Classic Christianity – Bob George Thanksgiving p3 (11-23-18)
Welcome to Bob George Classic Christianity radio with Bob George, the clear and timeless teaching on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ as you learn about God’s amazing love. Bob shares from Romans 5 starting in verse 12. From there he teaches about law and grace, how the law is for the lost to recognize their condition of spiritual death in sin so that they may come to Christ by faith. When someone is born again, a spiritual new birth, then they are no longer under law but under grace. Bob explains what salvation is by first explaining what so many erroneously teach. Salvation is not just that you sinned and need your sins forgiven. No, the lost man is dead spiritually and in need of new life, God’s life. He may seem to you to be a nice guy but if he is lost he is still dead. Bob exposes erroneous thinking or practices; the law as a standard of holiness, the false hope offered in religion in the world today, legalism, the mixing of law and grace, the false notion that someone can be in and out of fellowship with God determined by sin and confession, and the false concept of progressive sanctification, where eventually the believer can eventually stop sinning. There is so much deception in the world today, originating from Satan, the god of this world, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. By believing the truth from God one can be transferred from the kingdom of darkness (bound by the law, the law land) to the kingdom of light (under grace, grace land). In the new way of grace, do not let yourself be enslaved again by the law for you have been set free. Instead, be led by the spirit of God. Bob explains this concept of grace, of not being under law, but being led internally by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Many, not understanding grace, have asked the same question “Shall I go on sinning so that grace my increase?” From Romans, this age-old question is answered using the concept of slavery to explain spiritual truth.
Romans 5:12-21
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As you read through these scriptures, what is the Lord revealing to you? Throughout Romans, particularly the first few chapters, it is all about the law. In essence, the wages of sin is death, whether someone was under the law or not. There is no escaping death. But what is death? This is not physical death, but a spiritual death, a life without the Spirit of God in you. In Adam, all of us are born dead spiritually. For through his disobedience, sin entered the world, and all have sinned. Sin is the cause of death. What keeps us dead? The law. The law is a cruel taskmaster, making demands of us we cannot keep. As longer as you are under law, sin is your master. When one is under law, he is under the reign of sin and death, enslaved with no choice, held as prisoners until faith should be revealed.
So what would be necessary for God to do so man is free from the law? Would he not have to take away the cause of death, which is sin? If God did not take sin away, then what would happen to man the next time he sins? Would he not die again? So God had a plan to send his only son Jesus to become sin for us, to totally pay the price of sin for all the world for all time, an eternal sacrifice, so that man sin’s would never be counted against him. He died on the cross over 2000 years ago for that purpose. It is like man being transferred from one country to another, from the land of law to the land of grace. When someone is no longer under the law, then sin no longer has dominion over him. Bob shared a map of North America, Mexico, United States, and Canada to illustrate this concept.
The main point though is this. The verdict is guilty as charged with the punishment of death. Jesus took my sins and yours and nailed them on the cross, all the violations of the law that were against us. The just requirements of the law was fully met in Jesus Christ. Therefore, now that the cause of sin is taken away, not atoned for, but taken away once and for all time, then, the moment one simply turns to believe in Jesus finished work, he is longer under law but grace. And since Jesus is raised from the dead, having no sin of his own, sinless and being fully God, having eternal life, He offers that life to all who will accept His offer.
So when you were lost, whether under law or not, you had a conscience. Have you ever asked yourself this question: “Why can’t I be the person I want to be?” You find yourself weak and unable to perfectly obey your conscience, your conscience sometimes condemning you, or if you were exposed to the 10 commandments from religious upbringing as many have, you know the written code where it is written that one should not steal. So, have you ever stolen? Ever lied? Ever lusted? The wages of sin is still death. You probably did not know you were spiritually dead but you may have this sense that you were empty inside. What is that emptiness? Could it be that you do not have the Spirit of the living God within you? We were all born in Adam, spiritually dead.
Yet, someone may challenge you by saying, “But I know this religious guy who is really a nice guy”. “Don’t be so critical” or “Who are you to judge?” they might say. Listen, it does not matter how good someone thinks they are or how they appear, they are still spiritually dead. A corpse no matter how dressed up it is, is still dead. The main premise in many people’s mind is that man is basically good. But is that true? Why did Jesus answer the teacher of the law who wanting to justify himself said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by saying that there is no one who is good but God alone. He also said that with man this is impossible!
