Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. It's Matt Slick Live. Matt is the founder and president of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry, found online at Carm.org. When you have questions about Bible doctrines, turn to Matt Slick Live for answers, taking your calls and responding to your questions at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick.

Hey everybody, how are you doing today? It's a great. Let's see, get the mic over here a little bit better. It's July 3rd, 2025. May the Lord bless you and listening.

We're not going to be on live tomorrow because it is Fourth of July. Hey, here's a question: Does England have Fourth of July? Yeah, of course I do. We're after the third. All right.

Hey, if you want to give me a call, eight seven seven two zero seven two two seven six. I want to hear from you. Give me a call and If you're so inclined. There we go. Put this right here.

Oh man, there's always things, so it takes me to do. It's just so bitty. And if you want to email me, you can do that: info at carm.org info at carm.org and put a subject line, radio comments, or radio questions. questions. Hey, let's just jump on the line and get to Jermaine from California.

Jermaine, welcome. You're on the air, buddy. Hey, Matt, I um Today I want to ask you about Numerics, biblical numerics. Uh-huh. Maybe the origin of the merits.

I know a lot of people tend to use. numbers and I've seen some occultic people use them, but As far as the Bible goes, I don't see any explicit Instruction in the Bible.

so much as recognizing patterns and assigning value to them.

So I just wanted to kind of hear what maybe if you can break down the origin of biblical numerics. I don't know. It's just a Jewish practice as far as within Christianity goes in the realm of Christianity. It's something that the Jews did. And the reason is because when you write letters in Hebrew and in Greek, the letters are also numbers.

So there's going to be natural understanding. These numbers are also letters and vice versa. And so people are going to notice things. They're going to study and go, hey. Look at that.

I noticed this adds up this numeric pattern. And so who knows? Who knows how long ago that was that it started, but it was a while, you know, and so. I can just tell you, all I can tell you is it looks like it was originated by the Jews. a very long time ago.

And that's that's all I can tell you. Yeah. All right. Because I even hear during sermons at times, you know, people say, well, you know, three is the number of this and two is the number of that.

So would that just be more of a personal interpretation or just some observation? No, it's more of observation. Like the number of 39, these are things I remember that people have said, these people who studied this and see patterns. 39 is number of mercy. Eight is the number of new beginnings.

So, for example, you're circumcised on the eighth day. There were eight people in Noah's Ark. Jesus was raised on the eighth day, you know, the first day of the week.

So seven, there's seven weeks, there's seven days, or seven, there's a week of time. We see 40, people in the wilderness 40 years, you know, the generations 40 years, things like this.

So you start seeing patterns anyway. And it's not uncommon to work with those patterns and and see if um just to see if you can you know do it that way. That's all. Make sense? Yeah, it makes sense.

Would it be kind of similar to the acrostics? Like where you start, you just start noticing things. Like, it may not be spelled out, but you just. If you're paying careful attention, you just notice that, hey, look at this, you know. That's what I'm going to do.

There's a pattern here. Yeah, I think that's what it is. I think people just recognize the patterns. They s they see stuff, and then once the imagination has been kind of captured, they can really just go on and on and on, and they can they can just figure stuff out. And some of the patterns that they've they've uh they figured out are just pretty amazing.

You know, it is. It's pretty amazing with the things that they've done.

So, how true is it?

Well, one of the things I remember is, for example, 153 fish in John 21, it's talked about. And so, it appears that John in 153 fish, we see that That in the four Gospels, 153 individuals received a blessing from Jesus.

So That's just spirits use a B. 153 fish. You know, there's patterns there. There there's things we'd recognize. Anyway.

Make sense? Hmm. Makes perfect sense. Thank you very much, man. Appreciate it.

All right. Sounds good, buddy. Thanks for calling, man. You're awesome.

Okay. God bless you all. God bless. All right. Hey, if you want to give me a call, the number is 8772072276.

Let's get to. John from Let's see, where is that? Move that over there. Come on, here move this here. We'll get to John from Indiana.

Hey John, welcome. You're on the air. Yep, I hear you. Good. My question.

has to do with the It is a refuge and there is The three places in the Old Testament. where it basically is covering the same Area Yeah, I was wondering if you might explain the significance. of those cities of refuge. And uh Since God is the same yesterday, day and forever, does he make that same distinction today. It has something to do with I think with uh Intentional and unintentional sin.

In this particular case, it had to do with the. murder or killing someone accidentally. This was an example given. Yeah. Yeah, so the issue here of cities of refuge is really, it's kind of weird.

