Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P443 (5-24-19)
Julie called to ask if living with someone outside marriage is wrong. Bob said it is sin and explained the simple gospel message. She was making excuses for her behavior and Bob was firm with truth, extending grace, but firmly instructing her to make right choices. Chip called to simply thank Bob for his teaching on the finality of the cross, the reality of the resurrection and the New Covenant of grace. Chip had spent much time living in the flesh, being condemned when reading scriptures, until he was able to grasp such truth. Katie called, with great emotional pain, for her husband left her. Bob encouraged her and reminded her to think truthfully, take every thought captive, trust God for tomorrow and live day by day, continually giving thanks to God in all things. He further instructed her on living by the Spirit. Bob instructed her to trust the Lord to provide your needs, particularly unconditional love and acceptance, which you cannot receive from a spouse. Bob explained that the root cause of divorce is demanding such things from a spouse they cannot meet. Larry called for Bob to explain the seemingly disconnect between Romans 2:13 and Romans 3:20. Bob read several passages from Romans to explain the meaning in its context. The wages of sin is death and no one can completely obey the law except Christ. So everyone will face the consequences of sin, which is death, unless they come to Christ by faith. No one will be declared righteous by observing the law.
Julie from Springfield, Oregon
Julie called to ask about living with someone outside of marriage. She says she believes she knows the answer to it. A woman who is living with someone else outside of marriage, and what are your views on it? And why are counselors so quiet about that? Julie, at first shares as if she was talking about some person in general but then admits that she is a woman who is living with someone outside of marriage and even that she has left and come back into that situation several times. She later confesses that her boyfriend says he loves Jesus and God but hates to talk about God. So in addition to fornication, she is unequally yoked with an unbeliever. She also is rationalizing her behavior. Bob confronts her with the truth, calling out her behavior for what it really is, sin. He does so in a matter of gentleness, yet firm with truth, with the intention to restore her to right living, where she can experience the peace and joy with God.
Marriage a Matter of Identification
Bob warns about denying calling something is sin when God clearly says it is. She then agreed with Bob that the behavior she is doing is sin. But seeking to justify her behavior, she provides more information about her circumstances, such as being homeless. Bob did not give into her one moment. He remained gracious yet firm with truth. He instructed her to make the right choices in life, reminding her that she is in this situation because of wrong choices. Then, to respond to her excuses or fears of homelessness, he informed her that there are always other options. To help her to be willing to make right choices, he asked her: “Are you happy with your choices? Is what you are doing working for you?” Obviously she knows the answer to those questions or she would not be calling, willing to express her difficult situation. He reminds her that all sin has been placed on Jesus Christ and tells her that God wants her to be happy. But one cannot be happy living in sin. God is interested in you having peace and joy.
Bob tells her that when you are dealing with issues that are sin, then it is not a matter of someone’s view on it, but what the word of God says it is. Living with someone outside of marriage is fornication and God calls it sin. That is the truth of the matter.
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.
Also the truth of the matter is that the sin you are talking about was placed on Jesus Christ 2000 years ago at the cross, so him who knew no sin became sin for you, so that in the resurrection of Christ you can become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
You never want to get to the point of denying what God says is true, that is calling what is bad good and what is good bad. Living together is not shacking up, not just saving expenses. Living together is sin. You call it what it is and then you just thank him for taking that sin away never to be seen again in the eyes of God so that you can walk in the newness of life.
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
God did not die for us just so that all are sins are forgiven but so that we walk in the newness of life, with the fruit of the Spirit, that he produces in you as you are willing to yield yourself to His control.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Julie, have you come to the point where you have come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Julie said she asked Jesus into her heart a long time ago. Julie then started rationalizing her sinful behavior by saying that following Jesus is very hard for her. She says that she just make choices that come, claiming there are no other options. Bob replied there are always other choices and told her that what she said is a cop out. Are you really happy with this arrangement? Don’t tell me you are happy for there is no way to be happy in that, living in sin willfully knowing it is wrong. God tells us not to do that because He wants the best for us. God wants us to have peace and joy and love and patience and kindness and goodness. All those things get hampered when you choose to willfully sin, choosing to sin when you know it is wrong. God want the best for you. Recognize that fact and get out of it.
This is not doing any good for you or for the guy. He is probably feeling guilty as well. The two of you get together and agree to quit this. Does your boyfriend know the Lord? Julie replied, “He says he knows Jesus and God but he gets upset when I talk about God.” He is not saved then. No one is saved who gets angry talking about God. On top of fornication, you are also unequally yoked with a non-believer.
2 Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
You need to get out of that relationship. You do not have to make a massive blow up over it. Just say, “I cannot continue to live this way, it is not good for me and it is not good for you, and we have to cut this off”. Just like Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, to go and sin no more. God is also telling you the same thing. Julie then said, “Will you remember me in prayer to do what I have to do?” Absolutely.
