Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Biblical Structure for Change
Transcript
- 0:00Welcome to Reformed Thinking. Today we're doing a deep dive
- 0:03into some really crucial sources about biblical change,
- 0:08repentance, and how we should approach understanding God's
- 0:12Word. Yeah, we got this great stack of
- 0:15notes and research from one of our listeners, all focusing on
- 0:18these, well, really vital areas for Christian growth.
- 0:22Absolutely. So our mission today really is
- 0:25to unpack these sources for you. You want to pull out the key
- 0:28insights and, you know, try to make them clear and practical.
- 0:31We'll be looking at what it means to genuinely change,
- 0:34biblically speaking, and how real repentance works, and also
- 0:38why handling the Bible accurately is just so essential
- 0:41for all of this. Yeah, it seems the core aim
- 0:43looking at these sources is understanding what's needed to
- 0:46move away from a life, you know, driven mostly by feelings,
- 0:49right? Fleeting feelings.
- 0:50To one that's really guided by solid biblical principles,
- 0:53finding that firmer ground. That's a good way to put it.
- 0:55OK, so let's let's jump in the sources start with this really
- 0:59foundational idea that effective, lasting biblical
- 1:03change, well, it isn't just a single event.
- 1:05No, it's definitely presented as more of a continuous ongoing
- 1:09process, like growing up basically.
- 1:11In maturity in Christ. Exactly.
- 1:13Becoming a doer of the word, not just someone who hears it.
- 1:17The sources use this picture of sewing to the things of the
- 1:21Lord. OK, sewing.
- 1:23Yeah. And that image reminds you that
- 1:25growth takes effort, sustained effort over time.
- 1:30Like sowing and reaping, they don't happen at the same time.
- 1:33Right, different seasons. Different seasons.
- 1:35It takes patience and you have to keep at it.
- 1:37So definitely not a one and done kind of fix.
- 1:40It's something you're actively involved in throughout your
- 1:42life. And this change, according to
- 1:45these materials, it all starts with the Holy Spirit's work,
- 1:48right? Regeneration.
- 1:49Absolutely fundamental that spiritual rebirth is the
- 1:52starting point. When someone becomes a new
- 1:54creation in Christ through the Spirit, well, they're given the
- 1:57actual capacity, the ability to change.
- 2:00Change thoughts, words, actions. Yeah, in a way that just wasn't
- 2:03possible before. So the believer is now, you
- 2:06know, truly empowered to actively die to self.
- 2:08Putting aside selfish stuff. Right, those desires and agendas
- 2:12and instead focusing on serving God and serving others.
- 2:15And that serving is tied directly to obedience following
- 2:18garlic commands. Yes, living out this new
- 2:20identity means continually obeying God's commands, living
- 2:24by the guidelines in his Word. And it's not just for for like
- 2:27the religious parts of life. No, no, the sources are clear.
- 2:31This obedience is meant for every area of your life.
- 2:34OK, that sounds like it involves real deliberate choice conscious
- 2:38effort it. Absolutely does, yeah.
- 2:40And the sources frame this core dynamic of change using this two
- 2:44fold action. You have to actively put off the
- 2:48old pattern of sin. The old habits, the old ways of
- 2:51thinking. Right.
- 2:52The stuff that characterized life before Christ, or maybe
- 2:54still lingers. And at the same time, you have
- 2:57to actively put on the new practice of righteousness and
- 3:01holiness. Putting off and putting on and
- 3:03the sources link this dynamic directly to being renewed in the
- 3:06spirit of your mind. I think that's Ephesians 4.
- 3:09Yeah, Ephesians 4.17284 is huge here.
- 3:12It paints this really stark contrast between the old way,
- 3:15what Paul calls the Gentile way of walking, Living in the
- 3:18futility of your mind, darkened understanding, alienated from
- 3:22God's life because your heart is hard.
- 3:24Wow. Sounds bleak.
- 3:26It is. And people walking that way,
- 3:28Paul says, they become callous. They just let their feelings,
- 3:32their impulses, their perceived deeds dictate everything,
- 3:36leading to giving themselves up to sensuality, impurity, greed
- 3:40because, well, it feels good or seems necessary at the moment.
- 3:44And believers are told point blank to stop living like that.
