Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P613 (03-04-21)
Synopsis
Sometimes we struggle with answering questions that non-believers ask. They do not know the Lord so they ask questions without understanding and also from a perspective of the world. They could be caught up in believing all kinds of things that are not even true, like someone has a hex on them, or not believing the truth, that Jesus is God or the Trinity, that God is one, and there is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Many times they have a negative attitude toward religion, and whenever they hear the word Jesus, they automatically associate all that they hate about religion with Jesus, not distinguishing the difference between the two. I assure you there is nothing to hate about Jesus, but there is certainly much to hate about religion, the legalism and the lists of rules and regulations, and even false doctrine and a false gospel even though they use the name of Jesus, but certainly not the Jesus of the bible. As believers we have to recall in our own minds how we once were lost and how the things of God sounded like foolishness to us at one time, too. Who ever says things like, “Are you saved?” That is strange language to many a lost person.
As far as it depends on you, you want to make peace with everyone, but you must also realize that not everyone wants to make peace with you. That could be an unbelieving parent, who no longer wants to see you because you told them the truth about Jesus. If they do not want to be reconciled to God, then you cannot expect them to be reconciled to you. Just as people rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah when he walked the earth, they will reject the same message you share concerning life in Christ Jesus. Many times it is because they are just not ready and what was shared is in conflict with long-held beliefs and traditions taught of men. “How dare my child teach me when I have been to twenty years of religious training” is a common response.
You know the truth because God revealed that to you through the Spirit of God. Nevertheless, we proclaim truth, because when someone knows the truth, that truth will set people free. We are doing what God has asked, to have a ready answer for anyone who asks about the hope you have within you. You have done what God has asked you to do.
We also are still ever growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, what it means to a new believer about how to live the Christian life is a very common question, especially from a mere infant in Christ. That is a very good question. The answer, of course, is getting to know God through His word. To address the specific question, Jesus explains this in John 15, in the parable of the vine and the branches. Take the time to read the passage and ask the Lord, who lives in you, to reveal the meaning of it to you.
Another question people ask is what do you do with new believers who drink or smoke? What do you tell them? First, it is important to note that we are not fruit inspectors. Our role is to proclaim truth, and allow a person time for God to speak to His heart. We also live by faith in the one who loved us and gave Himself for us. We imitate the same faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so that that faith expresses itself through love.
So we proclaim truth, and then wait patiently for God to work in the person’s heart. When the heart changes, actions change also. It is like removing barnacles off a restored sunken ship. That just does not come off overnight. So there is love and acceptance while holding out truth, with a humble, kind and gentle spirit. One truth that can be shared is that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, reading from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, that church is not the building you go to. You would not think of smoking in church. But the church is you, where the Holy Spirit lives. So what can you conclude about how God wants you to take care of His dwelling place, which is in you?
Sometimes growth in Christ is stifled because we continually subject ourselves to denominational persuasions of men without checking out for ourselves if they are telling us the truth. It is not that we do not want to respect them or trust them, but we want to be a good Berean, to be sure that we test and see that what anyone says is so, so we may walk in the abundant life God has promised us. A church can be full of error or even drift into error, as Paul testified, that he wept for a period of three years, knowing that the Lord had told him that after his departure ravenous wolves will come in to destroy the flock of God. And Paul also had to address the error infiltrating the church in Galatia. So, would you detect error to know whether you need to confront the leadership or a fellow believer privately or even to no longer continue being among that assembly of people. That may be the case to leave an assembly if what is taught is in conflict with your growth in Christ and is undermining even the gospel message, or is compelling you back under the law, when you are no longer under the law but under grace.
Would you have spent enough time in the scriptures to know when you have been deceived so you can come out from among them and stand on the truth? That is what sanctification means, to be set apart from the thinking of the world. I am not saying to leave the world but a church assembly is where you are to meet with like-minded believers, so a church assembly should be separate from the thinking of the world. Otherwise, why are you going there? Do you not go there to assemble so you may grow in your understanding of truth, to be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith?
One common error among church assemblies is to have women pastors. This should not be. Scripture makes it clear that a woman should not be in authority over a man. Check out 1 Timothy 2:11-13 and 1 Timothy 3:1-3. These scriptures explain the role of an overseer or an elder or a pastor, a person responsible for the care of believers, and as such, are in a position of leadership. There are certain characteristics listed here that should be in such a leader.
