This episode begins with the question, "why do believers often struggle to have peace, while unbelievers, when circumstances are favorable, seem to be at peace? The answer rests on the nature of both. Believers delight with the law of God in the inner man, while they struggle against residual evil. They are conflicted until they substantially set their minds on the things of the Spirit, leading to life and peace. Unbelievers, by contrast, are dead spiritually, so there is little opposition to their minds set on the flesh, temporarily allowing for a superficial peace when sinful desires are satisfied. If believers resign themselves to being Romans 7 Christians without allowing the promise of Romans 8:2 to manifest, their lives will largely be defined by the conflict of the flesh verses the Spirit. Mature believers however apply the Romans 8:2 promise to their lives and intentionally set their minds on the things of the Spirit, leading to life and peace. The latter part of the episode addresses the superficial peace of the wicked who are largely successful at suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Critically they rationalize that their apparent peace will endure beyond the grave, for they actually think that God is just like them. (Psalm 50:21) The program concludes with the shattering of the peace of the wicked in an eternal hell. Lastly, the episode posits that the same distorted picture of God as infinitely tolerant among unbelievers also colors the perception of Christians who bank all on the imputed righteousness of Christ, without cooperating much with the Spirit of truth that sanctifies them. The loss of peace is usually the result.
“Listen carefully to Me, and Eat what is Good”
This final episode cites the example of Brother Lawrence, who applied the resurrection of Christ to everyday life, in his case, doing the dishes. Menial everyday tasks, noted Brother Lawrence, should be filled with the presence of God. The episode highlights the modern equivalent, the hours most of us spend plowing through traffic. How might most of our lives be transformed if we intentionally communed with God amidst our mundane activities, instead of droning on in endless self-talk? The never-ending treadmill of anxiety that modern Christians endure is largely the consequence of solving our problems without God. The solution is clearly articulated in Isaiah 55:2: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?" Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance." Isaiah contrasts futile reliance on our own abilities with attentive listening to the voice of God, resulting in a bountiful harvest of good things. This final episode invites all Christians to abide in the resurrected Christ at ALL times, listening to Him, as we walk in the newness of life.
Resurrection Power: the Evidence of Salvation
This episode builds on the previous program, asserting that mere propositional knowledge about Christ is insufficient for salvation. Many of us have encountered "believers" who insist they are saved based on a past recitation of the sinner's prayer, though evidence that they are presently FOLLOWING Christ is absent. This past confession amounts to acknowledgment of the facts of the gospel [propositional knowledge], but devoid of subsequent following of Christ, is an empty confession that doesn't save. The above scenario highlights the necessity of the ONGOING application of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to anyone who claims to be a Christian. And, it is part of the constitution of every believer, "if anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) "Following Christ" then is the ONGOING application of our Master's life to our lives. So the application of the resurrection of Christ to everyday life, as it turns out, is foundational to being a Christian.
Bury Your Doubt with Resurrection Power
This episode begins with the question, "how do you know the resurrection of Christ is true?" While many of us can articulate an apologetic answer, citing the Biblical and historical evidences for the gospel story, all of us should ideally be able to respond with the following testimony: "I know the resurrection of Christ is true because I experience everyday His resurrection power in my own life." This is the evidence that secures our faith in the Biblical account and assists us in presenting a compelling testimony to unbelievers regarding the truth of the gospel. The episode charts my conversion to Christ, subsequent doubt over the resurrection, culminating in renewed conviction that the resurrection of Christ occurred. I trace my journey from propositional embrace of the gospel to experiential conviction based on the everyday experience of resurrection power in my own life. The evidence of genuine conversion, according to Romans 6:4, is that "we walk in the newness of life." This of course bespeaks the resurrection power that is unleashed in every believer's life as he identifies with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Resurrection Power for Everyday Life
This episode contrasts mediocre Christian life with the abundant life that Christ promised us. The difference is the power-source that we most often rely upon. If we adopt the bogus assumption that dependence on resurrection power is mostly for crisis moments, not for routine everyday life, then we consign ourselves to living a substandard mediocre Christian life mostly governed by our fleshly power. Christ exploded this distinction, maintaining that the routine, even boring aspects of biotic life should be filled with zoe life, the spiritual life that He alluded to in John 10:10: "I would that you have life and that more abundantly." Christians should consequently bear their crosses, depending on resurrection power and not their own. Paul prayed that Ephesian believers would live out of this power, which was the same power that rose Christ from the dead. (Eph. 1:19-20) And Paul Himself linked this resurrection power to the crosses that all of us must inevitably bear: "I want to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." (Phil. 3:10) Everyday reliance on resurrection power is then the only way to experience "abundant life" and rise above mediocrity.
