Daily Radio Bible - January 28th, 22

Week Three Reflections with Hunter

New, From the Inside Out

Exodus 21-22, Psalm 12 and Acts 4

It’s hard to make sense of these laws outlined in Exodus. They’re hard on the ears. These rules we hear, dictating treatment of slaves and women, seem so cruel and barbaric. They’re hard to hear. In understanding them, it’s important that we try to see them in their historical and cultural context. But maybe even more important, is that we see them in the context of the fallen human heart. These hard and distasteful laws that are being described, are a result of the fallen human heart living in a fallen world. God is conceding to this state of affairs, but only for awhile. He will not tolerate this forever.

He has done something about this hard hear - the promised Messiah, that Peter so boldly proclaimed in Acts. Peter is a man with a new heart, part of a growing community of 5000, who had received new hearts. This new community we see in Acts, is so different than the one being formed in Exodus. In this new community, God is no longer conceding to hard hearts, he’s transforming these new hearts. He’s changing them from the inside out, through the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This Messiah, has been given to us to take away the sins of the world, sin’s punishment, and deal with the problem of our hard and stony hearts. He’s dealt with it all on the cross. No longer conceding to our hard hearts through laws, he’s made a way for our hearts to be transformed, through faith in him. The penalty for our hard hearts has been absorbed by him and his gracious, kind, loving heart has been released in us. That’s the miracle of new birth. That’s what these men and women were so on fire for.

New hearts have been given to a new community. God is no longer conceding to hard hearts, he’s transforming these hearts into something brand new. He’s placing his Spirit into each one of them.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Gal 5:22-23)

These people are living a radical selfless, and self-giving life.

Live in the light and power of the new life given to you by Christ - a transformed heart, made new, by the power of Christ in You.

You are loved!