Grasp the Bible

Welcome to episode 133 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 4:1-12. The series is called “Unshakable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Discerning Truth from Error (vv. 1-6) 
• Love Others Because God Loves You (vv. 7-12) 

Key takeaways: 

• Everyone who has a true knowledge of God acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in flesh—that is, that the Son of God became a human being. 
• What you think about Jesus shapes every aspect of your theology and worldview. 
• People will gravitate to and have an affinity for that confession and teaching with which they are like-minded. Therefore, one who affirms the world’s message is from the world, and, likewise, one who affirms the message that Christ came in the flesh is of God. 
• The sending of God’s Son was both the revelation of His love and, indeed, the very essence of love itself. 
• The love God has shown (by sending His Son to die for our sins) becomes the motive for our responding to others properly. 

Quotable: 

• The absence of love in the life of an individual proves that he does not know God. 

Application: 

• We must listen and evaluate carefully the message and messenger against the infallible authority of Scripture. 
• Not everything done and said by a professing Christian is necessarily of the Holy Spirit; they may be speaking from the spirit of the world that has distorted their understanding of the truth of Jesus Christ and his significance. 
• To know the love of God is to manifest His love.  Without this manifestation one could not possibly know, or ever have known, God or His love.   
• How does one express love for God? John tells us that love for God means keeping His commands, which involves how we treat one another. 
• Love is always demonstrated by actions. 
• Our love for others should recognize their needs, and we should seek to maintain a right relationship with them. 
• The love we have for other believers will demonstrate the fact that we are indwelt by God. 

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Welcome to episode 132 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 3:11-24. The series is called “Unshakable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Love in action (vv. 11-18) 
• Live in confidence (vv. 19-24) 

Key takeaways: 

• Those who do not do what is right hate those who do.  To the extent that the believer agrees with Jesus’ testimony about evil and changes their life to do right, those who are of the world hate them for it. 
• To hate someone because they are living rightly, and consequently pressuring them by example or teaching to live like the world, is a wish for their spiritual death and is, in effect, spiritual murder.   
• John insists that love is to be demonstrated in actions and in truth.  Love expresses itself in deeds. 
• When our inner voice of conscience nags, God knows that the hearts of His children are in the right place, and we can trust God’s mercy and grace and approach Him in confidence. 
• Christian believers can have confidence before God even when their inner voice accuses them. 
• Faith in Jesus constitutes obedience to God. 

Quotable: 

• It is not enough to believe rightly. We must behave rightly. Being precedes doing. 

Application: 

• Our practice (how we live our lives) proclaims who and what we are. 
• Genuine human love is the expression of salvation, not its cause.  Loving others in the Christian family is evidence that one has made the transition from death to life. 
• Hate is the first step toward murder. A person who hates is no different from a murderer in his attitude.  The question is not so much, what are you doing, but what do you want to do? 
• Loving others costs us something.  We ought to show our love at all cost—even to the point of risking and losing our lives. 
• Laying down one’s life as the proper expression of love involves meeting the need of others for the basic necessities needed to sustain life. 
• The path to assurance in times of self-doubt is trust in God. 
• Only through the power and work of the Holy Spirit can a person love God through faith in Christ and love others rightly. 

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Welcome to episode 131 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 2:29-3:10. The series is called “Unshakeable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Be confident and ready for his coming (2:29-3:3) 
• Be righteous and do not sin (vv. 4-10) 

Key takeaways: 

• In Our practice of right living gives evidence that we have truly been born into the family of God.  We behave like our Father. 
• God has not just shown his love to humans, but he has given it to them in such a way that it becomes a part of them. He lavishes, or imparts, permanent and abiding love to His children. 
• Sin is an intentional breaking of God’s moral standard. It is a willful rebellion arising from the deliberate choice of the individual, a direct violation of God’s laws. 
• Sin is not amoral. It is not something to which one can be indifferent. On the contrary, sin is a willful disregard for God. It is a rebellious revolt against God’s will. 
• John is not suggesting that the child of God will not commit a single act of sin. Rather, the believer will not live a life characterized by sin. 

