Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P607 (02-11-21)
Synopsis
We can be a believer and fall into all kinds of destructive lifestyle choices and become trapped in a sin. Why is that? It is because the renewing of the mind has not occurred or we stopped trusting God. For example, if you think you are still a sinner, then what would you naturally do? Sin. You do what you think you are. But God has called you out of darkness and into the kingdom of Light. You are never in darkness again. Or, you listened to the voice of the world, relied on your own understanding, followed your feelings rather than what you know to be true. There are all kinds of ways we fall short. How often do we worry? And worry is a sin. We are all working out our salvation in fear and trembling. We are saved but God is at work in us, renewing our mind, so we can walk in the new way of the Spirit.
The key to this overcoming of sinful habits and behaviors is to know that you are a child of God, a new creation, a new identity in Christ Jesus. By understanding the unconditional love and grace of God, you can now walk in accordance with truth. This renewing of the mind occurs as you, being born again, having the Spirit of God in you, are studying the word of God while allowing Him to reveal truth to you. Understand that you are a new creation, called a saint, not because of behavior, but because of a new identification with the one who is righteous and is living in you. He is there to live in you, so that you may learn how to walk in the new way of the Spirit. That is why you are a child of God. You are learning how to walk.
A scripture that really helps people is meditating on what Paul had said in Romans 8:38-39, that he became convinced of, that nothing can separate you from the love of God; trials can’t, tribulations can’t and drunkenness can’t. There is no condemnation for you, who are in Christ Jesus. Why? He took all your sins away when He shed His blood on a cross 2000 years ago, never to see them again. He took all the punishment of sin for you so there is none left for you. And, being in Christ, you now have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Not only that, by His resurrection, you have His resurrected life living in you. He has told us that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. So, the key is becoming convinced of this. This is where faith is. You can believe something but not put your weight on it to hold you up. So let us trust Christ completely that He fulfills all of His promises He has made for you and me.
He will complete the work He began in you. He says that He lives in you to will and to act according to His good purposes. He says He will guide you into all truth. He says you can boldly go to the throne of grace for help in time of need. The righteous, which are those who have Christ’s righteousness imputed to you, for we never had any of our own, are the ones who live by faith in the one loved you and gave Himself for you.
So do not walk in accordance with fear. Fear has to do with punishment. So the one who fears is not made perfect in love. So if you are a college student, and you fell into the trap of becoming pregnant before marriage, realize that God is not mad at you. He wants the best for you. He perfectly loves you. Yes, there are some practical matters that you have to work through, but God has never left you and He wants you to walk in truth from this day forward, and not complicate matters by making wrong choices contrary to what God wants for you.
Go boldly to the throne of grace. He never left you and is walking with you in your problem. He will fulfill His promises that He will cause all things to work out together for your good, to those who love Him and are called to His purpose. You love Him because He has first loved you, and that while you were still a sinner. His love for you has not changed now that you are no longer a sinner, but a saint by calling, a child of God, a new creation. If He loved you while you were a sinner, why would His love for you change now? Such is the amazing grace of God. Do not go through this alone. Call upon other mature believers to help you through this. That is why we are the family of God, with Christ Jesus as our head.
Transcript
Jeff from North Glen, Colorado
Jeff: This is pastor Jay in North Glen. I wanted to call and thank you. It has opened several doors to help people through issues. I wanted to encourage you to keep doing what you are doing.
Bob: Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate that. It is a joy to our hearts to know that there are men out there in the pulpits who have grabbed a hold of what we talked about. There is a world of difference to knowing what truth is and living according to it.
Jeff: Amen to that.
Bob: The nature of man is rebellious in regards to what God says about things. People erroneously teach that Jesus died only for the elect rather than to take away the sins of the entire world. God’s word is clear that God through Christ has taken away the sins of the world.
