07/22/2021 DAB Transript

2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10, Romans 7:14-8:8, Psalm 18:1-15, Proverbs 19:24-25

Today is the 22nd day of July, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I’m Brian, it’s great to be here with you today. Wonderful to come around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward together in our week, in our month and in our year. This week we’ve been reading from the New Living Translation which is certainly what we plan to continue to do for the rest of the week. We have begun the book of 2 Chronicles this week and so that’s where we find ourselves 2 Chronicles chapter 6 verse 12 through 8 verse 10 today.

Commentary:

Okay, so as we continue our journey through the letter to the Romans, we see Paul being really vulnerable and deeply confessional about his own life by telling us he does the things he doesn’t want to do and the things that he wants to do he doesn’t do, that he’s in a battle. So, lets zoom out just a little bit and understand that this is part of an ongoing conversation about the law and sin and how the law reveals sin. But if the law wasn’t there, then how could you sin, you wouldn’t know you did anything wrong. It’s the law than that reveals you have transgressed. And, now Paul’s kind of talking about this dichotomy of when you die with Christ and are raised up, the law that had claimed, the law of sin that had claimed to you, no longer has any claim to you. There’s this dichotomy that we still choose to do what we know is not right. So, the question is, is the law bad then because if it didn’t exist then we would never be able to do anything wrong. We can do whatever we wanted, and if we have died to the law and are resurrected in Christ and the law of sin has no more control or claim to us than we can do whatever we want because we’re free in Christ. This is the type of argument or the type of conversation that Paul is systematically leading us through. So, as we begin our reading today, he says so, the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good, right. The law itself isn’t the problem. It’s there to show you not to transgress against it, because if you do, you step into spiritual sin. Same things apply in laws of our lands. Right, I mean, if you’re in like a subdivision and there’s a speed limit of 20 mph and you decide you, you’re not…you’re going to not obey…obey that law, you’re going a hundred. Then you are going to be jeopardizing people and you could kill someone so, you can break that law and maybe get away with it, but eventually that law is going to get you because it’s there to protect people, to protect things. So, Paul’s like the law isn’t the problem. The law isn’t the bad thing. It’s transgressing, it’s choosing to break it which is what leads us to Paul’s confessional language and some now I quote…I quote this because Paul’s saying it from thousands of years ago, but I believe it pretty much nails every single one of us. Paul says “the trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I’m doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good, so I am not the one doing wrong. It is sin living in me that does it.” So, what Paul is saying here is, if I do what I know is wrong then I am affirming the law because if it wasn’t there, what I’m doing, that I know is wrong wouldn’t be wrong because there’d be nothing to disobey. But then Paul acknowledges what a challenge this is and he almost kind of gives sin a personality or personifies in some sort of way like it’s an entity of some kind, as opposed to a concept of some kind. He’s like, if I do what I don’t want to do, I’m not really the one doing wrong. It’s sin living in me that does it. And let’s continue, I have discovered this principle of life, that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind this power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. What a miserable person I am. Okay, so that’s very confessional and very vulnerable and very much, pretty much I believe all of our story. This is what we’re experiencing. But, how can we be free from the claims of sin and the power of sin still resides within us? Well, that’s because we have a choice. In some ways it’s almost as if we have been made free and we have been given permission to live free. A claim of sin no longer has a hold over us and the primary implication of that is we are not separated from God. We can have an intimate, ongoing, always on, never off relationship with God directly. Not to sacrifice animals or any of the rituals, we are restored to God through Christ Jesus. In the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruits, they were in right standing with God. Everything was as it was supposed to be and even in that state, they had a choice and they made the choice. So, even in that freedom from sin state that we have in Christ Jesus. We still have choice. Sin is kind of like a squatter. Sin has no right to be here. We don’t have a contract with sin that allows it to have certain access to our hearts at certain times of the day, and it pays rent. We already understand that the rent or the wages that it’s going to pay is death. So, when we choose it, that’s what we’re choosing. It doesn’t have a right to be here. We just let it squat for free and bring death, which is weird when we think about it in those terms. Weird. So, what are we supposed to do? According to Paul, and I quote Paul “who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God the answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is, in my mind I really want to obey God’s law but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” So, in so many ways, Paul is saying, sin was a perpetual state. Christ came and set us free from the claims, the power of sin. We still can enter into sin any time we want. We can allow it to squat in our lives and bring the destruction that it brings. And it’s a constant battle, but we are free from its claims through the Lord Jesus Christ and we do not have to participate. Paul says it like this and its famous “so now, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus, because you belong to Him the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So, God, did what the law could not do, He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have and in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” So once again, we circle back to the fact that we are utterly dependent upon God. We can’t do this but He has done it. We can choose to enter into sin and suffer the repercussions of it, but it has no claim to us. It can entice us so that we become a slave to it because, as Paul told us, we’re slaves to whatever we obey. But we are under no obligation here to allow this stuff to squat in our lives anymore.

