Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. 23, 2022, yes we're live and the internet stuff I'm working on still and trying to get things going because we know, or that you guys know, that we've had some internet problems on my end and so I actually have been tackling it in earnest and I've got some tricks up my sleeve. I'm able to get it going here in a little while, some other things, but I've got computers turned off, I've got things turned off and hopefully everything will work out just hunky dory, maybe hunky better than dory, I don't know, but we'll find out.

So hey look, if you want to give me a call, all you've got to do is dial 877-207-2276 and there you go. So for those of you who might be new, this is a Christian apologetic show, it's kind of different, you know, we answer questions on all kinds of topics and just debate and discuss. Okay, so a couple of hours ago I was online and I like to do this, you know, I work on projects but I just need a break so I'll go online and I'll find a chat room someplace and I know where to go for theology and stuff like that so I went into a room and we had this interesting discussion with some Eastern Orthodox people. Now you know I'm a little unusual in that I will just say it and I believe Eastern Orthodoxy is apostate, false doctrine, just like Roman Catholicism, I believe if you die believing official doctrines from those churches you're going to go to hell.

I honestly believe it, I don't just say it for sensationalism, I actually believe this stuff and I teach and I argue and debate from that perspective when I talk to them and you know they understand that, they know who I am and they know that it's not malicious, this is my position and so we have polite conversations nonetheless. And today we had a conversation and it was interesting because I find that the people I talk to, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church, it's all about the church. The church, you see the church is what's true, the church is what gives us the authority, the church is what gives us the scriptures, the church, the church, the church and so you know I ask them questions and they brought up a time when I kind of had an impromptu discussion debate with a guy in the Eastern Orthodox position and they claim victory in that and you know I just laugh, I say you guys don't even get it, you don't even know what happens you know when we have these discussions because they dismiss the difficult questions and they ask a question and they think I'm dismissing it but I'm not. Let me give an example of something, I'll say to them, I'll say look you know the Bible is the final authority in everything it addresses, do you agree and they'll say well no because we believe in history, okay history, so your church is the true church yes, how do you know? The Bible tells us how do you know your interpretation of history is correct, how do you know the church's history of interpretation is correct, it says the church fathers contradict each other, how do you know which one's right? This is when the wheels come off the cart, they can't answer these questions, what they'll do is they'll just say well no the church says so, well how do you know the church is right and so they don't have an authority resting in scripture, they have an authority resting in a church which they relinquish their ability to think to that church, they relinquish this ability of critical thinking and they give it to the church, you do my critical thinking for me, I will repeat what you say. So the church says that it is true, hey therefore the church is true, the church says it has authority going back to the apostles, so therefore they have a authority that goes back to the apostles, so I ask them, I'll say can you show me this in scripture and guess what they can't, well they'll go to various verses and then I'll say let's read it, let's see what it says, which is really interesting as I'll ask them, so are you interpreting the scripture or are you doing what your church tells you to say about the scripture, which is it, because if you're doing what it tells you to say, how do you know it's correct, if you're doing it on your own, then aren't you submitting that church to your own authority and interpretation, these are tough questions and they won't answer them, because they can't answer them, they can't answer them, but then they'll say to me Matt, hey who gave you the Bible, say God, they don't like that, say God did to the apostles and prophets, and they'll say well the church is who gave it to us, I said well what do you mean by church, well the church, I said well what do you mean by the church, since the word is used in different contexts and different ways in the Bible, what do you mean, do you mean a universal ecclesiastical structure, where was that in the New Testament, because you don't find it, you find the church over here, the church over there, that's what you find, and Paul writing letters to various churches, you don't find a single overarching church structure that is there, oh I go to Acts 15, they drew some council, yeah it's a council of elders who got together and they said it seemed good to them, and then they taught, and these are out of the apostles and others, and I said so where's your authority like this, they don't have it, anyway we go through these conversations, we go through all kinds of stuff like this, and I'll tell you it just gets, it's amazing to me still, it just gets to be disconcerting to encounter people who relinquish the responsibility they have to go to God's word and then they just relinquish it to a church, now don't do that yourself, don't relinquish your responsibility to interpret the word of God, to understand the word of God and give it to a church or a radio guy, you need to study the word for yourself to the best of your ability, this is why I like it when people come to me and say Matt you know I've listened to you in the radio, I've listened to you in Bible studies and the way you're teaching, okay, and I studied what you said and I examined what you said, I said okay, and I like it when they say, well I really like it when they say everything you say is true and right and I believe everything, okay good, okay, now smile, but I like it when they say well you know, I examine what you say and I see why you say what you do but I don't necessarily agree with your conclusions, okay awesome, well what do you conclude, as long as it's not heretical, no problem, but I like it when people look at the word of God for themselves and then decide and interpret based on what they can see in scripture, oh you don't have the authority to do that, where do you have to have authority, where does it say you have to have authority, did Jesus claim to have authority, well yeah, he's God, what about the apostles, did they have authority, well yeah they were called by Christ, okay, so where's your authority, well the Bereans, they were said to be noble minded and Paul praised them for comparing even what he said against scripture, now did they have authority from some church structure to judge even what Paul said, of course not, and yet Paul said way to go, wait a minute, if they're supposed to submit themselves to some ecclesiastical authority then why is it that Paul said to the Bereans you're more noble minded and they even checked what he said against scripture, shouldn't they just be submitting to the authority of the apostle, you know when I debate these things and I talk to people and ask these kind of questions, I find two things, one you can listen and hear the wheels come off their cart and two you can listen and hear them avoid the difficult questions, why, because their loyalty is not to Jesus, it's to a church and that's bad, anyway that was my day today having that little bit of an excursion into the internet and debating and teaching, hey we have four open lines if you want to give me a call, 8772072276 give me a call, we have four open lines, alright Buskman from Ohio welcome you're on the air. That was a great opening Matt, I just got to say, very insightful and I have really been on a movement brother trying to get people to get back into the word and it's just amazing how so many people Matt in our churches today are absolutely biblically illiterate which leads me to my question that I was asking your screener, we hear it all the time Matt when we go to church, hopefully pretty regularly, but I'm wondering how much power Matt is in the quote unquote sinner's prayer and where have we as a Christian community, where did we get that whole sinner's prayer idea that everybody seems to parrot, especially in the American churches of today?

