Informed by Nehemiah 4:1-5, where unbelievers mocked the progress of Nehemiah's men, this episode exhorts believers struggling with sin to surround themselves with spiritual saints who edify, even in their rebuke. Too often, believers, particularly those young in the faith, take the judgmental narrative of unbelieving critics to heart and become discouraged and despondent over their apparent lack of spiritual progress. "If a fox walked on top of their Christian wall, it would immediately crumble." But this assessment contrasts sharply with that of spiritual believers, who come along to gently restore and would never condemn the halting progress of a struggling believer. The episode calls struggling believers (all of us!) to surround themselves with godly saints who embrace God's narrative and speak it back to us as we all run the Christian race.
Your Calling and the Local Church
This episode is a realistic primer on encountering opposition when doing ministry. The presumption so far has been that most opposition comes from unbelievers outside of the church. But Christ's own description of the visible church indicates that both wheat and tare would congregate together. Together with carnal believers, ministers of the gospel should expect opposition and resistance from both groups, who naturally voice their opinions based on the degree of carnality in which they operate. All the lessons of Nehemiah still apply: whether doing ministry in the church or outside, Christians are called to remain focused on executing their tasks based on God's vision for their lives, not dwelling on the discouraging comments of the unspiritual.
You wouldn’t Understand..it’s a God Thing
This episode further develops the theme emphasized in the previous program, that addressing the negative narrative of unbelievers is often a fool's errand, particularly when that commentary claims to know the motives behind Christian service. Nehemiah didn't attempt to justify himself when faced with Sanballat's accusation that his rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was really about Nehemiah's personal ambition to lead a rebellion. Instead, Nehemiah simply asserted that God would give him success. Nehemiah models how Christians should respond to naysayers who project evil motives based on their idolatry. He also models reliance on God's power which is the source of all godly success.
Have you Really Changed Your Mind?
This episode states that the purpose of putting on the helmet of salvation is thinking and acting like Christ. This holistic description of salvation helps distinguish its purpose from that of the breastplate of righteousness, which primarily deals with positional righteousness, the gift of imputed righteousness to every believer. The helmet of salvation builds on the double transfer of 2 Cor. 5:21 (Christ took on our sin while we take on His righteousness), with a view to addressing the believer's actual condition, one in which believers still struggle with sin. This struggle is the theme of Romans 7:21-25, which presents the challenge of thinking and acting like Christ in light of residual evil. The solution, which amounts to taking up the helmet of salvation (thinking and acting like Christ), is Romans 8:2: "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." Coupled with the subsequent passage, "the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace", both supply the means by which all believers can substantially have the mind of Christ. Donning the helmet of salvation is radically life-changing.
“Don’t Engage Nonsense”
This episode reiterates and details the principal point of the last episode: don't try to justify yourself and respond to the indictments of unbelievers. Nehemiah provides the model. He refuses to chase the false narrative of Sanballat, that he is a rebel, and instead affirms that "the God of heaven will give us success." When God gives us a vision what He wants to do through us, we shouldn't waste our time justifying why God is using us. "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but even their minds and consciences are defiled." (Titus 1:15) In application, Christians shouldn't expect unbelievers, and even nominal/carnal Christians, to accurately see God's hand working through us. A defiled conscience and mind naturally projects its own condition, and consequently calls good evil. (Isaiah 5:20) So why waste your time explaining yourself?
If God is for You, Who can be Against?
This episode focuses on Nehemiah's efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and how he successfully dealt with opposition. Building on the last episode, Nehemiah repented for the sins of his people, sought the Lord in prayer, and responded obediently to God's favor. All three laid the foundation of Nehemiah's success and enabled him to remain focused when he encountered opposition, which predictably made personal attacks against Nehemiah, recasting his efforts as rebellion. Nehemiah's response models how believers should respond to opposition, refusing to justify ourselves to naysayers and those who malign us.
God’s not through with You
This episode largely addresses the simple response to overcoming past failures in order to be used by God. Nehemiah confessed his sin and that of his people and implored God to use him to rebuild Jerusalem. God gave him favor, even gaining the blessing and resources of king Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem. He and countless others in Scripture were used mightily by God after dire failures. The Biblical response to failure, the silver lining from Genesis to Revelation is the same: repentance and renewed commitment to the will of God
“Work Smart, Get a Vision”
This episode reemphasizes the absolute necessity of spending time with God in prayer and gaining His perspective on how we should invest our lives this year. Col. 3:1-2 tells us to "set our minds on things that are above where Christ is seated, NOT on things below.." Many Christians live reactive and aimless lives because they lack the tailor-made vision for their lives. Prioritizing the divine perspective over the lusts of men, ours and others', is the only way to lead an intentional life that pleases God. The episode closes with Nehemiah as an example of seeking God's will despite having sin issues. So no Christian can legitimately claim that God can't use them.
Take Hold of the Narrative of your Life
This episode, based on last weeks' lessons, sets the stage for living the will of God this year. 1 Pet. 4:1-2 tells us that believers should no live for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. Yet the narrative of reacting to life too often describes our time year after year because we don't gain the clear divine perspective for our lives. When we "seek those things above where Christ is seated" (Col. 3:1), we stop reacting to life's circumstances based on a divine vision. This episode consequently emphasizes the prayerful pursuit of the will of God, with the end of establishing the narrative for our lives.
Just Make it Simple
This episode focuses on the singular objective that should consume every believer: doing the will of God. This is what should occur in salvation according to 1 Peter 4:1-2, in which Christians identify with what Christ has done for them at Calvary, and then proceed to "arm" themselves with the same purpose, which is "to live for the will of God." Application of this simple but profound description of the Christian life would inoculate believers from unnecessary heartaches and wasted time, as we constantly look to Christ as the model. We arm ourselves with the purpose of Christ when we align our will with the Father's, echoing "I have come to do Your will" (Christ's words in Heb. 10:9) Very critically, believers are called not to live for the lusts of MEN, suggesting that believers don't just practice self-denial with respect to their own lusts, but they also refuse to cooperate with other people's self-centered desires.