienced evil.

What is Evil?

Evil

Morally reprehensible wicked Sinfulness

arising from bad character and offensive

conduct.

Evil & Wickedness

For we do not wrestle against flesh and

blood, but against the rulers against

powers, against the rulers of the darkness

of the age, against spiritual hosts of

wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

Daniel 10: 12-20

Daniel prayed for help in resolving an

issue presented by King Cyrus.

Gabriel came to help him.

Gabriel was waylaid by Prince of Persia

Had to get Michael the Archangel to help

fight him off so he could be about his

mission to help Daniel

This Prince of Persia was one of Satan’s

generals assigned to this part of the world

or assigned to thwart the success of

certain missions Jehovah assigned to his

messengers.

Don’t be fooled by the apathy of the day

concerning demons and evil spirits.

The Devil uses them to guide willing

human accomplices in doing his work.

Sin Any action that is highly reprehensible to

God.

A transgression of the laws of God

Sin A vitiated state of human nature

in which self is estranged from

God because of conscious

decisions for self ingratiation.

Vitiated

Faulty, defective, impaired, debased in

morale or aesthetic state of mind.

Ineffective due to corruption of

psychological and morale mindset.

There are those pseudo Christians who play

at church.

Believing they are doing enough to satisfy

God.

They follow the traditions of their religion

they read the Bible, go to church, sing in

the choir and believe this regimentation

will be sufficient to get them into heaven.

Most folks are satisfied with the

Regimentation of religion to give

them a sense of salvation

Regimentation

A systematic plan or regular course of

action subject to order and uniformity

following specific patterns of behavior for

the purpose of accomplishing predictable

outcomes.

A regimented frame of mind is comfortable

and non-demanding.

Regimentation requires no exploration or

questioning the status quo.

Regimentation allows the

Christian to exist on the

milk of the word. 1 Corinthians 3:2

Always following the familiar path that does

not provide for spiritual growth.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is

unskilled in the word of righteousness, for

he is a babe.

But solid food belongs o those who by

reason of use have their senses exercised

to discern both good and evil.

Hebrews 5:13,14

The Devil plays for keeps, and it is not a game to play on his terms.

Keeping the faith and continuing to grow in

the faith requires . . .

Discipline

Discipline

The maintenance of pre-established

standards.

Keep the faith and the discipline we learn

from his Holy Scriptures.

Keep the disciplined relationship between

you and the heavenly Father through His

Son Yahshua.

Stay in touch all day long.

Exercising the discipline to keep your mind

and body under control. Not giving in to

the base nature of man or being

influenced by others who would separate

you from the faith.

1 Corinthians 9: 25-27

Before all else in you life

Seek ye first the kingdom of Ja

and his righteousness.

Matthew 6:33

Don’t follow the crowd.

They are traveling in the wrong direction

Birds of a feather

flock together.”

Aesop

"You are not going to be what you decide

to be; you are going to be what you decide

to be around." — Dr. Jack Hyles

Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord

and in the power of His might.

Ephesians 6:1

It is not within your power to resist the evil

demons and spirits prevalent in this world.

It requires the power from the Eternal

We are in a battle and cannot hide from it or

refuse participation.

We are constantly bombarded by visual

and audio material designed to change

your way of living your life.

The entertainment and information media

frame the wicked way of life in such a way

as to make it seem as though it has

always been normal.

The propaganda industry vilifies any one who

denies the properness of immoral or evil

activities.

“Worldly people like to stereotype those

who hold conservative beliefs.

Stereotyping is labeling, putting those

people in a box in order to dismiss them

as ignorant, prudish or out-of-touch.”

Ken Swiger

The problem of labeling people or

ideas, putting them in a box and

dismissing them is they are rarely

given adequate or correct reasons for

the label

1. Maintain your disciplined relationship with

the Eternal.

1. Maintain your disciplined relationship with

the Eternal.

2. Be there for your God when He calls you.

1. Maintain your disciplined relationship with

the Eternal.

2. Be there for your God when He calls you.

3. Keep the faith by staying in touch,

reading your Bible and talking to and

listening to Him when He speaks to you.

1. Maintain your disciplined relationship with

the Eternal.

2. Be there for your God when He calls you.

3. Keep the faith by staying in touch,

reading your Bible and talking to and

listening to Him when He speaks to you.

4. Following the WAY is a way of life not a

religion.

Value truth above self-interest:

Accepting the truth even when it is not

what you want to believe.

Value truth above self-interest:

Your behavior and subsequent decisions

must be based on reality, not fantasy

regardless of how bright or stark that

reality is.

Do not allow yourself to alter your long held,

beliefs until you are satisfied they are no

longer relevant or true.

But be honest with yourself and

when you discover new truth

embrace it even if it is not what

you want to believe.

Type 1: Those who are eagerly seeking

the truth.

Type 2: Those who are eagerly seeking

justification to hide from the truth.

(There's no in-between; see Rev. 3:16)-

Dwaine Moore

Satan is fierce

Satan usurped this earth and he controlled

the people of the earth by subverting their

human nature

And the devil said unto him, All this

power will I give you, and the glory of

them: for that is delivered unto me and to

whomsoever I will I give it.” Luke 4:6

Apparently he had the power to offer a

partnership to Yahshua for control of the

earth.

It is easy to think of Satan as the ruler of this

world.

But Consider this

This is his kingdom for now

This is God’s Kingdom for

now and forever

Satan’s domain seems pretty

pathetic in comparison

Someday The Master will

retrieve the planet he

created.

Someday The Father will

authorize His son to return and

set up His kingdom here on

this earth.

Every Knee shall bow.

Even the fallen angels

Human Nature will still be part of

the human experience.

But there will be no Evil to

harasses us!

Living for your place

in the kingdom can

be trying at times.