Radio Broadcast Tuesday 08/23/2022

Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at Your Identity in Christ P71 (08-23-22)

When The Holy Spirit of God Lives in You He Teaches You Truth

~ “Now the reason he’s teaching me is so that through that teaching that can only be revealed by His Spirit living in me, that spiritual aspect, I’ve been spiritually regenerated. So it’s like having Jesus with us every day. You know, 2000 years ago, the apostles had the physical Jesus with them every day, he said, I’m going away, and I’m gonna live in you, you’re gonna have me with you, every day of your life. Now, that’s pretty good news. You think about that, that Christ Jesus is with us every day.”

Listen in to today’s lesson with more in-depth teaching, 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.

Bob George 0:44
We’re coming down to the final therefore, of the Christian life. Whenever you see it there for you got to ask what it’s there for. And what it’s there for is to say, okay, because of all of the things that you have been learning all of these weeks in regard to your identity in Christ, who you are in Christ, there’s a byproduct to that there’s a there for to that there’s a consequence to that. And what it is, is, therefore, love one another. I have loved you, I’ve given you a new identity. I’ve saved you by My grace, I have totally forgiven you. I have totally reconciled you to myself, I’ve totally justified you to myself. I’ve made you into a new creation. I’ve enabled you to have peace with God, I’ve made you righteous in my sight. I’ve made you perfect forever in my sight. I have freed you from all condemnation. I have made you holy and blameless in my sight. I freed you from the law so that you can walk in the newness of life, you are hidden with Christ and God, you are clothed with Christ, I could go on and on. Therefore, it’s not just to sit there and say, whoopee, what, why, what a wonderful person I am, it’s to say, if God did that, for me, then he’s saying, serve one another in love, as I have served you serve one another in love by loving one another. And so it says you’ve been reconciled to God and it says, Be reconciled to all people. Didn’t it? I have totally forgiven you, therefore, forgive one another. I have given you the opportunity to be at peace with God, therefore be at peace with all men, as far as you’re concerned, be at peace with all men, I have made you right in the sight of God, therefore, be right in the sight of man. In other words, pass it on to man, I am not judging you anymore, therefore quit judging one another. I am not critical of you therefore quit being critical of one another. It is a therefore Bob. And it’s the hardest thing in the world for us to pass that on. Because we cannot do those things in the energy of our own flesh. But in the final analysis, did not Paul say the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love. You want to know what the so called Christian life is. Its faith expressing itself through love. It’s not your tithing record. It’s not your church attendance. It’s not all the good deeds you’re doing in the energy of the flesh. It is faith in Jesus Christ, that expresses itself through the love of Jesus Christ. And what I have is faith in His love for me, that he says, Therefore express that love to one another. But I cannot do that apart from him doing it in and through me.

Now, Bob, I do not believe and I think sometimes that teaching gets a little bit off, I do not believe that I am sitting here in my humanity in my soul. And God is saying, Now Bob, there anything in you that is capable of loving somebody else, you’re just gonna have to let me do it and then let God do it. He is saying to us, Bob, you’re never going to be able to experience this love unless you let me teach you about my love. But there’s going to be a byproduct to teaching you about my love. And that is that my love that has been taught to you will be passed on to somebody else. I don’t think he wants to sit in there saying well, I don’t love you, Bob. But God does. So I love you in God,to see well that’s not the issue. He says I want you to love one another Yes. I don’t want that to just be something nebulous out there. I’m I want to teach you to love one another. And so what it’s saying is there is a possibility of being taught that. But first of all he has to teach you about his love for you. And I have to be taught that I can’t sit back and say well, I don’t have any way of learning that. That’s true in the energy of your flesh, but it does tell us and It does tell us that in Corinthians that no eye has seen, nor ear is heard. And our mind is conceived of those things that God has prepared for those who love Him. But it must be revealed by the Spirit. But you don’t reveal something to a non entity. Who’s he revealing that to? Me, into my mind, my emotions, my will, in other words, into the humanity into my own humanity is being taught by the deity that now lives in me. And that’s his goal is to take this humanity of mine, and to renew it, because God knows if it isn’t renewed, it’s certainly going to get renewed by continually being renewed by Satan. Sure, because my mind is either going to be programmed by God, or it’s going to be programmed by the enemy of God, one of the two, so he’s vitally interested in teaching my mind. And that’s why we need a continual renewing of our minds. And that’s why the scripture says that, to be renewed, in our minds by truth, and he said, that truth will set you free. Well, who is it giving truth to a non entity? No, he’s given a truth to me, Bob George, in in my flesh, and my humanity is being taught by God. Yes.