Bob then continued giving her needed instruction. You need to find a way to make a living. Julie, still trying to rationalize her behavior says, “But for the grace of God go I. In my church, one of the main reasons, I do these things is they tell you to take off, leave and don’t come back.” Julie then share that she keeps leaving and coming back to this man. She says she is living in a mission and that there is no alternative. Julie also said she has been homeless.
Julie is making excuses so Bob got more firm with her. The issue to me is this. There are places that take care of people who are homeless. What you have been believing and doing has not been working for you, has it? You have to realize that whatever you are doing is not working. What you believe is why you are living this way. The choices you have made are not correct. There are correct choices and there are ways to get jobs. If you are alcoholic, then that has to come under the control of the Holy Spirit sooner or later in your life. You are a by product of your belief system and your choices. Do you want to continue living as if your decisions are okay? Do you want to continue thinking that you are just living under those circumstances? Or do you want to change your way of thinking? You have to make up your mind that what you have been thinking and believing has not been working. You have to decide that you are going to change the way you have been thinking. You have to decide that you are going to get work and be a diligent worker, to work as unto the Lord and not unto men. There are shelters out there. I do not know if a pastor said to you not to come back to church, and if so, then that should not be said. For a church is a place for people like you. You have to go and get work. Be a waitress or whatever it might be. I hope this has helped you. If you need more help, then get back in touch with us.
Romans 6:6
Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin;
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
Chip from Richmond, VA
He started listening back in 1993. He came to know Christ four years before that. He said he did not understand the New Covenant. He studied sermon on the mount and it utterly condemned him, and said he walked into a double minded person. Then he learned about the finality of the cross and the reality of the resurrection. After all those bible verses he memorized made sense to him now. He cannot thank Bob enough for teaching all those years.
People ask, “Is scripture memory good? Bob says, “It depends.” To know what it means you must know it in its context. Memorizing scripture can be good or can be bad. It has to be understand and read in context. Once you read context of scriptures you memorized then it started falling in place for you.
Katie from San Francisco, CA
Katie, called and it very evident in her voice she is in great emotional pain. After 2 years of marriage, her husband left her and she still has had no contact with him. She has a longing in her heart for her marriage to be restored. Bob reminded her that the future is God’s territory. She indicated she was trying to think positively. But Bob instructed her that truthful thinking is really what you need to think because in positive thinking you incorrectly think you have control over the future and you do not. The truth is we can only thank God for what we have today for we have no knowledge of the future unless scripture informs us about such things. The source of anxiety that one feels is when one dwells on the future, and usually when we do it is bad things we are pondering over. Katie then asked how does one go about thinking truthfully. Bob shared that we live by day and the key is recognizing the source of such thoughts, that the enemy, Satan, can put such thought before our minds. So it is not a matter of what you are listening to as much as who we are listening to.
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
When we have truth from God’s word, clear instruction on what the Lord guides us to do, then we focus on those things that are true.
Does it not seem the Lord is far away ye we know he is with the brokenhearted. So then, knowing he is near, living in you, with an attitude of thanksgiving, for what we do have today, we make our requests known to God. And what does God promise to do for us? That is how our hearts and minds are guarded!
Philippians 4:5-9
The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Julie was doing a lot of thinking about her role in her marriage, how she fell short, and not at home, and what role of a woman is in marriage, and role of a man. She asked Bob what scriptures there are about marriage that could help her. Bob indicated that there are a lot of marriage studies but such studies are really man’s opinion on the matter. Bob stated that there really is not much in scripture in regards to marriage, and he made reference to three scriptures on marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14 to not be unequally yoked, Genesis 2:24 on God’s institution of marriage, and Ephesians 5:22-24 where husband is to love his wife and the wife is to submit to her husband), and that is all there really is in scripture on marriage. He summarized by saying what he concludes about the root cause of marriage. A spouse is trying to get a need met that only Jesus can meet, such as unconditional love and acceptance, through their spouse, draining their spouse and putting burden on spouse in meeting a need they could never meet. As people, living by the Spirit, we simply make our bodies available to the Lord, to love and serve one another, as the Spirit leads. A spouse cannot give you meaning and purpose, only the Lord can do that. After sharing all this, Bob extended an offer to help restore her marriage, if her husband was willing. He offered both her and her husband to listen to a tape series on marriage.
Larry from Balk Spring, Texas
Larry called to ask what the seeming disconnect between Romans 2:13 and Romans 3:20.
Romans 2:13
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
There is really no conflict between the two. You have to read those verses in context to know what Paul is saying.
Romans 2:12
All who sin apart from the law [the Gentiles] will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law [the Jews] will be judged by the law.
In other words, there is no one who escapes the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). What he is essentially saying is that the consequences of sin is death, whether Jew or Gentile, whether under the law or not under the law, and every man knows right from wrong. Now, he is talking about the Jew when he says it is not only those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law. Those who obey the law will be declared righteous. Now, has anyone ever obeyed the law? No.
Romans 3:20
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
If there was a way to be declared righteous, it would be through complete obedience to the law and nobody has done that except Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:21
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
