Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P416 (2-21-19)
Rick form Corpus Christi, TX
Rick thanked Bob for the teaching he heard that freed him from the law. He said he used to live by the law but found out it brought death. Bob encouraged him and reiterated what has been written in the scriptures concerning the testimony of the apostle Paul.
Romans 7:9-11
9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
Rick then asked a question concerning baptism and its relationship to salvation. He was reading somewhere, where it is written, “What must we do to be baptized? ” thinking that is what Paul had said.
What Must I do to be Saved?
Now, Bob said that comes from the book of Acts, and we do not get doctrine from there. But we do know what Paul said in regards to baptism, and it is not in Acts. In Acts, the jailer actually asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
Acts 16:30
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Now this is what Paul said to the believers in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 1:14-17
14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Now if baptism is in the gospel, could Paul make such statement that he thanks God he did not baptize anyone? There is no baptism in the gospel. The gospel is centered around the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
Then Paul specifically says, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel”. Paul also did not preach the gospel with human wisdom. Salvation plus baptism is human wisdom. The cross of Christ is contrary to human wisdom, being foolishness to those who are perishing.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
If you add something to Jesus, you empty Christ of his power.
Now, in regards to John’s baptism, Bob provides more information for Rick to ponder
Mark 1:4
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In the Greek, “eis” is the word used that is translated to “for” in English. What it really means is “because of” or in “in reference to”. What John the Baptist preached was in preparation for the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Rick shared about the church he is attending and shared how so much emphasis put on baptism makes you feel like you are not saved or that not did not receive their gift. Bob said that he could probably name the denomination he goes to but it is probably so full of legalism that baptism is so minor of an issue in comparison. The real issue is they believe you must be baptized in their waters by their pastor in their church. It is has the ingredients of what cults teach. Bob says that the church has the markings of cultist teaching but he is not saying that everything they are teaching is cultist. Cultist teaching says if you do not belong to my group then you are lost.
Church is people who have accepted by faith, that they are a sinner, lost, agreeing that none is righteous, no not one (Romans is an excellent book that delves into this quite thoroughly). We come recognizing I have nothing in me worthy of standing in the acceptance of Jesus. When you become born again, then you realize you are not saved by being sprinkled or dunked in water.
1 Peter 3:21
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
1 Peter symbolizes something that now saves. How can a symbol save you? It can’t. Baptist that saves you is the baptism of the Holy Spirit coming to live within you and placing you in the body of Christ. Yet people use baptism as a way to control people, to get them to join their church, and not necessarily as just a symbol for salvation.
Chad from New Orleans, LA
Chad relayed a conversation his wife had with her friend who said that someone can lose their salvation. His wife’s friend based her response from a misunderstanding of a passage in Revelation 3:16 about God spewing you out of his mouth.
Revelation 3:16
16 So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
It is not in character of Christ to say in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”, and then deny that in the end in Revelation.
The apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, also said this.
1 John 5:12
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
In Revelation the angel is speaking to denominational heads. You can associate a denomination to anyone of those seven churches in Revelation and would match perfectly. There are leaders of these denominations that are neither hot nor cold and God says He will spew them out. There are denominations today I wished he already spewed out. There are denominations that elect bishops who are homosexuals and alcoholics. There are denominations that are flooded with homosexual behavior as part of the priest. Nothing to do with salvation but leadership. Why would God stand aloof, seeing those who once stood firm in truth, to now be misled by new leadership who are leading people into a pit of eternal destruction?
People who say such things, that you can lose your salvation, think they can earn it. For if you can earn then you can also lose it. But if granted salvation by grace, and God is not going to take it way, then you cannot lose it and you have eternal security.
Anyone who claims you can lose salvation think they know what salvation is but they do not know what it is. Salvation is being saved from the consequences of sin, which is death, by the gift of God, which is life.
Colossians 2:13-14
3 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
We are not saved by the cross but we are saved by the resurrection. We could not be saved eternally unless the eternal cause of death, which is sin, is taken away. Jesus took away the cause of spiritual death, which is sin, when he shed his blood on the cross. He took away the sins of the world never to be seen again in the eyes of God. Not because of anything I have done but because of what he has done when he took sin away. There is nothing that can cause me to experience death is the reason I believe in eternal security. Man is free to come to God to receive this life, which is offered when he rose from the dead, having taken away the cause of death, which is sin.
Chad also discussed his struggle in finding a place of believers to be with. Sadly, too many churches teach things that are simply not true. To find a place that teaches truth from one end to the other is not easy to find. People say you should get to a church but then those same people have a false concept of church. And when you leave several churches because those churches are not really assembling in Spirit and in truth, then you often hear a strong reproof or correction from this scripture, twisting the intent of the scripture.
Hebrews 10:25
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Church is not a building with stained glasses and an organ. When it says do not forsake the assembling together, that could be in a coffee shop somewhere. Church is people not a building. To find like-minded believers to be with is what assembling together is about.