Well from what I see, I've not studied a history of it, but what I see is that people are doing that as a summation of what it means to come to Christ, personally I don't have a problem with a sinner's prayer if it's done so to speak properly, I don't believe that a sinner's prayer is what saves you, but I do affirm with the idea that you know if I were preaching and the message today was about salvation and I wouldn't have any problem saying after the sermon, you know folks if any of you are unbelievers and I don't mean that derogatory sense but you've not committed yourself to Christ and you want to, I'm going to pray out loud and you can just recite with me, this is an intention of your heart to trust in Christ, to ask Christ for you to receive Christ, I wouldn't see any problem with that, I have a problem with oh you said these words, hey now you're a Christian, now that I have a problem. That's where I'm going Matt, yes, that's where I get concerned because when I run into quote unquote fellow Christians, and you can obviously see there is no Galatians 5 fruit of the Spirit coming out of the person after observance, you know you give them time, you don't just make your quick decision in just a couple seconds notice, but you see that there's no fruit of the Spirit in them and when they claim, yeah, when they claim well I prayed the sinner's prayer when I was 12 at such and such church. Right, that's a problem, yeah, I said this, that's why when I talk to people about coming to Christ, I'll say, I tell them three things, law, gospel and cost, the law, thou shalt not lie, you've lied, ok, now you're in trouble, the gospel, Jesus can free you from the penalty of that law and then the cost, the cost is to pick up your cross daily and follow after them, you better know what you're getting into.