Transcript
Delores from Sandia, TX
Delores: Thank you for taking my call. I have a question. I was raised with ritual-like witchcraft. If I had a nickel for every time she took me to every kind of psychiatrist and doctors but nobody knew my problem but I did. I had an emotional problem that happened to me when I was young. Now I am studying the bible for over ten years. I get questions from people who call me, and they call me at all times of the day and night. They say they have a hex. What do I tell them to give them a correct answer? The Hispanics seem to believe a lot of that, about someone putting a hex on you. I just tell them to rebuke it in the name of Jesus.
Bob: Again, Delores, to say to rebuke that, you cannot rebuke that which does not exist. I believe you just ignore it.
Delores: I am known here in Orange Grove. I have a little chapel my husband built, but not to be a pastor.
Bob: Yes, you told me that.
Delores: They call for questions, and sometimes I want to give them the correct answer. The majority of these people will say, “Oh, that woman has a hex on me.” That is why I am having all these problems.
Bob: If that is not true, what do you tell a person?
Delores: You tell them it is not true. That is what I do.
Bob: So that is what you do. You stick with the truth. The problem with people that are thinking that are probably people who do not know the Lord at all. So you have to realize these questions are from people who are bogged down in tradition and mysticism. And you have to get beyond those two things. “So let us go to find out if you know the one who knows the answer to that question. Because if you are just asking me, that could be an opinion. Let me tell you about the one who knows the answer to that question, and his name is Jesus.” Try to get them to the gospel and get them to come to Christ. When they do, then they are indwelt by God and then are able for the first time in their life to understand spiritual truth.
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.
Delores: I do arts and crafts and go to flee markets. That gives me the ability to talk to lots of people. A lot of people do not like to hear religion. I tell them I do not practice religion. A person saw my church and my little display, and he said “I hate churches. I hate religion“. I reply, “I hate religion too. Are you an atheist?” He replies. “Do you know what I call Christians? SOBs.” I did not want to discuss it because I did not want to get into an argument. He must have had a bad experience with religion.
Bob: Obviously he has. I would say this. “You are not telling me the truth. There is nothing about Jesus to not like. I do not think it is Jesus you do not like. Evidently someone in religion has turned you off. I do not like religion either.” You are giving him the right answers.
Delores: The question I ask them when they come to me. “Can I ask you a question? What are these?” Well, there are two types of people, one that is a born again Christian and one that is about to be. Most of these people do not even know what born again is. The Catholics do not know what it is. I tell them to repeat after me after giving them scriptures about Nicodemus, and then give them a bible to help them understand the bible. I am not saying I am any better than them. I was lost too.
Bob: You keep doing what you are doing, Delores. Sounds to me you are right on. You are in a situation where people are coming to you with questions, and God tells you to be willing to give them the reason for the hope within you. And you are doing that. You are doing what God asks you incidentally to do. That is what God asks each and every one of us to do. We appreciate what you are doing, Delores.
1 Peter 3:15-16
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Delores: You helped me a lot because I needed some answers. There are a lot of different churches and they do not practice what they preach. I am glad for your ministry. I do not want to be calling all the time because I have so many questions. I appreciate all your help.
Bob: You are sure welcome, Delores. You call any time.
Greg from Belton, TX,
Greg: Several years I have been going to smaller churches, mostly these inter-denominational churches. I had some issues with some churches concerning eldership and pastors starting to allow their wives to be co-pastors, and even churches allowing women to be pastors. I think in Timothy and the second chapter in Corinthians it talks about appointing leaders and the headship of the church. I believe these churches are taking the women’s liberation movement and letting it creep into the church. I think it is causing a lot of damage to marriages, letting headship of home become a two-headed monster instead of the way God intended it to be. So I want to hear your perspective on this, on what you see concerning this issue.
1 Timothy 2:11-13
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
Bob: Well, the same thing you do, Greg. I think anyone with knowledge of the word of God will know that scripture prohibits a woman from being a pastor or in the position of leadership over a man. That is the real issue there, leadership over a man. You cannot be a pastor unless you are a leader. Unless you have gone to an all women’s church then you will be exerting leadership of men and women, and scripture says that should not be
1 Timothy 3:1-3
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Bob: So when you are an overseer, then it says you should have one wife, be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness or violence, generous and not a lover of money. That last one is a big one too.
Greg: So it should not be.
Bob: A lot of things should not be. You should not have a drunk as a minister, you should not have a quarrelsome person, and you should not have a person who is a lover of money. A lot of things it says that should not be for a person who wants to be an overseer or pastor. We do not pay much attention to those other things. The issue is that a woman is to be worthy of respect for sure. That is their wives it says should be women of respect. It does not say they should be an assistant minister.
