In this episode, I speak about what it means to have freedom in Christ. To be "in Christ" means to have a relationship with Him so that we can do the things He calls us to do and live the life He calls us to live. But how do we know whether we are in Christ and how can we make sure we aren't abusing the freedom He has given us?

Many of the arguments between believers are around what we should or shouldn't do or say if we are a Christian, so understanding the level of freedom Christ came to give us if we abide in Him will help us be more charitable with each other. We look at some of Jesus' interactions with the teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, and also Paul's teaching in Colossians, 1 Corinthians and Romans to illustrate what it means to have freedom in Christ, rather than being bound by the Law or human traditions.

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Bible references:

John 3:3-5, Born Again to Enter Kingdom; Luke 17:20-21, Kingdom of God within you; 2 Corinthians 5:17, In Christ, New Creation; Galatians 2:20, Christ Lives in Me; Ephesians 4:22-24, Put off Old Self; Ephesians 2:1-5, Alive in Christ, Saved by Grace; Colossians 2:9-12 & 3:1-4, Alive in Christ; 1 Peter 2:24, Jesus Bore Our Sins; Galatians 5:1, Christ Set Us Free; John 8:36, Son Sets Us Free; Matthew 11:28-30, Lay Down Your Burdens; Colossians 1:13, I Peter 2:9, Ephesians 5:8, Acts 26:18, Kingdom of Darkness to Kingdom of Light; Hebrews 2:14-15, Freed from death and Satan; Romans 8:2, Freed from sin; Hebrews 10:19-25, New and Living Way; Ephesians 2:8-9, Saved by Grace Through Faith; John 3:16, Whoever Believes Has Eternal Life; Romans 10:9, Confess Jesus is Lord; Romans 12:1, Present Body as Living Sacrifice; John 7:7, Jesus’ Diagnosis of Us; John 18:36, Kingdom not of this World; John 5:39, Pour Over Scriptures for Eternal Life; Matthew 23:13, Shut Kingdom of Heaven; Matthew 23:4, Pharisees Burden People; Romans 2:1-3, Hypocritical Judgement; Matthew 7:3-5, Take the Log Out of Eye; John 7:24, Judge with right judgement; Colossians 3:16, Admonish with wisdom; Galatians 2:11-14, Paul admonishes Peter; Romans 11:11-24, Gentile grafted in; 2 Corinthians 11 and 12, Paul and the “super-apostles”; Colossians 2:16 and Romans 14, Freedom from human rules; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Letter Kills but Spirit Brings Life; Romans 3:24-26 & 5:15, Ephesians 1:6-7, God’s Free Gift of Grace to Us; Mark 9:38-41, Whoever is not against us if for us; John 14:15-24, If You love Me You Will Keep My Commandments; Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 19:17-19, 22:36-40 Commandments; Colossians 3, Put on the New Self; John 15:5, Without Me you can do nothing; Romans 7:14-21, Pauls’ struggles with sin; Ephesians 5:25-26, Washing by the Word; John 8:31-32, Abide in Word the True Disciple; Matthew 6:5-15, When you pray; Matthew 7:7-12, Ask Seek Knock; Matthew 6:16-18, When you fast; Matthew 17:21, Demon release through prayer and fasting; Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23, Renewed Mind; 1 Corinthians 2:16, Mind of Christ; Acts 7:48-49, 17:24-25, God doesn’t live in buildings; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Body of Christ; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:6-8, Spiritual gifts and roles; Matthew 15:1-20, What defiles a person; Hebrews 4:15-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Jesus humans so sympathises with us; Colossians 1 and 2, Jesus’s Divinity; 1 Peter 2:24 and 3:18, Romans 5:10, 1 John 2:2, Jesus Died for our Sins; 1 John 1:9, If we confess sin He will forgive us; Hebrews 10, New and Living Way.

• What are Sin, Iniquity and Transgression? - Bible Project Word Study (5 mins)
• Ten Reasons Jesus Came to Die - Apologetics Roadshow (25 mins)
• The Reality of The Moral Law -

In this episode, I talk about God's eternal call to His people. He says "Hineni", which means "Here I am" in Hebrew. We see this expressed in the Book of Isaiah where God is constantly calling His people back to walk in His ways.

I talk about the ultimate expression of this call in Jesus' self-sacrificial death on the cross. The Word of God came to dwell with us in the flesh, saying "Here I am" to a people who still often choose to ignore Him.

I delve into the real meaning of God's love, how we can learn to wait on the Lord , why we often run from God's call and how we can learn to respond to it.