2 Corinthians 5:19
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
Bob: The natural man is also deceived into thinking he can do good works to enter heaven. Yet, God’s word is clear that man is born spiritually dead and is unable to raise himself from the dead. The only life available to man is the life in Jesus Christ and that life must be received by faith in His resurrected life he has offered you.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Bob: So man is naturally rebellious to God. Man rebels in how God has initiated the means for us to even be saved, failing to accept that what he did to take away the entire sins of the world. Man also rebels against God’s offer of eternal life. Man would rather try and work for it instead, which is impossible for man to do. That rebellion is always there.
Bob: God is the initiator and we are the responders. People rebel in the way He tells us to respond, which is by faith, to the receiving of eternal life, the only means to enter the kingdom of heaven. Man rebels with trying to enter by works. That rebellion is always there. People rebel in both ways, either in what He has initiated or how we are to respond to what He initiated.
Jeff: I know my heart rebelled for most of my life. I thank God that He has the grace to allow me to do that until it came to the point in my life where I trusted Him.
Bob: He who is forgiven much loves much.
Jeff: In my former life the biggest struggle was that I could not let God love me. In my sin and my disobedience, I could not understand how anybody would love me. My own father did not even love me, and with that was so much hurt and the emptiness. When I finally let God love me, my whole life changed. That is why I am in the ministry, to share that with others.
Bob: That is phenomenal. We wish you the best in Colorado. If we can ever be of any help, you let us know. Do not wait so long to call next time. We are glad to hear from you.
Jeff: You keep up the good work. I know a lot of times you say the same thing day in and day out. There is always a different audience and someday it will click. Just keep it up.
Bob: Well, thanks, Jeff. God bless you, my friend. You too.
Lynn from New Orleans, LA
Lynn: I have a question. I was wondering what the bible says about abortion?
Bob: Abortion is taking the life of a baby. So it is in the same category as murder. When a person destroys a child with potential to spring into life you took the life away God intended to live. Is that a sin that was placed on Jesus on the cross? Absolutely. Is it a sin forgiven on the cross? Yes, it was. Are you referring to yourself or someone else? Just like all of us, when we are ashamed of our sin, we want to hide, possibly out of fear of how others will respond to that sin.
Lynn: Sort of.
Bob: It is either yourself or someone else. There is no sort of.
Lynn: I am a college student. I am a Christian and now I am pregnant.
Bob: That baby did not get formed in there by osmosis. There was a sin of fornication that took place. Can a Christian commit fornication? Yes. Can a Christian commit adultery? Yes. Christians can be subject to any sin out there.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.
Bob: It is so important for you to recognize that those sins you commit, and will commit, have been placed on the back of God never to see them again, from His standpoint. He came to give you life. The Gospel is not getting your sins forgiven. That is a part of the gospel, but it is only a bridge you cross over so you can have eternal life. Salvation is receiving life.
John 10:10b
10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 11:25a
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
1 John 5:12
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Bob: The whole issue of salvation is being saved from the consequences of sin, which is death, (Romans 3:23) by the gift of God, which is life (Ephesians 2:8-9). God looks at life as a gift. That is when you are saved. It is not when you just recognize and thank him for the cross and ask him for forgiveness. People stop there but it is the resurrection that saves you. He lives in you when you ask him in you as your Lord and Savior.
Romans 5:10 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Bob: Lynn, you are indwelt by God. So you are indwelt by the wisdom of God with the heart, love and mercy of God.
1 Corinthians 1:30
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Bob: So you have to ask yourself, when Christ is your life, would Jesus in you want you to abort this life? No. So, you shouldn’t either. It will be an inconvenience and an embarrassment but all those things are short-lived. In the long run, you are going to bring a child in this world under some adverse conditions but God will cause this to work out together for your good.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Bob: It is hard to see it at the time. But once you see the child come out of you, just as new life was produced in you at new spiritual birth, you will have a love in you that you never knew you had before.
Lynn: Okay.
