315. A Discussion of Hell

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Recently the subject of hell has caused quite a bit of discussion and even controversy amongst believers because of new books on the market. Of course this subject is nothing new and it has provided many different points of view for as long as man can remember.

So this week we try to provide some perspective. It is not our intention on this podcast to declare our opinions about hell but rather to address how we as believers should approach topics that may be controversial or may have a wide variety of opinions.

Well meaning believers sometimes can't find common ground even on subjects as substantial as hell. The truth is there are quite a few things in scripture that we just don't fully understand and may not be able to come to a definitive conclusion. We just aren't going to know for sure what all the answers are regarding certain things. That doesn't mean we can't formulate opinions or beliefs based on what we see in scripture, but how should we react to one another when we have a different point of view or belief?

Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.

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314. Paul Addressing Sin in the Church

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We're shifting gears just a bit this week, taking just a few minutes to discuss something that our Growing in Grace podcast doesn't normally focus on. As we all know, Paul talked in depth about how our sin has been completely forgiven and taken away through Christ and how we've become the righteousness of God in Christ through nothing less than a free gift from God. That's normally our focus here, as well as our new identity that we have in Christ.

But Paul also addressed other things as well, and one of the issues that he addressed from time to time was the issue of sinful behavior in the church. As people who love and stand deeply rooted in God's love and grace, we need not shy away from looking into the question of how to deal with things when the way we live doesn't line up with our new identity in Christ. In particular this week, we look into an extreme example that Paul dealt with in the Corinthian church - a matter of sexual immorality.

There is no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus, so listen in as we look at the good news in regards to this issue that much of the church tends to deal with in a legalistic sense and doesn't normally seem to connect with good news!

Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.

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313. The Problems of a Performance-Based View of God

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The Bible is meant to be a source of "good news" for people, telling of the unconditional love of God and His acceptance of us in Christ. But to many people, the Bible has become a book that only tells them how far short they fall of living up to certain "expectations" that they feel they must live up to. Their view of God is based upon how they think He expects them to perform, and so they never really get to know the good news that He really does want them to know!

The church has come up with words such as "challenge" (as in, "this passage of scripture is 'challenging' me to perform a certain way') and "conviction (as in, "God is convicting me to live a certain way'), and because of this, the all too common view of God that the church presents is a performance-based view that puts people in fear and condemnation, rather than walking in the truth and knowing the grace and love of God, and an intimate relationship with Him that is not based on our performance.

Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.

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312. Subtle Legalism and the Danger of Mixing Covenants

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Outright legalism - the straightforward teaching of "pure" law or the "pure" Old Covenant - is usually pretty easy to spot and to understand. In a similar way, it's also easy to recognize the pure, straightforward teaching of grace. But what happens when law and grace mix? What happens when the New Covenant is taught with various aspects of the Old Covenant mixed into it?

This is unfortunately all too common in the church today, and it can be difficult to sort through it all. But not only can it be difficult, it can also be dangerous, harmful, frustrating and confusing for people who simply want to know Christ alone! The work of Christ is a final work and a sufficient work. There is nothing to mix in with it, and in fact when anything is mixed in with it, it nullifies it. And yet this "hybrid covenant" (mixing the Old Covenant with the finished work of Christ) happens all the time in the church!

It's hard to stand on solid ground when two opposing foundations are being mixed together. This week we talk about the dangers of doing this and the importance of teaching and standing on the foundation of pure grace.

Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.

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311. Is Our Testimony Based on Changed Behavior?

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It's a common practice in the church for people to give their "testimony." That is, they share what happened to them when they became a Christian. Almost always, a person's testimony revolves around how their behavior changed when Christ came into their life. They talk about how they used to be involved in certain "bad" behaviors, but then they changed. They stopped doing those bad things and their actions became "good."

While we don't want to invalidate the wonderful changes that happen in people's lives, and while there can be value in these types of testimonies, is this really what life in Christ is about? Is our true testimony in Christ based upon changed actions, or did God do something far greater than simply cause a behavior change?

The awesome truth of the gospel is that we are "born again" and that in Christ we are "new creations." Does this simply mean that we've changed from "bad to good," or does our true testimony go so much farther and deeper than a change in our outward behavior?

Here's this week's GIG-Bite, a quick sample of this week's program.

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