- 3:48Exactly. The command is put off your old
- 3:50self, which belongs to that former way of life and is
- 3:54corrupted by deceitful desires. That's the putting off in the
- 3:57putting on is to put on the new self.
- 3:59This new self is created in God's likeness and true
- 4:01righteousness and holiness. And the engine for this, the
- 4:04power source, is being renewed in the spirit of your minds.
- 4:08Now that phrase be renewed, it sounds a bit passive.
- 4:12Is it just something that happens to us?
- 4:13Well, the sources suggest it's not purely passive, even with
- 4:16that verb structure. It involves, you know, actively
- 4:18cultivating desire to follow the Lord, stirring up your own
- 4:21heart, longing for God to work more in you.
- 4:24It definitely takes effort in pursuing godliness, actively
- 4:26cooperating with God as He renews your mind through His
- 4:29Spirit and His Word. So your mind, informed by God's
- 4:34truth, starts directing your actions.
- 4:36That's the goal instead of letting feelings or impulses run
- 4:39the show. That's a huge part of the shift
- 4:42from being feelings driven to being principle driven.
- 4:45Principles from God's Word, yes. So just to recap, biblical
- 4:49change starts with God's Spirit. It involves our ongoing effort
- 4:53putting off sin, putting on righteousness, and this effort
- 4:56is fueled and guided by a renewed mind that's actively
- 4:59engaging with God's truth. Yeah, that sums up the big
- 5:02pictures nicely. And the sources also really
- 5:04highlight how this involves cooperation between our effort
- 5:07and God's work in us. They point straight to
- 5:09Philippians 2.1213. Right.
- 5:11Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
- 5:14For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his
- 5:17good pleasure. OK, that work out your own
- 5:19salvation bit. Sometimes that sounds like we're
- 5:21supposed to earn it, you know? Which feels off grace wise.
- 5:24And the sources are really careful here.
- 5:27They stress that working out is absolutely not about working for
- 5:30salvation, like trying to earn God's favor.
- 5:33That's all Christ. So what does it mean?
- 5:36It means actively living out the salvation you've already
- 5:38received by grace. Our part is the working out the
- 5:42outward expression of the inward reality God has established.
- 5:46And God's part is right there too.
- 5:47He's the source of the desire and the ability.
- 5:50Exactly. He works in you both to will and
- 5:53to work. So God gives the desire at the
- 5:56inclination, the spiritual appetite, that's the to will
- 5:59part. And He also provides the
- 6:02ability, the spiritual strength, the actual capacity.
- 6:05It's the to work part to actually do what pleases Him.
- 6:08I like the analogy used in the sources.
- 6:10Building a Fort with a kid. Yeah, that's a helpful picture.
- 6:13Both the adult and the child are working right.
- 6:15Both have hands on the hammer. The child is really trying,
- 6:17making effort. Yet the strength, the strength,
- 6:19the skill, the guidance, the real know how comes mainly from
- 6:22the adult, in this case God. That makes it clear it's not all
- 6:26on us, which would be crushing, but we're not just passive
- 6:30either, which could lead to laziness.
- 6:31Exactly. And this fits perfectly with the
- 6:34new covenant reality. You know, the Holy Spirit living
- 6:37inside believers, empowering obedience in a way that just
- 6:40wasn't the norm under the Old covenant, right?
- 6:43It really underlines that we're saved by grace, yes, but we're
- 6:47also sanctified by grace. The whole process of growing in
- 6:50holiness is grace enabled. We rely on God's power every
- 6:54step. Grace from start to finish.
- 6:56OK, so this whole process involves putting off sin and
- 7:01putting on righteousness. Let's look at the putting off
- 7:03part first. The sources tie this directly to
- 7:06true repentance. Absolutely.
- 7:08Putting off those old sinful habits requires true repentance.
- 7:12And how do the sources define true repentance?
- 7:14It's more than just stopping bad behavior.
- 7:16Much more. It's fundamentally defined as
- 7:18turning to the Lord. It's a whole reorientation of
- 7:21your life toward God, a change of direction.
- 7:24A shift in heart allegiance. That's it.
- 7:26And this turning has to start with identifying specific sins.
