Episode 808
Liberation from Shame: The Transformative Power of the Spirit | 808
This discourse elucidates the concept of living in divine freedom as articulated in Romans 8:1-11. The central premise is that the arrival of Jesus the Messiah heralds a resolution to the existential dilemmas faced by humanity, liberating believers from the pervasive cloud of shame and condemnation often associated with religious dogma. We delve into the profound implications of divine solidarity, highlighting the transformative presence of God within the human experience, which is especially pertinent in a world rife with injustice and struggle. Furthermore, we critique the fixation on individual moralism, advocating instead for a collective embrace of divine love and justice, thereby fostering community engagement rather than personal perfectionism. Ultimately, we offer an actionable step for our listeners, encouraging them to explore their own lives and identify areas where they might shift focus from self-absorption to communal support and solidarity.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
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Dr. Brad Miller articulates the essence of Romans 8:1-11, a passage that articulates the concept of living in divine freedom, a core tenet of Christian faith that offers profound implications for believers. Through this exploration, he asserts that the arrival of Jesus serves as a pivotal moment in which the burdens of sin and condemnation are alleviated. The delineation between living under the oppressive weight of shame and embracing the liberating grace of God is made clear, encouraging listeners to recognize their inherent worth in the eyes of the divine. The speaker emphasizes that the Spirit of life, akin to a revitalizing breeze, clears the oppressive air of guilt, inviting believers into a realm characterized by authentic liberation.
The podcast further delves into the notion of divine solidarity, positing that God's engagement with humanity is not one of distance but of intimate involvement. Dr. Miller highlights that God has chosen to enter into the disordered fabric of human experience, thereby affirming the value of every individual, particularly those who find themselves on the margins of society. This divine presence, rather than imposing judgment, offers companionship and healing, thereby redefining the relationship between humanity and the divine. The speaker implores listeners to recognize the sacred in their struggles and to see the active work of the Spirit in their lives, fostering a sense of hope and resilience.
Lastly, the discourse culminates in a practical call to action, urging listeners to reflect on their lives and to identify areas where self-focus may have led to spiritual stagnation. By encouraging engagement with community and collective efforts towards love and justice, Dr. Miller seeks to inspire a shift from individualistic moralism to a more communal embodiment of faith. The episode serves as both a theological reflection and a practical guide, inviting listeners to breathe in the freedom offered by God and to exhale the burdens of self-imposed expectations.
Takeaways:
- The concept of liberation from shame-based religion is profoundly transformative for believers.
- Paul's assertion that there is no condemnation for believers signifies a radical shift in theology.
- The divine presence is characterized by liberation, rather than condemnation or guilt, according to the text.
- Understanding God's solidarity with humanity invites us to perceive divine presence in all experiences.
- The emphasis is on community and collective embodiment of divine love and justice, rather than individualistic moralism.
- Taking action involves identifying self-focused areas in life and engaging with community for support.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Living in Divine Freedom A Study of Romans 8:1 11 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller hello good people.
Speaker A:Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller here with Daily Bible Reading Refresh your daily reading of the New Testament which will help you to understand the Bible in a way that is understandable that we read from the New Testament only from the message version of the Bible.
Speaker A:Relatable.
Speaker A:We give you a few points to ponder and understand and applicable and we give you an action step to take.
Speaker A:And we do that.
Speaker A:We have a prayer.
Speaker A:We do that in under 10 minutes or so.
Speaker A:We do this by selecting the particular scripture for this very day from the Revised Common Lectionary we are Year C the Epiphany Season.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller Miller and we are bringing all this to you by virtue of voiceofgoddaily.com which is the home of the ABC1, 23 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:Our reading today is from Romans 8:1 11 reading from the Message the solution is life on God's terms.
Speaker A:With the arrival of Jesus the Messiah, that faithful dilemma is resolved.
Speaker A:Those who enter to Christ's being here for us no longer have to live under a continuous low lying black cloud.
Speaker A:A new power is is in operation.
Speaker A:The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a faded lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
Speaker A:God went for the jugular when he sent his own son.
Speaker A:He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant in his son Jesus.
Speaker A:He personally took on the human condition and enter the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all.
Speaker A:The Law Code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
Speaker A:The law always ended up being used as a band aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it.
Speaker A:And now what the Law Code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
Speaker A:Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle, but never get around to exercising it in real life.
