Call-ins Radio Broadcast Friday 04/09/2021

Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P624 (04-09-21)

Synopsis

As a new believer, you will tend to have more of a struggle in overcoming sinful habits, and that is not unusual, as you are just now on the starting line of having your mind renewed. Even as you mature in Christ, you will continue in that process of having your mind renewed until the day we meet the Lord. We will all continue to battle the flesh, and God knows our weaknesses and tendencies. We are all reminded to guard our life and doctrine closely and take heed that we do not fall, and to be gentle and humble toward others, as we ourselves could easily get caught up in any sin ourselves. Sometimes we just need that person who can point us to that unconditional love and acceptance from God. And along with allowing God to do that through us, we are firm with truth while gently guiding the humble of heart to grab a hold of such truth that will set them free. We can learn to walk in the new life of freedom God has called us to.

The word of God is useful for all of this training in righteousness we need. It is the reliable source of truth from God to renew our thinking. One practical tip of advice is that when you read scriptures, read entire chapters and books, and just do not focus on memorization for the sake of memorizing scripture. Read to get to know the author, who is God, with the attitude of wanting to have the Holy Spirit reveal to you the meaning of His word, in its context, so you can properly apply what the Lord is teaching you.

At times, you might feel like God is far away from you, but those are feelings based on improper thinking, often from very difficult circumstances you are facing, whether brought on by yourself or by the evil world we live in. The truth is, though, that God will never leave you or forsake you. He will guide you into all truth, and He delights in us coming boldly to His throne of grace for help in our time of need. He reminds us that when we are weak then He is strong. So I can boast all the more in my weaknesses so that His glory will be revealed through me. It may seem the Lord is far away, yet 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? He will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That is how our hearts and minds are guarded!

Transcript

Julie from Springfield, OR

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.

Bob warns about denying calling something 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: 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
¹⁸ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

Bob: 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
²¹2 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Bob: 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
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.

Bob: God did not die for us just so that all 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
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
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Bob: 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 makes 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 wants the best for you. Recognize that fact and get out of it.

Bob: 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
¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Bob: 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: Will you remember me in prayer to do what I have to do?

Bob: 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 on 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.

Bob: 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 an alcoholic, then that has to come under the control of the Holy Spirit sooner or later in your life. You are a byproduct of 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 is not a good thing. 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
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

Chip: A little quick background on me before I get to my question. I listened to you back in 1993. Before that I was in Christ for about 4 years. I remember being sincere in my faith. I was really living the Christian life in my own flesh, in the energy of my own flesh. I remember memorizing 300 bible passages and I really thought I was hot stuff. The problem was I had no understanding of what the New Covenant was, so I was confused of what they really meant. For example, I memorized the sermon on the mount, and I tried to learn how to live righteously. I tried to do what Jesus was doing in the sermon on the mount. It utterly condemned me. The more I memorized them, I questioned my own salvation. It led me to be a double-minded person.

Chip: It was soon after that, that I started listening to People to People. I learned most of all about the finality of the cross and what Jesus did to usher in the New Covenant. Then I began to experience the reality of the resurrection in my life. Kind of funny, that all of those bible passages I memorized, they then began to make sense. I wonder how I got off track. It seems we sometimes complicate the gospel yet it was right there in front of me all the time. I cannot thank you enough for the teaching you have been doing all these years. It is literally setting homes and so many people around the world free and I am a product of that. Thank you so much for that. It means the world to me.

2 Timothy 3:16
¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 2:15
⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Bob: Thank you, Chip. Thank you for sharing that with us. That is one of the things about scripture memory. It just depends. If you memorize scripture in its context, it is good. But if you don’t, it could be bad because you do not have the context to understand the meaning of something. You certainly memorized to understand what it says but to know what it means you must know it in its context. Most of those who promote scripture memory, do not promote it in its context, but just memorize verses. Once you know the context of scripture. Thank God you have it in your heart, but once you see the context, it all starts falling together for you. We are very grateful for you, pal.

Chip: Another quick encouragement. I am so excited you are on the internet now. I have not been able to look at you for the past five years, but now I can get you online now. Podcasting is the greatest invention of all time. I can listen to you anytime I want to now. It is good to get that teaching again. I am in the process of planting a church. That should begin in March of 2006. I just want to let you know that you might not have too active listeners, but at the same time, your ministry has touched my life. Hopefully we will be touching a lot of other people. Your ministry has multiplied. You touched so many people you probably never get to hear about. You guys are doing God’s work. Jesus Christ is saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” to you now, and when you go to be present with the Lord. Just thought I would offer that as encouragement to you. Again, thank you for all you do.

Bob: You are welcome, Chip. Thank you so much for the encouragement.

Katie from San Francisco, CA

(Katie called and it is very evident in her voice she is in great emotional pain.)

Katie: I have a question on faith and doubt. I have been married for two years now and my husband left me about three months ago. I have three children, and two from another marriage. I have been trying to be very positive with my problems. I wonder if this is ever going to end. I have also been listening to sermons on women’s roles and men’s roles. I believe it is God’s best to be at home. I admit I was not fulfilling that role three months ago. I ask myself, “What is God’s best and is God’s best ever going to come to me?” After two years of marriage, my husband left me and I still have had no contact with him. I have a longing in my heart for marriage to be restored.

Bob: Your future is God’s territory. 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: How does one go about thinking truthfully?

Bob: We live day by day and the key is recognizing the source of such thoughts, that the enemy, Satan, can put such thoughts 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
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.

Bob: 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.

Bob: Does it not seem the Lord is far away yet 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.

Katie: I have been doing a lot of thinking about my role in marriage, how I fell short, and not at home, and what role of a woman is in marriage, and the role of a man. What scriptures are there about marriage that could help me?

Bob: There are a lot of marriage studies but such studies are really man’s opinion on the matter. There really is not much in scripture in regards to marriage, and there are only about 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 a 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.

2 Corinthians 6:14
¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Genesis 2:24
²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Ephesians 5:22-24
²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Bob: Let me conclude by talking 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. That drains their spouse and puts a burden on a 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 in love, as the Spirit leads. It is like a tick on a dog, sucking the life out of your spouse, trying to get a mate to meet a need only Christ Jesus can meet. Only Christ can meet the need of unconditional love and acceptance. They cannot do it.

Romans 8:38-39
³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ 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.

Ephesians 1:6
⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.

Bob: So when both spouses are relying in total faith on the fact they are perfectly loved and accepted by God, and when that occurs that will totally free you in the level of the soul and the body, which is where marriage functions. When those things become evident to one another, then a marriage can come back together and be unbelievably successful. A spouse cannot give you meaning and purpose, only the Lord can do that.

Bob: Let me extend an offer to help restore your marriage, if your husband is willing. We can counsel you two together on the phone. Let me send both you and your husband a tape series to listen to together on marriage.

Larry from Balk Spring, TX

Larry: I called to ask what the seeming disconnect was 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.

Bob: 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
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.

Bob: 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
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.

Bob: 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
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.