Bible Study Radio

Genesis (Program #48) – The Motive and Strength of Being Called

Today we are going to look at the God of glory appearing to Abraham.   When you consider Abraham’s entire life, when you look at him in his entire history.  You’re looking at a person just like us.  He is called the father of faith.  There seems to be quite an impression from the Word that he is really a person of faith.  But when you look at the details of his living, he was a person just like us and actually very unbelieving.  If it weren’t for the appearing of God, he would just be in his unbelief.  But the very appearing of God infused him to the uttermost.   In principle, I would say, what kind of person was he?  He was really like a kind of unbeliever; the Lord would say something, he would say yes but then actually he just live out the opposite.  Really what was required, what was needed for God, the God of glory to appear to him over and over and over again and it’s just like us.  I am so grateful that the Lord came to me again and again and again so that we can be infused with Him as the unique faith in this universe.  Abraham is called the father of faith but actually he did not have one drop of faith.  All of his faith came from the appearing of the God of glory, infusing him with Himself as the very believing element.  This is the kind of person he was, apart from the God of glory, he had no faith.  He was not a believing person.  But Hallelujah, the God of glory appear to him over and over and over again, so he has been infused with this dear person as the very believing element.

Genesis (Program #47) – The Background and Origin of God’s Calling and the Experience of the Called Ones

Genesis is broken into three sections and now we are just beginning to get into the third section, a very encouraging section that deal with God’s calling.

Although Genesis is a rather lengthy book, it is divided into 3 main sections.   The first concerns God’s creation.   The second deals with Satan’s corruption and his leading man into a corrupted state.  The third concerns God’s coming in to save man through His calling and His all-sufficient grace.  God’s creation deals not only with the original creation but as we have pointed out in several earlier messages, God’s re-creation and further creation climaxing in mankind created in God’s image.

The second section concerns Satan’s activity mainly behind the scene to lead man further and further into the fall in at least 4 stages.  Man fell in Genesis 3 away from God by disobeying Him.   Man fell again in Genesis 4 by turning away from God’s ordain means of salvation.  In Genesis 6, man fell unto the flesh and became polluted and then even after the flood and the institution of human government, man continue to fall and the whole human race rose up in defiant rebellion against God.  At that point, God no longer dealt directly with humanity as a whole but determine to work along another line by calling out a new people, a new race for Himself…

Genesis (Program #46) – The Significance of God’s Calling

Our life study today is dealing with the significance of God’s calling.

For our introduction today, we will say something about the relationship between the great figures of the Old Testament in the accomplishment of God’s purpose.  God had a fresh start with Noah in chapter 9 and He seems to be starting new again here in chapter 12 with Abraham.  What is the significance of these new starts?

Genesis (Program #45) – The Fourth Fall of Man

Today we come to a life study in Genesis that will review the 4 steps of man’s fall which conclude at Babel.

Genesis (Program #44) – Life in Resurrection (3)

Today we are going to continue in Genesis chapter 9 and we want to see more of God’s move related to Noah.  All of us, no doubt are familiar with the Sunday school version of Noah and his family.  But what is the deeper significance that we’ve been seeing related to God’s purpose?

Jude (Program #6) – The Basic Structure of the Epistles of Peter and Jude (2)

The epistles of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude have occupied us now for the past nine weeks on this program. And today we conclude the life study of these three short but very significant books in the divine record. But not with the systematic or academically summary but rather by following the spiritual thread that links these three books. Though they are separated in the canon scripture by the three epistles of John in their subject and basic structure they bear a striking similarity and easily warrant being considered as a group.

All three were written against the back drop of the degradation and decline of the church, a time of apostasy. And therefore all three can be considered as an inoculation against the heresies that were damaging the testimony of the church at that time. Yet they also shared a basic structure that is one hundred percent positive and absolutely in concert with the central focus of the entire New Testament. And that is that we would all be brought into the real enjoyment of the Triune God. In order that through His operation in us we would be transformed that we would be built up into His spiritual habitation so that He could indwell us and that we would express Him for eternity.

Genesis (Program #43) – Life in Resurrection (2)

Today we have our second program dealing with life in resurrection from Genesis chapter 9.  As an introduction for those just join us today, how is it that Noah’s experience is a valid picture of resurrection?

Jude (Program #5) – The Basic Structure of the Epistles of Peter and Jude (1)

Through the centuries believers and Bible scholars alike appreciated the epistle of Peter for giving us a clear presentation of God’s government. Surely this point is the subject of these books. But woven through out Peter’s epistles as well as the epistle of Jude is a basic structure, a central line of focus that if we neglect will leave us far removed from the reality of living a life that is actually under God’s government.  It’s this basic structure of these three books that is our subject for the final two programs.

Genesis (Program #42) – Life in Resurrection (1)

Today in our life study we come to life in resurrection.   We saw in our last program Noah and his family were able to pass through the flood by virtue of the ark.

Jude (Program #4) – Charges to the Believers (2)

The short epistle of Jude concludes with a marvelous charge to the believers. A charge that includes, “…building up yourselves upon your most holy faith,” and “praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God,” of course the Father, “awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ“, the Son.

The result or issue of this four fold charge is that it will be unto eternal life.  Actually some consideration of this passage may give raise to a very meaningful question. Is this really a formula for how to receive the eternal life?  Or rather is it a charge to those who already possessed the eternal life, is that how they should have their daily living in the eternal life that they already received?  A profound question.