Ah, that's a good return, that's a good last return, yeah. Well get this, at one time I was leading a guy to the Lord, and I'm not taking credit, look at me, I'm not saying that, but you know it was moving that way and I got to the point where I said look, do you want to receive Christ as your Savior, you know you have to trust in him, I can help you in a prayer, not that a prayer is what does it, but it's your appeal to God, it's your appeal and trust in him, and he says I get you, I understand what you're saying, and I said I got to tell you one more thing, I said Jesus says you've got to pick up your cross and follow after him, and if you don't, you're not worthy of him. That's what he says right in scripture, Matt. That's right, oh yeah, and I said he will take you as you are, but he won't leave you as you are, and this can be difficult, and I said so, now with that information do you want to be a Christian, and he said no I don't. Wow Matt, now what you just did, sir, was you helped him to, as Jesus once said in scripture as well, count the cost, you helped that man to count the cost, absolutely amazing, sir. I do not want someone to, I don't want someone to, I have to say this, I tried Jesus for two weeks, it didn't work, I said the prayer, it didn't work, I want him to say wait a minute, Matt, you mean he's going to require some of me, yes he is, well that's different, I thought it was just to be my life would get better, I've even told people it might not get better, it might get a little worse for a little while as you find out your friends don't want to hang around you anymore, you better, yeah, you don't know what you're getting into, this is God here, this isn't just some blonde hair blue eyed Caucasian surfer dude dressed in a woman's nightgown asking permission to let you in, and once you and your wisdom let him in, oh life's going to be better, you can be healthy and wealthy, I said, not true, it may be like that, but it may not be, are you ready to receive Christ and stand up for him and be honest even if it's going to hurt you, are you willing to do this, no, well then don't call yourself a Christian and don't trust in Christ, because, no honestly Matt, say you did, right, go ahead, yeah I don't hear that, you know, at least in my church, I love my pastor, and I know he's a man, you know, he's not God incarnate, hold on, we've got a break, because I can't hear you, I know that break's coming and that's what I've got to focus on, so hold on, we'll be right back, ok, we'll get to you, alright, alright, hey folks we'll be right back after these messages, two open lines, 877-207-2276, back with Buskman in just a little bit, stay tuned. It's Matt Slick live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276, here's Matt Slick, alright everyone, welcome back to the show, two open lines, 877-207-2276, let's get back on with Buskman, we'll be right back on, yeah, so, I have not seen that happen to, I can't actually, Matt, I can't say that I've ever seen that happen, where the pastor said at the end of his sermon, let me help you count the cost, this is what it's going to cost you sir or ma'am, if you choose the path of Christ, so I'm wondering, is there, should we be doing that in our churches, yes, absolutely, Jesus says in Luke 14-28, for which one of you when he builds a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it, the idea of knowing what you're getting into and what's going on, you better get involved, in fact you probably know this, in North Korea, if you become a Christian, you, I heard this said that the Christians who have escaped North Korea, when they get someone converted to Christ, the convert expects to be killed by the state, that's amazing sir, they expect it, and so that's not only there, but I've heard stories in China of stuff, and there are, we have a connection in Nigeria, in the Muslim murdering horde of Satanists, Islam is evil, anyway, they are going around and they're killing Christians, and a lot of the Christians believe that they're just going to die and just go to heaven, and that's, you know, they will, praise God, but they're willing to die, there are people all over the world who are willing to, but here in America, what, you mean, you mean I might lose a friend, oh forget that, you mean, God might actually ask me to be honest, for real, I'm not going to do that, yeah, uh huh, absolutely amazing, I get so concerned because I see good men and women even professing that they're Christians, and I have this little test that I sometimes use, and it's, what has your life lost since you became a Christian, what have you had to lose, and most of them say nothing, I'm an American, and God's been good to me, and I'm like, you've never had your name tarnished, you've never been called out, so I just get concerned, is it a mindset, or is it a heart change, mainly in our country, because as you said, and I knew it was bad in North Korea, but I didn't realize that, that here in the United States of America, we have it so good here, I believe Isaiah calls it fat, we have it so good here, that it's easy to sport the name of Christ without it costing us a thing. And so I get concerned about these men and women because if they are in deception, and they're in my care, how much do I, I don't want these people going to hell, brother, and but it's just, it's very concerning for me, because I'm like, okay, so professing Christians, as God said to Samuel, I can't read their heart, but God can, but there's no fruit, I keep going back to Galatians 5, I'm like, there's no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control. Well, there's not, but there are some good people out there, and stuff, but I hear you. You're more concerned with the absolutes and the truth, well, you know, that's why I say the blonde-haired, blow-eyed, Caucasian surfer Jesus, that's who's presented a lot at a lot of churches.