So, um Yeah, okay, doing that, doing this, okay.

So a a person who was guilty of something. could hide In what's called a city of refuge. What's really interesting about that is that when they were inside the borders of this city, that the crime that they were guilty of or suspected of being guilty of. The People enforcing the law, either by family, retribution, or civil, could not go into that city and extract that individual and implement justice upon him. That was the city of refuge.

Now why would that be in the Bible?

Well, because ultimately, when a person was in the city, they were safe. When you're in Christ, you're safe. But what was interesting is that when the high priest of the city would die, Then He was free to be able to leave the city and not be found guilty.

So the death of the priest Then meant you were safe and you were okay, which reflects the priesthood of Christ.

So I hope that helps.

Okay. Oh no! Excuse me. Anyway, yeah. I didn't mean to call for new year, but Anyway, uh I my understanding was that Uh that individual was to Get into the city of refuge.

And one of the examples was given, say if he was out cutting wood, and an axe handle that flew off the handle and kill some eye worker next time. And he could get to the city of refuge, and then that there would be basically a hearing.

Well Right. And if it was found that he did that intentionally. that they would boot him back out and leave and leave him to the mercy of the the whoever the family of God is the avenger of blood, so to speak. But if he was innocent of doing that intentionally, he could Stay. in that city until the high priest had uh died or and or the uh The Avenger of Blood had passed away.

He wanted two. Um and I was wondering, you think God sees things that same way today.

Well, no, that was a Jewish thing back then, that those who killed somebody unintentionally could flee there and escape judgment from the family.

So the same thing is instituted in the person of Christ.

So we don't have a city of refuge anymore. We have the person of refuge, and that would be Jesus.

Well, no, he doesn't. We don't have well.

Some of these all estates have these refuge cities, but nevertheless. No, no, no, no. That's not the same thing. No, no, no. That's not the same thing.

No, no, no. That's just leftist wacko idiocy. But this is a biblical mandated thing that was typological of redemptive work, and when the priest died, then the person was free.

So that's what's going on there.

Okay. Yeah. And do you think if God still makes a distinction between uh intentional and an unintentional sin today. Yeah, well and stuff like that, yeah. You know, even in our more our uh contemporary Jurisprudence.

If someone accidentally kills somebody, it's called involuntary manslaughter. And there's whatever the circumstances. And So it's different than premeditated murder. Uh-huh. Yeah.

Uh I see I had r run into Situation And the in the church where I go, Um that uh there was a discussion about uh Uh the about all sin being intentional and I gave an example I have done this myself. Like I you go up to The bank and uh You go to cash a check. Normally, I have a. An ink pen in my pocket where I can sign my check with, endorse it on the back, and turn it over to cashier. But uh there have been times where They would have they would supply it ink then whoops I wouldn't That he's been just put in my pocket.

Yeah, that's not an intentional theft, right. That's not an intentional. It was that, but it was not intentional.

So I tried to make that point, and I didn't get very far with it. But anyway. Yeah, well, you know, it's just what it is. And that's why, even our law today, that's a strong consideration. Premeditation is very serious, where accidental is not.

And they have different levels. Even an act of passion that was not premeditated, apparently, premeditated, I'm not a lawyer, premeditated murder is, I think, the top bad that you can do. And or accidental. I mean, what if you do if you walk outside a store and you don't see somebody on a ladder? Up high, and you just you're w saying hi to somebody in the store, and you walk out backwards, and you hit this ladder, and the guy falls down and dies.

Well, are you going to go to jail for that?

Well, see, that would be absolutely, you know, no, of course not. It was completely accidental. No intention, it was just nothing. But if you shake the ladder on purpose as a joke and he falls down, that's a different level. And so, you know, intentionality, purpose, and things like that.

So, yeah, there's a lot of issues there.

Okay. Yes, there is. And Jesus said something on the cross when he was. Just before he gave up the the ghost. But forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.

Right. And that's I think that applies in here somehow. Yeah, I think it I think yeah. Uh I I agree with you. It does.

Okay, because they don't know what they do. And here's the thing that's interesting: what Paul says in. Even unintentional sin is still sin. First Corinthians 5. Or I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted.

The one who examines me is the Lord.

So he's not aware of any sin he's committed. But He's not acquitted he's not made righteous by that. And it's kind of a loose application of what we're talking about with that verse, but it came to mind. Anyway, so there you go, okay?

Well, I I thank you very much.

Okay. Well, God bless. All right. God bless you. Yep.