- 7:30You need to examine your life honestly using God's Word as the
- 7:33mirror. Not just vague feelings of
- 7:35guilt, no, a deliberate look. And once you identify specific
- 7:38sins, the call is to truly repent, confess them, and
- 7:43actively put them aside and turn away.
- 7:45OK, And the sources breakdown true repentance into six key
- 7:49elements, drawing on theologians like Thomas Watson.
- 7:52Let's start with the first sight of sin.
- 7:56This is presented as absolutely crucial, the starting point.
- 8:01Without it, genuine repentance just can't happen.
- 8:04It means seeing your own sins specifically and seeing it
- 8:07before the Lord. Not just admitting everyone's a
- 8:10Sinner in general term. Exactly, and it's contrasted
- 8:12sharply with, say, comparing yourself to others.
- 8:15Well, I'm not as bad as that guy.
- 8:16Right. Or even worse, blaming others
- 8:18for your sin. The sources use that powerful
- 8:21example from Luke 18, the Pharisee and the tax collector.
- 8:23The Pharisee stands there, looks around, compares himself
- 8:26favorably to everyone else, even thanks God he's not like that
- 8:29center over there. The tax collector.
- 8:31His focus is horizontal. He sees sin in others.
- 8:34Primarily, yeah, but the tax collector, totally different.
- 8:37You won't even look up. Stands far off, head down, beats
- 8:40his chest, just says God be merciful to me, a Sinner.
- 8:44His focus is totally vertical. He sees himself as a Sinner
- 8:48before God. That's the true sight of sin.
- 8:50It definitely seems easier to spot the log in someone else's
- 8:53eye. Oh, much easier.
- 8:55And the sources connect this directly to Jesus's teaching.
- 8:58Take the log out of your own eye.
- 8:59First. Focus on what's obvious to you
- 9:01as an offense against God. And it also means not getting
- 9:04defensive when someone points out your sin.
- 9:07That's a huge implication if someone lovingly corrects you,
- 9:10the response isn't to immediately build walls or make
- 9:13excuses. It's to take it seriously, bring
- 9:15it before the Lord, and examine it honestly with His Word.
- 9:19That's tough, but necessary. OK, second element, sorrow for
- 9:22sin or godly grief. Yeah, true repentance definitely
- 9:25involves sorrow, but the sources are super careful based on 2nd
- 9:29Corinthians 7 to distinguish this as godly grief.
- 9:31Paul contrasts two kinds there, right?
- 9:33He does. Godly grief produces a
- 9:35repentance that leads to salvation without regret.
- 9:38And the other kind. Worldly grief which produces
- 9:41death. The difference is the source and
- 9:44the object of the sorrow. OK, explain that.
- 9:47Godly grief is sorrow specifically because your sin is
- 9:51a trespass against God. You're grieved because you've
- 9:55offended Him. So it's not just feeling bad
- 9:57because you got caught or because things went wrong or you
- 10:00feel generally guilty. Exactly.
- 10:02That's usually worldly grief driven by fear of consequences,
- 10:05shame of exposure, bruised ego, or just disappointment that the
- 10:09sin didn't pay off. But godly grief?
- 10:11Godly grief comes from loving God and recognizing you've
- 10:14wounded that relationship, offended His Holiness.
- 10:17You'd still be sorry even if there was 0 earthly
- 10:20consequences. Watson said something about that
- 10:21right grieving even without external pressures.
- 10:24Yeah, he argued, a truly repentant heart grieves over
- 10:27sins simply because it's against God.
- 10:29Even if there was no conscience breaking, no devil accusing, No
- 10:32Fear of hell, the offense against God himself is enough.
- 10:35Wow, so it stems from love for God?
- 10:37Yes, and the sources note that while the intensity of sorrow
- 10:40might vary a lot between people or situations, some measure of
- 10:44genuine sorrow is always there in true repentance.
- 10:48If there's no sorrow at all, that's a red flag.
- 10:50OK, sight, sorrow. The number 3 is confession of
- 10:54sin. A vital step, and it means
- 10:57fundamentally saying the same thing about your sin that God
- 11:00says. Comes from the Greek word
- 11:02homologio. Right to speak the same thing.
- 11:05You're aligning your view of your sin with God's view.
- 11:08And that means admitting it specifically, honestly, without
- 11:13excuses or blame shifting. Absolutely.