Bob: I am not in a position to know this for sure, but my opinion is that many times that people who do that, naming their wives as an assistant minister are in a corporation type of deal, where they have family on the board of directors and wives are on the board of directors in order to hide what they are doing in regard to their finances. If you are going to be in ministry, and someone said to me, “I do not think you are doing something honest financially”, I would say, “Come in and look at the books.” I am not looking at them. I have people doing that and I have an auditor that comes every year to look at it, not for your protection but for my protection. You will not get an argument out of me on that type of thing.
Greg: We are in the middle of trying to find another church right now. We hope the Lord will lead us to the right one.
Bob: Our prayers are with you. Thanks for your call and concern, Greg. Keep standing tall in truth, my brother.
Darrell from Ann Arbor, MI
Darrell: I had a question on Romans 2:7. I will get off and listen on the line.
Romans 2:5-8
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Bob: Because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath. The day of God’s wrath is going to be the day they recognize they never came to Him for life, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:9-11
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
Bob: You do not want to stop there. You keep reading. You turn to Romans 3.
Romans 3:21
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
Bob: So now you have a righteousness independent from the law, that is imputed to us.
Romans 3:22
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Bob: Not talking about works there, just believing.
Romans 3:22-24
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Bob: I hope that helps, brother. If not, call again.
Aaron from Portland, OR
Aaron: I had a question. How is a church supposed to deal with new Christians coming into church who have some habits that maybe are not acceptable, like drinking or chewing tobacco? How is a church supposed to deal with them. What are we supposed to do?
Bob: When you come to Christ, I am not concerned about brand new Christians. What about the old ones still doing it? The issue is that we come to Christ with a lot of barnacles on us. It takes a lot of time for God to work on our hearts. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit of God and we should not be involved in abusing our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Bob: We are also not to be fruit inspectors. It is not our job to go around and smell the breath of somebody and find out if he or she is smoking or drinking or chewing or whatever it might be. Our goal is to present the goodness of God and present the gospel to them and let God work on them in His timing.
Aaron: Is there any place in the bible that you can refer them to or kind of show them?
Bob: I think it is our business to let them know our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. I ask people sometimes, “Would you come into a church building to light up a cigarette and chew up snuff?” Of course not. The building is not church. That is a building. Your body is the church. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. That has a tendency to get people’s attention. Again, it is not my goal to get everybody stopping things. God will work on them in His timing. I normally do not have to worry about that. But we still teach the truth that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God and we should treat it accordingly.
Aaron: Okay. Thank you for the insight.
Bob: You are sure welcome, Aaron. God bless you, pal.
Renee from Pittsburg, PA
Renee: I was wondering how I can show honor to a parent that is abusive. I recently shared the gospel with my dad, who is not saved, but he goes to church. He has not talked to me in a few months since then. How do I respond to him as a believer despite our relationship that is not ideal?
Romans 12:18
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Bob: Well, Renee, I think it is like any relationship. God wants us to be reconciled to all people but He says as far as you are concerned to be reconciled but it does not mean all people will want to be reconciled to you. It was certainly God’s will to reconcile the world unto Himself but the whole world did not want to be reconciled to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21
19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Bob: We have no way to control those things. Our role is to be willing to be reconciled to all people and be willing to love people but that does not mean they will love you back. If they do not, that is their decision. If they do not, then you move on with your life. You trust God to work something out to bring them to the point of reconciliation to you then he will do so. But we leave that into His hands. You and I cannot force reconciliation to people. All we can do is make it known of our desire to be reconciled and to forgive one another as Jesus forgave us.
Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Bob: I just emphasize that does not mean that all people will want to be reconciled to you. So you leave that into the hands of God. You have done what He has asked you to do. So wait for Him to work in their hearts until he does what He wants them to do.
Aaron: Thank you.
Bob: Does that help?
Aaron: That really helps. Thank you.
Bob: You are sure welcome.
Aaron: Thank you so much.
Bob: Okay. Bye. Bye.
Kyle from Monroe, MI
Kyle: I am reading from Romans 3:20 in the Amplified bible. It is talking about a mediator and yet God is but one person. I hear people saying that God is three in one. How can that be when it says God is only one person?
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Bob: It does not say God is only one person. God is not a person. God is God and God is Spirit and you must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Our problem is with our puny mind. We try to put flesh and blood on Him and try to understand Him. He is Trinity.
John 4:24
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Kyle: I thought He was flesh and blood.
Bob: No. God is not flesh and blood. God is Spirit. You must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Kyle: Does He have two natures now?
Bob: No. We do not know whether He has a nature or not. It is not our business to try to figure out the character of God. He was revealed to us in the person of Christ Jesus.
John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Kyle: God manifested in the flesh, right?
Bob: What is your question, Kyle? Go ahead.
