FRESH Official Podcast

The thing that I love most about God is the depth of the passion in His heart to set the likes of you and me free from the oppressive power of sin, that for all too long has oppressed our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to let go of this whole Easter thing just yet. Sure, the official celebration’s over, but the power of what God did back there on the Cross and through the empty tomb is meant to ripple through your life and mine from now to eternity. That’s why we’ve been spending some time in God’s Word this past week really laying hold of that power, grabbing it with both hands and receiving it into our lives. And part of realising in our own real-life experience the resurrection power of Christ, is once and for all coming to the realisation that the old me is stone-cold dead. Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (ESV) Do you really know this … that your old self was crucified with Christ when you believed in Him, so that the body and the power of sin might be brought to nothing? We often think of obedience to God’s Word as having to give up things we enjoyed. But really, it’s all about breaking the chains that bound us, setting us free from the slavery to that brutal mastery, sin. Do you believe in Jesus? Do you? Then, friend, this is for you. You’re no longer enslaved to sin. By the power of God, you’ve been set free in Christ. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

I believe with all my heart that today God means to set you free from the sin that’s been racking your life, because what Jesus did for you was, and is, for real. Dead to the old self, alive to the new. Okay, so although people these days are often offended by the very notion of sin – how can you possibly believe that rubbish, right? – God takes it so seriously that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to suffer and die so that anyone who would believe in Him and repent of their sin could be set free. Yesterday we saw that the one who believes in Jesus dies to the old sinful self so that they can walk in newness of life! Hallelujah! But is it real? I mean, so many of God’s people are still plagued by the terrible consequences of sin. Can we really be set free from its power? When the Holy Spirit really wants to drive a point home, He’ll present His case by arguing from good to better, from better to best. And so it is with today’s Bible verse: Romans 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (ESV) As though it weren’t enough that we be united with Jesus in His death – in other words, that our old sinful self is dead – we’re also united with Him in a resurrection like His! That picture of the risen Christ walking out of the tomb … man, that’s the picture of your life. This is real. In Christ you have a new life, filled with the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Today we’re going to dive into one of my favourite passages in the New Testament – because it’s the turning point from our old lives racked by sin to our new lives free from sin. Absolutely awesome! You and I both know that sin ruins our lives. There are always painful consequences when we do what’s wrong. So God’s called us out of that old life of sin by the power of what Christ did for us on that Cross, to set us free from that pain. Yet so many Christians never lay hold of that freedom because they don’t realise what happened, the power that was unleashed, when they set their hearts on following Jesus. Romans 6:3,4 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (ESV) Don’t you realise? The moment you believed, the moment you were baptised into Christ, the old sinful you died. Why? To what end? In order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. I love this. Jesus rose again to give you and me a whole new life – that we may walk in what? In newness of life! Do you want that new life? Do you want to be free from the devastating consequences of your sin? Then allow the Holy Spirit today, here and now, to write this Word on your heart. Because … it’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

It’s quite a conundrum, this Easter story that we’ve just celebrated over the last few days. On the one hand, Jesus’ death and resurrection has set us free from the power of sin. On the other, well … sin just seems to linger on, doesn’t it? That makes you think, doesn’t it? When you hear it put as bluntly as that, it really is quite the conundrum. Hang on, didn’t Jesus defeat sin on the Cross? Yes, He did, absolutely. So why then does sin linger on in my life? Why is it that I still stumble and fall to that same temptation, time after time? And what, if anything, can I do about it? Those are the questions that anyone who believes in Jesus should be asking themselves because, as unpopular as the notion of sin is in the world today, it remains the central dilemma of humanity – one that God took so seriously that He sent His Son, Jesus, to suffer and die to set us free from its power. So … Romans 6:1,2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (ESV) The first step in slaying, through the power of the Cross, the hold that sin has over our lives, is getting serious about it. God’s grace hasn’t been lavished on you and on me so that we could continue sinning; so that we could continue in the same sinful life, imposing day after day on God’s grace! By no means! Jesus died and rose again to set you free. It’s time to get serious about overcoming the sin in your life. Deadly serious. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

