451. Life, Love and Liberty

We focus on the love of God this week, and the life that we have in Him. It freely brought mercy and righteousness apart from anything we could do to try to establish ourselves before God. Where the commands of the law ministered guilt and and put our weaknesses on display, grace delivered us from that. We'll look at a couple of instances that contrast Jesus ministering law while at other times reaching out with with mercy and compassion to those in need.


Download

---

YouTube version of this episode.

---

This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program.

---

450. The Contrast of Law and Grace

John's gospel states that the law came through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The law did not bring the Jewish people grace and truth. It could not impart life. Whether Jew or Gentile, understanding the purpose of the law will help free us into experiencing the life of Christ from within. Jesus didn't come to empower us to live the law. Rather, He fulfilled it for us. We now have a wedded relationship with Him, not based on a marriage license, but rooted in unconditional love.

In this podcast, Joel mentioned the following:

The ministry and fruit of the of the law included:

It made people guilty (Rom 3:19)
It condemned (2 Cor 3:9)
It imputed sin to man (Rom 5:13)
Through it, sin abounded (Rom 5:20)
It brought death (Rom 7:9-11)
It was against us and contrary to us (Col 2:14)
It was enmity with us (Eph 2:15)

All of the following is true of the Law AFTER the cross:

It was wiped out, taken out of the way and nailed to the cross (Col 2:14)
It was abolished (Eph 2:15)
It was put to death (Eph 2:16)
It was annulled (Heb 7:18)
It was made obsolete (Heb 8:13)

The law's job had been completed. The law "was added because of transgressions, *till* the Seed should come to whom the promise was made…" (Gal 3:19).


Download

---

YouTube version of this episode.

---

This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program.

---

449. Gospel: Right-Standing With God Apart from Works

The word "gospel" is something we hear frequently, but just exactly what is it? While it may mean different things to different people, there is a foundational cornerstone that was revealed in the good news. It was the righteousness of God, something the Jewish people were not familiar with. This righteousness was made known apart from the works of the law as a gift. We attain the gift by faith in what Jesus Christ did on our behalf.


Download

---

YouTube version of this episode.

---

This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program.

---

448. The Gate of Righteousness

As we wrap up our series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had just revealed something new to the Jewish audience to whom He was speaking. It was the righteousness of God - something they were not familiar with under the law of Moses. The way of works is broad and many will choose to go that way. But there is a narrow gate that was foretold the righteous would enter through. Christ Himself became that door through which we would enter. That day where our right-standing with God was purchased for us with blood is the day the Lord had made. Now we rejoice in that day.


Download

---

YouTube version of this episode.

---

This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program.

---

447. Dear Israel: Seek and You Will Find

Seeking and finding. Finding what? Continuing with the message Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount, He told the Jewish people under the law to seek and they would find. Knock and it would be opened to them. Seek what? Prior to this He said to seek first the kingdom (Jesus Himself) and His righteousness. This was new to them. This would take away their right to judge others as they did under the law. They will find the right-standing with God they seek and the narrow gate of His righteousness would be opened to them when they knocked.


Download

---

YouTube version of this episode.

---

This week's GIG Bite - A bite-sized chunk of this week's program.

---