Logistical Grace
Definition
Philippians 4:18,19
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Military Logistics
Logistics is a word [used in the military and in business] to refer to the science of supply, provision, and planning of troop movement. [There is an excellent article on Logistics in Wikipedia. wd]
[The science and practice of logistics has always had a military emphasis. However, as you can see from the Wikipedia article, there has been a great deal of improvement and expansion of the processes of logistical science in business. This doctrinal study uses military and battlefield logistics for its illustrations of the doctrines of Grace provision. wd]
Logistics is the provision, movement, and maintenance of all resources, supplies, and services necessary to sustain military forces. Logistics involves the national economic capacity and the nation’s capability to support its military forces.
Logistics is also defined as the military science of planning, handling, and implementation of personnel under every possible military condition.
Logistics includes the design, development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposal of materiel. It includes hospitalization of personnel, and the construction and maintenance of housing facilities.
Logistics must be distinguished from administration.
Administration is the management of all services and resources necessary to sustain military forces. Administration implies management, and management is the function of logistics. Therefore, the two become inseparable.
Military logistics, then, is the science of supporting troops in advance, retreat, evacuation, reconnaissance, attack, exploitation, and pursuit. The battle of Dunkirk in World War II is a dramatic illustration of the importance of logistics.
Logistical Grace
From this military background comes a Bible doctrine based on analogy. Logistics plays an important and dramatic part in warfare, but logistics plays an even greater part in your life as a Christian believer. Every believer is alive today because of logistical grace.
The word “logistics” comes from two Greek words.
λογιστειϛ (logisteis), “an inspector of accounts, an auditor, a calculator (human).”
λογισμοϛ (logismos), “a thinker”.
We define logistical grace as the divine planning, divine support, divine provision, and divine blessing for the execution of the plan of God by members of the royal family [Christian believers] for the fulfillment of God’s will, purpose, and plan for your life.
Logistical grace includes three factors of divine provision.
Life support is provided for every Church Age believer. This explains how and why we are alive every moment. The only reason we are alive is because of God the Father’s grace provision, logistical grace. [This provision is called a “grace” provision because] we do not earn or deserve it; there’s no work we can accomplish to keep ourselves alive.
Blessing is provided for every Church Age believer, both winners and losers. This dramatizes the justice of God; the justice of God sends life support and blessing to the indwelling righteousness of God in both winners and losers. This emphasizes grace. You are alive only because of the grace of God, not because of anything you do. Winners utilize logistical grace, losers coast on it, but never utilize it.
Divine provision for every Church Age believer to execute the protocol plan of God. All doctrine comes from the prepared pastor-teacher. If you have persistent positive volition, you will find doctrine and your right pastor-teacher.
The basis of logistical grace is God’s integrity
God is infinite, eternal, and absolute holiness, which we classify as divine integrity or God’s absolute and unchangeable divine virtue.
The integrity of God is composed of His perfect righteousness and justice.
Topic: Essence of God
There are four principles related to the integrity of God:
What the righteousness of God rejects, the justice of God judges.
What the righteousness of God accepts, the justice of God blesses. This is the basis for logistical grace.
The justice of God administers what the righteousness of God demands. The righteousness of God in accepting certain things demands blessing from the justice of God. This is the basis for logistical grace.
At the moment of salvation, the righteousness of God is imputed [credited to] to the believer by the justice of God. The righteousness of God demands blessing from the justice of God whether we fail or succeed as Christians. This is why God provides logistical grace to both winners and losers.
Topic: Imputation
Christians who fail to follow the plan of God in the Christian life still have the forty things they received at salvation, one of which is the righteousness of God. This means God will support and sustain you regardless of how deserving or undeserving you are.
At the moment of salvation through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God is imputed to us. This is true in every dispensation. There are three results from the imputation of divine righteousness to the believer.
Justification. God looks at His righteousness imputed to us and declares us to be righteous. We receive instant justification. Romans 5:1
God’s love changes from impersonal love to personal love towards us, rather towards His perfect righteousness that has been imputed to us. God can now love us personally.
We receive logistical grace.
In the function of the policy of grace, there can be no compromise of divine attributes. God has found a way, through logistical grace, to bless each believer without compromising His own attributes.
God’s perfect righteousness is the principle of divine integrity, while God’s perfect justice is the function of divine integrity. These are the basis for logistical grace.
God cannot accept anything less than perfect righteousness as the object of divine blessing. Therefore, God cannot bless anything less than His own perfect righteousness.
The indwelling righteousness of God is the recipient of all life support and all blessing from God. This grace provision, then, excludes human merit and ability from all blessing.
