Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P440 (5-16-19)
Bob George sometimes received calls from people who have a general question concerning a scripture that seems out of place and does not make sense in reference to the totality of other scriptures. They call to ask Bob for his understanding. Bob addressed a question by Larry to explain Mark 16:6. Sometimes just common sense can get you through a scripture’s intended meaning. We should not drink poison or drink poison thinking we will not be harmed. Bob also explained how a translation can have a passage that is not in the original manuscripts and to take that into consideration when studying God’s word.
Other times people call just to thank Bob for resources received to share with others so as to grow and be encouraged in the faith. Such was the case with Ted who called thanking Bob for bible study materials he received, such as “Classic Christianity” and “Victory over Depression” that he shared with men he was deployed with in Iraq.
Bob also received calls from others who were listening to false teaching. So often people hear preachers say that salvation is coming to get your sins forgiven. That is not salvation. Both Tony and another caller named Ron were both hearing false teaching.
Bob received a call from a man named Tony who was listening to error and seemed to waiver in unbelief concerning his own salvation. He was continuing to listen to error by a preacher who was telling him he could lose his salvation. If you are in Christ you are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, guaranteeing your inheritance. Eternal life, by definition, has no beginning and no end, which is Christ in you, your only hope of glory. Eternal life is knowing God, understanding him through the Holy Spirit you received when you believed the gospel of salvation. Salvation is coming to receive new life.
To Tony, Bob explained what Jesus accomplished for us this way. The reason we have eternal life given to us – we did not earn it, we cannot work for it – is because it is given as a gift, called grace. The reason he can now offer on this side of the cross, eternal life, is because of the eternal consequences of the cross, where he took away the cause of death, which was sin. He took it away from the eyes of God never to see it again. Those sins of ours, having been judged at the cross – the verdict is guilty, punishment was death – Jesus took it all, and that is why there is none left for you. Because of the eternal consequences of the cross, he is now able to offer us eternal life. If he had forgotten one, and you committed that sin, and since the wages of sin is death, then you would have died again. Then you would have never been given eternal life if there was a possibility of you committing a sin that was not covered at the cross. So a person who says you can lose salvation is denying the totality of the cross and denying the kind of life God gave us, which is called eternal life. Now you tell me that if a person that lives and preaches the denial of the completeness of the cross and preaches that the resurrection has no meaning in salvation is saved, then I say to you that you do not know what salvation is.
Ron called to ask Bob if he believed in unlimited or limited atonement for salvation. Bob explained the gospel of salvation while exposing the error in thinking of so many in the world today, in particular, the thinking prevalent in Calvinistic teaching. If your premise is off then your findings are off. If your premise is that God did not die for all the sins of the entire world and salvation is getting your sins forgiven, then you are led to come up with your own idea that if someone believes that the sins of the entire world were forgiven, or taken away, then that would be universal salvation. So from that false premise, Calvinists came up with this teaching on election, predestination and foreknowledge that is contrary to biblical truth, as revealed through the scriptures. Bob reads through the book of Ephesians explaining the meaning of such terms in the context of the Jew and the Gentile becoming one in Christ, coming to salvation the same way by faith in God’s glorious grace.
Bob explained the gospel of salvation to Ron this way. You are not saved by the death of Christ but by the life of Christ. That is why Paul said that without the resurrection we are to be pitied of all people and are still in our sins, realizing full well that a cross had occurred where Jesus took away the sins of the world and realizing that which was provided then, forgiveness of sins through the shedding of Jesus blood on a cross, is only received in his resurrection. You come to Jesus Christ for new spiritual life. Jesus, in the scriptures, appealed to men, who are spiritually dead already, to come to him for life.
Romans 5:10
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Larry from Santa Fe Springs, CA
Mark 16:16
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Larry said that in Mark 16:16, it says we need to believe and be baptized, and also says we are able to eat poisonous stuff, and is also the only scripture that says believe and be baptized. Than Larry asked, “Can you give me an explanation for all that?”
Looking at a footnote in the bible, it says that the most reliable and ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:16 in them. It was a passage that was added after the originals had been written. When you have something like that, even though this is the only situation in the New Testament where this occurred, you do not refute necessarily when it ties into everything else that is taught, unless in disagreement with the rest of scripture, then ignore that passage. The only place in scripture that would be talking about the fact that all we have to do is place hands on sick people and they will get well, it does not say anything about the faith of an individual. Well, that is not true. It s not true that you can drink deadly poison and have no effect on you. It is also not true to pick up rattle snakes and let them bite you and not get harmed. Looking also at the passage that states signs that accompany those who believe, driving out demons and speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is not a sign for anything in our dispensation today nor in there day. Tongues was a gift given to the early church to speak the gospel to people in languages other than Hebrew, or languages that they knew in those days, which was Aramaic. It was added by some priest that wanted to add that in. It was not in the original manuscripts.
