Radio Broadcast Monday 05/23/2022

Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at Your Identity in Christ P31 (05-23-22)

Your Sins Have Been Forgiven!

Quit making a mockery of the cross. The Holy Spirit is telling you that Jesus has done it all. There’s no more sacrifice for sins.

But now the Holy Spirit testifying about it today that this is the Covenant that I’m going to make with them at that time says the Lord, and in that He says their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more and where these have been that’s past tense, folks, forgiven. There’s no longer any sacrifice for sins.

In today’s lesson, from the Bible study booklet, A Closer Look at Your Identity in Christ, available for purchase from our online Bob George Ministries ecommerce store

Just as a person’s physical growth is based on proper diet and exercise, so is the Christians’s spiritual growth dependent on regular feeding upon the word of God and application of its principles. With more false teaching, shifting opinions and general confusion in the world than ever before, Christians need a solid foundation upon which to base their beliefs and build their lives. The word of God declares that Jesus Christ is that foundation of truth. With that in mind, let’s now take A Closer Look at Your Identity in Christ.

You know, I said last week that if I was to have one set of notes outside of the scripture itself, one set of notes in my possession. And that’s all I can have. It would be this set of notes on the New Covenant because it is the very foundation of the Christian Life. You know, you can talk about in management many times of working yourself out of a job. In other words, you can keep managing to the point where quite frankly you’re not, and I quite frankly think that that is the goal of Christian teaching, that the goal of Christian teaching, my goal of Christian teaching would be to someday work myself out of a job. Now I realize that that is an impossibility because we live in a world of darkness. And as long as there’s darkness, there’s always someone there who needs the light of the truth of Christ’s word, but the fact of the matter is, is to our listeners, I would hope someday that, that people could be calling you for advice instead of you’re calling me. Now, you will also notice something on the radio broadcast and that is that we have you’ll notice very few calls that ever come in from people who have attended our week-long seminars, outside of calling in to state the benefit of that week, to state appreciation for the brothers and sisters in Christ. And for the ministry, and for the life that they’re now experiencing in Christ. But you will find very few people calling in with biblical questions anymore. There’s a reason for that folks. And that is that at that week long exposure, or which next year will be, what are we call our Classic Christianity study series and seminars, that in those seminars that we concentrate on the New Covenant and what it means. And I believe because of that, it enables a person based upon that foundation, that proper premise to go into the word of God and watch the Spirit, interpret it for you. Because you’re approaching through a funnel of truth and a foundation of New Covenant, not commingling old and new, such as the Galatians did not under the old but under a brand new covenant. And when I understand that and the ramifications of it the Scripture literally falls into place.

Now. It’s like a puzzle. You can know what a piece of that puzzle looks like but you don’t know what the picture looks like. And folks until you see the picture, it’s very difficult to put the puzzle together. And that’s why puzzles have a picture of the completed puzzle on it. If you didn’t know what it was supposed to look like, you would have a very difficult time, putting the pieces together and so the New Covenant is the picture, it is what enables you to see the fullness of the grace of God that has been extended to us in Christ Jesus. Now, when people do not understand that, you’ve got your Old Testament or your old Covenant and your new testament, your new test could come. And in most teaching, people are commingled in those and you’re teaching out of the old Covenant and making promises to Israel supposed to be promises to us todayday, and there’s no bearing at all on that.

We’re under something brand-new today and it’s not that we cannot learn from the experiences in the old Covenant. And basically, when you’re talking about people, which is what the old covenant is full of, well, you learn about man’s failures. Sure, you certainly don’t have much success in there. You have people like Moses who tried to pawn off his wife, his wife as his sister. You have David who had an affair with Bathsheba. And then ultimately arranged for the killing of her husband who was a friend of David’s from childhood, the best of friends and yet arranging for that death. Only the scripture could put those kind of stories in there folks. Do you realize that the Bible is a message of God using people who are broken and were broken. You have prophets who were so depressed and couldn’t even see straight. God still used them, you had Moses. As I said, you have David, you have so many pictures in the scriptures of broken people. And you say what you want David in your church? Why I tell you folks he would have been ostracized, kicked out and what some people with they’d written letters all over the country exposing him. And so you’re just you just have to realize that what we accept and who God accepts are two different things. It reminded me of an illustration when Amy and I were in Florida, one time and we were walking out, Amy loves to look for shells. And I can’t say that I’m just real thrilled with that, but she must look for shells. But at any rate, I was looking down and we would pick up some shells sometimes and it wasn’t perfect. So we would put it back and we’d pick up a never another shell, and it wasn’t perfect, and we’d put it back. And one time. I just grabbed a whole batch of these imperfect shells, and we put it in a jar and when it’s in a jar, all of them together, they look beautiful in there and I got to thinking what a picture that is that that God isn’t looking for perfect shells. There aren’t any. Yeah, he roams the beach and just picks up the broken and the imperfect shells but when he puts it in his jar and they’re all together. They look beautiful in his sight.

