Tape Talk
by Tandy Coatney

TAPE REVIEW: As He Is, So Are We by Norman Grubb

"I quost unslkt x*sh shdkfit Pat’s house lksdth pd skhdrot wshdke sleep." So begins Norman Grubb’s tape on the first letter of John. Actually, it’s really not that garbled. Though I must admit that when I first started listening, I wondered if I would be able to understand enough to get anything out of it. But as my ears quickly got accustomed to Norman’s accent and manner of speaking, I found that the gems he had to offer from First John were easily mined.

First, let me say that this tape is not a verse-by-verse exegesis. Rather, Norman goes chapter by chapter, presenting main thrusts and especially illuminating how John is constantly confirming us in who we are in Christ. According to Norman, John provides the capstone to who we are. Although Jesus says who we are, He doesn’t tell us how to get there. (He couldn’t bring us there yet because there hadn’t yet been a calvary/resurrection.) He just says you are: "You are the light of the world." "You are the salt of the earth." "You do love your enemy as yourself." Then Paul tells us how we become what we are.

But John is the one who gives us the confirmation of our union with Christ. As Norman sums it up, "Jesus laid the foundation; Paul built the building; John puts the roof on." So the rest of the tape is from John’s "roof-top" perspective: "As He is, so are we…." (1 John 4:7)

Most of the teaching we usually hear, Norman says, talks about our being in Christ: "`In’ gives you a way out: Christ in an inconsistent me. Christ, yes-but don’t expect too much of me." But John uses "as," which Norman explains is an awkward word because it levels us up with Christ. Norman then goes on to examine the basis from which John is able to say "as." Powerful!

As Norman hits the highlights of each chapter, the magnificent depth of John’s understanding of our union with Christ is clearly brought to light. He calls chapter one the "honest" chapter-"If you walk in darkness, SAY SO." And then he goes on to elaborate on conscious and unconscious sins (a place of much murky understanding for many) and Satan’s role in temptation and sin. But Norman is quick to say that we don’t live there, as is introduced in the second chapter: "I am writing these things to you that you may not sin." As Norman says, "Sin is rare; temptation is continuous."

Next, Norman touches on destroying the works of the devil in chapter three, the real nature of love in chapter four, and finally in chapter five, faith built on doubt. He concludes with a wonderful segment on how our very questioning puts passion into our faith. It’s worth listening to the tape just to hear how Norman develops that one point.

Ah! I almost forgot to mention the bonus that comes with this tape. At the conclusion, there is a lively twenty-five minute discussion involving members of the audience. The discussion centers on some of the more difficult (and interesting!) passages in First John. In fact, some of the keenest points of the entire tape are found here at the end. Do you know what to do when you find yourself in unbelief? You’ll hear one of the clearest presentations of the solution you’d ever want to hear right at the end of the tape.

I guarantee that you’ll find the spontaneous hack-and-forth quite stimulating and edifying-"iron sharpening iron." You’ll feel yourself a part of the discussion and caught up in the drive to more "rightly divide the word of truth." If you’ve never listened to Norman on tape before, this is an excellent place to start. And if you’re already a listener, you won’t be disappointed.