Prayer:

So Holy Spirit, we invite you into that, so often we just we just try to make peace with some of this stuff, we know it’s not helpful, we know it’s harmful, just kinda always been there, it’s just kinda how things are done and how we cope, how we get along. But You’ve invited us to raise the bar. We continually ask You to help us grow and to open our eyes. We’re showing up here every day to allow the Scriptures to speak into our lives and so we have determined, at least in some part of our heart, we need to go further and that we need to go deeper and then this needs to matter more in our walk, in our journey through life. And so, You’re gonna continue to go after the big and little things inside of us. And sin, sin leads only one place and it’s not at all where we’re going and so there may be squatters in our lives that keep tripping us up and that we keep obeying and enslaving ourselves that just need to be evicted, just permanently evicted. They don’t have a right to be here. Help, help us Lord, help us Lord, we are utterly dependent upon You because we can’t in our own strength do much of anything. So, come Holy Spirit and help us make moves in the right direction we pray in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Prayers and Encouragements:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is a Treasured Possession. My husbands out mowing the lawn and he’s getting a new job on Monday and my grandkids, I’m no longer watching them and he’s actually gonna go back to work, we’ve all been vaccinated and he’ll be wearing a mask and be safe and stuff. But, for the first time in a while I will be completely alone. And I gotta say I’m kind of scared about it. And so, I’m being outrageously brave cause I don’t normally ask for prayer because if…if you know a heart, a hope deferred makes the heart sick and I’ve experienced a lot of that in my life. So, I’m coming to you and I’m asking for prayer please help me. Please ask God to help me and really strengthen me. So, I don’t go down a weird rabbit hole. So that I can get my own schedule cause I’ve been so dependent on his schedule because we’re autistic. And I know you don’t know what that means but it…suffice it to say we’re just wired differently and we work together really well as a unit. But it’s just a bit odd. And I know that…I know I may come across as a bit odd but I’m hoping that as the Spirit in Christ is the same amongst all of us you guys can understand and hear…hear me. But I love you, I listen to you. You basically keep my life smooth. And thank you so much. God Bless you and thank you.

Hello fellow DABers. I want to let you know that I pray for you every day on the prayer line and on the weekend community prayer. Let’s do what God expects of us and leave Him to do His part. All He expects is that we believe He is able to handle all that we’re experiencing. My call today is for Vincent Walking in Love in Connecticut. Vincent the promise Jesus made in John 10:10 abundant life is absolutely true. If this was not the case then Jesus would be a liar and he is not, however, there are conditions we must abide in him. John 15:4 for starters. I gave my life to Christ Jesus while I was a teenager in school and I’ve continued to walk with him ever since. Now, I’m in my 60s and I’ve never regretted for one moment, committing to my life to Christ. Someone said when God saves you, He not only save your soul but your life and as I look back I can see how God take care of me even when I made decisions that led me into sinning. I repented and got his forgiveness. God has indeed been gracious to me over the years. I have peace of mind, a family, a career, a good paying job and resources so I can share above all His presence. David said unless I had belief to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, I would’ve fainted some Psalm 27:13-14. God is faithful and you…He can be trusted to make His abundant life a reality for you. Just get to know Him. Randolph from Toronto.

Good afternoon DAB family today is July 18. Tomorrow marks a year when my sister found me unconscious in her room and I am just so incredibly grateful and that God saw fit that should still be here. That I can celebrate this occasion, this moment with my sister and just look back at what I’ve overcome and I couldn’t be more thankful, grateful now to my sister who was my rock during this whole ordeal. That I had gone through different transfers of hospitals and rehab. Not once did COVID touch me and I had some setbacks but nothing so serious that my life was in danger and I’m just so incredibly thankful. And I just feel so blessed and I had to share this and it seems so inconsequential to just keep saying thank you Lord, thank you but that’s…that’s all I have. And to just say I am just so blessed to have family and friends who prayed for me and who hung in there with my family and just stayed in the fight with us and I’m just so thankful. I just had to say this. Thank you for allowing me to have this forum. Thank you, Brian and I love you DAB family. Take care.

Hi everyone this is Souring on Eagles Wings from Canada on Sunday, July 18th. __ from California you’re battling things in your mind you are doing things you don’t want to do and you want freedom from the strongholds that are seeming to overpower you, your right knee needs healing and your children and grandchildren you’re asking for prayers. I am praying for you and I and I am praying with you. Mike from New York you’re also being bombarded with in your mind with feelings of death and I’m taking both of you to the throne of grace this evening. Ephesians 6 verse 11 through 12 says put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the whiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. So, I am praying for both a you as you wrestle with these things that are wanting to overpower your mind, that our heavenly Father through his Holy Spirit would deliver you from that which is wanting to take you down and you will focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us some authority to tear down strongholds in his name and I tear down the strongholds over both of you so that you would have freedom to enjoy the life that the Lord has given you and in service to Him. I pray for your children and grandchildren too.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, I’m Zack and I was gonna call to ask for prayer for guidance for me and my wife. We’ve been through a lot and we’re trying to find, just guidance through a rough patch but I want more so pray for the woman that says she’s been shipwrecked. I just want you to know that if anyone understands how you’re feeling or going through, it’s the Lord who sees you. It’s the Lord that that hears you. It’s the one that knows you and is acquainted with all of your ways according Psalm 139. And when you talk about that like this place, you’re at it reminds me of Psalm 42 like this pit that you feel like you came from this miry clay that you can’t get out. And one thing I love about…about the Lord is the passage where it says cast your cares on the Lord for, he cares for you. Another translation is cast your anxieties on Him for He cares for you. Many people in this life, ask us how we are doing multiple times a day without really carrying how you’re actually doing. But God is the one person you don’t have to explain or worry about misunderstanding. He’s the one person that when you actually pour out your heart to, He casts your cares Him, He actually cares for you and how beautiful that is. And I hope that your…I hope you know that God sees you and I pray that God restores you and comes alongside you, and if anything, that you would not feel alone, because I know…I feel like I can relate to you if anything, maybe you can pray for my wife and I where we felt stuck. But if anything, I just pray God responds with his perfect love.