This is the day we’ve been waiting for… the day that so shocked the disciples, the day that completely upended all of human history, the day when, with overwhelming joy in our hearts, we can shout “Christ is risen!” What a joy it is to be able to join you in celebrating the Risen Christ on this resurrection Sunday. If we’d stopped our Easter commemoration at the Cross, then we’d only have received one half of the Good News – the wondrous truth that through Jesus’ sacrifice, you and I are forgiven because He paid the price for us. But as wondrous as that is, it’s only half of God’s plan because as a result of the fact that Jesus conquered the grave, that He rose again, we’re saved by His life into a new life that will last for all eternity. Romans 5:10,11 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (ESV) Do you see what God’s saying to us through the Apostle Paul today? He’s arguing from the great to the greater. If we’ve been saved through Jesus’ death, then how much more, now that we’re finally reconciled to God, are we saved through His life? Death couldn’t hold Him down. He conquered the grave. He is risen! And that resurrection life is now ours too. Day by day we’re being saved by His life. And that’s a reality that’ll go on for all eternity. Christ is risen … so are you! That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought all that much about the day after Jesus’ death. But it was a sombre day indeed as His disciples were hit by the tsunami of the reality of what had just happened. But while the disciples were lamenting, behind that heavy stone inside that tomb there was dead silence. There lay the stone-cold body of Jesus, not unlike any other body in any other tomb. On that cross and in that tomb, He bore the wrath of God, the righteous anger of God towards the world’s sin – towards your sin, towards mine – on our behalf. Why? How? Because our sin deserved punishment. The Word of God is clear on that – The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) The unflinching justice of God demanded that the price of our sin be paid. And Jesus … Jesus paid that price on our behalf. He saved us from the wrath of God which – make no mistake – is a terrible thing. So the reality is that He lay in that grave on my behalf and on yours. Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (ESV) The shedding of His blood has given you and me, if we put our faith in Him and what He did, a right standing before God – the same right standing any criminal has before the law today after his sentence has been served, and the price that justice demands has been paid. And that right standing in Christ has saved us from the wrath of God. Friend, He lay in that grave on my behalf and on yours. That’s good news. And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Here we are … It’s Good Friday. The worst and the best day on the Christian calendar. The worst, because Jesus was nailed to that bloody Cross and died. The best, because through His sacrifice you and I can be completely forgiven. I say can, because it depends on us. If we put our trust in what Jesus did for us on that Cross, and live out our faith by turning away from our sin, then we have the free gift of a new and eternal life that He purchased for us through His death on that Cross. If we don’t, then we don’t. It’s a very clear and simple message, but the thing that held me back from making the life-transforming, eternity-changing decision to follow Jesus was the knowledge of my own sin. Surely, given the way I’d lived my life up to that point, it couldn’t possibly qualify me for God’s forgiveness, let alone the free gift of eternal life. God always knew that people like me would feel that way. So He made sure that these two verses were included in the Bible: Romans 5:7,8 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV) Jesus didn’t go to the Cross despite our sin, but because of our sin. And He suffered and died for the likes of thee and me as a pre-emptory strike against our sin – a strike that demonstrated in the most unmistakable way the enormity of His love for a sinner like me; like you. No, we’re not worthy. But then, that’s the whole point. Grace. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

I wonder if you’ve ever heard of “Maundy Thursday”. Well, today’s that day, the day before Good Friday, when we commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus for the likes of you and me. But what does “Maundy” actually mean? Well, in the early 14th Century the word “maundy” became associated with Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet during the last supper, just before He was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. For many years now the British monarch has celebrated this day by giving specially minted coins to pensioners as a symbolic representation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. The whole idea behind this “maundy” concept is that the one who is much higher in status in a sense bows down to serve and give to those who are lower in status; those in a sense who don’t deserve it. Think about it. Jesus, the Son of God, kneeling down to wash the smelly, dirty feet of the twelve disciples – including Judas who was about to betray Him. Peter protested, “You shall never wash my feet”. But Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no share with me.” Have you ever felt completely unworthy of what Jesus did for you? Well, my friend, that’s the whole point. That’s absolutely the point of what we’re going to celebrate tomorrow. Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (ESV) Absolutely we’re unworthy, you and I. But despite our sin and rebellion – in fact, because of it – God took the initiative. While we were still weak, while we were still His enemies, Christ died for us. That’s not just good news … it’s fantastic news. And it’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

In just a couple of days, on so-called “Good Friday”, we’ll be remembering what Jesus did for us on that blood-drenched Cross – the price He paid, the sacrifice He made, so that we could be forgiven. “Good Friday” is rather an odd name, don’t you think, for a day that commemorates Jesus’ brutal execution, nailed to a Cross to suffer and die in excruciating pain? But we call it “Good” because when we believe in what He did for us. You and I are forgiven for all that we’ve done against God; you and I are given a new life to live here on this earth; you and I are gifted an eternity in His Presence. But maybe this Easter your own cross of suffering is weighing you down. And that pain has a way of blunting any joy that you might have over what this whole Easter thing – the painful death and powerful resurrection of Jesus – actually means. So, absolutely, you can and should rejoice in what Christ has done for you, but … Romans 5:3-5 Not only that … we [also] rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV) Make no mistake, anyone who sets out to live their life following Jesus will suffer. But in that suffering – in your suffering – God is shaping your character to be more and more Christ-like, filling you with certain hope in Him and pouring His love into your heart by His Spirit. That’s good; very good. And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

When was the last time you truly blew it – you fell so hard that you could barely get up again? And even when you did get up, you were so afraid to look God in the eye and ask Him for His forgiveness. It’s not a nice feeling, is it? Some days we stumble and we think to ourselves, “Nyah, that wasn’t so bad. God’ll forgive me for that one.” But other days … man, we make such a hash of things – in thought, word and deed, damaging relationships, dishonouring God – even if we started the day with the very best intentions of doing what’s right. And the shame of that floods our emotions and completely overwhelms us because we should have known better; because Jesus gave His all to set us free from that sin. If you believe in Him, then you know the theory: the blood of Christ has cleansed you of all sin. In other words, if you put your faith in Jesus you’re freely forgiven by God. But in that moment of shame, that powerful truth just doesn’t seem to make a difference. Romans 5:2 Through him [Jesus] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (ESV) Your faith in Jesus has (in addition to your initial forgiveness when you believed) also given you access into this grace in which you now stand. Grace? Grace is when God gives you something, when He blesses you, when you absolutely don’t deserve it. In fact, grace can only be grace when it’s undeserved – otherwise it’d be an entitlement. So, from the grace in which you now stand, rejoice. Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.