I'm going to remember that one, brother. That's good. But it is. You've seen him, he's got perfect complexion, long hair, you wouldn't hurt anybody. Isn't that an Italian model in the Renaissance period?

I heard that he was an Italian model, yeah. He was talking about the church earlier, you know, how they gave us the Bible, no, it's the church, the church, the church. I think the church produced that, man, and one of the artists of the day painted the man, and now we know him as that look of Jesus.

I don't know. That was my concern, Matt, I don't want to take up any more time for your callers, because we love your program, that's why I love calling you, but yeah, I was concerned about the power of the sinner's prayer versus carrying our cross, otherwise we cannot be his disciple on the other side of the scale, and it just seems like, okay, I said the prayer, so I'm concerned, and it's just right back to my life as usual, and I get concerned about that being pronounced from a pulpit through a man that should be speaking on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ and under the uncles of the Holy Spirit, and that's what I was getting concerned with. I loved what you said, brother, how you brought the man hate. You still want to become a Christian, because it will cost you something. Not our salvation, obviously Christ, our blessed Lord took care of the cost for us to be his, but what it cost us is, we're not picking up Jesus' cross, we're picking up our cross, our cross. In other words, somebody's going to somehow nail us like they did our Lord in some format in our future, since we decided to not follow the world anymore, or ourselves, but to follow the Messiah. That's right.

I can tell you, it's cost me a great deal, and I know a lot of stories about it. But that's what it is, that's just how it is, and we move forward from there, so praise God. That's right. Thanks for your time, Matt, love your show, and keep doing what you're doing, brother. Alright, brother.

God bless, appreciate it. Alright. Yes, sir. Bye-bye. Okay. Alright, that's Buskman from Ohio. We have three open lines, why don't you give me a call, 877-207-2276. Eric from North Carolina, Eric, welcome. You are on the air.

Thank you, sir. I just have a question. Any time before I accept any kind of shift in philosophy, or excuse, theology, or in the best case, I just want to make sure I'm doing my due diligence. I do not understand the concept of dispensationalism, right? I mean, I've seen it, there's different dispensations according to different times in God's program.

I was looking at some material from the Korean Bible Society, I just wanted to get, I know there's hyper-dispensationalism, and I don't know what's biblical and what's not. Well, all I can tell you is what my opinion is. My opinion is that dispensationalism is not the proper way to look at scripture. Now there may be some dispensationalists out there who might call me up next and say that they disagree with me, and I'd say, okay, you know what, that's alright, because it's possible that I'm incorrect.

I don't believe I am. So I'm trying to be as honest and fair as possible. But you see, the thing is, when I look at scripture, I see God work covenantally, and the reason I believe he does that is because it's based on his own character, his own word. He makes a covenant and he binds himself. That's how he communicates.

That's how he began in the blood of the eternal covenant in Hebrews 1320. We've got a break, so hold on, we'll figure this out a little bit more after the break, okay, runner? Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages. We have, let's see, three open lines, why don't you give me a call, 877-207-2276, we'll be right back. It's Matt Slick live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276, here's Matt Slick. Hey everybody, welcome back to the show, the bottom of the hour, why don't you give me a call, 877-207-2276, Eric, are you still there?

Yes sir, yes sir. Okay, so, as I was saying, God works covenantally, in the inter-Trinitarian covenant, God the Father elected and then gave the elect to the son, this is out of Ephesians 1-4, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. This is the inter-Trinitarian action, and in Hebrews 13-20, it mentions the phrase the blood of the eternal covenant, and so it doesn't tell us exactly what it is, but the relationships, excuse me, the commentaries that I have examined have leaned towards the idea, and I agree with them, that it's the inter-Trinitarian communion for the redemption of people. And a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties, and God binds himself by his word, let there be light, the word became flesh, etc.

and sin is breaking the word of God, thou shalt not lie. And so I see the character of God as the foundation, his character, his essence, his holiness, and that out of that is the issue of covenant, not dispensations. Now some dispensationalists will agree that God works covenantally, they just impose a little bit more on the scale, put their thumb on the scale on the dispensational side. Me, I just don't, I just say, I just don't see it, I just look at covenant. Now again, I want to make sure everybody knows, I'm not judging the dispensationalists, I've got dispensational friends, and we insult each other lovingly, and fun, but when we get along, and that's okay.