Bob: I have heard people say “I will never get my college education.” Well, there are a lot more important things than getting a college education. I am 70 years old, and I have only been asked one time if I had a college education and was never asked what grades I got. You were in love with someone and these are natural impulses that people have (there is no sin except that which is common to man; sexual desires are naturally God-given but sin is when improperly exercised out of context of marriage). At your age you are full of hormones. You got in the trap of making physical love with one another and when that occurs there is a possibility of pregnancy. Do not compound the problem. Recognize this is what you have done
Romans 8:31-39
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.
Bob: You are a child of the living God. God will never leave you or forsake you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. In all these things, you are more than conquerors. You and Jesus will get along just fine. Keep the child and you will be a phenomenal mother. Are you in love with the boy who got you pregnant?
Lynn: We have been together for about four years.
Bob: Does he know about this?
Lynn: No
Bob: He does not know about this yet?
Lynn: No
Bob: You are fearful of telling him and fear does not come from God. God did not give you a spirit of fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Bob: He needs to know about it. That way you are going to determine whether this is the boy or man you want to be married to. And he is going to determine if this is the woman he wants to be married to. He might cop out. If he is a true born again believer then he will say, you and I need to get married and have a family together.
Lynn: Okay.
Bob: And if you do not want to do that, then wait on God to bring the right man along. If you have been together that long, it seems that a good relationship was formed.
Lynn: Yes.
Bob: You need to confront him with this and let him know about this. That is the proper thing to do. These are some of the repercussions that not everybody gets into. There are those who are very promiscuous as can be and nothing ever happens. I have known them in college. Another person slips up one time and gets pregnant. We do not know why those things take place but they have.
Bob: You praise God for the forgiveness extended to you and accept that God took away your sins 2000 years ago. Recognize God loves you and God wants you to preserve that life that is in you. Can you do that?
Lynn: Yes
Bob: As a child of God, I am sure you can do it. I hope to meet you someday. I want to look in the face of that baby boy or girl some day. You do what God would have you do and you will be blessed.
Lynn: Okay. Well, thanks a lot.
Bob: You are so welcome, Lynn. If ever you need help, call at any time. If you need future counseling, we have got Ed Hecht to talk to. Do not go this alone. You have friends here to rely on.
Doug from Atlanta, GA
Doug: What happens to babies that die?
Bob: That decision goes into the hands of God who is perfectly loving and perfectly just. We do not have to worry about decisions on that. That is in God’s hands. On things we do not know, we place them into the hands of a perfectly loving and just God and allow Him to make the correct decisions. And I am sure He is going to make decisions that is in the best interest of His children.
Steve from Albany, NY
Steve: I have a problem. I am in the church. I am an alcoholic and I keep backsliding. I do not go to the church, and I lose contact and I lose faith. I try to keep up with the biblical stations. I have this anger in me for some reason. I do not know what it is.
Bob: Steve, I can tell you where your anger comes from. Anger comes from fear. Anger is a secondary response to fear. Men do not like to admit they are fearful so they just take it out in anger. Anger is just a sign of the fear in you, the fear of not staying sober, the fear of not being able to live life you would like to live, or fear of people finding out what goes on under the skin. There is only one solution to fear and that is the perfect love of God.
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
(Steve has to come to the point he is convinced like the apostle Paul that nothing can separate you from the love of God.)
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.
Bob: That is God’s goal for you, to be perfected in His love, to know that truth in your heart, to be convinced, like Paul, that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Trials can’t, tribulations can’t. Drunkenness can’t.
Bob: If fear is what casts out perfect love, then fear is what casts away perfect love. So guess where Satan lives? He lives in fear. That is Satan’s goal for you, because fear keeps you from the perfect love of God. You can never rest in the fact that God loves you. If you are saved then God has saved you, and you are a child of the living God. That is your identity.
Bob: If that is the case, then you are not an alcoholic, but rather a child of God. If you are not a child of God then being an alcoholic is as good as an identity as anything. You have a new identity that Satan wants to keep you away from knowing. But you must understand you are a child of God and God loves you perfectly. You understand that truth/?
