This episode provides practical application on how to navigate obligations made to the invisible church upon conversion and those derived from participation in the visible assembly. The believer's ultimate identity is Christ Himself, He Himself declaring that He is the Rock upon which the church is built. (Matthew 16:18) He is the foundation upon which we build, incurring the responsibilities and obligations binding on all believers present throughout Scripture, and one of them is participation in the local assembly (Hebrews 10:25). The episode warns against 2 extremes. Some Christians subsume their individual calling by Christ (His Invisible church) into the visible church, so conflating the two that a falling out with an assembly results in refusal to participate in other churches. Visible churches and saints undergoing sanctification inevitably disappoint, and disagreement often highlights our predominant identity, either Christ or the visible church. Those with a healthy identity in Christ may part ways with a local assembly, but their devotion to Christ results in them serving Him in another location, for their responsibilities and obligations to Christ remain, irrespective of disagreement with a visible church. The episode also addresses the other extreme, where participation in a visible church is largely subject to our individual calling by Christ, colored by the lens of OUR gifts and preferences. Those subject to this extreme tend to participate in the visible church based on their myopic agenda without respecting leadership oversight in promoting that church's vision, where "every joint supplies." (Eph. 4:16) All saints should ideally live out of their fundamental identity in Christ, but be willing to submit their giftings and natural abilities to Christ's overseers.
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.
God’s Kindnesses: Motivation to Repent
This episode unpacks Romans 2:4, where the kindnesses of God lead us to repentance. Reflection on the Lord's many kindnesses helps resolve the dilemma of many who're stuck in confession without repentance. Constant repentance, or turning to the Lord, is absolutely essential if anyone of us would make progress towards the beatific vision. Without it, veils and blockages obstruct our vision of the glory of God and transformation stalls. Part of the solution to unwillingness to repent is reflection on God's many kindnesses. We are called to reflect on God's bountiful gifts in Christ, how God canceled our ridiculous debt to Him. We reflect on the Holy Spirit's persistent shaping us into the image of Christ, even when we stubbornly resist Him. And how many times, has God intervened and delivered us out of dire circumstances that we ourselves created? God's many kindnesses, when deeply pondered, often lead to reconsideration of our stubborn rebellion, leading to repentance.