Radio Broadcast Tuesday 05/24/2022

Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at Your Identity in Christ P32 (05-24-22)

You Have Been Made Perfect Forever For Anyone in Christ Jesus

Under the law, nothing could make a person holy or perfect, but under the grace of God, Jesus has made you holy and perfect in His sight for all those in Christ Jesus. So quit trying to do what Jesus God has already done. You can not improve upon perfection.

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.

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.

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What is the value of a guarantee? The guarantor. I get a guarantee from a store and that store is bankrupt. My guarantee is not worth a flip. So a guarantee has no meaning apart from the guarantor. Jesus, is the guarantor of the guarantee of a better Covenant.

Now, listen to this folks, Hebrews 10, I hope you’re starting to learn why I said, if you had a set of notes, this is the one you need. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming. Remember we talked about the fact that these earthly things are merely a foreshadowing of the reality that’s going to be in Christ. This law is a shadow. So those of you under the law, what are you living under? The shadow, not reality at all. There’s no reality in regard to drawing near to God under the law.

I have heard said, we’ll say, oh he’s a legalist, but he loves God. No, he doesn’t. You can’t love God as a legalist. You just can talk about loving God as a legalist. It’s not that we loved God, but that what? He loved us first. Now, if I think that God loves me because I’m so obedient. Why I’m living in a delusion. I don’t love God, why he ought to be pleased with me, as obedient as I am. That’s the only mindset that you can have if you believe God loves you because of what you do. But if we realize that God loves you in spite of you and what you do, He loves you. He sent His Son for you. And so the law is of shadow, it’s not reality. So when you’re under the law, you’re not living in reality. And I want to tell you, if you’re not living in reality as a proponent of the law but, you’re living in hypocrisy. Because you’re not obeying and your wife knows you’re not, your husband knows you’re not, if you’re a wife and your kids for sure know that you’re not, and you know, your kids aren’t. It’s a hypocrisy. It’s not a reality. You live in hypocrisy under the law. Here are the Pharisees, I, we live under the law. So what they do? Killed Jesus, you’re hypocrites. And anybody trying to function under the law is a hypocrite; they’re under what the Apostle Paul said is an evil spirit. Now if I sound strong, it’s because I am strong on this, the Bible is strong on it.

Folks we have to put this legalism aside if we’re ever going to walk in the newness of life. And if the world is ever going to see the love of God that has been given to us so that we can pass that love onto others, you’re not going to do that under the law. We’re going to have to do it under the grace of God.

Now it said, for this reason, it can never by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year. Look at this, endlessly over, over and over the same old atonement. Go back to atone. Go back to my confession booth, May answer another altar call over, and over, and over. It said these things can never make perfect those who draw near to worship. What are you going forward for? What are you going to the confession booth for? What are you going to the day of atonement for? To try to get perfect? Now what did we just get through reading? The law made nothing perfect. A better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God. So those sacrifices can never make you perfect in the sight of God. If it could it says Hebrews, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered for the worshipers? Would have been cleansed once for all, and would of no longer felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices, my confession booth, my altar calls, my 1st John 1:9s are an annual reminder of sins, a daily reminder of sins, and an hourly reminder of sins. Because it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Folks, those things, can’t take them away. And if they can’t take it away, they’re nothing but an annual reminder. If something hasn’t been taken away then I am capable of being reminded of them over, over, and over again. That’s why people are in mental hospitals today and statistics whether they’re right or wrong, 80% claiming to be born again Christians. It’s the double minded man that becomes unstable in all ways. If we’re going to say that I belong to Christ, and I’m going to belong to the Christ who was the high priest who is a priest forever, who became a priest by an oath and began as a guarantee of this brand new covenant that I live in and there is no way for me or you two out sin the grace of God. Some of us have tried, you can’t do it. It’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin, but it was absolutely feasible for the blood of God to take away sin. Now, not only do we have a better sacrifice and a better hope, but we have a better priesthood.

Hebrews 7, 11 through 12. If perfection, we’re back to this talking about perfection could have been attained through the levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the law was given to the people. So in other words, if you’re going to have a law, then you’re going to have to have a priest to represent you to God for you’re in violation of the law. So if you can have a law, you’ve got to have that priest. And if perfection toward God could have been attained through that priesthood or any priesthood except Jesus, then why was there still a need for another priest to come? In other words, if the levitical priests that God called into existence, could not make, and that priesthood through its forgiveness, even though the blood of bulls and goats were shed through a priest could not make people perfect, then why was there a need for another priest to come?

