Download/Play MP3 (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
In Christ, are we merely positionally righteous? Does God need to use a special "lens" in order to see us as righteous, because we're not actually righteous, but are waiting till we get to heaven to be made literally righteous? Or are we literally righteous right now, because God Himself has made us that way? That's what we're discussing this week on Growing in Grace.
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
275. To Be Right With God We Did Nothing But Believe!
Download/Play MP3 (14 Min, 6.4MB)
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Question: What can a person DO to become righteous in God's eyes? And what does it mean to be righteous, anyway?
The word "righteous" simply means to be right with God. It means that a person has been made acceptable to God. So how does this happen? Is it through baptism? Is it through communion? Is it through good behavior and/or law-keeping? What can a person DO to gain right standing with God?
The truth is, a person can DO NOTHING to attain right standing with God! The gospel (good news) reveals that righteousness has come as a gift, simply through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. HE has done all the work. We simply believe.
It's very important for people to be established in this! If a person starts off with the wrong foundation - that somehow there's something that they must do to become righteous or to maintain right standing with God - then the rest of the Christian life will be built upon a faulty and crumbly foundation. There's a good chance that there will be unnecessary guilt and condemnation, or a feeling of distance from God, when in fact He has freely provided the way for a person to be completely acceptable to Him. Simply trust in what God has already done for you, and allow yourself to experience the joy and freedom that He has lavishly provided for you!
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Question: What can a person DO to become righteous in God's eyes? And what does it mean to be righteous, anyway?
The word "righteous" simply means to be right with God. It means that a person has been made acceptable to God. So how does this happen? Is it through baptism? Is it through communion? Is it through good behavior and/or law-keeping? What can a person DO to gain right standing with God?
The truth is, a person can DO NOTHING to attain right standing with God! The gospel (good news) reveals that righteousness has come as a gift, simply through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. HE has done all the work. We simply believe.
It's very important for people to be established in this! If a person starts off with the wrong foundation - that somehow there's something that they must do to become righteous or to maintain right standing with God - then the rest of the Christian life will be built upon a faulty and crumbly foundation. There's a good chance that there will be unnecessary guilt and condemnation, or a feeling of distance from God, when in fact He has freely provided the way for a person to be completely acceptable to Him. Simply trust in what God has already done for you, and allow yourself to experience the joy and freedom that He has lavishly provided for you!
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
274. Righteousness Is a Gift, Not Something You Earn
Download/Play MP3 (14 Min, 6.4MB)
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Prior to the New Covenant, there had been years and years of people trying to establish their own righteousness in front of God through their own works and by trying to keep the Law. But in the gospel, a righteousness is revealed that no one can earn or maintain through their own efforts. God's very own righteousness is revealed, and it's revealed as something that can only be attained as a gift. To try to establish your own righteousness by what you do (by your "good works" or law keeping) is to be "ignorant of God's righteousness" (Romans 10:3). Righteousness is a gift, not something you earn!
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Prior to the New Covenant, there had been years and years of people trying to establish their own righteousness in front of God through their own works and by trying to keep the Law. But in the gospel, a righteousness is revealed that no one can earn or maintain through their own efforts. God's very own righteousness is revealed, and it's revealed as something that can only be attained as a gift. To try to establish your own righteousness by what you do (by your "good works" or law keeping) is to be "ignorant of God's righteousness" (Romans 10:3). Righteousness is a gift, not something you earn!
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
273. Rededicate Ourselves to God?
Download/Play MP3 (14 Min, 6.4MB)
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Is it up to us as Christians to "dedicate ourselves to God" and then to "rededicate" ourselves if we find we've not been as dedicated as we think we should've been? This week Kap and Joel talk about how it's great to be dedicated to things - to God, to your spouse, to your job, etc - but when it comes to our right standing with God it's not about how dedicated we are to Him, but about how dedicated He is to us.
If you think about it, after a person "dedicates" himself or "rededicates" himself back to God, isn't it now up to that person to maintain that dedication and to keep himself clean, righteous and holy? Doesn't it all come back to "self" to get it right and keep it right? Doesn't that end up being a constant, repetitive cycle that takes away from, and is even an insult to, the finished work of Christ?
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download, or use Player below)
Is it up to us as Christians to "dedicate ourselves to God" and then to "rededicate" ourselves if we find we've not been as dedicated as we think we should've been? This week Kap and Joel talk about how it's great to be dedicated to things - to God, to your spouse, to your job, etc - but when it comes to our right standing with God it's not about how dedicated we are to Him, but about how dedicated He is to us.
If you think about it, after a person "dedicates" himself or "rededicates" himself back to God, isn't it now up to that person to maintain that dedication and to keep himself clean, righteous and holy? Doesn't it all come back to "self" to get it right and keep it right? Doesn't that end up being a constant, repetitive cycle that takes away from, and is even an insult to, the finished work of Christ?
Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
272. Is God a God of Second Chances?
Download/Play MP3 (14 Min, 6.4MB)
There's a common saying in the church that says "God is a God of second chances." At first glance, that may sound good, bringing a person a kind of "hope" that God will give them another chance to get things right if they've messed up. But is this right? Is it true that God gives people second chances?
Let's press a little further into this and ask perhaps a more important question. Did God even give us a chance to get it right in the first place? Was He expecting us to somehow be able to get it right? And then if we failed He'd come along and give us a second chance? And maybe even a third chance? And then another chance... and another... and another...? If we keep getting chances, how many chances do we get?
We'll talk through these thoughts on this week's edition of Growing in Grace.
Here's this week's short GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
There's a common saying in the church that says "God is a God of second chances." At first glance, that may sound good, bringing a person a kind of "hope" that God will give them another chance to get things right if they've messed up. But is this right? Is it true that God gives people second chances?
Let's press a little further into this and ask perhaps a more important question. Did God even give us a chance to get it right in the first place? Was He expecting us to somehow be able to get it right? And then if we failed He'd come along and give us a second chance? And maybe even a third chance? And then another chance... and another... and another...? If we keep getting chances, how many chances do we get?
We'll talk through these thoughts on this week's edition of Growing in Grace.
Here's this week's short GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.
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