The justice of God is the source of life support and blessing.
Using His perfect righteousness and justice, God has found a way to administer logistical grace blessing to every Church Age believer.
Romans 3:22
“Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”
Matthew 6:33
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His [imputed] righteousness, and all of these things shall be added to you.”
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything [logistical grace support and blessing], you may have an abundance for every good of intrinsic value production.” (the definition of logistical grace)
The basis for logistical grace includes both the possession of divine righteousness imputed at salvation plus the human spirit created by the Holy Spirit at salvation.
Besides providing life support and blessing, logistical grace provides the means (and supply) for the perception and execution of the plan of God. Everything is provided, so that every believer has equal privilege and equal opportunity to execute God’s plan and glorify God. As a part of this aspect of logistical grace, the following assets are given to us.
A human spirit, given to us at the moment of salvation, which is capable of communicating with God through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit when a believer is living in the Word of God and being edified through the intake of Bible doctrine.
The provision in every generation of believers with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. This gift is a part of logistical grace to communicate Bible doctrine to you.
Since the source of all logistical grace blessing is the justice of God, this means God is fair in supporting winners and losers alike.
Since God is perfect, it is impossible for God to provide blessing for imperfect believers. We are not blessed because of what we do for God, but because of what God has done for us.
Therefore, the logistical grace excludes all human ability, morality, talent, giving, sacrifice, service, or any other attempt to use legalism as the source of divine blessing.
The existence of this logistical grace provision after salvation means that God is free to bless all believers, winners and losers, spiritual or carnal, without compromising His own divine attributes.
God found a way to bless us through the divine policy called grace. God cannot accept anything less than perfect righteousness and cannot bless anything less than perfect righteousness.
From the moment of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, perfect divine righteousness resides in every member of the royal family.
Romans 3:21,22
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
This means the believer is qualified to receive life support and blessing whether he is succeeding or failing in the Christian life.
In this way, logistical grace avoids any compromise of divine attributes. In this way, logistical grace is compatible with the integrity of God.
Biblical Documentation
2 Peter 3:18
“But grow by means of [logistical] grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Logistical grace is support and supply for growth, Philippians 4:5. “Near” means interposition, within the distance where support and supply can be provided.
The Lord is within supporting distance.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Topic: Blessing
2 Corinthians 9:8
But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Bible Examples of Logistical Grace
The human testimony is found in
Deuteronomy 33:27
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
The Biblical definition of logistical grace is found in
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having a sufficiency in everything [logistical grace support], you may have an abundance for every good of intrinsic value production.”
The context for this verse is giving. If your attitude is right, God will provide for you to give. In fact, we are really God’s stewards with the money He entrusts to us.
How is God able to make all grace abound in giving us things? The answer: logistical grace.
Note that this sufficiency is not qualified by occurring during prosperous times. You have a sufficiency in all circumstances, including maximum historical disaster. There is no historical situation or circumstance to which this does not apply.
David gives the testimony of old age to logistical grace.
Psalm 37:25
“I have been young but now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken [logistical grace given to imputed righteousness] nor His seed begging bread.”
This means that logistical grace blessing to you can extend as far as the third generation.
The testimony of the shepherd is found in
Psalm 23
“The Lord is the One shepherding me; therefore, I cannot lack for anything. He causes me to lie down in green pastures of choice food [life support]; He leads me to waters of refreshment [life support]. He restores my soul [rebound]; He guides me in paths of righteousness [problem solving devices] because of His reputation. Also, when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [dying grace], I cannot fear evil because You are with me. Your rod [divine discipline] and your staff [divine deliverance], they comfort me. You have prepared before me a table in the presence of my enemies [logistical grace]; you have anointed my head with oil [promotion]; My cup [escrow blessings for time] is overflowing. Only the good [prosperity of escrow blessings] and grace [logistical grace] shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Grace provision depends on God’s reputation, not ours.
Topic: Grace
You do not fear anything under dying grace.
Topic: Dying Grace
The rod was used to “spank” the sheep for discipline. The staff was used to rescue sheep from danger. Both discipline and deliverance are a comfort to the believer who knows doctrine.
As long as you live, logistical grace will pursue you.
The testimony of Paul is found in
Philippians 4:19
“My God shall supply all your needs [logistical grace support] according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
God will never run out of riches to support you.
The testimony from our Lord is addressed to the apostle Paul
2 Corinthians 12:9
“Then He assured me, `My grace [logistical grace] has been and still is sufficient for you. For the power is achieved with weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.”