Because we closed Hebrews 7:11-12. If perfection could have been attained through the levitical priesthood for on the basis of the law was given to the people. Why was there still a need for another priest to come? For where there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. Bob, we’re dealing here once again with this thing, perfection. Remember, we talked about the fact that these sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, could never make perfect, those who draw near to worship? That could not occur under the law. If perfection could be gained through the law, it says, then Christ died for nothing. That the law, it said, made nothing perfect. And a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God. So we’re talking about this thing. How am I as an imperfect human being, going to be able to go into the presence of a perfect God? Let me tell you how. Hebrews 10:9, this is what he’s talking about when we read earlier. There is a better hope that is introduced. Listen to this hope. He set aside the first Covenant that was the law folks, of the law covenant is do this and you’ll be blessed. He set that aside in order to establish the second. What’s the second? You’re already blessed. You’re blessed in Christ Jesus. Now, go do this. It’s a totally different agreement between God and man. He set aside the first Covenant, the righteous demands of the law and a violation of the law is death, and that’s why it says a man who’s under the law is under a curse. Because you’re under the curse of death. He set that aside folks, and by that will this brand new agreement He set aside the first to establish the second. That’s the New Covenant and by that New Covenant, this new will, listen to this folks, we have been made holy, that means set apart through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus once and for all? How many times did Jesus die for you? Once. How many people? For all. Are you going to ask him to die again? No, I did it once. How many people did He do it for? For all. If you are in Christ, how holy are you? Well as holy as the one who made you holy. How many times do you do that? Once. How many, for how many? For all who are in Christ. Now, folks, if you are saved does it make any sense for you to go back and say, save me again, if Jesus has taken away your sins, never see them again? We just studied that He has. We’re either going to have to believe that or call him a liar. Then how much sense does it make to be begging him to forgive us when He said, I’ve already forgiven you? It’s already behind my back. Never to see it again.

And also, how much sense does it make to be out trying to make yourself holy, when God has already made you holy? All of those things are sheer religious stupidity to be out and to try to add to what Jesus said, I have already done. It is the height of egotism and pride saying Jesus what you did for me is not good enough. Folks you’ve already been set apart. You’ve already been made holy. So quit trying to make yourself more holy, you can’t. Day after day it says every priest stands in and performs his religious duties again, again, and again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never what? Take away sins. Did they cover sins? Yes, it’s called atonement. Could they take them away? No. And until the sins were taken away what could you never be made? Perfect in the sight of God, but this is Hebrews 10:9 and through 14, when this priest who’s that? Jesus had offered for all-time all-time. That’s today. One sacrifice, not many, one. He sat down at the right hand of God. And since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool. Now, look at this folks, because by one sacrifice, here we go, He has made perfect. Here’s His perfection forever. Who are those who are the holy ones? Who are the holy ones? The ones who have been made holy by the will, the New Testament through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus. How many times? Once and for all. You not only have been made holy in the sight of God, you have been made perfect in the sight of God. Now, if that doesn’t rattle your cage. You’re not in a cage. What did he say? Year after year those sacrifices could never make perfect those who draw near to worship that, that the law made nothing perfect. There’s a better hope. What is this new Hope through? Jesus sacrificial death on the cross for you. He made you holy the very moment you identified yourself with him and born again of the Spirit of God. You were made holy and you were made perfect in the sight of God.

So if you die today and went in the presence of God, could you go into the presence knowing that you are perfect in His sight? Some people say, oh, I’m not sure. Well, then let’s go back and read the scripture again. If you’re not sure. Did He make you perfect or didn’t He? And if he made you perfect, should you be trying to make yourself perfect? You couldn’t anyway, you certainly the only way you could do it be under the law. Can’t make yourself a perfect under Grace. Grace means He’s already made you that way. So you can’t make yourself perfect under grace. So the only place you could try to make yourself perfect under the law. They just got through saying the law made nothing perfect. So He made you that way. Now folks, what does that mean? It means that you have the privilege of being able to stand today. It doesn’t matter not because of what you’ve done. This is all Jesus and none of you be able to stand today knowing in the sight of God, I have been made complete. Perfect. Nothing to add to me. Nothing to subtract from me. I have been made perfect in His sight.

Hebrews 7, 23 and 24. Funniest passage in scripture. Now there have been many of those priests. What was the priesthood? The Old Testament priests, many of them since death, prevented them from continuing in office. It’s strange how death will do that. It will prevent you from continuing in office every time, every time, but Jesus lives now forever and He has a permanent priesthood.

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.