Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

Thursday, Thursday, April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

1 John 1:9,1 John 1:9,“If we confess our sins, He “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to forgive us our sins and to

cleanse us from all cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”unrighteousness.”

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

The Book of ProverbsThe Book of ProverbsChapter 5Chapter 5

“Avoid the Adulteress”“Avoid the Adulteress”

Prov 5:21-23Prov 5:21-23

The Law of Volitional The Law of Volitional Responsibility.Responsibility.

Gal 6:7-8Gal 6:7-8

Gal 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, Gal 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever God is not mocked; for whatever

a man sows, this he will also reap. a man sows, this he will also reap. 88For the one who sows to his own For the one who sows to his own

flesh (flesh (sin naturesin nature) will from the ) will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from who sows to the Spirit will from

the Spirit reap eternal life.”the Spirit reap eternal life.”

1. We cause our own misery 1. We cause our own misery and suffering.and suffering.

1. We cause our own misery 1. We cause our own misery and suffering.and suffering.

2. You can never blame 2. You can never blame others for your misery and others for your misery and

unhappiness.unhappiness.

3. Human volition is the 3. Human volition is the source of personal sins, source of personal sins, human good, and evil. human good, and evil.

3. Human volition is the 3. Human volition is the source of personal sins, source of personal sins, human good, and evil. human good, and evil.

4. All sins have natural 4. All sins have natural consequences in life.consequences in life.

5. Volition and decision 5. Volition and decision making is the source of both making is the source of both sins of ignorance and sins of sins of ignorance and sins of

cognizance. cognizance.

We are responsible for our We are responsible for our decisions whether we decisions whether we

understand their category or understand their category or consequences.consequences.

“Ignorance is no excuse for “Ignorance is no excuse for the law.”the law.”

6. The consequences are 6. The consequences are generally classified as generally classified as

self‑imposed, self‑induced, self‑imposed, self‑induced, and self‑indulged misery, as and self‑indulged misery, as

we saw in we saw in Prov 5:9-14Prov 5:9-14..

Prov 22:8,Prov 22:8,“He who sows wickedness “He who sows wickedness

reaps trouble (reaps trouble (Law of Law of Volitional ResponsibilityVolitional Responsibility), ),

and the rod of His punishment and the rod of His punishment ((Divine DisciplineDivine Discipline) will surely ) will surely

come to him.” come to him.”

““Self‑imposed” - voluntarily Self‑imposed” - voluntarily assumed or endured.assumed or endured.

““Self‑imposed” - voluntarily Self‑imposed” - voluntarily assumed or endured.assumed or endured.

“Self‑induced” - willfully “Self‑induced” - willfully acquired or brought on.acquired or brought on.

““Self‑indulged” - yielding to Self‑indulged” - yielding to the desires and whims of the desires and whims of oneself, especially to an oneself, especially to an

excessive degree.excessive degree.

Hos 8:7,Hos 8:7,“They who sow to the wind “They who sow to the wind

shall also reap the shall also reap the whirlwind.”whirlwind.”

Col 3:25,Col 3:25,“For he who does wrong will “For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of receive the consequences of

that wrong which he has that wrong which he has done, and there is no done, and there is no

partiality, (from God).”partiality, (from God).”

7. The Law of V. R. applies to 7. The Law of V. R. applies to four categories of your life: four categories of your life:

thinking, motivation, thinking, motivation, decision making, and action.decision making, and action.

a. Self‑imposed misery is a. Self‑imposed misery is suffering caused by bad suffering caused by bad

thinking and wrong thinking and wrong motivation. It is caused by motivation. It is caused by ignorance of Bible doctrine ignorance of Bible doctrine

and resultant self‑deception. and resultant self‑deception.

Bad or negative thinking or Bad or negative thinking or motivation includes: all motivation includes: all

wrong mental attitudes, all wrong mental attitudes, all forms of arrogance, and forms of arrogance, and

everything by which you react everything by which you react to life in your thinking. to life in your thinking.

By wrong thinking and By wrong thinking and motivation, we enter into motivation, we enter into

self‑imposed misery before self‑imposed misery before we make any decisions that we make any decisions that cause self‑induced misery.cause self‑induced misery.

Prov 11:22,Prov 11:22,“As a golden ring in a pig’s “As a golden ring in a pig’s

snout, so is a beautiful woman snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.”who lacks discretion.”

A woman can get so carried A woman can get so carried away with her beauty that she away with her beauty that she makes a lot of bad decisions makes a lot of bad decisions in her mental attitude, and so in her mental attitude, and so

brings on to herself brings on to herself self‑imposed misery. self‑imposed misery.

Prov 19:19,Prov 19:19,““A man ofA man of great anger will great anger will bear the penalty, for if you bear the penalty, for if you rescue rescue him,him, you will only you will only

have to do it again.”have to do it again.”

b. Negative or wrong b. Negative or wrong decisions result in self-decisions result in self-

induced misery, classified in induced misery, classified in two ways:two ways:

1) Deliberate wrong actions 1) Deliberate wrong actions which bring self‑induced which bring self‑induced

misery.misery.

1) Deliberate wrong actions 1) Deliberate wrong actions which bring self‑induced which bring self‑induced

misery.misery.2) Impulsive wrong actions 2) Impulsive wrong actions which is self‑gratification or which is self‑gratification or

self-indulged misery.self-indulged misery.

c. Decisions based on the c. Decisions based on the following produce following produce

self-induced misery: self-induced misery: sin, human good, evil, sin, human good, evil,

erroneous emotions, lust, and erroneous emotions, lust, and false teaching.false teaching.

Remember emotions cannot Remember emotions cannot think, cannot rationalize, have think, cannot rationalize, have

no common sense.no common sense.

Bad judgment is caused due Bad judgment is caused due to lack of common sense, to lack of common sense,

total disorientation to life, not total disorientation to life, not knowing your limitations, and knowing your limitations, and

a lack of Bible Doctrine in a lack of Bible Doctrine in your soul.your soul.

Impulsive actions are Impulsive actions are spontaneous and impetuous spontaneous and impetuous and circumvent motives and and circumvent motives and decisions and generally fall decisions and generally fall

back to thinking related to lust back to thinking related to lust and self‑gratification from a and self‑gratification from a

locked‑in system of arrogance.locked‑in system of arrogance.

Prov 13:20,Prov 13:20,“He who walks with the wise “He who walks with the wise

men will be wise, but the men will be wise, but the companion of fools will companion of fools will

receive sin / evil,receive sin / evil,((suffer harm / miserysuffer harm / misery).” ).”

If you associate with the If you associate with the wrong crowd, you are making wrong crowd, you are making a decision that will cause you a decision that will cause you

a tremendous amount of a tremendous amount of unhappiness!unhappiness!

Prov 16:18,Prov 16:18,“Pride “Pride goesgoes before before

destruction, and a haughty destruction, and a haughty spirit (spirit (arrogancearrogance) before ) before

stumbling (stumbling (a falla fall).”).”

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchThursday April 11, 2013Thursday April 11, 2013

Tape # 13-039Tape # 13-039

The Doctrine of Volitional Responsibility,The Doctrine of Volitional Responsibility, Part 1bPart 1b

Prov 5:21-23; 22:8; Hosea 8:7; Gal 6:7-8; Col 3:25; Phil 4:11-13Prov 5:21-23; 22:8; Hosea 8:7; Gal 6:7-8; Col 3:25; Phil 4:11-13

James James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2013H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2013