“Weakness” refers to grace orientation as a problem solving device. It refers to humility, lack of arrogance, and to suffering for blessing in the three categories of providential preventative suffering, momentum testing, and evidence testing.
Weakness is our part; in the logistical grace process we rely on God’s strength to us.
We boast in the sense of the understanding of Bible doctrine, in the sense of esprit-de-corps; not in the sense of arrogance. We boast in the sense of self-confidence in spiritual self-esteem, independence in spiritual autonomy, and invincibility in spiritual maturity.
“That the power of Christ may reside in me” is a reference to the fact that Jesus Christ indwells his body and occupation with Christ as the ultimate problem solving device. It is also a reference to our spiritual growth, following the pattern of the humanity of Christ in the previous dispensation of the Hypostatic Union.
The pattern of our Lord’s spiritual growth was as follows.
Spiritual self-esteem plus providential suffering resulted in our Lord’s spiritual autonomy.
Spiritual autonomy plus momentum testing resulted in our Lord’s spiritual maturity.
Spiritual maturity plus evidence testing resulted in our Lord’s strategic victory in the Hypostatic Union. His strategic victory included His impeccability, His saving work on the cross by means of His spiritual death, followed by His physical death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God the Father.
The testimony of the prophet Jeremiah is found in Lamentations 3:20-25, written as the fifth cycle of discipline was being administered.
“Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me [Jeremiah’s grace orientation]. This I recall to mind; therefore I have hope [faith under pressure]. The Lord’s gracious functions never cease [perpetuation of logistical grace even to enslaved believers]; His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion,' says my soul [logistical grace rations];therefore, I have faith under pressure [in Him].’ The Lord is good to those who trust in Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”
What gives Jeremiah faith under pressure? He applies logistical grace to the situation.
The integrity of God is the basis for logistical grace support and blessing, not the worthiness of the believer.
Even as they march to Babylon, enslaved under the fifth cycle of discipline, the Jews are reminded every morning that they wake up that God is giving logistical grace to them. Since they are still alive, God has a purpose for their lives.
Topic: Chastisement (Divine Discipline)
The Jewish nation failed God, so their nation has fallen. Yet the faithfulness of God never changes, for His grace continues to provide for them in disaster.
The verb for “trust” in Lamentations 3:25 is the Hebrew word qawah, referring to a rabbit finding refuge in the cleft of a rock. This is analogous to the believer’s use of the problem solving devices.
The Lord becomes very important to many believers in times of disaster; whereas in times of prosperity, the Lord isn’t nearly as important to many casual believers. Casual attitudes toward the Lord disappear when disaster comes.
For those who do seek the Lord and trust in Him through the use of the ten problem solving devices, they will have a fantastic and magnificent life.
Topic: Problem Solving Devices
Logistical grace is the basis for the perpetuation of the believer’s life in time, no matter what disasters may come. God sustains the life of every believer on planet earth in spite of Satanic opposition, the policy of evil, opposition from others, and our tendencies for self-destruction. We have a propensity for self-destruction; yet God keeps us alive in spite of ourselves and in spite of others.
Logistical grace keeps the believer alive.
No believer can live on this earth apart from logistical grace support.
Hebrews 2:14
“That through death He might render powerless him who has the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all of their lives.”
One of the greatest enslavements in life is fear of death.
Logistical grace plays a fundamental role in keeping winners and losers alive.
Psalm 33:18
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who respect Him, on those who wait for His grace to deliver their soul from death, and to keep alive in depression.”
Psalm 56:13
“For you have delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, that I may walk with God in the light of life.”
To “walk with God in the light of life” means you know about logistical grace so that you appreciate it and therefore utilize it.
Psalm 116:8
“You have rescued my soul from death.”
Under logistical grace, God can and does prolong life.
Psalm 79:11
“According to the greatness of Your power, You preserve those who are doomed to die.”
Proverbs 14:27
“Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snare of death.”
Psalm 68:19-20
“Blessed be the God who daily bears our burdens [logistical grace], the God who is our deliverance. God is to us a God of deliverances, and to God belongs the escape from death.”
Under logistical grace, God preserves us from death.
Logistical grace includes six categories of support.
- Life-sustaining support is provided by God. God sustains the life of every believer on earth. No believer can depart from life apart from God’s will. Therefore all the forces of hell cannot remove one believer apart from God’s permission. God also provides all that it takes to support life.
Psalm 48:14
“This God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.”
Lamentations 3:20-25
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
- Temporal needs such as food, shelter, clothing, transportation, environment, time, a job, etc. are provided by God,
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
- Security provision is taught in the doctrine of eternal security. Your security is from God. This includes the assignment of guardian angels, and the provision of the laws of divine establishment for freedom to advance to maturity. If you are positive to Bible doctrine, God provides the security for you to make that advance, as in the wall of fire.