Speaker A:Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them, living and breathing God.
Speaker A:Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end.
Speaker A:Attention to God leads us out into the open, into a space audacious free life.
Speaker A:Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.
Speaker A:Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God, that person ignores what God is and what he is doing.
Speaker A:And God isn't pleased at being ignored.
Speaker A:But God himself has taken up residence in your life.
Speaker A:You can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of Him.
Speaker A:Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about.
Speaker A:But for you who welcome in in whom he dwells, even though you still experience all the limitations of sin, you yourself experience life in God's terms.
Speaker A:It stands to reason, doesn't it, that the alive and present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life.
Speaker A:He'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself.
Speaker A:When God lives and breathes in you, and he does as surely as he did in Jesus, you are delivered from that dead life with His Spirit living in you.
Speaker A:Your body will be alive as in Christ.
Speaker A:A great reading of the scripture and in this situation here in this reading, we're talking about living in divine freedom and Paul is really talking about liberation and divine presence and what it means to live fully in the Spirit.
Speaker A:So let's unpack this together and go for some points to ponder.
Speaker A:Number one is liberation from shame based religion.
Speaker A:Paul's declaration that there is no continuous low lying black cloud over believers is revolutionary in an era where many have been wounded by religious trauma and shame based theology.
Speaker A:This passage reminds us that the divine presence is not about condemnation, but it's about liberation.
Speaker A:The Spirit's work is about clearing the error, not creating more guilt and shame.
Speaker A:Divine solidarity and human Struggle When Paul speaks of God personally taking on the human condition, he's describing a radical divine solidarity with the human experience.
Speaker A:This isn't a distant deity issuing demands from afar, but one who enters into the disordered mess of struggling humanity.
Speaker A:This understanding invites us to see the divine present in all human experience, including in marginalized communities, in protest movements, yes, and even in the fight for justice.
Speaker A:A third point, it's going beyond individual moralism.
Speaker A:Paul challenges the obsession with measuring moral muscle, a critique that speaks directly to both conservative legalism and progressive perfectionism.
Speaker A:The focus isn't on individual moral achievement, but on opening ourselves to the Spirit's transformative presence in community.
Speaker A:This shifts us from what rules must I follow?
Speaker A:To how can we collectively embody divine love and justice.
Speaker A:Here's today's action step.
Speaker A:Take time today to identify one area in your life where you've been caught a little more self focused about your moral situation, your moral measurement, whether that's progressive activism, burnout, religious perfectionism or spiritual comparison practice, releasing that burden by connecting with community.
Speaker A:This might mean reaching out to a friend, joining some sort of a group, maybe a justice movement, or simply sitting in solidarity with someone who is struggling.
Speaker A:Well, the closing prayer in just a minute.
Speaker A:But I always want to remind you here on Daily Bible Refresh that we have a resource for you that helps you read the Bible in your own life, in your own right, in your own personal way.
Speaker A:You can find it@voiceofgoddaily.com it is the Daily.
Speaker A:It is called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide and you can use it to have your own daily Bible study.
Speaker A:It's just as simple as ABC.
Speaker A:And 1, 2, 3, you can find that and all along with our back catalog of all our episodes of the Daily Bible Refresh, let's pray.
Speaker A:Breath of Life.
Speaker A:We inhale the freedom you offer and exhale the weight of religious performance.
Speaker A:And thank you for meeting us in our messy humanity, for choosing solidarity over judgment.
Speaker A:When we get caught up in measuring and comparing, Remind us of your liberating love.
Speaker A:When we feel the weight of the changing world around us and we feel that weight alone.
Speaker A:Help us to feel your spirit moving in community.
Speaker A:May we trust less in our own individual efforts and more in your transforming presence moving us towards collective liberation and authentic, spacious life.
Speaker A:Breathe on us, through us and with us.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Well, it's always a joy and a pleasure and a privilege to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:This is episode number 808.
Speaker A:We hope that you'll join us again Tomorrow for episode 809.
Speaker A:We come to you almost every day before 6:00am Eastern time.
Speaker A:We drop these episodes where we give you a fresh reading of the scriptures which is both understandable, relatable and applicable.
Speaker A:We invite you to come and join me, Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller, and bring a friend.
Speaker A:Until that time, remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new.
Speaker A:Every morning.