So I'm just telling you what my opinion is, and that's why my opinion is that way. One last question, sir, if I may. I guess part of this is because, there's something, I've got to be careful, I don't want to just believe what my itching ears want to hear, all right, but one of the things that is part in the theology here that I see is that, in the entire works of Paul, and actually as far as I know, after the resurrection of Christ, there's only a couple of places in the Bible about confessing sins, specifically confessing sins, one would be in James, to confess one another, the other is 1 John 1.9, and I'm telling you this because I'm someone I've called before, I've struggled with a lot of the last response, all right, I have OCD, scripulitis, might have hurt, might have hit, callers talk about it. No, I have Asperger's, so, you know, not the same thing, but yeah, I get it. Yeah, yeah, and that's one of the things that I've struggled a lot with the unpardonable sin, well, in dispensation theology that was a, going back even into the old test, it was a national rejection of Christ that came to the head when those leaders did that, and therefore that was in that age, all right, and we are now in the age of grace. Anyway, that's a lot to throw at you, but that's what I'm dealing with. So I think I missed something, you said you're worried about committing blasphemy to the Holy Spirit, is that what it was?

Am I off base? I've had all kinds of crazy thoughts go through my head about those things, again, it's part of OCD, and truth of thought, and I've accidentally said that, I didn't mean to, you know, I wouldn't worry about it. No, no, the people who committed blasphemy to the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12.22-32, they intended it, they were defending it, they were accusing Jesus, and they meant it, that's not forgivable, okay, and I understand about people who have Tourette's, OCD, ADHD, and sometimes the thoughts get away from them, then they obsess about that, and then they obsess so much they want to make sure they don't say it, but then they have to say it, because they're not going to say it, and it becomes a vicious circle, and then, oh, now I said it, look what I did, and they bring it upon themselves, and I'm not judging and not mocking, not pointing any fingers, I'm just saying, yeah, and so, well, are you married? I know this question all around the airport, I get that, but the reason, I guess, I was just wondering, number one, I've spent, I spent all day confessing, like all day, you know, like hours, like a bad thought comes in, you know, I'm not laughing because I'm going, yeah, I know what that is, yeah, and so I did this, and so I'm looking at, you know, I've spent pretty much every take on the informals that have ever been written, I mean, because you're part of my obsession, and there are a number of people, a number of scholars, theologians, that think, hey, you can't commit that thing today, it was done by the researchers in that national setting, in a personal, a personal, you know, time with Jesus, all right, and it was, it wasn't just a one-time thing, you know, it was like a constant grind.

Right, I get you. But this is the whole confession thing, that I'm wondering, I'm exhausted, and what happens, the confession turns into a means of saving myself. Well, look, look at this, ask yourself the question, do you trust in Christ what he did in the cross, his physical resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, or do you not? Which is it?

Which is it? I do, I do, I mean, I do. Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. The answer is you do. That alone justifies you before God. That alone comes from God, because he granted that you believe, Philippians 1 29, and that belief in trust is in Christ, John 6 29, and he granted you repentance, 2 Timothy 2 25.

You're born again, not of your own will, John 1 13, because God caused you to be born again, 1 Peter 1 3. So you're his. Don't obsess about anything. Trust the fact. Let me say this, let me say this, I really want to, if you're asking, let's say, I don't know, 10 years ago, or before my OCD really hit, my faith was solid.

I remember, we talked about sinner's prayer, right, I mean, I said that sinner's prayer in the 20,000, I probably haven't got a record for saying that probably back in the day. I came to the realization, I don't know, when you look at John, over and over again, what's the requirement? Belief. Belief.

