Classic Christianity – Call-In Bob George p398 (12-07-18)
Bob George answers calls from various listeners, proving clarification of scriptures with practical insight from God’s word. The callers today asked Bob to clarify the understanding of certain passages of scriptures. One person asked if a person could ever be blotted out of the book of life in reference to a passage of scripture in Revelation 3. Another person was bothered about what she perceived as a war between good and evil that if people go to hell then would that not indicate God lost the war? Bob addressed the person by redirecting her away from thinking in terms of winning and losing. God is not in a competition with Satan. Instead he encouraged her to ponder over the fact of how God chose to create man with a free will. Because of that choice of design, man can choose to come to Christ by faith or reject him. Many indeed will reject him but that is by a choice. For the heart and desire of God is that none should perish but all come to faith in him for eternal to be with God forever. Another person was all bogged down into details of an Old Testament passage concerning Esau in the book of Obadiah. Bob refocused the person’s attention on the New Covenant we are living in and to not get bogged down in over-spiritualizing things. In particular, do not focus so much on those things pertaining to an Old Covenant agreement God had with the Jews under an Old Covenant that does not even apply to you today. Another person asked why some churches use the word Easter and would it not be better to use Resurrection Sunday. Bob responded by saying that although there is certainly more clarity to use the term with more clarity of meaning it is most important one understands the correct meaning of scripture, that is, the necessity of Christ’s resurrection for our salvation, than what word one uses. Nevertheless, as a pastor leading people, the people meeting together with him, only use the word Resurrection Sunday, since that truly has more clarity of meaning and in line with what is in the scriptures. Another person asked about the false teaching of men like Kenneth Copeland, who twist the scriptures into teaching a prosperity gospel. He asked for further clarification from scriptures and insight to address such error for he wanted people to come out of deception and come to faith in the true gospel. Bob shared insight from 1 Timothy 6:3 and 1 Timothy 6:10. Another person asked for clarification on the meaning of the obedience Paul is talking about in Romans 1:5 and Romans 6:26. Bob answered by saying the obedience is referring to the obedience to the gospel, the order is always faith in Christ first, initiated by God where man responds in faith, and as a result of such faith, man can be obedient to the teachings contained in Christ’s work. The only think that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Caller 1
Revelation 3:4-6
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The scripture means exactly what it says. God will never blot someone out of the book of life once he is born again spiritually. A person is added to the book of life when he is born again, and at that moment and forever, has eternal life.
Who is in book of life? Only those saved by faith. No one else is in the book of life, such as those thinking they are justified by works. And once in the book of life, there is no way to be taken out of the book of life. Bob made reference to a more detailed explanation of a book he had written, although he never referenced the name of the book. Nevertheless, all believers are encouraged to diligently study the scriptures on this.
God is writing these things to encourage believers. Would that be an encouraging statement to you?
So when God writes that he who overcomes will not be blotted out, what is he really saying. Ponder over this scripture for further clarification.
1 John 5:5
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Who is it that overcomes? Only he who puts his faith in Jesus Christ.
So, then God says I will write your name, those who put their faith in Christ, in the book of life, never to be blotted out. He is reassuring you and me that this is true, showing who is there in heaven and who is not. If you are not in the book of life, then nothing to be blotted out for you were never put into the book in the first place.
A person who is born again is an overcomer by his faith. You who put your faith in Christ have overcome the consequences of sin, which is death.
God also makes this promise to those who believe.
John 10:27-30
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Hebrews 13:5
because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Caller 2 : Sandiago
Sandiago was sharing some thoughts from the book of Obadiah, and was getting bogged down into details. What he was sharing seemed of little or no practical value or relevance to living today by the Spirit of God. Bob immediately addressed him by telling him not to try to spiritualize things.
Live where you belong in the New Testament. Those stories are to Israel under an Old Covenant. We do not live under law anymore. We live under the grace of God, under a New Covenant. Believers in Christ are called to be ministers of a new covenant that brings life.
Discussion on what is important today. Israel is God’s country and He is coming back. Jews in conflict with militant Muslims will continue to occur until the people in that religion en-mass are able to say we no longer want to live by hate, no longer want to kill Jews. Until that happens there will never be peace in that world.
Caller 3 : Lonnie
Why does the church choose to keep the Babylonian fertility God, Ishtar, or Easter, for Passover? Why not just use resurrection Sunday. Bob said that people say Easter because they are used to hearing that name but in our congregation we use resurrection Sunday. Why the church grabbed hold of it Bob does not know. There has been several research articles posted on social media about the origin of Easter and interested people can look that up. Nevertheless, Bob said that if we start calling things what God calls them than what the church calls them, that would certainly bring more clarity. Bob says he does not worry about it so much as to instruct people to understand the meaning of it, irregardless of what they call it. It is more important people understand the meaning of the resurrection, why Jesus rose from the dead and the gift the Holy Spirit He now offers now that he has risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God. If there is no resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, then we are to be pitied of all men. One cannot be saved without the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:18-20
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Caller 4
She calls to explain that believers are in a war – God v Satan – and that the path to heaven is narrow and the path to hell is wide. In the end, more people go to hell than heaven. Does that mean God does not win war? Bob redirected her understanding to not think about winning and losing but on God’s design in creation and the free will God gave to man and the heart of God that He is not willing anyone should perish.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God created man to have a free will. There is a gamble connected with that design of creation, giving man free will. This is not a win-lose situation. Have you ever played a game to have fun rather than with attitude of just to win all the time. Man has a right to either accept or reject Christ. Get the win out of your vocabulary when it comes to God’s design and plan of salvation for man. In this context, in the bible, you will not see anything about winning. It is not there. We are not in a ball game, as if God is in a competition. It is not a win-lose situation but an offer of salvation. Good if want to go to Rangers game but nothing to do with God. It is not a competition as if God is fighting against Satan to win. There is no competition with God. Choose to accept the truth for salvation is the issue and context. Faith in Christ alone is the way to eternal life. Accept both: about what God says about me and then his offer of life. If someone does not accept what God says about himself, that he is spiritually dead in sin with the consequence of death, why would he accept an offer of salvation from death unto life? Jesus takes away sin (the death issue), and was raised from the dead to give life to man (the life issue). If someone does not want to go to Jesus for life and would rather rebel against Him then he will not be with Christ and will remain separated from God forever.