Kyle: How can there be a Trinity?
Bob: Because the bible says there is a trinity. It says to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Kyle: That does not say there is a Trinity, because all those three names all apply to Jesus.
Bob: No, it does not.
Kyle: Isaiah 9:6, that is His name.
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Bob: No. No. Listen. Remember where it talks in scripture about the end times, that all things will be turned over to Jesus, except God who is over all things.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[Psalm 8:6] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
Kyle: Are you saying He is not God, right?
Bob: Kyle, quit being a wise guy and putting things in people’s mouths. Just because you believe a doctrine that does not make sense and is totally contrary to scripture, you have become belligerent. In scripture it says Jesus is God. In scripture it says the Father is God. And it also says there is one God. You are trying to put 1 + 1 + 1= 3. That is Spirit. You cannot put flesh and blood on Spirit. You are denying God as Spirit.
1 Corinthians 8:6
6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Romans 4:24
24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Bob: So who is He? He is Spirit. Quit trying to put flesh and blood on Him. It says very clearly in scripture that Jesus is God, that the Holy Spirit is God and God is the Father.
Kyle: So did not God become manifest?
Bob: Only in the Son. It is like an egg, Kyle. Egg is made up of white, yoke and shell. All examples fall somewhat short, but if you had an egg in the attic and you wanted to save people in the kitchen, and they decided to put yoke to save mankind, would there be any less egg in the house? That is an egg that came down and put on flesh.
Kyle: Can I read a verse?
Bob: Anyone who denies the Trinity will lose his soul. So I am not interested in that. I am not reading and I do not take the Trinity out of the Quran.
Kyle: Listen to this verse. 1 Timothy 6:15-16. He is the only sovereign ruler, king of kings and Lord of lords. He alone has mortality.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
15 which God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Bob: No, you are messed up. When he is talking about Jesus, you cannot say Jesus is separate from God. Jesus is God. So is God. Kyle, arguing against the Trinity is nonsense and what you are doing is unbiblical and quite dangerous. This should not be something that people should be arguing over. In other words, dividing the body when Jesus declared Himself God. Who was Jesus talking to in the garden of Gethsemane. He says, “I do not do anything unless the Father tells me to do it.” Would that put him in a position of submission to the Father? “I do not say anything unless the Father tells me to say it and how to say it. So as the Father sent me, so I send you.” He was not sitting there talking to himself, Kyle. He is talking from the fact that he was talking to His Father. Let me read something else to you.
Kyle: You already told me He is not the Father.
Bob: Of course not. That is why He is the Son. That is why He is identified as the Holy Spirit of God. You have got the shell of an egg, white of an egg, and you have the yoke of an egg. And you have not got a new egg. I do not know why that is so difficult to understand. Let me read something to you.
Bob: This is talking about Christ raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those falling asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Bob: Resurrection comes through man.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[Psalm 8:6] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
Bob: Now, how can you sit there and say that when Jesus is going to put back under the feet of God so God will be all in all. Right now, God the Son is down here on earth with the final authority of God to be the creator of all things, to be responsible for all things, and when all his work is done, he will go back and God will become who God is.
Kyle: Do you believe Jesus is almighty, God?
Bob: Of course He is. But that does not mean He is anything except God.
Kyle: Well, he is the first and the last, the almighty God.
Bob: There is no sense talking to anybody who cannot think logically. So we have to move on brother.
Marsha from Argentine, MI
Marsha: Hi, Bob.
Bob: I do not understand that stuff, do you?
Marsha: Can you hear me? When Jesus Christ was being baptized by John the Baptist. Then there was a voice from heaven.
Luke 3:21-22
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Bob: There is no logic to what these people think. They are trying to be a Jesus-only. Jesus is God. So is God the Father. So is God the Holy Spirit and there is one God. So we say we cannot figure that out. If you could figure it out, you would be God. He never intended for us to figure it out. I cannot comprehend it but I can apprehend it.
Marsha: When we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth, how do I make myself, my body, available for Christ, for His service?
Bob: That is the point of yielding to knowing He lives in you.
Marsha: Alright.
Bob: That is by faith in Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit who is living in you, to lead you into all truth. He is taking the things of the Lord Jesus Christ and making them known to you. And He says to allow Him to live His life in and through you. The way you are going to know that is by doing it.
John 16:13-15
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. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Marsha: Thank you, Bob. Thank you.
Bob: It is yielding by saying, “I am through with going out and doing something for you. What I am going to do for you is to abide in you and let you do something through Me.” Give it a test and you will see God at work in action on your behalf.
Marsha: Thank you. God bless you.
Bob: Thank you. Bye bye.
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