And and and so friends, we have to we have to get our minds into the mindset of a New Covenant. I’m just not under a New Covenant so that I can be under a New Covenant. I’m under a New Covenant so that God can renew my mind and get it out of that legalistic judgmental spirit that you have under legalism. You’re forced to have it under legalism, a person with a judgmental spirit with an unforgiving spirit person who is critical of everyone. That is merely evident, you have never been freed from the law when you’re freed from the law your mind set is kind of mind your own business. In other words, as much as I am not God, then your sins are between you and God. And it is much as I’m not God. I am not concerned with your sins. You are concerned with your sins. I’m concerned with mine and I’m concerned with my life in Christ. I can’t control your life in Christ. I don’t even want to. Now, if I was God, then it would be my responsibility to be concerned with your sins. But as much, I’m not, I’m not concerned with that. That’s between you and God, we can work with each other. We could admonish each other, we can help each other, but it’s not for me to judge your sins or anyone elses. God isn’t even judging them anymore. They’ve already been judged. And so, when we can come to grips with that, you can only come to grips with that in the grace of God. Jesus tried to explain that. He said, hypocrite while you’re trying to take the speck out of your neighbors. If you got a log in your own and we forgotten that and only New Covenant enables you to renew your mind to walk in that newness of life. As a matter of clarification, I was using Moses, where Abraham should have been listed in regard to the getting rid of his wife and pain drop as you said, right. So I just got that little confused.

Well, let’s go on with our New Covenant. We studied in the last three times. We’ve been together the first Covenant and then the New Covenant. The New Covenant is based upon a better sacrifice, written down in Hebrews 8. It says by calling this Covenant new. He has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete is aging and will soon disappear. What is obsolete? What is aging, what should be disappearing out of your life? Everything in connection with the old Covenant because God has now got a New Covenant, a new agreement between God and man. And this New Covenant is based on being a better sacrifice. In other words for sins to be taken away. It had to be taken away, not by an old sacrifice. They were already covering sins. But by a new sacrifice to take away and we’re going to realize why sin had to be taken away rather than just covered such as was done in atonement.

And again, Bob, It is an amazing to me that how in modern day Christianity that we still carry that word atonement over even though it is not used in the New Testament and we still talk about the atoning death of Christ. You hear that all the time and in commentaries you read of the atoning death of Christ. The atoning death of Christ was their healing in the atonement. All of those there wasn’t a he didn’t come to atone period. Atonement is what the blood of bulls and goats accomplished. It covered sin. He came to take away sin. He didn’t come to atone. And so if you see atonement translated into one of your modern-day translations, look at the footnote and you’ll see what it means. Because the word atonement is not used in the New Testament, only as it refers to Old Testament atonement. That only Christ came to take away sin. And in other words, the new agreement between God and man was based upon a better sacrifice. So the New Covenant required a better sacrifice, the New Covenant required a better hope, the New Covenant required a better priesthood, and a better promise. And those are the things that hopefully we’re going to get through today.

Let’s start with a better sacrifice Hebrews 9 23. It was necessary then for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices. So the heavenly things are the real things. And everything down here are the copies of their real things and those copies had to be purified with sacrifices. What kind of sacrifices? The sacrifice of the blood of bulls and goats. Now, God set that in action, so it isn’t like man, dreamt it up. God put that in effect until the finality of Christ came. So before Christ, all of these things were merely copies, we’re told of the heavenly things but it says the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

So if you’re going to accomplish something in heaven, not on earth. And when something is accomplished in heaven, that it’s accomplished every place. They are going to have to have a better sacrifice. Any explains why, for Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, that was only a copy of the true one. Do you realize that Jesus Christ never entered into the holy of holies and a man-made sacrifice? Only the levitical priesthood could go in there and Jesus wasn’t out of the levitical priesthood. So what do we know about Him? He never got behind the curtain, isn’t that something better here than this. That’s kind of a shocking thing to think about, isn’t it? He entered not behind a man-made curtain. It says He entered Heaven itself. And now to appear for us in God’s presence. So He’s appearing for us today in God’s presence appearing for us. That’s what a priest does nor did He enter heaven to offer himself again and again. So there’s two things that we have to understand. Jesus did not enter a man-made sanctuary, never went into the holy of holies down here on this earth. So, in as much as He never entered once, He also never entered again, and again, now, the only time you would enter a priest would enter again and again is because sins had to be forgiven again and again, and as long as sins have to be forgiven again, and again, then a priest has to go into the holy of holies again. And again, Jesus didn’t do that folks. And the reason I’m emphasizing this, you must come to see the finality of the cross.