You too. All right. God bless. Hey, perfect time for the break. Be right back after these messages.

We have wide open lines. Give me a call, 877-277. 2072276. Be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. All right, everyone, welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, it is easy. 877-207-2276. I want to hear from you.

Give me a call. And you can also email me: info at carm.org, info at carm.org. Put in the subject line, radio comment, or radio questions, and we can get to them. Let me get to some emails because we don't have anybody waiting right now. And I think we did that one already.

So let's see, go to another one. And how about this? What does the New Testament teach about working on Sunday? That's a good question. Um All right, so how do we do this?

The issue here of Sunday. Uh worship.

Okay, let's let's back up. Saturday was officially the Sabbath, and you weren't supposed to do any work. This is according to the Old Testament law.

Now, does the Old Testament law continue on into the New Testament? The answer is: no, it does not, not in that extent. Not that kind of civil ceremonial sense. The moral aspect, yes.

Now, the thing is, however, it's included in the moral aspect of the law in. the Ten Commandments in Exodus twenty one through seventeen.

So some would say keeping the Sabbath is a moral law.

Well, there's some weight to that argument. And Yet, at the same time, in the New Testament, however, The Commandment of keeping the Sabbath holy is not reiterated. It's not restated. The other nine Commandments are, but the The t the one about the Sabbath is not. And What we find is stuff like Matthew 11:28, where Jesus says, Come to me, all who are heavy-laden, I will give you rest.

And then we find in Uh, let's see, I think it's Colossians 1. Uh, where is it? Note 2:16. Colossians 2:16, I believe it is. Therefore, let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival.

or a new moon, or a Sabbath day, things which are mere shadows of what is to come.

So no one's to judge you on your Sabbath.

Now in Romans 14, 1 through 5, well, 1 through 12, but verse 5 particulars talking about the issue of what days you worship on and dietary things. And it says, Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. Yeah. If it was required that the Sabbath is a continuation from the Old Testament into the New Testament, then we have these problems where the Bible addresses this and says, don't worry about it.

So now the question then becomes: well, how did Saturday become Sunday? And the Christians basically what they did was they switched from Saturday to Sunday. Because Saturday was a day of the Jews, and the synagogues would be occupied on Saturday, and Sunday they would not. Sunday is also the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

So the Christians started practicing worship on Sunday because it was more practical as well as it. was the day that Jesus rose.

Alright, so. We find that I think it's 1 Corinthians, where is it? 1 Corinthians, oh boy, it's been a while. That's not it. 1 Corinthians, I can't remember it.

Where it talks about the issue of they had gatherings together, maybe it's 16, 2, I don't know. 1 Corinthians 16, 20, it's been a long time. Just hold on, so I can find it. Yes, 16, 2, and the first day of every week, it's Sunday. Each one of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections can be made when I come.

Now, does that mean it was a tithe? Like a church service? Maybe, maybe not. It just doesn't work before. first day of the week put this uh your money aside for that.

So it seems to imply some sort of um Of tithing on the worship day.

Alright, so now let's get down to the actual question. Can we work on that day? Yeah, you can. Of course, you can. You are to be convinced in your own mind, you're not to be legalistically obligated to.

Follow a set of rules about what you can and can't do on Sunday. That's not rest. Yeah. So for me, I use myself as an example of something. Uh my work is six days a week on Carm.

And the ministry, I work six days a week, we're doing it for years and years and years. and on Sunday, however, I close the office door. I don't go in there. Generally, I mean, sometimes I do, but you know, I don't go in there. I'm done.

I watch TV, I'll relax, get something to eat, go to church, just do various things. And sometimes I'll go grocery shopping.

Now some say you can't buy or sell on that day.

Well, right, it does not work for me to go grocery shopping. It's just something, that's relaxing, and I get to go do it. And generally, it's less crowded.

So. Um There we go. Let's see. No, we've got to go there. That's why that.

Nope.

Okay. I don't know what's going on.

So. for me, work is the ministry work and I don't I try not to work on Sundays.

Sometimes I will, if it's really kind of needed, just to, you know, just to do something that might be an emergency or whatever. But otherwise, I don't work on Sunday. But I will go shop, I will go buy, I'll go do yard work, I'll do various things that need to be done on a Sunday. For me, that's resting, that's not work.

So it's just different.

Now, if someone has a job five days a week, 40 hours a week, and they're working, and on Sunday they say, I don't take calls, I don't do this, that's how they handle it.

Now, another thing is that we have to be careful because we don't want to impose our rules on somebody else. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:5.

