Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 3:51PM I created this mini-movie to expose some of the wounding, shame-based messages Christians hear.
abuse, christians, mini-movie, religion, shame in grace, new heart, nobility Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 9:52AM Listen 'live' today as special guest Andrew Farley, author of The Naked Gospel, joins Jim again. This time they'll talk about the misleading catch-phrases Christians often use -- spiritual language that ends up separating us further from our new hearts and restored identities.
Airs at 11:30 a.m. EST. on Wednesday, Nov. 25th.
Click here to go to episode page on Blogtalk Radio.
heart, identity, misleading ourselves, naked gospel, shame in New Covenant, Podcasts, identity, interviews, new heart Monday, November 23, 2009 at 3:39PM 
Joel Brueseke, who hosts the Growing in Grace Together podcast, is a good friend and a guy who really gets the good and noble heart. Joel interviewed me today for a two-part series. Here is part one.
Listen in for some great conversation about why Christians tend to walk around in guilt and shame, and why there seems to be such a focus in the church on behavior management and sin management - and how living with a New Covenant mentality rather than an Old Covenant mentality, as well as a proper view of the new heart, will overcome all of that.
Jim Robbins
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All of my podcasts are also available on iTunes. Here's the link:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=332568931
Monday, September 21, 2009 at 10:01AM For decades, the manner in which I read the Old Testament only furthered my shame.
I had forgotten to make the critical shift from the Old Way to the New Way-- the old heart to the new heart. For example, if you read an Old Testament passage like the one below, and forget that something has changed inside you as a result of Christ's work, what would you feel?
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10
My reaction would be: "Wow, maybe I should be feeling what David is here; I guess I'm supposed to be confessing my sin, examining my selfish heart and repenting about something. It sounds pretty spiritual and pretty important. What, exactly, am I supposed to be feeling bad about? I'm not sure, but I'd better get to work on this repenting thing and ask God to fix my heart."
The problem with that sort of reaction is that it is out of date. It is an Old Covenant response to a problem that was solved for you in the New Covenant. Meaning....David's cry for a clean heart has already been answered in the work on Jesus for you. You've been given a new and pure heart already because you said 'yes' to him. (Ezekiel 36:26 -- "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...")
As we read the Old Covenant, we must now read it from a new heart perspective (you now have a clean heart that does want what God wants). We make the shift from guilt and shame...to restoration and freedom of heart.
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For more on this, my book Recover Your Good Heart goes into more detail on what Scripture says about our new hearts.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 1:17PM Monday, May 11, 2009 at 1:37PM Here's a quote from a missional church leader I have a great deal of respect for. However, notice his self-description: Is it biblical?...meaning, is it a true and accurate description of his identity in Christ?
I consider myself as the most miserable of all human beings, covered with sores, foul, and guilty of all sorts of crimes committed against my King; moved by sincere remorse I confess all my sins to him. I ask him pardon and abandon myself into his hands so he can do with me as he pleases. Far from chastising me, this King, full of goodness and mercy, lovingly embraces me, seats me at his table, waits on me himself, gives me the keys to his treasures, and treats me in all things as his favorite; he converses with me and takes delight in my countless ways ....Although I beg him to fashion me according to his heart, I see myself still weaker and miserable, yet even more caressed by God.
There's certainly a lot of grace here, but little restoration. (At least, not mentioned here.) What kind of God would pardon a person, then refuse to change them at the most basic level (the level of the heart), so that they need not repeat those crimes; and in fact, no longer have it in their nature to do so?
In fact, God has already met this person's longing to "fashing me according to his heart" ..."I will give you a new heart." (Ezek. 36:26). That new heart is pregnant with new life, new desires, and a new will. How else would he be able to relate well, if not for a transformed heart? Sure, it will take time to learn to live from that new and supernaturally good heart -- but that will come.
I'm concerned with a brand of 'authenticity' and 'realness' out there that takes grace seriously ("You're forgiven and loved"), but is unaware of the gracious gift of a new and radically good heart. These attempts at being real are noble and certainly well-intended, but have missed the core of the New Covenant promise of a new heart -- a heart on which the ways of God are now written. Why do we keep rehearsing our mess?
We must be urged to make the shift from external and behavioral compliance to internal and supernaturally-capable desire to love and relate well. Most Christians are unaware that that shift has already happened ...within their own hearts. The desire and the ability to relate well and love wholly are there.
Let's bring this good news back to the center of our teaching, preaching and relating. Only then will we see more of the transformation we long for. Let's stop rehearsing our shame, and begin indulging our new appetites -- the desires of Jesus now resident in our new hearts.
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Jim Robbins
For those who are wondering...I do think authenticity and being real is a good thing. In fact, I think we need more of it in some cases. But the kind we need now is an authenticity that more accurately honors our new and noble nature. It is a realness that goes beyond forgiveness and explores the richness, splendor and supernatural desires of a new and good heart -- the one we received when we first trusted Christ.
1 Reference tagged authentic, new heart, real, shame in Desire , grace, identity, new heart, transformation 
