4. Am I Accepted?

·28 min·2 clips

Richards reveals the difference between passively receiving God's promises and actively taking hold of them through faith.

In this episode, Dr. Jim Richards addresses the perennial question of why bad things happen to good people, framing it within a Christian theological context. He begins by asserting that the covenant of peace is between God and Jesus, not directly with humans, meaning believers cannot break it because Jesus upheld it perfectly. Richards emphasizes that all God's promises are 'yes and amen' in Jesus, and through being 'in him,' believers share in his inheritance. He then delves into the concept of receiving, distinguishing between passive reception—where promises are acknowledged but not acted upon—and active reception, which involves faith and persuasion of the heart. Richards argues that many people struggle because they try to get God to act, rather than responding to what he has already done through Jesus. This leads to a discussion on condemnation, where individuals judge themselves or God when promises aren't experienced, creating a spiritual disconnect. He introduces the idea of judgment as assuming to know why things happen, which affects one's perception of God. Richards further explores the difference between acceptance and approval, using the biblical account of the woman caught in adultery to show that Jesus accepted her without approving of her sin. He explains that this distinction is crucial because conflating the two can lead to either condoning sin or rejecting sinners. Throughout, Richards ties these concepts back to the main theme, suggesting that feeling unaccepted by God due to failures can hinder believers from receiving blessings. He shares personal anecdotes from his ministry, highlighting his work with marginalized groups to illustrate acceptance without approval. The episode concludes with a call to renew one's mind and actively receive God's promises, along with promotional content for Impact Ministries resources.

As heard by us

A pastoral episode on how judgment can make God feel distant even when acceptance remains.

Dr. Jim Richards takes up the familiar question of why bad things happen to good people and turns it toward judgment, rejection, and felt distance from God.

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Why you'd press play

When a bad season makes you wonder whether God has stopped accepting you, press play.

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