Steve: Yes. I understand that. I am following.
Bob: Then if you are a child of God, then what is the most natural thing to do is to stay sober. If you are an alcoholic, then the most natural thing to do is to get drunk. No sense in going to a psychologist to tell you are an alcoholic, for if you are an alcoholic, then getting drunk is what alcoholics do. If you are a child of God, that makes no sense any more.
Bob: So you must come to know your true identity in Christ Jesus. You have to get a hold of your new identity. You do by action what you think you are. If you identify yourself as an alcoholic, believing a lie, then to drink alcohol and get drunk is what alcoholics do. But if you are a child of God, that does not make sense anymore for you, for you are a new creation. You need to get a hold of your new identity. You have been made into a new creation. Does that make sense?
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Steve: I also struggle with depression, with the people, places and things. I have been homeless and in shelters, and money is a trigger for me. I have lived in the mission for ten years, lived in the streets and homeless, and that people, places and things just triggers me. I listen to the biblical stations and then I backslide.
Bob: Listening to stations is not going to do it for you. “Here is something I heard listening to what Bob George said but God wants you to be taught by Him.” If you are truly a believer, then God gives you the ability to understand the meaning of God’word by His Holy Spirit He has given you. The bible is so important to a believer. God cannot reveal the meaning to you if you do not study.
Steve: Are we going to be judged by Him?
Bob: No, we are not. The reason you ask that question is because you do not read the scriptures. You err because you know not the scriptures.
Mark 12:24
24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
1 Corinthians 2:14
14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Bob: You can learn from a teacher who has been taught truth revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, but if you are listening to Christian radio, then at the end of the day, all you can say is, “Does anybody agree with anybody?” If you are relying on someone else who is leaning on their own understanding, then you will get a different viewpoint, and maybe not even God’s intended meaning, but how would you know? If you went to a Presbyterian church then you get Presbyterian theology. If you went to a Catholic church, then you would get Catholic theology.
Steve: I did go to Sunday school as a child.
Bob: Yes, all of us did, but that did not save us.
Bob: Whatever you are currently doing and believing is not working. So you need a change in mindset. You have to get into the word of God, listen to truth and come to know what truth is and what truth isn’t. The only way to know if Bob George is teaching you correctly is to go into the word of God and check it out. There are all kinds of ideas floating out there in the world of Christianity but God reveals truth to you through his word. The issue is that you have to come to understand your new identity. God has made you into a child of God and that is your identity.
Bob: If you were asked, “Who are you?” and you respond, “I am a Presbyterian”, then you have not understood your identity or the question. I did not ask you where you parked your body on Sunday mornings. That is not your identity. Those are false identities, Presbyterian, Baptist or whatever. What you are is a child of God. The psychology profession comes along and says you are an alcoholic. No, you are a child of God who has a tendency to get drunk. That is a child of God that gets drunk. But if you are a child of God then that does not make sense, to sit down and do those things that made you so miserable that you came to Christ in the first place.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
John 1:12
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
Bob: So you must come to this way of thinking, “I am a new creature and I do not need this because I have Jesus”. The fears, and depression, and the main ingredient of depression is fear, and alcoholism all comes from fear. Those fears can only be taken away by the perfect love of God. You must come to the point as the apostle Paul that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Bury yourself in the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus.
Steve: Okay. I hear you.
Bob: Fear separated you from reality but it did not separate you from the love of God. That perfect love will cast away that fear, and when fear is cast away, depression will be cast away, and when you hang onto that, then there will be no need to alter your mind when God says, “I want to renew your mind”
Steve: Right. I understand.
Bob: Keep that paramount in your mind.
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 39 neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.
Bob: That perfect love will cast away that fear. When fear is cast away, your depression will be cast away. When you hold onto that, then there is no need to alter your mind when God says He wants to renew your mind.
Steve. Wow. Thank you so much for that.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Bob: There is no better way to renew the mind than to let the Spirit of God reveal truth to you through His word.
John 16:13
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
