1076. Identifying Those People With "Itching Ears"

In his letters to Timothy, Paul talked about people with itching ears who would pursue myths and fables as they strayed from sound teaching. Have you ever had someone from the legalistic side of the fence make the accusation it is a reference to those 'hyper-grace radicals?'

So ... who are these people Paul mentions with mosquito bites on their ears? 🙂 Suffice it to say that it wasn't people who embraced unlimited and overflowing grace—but some might be surprised to discover it was quite the opposite.




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1020. Written and Engraved on Stones: The Strength of Sin

Imagine seeking guidance from a trusted clergy or spiritual counselor who taught and instructed you to work hard at keeping a code of stone-tablet commandments in order to succeed at securing favor and blessings from God. Chances are good you won't have to imagine because you've experienced it firsthand. You were exposed to the two-headed monster known as law and grace.

What they didn't understand was that they were pouring gasoline on the fire. The law written and engraved on stones is a ministry that no longer has glory. It was a source of death and condemnation. It was the strength of sin and it resulted in sin increasing ... not being reduced. The very thing Jesus came to redeem Jewish people from (the law) is the same thing that religion often burdens people with today ... albeit their own condensed version of it. It leads to bearing fruit for death, not life.

The better way: Knowing your identity as one who has had their heart purified by faith, is declared righteous, holy, and perfected ... and is already like Jesus through an inheritance. Understanding that you are not identified any longer as a sinner will allow the Spirit of God to guide you into bearing His fruit for life.



   
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911. Does Grace Empower People to Keep the Mosaic Law?

A common teaching in the land of the legal is that the grace which brings salvation also enables believers to keep the commandments contained in the law. They will be careful to polish this so it sounds shiny and will make sense to the religious, works-based mindset. For example, they may say we're saved by grace and not by works ... but will then imply we're expected to embrace the Old Covenant law in our behavior.

So is this true? Are we meant to live by a ministry of condemnation which is contrary to us ... a ministry which strengthens sin and causes it to increase? It doesn't make sense that Jesus came to redeem Jews from the law—who then died to the law—and then have God resurrect the same law which couldn't give life and wasn't based on faith. When it comes to good works in our lives, God empowered us with something better ... not just Scriptures, not law-based commandments, but the power of His Spirit abiding in us.



   
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869. Identifying as Believers in a Risen Savior

As Christians, we believe in a risen Jesus who is alive and lives in us by His Spirit. We are identified as believers in Christ. We should avoid identifying ourselves as “Bible believers” or as “people of the book,” as other lifeless religions may do. Your relationship is not with a written code. And yet, through the writings, we have a reliable source of information for obtaining truth as it relates to the fallen state of the human race and how a plan of redemption had been formulated by the Creator before time began.

This revelation of truth about Jesus as Lord doesn’t come by flesh and blood (human sources) nor does it come solely through words spoken or in letters on paper. If this were the case, every single Christian would believe the same things since we all have access to the same Scriptures (writings). Wrapping up our discussion over the past few weeks, we encourage people to pause and consider the significance of the role of God’s Spirit in their lives. He is in the business of renewing hearts and minds, and cultivating personal relationships with the living God.



   
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868. God’s Living Spirit - The Constant Throughout the Centuries

It’s easy to take for granted the availability of the Bible in much of our world today, but it wasn’t always this way. For the majority of centuries since Jesus rose from the dead, most people had very little exposure to the writings. The majority couldn’t read, and there weren’t the mass production capabilities we have today. Also, it wasn’t available in most languages until recent centuries (including English). And yet people still came to faith in Jesus, just as in the days after His resurrection when His Spirit was sent.

Certainly there is so much to learn and gain from the Scripture and writings of those who were witnesses of the risen Christ. And although the Bible has gone through many transitions throughout the last 1,500 plus years, God doesn’t change. His Spirit continues with the same ministry of conviction to unbelievers and the reassurance of righteousness to believers. He shows people in their hearts the need for salvation through Jesus … and it’s often by word-of-mouth messengers that this occurs. The Spirit needs nothing to reveal truth—but can use anything and anybody.