- 11:15The source is warned against those little phrases we use to
- 11:18dilute confession, like yeah, I was wrong, but if you hadn't or
- 11:23I know I shouldn't have done that, but the situation.
- 11:25Undermines the whole thing. Completely, it shifts the blame.
- 11:28True confession owns the sin. Fully, it's about bringing it
- 11:31out of the dark and into the light of the Lord.
- 11:33Where forgiveness is found like first John 1.9 says.
- 11:36If we confess he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse,
- 11:40confession is the doorway to that.
- 11:42The sources also bring in Ken Sandy's 7 aides of confession
- 11:45for when sin effects others. That seems practical.
- 11:47Very practical. They give concrete steps for
- 11:50confessing in a way that honors God and helps mend
- 11:53relationships. Can you walk us through them
- 11:54quickly? Sure, one address everybody
- 11:57involved. Don't just confess to one person
- 11:59if multiple were hurt. OK Two, avoid if but and maybe.
- 12:05No qualifiers, no excuses. Straight up.
- 12:07Three, admit specifically name the actual sin.
- 12:11Don't be vague like I messed up. Four, call sin sin.
- 12:17Use biblical terms, not minimizing language.
- 12:19If it was deceit, call it deceit.
- 12:21Important distinction. 5 Accept the consequences.
- 12:25Be willing to face the fallout of your actions.
- 12:28Even if the other person doesn't react perfectly right. 6 Alter
- 12:32your behavior. Show you genuinely intend to
- 12:34change. Repentance leads to change.
- 12:36Makes sense. And 7:00 Ask for forgiveness.
- 12:40This is distinct from just apologizing.
- 12:42How so? What's the difference they draw?
- 12:44An apology, according to these sources, is more about
- 12:46acknowledging the hurt caused its compassion.
- 12:49I'm sorry that what I did hurt you.
- 12:50Asking for forgiveness is specifically about the sin
- 12:54committed against the other person and seeking
- 12:57reconciliation for that offense. It's saying I sinned against you
- 13:00when I named the sin. Would you please forgive me?
- 13:03So apology focuses on the hurt, asking forgiveness focuses on
- 13:07the sin and restoring the relationship.
- 13:09That seems to be the distinction they're making, and that point
- 13:12about calling sin sin ties back into thinking spiritually.
- 13:16Right, using biblical language. Exactly.
- 13:18Thinking spiritually means seeing things from God's
- 13:20perspective, and a key part is labeling sin accurately.
- 13:23Like we mentioned, frustration might be anger.
- 13:26A white lie is deceit. Procrastination could be
- 13:29laziness or lack of self-control.
- 13:31OCD is a demand for control. May be rooted in fear or pride.
- 13:35Yeah, ODD is defiance. It's about being clear with
- 13:39yourself using God's terms. Instead of softer language that
- 13:42avoids moral responsibility. Right.
- 13:44And the power in that is once you name it biblically, you
- 13:47realize, oh, Christ died for this sin.
- 13:49There's a biblical solution because he dealt with it.
- 13:51So thinking spiritually clarifies what needs to be put
- 13:54off using God's vocabulary. Yes, it helps you honestly see
- 13:57what God wants you to address today.
- 13:59Just start with what you already know, the obvious log, OK?
- 14:03Moving to the 4th element of repentance, Shame for sin, yes.
- 14:07True repentance includes a genuine sense of shame over the
- 14:10sin itself. But this isn't like wallowing in
- 14:13toxic shame. Right, No, definitely not.
- 14:15The sources are careful here. It's not about taking on an
- 14:17identity of I'm garbage. It's more a a profound
- 14:23realization, a tinge of the actual ugliness and
- 14:26offensiveness of the action. And for Christians, it's tied to
- 14:30sinning against more light. Exactly.
- 14:32Watson points this out. Because we have God's Word, the
- 14:35Spirit, a clearer understanding of His love and holiness, our
- 14:39sin is, in a sense, more grievous.
- 14:42We're sinning against greater knowledge and privilege.
- 14:44So knowing God's truth makes our sin seem worse.
- 14:46It highlights its true nature. The prodigal son example in Luke
- 14:4915 is great here. How he confesses.
