Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P681 (10-21-21)
Christ in You Is Your Hope of Glory; No Matter What the Sin, God’s Grace is Greater; Let Us Live Under Grace Not Law
We can certainly celebrate the day of Pentecost, if we choose to do so, for that is the first time in history that Christ came to indwell men permanently. Prior to the cross, the Holy Spirit came upon people for divine service, but the Spirit could also leave because of sin. That is why David prayed for the Spirit to not depart from him after committing both adultery and murder (Psalm 51). We would not pray such a prayer today.
So, if you have committed adultery, are now divorced, and are wondering how to go on with your life, understand what God accomplished for you. So no matter what the sin, realize God’s grace is greater than all your sin. You can start living under grace and experience the best that God has for you.
2 Corinthians 5:19
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.
The issue is that that was for the entire world but that is not salvation. It was what God had to do to prepare us for salvation. Salvation is being saved from the consequence of sin, which is death, by the gift of God, which is the resurrected life of Christ Jesus.
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!
Jesus is the only one who can give us life and the only one who had life to give us. If you are truly born again, then that forgiveness that was provided for you at the cross has been received in His resurrection.
Ephesians 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
If that is the case, that it is in Him that you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, where is that forgiveness of sins that was provided 2000 years ago received? In Him. In Him you have redemption. When was that redemption done? Over 2000 years ago on a cross.
Romans 8:1-2
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
You had to be saved from the consequence of sin, which is death, by the gift of God, which is life. The reason you have eternal life is because of the eternal consequence of the cross. Had He not taken away every sin, eternally, back to Adam forward to eternity, you could not have eternal life because if He had forgotten one, then the next time you sinned you would die, after receiving life. The reason you have life eternal is because of the eternal consequence of the cross.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
What Paul therefore says in Corinthians, that if you are widowed or unmarried, which would be you were married and are no longer married, it says it is better for you, if you can, to stay single. But if you are going to burn with lust, get married. There is nothing spiritual sitting around clawing wallpaper off the walls and thinking that is spiritual. If you had enjoyed the sexual activities contained in marriage and all of a sudden lost a partner through death or divorce, then you are capable of burning with lust. That is the instruction in Corinthians as far as remarriage.
Hebrews 10:1-4
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
In addition to the legalistic teaching so prevalent in modern churches that keeps people under guilt over sin, is this manipulating of people to tithe, as if tithing is for today. You are told that after all even Abraham tithed to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7). Or others tell you that you are robbing God if you fail to tithe (Malachi 3). This is incorrect teaching for us today under a New Covenant of grace. Furthermore, this chapter in Malachi that so many pastors use to promote tithing is Old Covenant. It even tells you it is written to the descendants of Jacob. Are you a descendant of Jacob?
Malachi 3:6
6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
There is even this hypocrisy of those teaching to tithe of them failing to do so themselves, as they are the ones saying they believe in it. But the fact of the matter is tithing is for people under an Old Covenant system to support the Levitical priesthood, required at that time until Christ came to put an end to such animal sacrifices, having sacrificed Himself once and for all for all sin. And if you looked into Leviticus where tithing is mentioned in the Old Testament, you will see it is the tithing of food stuff, not money (Leviticus 27:30). So if we were to tithe today, it would be like dripping a sac of potatoes on the altar.
Hebrews 7:11-12
11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
The only reason Melchizedek is mentioned is to show that there is someone greater than Abraham. To the Israelites there was no one greater than Abraham (Hebrews 7). But Hebrews is telling us that Jesus is superior to angels, to Moses, and to Abraham, and there is no one greater. To tithe like Abraham, then you would have to go to war and tithe from the spoils of war. It would be like us being told to rob a bank and give the tithe out of that. So many passages are taken out of context to deceive people into thinking tithing is for today. It is a convenience for pastors who rely on the tithe for their livelihood. They cannot trust God for their provision and do not trust the Holy Spirit to lead the people, so they control and manipulate people instead.
2 Corinthians 9:7-8
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
The apostle Paul spent two chapters in Corinthians telling us about New Testament giving, to give joyfully, hilariously, in accordance with what you do have, not according to what you do not have. If the Holy Spirit lives in us today, then why are we being told to be controlled by what some man says to be led under a law of giving rather than the grace of giving? Are we to be led externally by some law or internally by the Holy Spirit who lives in us? For Christ Jesus is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and He lives in us to lead us and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is to lead us into what we are to give, individually, and in accordance with the heart of God now living in us. We are to be internally led by the Spirit not externally by some written code (2 Corinthians 3:6). We are now living under a New Covenant of grace (Romans 6:14).
Romans 6:14
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Another question asked was what is the proper role of men and women in marriage. The man is the head of the household and there are ramifications of that when he is not functioning in that capacity in a proper manner. There is the godhead and each person of the godhead has its function. The Son listens to the Father and the Son executes the instructions of the Father in accordance with the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives glory to God. The Father hears the cries of His Son on our behalf for He loves the Son. Man, being designed in creation in the image of God, have a similar function, and God created them male and female. Now the Father is not greater than the Son, so neither is the male greater than the female. They just have different functions.
Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Now, due to the fallen state of man, the tendency of the man is to not love his wife and the tendency of the woman is to not respect her husband. But now with the Spirit of grace now living in you, both man and wife, there is a way to function in the new way of the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:21-33
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[Genesis 2:24] 32 This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
The man relies on the Spirit to produce love that he then bears (John 15) and is observed and felt by his wife. The wife receives this love and is all the more compelled to respect her husband. This is an earned respect because a man cannot demand a wife to respect him if her needs are not met and he just rules her as if like an iron fist. It is best that a man and a wife consult with one another on decisions that have to be made, particularly critical ones, so that both can weigh in on their thoughts on the matter. But ultimately, a decision has to be made, and since the wife was able to voice her concerns and opinions on the matter, and a decision is made, there is an agreement that that is the best decision with the information available at that time, and so the man, being the head of the household ultimately makes the final decision.
Now, the wife has to grant that leadership. If she does not grant leadership to you as a man, what choice do you have? You could either beat her up, divorce her, or you become a wimp. Her role is if she is not going to submit to your leadership, and I do not mean to be tramped on. To submit she would say, “Look, we discussed this, we talked about it, and now it is your decision, and I will go by what your decision is.” If that attitude is not there and she is insisting on her own way, you do not have much options as a man, but to give in to her and become a wimp or you become a dominant factor that she does not appreciate.
Ephesians 4:32
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Marriage works both ways. You have to choose to love your wife and she has to choose to submit to her husband’s authority. Apart from that choice it will not work. By operating in this manner of grace, consulting the word of the Lord and each other, in decision-making, leaving the ultimate decision to the husband, while the husband considering the wife’s feelings and needs, it makes for a healthy and strong marriage. This is a pattern of operating under grace, for even if a wrong decision was made, for any of us will fall short from time to time, you forgive one another just as in Christ God forgave you. If you know one another’s heart, then there is this foundation laid of believing the best in one another and so you are able to overcome the shortcomings we all have by continuing in grace, trusting that God will cause all things to happen for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose.
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.
