Austin Bible Church
God's grace has provided a Spiritual IQ (Intelligence Quotient) that is due to the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in the perception and application of Bible doctrine. In learning and applying Bible doctrine, you must distinguish between human IQ and spiritual IQ. Human IQ is measured by one's performance on a standardized intelligence test relative to the average performance of others of the same age. The actual number is the ratio of the mental age (as reported on a standardized test) to the chronological age multiplied by 100. On the other hand, spiritual IQ is the grace function of God the Holy Spirit to enable the believer to understand Bible doctrine being communicated to them, to live the spiritual life, and to empower them to fulfill God's plan for their lives.
For the growing believer, spiritual IQ provides a keenness of mental perception, understanding, and discernment in the spiritual life. It is the ability of God's grace to enable the believer to execute the right mental attitude or effect orientation and to enable one to have no illusions about themselves.
The ability, persuasion, and talent that we think of that makes up human IQ are completely bypassed in learning Bible doctrine. Spiritual IQ is measured by how much epignosis Bible doctrine you have in the right lobe of your soul. 1 Cor. 1:18 through 1 Cor. 2:1-16.
The ability to learn doctrine or spiritual IQ is verified by two verbs of ability. In Ephesians 3:16, “to be strengthened” is κραταιόω (krataioō) and means “inner ruling power” or the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is the ability to learn spiritual things under the filling of the Holy Spirit.
“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,” (Ephesians 3:16, NASB)
In Ephesians 3:18, “may be able” is ἐξισχύω (exischuō) and is the ability to learn Bible doctrine. The means of operation in Christianity is faith in the tenants of Scripture thus glorifying the Lord. Faith alone is the system of perception and the key that triggers the Holy Spirit to empower the grace apparatus for perception.
In the grace apparatus for perception, positive volition puts the believer in a position to hear the teaching of Bible doctrine whereby the Holy Spirit teaches the human spirit to form spiritually apprised information. It is the Spirit-filled believer’s human spirit being taught by the Holy Spirit that constitutes spiritual IQ. This critical first component of the grace apparatus for perception.
The Holy Spirit then transfers that academically understood spiritual information into the left lobe of the mentality of the soul as gnosis or knowledge. Positive faith acceptance or belief in that gnosis causes the Holy Spirit to convert the gnosis to epignosis or full knowledge and to transfer it into the right lobe of the soul. This is spiritual IQ. Human IQ is never a factor. This epignosis Bible doctrine is now available for application within the spiritual life only while filled with the Holy Spirit. See category on the Grace Apparatus for Perception.
“may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,” (Ephesians 3:18, NASB)
An unbeliever can have a genius human IQ and not be able to understand basic Bible doctrine while a believer with a low human IQ can understand the most profound and advanced Bible doctrine because of God's grace. God's grace always finds a way. 1 Cor. 2:14
“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NASB)
Human IQ is often considered a factor in learning Bible doctrine, but it is never a factor. If this were true, this would imply that a low IQ believer would be handicapped in learning and applying Bible doctrine. That would not be fair. Since God is absolute fairness, this cannot be true. Instead, there is a grace system provided by God through the filling of the Holy Spirit for every believer, regardless of human abilities or intelligence, to understand and apply Bible doctrine.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 and Ephesians 3:16-20 speak of spiritual IQ or the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry to the believer’s human spirit for all of the spiritual information contained in the Word of God. The unbeliever doesn’t have a human spirit (not even a dead one) and their perceptive ability is strictly a matter of human ability. Human ability, intelligence, and human talent play no part in the spiritual IQ of grace.
Human IQ applied to Christianity always distorts Christianity into a religion. Rationalism is the liberal main-line denominations’ appeal to the intellect and dialogue. Empiricism is the use of the senses to perceive. The Pentecostal types appeal to the emotions and is a sight religion filled with apostacy.
When a believer perceives God’s truth, human IQ is never a factor because human IQ is built on rationalism and empiricism. Spiritual IQ by faith alone. Eph. 3:16-20.
“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” (Ephesians 3:16-20, NASB)
Every Church Age believer is a member of the Royal Priesthood and therefore a priest who represents themselves directly before God the Father with no intermediary. Every believer under grace has been given the same perceptive apparatus. We all have everything that is necessary. There are no exceptions. This includes the Bible, the local church, the pastor-teacher, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the human spirit and so on. See category on the Priesthood of The Believer.
The human IQ cannot see God, but epignosis Bible doctrine gives vision to the “eyes” of the soul. Even gnosis Bible doctrine in the mind cannot see God. Eph. 3:19.
“and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19, NASB)
Unsaved mankind has only human IQ which uses primarily rationalism and empiricism for perception. Rationalism and empiricism put a veil over the eyes of the soul so that love from Christ is hidden. Bible doctrine removes the veil from the mind. 1 Cor 1:18-25;1 Cor 2:1-6; Eph. 4:17-19; 2 Cor. 3:14-16.
“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:17-19, NASB)
“But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16, NASB)
Scar tissue is removed through the intake and application of Bible doctrine. Eph. 4:23.
“and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” (Ephesians 4:23, NASB)
Human IQ is always meritorious. There is no merit in the perceptive system of faith. The merit lies in the object of faith. Because faith is the only non-meritorious system of perception, it is totally compatible with God’s plan and God’s grace. Consequently we do not walk by sight, but by faith.
We are not born with the same human IQ and have unequal mentally. Even though a philosopher may have superior human knowledge, he cannot compete with God’s grace apparatus for perception and God's grace resources given to each believer at the moment of salvation.
Not one person has ever or will ever attain heaven because of a superior intellect. Human ability and human merit does not cut it. The entire process of learning and applying doctrine must be compatible with grace.