No. 30. >> It's beginning to look to me like the distinction between the two realms is also about the relationship between the two realms. In fact, it seems like a neat bifurcation is not really appropriate. Am I onto something here? Is there a good way to think about the interface rather than the division between the two realms? >>DR. JOEL D. BIERMANN: Yeah, David, you're being a very good student. You're paying attention. And you're putting things together. And you're right, we're not looking at trying to rip these two things apart. The two realms, God's activity in the left hand realm and God's working in our lives in the right hand realm, are very much interrelated. In fact, a way I'll talk about this sometimes is really the place where these two things come together is inside me. Is inside you. It's inside the individual Christian. Because you the individual Christian are the one who is forgiven by God and who has perfect right standing before God because of what God has accomplished. He's done it. You have this gift. And now you, the forgiven one, get to go out into your world, into the life, and simply live the life that God has given you to live, serving your neighbor as God's forgiven child. It's who you are all the time. I summarize it this way on occasion: You as the Christian have been freed from the responsibility to earn your salvation. Christ has done it. His gift to you. You simply receive it with an open hand. And rejoice in what God accomplishes for you on your behalf in Christ. What a gift. And you have it. And it gives you your identity. Forgiven child of God. That's who you are. And it's who you are all the time. So now what do you do with all of this free time you've got? 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You don't have to earn salvation anymore. You don't have to try to earn your standing. So get busy serving your neighbor. So the Christian should get up in the morning and knock himself out striving to live the way God wants him to live. Doing his best. Be the best husband. The best father. The best employee. The best everything you've got to do, you do it the best you can. And you give it all you've got. You go to bed at night. And you reflect on the day. And you think about the day. And you realize: Oh, man, you could have done so much better. I really blew it with my wife here. I got sloppy on the job there. I got a little short with my kids. I wish I could have done better. And then the next move is to say: But you know what? I'm still God's forgiven child. I still have his forgiveness. I'm still right with him. And it's all right. I'm his child. And you can go to bed. You close your eyes at complete peace with the world because you are God's. That hasn't changed. And your performance has not touched in one way who you are in God and his forgiveness. And you get to start the new day fresh and new all over again. So the two realms come together beautifully in you. The one who is striving to be the very best person you can be in this world. And yet who is also rejoicing in the marvelous forgiveness that God gives to you simply passively received by you. That's the reality. It comes together in you. So there is this great interface in you, the individual Christian. And it is a lively, exciting dynamic living this life in God's forgiveness and striving to meet his will for the sake of your fellow man.