So, what if a church requires its members? to not Go shopping on Sundays. It says, we recommend that you don't go shopping on Sunday. Let's say the pulpit does it, the elders say it. That for all you people don't go shopping on Sunday, not supposed to do yard work on Sunday, supposed to have a day of relaxation for the Lord.

Me? I'd say I'm out of here. That's legalism. I'm done. I might go talk to the elders.

And say, well, the Bible says each man should be fully convinced in his own mind. Why are you trying to convince him according to yours? And I make people nervous. And I ask questions like this, they don't want to talk to me about stuff like that.

Well, you see the Bible, that's Old Testament covenant. New Testament covenant's been ratified with the blood of Christ for Hebrews 9:15 through 16. Let no man be your judge regarding festival, new moon, or a Sabbath day. And it seems to me you're setting up rules about what people are supposed to be doing in order to be spiritual on the Sabbath. I says that's between them and God, not you and them.

And if you want to teach them, teach them the freedom we have in Christ. And I can talk to them like this, but elders generally don't like it. And so, you know, I'm trying to be very respectful. But if I were to talk to an elder, I'd do it very, very carefully, because I gotta show proper respect and honor. And I would ask questions: Have you thought about this?

Have you this or that? And uh so, but generally, I found out, I have found that elders really don't. They don't really respond well to very polite suggestions. They don't. They usually have gotten together and have concluded something is true and that's just how it is.

And so uh if I was going to a church and they said, You gotta you can't work on you can't go shopping, you can't do yard work on Sunday, I'd go Bye and see ya, you know. I'm not going to have a legalistic stuff put on me, and I just say I'm out of here. But others can stay, they can be under bondage if they want, in bondage to law, if they want to do that. See, the thing is, the Sabbath is for you. is for rest.

It's for your rest. What is rest for you?

Well, maybe rest for you is to go get your kayak and go out to a local lake.

Well to do that you might have to buy gas. And lift something and walk a half a mile to the water with a kayak on your shoulders. Who knows? See what legalism does. It's not good for you.

We'll be right back after these messages. Please stay tuned. Give me a call, 877-8777. 2072276. Be right back.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, buddy, welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, it is easy. All you got to do is dial 8772-0722-76.

I want to hear from you. Give me a call. And let's get on with Kevin from Indiana. Kevin, welcome. You are on the air.

What's going on? Hey man, doing radio.

So what do you got? Come on. Oh, I had a question about I don't know I don't know if you're a Calvinist or not. I had a question about like how does Calvinism Reconcile Solomon like is he advanced on Phoenix for destruction.

Well, I don't know. If Solom if he's in heaven, then y uh No, and if he's in hell, then yes. But we can't judge his salvation. But it does appear that he's in bad shape because. He moved into idolatry in the latest part of his life, and we don't see any repentance of it.

And then Jesus speaks of him disparagingly. In the New Testament, when it says, Not even Solomon was arrayed as well as these beautiful little flowers.

So it's kind of a backhanded comment at him.

So, from that, I would lean towards the idea that Solomon. you know, is under the judgment of God.

Okay. All right. You said you would lean towards solomary. What? You kind of said that kind of logo.

Yeah, I I'm lean towards the idea that Solomon is lost and and in hell. I lean towards it, but I'm open to correction. If everybody has a different information, That's fine.

Okay. Oh, okay. Yeah. Now, I'm not saying if he's lost or not, I mean, I don't know. Like, we don't know.

I'm just saying, like, if you're a Calvinist. Do you believe he was a vessel fitted for destruction?

Well, this was prepared for hand.

Well, I don't know because it's Romans 9:22-23. And we know that God says he does that. In Proverbs 16:4, God says he makes all things, even the wicked, for the day of evil.

So we know that God prepares them. In 1 Peter 2, 8 or 9, it says that these people rejected Christ, and to this doom they were appointed. And so we've got some issues there and how to interpret some things.

So I don't know if he was a vessel prepared for destruction. It's a theological statement that Paul the Apostle is teaching that God has the right to do with the lumps of clay as he desires. One vessel for honorable use, another one for dishonorable use. And that's the theological point he's making.

Now, if we apply it to Solomon, if he's in hell, then yeah, you know, if A equals B and B equals C, then A equals C, then we could do that. But. I you know it it That's about as far as I'd go. Does that make sense?

Okay, same that was my choice. Thanks. All right, sounds good.

Okay, well God bless.