Quotable: 

• Jesus is our pattern. We are not to judge our lives by other peoples’ lives, but by Christ’s, who is the standard or goal toward which we are to move.   

Application: 

• How one lives expresses whether one is born of God or of the devil. 
• The world ought to know you’re in the family of God by the way you act. All Christians should live in keeping with Jesus’ own righteous character. His character governs his conduct. So should ours. We should live up to our name. 
• In light of the world’s natural depravity and opposition to God, the child of God should anticipate rejection and hatred. Such rejection by the world attests to the reality that the rejected are indeed children of God. 
• It is now Christians’ habit of life to pursue purity and holiness as we await the hope of the return of Jesus. 
• To be purified we must remain close to the One who is wholly pure. 
• One practices righteousness because of his righteous character. 

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Welcome to episode 130 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 2:15-28. The series is called “Unshakeable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Our sinful society (vv. 15-17) 
• The schism in the church (vv. 18-28) 

Key takeaways: 

• In light of eternity, all the world has to offer is temporary at best and in rebellion against God at worst. Only a life motivated by obedience to God and his eternal values will survive the passing of the world and all its desires. 
• Those who love God must not love “the world,” for by John’s definition, the world is all that is in rebellion against God. 
• When John prohibits believers from loving the world, he means not participating in its ways and values. 
• The antichrists are those who have and teach a distorted understanding of Jesus Christ. 
• Theologically speaking, both the objective, external Word of God and the inward, effectual call of the Holy Spirit are needed for genuine spiritual rebirth.   
• There could be no antichrists until the Messiah had come and there was a Christ. That is why the appearance of Jesus marks the start of an era, “the last hour”. 
• Spiritual security cannot be found in the latest theological trends that move beyond the need for the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, Son of God. 

Quotable: 

• All human values, ethics, and morality that are defined by fallen people are fatally flawed because they are built on false premises about reality. 

Application: 

• Even if not an atheist at the philosophical level, anyone who rejects God’s rule of life in some aspect of their behavior is to that extent an atheist in practice. 
• Not everything one might hear about Jesus Christ is true, in the first century or in ours. 
• Spiritual security cannot be found in the latest theological trends that move beyond the need for the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, Son of God. 
• Not unlike the ancient world in which John wrote, our world today is also full of voices claiming spiritual truth as a way to know God. 
• The idea of truth by majority opinion leads to the idea that all personal opinions about God are of equal value. 

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Welcome to episode 129 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 2:1-14. The series is called “Unshakeable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Jesus is the forgiver of sins (vv. 1-2) 
• We must obey God (vv. 3-6) 
• We must love God and God’s people (vv. 7-11) 
• John addresses the groups (vv. 12-14) 

Key takeaways: 

• If one could truly be sinless on one’s own, God would be lying in revealing Jesus as the only way to receive eternal life and to have fellowship with God. 
• Jesus Christ is our advocate.  He speaks to God on our behalf.  Jesus is able to be our advocate and to forgive sin because he himself became the sacrifice for sin. 
• God in Christ has loved us by redeeming us from sin, and that love has a transformative goal in the life of the believer, that they should love God, both the Father and the Son, which is expressed by love for others. 
• You can’t have hate and love in your heart at the same time. It’s impossible. 
• We are never more like Jesus than when we love like Jesus loved. 
• The secret of spiritual growth and strength is knowledge and practice of the Word of God. 

Quotable: 

• Character brings about conduct. People do what they do because they are what they are. 

Application: 

• Christians are caught between a rock and a hard place. We cannot reach sinless perfection in this life, yet we are commanded not to sin. The point is our goal should be to live day by day without committing sin in thought, word, or deed. 
• One of the ways you know you are a Christian is if you desire to obey God. If you have no interest in doing what God says, if God’s principles and commandments are of little importance to you, that should be a red flag that you may not be a Christian. Assurance of your salvation is unattainable without obedience to God’s commands. 
• When you live the Christian life, your outward conduct should flow from an attitude that characterizes your inner motivation. It is possible to obey and yet do it from an improper motivation in your heart. 
• What is the connection between love and obedience to God’s commands? If you love God, you should be able to love your neighbor. If you love your neighbor, you won’t steal from your neighbor or covet his house or commit adultery with his wife or bear false witness against him. If you love your neighbor, all of the other commandments fall into place. If you really love your neighbor, then you’re not going to violate any of the other commandments that have to do with your relationship with fellow human beings. That’s why Jesus said these are the two greatest commandments and why all of the commandments hang on these two: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. 