Larry then asked, “Is there any translation that does not include those verses, or do they all have them?” Some translate from later manuscripts. Some translate from earlier versions and there are translations that are more in volume. More have grabbed onto the idea of “more the better” than “earlier the better”. If written years before and now something is written that is not in the original, then you do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that somebody added something. Your common sense tells you that those things are not true. If a person thinks it is true, then drink some arsenic and see what happens to you. You will find out in hurry that it is not true.
Tony from Pittsburgh, PA
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Tony said that in church yesterday, when discussing Hebrews 12:1, the preacher, she was talking about this verse. Husband is the head pastor and so both husband and wife are both in leadership. Tony explains what he discussed and the response he got. “So this sin which so easily entangles, people keep bringing up sins, and I thought it was the sin of unbelief. He got upset when I said, in my bible, the Lord said he took away my sins never to remember them again. I believe you are either saved or not saved. They say you can lose salvation. They also got into James 5:16.”
You do not need to go into all that, Tony. If a person is teaching that you can lose salvation they do not know what salvation is and certainly a possibility they do not possess salvation. Salvation is the receiving of life. It is the life of Christ Jesus that saves us. What life did Jesus offer us? Temporal life or eternal life? When does it begin? Eternal life is eternal and begins immediately when you have the Son.
1 John 5:12-13
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
This knowing you have eternal life is not a hope so as in keeping your fingers crossed. The reason we have eternal life given to us – we did not earn it, we cannot work for it – is because it is given as a gift, called grace. The reason he can now offer on this side of the cross, eternal life, is because of the eternal consequences of the cross, where he took away the cause of death, which was sin. He took it away from the eyes of God never to see it again. Those sins of ours, having been judged at the cross – the verdict is guilty, punishment was death – Jesus took it all, and that is why there is none left for you. Because of the eternal consequences of the cross, he is now able to offer us eternal life. If he had forgotten one, and you committed that sin, and since the wages of sin is death, then you would have died again. Then you would have never been given eternal life if there was a possibility of you committing a sin that was not covered at the cross. So a person who says you can lose salvation is denying the totality of the cross and denying the kind of life God gave us, which is called eternal life. Now you tell me that if a person that lives and preaches the denial of the completeness of the cross and preaches that the resurrection has no meaning in salvation is saved, then I say to you that you do not know what salvation is.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
If you want to talk about running the race and what perseverance does, then James tells us.
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
So trials and tribulations ares what develops perseverance. You do not have to persevere with God. I got a $1000 order, a commission to drive Royce Royce, have lunch with him, get the car and drive back, then would I say I am persevering? No. Trials develop perseverance, not good times. Hang in there. Finish the race so you can hear the words from Jesus, “Well done good and faithful servant.” If you want to mature in Christ, you will have tribulations and face those and not be crumbled under them.
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
What is the crown of life? It is not life, not eternal life, but a crown. The crown to me is that you finish the race. The sin that so easily hinders us is the tendency to lean on our own understanding, to not acknowledge him, and to not allow him to direct our paths.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Endure opposition from sinful men. Keep on trusting.
It is strange to me, Tony, that she is in leadership over people. He should be leading and she should be sitting. First, the woman should not be in the place of leadership. If husband is the head of the church then she should not be in leadership with him.
Tony testifies that the only way to get to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he questions himself, “If I am saved, why do I keep going back into this bondage? Maybe I am just like these folks are.”
Bob replied, “Might be. I cannot answer that question for you, Tony. If you are in contact with truth, I do not know why you want to go back, that is not the issue. When you hear error, do you discern it, realize it is truth and get out of there. Why do you go back there the second time, I do not know?” Tony said, “fourth, fifth, sixth”. Bob replied, “Maybe you like error? If your Father is the devil, he is the author of lies, and if you like lies, then you have the wrong father. If you do not like lies, then why do you keep going back to hear lies, unless you are not a 100 % sure, Tony, that what you believe is true. If the Holy Spirit has taught you, then what you believe is true is true if the Spirit has taught you. If I taught you, then you can fall back. If God taught you, you are not going back into error.” Tony say he believes 100% God saves you 100% and that is it.” Bob replied, “Then why would you want to hear someone tell you that you can lose salvation unless you like to be irritated. I cannot understand the reason why you go back but I can say it does not make an ounce of sense to go back and listen to error.” Tony says, “I agree Bob” and thanks Bob for his time.
Ted from Eugene, Oregon
He got back from deployment in Iraq. He called to thank Bob and all the listeners and those who supported sending books over to him while he was deployed in Iraq. He shared that is was such a blessing to have a bible study with the soldiers, studying “Victory over Depression” and “Classic Christianity”. They were having a good time in those studies. Bob told him to keep in touch and we [now known as Bob George Ministries] will help any way we can. Bob was encouraged to see Ted starting a movement over there. Ted said he loves sharing truth. Ted was engaged to be married and was applying for a job at a fire department in town. Bob said that many were blessed because of Ted’s testimony. Then he commented that those guys continually need to be prayed for. Bob said, “God’s blessing to you”.
Ron from Huntington Beach, CA
Ron asked, “Do you believe in limited atonement or unlimited atonement?”