Okay. Uh All right. Hey, you know, that reminds me, um Romans 9:9 through 23. I'm going to just go through it because. I know it upsets a lot of people.

Okay. When I first read it, I'm like, what? But that's what it says. I'm going to go through Romans 9:9 through 23 because we have nobody waiting. And we got a break coming up in seven minutes or so.

I'll just go start going through this.

So I'm going to do Romans 9:9 through 23. This is a very contested area of Scripture. And let's just read for what it says. And see if we can understand it in light of what it just says. I think you might find it, let's just say, challenging.

It certainly did challenge me when I first encountered it. This is what it says, Romans 9:9. It says, For this is the word of promise, At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac. For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, The older will serve the younger, just as it is written, Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated.

Wait a minute.

So he loved one and hated another, not because of works. And it says they had not been born, and not because of anything, any works. And he says, So God loved one and hated another.

Now, if you say, well, that just means that it's just nation groups. And so therefore it's okay.

Well then If that's the case, then the next uh statement wouldn't really make sense, would it?

Well, what should we say, then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be.

Well, because people would say, well, that's not right for God to just love someone and hate another just because He chooses to. That's not fair. And that's what the basic objection is.

Well, there's no injustice with God, is it? It may never be.

So, if you interpret that section of scripture as nation groups. Then the question raised in verse 14 doesn't arise. But if you understand it to be individuals based on God's sovereignty, then the question arises. Since the question arises, it's not about people groups, it's about individuals. Then verse 15, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

In Greek, the word home is singular, talking about individuals. Then, verse 16: So it does not depend upon the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God who has mercy. Paul is saying it doesn't depend on your Your goodness. Your desire, your will. but I'm God's.

But what's the it? you talking about. being loved and being hated by God. Being favored or not? By God.

Now, people say, No, that's not the God I believe in.

Well, then go to Romans 9. 9 through 23 and just take an exacto knife and cut out those verses. Take a highlighter, blot them out so that It doesn't bother you. But this is what it says. It's a very difficult part of Scripture.

Now, this doesn't mean it's all of everything. There are certain things we don't understand how God elects and chooses, but He does elect and does choose. And that's just what it says.

Now let's keep going.

So it does not depend upon the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raised you up. To demonstrate my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.

Now he raised up Pharaoh, And what happened? Pharaoh's army was destroyed. Egypt was destroyed. I raised you up for this purpose. Wait a minute.

Isn't God? Basically Jesus, the blond-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian serfer dude, dressed in a woman's nightgown, standing at the door of your heart, asking permission for you to let him in? Isn't that who Jesus really is? I mean, come on, he wouldn't hurry to fly. That's not what God would do.

Raise up someone so he could destroy them. But he does.

Well, I could teach on this for quite a bit, but you know. Let's keep going. For the scripture, I already said that. Scripture raised up Pharaoh, raised up, okay, and. Verse 18, so then he has mercy on whom he desires, he hardens whom he desires.

Paul is saying, God has mercy on whom he desires, he hardens whom he desires. That's what he says. If it's about nation groups, you go, Well, yeah, you can harden generally speaking, kind of make it rough on them, and then they make their own free will choices. And they free will choose to hate or love God. It's up to them, it's up to them.

It's up to you and your personal ability. Yep, me, me, me.

Okay, that's what a lot of people will say: that God is a gentleman. He will not violate your free will. He's not the sovereign king, your own free will is the sovereign king. And this is a rampant theological mistake that's uh It's in the Christian churches today. It's especially in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Bad news. But at any rate. He says, so he hardens whom he desires, and he has mercy on whom he desires. Verse 18 to switch the verse 19.

Well, you'll say to me, then why does he still find fault? For who resists his will? There's another objection. If you understand what he's teaching such that you raise the objection yourself, then you're understanding what he's saying because he's raising the same objection. If you don't raise the same objection, you're not getting what he's saying.

He says, I raise up fair to destroy him. That's what I did. I had mercy on whom I want. I hardened whom I want. Why?

I thought it was up to our free will. I thought it was up to me. My wisdom. Me, me, me, me, me. Wasn't that isn't that supposed to be how it is?

It's up to me. God He respects my free will, 'cause he's a gentleman. It's up to me. Oh, I hate that stuff. Anyway.

And then the answer is: on the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, Why did you make me like this, will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump, one vessel for honourable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so, to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He also called.

There's That's election. This is what Paul's teaching. But I know a lot of people don't agree with Paul the Apostle. Or a lot of people will say, No, I agree with Paul. I just have to interpret him in light of my own presuppositions.

