Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P684 (10-29-21)
Correcting False Teaching to Help People Grow in Grace
Listen as Bob George addresses questions from callers that are common teaching in Christendom that is erroneous teaching. Such teaching, such as dispensationalism, as if there are different gospels for Jews and Gentiles, and this election and freewill from reformed theology, that God chooses certain people for heaven and others for hell, has caused such harm to the body of Christ. People are living in error and are not walking in the freedom that Christ has set us free. Now people ask these questions because they have been taught this but are beginning to think that these teachings just do not seem correct, and want clarification of understanding.
Other times people are calling because they are young believers and are just now on this path of growing in grace. For example, a Muslim lady left her Muslim religion, having been born again, but now is wondering where to go to hear truth. Bob encourages her to meet with believers who understand the New Covenant we live under today. The book of Hebrews is an excellent book to read to help you understand the New Covenant. Then you have believers who just have simple, but important, questions, such as “Does God answer the prayers of lost people?”. Others ask questions like, “Why does Paul call himself the chief of sinners?”? Listen as Bob George answers these and other questions.
Dispensationalism is often taught in regard to this incorrect teaching that there is a gospel for the Jew and another gospel for the Gentiles. That is contrary to clear instruction from God’s word, such as what you would read about the New Covenant in Hebrews and passages like 2 Corinthians 3:6 and Galatians 3:27-29. There is one and the same gospel that went to both the Jew and the Gentile, saved the same way by faith in what Christ accomplished by His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
2 Corinthians 3:6
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Galatians 3:27-29
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Another common erroneous teaching is this reformed theology, or this teaching on election, that God chooses certain people for heaven and others for hell. Predestination, to think God chooses one person over another is nonsensical doctrine. Predestination has nothing to do with you’and me’s but Jews and Gentiles. If you read the book of Ephesians with that in mind, then it will be clear to you in regard to what predestination is. The choosing was that the Gentiles would come to Christ identically the same way as the Jews.
What is often talked about in reform theology is this passage in Romans 9 about how God chose Jacob over Esau. This passage is not about choosing you’s and me’s. What the bible is saying is that she had two nations in her womb (Genesis 25:23) and that was presented by those two. So one nation was loved and another was hated. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is that He gave man a choice, a will. He gave man a will in order to use it. The gamble with that is we would not choose God to walk with. But it was worth the gamble, for otherwise we would be created as robots. People quote those things but it has nothing to do with the unconditional love of God. In this reform theology, you would have to pitch every scripture out talking about the love of God.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
What are you going to do with that? That is God’s will. That does not mean all people are going to obviously but that is His will. To think man cannot resist the will of God is ridiculous. People every day reject Christ Jesus. As you read the book of Ephesians where it is talking about the Jew and the Gentile, not you’s and me’s. It becomes such a marvelous message of unity in His sight that He predestined the Jew to be adopted as sons. In Him we have redemption. It is called a mystery. It is called the mystery in Him.
Romans 16:25-27
25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith – 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
In Ephesians 1:11, we read that in Him we, the Gentiles, were also were chosen. The Jews were predestined, and now we also were chosen. That is not individuals but the Gentile world.
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 [Jews] 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,[Gentiles] 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 [Jews], who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also [Gentiles] 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.
Ephesians 2:11-13
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) – 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away [Gentiles] have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jews and Gentiles] one [born again believers] 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, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away [Gentiles] and peace to those who were near [Jews]. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