There is no such thing as limited atonement. You will not find scripture on that. Jesus did not die for some people’s sin. He died for all of it. First of all, I do not believe in atonement. The mere question itself, believing in limited or unlimited atonement is evidence of the fact you do not understand the difference between atonement, which just covers sin, and what Jesus came to do, which was to take away the sins of the entire world. The reason that came up, unfortunately, is because of what I [Bob] was talking to Tony about, the founder of that teaching, which started years ago, on a false premise. The root of the problem is they do not understand you are saved by Jesus life rather than by Jesus death. They believe you get saved by getting sins forgiven, which is furthest from the truth. You are not saved by the death of Christ. You are saved by the life of Christ. That is why Paul said without the resurrection we are to be pitied of all people and are still in our sins, realizing full well that a cross had occurred where Jesus took away the sins of the world and realizing that which was provided is only received in his resurrection.
Romans 5:10
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
You are not saved by the death of Christ but by the life of Christ.
Because of not understanding that truth, they came up with the idea that if Jesus died for the sins of the world, then that would be universal salvation, and with their premise, they would be right. If getting sins forgiven is salvation, then that would be universal salvation. But that is not what saves you! His resurrected life saves you. Since they lack this understanding, they have to spin this thing. “Well, since that cannot be true, then he must have just died for the elect.” So this whole predestination and election theory came up, which has to do with nothing but the Jew and the Gentile.
Just read Ephesians and you will discover that he is talking about the Gentiles predestined for salvation the same way as the Jews were. It has nothing to do with “you’s” and “me’s”. Calvinistic teaching started with Calvin, who was a student, but who was taught error and repeated that error. Very little came out of Calvin. It came from his gurus. Where did it start? It started from the false premise that you are saved by getting sins forgiven. Therefore, since you cannot say he died for the sins of the whole world, not only our sins but the sins of the whole world, then in their mind that would be universal salvation.
He died for the sins of the whole world, cleared the deck for divine action of bringing life to the dead through his resurrection. The cross was preparatory. When study the time of Jesus crucifixion, the crucifixion occurred on Thursday, the day of preparation, a special Sabbath. There are lot of Sabbaths in Judaism. It was not the Sabbath but a special Sabbath. You had to clean out your home of all unclean things, which is preparatory for the celebration of the feast of unleavened bread. It is was merely a picture of what Jesus did. He came and took away the sins of the entire world so he could offer us his resurrected life. When a person gets that clear then he does not have to spin the cross and come up with all these doctrines of predestination and election, meaning something different than what they, the Calvinists, think. It just shows you that when the premise is off then the findings are off.
Ron then asked, “Would you say that the passages where talks about elect, chosen and appointed for salvation before the foundation of the world, is referring to foreknowledge, that he chooses people based on what he knows they will do?”
He does not choose people period. He chose that the Gentiles would come to Christ the same way the Jew would. Read the book of Ephesians with that in mind.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory
In verse 4, who is the “us” Paul is referring to?
Ephesians 1:4
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
He is referring to the Jew, Paul himself being a Jew, and the Jew was also referenced throughout scripture as God’s people, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, given the responsibility of being the steward of God’s word, and through whom God would work through, and through whom the Old Covenant agreement was with. In this verse, Paul is not referring to the Jews as being chosen for salvation. God did not choose them for salvation. God chose them to be holy and blameless in his sight, as those under the law of an Old Covenant agreement until the time of Christ.
Then Paul continues to write how Jesus came in love, predestined the Jews to be adopted into the family of God, which must be received by faith in Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, once he completed the work he came to do. This mystery, this plan of God to bring unity under Christ between Jew and Gentile, was revealed as a gift of God’s glorious grace that was lavished on them who believed.
Ephesians 1:5-8
In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.
In verse 11, all the buzz words are there, such as chosen and predestined.
Ephesians 1:11
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
When Paul writes, “In him we were also chosen”, who is he referring to? Who is the also? Paul is writing a letter to the Ephesians, Gentile believers, and is identifying with the Gentiles. So he saying that we, the Ephesians, the Gentiles, were also included in Christ, having heard and believed the gospel of salvation (verse 13).
Ephesians 1:12
12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Who were the ones who were the first to put their hope in Christ? Is it not the Jews, the apostles, and those 500 men who met in Galilee according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and those 3000 we read about in Acts at the preaching of Peter? Did not salvation come first to the Jew and then the Gentile?
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
The Jews were the first to put their hope in Christ.
Ephesians 1:13
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
In verse 13, who is the “you also”? In contrast to the previous verse, where it is written “the first to put their hope in Christ”, he must be referring to the Gentiles.
The whole deal of predestination and election has to do with the Gentile that God allowed to come to God the same way as the Jew, which was unthinkable to the Jew, who considered Gentiles as those dirty, idolatrous heathens. That is why the division between Jew and Gentile, which stood as long as the Old Covenant was still in effect, but when God came and explained the New Covenant, that after the curtain was torn apart, referring to his body that was pierced for our transgressions, he set aside the Old Covenant to establish a New Covenant, so the two can become one.
Ephesians 2:14-15
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace
Matthew 27:50-52
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
