Episode 826
Embodying Love: Bridging Words and Actions in Our Lives | Ep 826
The paramount focus of our discussion today is the profound assertion that the only way to truly know God is through the observance of His commandments, as elucidated in the Epistle of First John 2:1-6. In this exploration, we delve into the intricate relationship between divine love and human imperfection, emphasizing that Jesus serves as our priestly advocate, providing grace rather than condemnation. We will examine the implications of living out our faith authentically, wherein our actions must resonate with the radical love and justice exemplified by Jesus. Furthermore, we shall consider the broader cosmic significance of collective liberation, recognizing that Jesus addressed the sin of the entire world, advocating for a communal approach to healing and justice. As we reflect on these themes, I encourage you to identify areas in your life where your actions may not align with your professed values and to take deliberate steps towards embodying the love exemplified by Christ.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
The readings from First John 2:1-6 elucidate the essence of knowing God, focusing on the transformative nature of love and action in one’s spiritual life. The speaker emphasizes that this epistle is not merely a set of doctrines but a guide for living authentically in accordance with divine principles. By asserting that knowing God requires us to keep His commandments, the discussion navigates the complexities of faith, urging listeners to recognize the interconnectedness of belief and behavior. The idea of collective liberation emerges as a crucial theme, where the text suggests that Jesus's sacrifice addresses not only individual sin but also the broader issues of societal injustice. This perspective fosters a sense of shared responsibility among believers, encouraging them to engage actively in the pursuit of justice and healing within their communities. Listeners are prompted to take concrete steps that align their actions with their professed values, thereby embodying the love that Christ demonstrated.
Takeaways:
- The only way to ascertain our relationship with God is through the observance of His commandments.
- The Epistle of First John emphasizes the importance of aligning our actions with our professed beliefs.
- Collective liberation is central to understanding the sacrifice of Jesus for the entire world, not just individuals.
- Jesus is portrayed as a compassionate friend, emphasizing relationship over judgment in our faith journey.
- We are called to reflect on our lives and ensure they align with Jesus' example of love and justice.
- One actionable step is to identify discrepancies between our stated values and our actual behaviors in daily life.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
The only way to know we are with God A Study of the Epistle 1st John 2:1:6 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller hello good people.
Speaker A:Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller here to offer you a fresh take on the Scriptures.
Speaker A:Every single day we use the Revised Comment Lectionary, a three year cycle of reading through the Bible to give you the daily reading for this very day.
Speaker A:We're in year C of that cycle in the Lenten season and we bring you the New Testament reading which is understandable because we use the Message version relatable.
Speaker A:We give you some points to ponder, to think about and applicable.
Speaker A:We give you an action step to take.
Speaker A:We do all of that from our website voiceofgoddaily.com which is where you can the resource the ABC1, 23 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A:Do all that and have a prayer too.
Speaker A:So let's get into our reading today from The Epistle of First John 2:1:6 Reading from the Message I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin.
Speaker A:But if anyone does sin, we have a priest friend in the presence of the Father, Jesus Christ, Righteous Jesus.
Speaker A:When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good.
Speaker A:Not only ours, but the whole world's.
Speaker A:The only way to know we're in Him.
Speaker A:Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way.
Speaker A:Keep his commandments if someone claims I know him well, but doesn't keep his commandments, he obviously is a liar.
Speaker A:His life doesn't match his words.
Speaker A:But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love.
Speaker A:This is the only way to be sure we're in God.
Speaker A:Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.
Speaker A:We're talking here about walking in love.
Speaker A:And as we reflect here in this reading from the Epistle 1 John 2:1:6, we just need to explore what it means to truly know God and the way of Jesus, even in our modern context.
Speaker A:So let's look at some points to ponder.
Speaker A:We'll talk about going beyond shame and guilt.
Speaker A:The author here an epistle is a letter.
Speaker A:It begins by addressing the reality of human imperfection, not to shame us, but to remind us of divine love and support.
Speaker A:Jesus is described as our priest friend, which emphasizes a relationship over judgment.
Speaker A:This speaks to a God who stands with us, not against us, in our journey of growth and healing.
Speaker A:Let's also talk about another point about collective liberation.
Speaker A:The text speaks of Jesus solving the whole world's sin problem, not just individualistic salvation.
Speaker A:This points to a cosmic understanding of a divine God centered love that transcends our individual problems or pietism and calls us to work for a collective healing and justice for the whole world.
Speaker A:One more point.
Speaker A:It's about living authentication.
Speaker A:This passage challenges us to authenticate our faith through action, not mere words.
Speaker A:This isn't about perfect rule following, but rather about aligning our lives with Jesus example of radical love, inclusion and justice how do our lives reflect the compassion and boundary breaking ministry of Jesus?
Speaker A:Here's your reaction step for today.
Speaker A:Identify an area in your life where your actions might not align with your stated values, perhaps in how we treat others, your engagement with social justice or your care for creation.
Speaker A:Choose one concrete step to bring your walk more in line with your talk.
Speaker A:This might mean reaching out to someone you've excluded, educating yourself about a justice issue or changing a habit that impacts others negatively.
Speaker A:With a closing prayer in a moment I did want you to know that we have a great resource here for you.
Speaker A:You just go to our website voiceofgoddaily.com that's where you're going to find the ABC 123 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:It's a resource for you.
Speaker A:It's free and just makes Bible study as easy as ABC 1, 2, 3.
Speaker A:It's that straightforward.
Speaker A:You find it@voiceofgoddaily.com here's our prayer Loving God, we acknowledge the gap that often exists between our words and actions.
Speaker A:Thank you for meeting us with grace rather than condemnation.
Speaker A:Help us move beyond mere religious talk to embodied love.
Speaker A:Help us to guide us in following Jesus example of radical inclusion and justice seeking love.
Speaker A:Give us courage to examine our lives honestly and wisdom to make changes where needed.
Speaker A:May our lives increasingly reflect your compassionate presence in our world.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Hey, great to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:Always a pleasure and a privilege we have.
Speaker A:We're here every single day.
Speaker A:We have over 800 episodes that you can find at our website, voiceofgoddaily.com invite you go check those out, but I'll be back again tomorrow.
Speaker A:We usually drop these episodes before 6:00am Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Please join me and bring a friend for a daily reading of the Scriptures.
Speaker A:Until then, friends, my name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:I just want to encourage you that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love having hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.