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Bible references:

Exodus 20:19, People Don’t Want to Hear God; Genesis 22:1, Abraham’s call; Exodus 3:4, Moses’ call; Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah’s call; Isaiah 52:5-6, Here I Am; John 5:39, Pore Over the Scriptures; Matthew 5:43-48, Love Your Enemies; John 3:16, God so loved the world; Ephesians 2:8-9, Salvation a Gift; Romans 6:23, Wages of Sin is Death; John 1:12, Believers are children of God; John 8:31-47, You are of your father the devil; Romans 10:9, Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus; John 15:13, No greater love than this; Leviticus 17:11, The life is in blood; Acts 9:3-8, Paul sees the risen Christ; Acts 17:29-31, Paul teaches about Jesus’ resurrection; Philippians 3:8-11, Our resurrection because of Jesus; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, Christ’s Resurrection; 1 Corinthians 2:2-7, I knew nothing but Christ crucified; Isaiah 53:4-12, Suffering servant; John 10:8, I lay down my life; Isaiah 46:4, I have made, I will save; Matthew 9:13, I came to save sinners; Romans 5:8, Christ died for sinners; Galatians 5:1-5, Freedom from law in Christ; Matthew 23, Hypocrisy of Pharisees; Isaiah 65:1, Here I Am; Isaiah 29:13, Hearts are Far from Him; Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 37:7, Psalm 27:14, Lamentations 3:25, James 5:7-8, Psalm 40:1, Wait on the Lord; Isaiah 55:8-9, God’s ways higher to ours; 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Paul hindered by Satan; Acts 16:6-7, Paul hindered by the Holy Spirit; 2 Corinthians 5:17, We are a new creation; Isaiah 58:1-12, True and False Worship; Psalm 50, What God wants; Isaiah 29:13, Our hearts are far from God; Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus and Sodom and Gomorrah; Isaiah 1:10-20, I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly; 2 Chronicles 7:14, If the spirit of God lives in you; 2 Chronicles 7:14, If you seek my face; Mark 9:23 and Acts 16:31, If you believe; Psalm 51:6, God cares about your intentions; 1 Corinthians 10:24, James 3:16, Philippians 2:3, Romans 2:8, Give up ourselves; Mark 3:1-6, Jesus heals on Sabbath; Mark 7:1-23, Disciples washing rituals; Matthew 22:36-40, Most important commandment; Philippians 2:17, Paul’s sacrificial ministry; Jeremiah 17:5-10, Hearts’ desires make us sick; Psalm 32:8-9, God leads us; Proverbs 3:5-8, Trust in Lord. John 17:3, Jeremiah 9:24, God wants us to...

In this episode, I talk about the marks of a true Christian as outlined by Paul in his letter to believers in Corinth. Many people think that being a Christian means that we are to be nice people. But Jesus didn't die for us so we could be nice people, He died so we could be reconciled to God and become real people; true humans just as God originally intended.

Many Old and New Testament passages show us God's complete character as being kind and severe, which allows us to more fully understand who He expects us to be, as we are made in His image.

If we have a sanitised version of the Lord in our minds, we will often falter in speaking the truth and instead become people-pleasers rather than God-fearers.

"Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off." Romans 11:22

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Abide In Me You Tube Channel

BIBLE VERSES

Luke 14:23 (Highways & Hedges); Matthew 5:3-12 (Meek, Poor, Seekers); Luke 5:32 (Came for Sinners not Righteous); John 18:37 (Come to bear witness to Truth); Isaiah 28:26 (God has taught them); Luke 24:27-32 (Road to Emmaus teaching); John 16:13 (Holy Spirit leads us to Truth); Luke 2:41-52 (Jesus in Temple at Passover); Ephesians 5:25 (God’s word cleansing); John 15:3 & 17:17 (God’s word purifies us); Psalm 119:9 (Pure Life by following God’s word); Psalm 18:30 (God’s way is perfect); Hebrews 5:11-14 (You ought to be teachers); Genesis 3:1-7 (Serpent’s temptation); Romans 12:1-21 (Marks of a True Christian); 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 (Spiritual Gifts); Psalm 15 (A vile person is despised); Psalm 139:19-22 (I hate those who hate you); John 2:13-17 (Jesus whip in Temple); John 1:14 (Jesus/Word Became Flesh); Ephesians 1:15-19 (Jesus Image of God); Hebrews 1:3 (Jesus exact imprint of God’s nature); Jude 1:5 (Jesus saved Israelites out of Egypt); John 10:31 (I and Father are One); John 17:11 (We are one); 2 Corinthians 13:14 (Father, Son, Holy Spirit); Psalm 50 (The Wicked); Psalm 18 (God’s wrath and mercy); Psalm 143 (Despair and Faith); Genesis 16:13-14 (Hagar Seen by God); Matthew 5:27-30 (Tear out your eye); Matthew 11:20-24 (Woe to Unrepentant cities); Matthew 11:25-30 (My yoke is easy); Isaiah 46:4 (I will bear); John 15:20 (They will persecute you); 1 Peter 2:21 (Christ calls you to suffer); Matthew 5:11-12 (Blessed are the reviled); Luke 9:23 (Pick up your cross, day); Exodus 3:12 (I will be with Moses); Joshua 1:5 (I will be with Joshua); Deuteronomy 31:8 (I will be with my people) Isaiah 41:9-10 (I am with you, Israel); Matthew 28:20 (I will be with you till the end); 1 Peter 1:7 (Faith purified through trials); Hebrews 9:14 (Jesus’ sacrifice purifies us); Isaiah 48:10 (Purified by trials); Hebrews 3:6 &...