Application of the resurrection of Christ to everyday life is largely contingent on acknowledging the depth of spiritual death that dominates the flesh. New Christians typically see sin mostly as outward manifestations, without appreciating the depth of spiritual depravity that warps the soul. The work of sanctification is designed to expose the futility of the flesh in accomplishing any genuinely "good" thing. Ideally the recognition that "the flesh profits nothing" leads the believer to completely rest on Christ till His power is manifested. So while we all naturally want to identify with the resurrection of Christ, the presumptive precondition of spiritual life is in fact acknowledgment of spiritual death. Intimate acquaintance with our own spiritual poverty opens us up to resurrection power that strengthens us to walk in the newness of life.
Saved to Think like Christ
This episode challenges Christians to have a holistic Biblical understanding of salvation. The superficial perspective of many believers sees Christianity primarily as a means of deliverance from the penalty of sin. While many genuinely battle against the flesh, they fail to see the effort as part of a greater objective of salvation, thinking like Christ. Paul exhorts the Philippians to put on the mind of Christ. (Phil 2:5) When thinking like Christ becomes the goal of believers, and not merely the forgiveness of sins, appreciation and love of the Law are natural bi-products. Doing God's will is largely informed by God's Law, and the one who delights in God's Law seeks to do the will of the Father, perceiving it as "food." Christ said his food was to do the will of Him who sent Him. The goal of Christianity is therefore doing the will of God, informed by the Law, the food we crave, and this is tantamount to having the mind of Christ.
Are You a True Believer or a Mercenary?
This episode addresses the purely "transactional" understanding of salvation by mercenary Christians. "Transactional" Christians are professing Christians who have made a calculated decision to "follow" Christ, not because His way is better, but because He's the only One who can satisfy their sin-debt. While elements of this perspective are also embraced by genuine believers, true Christians follow Christ because they actually see Christ's way as so much better. They reflect on their false ways by contrast, and repent. Like the Psalmist, they have two encounters with the Law of God: one challenging and convicting, the second delightful and instructive. Mercenary "believers" are likened to the wicked, lazy "servant" in the parable of the talents. That servant also had a transactional understanding of "accepting" Christ. He took care of his sin-debt problem by ostensibly trusting Christ and then went off and buried his talent in the ground. He never fell in love with Christ and never delighted with the Law of God in the inner man. The other 2 servants delighted in the gifts of the Master and invested those gifts to honor Him. A transactional, mercenary view of Christ and the salvation He offers is consequently not salvation at all, for the wicked lazy servants ends up in hell.