This episode addresses a common misunderstanding of the gospel that is not immediately evident based on the classic diagnostic question often used by evangelists: "if you were to die today and God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?" Many of course reveal a faulty grasp of true righteousness, saying something like "I'm basically a good person." Some actually provide a theologically correct answer, articulating that they are depending solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ. That answer however reveals correct propositional knowledge of the gospel but is not necessarily indicative of COMMITMENT or TRUST in the gospel. When people provide the correct answer to the above diagnostic question, I usually follow up with a question designed to distinguish mere "propositional faith" from true saving faith: "Are you living for Christ?" I've encountered many who concede they're not "living for Christ," after correctly stating the Biblical grounds of righteousness. Sadly confusion over Biblical faith, characterized by repentance and commitment to Christ ("living for Christ") and mere "propositional faith," assent to the truths of the gospel, is widespread among professing Christians. The latter only have the "faith" of demons (James 2:19), and the evangelist should try to correct this common misunderstanding of the gospel by pointing to the Biblical evidence of saving faith where believers "no longer live for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:2)
Make Your Testimony Relatable
This episode builds off the last one, in which sinners identify with one of three kinds of sinners: the religious person who excels in keeping the outward law, the average person whose obedience is not particularly noteworthy, and the open rebel who respects neither God nor man. The prudent evangelist notes which one the potential convert identifies with and conveys his testimony accordingly, highlighting comparable experiences and struggles that might resonate with his audience. Few receive the gospel on the first hearing, but many will remember a testimony that is relatable. The Holy Spirit often uses individual testimonies to draw people to Christ on the day of visitation, for they represent real live examples, not just abstractions. The evangelist consequently needs to listen to both the Holy Spirit and the potential convert, as both often provide a veritable roadmap for evangelistic encounters.
A Helpful Analogy that Shuts up ALL under Sin
This episode reviews the salient points of the previous week, emphasizing that we are co-laborers with the Holy Spirit. He is responsible for "saving" sinners, not the evangelist. Most of the episode applies a common helpful analogy to explain the desperate plight of ALL people apart from Christ. A ship 1,000 miles from land sinks with 3 people aboard, an Olympian, an average guy, and a quadriplegic. The three represent the range from professional religious persons to Hitler. All miss the righteousness of God completely and desperately need a Savior. Ironically known sinners are often first to receive Christ before religious people. The evangelist should note which of the three the potential convert identifies with, incorporating his own testimony as the Holy Spirit leads.
Good Works and a Clean Conscience
Unbelievers are unable to do good works because all their works are described as "dead." This fact alone severely corrupts true worship. The author of Hebrews made this connection in Heb. 9:14: "how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Since good works are essentially the outflow of sincere worship of God, and pure worship cannot flow from a defiled conscience, it naturally follows that unbelievers with defiled consciences cannot truly worship/serve God and produce good works as a result. This episode stresses that salvation cleanses the conscience of all DEAD and so--called "good" works" based mostly on self-idolatry, for the purpose of undefiled, exclusive worship of the LIVING God.
Sanctifying Grace: Faith Working through Love
This episode contrasts the inadequacy of the law to perfect the believer with "faith working through love." Paul effectively says that emphasis on circumcision is a moot point: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love." (Gal. 5:6) Sanctification by appealing to the law is a hopeless endeavor, however sanctification directed by the Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and is aptly described as "faith working through love." This total trust and dependence on God describes walking by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) and this is the stream by which empowering grace floods the soul. So what would occur if a believer reverts to the law as the means of sanctification? The tributaries of God's grace are damned up by appeal to the works of the law. Faith in God is replaced with fleshly works, which naturally appeal to the works of the law as the ground of justification. God's unmerited favor is set aside, rendered ineffective because it's not invited. "Fallen from grace" and "severed from Christ" both describe believers who presumptuously think they can live the Christian life without empowering grace, that their own power is sufficient. Interestingly, Paul's inclusion of sins of the flesh in Gal. 5:19-21 comes after Paul's indictment of Galatian legalism, almost suggesting that appeal to the law as the means of sanctification actually makes one's condition worse. Paul's focus on sanctification in chapter 5 underscores the conclusion that Paul is principally concerned with Galatian rejection of sanctifying grace, not the justifying grace of salvation.
Justified but Barely Sanctified: the Plight of the Bewitched Galatians
Would Paul disqualify the "sainthood" of a believer who reverts to adherence to the law as the source of justification? This episode addresses that question, tying together the principal theme of Galatians with Galatians 5:4. While Paul would not disqualify a believer for reverting to the law to justify or sanctify him, he clearly states that spiritual loss abounds for any Christian who seeks "to be perfected by the flesh." (Gal. 3:3) The work of sanctification stalls when believers rely on their works instead of Christ. Paul contends that Christ would be of no benefit to the Galatians if they received circumcision. (Gal. 5:2) Reliance on works of the law are tantamount to "dead works," and the author of Hebrews maintained that "repentance from dead works" was foundational to the Christian faith. (Hebrews 6:1) The ongoing repudiation of the works of the flesh (works of the law) makes room for the Spirit of grace to cultivate truly good works that naturally flow from abiding in Christ. If a believer loses his grasp on grace (the literal meaning of "fallen from grace") because he chooses to revert to works of the law as the means of sanctification, then he inevitably cuts himself off of the perfecting grace available to him. Peter sums up the potential transforming effect of grace, "God's divine power has given to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." (2 Pet. 1:3) So while the legalistic believer hasn't lost his salvation, his stubborn refusal to access the divine power (grace), preferring his own work, seriously limits his growth in sanctification.
See His Glory and Repent
This episode highlights the dynamics involved in the reversal of the Great Exchange. When we were not in Christ, we had exchanged the glory of God for images and produced a litany of sins based on this fundamental idolatry. In sanctification the Holy Spirit progressively reverses the Great Exchange, moving us to repent from dead works and live for the glory of God. Very interesting is one of the means that the Holy Spirit uses to inspire us to repent. The Holy Spirit uncovers some of the glory of Christ, and we perceive the vileness of our idolatry contrasted with the glory of Christ. The more we see the glory of God in the person of Christ, the more we sin our sinfulness, losing all hope apart from the mercy and grace in Christ. So when we have degrees of the beatific vision in this life, when we progressively behold God's glory, we repent and change our mind about our particular sins based on self-idolatry. The result is we become more and more like Christ. Struggling to repent of particular sins? Ask God to uncover His glory, and that experience will devastate and transform you.
When morality is man-centered and not God-centered
This episode explodes anthropocentric morality as the standard for good works. Deism is cited as a prime example of a philosophical or religious system that defines good and bad based on outward morality. Love of God in the great commandment is not the primary objective, virtue itself is the goal. This redefining of good and evil in terms of outward morality apart from love of God is typical of modernity's penchant for commending itself outside of the standard of God. Repentance from dead works is the repudiation of any man-made system of morality that doesn't have love of God as the prime directive.