- 14:52Yeah, he doesn't just say oops, I messed up.
- 14:54He says, Father, I have sinned against heaven.
- 14:56That's vertical against God and before you, horizontal against
- 15:00his Father. I'm no longer worthy to be
- 15:02called your son. That shows profound shame,
- 15:05unworthiness before the one he offended.
- 15:08A real sense of having done wrong against someone.
- 15:11Yes, and here's the crucial gospel point the sources make.
- 15:14We can face this shame, acknowledge how bad our sin
- 15:18really is without being crushed. Why?
- 15:21Because Christ bore our. Shame.
- 15:23Exactly. He took the full weight of it on
- 15:24the cross. So we don't have to carry that
- 15:26crushing burden. Right.
- 15:27Without that truth, facing sins, shame either leads to despair,
- 15:31or we minimize the sin to make forgiveness feel easy, like it
- 15:34wasn't that big a deal. Which dishonors the cross.
- 15:36It does so, the sources say. We need to preach to ourselves.
- 15:39Christ paid for this shame that frees us to be honest about our
- 15:43sin. That's incredibly freeing.
- 15:44OK, Fifth Element hatred for sin.
- 15:46This flows naturally from the others.
- 15:48The sources say true repentance begins in the love of God and
- 15:51ends in the hatred of sin. Hating sin, not just avoiding it
- 15:55because it's forbidden, right? It's developing a deep internal
- 15:59aversion, A loathing for the sin itself, even the temptation or
- 16:03desire for. It why?
- 16:04What's the basis for that hatred?
- 16:06Because it's contrary to God's holy nature and will.
- 16:10Because it hinders our own pursuit of righteousness.
- 16:12Because it robs God of the glory He deserves.
- 16:15You compare the sin to God's love and holiness and you begin
- 16:17to abhor it. Like Romans 12.9 says, abhor
- 16:21what is evil. A really strong word Abhor.
- 16:24It is detest extreme repugnance. Someone who truly hates their
- 16:29sin isn't trying to hide it or manage it.
- 16:31They want it gone, eradicated. They desire help.
- 16:34They don't secretly enjoy it sometimes.
- 16:36No, the affection for it is being replaced by hatred.
- 16:39OK. And the final sixth element
- 16:42turning from sin. This is the action part, the
- 16:45outward proof of the inward change.
- 16:46It means becoming a doer of the word like James talks about.
- 16:49Not just hearing or feeling sorry.
- 16:51Exactly. It involves actively turning
- 16:53away from the sin, the patterns, the behaviors, and deliberately
- 16:56moving towards God's will as revealed in Scripture.
- 16:59Repentance isn't complete without this act of turning.
- 17:02So wow, true repentance is way deeper than just saying sorry.
- 17:07It involves seeing sin before God, godly grief, honest
- 17:11confession, appropriate shame covered by Christ, a growing
- 17:14hatred for sin, and actively turning away from it.
- 17:17Yes, it's a comprehensive God centered reorientation of the
- 17:21heart and life. Much more than just surface
- 17:24level behavior change. It gets down to the desires.
- 17:26Sorry, that covers the putting off through repentance.
- 17:28Now the other side, putting on the new practice of
- 17:31righteousness and holiness. The essential counterpart,
- 17:33Ephesians 4, again put off the old, put on the new self created
- 17:38in God's likeness and righteousness and holiness.
- 17:40And crucially, this is done in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- 17:43Not in our own strength. Never the same Spirit who
- 17:46regenerated us enables us to live this new life.
- 17:48What are the results, the outcomes when we actively put on
- 17:51righteousness? The sources mentioned several
- 17:53benefits. Yeah, some really profound ones.
- 17:561st and most importantly, you glorify God.
- 17:58You go public with His character.
- 18:00You make much of Him. Your life starts showing off His
- 18:04goodness, His truth, His beauty to others, your righteous
- 18:07actions testifying to His grace working in you.
- 18:10Your life reflects him. That's the aim.
- 18:12Second, you actually begin to enjoy God more deeply.
- 18:16How does that work? By obeying his commands, living
- 18:18His way, you find deeper delight in Him.
- 18:21First, John 5 says His commands are not burdensome, not because
- 18:25they're always easy, but because they align with how He designed
- 18:28us to live and flourish. Obeying God who knows what's
- 18:32best leads to enjoying Him more. Finding joy in his ways.