That's it. That's why I'm asking you. And I just remember saying, I just simply believe now, you know, that's what I even hesitated to say that I believe that Jesus died for me is because because I struggle with this unpardonable sin.

It's caused such doubt that I'm completely ineffective as a Christian right now. You know? No, I don't believe that. I don't believe that.

At all. I don't care what bondage you have because of a problem that might be developing, you're not useless to God. There are people right now listening to you who are taking encouragement. No, I mean, I hope. No, no, no. I hope there's some that can be done.

Not hope. He takes all things after the counsel of his will. He even uses a guy named Slick. He uses people. I know a guy who, I tease him a lot, Ed Romaine, and I call him Romaine Lettuce, and he has cerebral palsy, and he's in a wheelchair, and I don't think he can walk. I don't even know. But he has to have constant help.

Okay? God uses him. He flies here and there.

Justin Peters, same thing. There are lots of people who can be used. You give your frailty to him and see what God does with it, but you have to trust him beyond your ability to understand. You trust him for who he is. Don't trust your ability to trust him. Don't trust your ability to trust him. Trust him. He's the one who opens your heart and your mind. Luke 24, 45. He does this.

He opens your mind and understands scripture. Just trust what he said, and leave the rest on the bathroom floor, and you move forward. Okay? All right, buddy?

Sounds good. I appreciate it. All right, Eric. Thank you. All right, man. God bless. Okay.

Let's just jump on with Elijah from Pennsylvania. Welcome here on the air. Hey, man. How you doing? I had to check. I'm doing fine. I just had to check to make it. What's up?

What do you got? Yeah. I called to ask about Revelation 3.20, because I heard you earlier talk about how some Christians like to talk about Jesus standing at the door and not, and this is where it says, behold, I stand at the door and not if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him in he with me. So what do you think this text means?

Because I know I was taught that this text means that Jesus is, I guess, waiting for us to accept him. Yeah. Ooh, there's some break.

Break timing. We'll get right back, and we'll tackle it after the break, okay? Hey, folks. Hold on.

We have two open lines, 877-207-2276. We'll be right back. Please stay tuned. It's Matt Slick live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the show.

Let's get back to Elijah. Are you still there? Yep, I'm still here. All right. So I want you to repeat what you said, what you've heard people say, so we can get a fresh start on this. Go ahead.

Yeah. So I was taught that Revelation 3.20, where Jesus says that he's at the door and knocks, and if anyone hears his voice and opens the door, he will come in and eat with him and be with him. But yeah, I was taught that this verse means that Jesus is waiting for us to accept him into our hearts. So what's your interpretation of this verse, though?

Yeah, I enjoy the sentiment of it. I don't know if the logic of it is true. He's waiting for us to open up the heart. What that says is that Jesus is waiting for you in the wisdom of your sin to decide what to do with him. And this puts the responsibility, onus, ability on the unbeliever, because the unbeliever is a slave of sin, a hater of God, doesn't do any good, doesn't seek for God, cannot receive spiritual things. So if that's the case, and the scriptures teach that, then how could it be consistent for someone to say that this verse means he's just waiting for you to decide? That would be a problem, because Jesus said, for example, you cannot come to me unless it's granted to you from the Father, John 6.65.

So we have to take all of scripture. Now it does say he stands at the door and knocks. Now what he's talking about is not about individuals, but he's talking about the church of Laodicea.

Actually I've been to Laodicea, I've walked in the ruins and up and down on some stuff and looked in a home, the foundation of the homes with rocks, and it gets really neat. So I remember it well. So he's talking about the church. The church as a whole, he's saying I'm waiting for you. Now is he talking about every individual? Because you could have individuals in a church like that who are incredibly dedicated and some who are not. You could have some who are walking with God and some who are sliding. So he's talking about the church as a whole right there, to the angel of the church of Laodicea.

Right. So he's talking about this church. Well the church hopefully is comprised of individuals who are saved. The question is, is that the case here?

I'm not saying it is, I'm not saying it's not, it's just a question that needs to be asked when we look at this. Because if he's talking about a church, not an individual, but he's talking about a church can have a group of individuals who could be saved and or not saved. And that's why I'm saying at this point we have a little bit of a difficulty trying to understand exactly what to say about it. I'm not trying to make things difficult, I'm just saying these are all possibilities and issues that relate. So when people say, well this means he's standing at the door of your personal heart, is that what the text says?