Now the reason he’s teaching me is so that through that teaching that can only be revealed by His Spirit living in me, that spiritual aspect, I’ve been spiritually regenerated. So it’s like having Jesus with us every day. You know, 2000 years ago, the apostles had the physical Jesus with them every day, he said, I’m going away, and I’m gonna live in you, you’re gonna have me with you, every day of your life. Now, that’s pretty good news. You think about that, that Christ Jesus is with us every day. And what’s he there? Same thing he was doing 2000 years ago, he’s teaching us how you should loving us, He’s showing us truth that he said will set you free. And so there is there is that point. It appears almost to be a point of conflict. But you see, the Father was teaching Jesus in in his human form. And Jesus was doing what he was taught. Now, because he was following instructions of God, it was God doing it through Him. But Jesus did it. Do you see that? You know, that gets confusing sometimes. But it’s like a, it’s like a totally submissive NCO in the army. And the general is saying, Go attack that hill. And the soldier attacks the hill. Well, in essence, the general is attacking the hill through the soldier, the soldier is doing it, but doing it only because of the orders of the commanding officer. And so that’s what Jesus said, in my humanity, even though I’m God, I am walking in total submission to my Father, so that you see me do nothing unless the Father tells me to do it. So in essence, you’re gonna see me doing it, but it’s the Father doing it through me through his instructions to me. So the things you see me do, it’s a Father doing it through me and the things you hear me say it’s the Father saying it through him. He’s telling me what to say. And I’m merely saying what the Father told me to say. So in essence, I am a Father, one, when you hear me speak, it’s because the Father is speaking through me.

Now, when we are walking in dependency, and we, as an individual have that choice to either walk in dependency upon Christ who lives in us or to yield our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness. And listen to the enemy. That’s a choice of ours. When we are listening to the voice of God, we’re going to be acting in proportion to God, living his life through us when we do the other. Why we’re just letting Satan control our lives.

The subject that we were talking about can sometimes be misunderstood and confused. I think of the music business. And I think of how we learn songs and then sing songs. And so when if I’m singing a song that was written by a songwriter if I’m if I’m literally voicing that song, I’m really expressing the heart of the person who, who wrote the song. So if Henry Mancini and he wrote up, wrote a song, then and I’m singing that song, I’m expressing the heart of the writer of that song. Yes. Now I’m expressing that as it flows through my heart and through my emotions, but in essence, I am expressing the heart of the songwriter. If we are voicing something, we learn something in school, and then we voice that or we apply that I’m essence, am applying the thoughts to the theory of the one who wrote that book. And I’m expressing his mind to somebody else. And there’s a degree in which that is true now in the Christian life that Christ Jesus has come to live inside of me. And it says, we literally have the mind of Christ. Now, why do I need the mind of Christ because for sure, I still got my own, and it’s stupid most of the time. So, but in essence, spiritually, I have been regenerated spiritually. So I have Christ’s mind living in me. Now that spiritual Christ, God is Spirit, you must worship Him in spirit and truth and we’re in dwelt by spirit, we’re indwelt, by the Holy Spirit of God, bringing Christ to our hearts. Now, what is that spirit therefore? It’s there to teach my soul, truth. What is my soul? Well, it’s my mind, it’s my emotion. It’s my that, and my will, that then puts my body in action, to live out what that soul is producing, and the attitudes that are produced there.

Now, who is the initiator of that? Well, God, who’s the downward flow, Christ. So if Christ now who lives in me, he doesn’t need taught, he already knows he is truth. Now that truth is being put in your mind and absorbed in there. And as it does, it’s going to affect your emotions. And when your mind and your emotions are affected, you’re going to build a policy around that you’re going to have a conclusion or an attitude. And that’s what the Bible says, Your attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus, why does it say attitude? Because we’re going to form attitudes about these things. And, and I have all kinds of attitudes, I have attitudes that have been formed and framed by my business background. I have attitudes that have been framed by by family, I have attitudes that have been framed by just life itself that I’ve come to some conclusions on. And praise God, I have a lot of attitudes that have been formed as a result of the Word of God. Right. But they form attitudes, policies in your own heart. Well, that takes place in my soul. God already has that attitude if if it’s true. So our attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus. Well, Christ Jesus has an attitude about things. God has an attitude about things. He’s saying that all men are sinful, and all men of sin fall short of the glory of God say, what’s your real attitude toward that, Lord? I just told you. In other words, I’ve got truth that is formed, there’s conclusions that have taken place. Now what does he want to do in our minds? Just put information in there? No, he wants that input into my mind of my soul, so that I form an attitude, or a conclusion about those things. That’s what I’m convinced nothing can separate me what is that? That’s an attitude. That’s a policy. You don’t need to sit around and think about it anymore. I have become totally convinced in my heart, that regardless what happens to me, nothing can separate me from the love of God. I have become convinced in my heart, that I have eternal life. I don’t get it. I’m not gonna get it. I already have it. It is mine. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt. And that’s an attitude and a policy that said me that one of these days I’m going to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. I also have an attitude that the reason for that has nothing to do with my being a neat guy. Or because as a Christian, I’m leading a neat life or not leading a neat life and has nothing to do with it. It has only to do with the mercy of God who extended his grace down to me.