People hold onto all kinds of beliefs that are not in accordance with truth from God. Did Buddha die for you? Was he born in Adam? Was Jesus born in Adam or was he born in an unnatural way, the Holy Spirit implanted in a virgin named Mary? And what about modern Christendom? Do they teach things that confound or compromise the gospel message of Christ in you? If you were asked “What is salvation?”, how would you answer? Would you say, “Oh, you sinned and you need to be forgiven”. Is that salvation? Does that answer fail to lead someone to receive the offer of eternal life? Furthermore, did not Jesus already pay the price of death for sin? Man’s most basic need is that he is dead and in need of life, God’s life.
Others erroneously think the the law is a standard to live by. But if you tried to live by the law, and many do, you are enslaved to the law, striving to meet its demands you could never perfectly keep. You will be under a weight of condemnation, not measuring up. Satan keeps people bound and deceived by religion, getting them to think how good they are or that if they persevere in rituals or sacraments, eventually God will accept their efforts. But those efforts do nothing to take away sin, for the price of sin is still death. Law of sin and death demands perfection and man is weak in his natural self, unable to meet its demands. The key question to ask yourself is this: “Is Christ in you?”. The law can never make anyone righteous for there is no power in the law nor was that it’s purpose. The law can only make one conscious of sin. The law was added so sin would increase. In other words, the law is there so man can recognize his utter sinfulness and seek a savior. The law is for the lost so that he may reach the end of the law, knowing what a wretched man he is. When one is under grace, he is no longer under law but is led by the Spirit of God, God producing the fruit he could never produce: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:20).
1 John 5:11-13
1 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Now, those not understanding grace, will still ask, “So you can just go sinning then so grace may increase?” Have you thought how insane that sounds? A man recognizes his wretchedness under law, being so miserable he cannot stand it anymore, crying out for help. Why would he go back to a wretched and miserable life he was enslaved to? When someone is born again, one must realize he is a new creation, with the Spirit of God living in him. Can a butterfly go back and become a caterpillar again? No. Neither can someone born again become someone he once was, spiritually dead. Otherwise, would not one say that Christ’s death and resurrection was in vain. Yes, a person can behave like one under law, but if truly born again, he is still a new creation, sealed with the Holy Spirit who has promised to never leave him or forsake him. But such a person would not be living as God intended, in freedom. It is for freedom that God set us free. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. So, if somebody is believing a lie, are they living in freedom or are they enslaving themselves to miserable principles as do not taste and do no touch. Read Colossians 2 and Paul’s letter to the Galatians, warning the believers about infiltrators causing confusion, bringing people back under law, stealing their joy. One can not mix law and grace!
So, in modern churches today, there is much law being taught. Tithing, for example, is taught as if it is the most important doctrine. Those things are law oriented activities for Jews under an Old Covenant system of law. By grace, all men, Jew and Gentile, in Christ Jesus, are led by the Spirit of God living in them, to give generously as the Spirit leads, not under compulsion. Others teach that one must have a second baptism to really have the Spirit. But scripture testifies that you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Others say that one must be baptized in order to be saved, referring to a water baptism in only there church yet in scripture refers to a spiritual baptism that is not the removal of dirt from the body (1 Peter 3:21). Others say one must confess their sin, as in 1 John 2:9, out of context, in order to remain in fellowship with God yet God says he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:1-25). Others teach one must participate in sacraments in order to eventually be saved, with Purgatory as a necessity to purge any remaining sin but that denies the finished work of the cross to take away sin! All such teaching hinders people from living in freedom for which Christ set you free. Have you asked God to teach you His truth through His word? There are teachings that are quite dangerous, misleading men to be bound under law, or worse, to remain spiritually dead. Satan is the enemy of God and goes about deceiving men in religion so that they do not come to faith in Christ, and if they do, to live unfruitful lives, bound up in legalism or law.
Bob shared one false teaching that has deceived many. There is a false teaching of progressive sanctification that teaches that man can improve or be so sanctified that he no longer needs Jesus. The truth is we are weak in our natural selves and although we might be able to say I live a little better than I used to be but not where I ought to be. Does that shock God? No. Whether a Christian one year or a 100 years, you will never be perfect except in His sight. Only when we die and leave this earth and see Jesus as He really is, then and only then will we be changed like the twinkling of an eye.
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
So, do you see now why we need grace? Are you grateful for this grace in Jesus Christ? Have you ever thought why we are called children of God? Are children growing and learning? So too are we spiritually, we who have the Spirit of the living God living in us, teaching and counseling us in His way, all because of His great plan out of love for us, and that while we were yet sinners. What amazing grace! And in my imperfections in the flesh, I am no longer called a sinner, but having His righteousness, I, along with all others in Christ Jesus, declared to be a saint, not based on anything I have done, but Christ’s righteousness credited to me. Rejoice being free in Christ and so serve one another in love with the same love you received.
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