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He did not enter Heaven itself to appear for us over and over again, it says the way the high priest enters the most holy place every year with blood that’s not his own. In other words, Jesus didn’t enter into the holy of holies with blood that wasn’t his own. He entered Heaven itself with His own blood and He did that once and for all. So it goes to say, if He had to enter in other words, year after year over and over, Christ would have to suffer many times since the creation of the world. The blood of bulls and goats. You didn’t bring that same bull back in next year. He’s a goner. You didn’t bring that goat back again next month. He’s a goner. So when Jesus went in to enter into the Holy of Holies into the Heavenly Holy of Holies, He did it once, He died once. If there was more sacrifice for sins He’d have to come and die again or God would have to send another Jesus to die again. And next year, another Jesus to die again.

He sent Himself once and He did it for all. So it says Christ would have to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But listen to this. Now, He is appeared once for all at the end of ages to do away with what? Do away with sin. Now, I didn’t say do away with sinning, but He said to do away with sin. Now, when you’re doing away with, if you could do it way with sinning, you wouldn’t have to do away with sin. There would be no reason for sacrifice, but there’s an ongoing need for sacrifice, but He said I’m going to do it once for all mankind, back to Adam and forward through all eternity and is going to be one sacrifice, not to cover sin over and over and over again. But to do away with sin. I’m going to deal with, it’s going to be judged. The verdict is going to be guilty. The punishment is death. I’m going to take it. I God, am going to take it for the entire world. I’m going to present My shed blood to the Father, and He’s going to say propitiation is taking place. Meaning, I am satisfied, sin has been dealt with once and for all so it says, but now He has appeared once and for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as a man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment.

So, Christ was sacrificed. How many times folks? Once. To do what? Take away the sins of many people and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin. But to bring salvation for those who are waiting for Him. Now, folks, many of you listening to me today, grew up with the same mentality after coming to Christ that I did. And that was that every time you sin, you 1st John 1:9, get back in fellowship with God and get your sins forgiven over and over and over again. That doctrine is no different than an old testament old Covenant sacrificial system, none at all. You’re having to get forgiven over and over, and over, and over and over again. Am I right or wrong? You got a black market in Heaven, you’ve got to get it erased. God is flipped around on his chariot and looking at these out of fellowship, doesn’t like you. And so you got to get him flipped around again. And so how do you do that? Well, you either go to a confession booth to confess that so you can get new forgiveness or the Protestants say that’s silly. You can just go direct to get new forgiveness.

And God’s in heaven, telling folks, do you realize it’s finished? Do you realize that the sin issue I have done away with sin? I have dealt with it once and for all. And when you die, just as a man is destined to die once you’re not going to come and die again and neither am I. And that’s what Jesus is saying. I too am not going to come and die again. I died once. And I died once for only one reason. That was your sin. Not mine. I was sinless. That’s what Jesus said. I didn’t die for my sins. I died for yours and I did not do it to come back and do it again and again and again. And again, I did it once. And I was sacrificed one time in order to take away, not cover, take away the sins of many people. And when I come back again, He’s saying, I’m not coming to bear sin. Why? I’ve already done it, but to bring salvation for those who are waiting for Him.

Now, folks, when are we going to come to our senses in the Christian world today? When are we going to quit as Hebrews 6 and 10 talks about making an insult out of the death of Christ Jesus, trampling underfoot the grace of God and acting as if Jesus was a liar when He hung on the cross and said it’s finished? I have dealt with this thing once and for all. Do you realize folks that’s our own pride? It’s our own pride that says, well, he couldn’t have forgiven this or I’m just too bad for him to forgive this. That’s pride in your own badness. And we have to come to the end of that kind of thing, folks, to realize that the love and the grace, and the mercy of God is bigger than all of your sin. You’re just a puny little ant on a railroad track and, and that’s it. It’s like looking up at the founder of the railroad company and saying, I just dare you to run over me. It’s sheer unadulterated pride folks, that keeps us from we’re resting in the finality of the cross. My little sin, their big to me, sometimes they’re big, but to him, there’s nothing big. He’s got the whole world out there that he had to die for the vileness of all sins. Hitler, says he died for those. Of course he did. He died for yours, didn’t he? Then, what’s the difference between yours and Hitler’s? He just killed more people. You’ve killed them in your own mind.