And the answer is, well no it doesn't. He says he's standing at the door of what? The church? Yeah, I want to come in with all of you to fellowship with you, you're not having it.

I'll come in and dine with him and he with me. But here's another thing, it's already a church. And so if he's talking about this to the church, if people say well it means believers, well then how can it be referenced to unbelievers?

I'm standing at the door of your heart, unbeliever. That's not it, it's to the church, which the implication is believers. Now it could have some unbelievers in there, but for the most part it looks like it's a bunch of believers professing Christ. And he's talking about them, already believers. So you see, people, they read stuff, they don't look at it, they don't think of the context, and then they go and they make theology, and they shouldn't do that. So what I would say, having thought of all of that, since it's dealing with the church, and the church we're going to assume here has a lot of believers, true believers in it, then the believers are the ones who are having problems here. And don't be hot or cold, don't be lukewarm, be this or be that, and I'm going to come in and I'll fellowship with you. He's talking about the issue of those who are most probably already believers. Because he says, I advise you, buy from me gold, refine with fire, so you may become rich in white garments, so that you may clothe yourself, the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed.

That implies the idea of unbelievers, because white garments are a symbol of purity. Buy this from me. But wait a minute, buy?

What do you mean buy? You don't buy salvation. So this is not easy to just get into and say, oh, here it is in Revelation 3.20 means he's standing at the door of your heart and you've got to let him in. It doesn't say that, it doesn't say it at all. People often take the text, run with it, don't think, and they just go and say that's what it means. I say ask lots of questions, then search to answer those questions as best as you can and then come up with the best understanding in light of the context that you possibly can. Make sense?

Yeah, that was a really good explanation right there. I do this with people a lot, they'll say, well, this verse means that. I don't know, maybe it does, let's take a look, let's take a look at the context. And sometimes I go, I think you're right, and sometimes I'll say, well, no, I don't think you're on the right track. Just like this verse is commonly misused.

It's at the door of your heart, it talks about individuals, but it talks about the church, Laodicea. So, you know, and there's lots of questions in there. All right? Yep.

One more question before I go. Did you check your email that I sent you? Remember, I called yesterday and told you that I would send you a video on Genesis 6? Yeah, I saw that.

I didn't check it out, but I saw that it came in. Yeah, I appreciate it, man. Oh, okay.

Yeah, I did, I saw it, I'll try to get a look at that, and then I got busy, as I always do. All right? Yep. Okay. All right, man, well, God bless, buddy. God bless you, too. All right.

Great. Well, we lost John from Dallas, and we lost John on the Hypostatic Union, which I would have loved to have talked about. Let's get to Alberto from Georgia.

Alberto, welcome. What do you think about Christians spending too much time talking about the Antichrist and over and over, and then Christians also are spending too much time worrying about other ministries. They're teaching false teachings all the time, so they're just waiting to go over the door.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This is bad. You ask these questions, and God bless you, but man, you ask these questions that are so multifaceted, and they seem to be thematically identical about people's failures, and then you go in and you talk about them a lot, about the church does this, doesn't this, people don't do that. So I'm entertained by that, I think it's interesting, but could you break this question down into like one sentence? Well, like I said, I was hearing a sermon by John MacArthur, it's called Warning from the Palisade Nation, Part D, and he talks about pretty much the same thing I'm asking you now, that ministry spends too much time talking about the Antichrist, too much time over and over, and all the Christians spend too much time exposing other teachers or false teachers and all that stuff, just focusing within the Lord. I still don't understand what your question is, though.

Alberto, I don't understand what your question is. Why do Christians spend so much time wasting energy on things that don't really matter that much? There's lots of reasons people waste time, because they don't have their focus on Christ, maybe they're just tired, maybe they're fatigued, maybe they need a vacation, it could be all kinds of things, how much is too much, you know, there's a lot of variables in there, but generically speaking, the Christian church is not focusing on the areas it needs to, in the areas of holiness before God, the truth of who God is, and our obligation to carry out the Great Commission. So generally, they're just not doing enough, and it's because we're comfortable, I believe, you know, the blonde-haired, black, Caucasian surfer Jesus image, okay? That's what I think. Okay, another quick question.