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Welcome to episode 128 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we begin our study in the Book of 1 John, covering chapter 1. The series is called “Unshakeable.”  Today, we will cover: 

• The prologue to the letter (vv. 1-4) 
• Walk in the light (vv. 5-10) 

Key takeaways: 

• God’s revelation of himself in Jesus and continues by the authoritative testimony of the apostles and others to that revelation.  It is Jesus, and not a system of thought, who is the essential core of the Christian proclamation. 
• Many professional religionists have a system today. But a system is not life, nor does it transform a life. A system in and of itself is nothing. What Christianity has and the others do not have is life, in fact, the life of Jesus himself, the one who is the creator and sustainer of all life and who as the life is also the light of men (John 1:4). It is Christ, then, who is proclaimed in Christianity. 
• Fellowship with the Father and His Son, then, is essentially the same thing as having eternal life. 
• To remove oneself from God’s presence through sin is of necessity to remove oneself from the source of life, and therefore, death is the only place to go. 
• The truth cannot be in those who deny their sin, because by definition a Christian is one who lives by the truth that Jesus died to cleanse their sin. 
• Because of God’s character and His faithfulness to His promises that Christ fulfilled, cleansing from confessed sin is assured. 

Quotable: 

• If you want to know if a religious movement is Christian or a cult, ask them who Jesus is. 

Application: 

• As a Christian, what do you do when you sin? What should you do when you sin? Sometimes, even for Christians, sin is something we do and then deny. We love to rationalize it, and we love to refine it. Sometimes we just don’t take seriously the reality and consequences of our sin.  

We claim closeness with God but then defy His will and live contrary to His character! Even for Christians, sometimes the three hardest words to say when they ought to be said and like they ought to be said are “I have sinned.”  But when we utter those words in sincerity, God’s response is always “You are forgiven.” 

• if God is light, then God Himself by virtue of His being and character defines the moral standard of human life. 
• The test of truth is not belief—though that is not excluded—but action, deeds, and conduct. 
• Only when believers are walking in the light can we have fellowship with God, a fellowship that is embodied as fellowship with one another.  Our vertical relationship determines our horizontal relationships. 
• People don’t need just more good ethical instruction; rather, they need purification from all that separates them from the presence and purposes of God. Christ’s atonement for sin achieves a reconciliation with God that restores fellowship. 
• For any who think, for whatever reason, that they have not sinned, John holds the strongest accusation. Rather than being faithful Christians, they are in fact making God a liar because God says we have sinned, and he sent His Son into the world to atone for the very sin that it has become so popular to deny. 

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This episode presents background information to help us establish a firm foundation for understanding 1 John.

In the following weeks, we will explore the book, verse by verse.

Welcome to episode 126 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we conclude our study in the Book of Ruth, covering chapter 4. The series is called “My Redeemer Lives.”  Today, we will cover: 

• Boaz’s preparation for court (vv. 1-2) 
• The report of the court proceedings (vv. 3-8) 
• Boaz’s response (vv. 9-10) 
• The public reaction (vv. 11-12) 
• The genealogical resolution (vv. 13-17) 
• The genealogy of the royal line (vv.18-22) 

Key takeaways: 

• Boaz continued to demonstrate his character by convening a court the same day he said he would in chapter 3 to resolve the kinsman issue for Ruth. 
• The public prayer in vv. 11-12 were fulfilled not only in the genealogy listed at the end of the chapter, but ultimately in Jesus Christ. 
• The women view Obed as the redeemer for Naomi, one who would provide rest and security for her.  Recall in chapter 3 that this is what Naomi sought for Ruth. 
• More than anyone else in the history of Israel, Ruth embodies the fundamental principle of the nation’s ethic: “You shall love your God with all your heart” (Deut 6:5) “and your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). In Lev 19:34 Moses instructs the Israelites to love the stranger as they love themselves. Ironically, it is this stranger from Moab who shows the Israelites what this means. 
• The birth of Obed has historical significance because he lives on and achieves his significance through the lives of his son Jesse and particularly his grandson David. 
• In the dark days of the judges the chosen line is preserved not by heroic exploits by deliverers or kings but by the good hand of God, who rewards good people with a fulness beyond all imagination. 