Caller 5 : Kevin
Kevin talked about a preacher who was teaching false things. He was teaching people that they have the blessing of Abraham, and that as children of Abraham, they are entitled to same thing Abraham had, prosperity and wealth. Such twisting of the scripture is really a different gospel and preaching prosperity and wealth. Expounding from teaching of the bible and not what someone says is vitally important. It is an insult to call such a teacher an evangelist. Televangelist probably a better word. Bob exposed this error of teaching by explaining the meaning of 1 Timothy 6, with particular focus on verses 3 and 10.
1 Timothy 6:3
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Does scripture teach us all to be prosperous? Then seems to me the Apostles missed it.
2 Timothy 4:13
13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
Even Paul was in need of a coat, and certainly not wealthy. He certainly did not preach prosperity. Shipwrecked, often hungry and without food. This is what he taught about a secret of contentment he learned.
Philippians 4:11-13
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Anybody who teaches godliness as a means to financial gain is a man the bible says is robbed of truth, having a corrupt mind, and conceited. Leave such false churches with false teaching! Such men understand nothing. Yet man listens by the thousands, thinking they are wonderful. How is it that when someone is slain in the spirit will always fall into those with the gift of catching? They are a teaching a different gospel. Accursed is everyone preaching a different gospel. So they are also cursed.
Galatians 1:6-10
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Such men have pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Any form of that teaching, a prosperity gospel or being slain in the spirit, comes from a heart of a man that the bible says is corrupt. If he is corrupt, why would I listen to anything he would say?
There are people who teach that Jesus did not complete the work on the cross, that he had to die and go to hell for three days and be reborn.” What heretical teaching and contrary to truth in God’ word! Yet people will exclaim “Oh, he is a man of God” when you try to confront the error of a man held in high regard among men, but not by the Lord. Kenneth Copeland is one such teacher that teaches so much nonsense yet many will sit and listen under his teaching! Look into his eyes and tell me he is a man controlled by God. Then he most certainly has discernment different than mine.
Why are people sitting around trying to get prosperity. If you work to do something, then you must strive to get it. Then once you get it, then you strive to keep it. Does God want us striving or resting? Resting of course in His finished work, teaching us the secret of contentment in Him. Put money in the proper perspective. If striving for money, then must have some love for it. Not striving to support family but striving to get money. Always put your trust in the word of God over the words of men. How will one know if the words of men are contrary to truth unless you also are in the scriptures discerning the meaning of God’s word? And if someone is not in Christ, how then can he discern the things of God? No one can until they are born again spiritually. Such is the deception that ensnares men!
Caller 6 : Leslie
Leslie raised this question. “There is a lot talk about salvation by faith. But in Romans one reads about obedience to faith. What is this obedience Paul is speaking of?”
She specifically referenced Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:26.
Romans 1:5
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
Romans 16:26
26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from[a] faith—
The obedience Paul is referring to is to obey the gospel. Until someone comes to Christ in order to obey the gospel he will never be saved.
All obedience comes from faith. The by-product of faith is works of obedience but not saved by works. Obedience comes from faith. The love of God that results in dependence on God that then results in obedience to God, and in that order, is what Paul is explaining.
Come to God’s love because He loved us first. Jesus initiates.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God so loved you He gave His only Son. He came down with a solution to the problem of death. He came to die and to rise again so as to give life to men who will but put their trust in Him.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We respond to that love that results in dependence upon God that results in obedience to God. We are called to belong to Jesus.
What is the work of ministry? To believe in Christ!
John 6:29
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Paul said only thing counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Without love, there is nothing we have God is interested in. So it is in the obedience to the gospel that is of utmost importance. Until obedient to the gospel, how then can you be obedient to the teachings contained in Christ’s work. These passages are dealing with the gospel, which is salvation.
When someone is spiritually dead, they are without hope and without God. Until the love of God is poured into your heart, you have nothing that you can come to God that he should accept you based on works. But God demonstrated His love and initiated in bringing that love to you. He died while you were yet a sinner. Once a person recognizes their utter sinfulness, being spiritually dead already, then they will not see their need to come to Jesus Christ for life. When Jesus died on the cross he took away sin, having paid its penalty which is death, and to never die again. He paid an eternal price once and for all, for all sin for all people for all time. Now that sin is taken out of the way, he rose from the dead so as to offer His life, eternal life, to dwell in men by the Holy Spirit of life he offers. So someone is saved by the life of Christ, by accepting His gift of life and is then born again in that moment of belief. When someone is born again, the very Spirit of Jesus Christ, pure love and holiness, dwells in you, so that he produces the work you never had in you, the work of love. The work that is summed up in loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on that, and only Jesus Christ is the one who is that love, for God is love, yet Jesus lived as a man to show total dependence of God the Father for us. Indeed, to love even as Christ has loved you is a work of God, a fruit of the Spirit, as one is connected to Christ, the head of the church, allowing Him to work in you and through you.
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