1 Peter 1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Spiritual riches are provided by God, such as our portfolio of invisible assets, the ten problem solving devices, and the unique factors of the Church Age. It also includes the provision of doctrinal teaching from your pastor, privacy and security necessary to maintain positive volition, the royal family honor code, and discernment to see distractions and set them aside. Spiritual provision of an evangelist, a pastor, the privacy of your priesthood, the Canon of Scripture, and a local church are all provided for you.
Ephesians 1:3
“Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.”
Blessings are given to every believer, both winners and losers. These are not to be confused with escrow blessings which are far greater.
God preserves us from death.
The Logistical Grace Rationale
The “not to worry” passage,
Matthew 6:25-34
“For this reason, I say to you: stop worrying about your life as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor for your body as to what you shall wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, neither do reap, nor do they gather into barns. And yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of greater value than they? Now which of you by worrying can grow eighteen inches? And why are you worried about clothing?
Observe the lilies of the field and how they grow. They do not work, neither do they spin. In fact, I say to you, that even Solomon in all of his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.
And if God keeps clothing the common grass of the field [and He does], which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not do much more for you, believer of a little faith?
Therefore, do not worry, thinking
What shall we eat?' orWhat shall we drink?‘or `With what shall we clothe ourselves?’
For all these things the Gentiles search for eagerly; furthermore, your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them.
But seek first the kingdom and His righteousness [basis for logistical grace is possessing the righteousness of God], and all these things [logistical grace support] shall be provided for you.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself [under logistical grace]. Each day has enough evil of its own.
In this passage, there are four commands not to worry. We are commanded not to worry because God, in logistical grace, will provide for us, regardless of our spiritual status. Remember that logistical grace is for winners and losers.
The principle from the first command is that there is no meter on God’s grace. You cannot measure God’s grace.
Are you as important as a bird? If so, then not to worry!
Fear, worry, anxiety, apprehension is rejection or ignorance of God’s logistical grace provision. Yet God continues to support even those who worry.
Topic: Worry
God provides logistical grace support for winners as well as losers. Losers worry. Worry is fear.
The more things you surrender to fear, the more things you fear. The more things about which you worry, the more things you worry about.
The extent to which you surrender to fear, you increase the power of fear in your life. The extent to which you surrender to worry, you increase the power of worry in your life; yet God still keeps you alive.
The more things that acquire the power of fear in your life, the greater your capacity for arrogance and becoming a loser. The more you acquire the power of worry in your life, the greater your capacity for worry and becoming a loser; yet God still supports you.
The application of verse 34 is that you can so live in the past that you do not live today. Grace gives you the ability to live one day at a time, not handicapped by the past and not distracted by the future.
Logistical grace emphasizes the principle of living today, and therefore fulfilling the principle of living one day at a time, and each day as unto the Lord.
The Issues of Logistical Grace.
Logistical grace is the basis for stability in time.
1 Peter 5:12
“I have written you briefly exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.”
Logistical grace is designed for momentum in the plan of God.
Hebrews 12:28
“Therefore, because we have received to ourselves an unshakable kingdom, let us keep holding grace, through which we might render acceptable service to God with reverence toward Christ and respect toward doctrine.
Logistical grace continues even when one backslides (reversionism).
2 Corinthians 6:1
“Do not receive the grace of God in vain.”
Galatians 5:8
“You have drifted off course from grace.”
Hebrews 12:15
“See that no one falls back from the grace of God.”
Logistical grace provision for learning Bible doctrine and advancing to maturity.
In the perpetuation of human life, God sustains the believer’s life in spite of all Satan’s opposition,
Job 5:20
In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
Psalm 33:19
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 56:13
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 68:19-20
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
Death is a matter of the sovereignty of God. God can and often does prolong the life of the believer,
Psalm 102:19-24
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
Read Psalm 118
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
===============================================
This study has been compiled from transcripts of pulpit teaching, by R. B. Thieme, Jr., at Berachah Church, Houston, Texas, and from Pastor Thieme’s writings. Organized and formatted by Warren Doud.
Grace Notes is a ministry of Austin Bible Church, Austin, Texas [http://www.austinbiblechurch.com] (http://www.austinbiblechurch.com)
For information about FREE college-level Bible studies, write to: Warren Doud, [[email protected]] (mailto:[email protected])
Web: [http://www.gracenotes.info/DiplomaCourses.shtml] (http://www.gracenotes.info/DiplomaCourses.shtml)