Classic Christianity – Call-In Bob George p387 (10-25-18)
Bob George answers calls from listeners from People to People radio, where he was on air for over 30 years. He answers common and tough issues people face today, extending the same grace he received from God to listeners with the central message of Christ in you the hope of glory. The first caller, Jim, asked if faith is more important than love or if love is more important than faith, as he was pondering over the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:2,13. The second caller, Lynn, wanted to know what the bible says about abortion. The last caller, Joe, had asked a question about assurance of salvation, but had since gone off the line. Although he was not on the phone directly, but hopefully listening in, Bob answered his question. While he answered his question, he provided information in regarding to a common misunderstanding of Hebrews 6:4-6. He also addressed faulty thinking in regards to those who go to confession for sin, those who ask for forgiveness of present sins, what is often referred to as keeping short accounts with God, and the Jew sacrificing a bull and a goat under an old covenant system. In short, Bob shared explained what the sin of unbelief really is, and in all those who ask for forgiveness, they are really crucifying the son of God all over again, and is really is a sin of unbelief and has eternal consequences!
The first caller, Jim, asked: “Is faith more important than love or is love more importance than faith?” Bob answered his question by explaining faith and love. God initiates love while man responds to that love by faith unto receiving receiving eternal life as a gift. Therefore, love is greater than faith. Faith is how we respond to love. Faith is from us and love is from God. Man is a responder and God is the initiator. Man was made to dependent on the Father. Love of God came from heaven. Bob shared these two passages with Jim:
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Galatians 5:6b
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
The second caller, Lynn, asked Bob: “What does the bible say about abortion?” Bob first directly answered her question that abortion is murder for it is taking the life of a baby, since it is destroying the ability of the child to spring to life, a life that God formed in womb, a life God intended to be. Bob then asked why she was asking such a question, is the question asked because of a friend’s action or yourself? She hesitated to answer. Her real question was not really about whether abortion was murder, for she readily agreed with Bob’s answer. Her real issue was out of fear for having committed sin of fornication with a boyfriend. She admitted she was a Christian and that she was a college student. Bob was so gracious to her. He reminded her that her sin, indeed all her sins, have already been paid for at the cross, 2000 years ago. He explained to her that the real purpose of cross is not about getting sins forgiven but to give you new life. The cross is really just a bridge to cross over to enter eternal life. He continued to give her practical advice. Are you in love with the boy? not sure answered that, I am not sure she answered, but implied answer is yes. Does your boyfriend know you are pregnant? No, she said. Then you need to tell him. He needs to know. Is he a believer? If he is, then Christ is in him, any character in him, then he would be more inclined to become your husband. But, he may opt out. He gave her positive encouragement to do what is right, that Jesus would want her to keep the baby. He exhorted her not to compound the problem. Would Jesus abort your child? No. Bob also offered continued support to her by encouraging her to keep in touch and how important to get support of believers. Bob said, “Don’t go alone. Friends here to call on.” He encouraged her to call any time. He also reminded her that college education is really not that important. You may need to dropout of college but 30 years from now nobody will know what degree you have or what grades you made. He reminded her, that in Christ, God causes all things to work out for good. So great is God’s love for you! Yes, when you see that child born in the world, such love will well up in you, as you see the child as a treasured gift and creation from God. He shared these wonderful truths in God’s word with her.
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The last caller, Joe, asked about assurance of salvation. He presumably was reading along in Hebrews where it written about falling away and another passage where it is stated that if one keeps on deliberately sinning then there is a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire. With those very passages in Hebrews 6 and 10, Bob explains the scriptures in context, explaining its meaning.
Hebrews 6:4-7
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Joe was not actually on the line when Bob answered the question, but Bob provided a lot of information. Hopefully Joe later listened to the message. But many listeners can benefit from the meaning of God’s word Bob shared. Bob addressed not only a misunderstanding of this scripture but also the faulty thinking of people who continue to ask God for forgiveness of sins they commit.
In regards to Hebrews, Bob asked some questions to bring out God’s intended meaning. Notice that the scripture in Hebrews 6 used the word “tasted”. If someone tasted something, did they swallow it? That means they never really understood the message of the gospel, that God totally died for the sins of the world or that God did not really give you life. They observed that life in others around them that may indeed have been believers but they really did not believe unto eternal life. Notice also the phrase “falling away” in Hebrews 10. If you fall from something, what are you falling to? In the context of the Jews, they were falling back to the law, the Old Covenant system of sacrifice, such as bulls and goats, to atone (temporarily cover) sin. But Jesus took away sin! You cannot bring someone back to repentance when they never repented in the first place. Repentance in this context means to stop trusting in what you can do, sacrificing bulls and goats, to trusting in Jesus finished work of the cross. This is not repenting of sinning but repenting from the sin of unbelief in Jesus provision for sin and life. If Jesus did not die for all, then what would he have to do and what we have to do? He would have to keep dying for sin and we would have to keep asking? But he did die once and for all and there is now no more sacrifice for sin.
Bob also asked the question, “What is the person sinning against?”, in Hebrews 10:26. He is sinning against the knowledge of the truth. What truth? The truth of how to be born again, by believing in the finished and all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ. That one sin being referred to in this passage f scripture is the sin of unbelief. What is the one sin (singular) that keeps someone from entering the kingdom of heaven? The sin of unbelief!
Hebrews 7:27
Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
After addressing these passages in Hebrews in context, Bob went on to address what people today do in asking forgiveness for sin just like Jews who wanted to keep living under an old sacrificial system of sacrificing bulls and goats. What people do today shows that they never came to repentance unto eternal life in the first place. They are not understanding the finished work of Jesus Christ. People may indeed say that Jesus died for the sins of the world but their actions show that they have not had spiritual understanding. They what the word of God says, and can quote it correctly, but not understand its meaning and remain spiritually dead in sin. Bob gave three examples, the Jews sacrificing bulls and goats, which he previously discussed. The other two modern day examples are that of a Catholic going to a confession booth and the Protestant going directly to God,asking forgiveness of sins so as to keep short accounts with God. In both cases, they have not understood the message of the gospel. They are insulting the grace of God, exposing Jesus to public shame, by sacrificing him all over again, whether actually as in a Catholic mass or in virtual reality, as in a Protestant misapplying 1 John 1:9 as a bar of soap to remove sins. When one does such sacrifices, imploring God’s forgiveness, what does scripture state you are doing? subjecting Jesus to public disgrace, by crucifying him all over again, which is insulting the grace of God!
There is no sin greater than rejecting the knowledge of the truth.And, if you do not have that knowledge, then how can you be deliberately sinning against knowledge you never had. But, if you listened to Bob share or read this synopsis, then you now have knowledge of the truth. What then should you do with such knowledge?
From reading scriptures, what is required for the forgiveness of sin? Repeatedly asking for it? No. Performing some sacrifice for it? No. In Hebrews 9:22, one reads that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. And how many times did Jesus shed his blood to forgive sins? for how many people? According to Hebrews 7:27, once and for all.
So, the real question is, will you simply believe in what Jesus did for you as all-sufficient and complete, finished work for you, requiring nothing of you but to put your trust in Him? Or, will you persist in unbelief? The sin of unbelief has eternal consequences, which Bob and other believers, and certainly God Himself, does not want for you.
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