- 18:36Precisely Third, you begin to please God.
- 18:39The motivation shifts from pleasing yourself to pleasing
- 18:42Him. Instead of just chasing what
- 18:43feels good. Right, that's the contrast with
- 18:45the old feelings driven life. Now the focus is seeking His
- 18:49approval, His pleasure, above your own.
- 18:52A change in audience. Yes, and 4th, a really
- 18:55significant outcome is experiencing peace, a deep,
- 18:58settled peace that comes from living God's way with a clear
- 19:01conscience. Psalm 32 talks about the
- 19:04blessedness, the happiness of the person whose sin is
- 19:06forgiven. That includes this profound
- 19:08peace from being right with God and pursuing righteousness.
- 19:12Peace from a clean conscience, walking in his light.
- 19:15Exactly. And these positive outcomes,
- 19:18glorifying God, enjoying God, pleasing God, experiencing
- 19:22peace, they feed into what the sources call the upward spiral.
- 19:25OK, the upward spiral. Yeah, obedience leads to God's
- 19:29glory and your joy peace. That joy and peace then motivate
- 19:32more obedience, which leads to more glory for God and deeper
- 19:35joy for you. It's a positive feedback loop.
- 19:38Growing devotion and blessing. It is, and it's contrasted
- 19:41sharply with the downward spiral of disobedience, which looks
- 19:44like grieving the spirit, suffering consequences,
- 19:47experiencing shame and guilt or callously suppressing them,
- 19:50developing a hard heart, and spiraling into more
- 19:53disobedience. That contrast really highlights
- 19:55the stakes involved. So back to God's work in our
- 19:58part. Philippians 2 again.
- 20:00How does that dynamic play out specifically in this putting off
- 20:03putting? It underpins the whole thing.
- 20:05There's our necessary part. Work out your salvation.
- 20:08Actively. Live it out.
- 20:10That involves the effort of repentance and pursuing
- 20:13righteousness. But it's not independent effort.
- 20:16No, because it's immediately followed by God's essential
- 20:18part. For it is God who works in you
- 20:21both to will and to work. He's not just giving commands,
- 20:25He's actively providing the inner desire, the practical
- 20:29ability, the spiritual strength to actually do what pleases him.
- 20:34It's the Ford analogy again. We're swinging the hammer, but
- 20:37the real power and skill come from God working in US.
- 20:41It's all grace enabling our effort.
- 20:43Our effort is a response to His grace, not a way to earn it.
- 20:47Critically important distinction.
- 20:48It keeps the focus on His grace as the engine, preventing both
- 20:52pride and despair. OK, let's shift now to the
- 20:55practices that support all this change, especially how believers
- 20:58should think. The sources talk about thinking
- 21:01spiritually and thinking biblically.
- 21:02Let's start with thinking spiritually.
- 21:04Right thinking spiritually means developing a spiritual mindset,
- 21:07basically trying to see things from God's view of your
- 21:10situation. Whatever the situation is.
- 21:12Yeah, a struggle, a relationship issue, a decision.
- 21:15And practically, a big part of this is using biblical language
- 21:19to describe things accurately, especially sin.
- 21:22Like we talked about with confession calling anger anger,
- 21:25not just frustration. Exactly.
- 21:27Calling a white lie, deceit, procrastination as maybe
- 21:32laziness or lack of self-control.
- 21:35Seeing underlying issues like a demand for control in OCD or
- 21:39defiance in ODD from a spiritual lens.
- 21:42Using God's moral categories, not just psychological or
- 21:45softened term. Right.
- 21:47It's about radical honesty with yourself before God.
- 21:49Call sin sin, because again, once you name it biblically, you
- 21:53can connect it to the specific solution Christ provides.
- 21:56He died for that sin. So thinking spiritually
- 21:59clarifies what needs changing using God's terms, pointing you
- 22:03to God's solution. Yes, it helps you see what God's
- 22:05calling you to put off and put on today.
- 22:06Start with the obvious. And alongside thinking
- 22:09spiritually, there's thinking biblically.
