This episode builds on the last two, in which a misplaced focus on sin distorts the central purpose of salvation, which is to serve the living God. In addition to rehashing the consequences of this misplaced focus, whether one apparently gets the victory over sin or not, this episode addresses how this approach undermines love of neighbor. Being sin-focused and not God-focused gets projected on one's neighbor, potentially leading to a judgmental attitude towards neighbor because the primary lens for the self-absorbed Christian has become victory over sin. A service orientation towards God is much more conducive to love of neighbor.
Focus on Ministry not on Sin
This episode elaborates on the two possible fruitless results of a sin-obsessed life in sanctification, as opposed to a God-obsessed life. The ultimate purpose of the redemption of Christ should be to serve the living God, according to Hebrews 9:14. But if the Christian life becomes mostly about getting the victory over sin, potential ministry becomes the casualty. If one is outwardly successful in self-denial and controlling manifestations of sin, then smug self-righteousness can set in. If, on the hand, the Christian struggles to gain traction over his issues with sin, self-condemnation and even further self-medication can result. In both cases, the misplaced focus on the ultimate ministry objective of the Christian life is obscured. The answer is of course to place sin issues in their proper perspective, and this provides the most enduring motive to holistically serve God.
Cleansed to Serve
This episode challenges believers to become God-obsessed and not sin-obsessed. Since the ultimate objective of the forgiveness of sin is heartfelt, unimpeded service to God, believers err when they make salvation mostly about getting the victory over sin. While this is a noble objective, it should not be the ultimate objective. According to Heb 9:13, the blood of Christ has cleansed our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Forgiveness is the foundation of peace that allows us to serve God more fully. The author of Hebrews even notes that no worshiper in the Old Testament had a totally clean conscience (Heb 9:9), and subsequent service to God was always tinged with sin. But New Testament believers now have a cleansed conscience, and this allows them to serve God more completely. When the ultimate objective of the Christian life becomes service to God, repentance is more readily embraced as the ongoing practice of the believer.
Forgiven to Serve
This episode marks a major transition in the series as we focus on the primary objective of repentance from dead works, which according to Hebrews 9:14, is "to serve the living God." The purpose of salvation is not simply the forgiveness of sins. Initial repentance and faith in Christ results in the forgiveness of sins, but this is really the necessary precondition to effectively serving God. Once forgiven, "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1) Now we can run the Christian race, which is not about forgiveness, but finds service to the living God as the ultimate objective.
Called to Repent and Obey
The beginning of this episode presents a positive description of repentance from God's perspective: God is not a cosmic killjoy imposing commandments on us to keep us from enjoying ourselves. His commandments are the guardrails that ensure an ultimately fulfilling life. Repentance and subsequent obedience are therefore part of the purpose of the Christian life, according to 1 Peter 1:2, where the Spirit separates us for obedience and the forgiveness of sins. Holistic salvation incorporates repentance as an ongoing practice with the aim of obeying Christ more. And all the mistakes along the way are covered by the blood of Christ.
The Word reveals, we choose LIfe or Death
The Word of God reveals carnality and exposes the believer to sinfulness in both intention and action (Heb 4:12). This episode presents the either/or option that all of have when the Word of God exposes carnality in our lives. We can either receive the Lord's correction, repent, and grow closer in our relationship with the Lord, or we ignore his voice and harden our hearts. If we choose the latter, we should read the Scripture anyway, knowing that a revelation of God's gracious character can lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4)
The Role of the Word in Repentance
This episode rehashes all the influences of the Holy Spirit indicative of the circumcision of Christ. Unregenerate man is dominated by the flesh and incapable of distinguishing flesh from spirit. This state changes when he is born again and circumcised by Christ, making the believer better at distinguishing flesh from spirit. But this ability is compounded exponentially when the Word of God is consumed by the Christian. With respect to repentance from dead works, the Word of God exposes us to ourselves so that we can discern what is fleshly and respond in repentance.
God’s gifts in Conversion that Lead to Repentance
The circumcision of Christ initiated at conversion makes possible repentance from dead works and the repentance from the old self. This episode highlights the various Scriptural signs that indicate the circumcision of Christ, and these henceforth enable the believer to repent in the ongoing process of sanctification. The believer is first born again by the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23), made a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4), and given a new principle from which he "rejoices with the law of God in the inner man" (Rom 7:22). I provide my testimony as a convert coming out of Catholicism where the above 3 signs were evident, even though I hadn't little exposure to Scripture. My conversion led to a hyper-sensitive conscience, which was the Spirit's foundation in me that assisted in repentance.
A Roadmap of Repentance from the Old Self
This episode begins the unpacking of the full implications of repentance from the old self, which is the ultimate objective of repentance from dead works. Repentance from the carnality of the old sinful self requires discernment of what is fleshly and what is spiritual. This discernment is made possible by the circumcision of Christ. The "cutting away of the body of sin" makes carnality evident and the believer is able to discern flesh from spirit. The discernment made available by the circumcision of Christ is amplified by the Scripture which cuts between soul and spirit, exposing believers to their own carnality. The believer in sanctification is called to continually repent of carnality made evident by the circumcision of Christ and the Word of God.
Repentance from the Old Self
This episode contains my personal testimony of the futility of merely repenting from transgressions without repenting, turning away from the old sinful self. Many Christians see their salvation experience primarily in terms of resolution of sin-debt, without dealing with the primary culprit: the old self, the flesh. Sanctification is so designed to bring every believer to abandon hope of living the Christian life in their own flesh. This repentance from the old self (the full expression of repentance from dead works) lays the foundation for life in the spirit.