Okay, another quick question. How do you know when sinners are trying to pull you into the world, or are they truly trying to be your friend, and you're kind of not really trusting them, you think they trying to pull you into the world, but they think that you're trying to be stuck up or so-and-so righteous, so how do you know when sinners are trying to pull you into the world? Who cares what they think?

Are they trying to be your friend, or are they trying to pull you into the world with them? Look, don't follow them, follow Jesus, if they don't like it, that's their problem. They think you're stuck up, whatever. You just follow Christ, you tell them, I'm just following my Lord, you know, I'm not going to participate in this and that, and that's it.

You don't owe them any explanations, okay? And don't worry about what they think. You worry about what the Lord says, and let truth have its way with them. That's what you need to do.

Even with Christians, when they sometimes Christian themselves, they think that you're being self-righteous, because even though you believe that what you think is doing is pleasing the Lord, but they think that you're being self-righteous or not being sociable with people, yet because you don't want to be with them in certain places or certain things. Yeah, but you see, you're talking about some stuff in your situation, in your life. I don't know the context, so I can't comment on it, alright? Just not able to comment on things like that, and, um, okay. Okay. Let me get some counsel, maybe use some advice. Yeah, well, you know, you're talking about personal dynamics in situations that are highly variable. It's difficult to give you a specific answer.

I like to always have more questions answered when I counsel people, and this is an issue of counseling. Okay? Alright? Okay. Alright. Alright, thank you, sir. Alright, brother. God bless.

I recommend a good question for you. Okay. Alright.

Alright. Alright, let's get to Mark from Florida, I believe it is. Mark, welcome. You're on the air. Hi, Matt.

I'm a long-time listener. I've got a question about, um, can a, can a, somebody that's, well, let me say it differently, can somebody that has homosexual attraction or, um, uh, has homosexual feelings that haven't acted on it be saved? Yes. They can? Yeah. Okay.

Okay. Yeah, of course they can. You see, we have our tendencies. We have our failures. I'm very heterosexual, and, uh, you know, I could fall in that strength as well as someone who has homosexual tendencies. We can excel what is wrong, and, I mean, what is right, and go move into the area of error and sin. So let's say we have an individual who knows homosexuality is a sin, doesn't want it, but has a struggle internally. I would call such a person who's trusted in Christ and still struggling, I'd call him my brother.

I'd say, yeah, okay. You admit it, you know it, you used to struggle. I mean, I've got things that I'm still struggling with as a Christian, you know, I'm 65.

I've been doing this for a long time, and I still have issues I'm struggling with. And some of them aren't, aren't very pretty, you know, I mean, I know myself and I'm just saying it doesn't mean that I'm not saved. It's the struggle against sin, and sin takes many forms. Now, if I were a pastor of a church and someone came in and said he has homosexual tendencies, but he recognizes it as sin, he doesn't want to act on it, does not act on it, has repented, you know, et cetera, confesses it, lays it before the Lord and says, but this is an area of struggle that I have. I'd say, okay, praise God, you know, not praise God for the sin, but, you know, okay, fine, no problem. And if someone said, oh, you can't because he's homosexual, well, what about someone who has trouble, a man who's married and he's lusting after other women occasionally, and it's a natural tendency for him, and his mind goes a little bit too far sometimes. And he goes, did it again, I got to stop that, oh, I'm sorry, you know, we have to be consistent. So heterosexual attraction is permissibly sinful and homosexuality is not permissibly sinful.

You see, we had to be careful about these, all right, but yeah, they could be Christian. I see the difference. All right. I see, I see.

We're out of time. All right. Call back. Call back, okay?

We'll call. No problem. No problem. All right. All right. Hey, folks, sorry about that, but we got to go. I wish I could have explained it, explained it, explained that better, but we ran out of time.

The Lord bless you. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye. Bye.