Peace Doesn’t Just Happen
This episode unpacks the salvation package of "life and peace." Paul states that the mind set on the Spirit is "life and peace." (Romans 8:6) Most Christians embrace some aspect of the eternal life promised in salvation but struggle to experience the peace promised to believers. This episode paints a HOLISTIC salvation picture and the necessity of intentionally directing our minds on the Spirit. The elusive nature of peace among Christians highlights the incomplete appropriation of the salvation package and the lack of intentionality of many believers who experience life on auto-pilot. Not surprisingly real peace is lacking as the de-fault expression of the flesh emerges when the mind doesn't ACTIVELY engage the Spirit. One indication of the mind set on the Spirit is focus on the works of the Lord. Psalm 28:4-5 and Romans 1:18-23 posit that the fundamental difference between believers and unbelievers is acknowledgement or rejection of God's works. The holistic salvation package of "life and peace" is the consequence of a mind set on the Spirit, that has an unquenchable regard and appreciation for the works of God. If Christians suffer from a lack of peace, the remedy, to a substantial degree, is intentionally setting the mind on the Spirit, Who graciously supplies the peace that surpasses understanding.
When You Follow Christ, His Power isn’t “Optional”
This episode addresses the tendency among believers to draw on resurrection power only in crises or challenging circumstances. The operating presumption is that believers utilize their own power for routine everyday life but rely on God's power when our own isn't up to the task. Some who are successful in achieving a certain degree of sin-management settle into a mediocre Christian life in which DAILY reliance on Christ becomes optional. One reason is that the bar for Christian life is lowered: being a Christian is primarily about sin-management and strangely "following Christ" is only necessary to manage sin. But this recasting of the purpose of Christian life is fundamentally self-centered and contradicts the Scriptures. "If anyone would be my disciple he must first deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Following Christ and service to Him is the end-goal and it is embodied in love of God and neighbor. In essence "sin-management" is the necessary precondition of following Christ which is principally demonstrated by love of God and neighbor. The recasting of Christian life into sin-management, divorced from following Christ, is arguably the principal reason why many dichotomize routine everyday life from crises moments, only the latter of which requires depending on resurrection power. FOLLOWING Christ and loving God and neighbor requires divine power ALL the time.
“Lord, I Give You ALL of me!”
This episode continues applying the holistic cross of self-denial to all areas of life that aren't sinful per se. Christ Himself set the example: He didn't use His abilities without submitting them over to the Father's discretion. The God-man could easily have overwhelmed his hearers with His wit and mental acuity but chose on many occasions to refrain. Isaiah 42:3 says about Him "a broken reed He would not break nor a dimly burning wick He would not snuff out." He didn't break broken sinners but submitted all His talents and abilities over to the Father, to be used only at His discretion. Christ exemplified TOTAL submission to the Father and it had little to do with sin, for He was morally perfect and free from sin. So when believers subsequently identity with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection they ideally should present their whole selves as living sacrifices, to be used for His pleasure.
Present All of You as a Slave of Righteousness
This episode addresses the cross of self-denial with respect to all of our natural abilities and talents. Identifying with Christ is His death, burial and resurrection doesn't just apply to our sin issues and suffering for Christ: it also refers to holistically submitting to the will of the Father, presenting our natural giftings over to Him to be used at HIS discretion. Paul modeled this kind of self-denial to the Corinthians: to the weak he became weak, "becoming all things to all men that he might win some." (1 Corinthians 9:19-22) The episode cites several examples in which Christians win battles but lose souls when they fail to lay their knowledge and verbal acumen at the Master's feet, only to be used upon His leading.
“Don’t Let Persecution Go to Waste”
This episode spells out the dynamic of persecution in the lives of believers. Persecution arises because of the Word sake. (Mark 4:17) Christians have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken. (Heb. 12:28) The sovereign purpose of God in persecution is therefore the removal of things which can be shaken so that the things which cannot be shaken remain. (Heb. 12:27) So typically God allows persecution in the lives of believers to expose residual unbelief and sympathy with the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13). The Christian should then repent and be more committed to Christ. Amidst persecution, believers are called to identify with the sufferings and death of Christ, fully cognizant that this posture glorifies Christ, as it testifies to the veracity of the gospel. The episode finally notes that Paul was motivated to suffer for Christ because he knew Him intimately: he had "the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Cor. 4:6)