The Bible says, is that if you’ve been angry at someone, it’s the same as murder. How many people have you met? How many people have you committed adultery with? Not me? Have you ever lusted for a woman? If you have, the Bible says, it’s the same as committing adultery. How many of us are going to be able to stand before God saying, here’s old nifty me? Nobody and neither can anybody sit down and say, Lord I was too vile for your grace. I was too vile for your mercy, too vile for your kindness. He says there is no one, there is no sin that was too great for the grace of God. The only, the unpardonable sin that is in the world today is a rejection of that grace. That’s what the unpardonable sin is refusing to accept, Jesus Christ who came to die for you, to be raised from the dead to come and live in you, and living in you to live His life through you. That’s the unpardonable sin, the rejection of Christ, and His final sacrifice on that cross for the entirety of the world. So when He’s coming for the second time, He’s not coming to bear sin. He’s coming to bring salvation.

In Hebrews, 10:15. It says the Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. So not only is the Father testified about it. The Lord himself testified about it. But now the Holy Spirit is testifying about it today that this is the Covenant that I’m going to make with them at that time says the Lord, and in that He says their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more and where these have been that’s past tense, folks, forgiven. There’s no longer any sacrifice for sins. Now if your sins have not been forgiven, then there would have to be another sacrifice if there was more forgiveness to be executed. In other words, if without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins, then if there’s any further forgiveness to be executed on your behalf by God, what would he have to do? He would have to die again or else go back and kill some more goats, but without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. And so, that’s why Jesus said I did this once and when I come the second time, I’m not coming to bear sin. But to bring salvation, is because He already did it. He did it once and we’re these sins have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins. Now folks, what does that mean? It means it is finished. What does that mean to you? It means all of your sins have been dealt with, period. What about the ones tomorrow? Dealt with.

I’m getting to the point where I hate this terminology Christ died for your sins, past present and future, you know, I’ve heard that so many, often of people don’t have a clue what that thing means. It means, well, he died from the past, but I worry, forget I’ve already confessed those and in the future to attend the present. Well, I’ve already confessed. I just got through confessing those. So now I’m forgiven again and in the future when a sin well, I’ll confess him again and and get them forgiven again. That’s what that means to most people. He didn’t die for your sins, past, present and future. He died for your sins to take them away forever. It’s not the case of putting a time element on them. There isn’t any time level element on them. You are forgiven eternally, that’s not eternity, it’s not a past, present and future, there is no past, present and future in eternity. It’s forever. It’s done. It’s finished folks. Your sins have been forgiven at the cross 2000 years ago. That you receive the one who did it and that is Christ Jesus.

And so in His resurrected life offered to you, when you accept that life, that forgiveness, that was provided for you two thousand years ago, becomes yours. In other words, you’ve now gone into the bank, get your money. It’s been there. Go into the bank. That’s Christ and get your money. So atonement is what covered sins. Christ came to take away sins.

Now, not only did the New Covenant require a better sacrifice, but it required a better Covenant. And so Hebrews 7 says, the former regulation, that was the old Covenant is set aside again. It’s set aside, it’s aging, let it disappear. Why? Well because it said it’s weak and useless. So all of you under the law are under a weak and useless deal. And it says for the law made nothing perfect. Nothing, perfect. And what are you under the law trying to do? Making yourself perfect. That just got through saying, the law can’t make anything perfect. You couldn’t make yourself perfect if you wanted to. How come? Cause you’re not perfect, and you never will be until you receive the Perfection that is given to you as a gift by Christ Jesus. Now if you’re under the law are you trying to make yourself perfect? Of course you are. That’s what a perfectionist likes to do. Make himself perfect. That’s what a legalist wants to do. I’m under the law. I’m obeying all the law. Well glory for you, but you’re not making yourself perfect. And are you going to do better than the Israelites did, who God gave this to? Or the Apostle Paul did, who said as far as, as legalistic form, I was without it? I was without equal as far as outward obedience to the law, I Paul was without equal and yet, what was he doing? Going to kill Christians.

So folks, will you quit trying to draw near to God by what you’re doing? The law is not going to make you perfect and it says a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God. Folks, everybody wants to draw near to God if you believe there is one. If there’s a God, I want to know him. And I want him to know me. I want to draw near to him. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s God given what he’s saying is, you’re not going to do that through the law because the law will never make anything perfect. But a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God. So what is he saying? There’s a way to draw near to God.

Now, if there’s a way to draw near to God and it’s not under the law that can’t make anything perfect. I would think we’d want to know what is this hope that helps me draws near to God. Well, it says that this new hope was not without an oath; others became priests without any oath, but He became a priest with an oath. When God said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change His mind. You, Jesus are a priest forever now because of His oath and Jesus has become a guarantee of a better covenant. Not only do we have a better hope, we have a better covenant. Who is the guarantor of this guarantee? Jesus.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity, with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord, find more information online at shop.BobGeorge.net. There you’ll also find available CDs, DVDs, and bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.