Call-ins Radio Broadcast Friday 08/06/2021

Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P659 (08-06-21)

Grow in Grace by the Spirit of God Revealing Truth to You Through His Word

Sometimes we all just lack confidence in the truth. We may know the truth but because we have listened to so many different preachers, we are somewhat doubtful or confused, because what we are hearing from these preachers is contradicting what we are reading from the scriptures. We have been taught by the Lord, having studied the scriptures on their own for quite some time, and have a good handle on the truth, but sometimes we get off course. We now start questioning what all these preachers are saying. Listen as Bob George explains the basic foundational truth on what salvation is, in regard to faith alone in what Jesus accomplished by His death, burial and resurrection for us, and reminding a female caller of the proper understanding of baptism, which never saves anyone, and encouraging her to continue growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, as she has been doing, and letting her know she is on the right track.

As a reminder to all our listeners, baptism never saved anyone. There are no steps to salvation. Salvation is receiving what Christ came to give us, which is His very life, His Holy Spirit is placed in us, which was lost from the entire human race due to the sin of Adam when you come unto Jesus. One does not come unto Jesus to “get forgiveness” for that is what Jesus already did at the cross. A person comes to Jesus and thanks Him for having forgiven them on the cross and He gives that person eternal life at that very moment in time. According to Ephesians 1:7, it is in Him that a person receives redemption, the forgiveness of sins, that was provided at the cross. Forgiveness of sins is received in Him the very moment a person places faith in Him. Receiving forgiveness says thank you to God and is not asking to have your sins forgiven.

According to Hebrews 9:22, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Jesus is not going to shed His blood again, and when He comes back He is not coming to bear sin, for He already did that once and for all (Hebrews 9:12), but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Hebrews 9:28). Romans 5:10 explains to us that we have been reconciled through the death of His Son. In other words, we were reconciled to God before we were ever born. And since we have been reconciled to God by the death of Jesus there is nothing that prevents us from coming to Christ to receive new life. So if we were reconciled by His death on the cross, how much more are we saved then by His resurrected life? 1 John 2:2 tells us that Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. We also read in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that Jesus is not counting our sins against us. This cause a person to jump for joy and say, “Thank You Jesus for having died on the cross for my sins and I now thank you for offering me your LIFE!”

So Jesus took away the sins of the entire world and that frees us to come to Him to receive what He really came to give us, eternal life. His death on a cross was a necessary preparation for life to be given. According to John 17, Jesus came to prove the world wrong about sin. Sin is unbelief in Jesus (John 16:9 TLB), which is failing to come to Jesus for life, of not accepting His reconciliation for us. According to 1 Corinthians 15, we are told what the gospel is, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and there is nothing in that chapter at all about baptism. Indeed, there was a thief on a cross next to Jesus that did not get baptized. He just said to Jesus to remember him when Jesus goes to His kingdom. Jesus responded by saying, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23). We also have the clear explanation by the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:21 that baptism, the removal of dirt from the body, does not save you. The resurrection of Christ and your faith in what He accomplished for you on the cross, is what saves you. When a person places faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for forgiveness, His burial and then His resurrection, eternal life is given immediately to that person.

People become born again from all kinds of backgrounds, whether they previously were Catholic, Mormon or something else. So it’s important to remember that they have heard much error and all that error they once believed has to be replaced with truth. That all takes time by the renewal of a person’s mind as they spend time with God through His word. Christ living in us renews our mind through His word, and as we face different circumstances in life, the Spirit of God brings truth to our remembrance so as to apply what the Lord has taught you in these circumstances of life. We also may find ourselves entertaining strange thoughts, which are brought to our mind by Satan, and we learn by the Spirit to demolish all arguments that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We learn to stand in Truth.

As you grow in Christ, you come to realize what your identity in Christ really is, that you are a child of God. Your identity is not Baptism, Methodist or anything else. Where you park your car on Saturday or Sunday is not what defines you as a person. The only identification God gives us in His Word is a child of God, made into a new creation in Christ Jesus. That means anyone else who is also a child of God is my brother or sister in Christ, and Jesus is the head of the church, which is His body. He internally leads each one of His children as to what He would have them say or do. You are not to be controlled by a preacher or teacher but by the Spirit of God, who lives in you and is your Counselor, leading you internally, guiding you into all truth.

Listen as Bob George also addresses some other errors taught by various preachers, such as this “name it and claim it” teaching on prayer out there, and this Pauline-only gospel folks. These things that are being taught are heretical teaching as well as other teachings that divide the body of Christ.