Marsha from Argentine, MI
Her friend and her friend’s husband are Catholic. Sadly, her friend’s husband shot himself. In her conversation with her friend, she asked what religion she is and her husband. She said Catholic to both. Marsha asked her, “Did you or your husband ever accept Christ as your Lord and savior?” Her friend said no to both and said she likes Mary. Marsha said she likes Mary too but also told her that you have the right to go straight to God. Marsha appealed to her that she must accept Jesus. Her friend did not seem to be paying attention. Marsha shared all this to ask Bob, “Did I do the right thing and say the right thing?”
You did what you said and have to leave that there. Sharing Christ is sharing Him and leaving the results to God. There is no right or wrong way. The timing at times is important with people. If a person says he does not have time to do something, then I honor that. But I try to set an appointment with them, to take them to lunch or whatever it might be, where you can have time to communicate with what you want to communicate with them. Appointment evangelism is what Bob calls it. You felt you did what you did, sharing Christ, so leave the results with Him. Keep praying and loving her, sharing truth as she is willing to listen. She has got a friend like you.
Jeff from Detroit, MI
Jeff had a question on the topic of judging other people from Matthew 7:1. Is the concept of judging other people to keep our opinions to yourself?
You can judge motives of a person and that is what judgment is. If I hit you in the face, then you are not judging that I hit you in the face. You could say the reason Bob hit you in the face is because he is jealous of you, does not like you, or wants your money. So you are not judging by what they are doing but by the motives behind what they are doing. Bob read the entire context of the scripture.
Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Judging is dealing with a person when you are doing the same things. People preaching evils of child abuse when they, as priests or pastors, are doing those things themselves. Catholic church is going through tremendous amount of hypocrisy teaching morality but then doing all kinds of homosexual activity behind closed doors. Lots of that type of thing going on. Issue is don’t judge a person’s motives. You can judge his actions but not his motives. I can judge a person in teaching things contrary to the interpretation of scripture but not beyond that point.
James from San Diego, CA
Free will giving versus the tithe. Where is the scripture to learn proper discernment on that. What is the difference between the two? And what should be practiced today?
The tithe is never mentioned in the New Covenant. That should be a clue that it is not in effect for today. The tithe was used to support the Levitical priesthood. There were twelve tribes and one, the Levites, were the priests. Priests were prohibited from getting a living except by the tithes of the other eleven. The tithes was not money, but food. Food was kept in barns where the leftovers was given to the poor. The Levitical priest was prohibited from making a living. Why? For in the Old Covenant, there job was to serve in the temple, to support the sacrificing of bulls and goats to temporarily cover sin. If people today teach the tithe, then why don’t they live like a Levite. But they don’t want that. They want to live in big homes and drive around in a Cadillac. In New Covenant, there was a change in the priesthood, and when there is a change in priesthood, there is a change in the law. We are not under the Levites, indeed Gentiles never were but only the Jews, but now we are under the priesthood of Jesus Christ and the law is changed. The law is not the ten commandments. The laws are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. In these two laws hang all the law and the prophets. We live under a new law and a new priest. That is why tithing is never mentioned in the New Testament.
In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul devotes two chapters in teaching attitudes of giving. It is free will giving, giving generously, enthusiastically, and not grudgingly. Free will giving would be nonesense if method of giving today is the tithe. If method of giving under the New Covenant is the tithe, Paul would have said “tithe folks”. In the case of a will, a synonym for covenant, a will does not go into effect until a person dies. In the same way, when Jesus died, he ushered in a new covenant of grace when he shed his blood on the cross and then rose from the dead. We stand in that will or covenant today. Under the New Covenant, there is no law of tithing but only free will giving. Paul would have wasted a lot of pen and ink about free will giving if tithing was the way. It sure would have been easier then to just say “tithe folks”, which is what people say today.
Here are some scriptures confirming what Bob spoke about in regards to tithing and the New Covenant in contrast to the Old Covenant.
Deuteronomy 18:1 [ Levites are to live on food offerings by the other tribes ]
The Levitical priests — indeed, the whole tribe of Levi — are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.
Jeremiah 33:18 [ Levites necessary under an Old Covenant system of animal sacrifices ]
nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”
Hebrews 10:1-4, 8-10, 15-18 [explains the contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant ]
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16
“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Hebrews 9:15-18 [ Jesus set people free from the law of sin and death with the 10 commandments, its ceremonial system and animal sacrifices with a better promise of eternal life ]
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
Hebrews 7:12 [Jesus is the high priest of a new order of Melchizedek, and when he died, he ushered in a new law of the Spirit of life that dwells in men and set aside the law of sin and death ]
For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
Matthew 22:35-40 [Jesus living under an Old Covenant, but explained the laws under a New Covenant he would establish after his death]
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 [ free will giving – the only kind of giving today under a New Covenant of grace ]
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.