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Bob George 14:31
And so I know that that’s an attitude that’s been formed. There are people that have attitudes that say, Well, if you’re not really good, you’re going to lose your salvation. That’s an attitude. Is it an attitude of God? I don’t believe so. Because I don’t see God teaching that in, in the Word of God. I see in the Word of God, that we talked last week about eternal life that if you have the Son, you have eternal life. Now, I just happen to believe that. So it’s a policy. Now you see that’s not it. So his mind and mine are in harmony with that fact. Jesus said it, I believe that that’s a true we’re in harmony with one another. Is that going to affect my emotions? Well, of course it is. Is it going to affect my will in regard to choices around eternal life? Yes, it will. Is that going to affect my bodily the way I move bodily? Yes, it’s gonna affect every aspect of me, the total humanity is going to be affected by the deity who lives in me.

On the other hand, I have a choice to LISTEN to the Spirit of God, that lives in me, whereby I have his mind living in me. And I also have a choice that I can listen to the desires of my flesh to the world, meaning the world, the flesh, and the devil. So those are other three sources that can penetrate my mind, the world, and all of its influence. Can television Influence my mind? Certainly. Can radio? Absolutely. Can billboards? Yes. Can literature? Yes. Can sitting around, watching soap operas and dreaming about having affairs affect you? Yes, it can. It’s a It’s fantasy. It’s a form of lust. So to you ladies are gods are wanting to criticize men for lusting. What do you think fantasy is? It’s the same thing. So we’re cannot affect you why? Of course it can. Can it pull you away from being programmed by God? Absolutely. Can it give you a different attitude than that of Christ Jesus? Without question. And so that’s the that is the complication that takes place is in this ticker of mine, this mind of mine, that I have the ability to either choose to watch and to listen to, and to read stuff that’s going to affect my mind contrary to the truth of the Word of God, or to yield my mind to His truth and let it set me free. Now, if I don’t know what his truth is, then how in the world is it going to set me free? And if I don’t know what his what His truth is, how am I going to match up? What’s error? Because I don’t know what truth is, I for sure, I’m not going to be able to identify error. Because if I don’t know what his truth is, then I’m going to have to determine what truth is based upon what the world tells me. And I want to tell you, that’s one great big deception in that regard. And all you have to do is just to watch a few of some of these idiotic talk shows on television and see the minds and the opinions of people that are out there. And it’ll just shock you to death. And they think they’re telling the truth, and to them they are because that’s all they know, truth is, is what’s been told to them by the world, because it’s not bounced off of the plumb line of God and His Word. So folks, until we have are able, and only through spiritual birth, are we able to determine truth, because as we said earlier, no eyes seen or ears heard, her mind is conceived of those things that God has prepared. For those who love Him, it has to be revealed by the Spirit. So until you and I are spiritually regenerated, we have no ability of being able to comprehend the meaning of truth. But once we are folks, that’s a beauty of new birth, we have the ability to know what truth is, and be taught by God Himself, personally, your private tutor, teaching you not only what truth says, but more importantly, what it means.