- 22:11Which means actively engaging with God's Word, reading,
- 22:14studying, meditating, training your mind to grasp God's
- 22:18perspective revealed in Scripture, and learning to apply
- 22:21it accurately to all of life. Not just superficially.
- 22:23No, and this requires developing a good hermeneutic.
- 22:26Which is just a fancy word for. Sound principles for
- 22:29interpreting Scripture correctly.
- 22:31The sources suggest the OIA method is a helpful starting
- 22:34point observation interpretation application.
- 22:38OK, breakdown OIA observation first.
- 22:40Observation asks what does it actually say?
- 22:44It's the detective work, just noticing the details in the text
- 22:48itself. Like.
- 22:49Who wrote it to whom? What's their situation?
- 22:52Keywords, repeated phrases, commands, promises, main points.
- 22:57You're just looking closely at the text, maybe marking your
- 22:59Bible like shining a light on. It resisting the urge to jump to
- 23:02meaning immediately to see what's there, then
- 23:05interpretation. Interpretation asks what did it
- 23:08mean to them back then? Now you're seeking the author's
- 23:11intended meaning for the original audience.
- 23:13Context is king here. What kind of contact?
- 23:16Literary context, genre, history, poetry, letter,
- 23:19immediate context versus around it, doctrinal context?
- 23:22How does it fit broader Bible teaching?
- 23:24The purpose of the whole book using good tools helps hear
- 23:27commentaries online resources like blue letter Bible, logos.
- 23:31Asking the meaning question like a question mark.
- 23:33Exactly and then application. Application asks So what?
- 23:38How do I live this out? Right.
- 23:40Therefore, how must I behave or believe you think about how the
- 23:44original audience should have responded then.
- 23:47Does that principle apply universally to Christians today,
- 23:50or was it specific? How does the enduring principle
- 23:53apply to my life now? Is the arrow pointing to action?
- 23:56The sources also mention a slightly more detailed process
- 23:59from David Helm. Yes, it adds a step, starts with
- 24:01the original text. Step one ask what did it mean to
- 24:04them then that's exegesis, pulling out the original
- 24:07meaning, the heavy lifting as the sources say.
- 24:10Understanding the original context.
- 24:12Step 2. Theological reflection Ask how
- 24:15does this fit the bigger Bible story, the whole plan of
- 24:18redemption centered on Christ? Where does this passage sit in
- 24:22salvation history? Old Testament?
- 24:23New Testament? That shapes application.
- 24:26Seeing its place in the grand narrative.
- 24:28Step 3 Application Ask therefore, what does it mean for
- 24:33us and W based on the original meaning exegesis and its place
- 24:38in God's plan theology, now you can accurately apply the
- 24:42enduring truth to today. That process sounds really
- 24:45important for avoiding misinterpretation.
- 24:47Crucial and the source has warned strongly against wrong
- 24:50ways of handling the word that skip these steps.
- 24:52Like what? What are the common pitfalls?
- 24:54One big one is called cheap contextualization or
- 24:56impressionistic application, basically isogesis.
- 24:59Reading into the text. Exactly skipping the hard work
- 25:02of exegesis and theology and just jumping from the text to
- 25:05what it means to me today. Reading your own ideas or
- 25:07feelings into. It can you give an example from
- 25:09the sources? Sure, taking David's 5 stones
- 25:12against Goliath and saying they symbolize things like faith,
- 25:15trust, courage, etcetera. The sources say that has nothing
- 25:18to do with the text. It was just 5 stones.
- 25:21Or Jonah's boat representing life choices.
- 25:24Right. Treating the Bible like a book
- 25:25of symbols for your personal life, the sources warned.
- 25:28This can lead to serious trouble because you miss God's actual
- 25:31message. It sounds creative but
- 25:33dangerous. What else?
- 25:35Spiritualizing or dehistoricizing, especially with
- 25:39the Old Testament jumping straight from the text to a
- 25:42spiritual meaning or a link to the cross, ignoring the
- 25:45historical context or original meaning.
- 25:47Like applying dietary laws directly today?
- 25:49Yeah, without understanding their original purpose for
- 25:51Israel or how Christ fulfilled them.
- 25:54You missed the historical point by rushing to a spiritual one.
- 25:56And probably the most common one, taking verses out of
- 25:59context. Oh, absolutely widespread.