   
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862. The Law Abolished - Final Thoughts (Really)

Okay, okay, we admit it. Last week was going to be our final program in “The Law Abolished” series. But in case you didn’t read the fine print in our podcast contract, we reserve the right to change our minds. We felt another round would be beneficial to finish this series or topic to further address questions that may still be lingering … and there is a handful of potential “light bulb” moments here as we attempt to help bring further consistency to the message of the gospel of pure grace … fully apart from a law of commandments.

Today, God has a very different ministry than before Jesus died and rose. It’s the ministry of the Spirit, which completely surpassed the previous ministry of works from a former covenant which has absolutely no place since Jesus Christ fulfilled it.



   
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861. The Law Abolished - Wrapping up Final Thoughts (Or Not)

At the time we recorded this episode, we were thinking it would be our final program in the series, so you will hear us talk about that. However, the next time we sat down to record, our brain cells started firing and we ended up having a few more thoughts to share, so there will be one more after this one!

This particular episode provides us an opportunity to tie a number of thoughts together regarding the Mosaic law, its purpose and why it is no longer needed today in a covenant of grace. What once had glory has come to have no glory at all … because of the greater and more superior ministry of the Spirit of God.



   
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811. The 800 Club: Looking Back - Double Talk - "The Spirit of the Law"

The spirit of the law. The letter of the law. These are phrases often used by religious theologians who erroneously teach a mixed covenant message of law and grace. The way they try to explain it, one might be led to believe that “the spirit of the law” is a phrase actually found within the written pages of the Bible (it’s not). Generally, this talk about the spirit vs. the letter of the law is rooted in the assumption that believers in Christ have been mandated by God to follow certain portions of the old covenant ministry which was arranged with Israel through Moses. Good luck with that.

We look at one of the passages today which is sometimes used by legalists regarding this topic. The next time someone tries to drag you into the theological weeds while trying to convince you about the spirit of the law, realize the Greek word for it is mumbo jumbo.

   
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808. The 800 Club: Looking Back - The Book of Hebrews - New Covenant Explained

One of the books in the New Testament that is often misunderstood is the letter to the Hebrews. A while back, we spent many weeks doing an entire series sifting through the chapters and addressing some misinterpreted “verses” that are sometimes used to scare people, leaving them in a place of fear which God never intends for His children. The letter to the Hebrews was written to address the Jewish community as they were trying to sort out the massive change of going from a covenant of stone tablets and animal sacrifices to something completely different regarding the ministry of the Spirit and the one sacrifice of Christ that brought that old way to an end. It is easy for us to underestimate the change of mind that they were transitioning into.

Some will say the book of Hebrews was meant only for Israel, but the revelation brought forth will be profitable for Gentiles of today because it shows the bigger picture of the Bible itself, and how we got to where we are in the New Covenant today and the perfect forgiveness brought by the blood of Jesus. After reaching over 800 programs, we’re looking back at past conversations and this week, it’s the book of Hebrews. 

On the podcast we mention a previous series we did on the entire book of Hebrews. You will find the first episode of that 21-part series here, and then click on Newer Post at the end of each post to listen to the entire series.

   
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761. The Ten Commandments No Longer Have Glory

Although empty religion has made it sound as though the Ten Commandments and some other selections from the expired law are meant to be applied to the Christian life, we find quite the opposite in New Covenant writings. The Apostle Paul reveals this was a ministry that came to an end and no longer has any glory at all. Why? Because of the ministry of the Spirit, which has a glory that surpassed it.

His fruit now abides in us because He abides in us … and we bear what He produces. This is a more powerful and liberating way to live than to pursue the flesh by trying to keep stone-tablet commandments that leave people in lifeless condemnation. For those who think the top 10 were somehow separate from the rest of the law and are meant to still apply, we address the hypocrisy of this.



   
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