So all of that comes from spiritual birth. Now, when that spiritual birth occurs, as I said, I have the option of yielding my flesh, to the will of God, to the Word of God, to be influenced by it. It’s called yielding your instruments of your body, or yielding your body as an instrument of righteousness, or yielding my body as an instrument of unrighteousness. That’s a choice that I have. And so, along with that, then what we’re talking about is when Jesus says, The only thing that counts is love. And in First Corinthians 13, when he was talking about the body of Christ and Bob, one of the things that were terrifically confused about, I believe in Christendom is the fact that many evangelicalism know that we belong to Christ who don’t realize we belong to one another. And you’ll hear people say, and there’s songs that are out that that Lord, I just don’t want to hurt you again, when I sin. I just I just when I think about what you suffered on the cross, I just don’t want to hurt you anymore. And it’s such a fine sounding song. But it’s like Jesus saying and quit hurting one another. Because when you’ve done to the least of these, my brother, you’ve done it unto me. And we keep thinking I’m hurting God. He said, No, no, no, no, I’ve already Have you been hurt. What I want you to wait, who you’re hurting is one another, you’re hurting members of my body. So when you’re hurting my body, you’re hurting me. It would be like it’d be like my hand over here beating the daylights out of my other hand and saying to my head, oh, I don’t want to hurt your head. He said, I got news for you just did, yes, you just chrushed, another member of my body that belongs to you. You see what I’m getting at? So he’s saying the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. And in First Corinthians when he’s he’s explaining all of this in First Corinthians 12 and 13, you’re a part of this body, you belong to me, and you belong to Christ. It says in verse 27, verse, a chapter 12, you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. So it said, let me show you a more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but I don’t have love. I’m only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. In other words, don’t get all hung up on gifts. Because if you don’t have love, it doesn’t mean anything. It can say if you’re the best teacher on the face of this earth, but you don’t have love all yar it just a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If you have the gift of encouragement, and you just encouraging people all over the place in order to draw attention to yourself, you’re nothing but a phony baloney.

We’re back to First Corinthians 13. And we’re gonna pick up there which is page 80, in your in your book, on love. He said, I’m going to show you a more excellent way if I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love I’m only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, that’s pretty good gift. And if in other words, and all of these things, Bob, it’s called from a literary standpoint, a hyperbole. In other words, it’s an exaggeration of something in order to make a point. So when he’s talking about if I could speak in the tongues or the languages, which is what tongues is, is a known language of men and angels. In other words, there if there’s there’s no angelic language sitting around and people are engaged in, it’s talking about if I could speak in the tongues of men, angels, the whole universe, but I don’t have love. I don’t have anything. I’m a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecies and can fathom all mental mysteries and all knowledge Well, how could a human being ever fathom all mysteries and all knowledge? You can’t. It’s an exaggeration in order to make a point. But it’s saying if I could do that, it’d be like me saying, If I could wave a magic wand across across this country tomorrow. And there’s prayer in every school in the country and Bible study and every school in the country. But but it didn’t result in having love. What good would it do? You see, it’s an Well, there’s no way to wave that magic wand. But if I could, but it didn’t result in loving one another. What good was?

If I have faith that can move mountains. Well, I mean, there have been too many people that I’ve seen moving those. But it’s an exaggeration of a fact, in order to make a point, if you had that kind of faith that you could make a mountain move. But you do not have love. It says I am nothing. I’m just a glorified mountain mover. Now, if I give all that I possess to the poor, very few people willing to do that one, and surrender my body to the flames. In other words, if you’re a martyr, but you don’t have love, I gained nothing. So it’s saying, Folks, I don’t know what else we should need as Christians to realize that love is the byproduct. It has to be the byproduct of every single thing that Christ Jesus taught us. God so loved us that he demonstrated his love while we yet sinners, it came to die for us. God so loved the world that He gave, love preceded every act of Christ Jesus on the face of this earth. And love is supposed to be the motivating factor for each and every one of us. And if we don’t have it, what that does is say backup. Backup Bob in case, you think you’re doing pretty good. Backup and take a fresh look. Apart from me, you can do nothing. Well, you see, Bob, I can teach apart from him. I can drive a car apart from him. There’s lots of things I can do apart from him. But is there any way to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long suffering, all of those things called the fruit of the Spirit apart from Him, nothing, anything, it’s important to him, I can’t do anything that is important to him, apart from him.

Now, again, I believe what he is saying to us, Bob is this, that unless you allow me to teach you about my love, then you are never going to be able to express that love to another human being. Because in essence, you are going to teach others you’re going to act to others the way you think God acts with you. If you think God’s up there hammering you in the head, when you do wrong, you’re gonna hammer people in the head when they do wrong, right. So our actions literally become a reflection. In many instances when it when we’re walking in the Spirit, then our actions are a total reflection of what we are being taught and know about God. On the other hand, when that is not occurring, we’re just believing the enemy, the very opposite of that. Now, that’s why it says in that Ephesians, that I pray that out of his glorious riches, that he will strengthen you with power in your inner being so that Christ will be at home in your hearts through faith. And I pray Ephesians, 3:17 and 19 that you being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, the byproduct that you might be filled to the measure with the fullness of God. So is it important for God to teach you about his love? He said, that’s what I’m praying that the Holy Spirit of God living in you will teach you about the height and depth and breadth and width of the love of God and teach you in such a way. It’s knowledge that surpasses knowledge. It’s a understanding that surpasses knowledge, so the spirit has to teach you.

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.