- 26:01Lifting a verse out of its surroundings and applying it
- 26:03personally without understanding the original situation or
- 26:06audience. The classic example uses
- 26:08Jeremiah 29.11. For I know the plans I have for
- 26:11you. Everyone knows that one often
- 26:12used for personal success, right?
- 26:14Like getting a job or healing. Exactly, but the sources break
- 26:17it down. What did it mean to them?
- 26:19Then Jeremiah wrote it to the Exiles in Babylon.
- 26:23It was a corporate promise to the nation of Israel.
- 26:25Not individuals. Not primarily individuals, and
- 26:29certainly not about immediate personal prosperity for every
- 26:31single person. It was a promise that God would
- 26:35bring the nation back after 70 years.
- 26:37It showed God's faithfulness to his covenant despite their sin.
- 26:41Many who heard it wouldn't live to see the return.
- 26:44Wow, so definitely not a personal guarantee of a good job
- 26:46tomorrow, no. Then theological reflection.
- 26:49How does it fit the big story? It shows God's faithfulness, his
- 26:53long term redemptive plan, preserving his people.
- 26:56It points ultimately to Christ who secures our true future and
- 26:59hope. OK.
- 27:00So what does it mean for us and now?
- 27:02The principle applies. God is faithful.
- 27:06He does have good plans for His people, plans for our ultimate
- 27:09welfare, our eternal future with Him through Christ.
- 27:12Our hope is secure in Him even amidst earthly trials.
- 27:16It's about trusting His character and ultimate plan, not
- 27:20demanding specific earthly outcomes based on that verse.
- 27:23Understanding the context totally changes how you apply
- 27:26it. It prevents turning it into a
- 27:27slogan for personal. Gain.
- 27:28Exactly. It grounds it in God's larger
- 27:30purposes. The source is really stress
- 27:32diligence here. Try hard to understand what the
- 27:35word objectively meant first, not just what it's objectively
- 27:39means to me. It's OK not to get it perfect
- 27:41immediately, especially with tough passages.
- 27:43Right, like Leviticus or parts of Revelation.
- 27:45But the goal is diligence, a hunger to know what God actually
- 27:49said using sound principles. And finally, alongside study,
- 27:52prayer is essential. Absolutely pray for humility,
- 27:55for the spirits help to understand, and for grace to
- 27:57apply it faithfully. It's that partnership, diligent
- 28:00study, and dependent prayer. That's where clarity and peace
- 28:03and growth happen. This has been really thorough.
- 28:05We've covered a lot. Change is ongoing, moving from
- 28:09feelings to principles, the deep elements of repentance for
- 28:12putting off. The necessity of putting on
- 28:15righteousness and its benefits. God's grace enabling our effort.
- 28:19And the vital practices of thinking spiritually and
- 28:22thinking biblically, especially handling Scripture carefully
- 28:25with good hermeneutics. Yeah, the sources really paint a
- 28:28rich, integrated picture of how God works in US and how we
- 28:31participate in becoming more like Christ.
- 28:34It's grace fueled but requires our thoughtful effort.
- 28:37Definitely shows the depth you find when you really dig into
- 28:40the sources. It gives a solid scriptural
- 28:42foundation for pursuing real change.
- 28:45So as we wrap up this deep dive, here's a final thought for you,
- 28:48our listener, to maybe reflect on.
- 28:49This week we talked about how true repentance includes hating
- 28:53sin because it offends a loving God, the God whose Son bore the
- 28:56shame of that sin. So thinking about that, is there
- 29:00a specific struggle in your life?
- 29:02Maybe something you usually just call a bad habit or a weakness
- 29:05that God might be inviting you to see differently?
- 29:07To see it not just as inconvenient or unhelpful, but
- 29:11as something to genuinely hate because of how it dishonors him,
- 29:14how it fights against his desire for your holiness, how it
- 29:17hinders your own growth. And how might cultivating that
- 29:20kind of God centered hatred for the sin fuel a deeper, grace
- 29:24empowered desire to turn from it with His help?
- 29:27That's a searching thought to take to the Lord in prayer as
- 29:29you keep engaging with His Word. Absolutely.
- 29:32Well, thank you for joining us for this deep dive into these
- 29:34important sources.