Quotable: 

• Love is not demonstrated primarily in words; it is expressed in acts of kindness, placing the welfare of the other ahead of oneself. 

Application: 

• Boaz’s actions at the city gate demonstrated that fulfilling the spirit of the law was more important than the letter of the law. 

 
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Welcome to episode 125 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of Ruth, covering chapter 3. The series is called “My Redeemer Lives.”  Today, we will cover: 

• The scheme (vv. 1-5) 
• The night encounter (vv. 6-13) 
• The morning sendoff (vv. 14-15) 
• The results of the scheme (vv. 16-18) 

Key takeaways: 

• Naomi’s scheme is not to be interpreted in a sexual manner.  Rather, it is designed to make it clear that Ruth is ready for marriage.  Furthermore, it is all dependent on Boaz’s character. 
• As in chapter 2, the notion of “chance” comes into play.  The narrator wants the reader to recognize all the disaster that could befall this plan, but is averted not by chance, but by God. 
• The theme of lovingkindness pervades the chapter.  Each character is far more interested in the well-being of another, rather than himself. 

Quotable: 

• The lives of genuinely good people are not governed by laws but character and a moral sense of right and wrong. 

Application: 

• There are times when God calls us to do our part while He does His.  The Christian life is not passive.  While God does not need our help in accomplishing His will, He does expect us to be active by being productive and following His plans. 
• Character counts.  Ruth could have tried to make something of herself by questionable means.  But she works hard, demonstrates kindness and respect, and allows others to elevate her. 
• People of character act quickly for the benefit of others. 

 
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Welcome to episode 124 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of Ruth, covering chapters 1:21-22:23. The series is called “My Redeemer Lives.”  Today, we will cover: 

• The new setting (vv. 1:21-2:1) 
• The initiative of Ruth (vv. 2-3) 
• The grace of Boaz (vv. 4-16) 
• The results (vv. 17-23) 

Key takeaways: 

• For the first time, Ruth takes the lead role in the story.  She, an alien in a foreign land, is determined to make something of her life. 
• The hand of God is at work!  The same hand that had sent the famine (1:1) and later provided food (1:6) is the hand that had brought Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem precisely at the beginning of the harvest (1:22) and has now guided Ruth to that portion of the field belonging specifically to Boaz. 
• In a cultural context in which normally foreigners would draw water for Israelites, and women would draw for men (Gen 24:10–20), Boaz’s authorization of Ruth to drink from water his men had drawn is indeed extraordinary. 
• Preferring the unknown world of her mother-in-law, like Abraham centuries before, she abandoned her own father and mother and her native land and cast her lot with a people whom she had not previously known.  Like Abraham, she had left the security of the familiar (family and land) and committed herself to the unknown. 
• For the first time, we encounter the word “redeemer.”  As a kinship term it denotes the near relative who is responsible for the economic well-being of a relative, and he comes into play especially when the relative is in distress and cannot get himself/herself out of the crisis.  This word will play a major role in the remainder of the story. 

Quotable: 

• When Jesus redeems, he restores. 

Application: 

• There are times when we are experiencing adversity and God is working behind the scenes to change our situation, but we may not be aware of it at the time. 
• In a similar way that Boaz elevates Ruth (a foreign, widow, woman), so Jesus elevates us to a status we do not deserve. 
• By inviting Ruth to eat with Boaz and his men, Boaz dignifies Ruth, giving her the same status as Israelite men.  When Jesus saves us, his righteousness is imputed to us so that God sees Christ’s righteousness as ours. 
• Jesus is our redeemer who buys us back from the consequences of our sin. 

 
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