That's what they'll do a lot. When I first came to this, I was like, uh Seriously, when I first started reading Paul. He actually weakened my faith. This is no joke. Because he was saying things I didn't agree with.

And I kept this like two or three years. I don't agree with Paul. I don't agree with Paul. But it's what it says. I don't agree with Paul.

After a while, I said. What do you mean I don't agree with Paul? He's the one who's right. I'm the one who's wrong.

So I had to destupidify myself. And start saying, well, that's what God's word is.

So I just went, that's it, that's what it says. I believe it. To destupidify it. And it's something that needs to be done with a lot of people.

Okay, instead of stupidifying, stupidification. D Stupidify. Read God's word, believe it. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages. Please.

Stay tuned. It's Matt Slick live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, everybody, welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, it is easy.

All you have to do is dial 877-207-2276. Let's get to Lynn from Ohio. Lynn, welcome. You're on the air. No.

Hello? Hi. Aye.

Alright. Hey, I was wo I was wondering why the book of Enoch isn't in the Bible. Because the Jews who were given the oracles of God according to Romans 3, verse 2, they are the ones who recognized what the Word of God was. The New Testament is done by the church. But the Old Testament, Old Testament scriptures that they recognized, well that was the Jewish responsibility because that was they were God's people.

And so, Romans 3:2, Paul says the Jews were trusted with the oracles of God. They rejected the book of Enoch as being scriptural. That's reason one. Reason two, it was probably written between 1 and 300 AD, and it wasn't by Enoch. And it has some doubtful yeah, it has some doubtful stuff in there about an angels and prisons of stars and things like this.

So it's just not considered canonical.

Okay. Okay. Yeah, 'cause I was asked that one time from a friend and I said, probably God just knew wasn't the Holy Spirit right through him. Yeah, it's uh Yeah, it was just not scripture.

Okay. Mm-hmm. All right. Okay. Okay.

Very simple.

Well, thank you for your lips.

Okay. All right. Well, God bless. Okay. Thank you.

Oops, sorry about that. Um, did mean to cut her off by actually saying you too, that's a polite thing to do, and I just kind of went to Lancaster, I guess.

Sorry about that. Hope she's still listening. And if you want to give me a call, you can 8772-07-2276. I hope that was a little bit of an interesting uh foray into Romans 9:9 through 23. You know, I got to tell you something.

I wasn't joking when I said I would read Paul and he would mess my faith up. He did. I still remember this. I'd go, man, it just doesn't make any sense. And It made me wonder, is Christianity true?

But I knew it was. I knew Jo Jesus had risen from the dead, etcetera. And uh And so I just one day just say, okay. How about if I just try this? How about if I just believe what it says?

and change my ideas. According to what it says.

So I did. And it within two, three, four weeks, man, it just opened up. Everything opened up to me. Oh, I get it now. Oh, I get this.

Oh, I get that. And I haven't looked back since. All right. So, uh There you go. All right.

Okay. Yeah. I guess we get some more emails. Let's do that. We've got nobody waiting online right now.

So let me try this. I was reading in the Bible, I came across Isaiah 45:5. It talks about one God. Does it refer to Jesus? Good question.

Alright, so what we do is we go to Isaiah 45, 5. Yeah, let's talk about it.

Okay. I am the Lord, or I am Yahweh, and there is no other. Besides me, there is no God.

So, incidentally, Mormons, if you're listening, I am Jehovah. There is no other. Besides me, there is no Elohim. That's what it says in the Hebrew. For the Mormons who know stuff, that should shake them up.

Okay? Because in Mormonism, Jehovah is Jesus, and Elohim is God the Father. But it says. I am Jehovah and And there is no other besides me, there is no Elohim. Because what he's saying is, I am Yahweh, that's the name of Elohim.

Elohim is not the name of God, Elohim is the Hebrew word for God. It's like the Spanish word for God is Dios. It's like saying, well, God's name is Dios. No, that's just the word for God. You don't call him Dios.

You know?

So that's what's going on, the mistake that they make. But anyway. Having said that, is Jesus God? Yes, he is. Hebrews 1.8, John 1.1 and verse 14, Colossians 2.9, Matthew 2.2, 2.11, 14, 33, 28, 9, John 9, 35 to 38.

These are verses that attest to him being worshipped. He's called God in John 20, 28, when Thomas says, The Lord of me and the God of me. And he's talking to Jesus.

So, anyway, Jehovah or Yahweh is simply the name of God. God is a Trinity. God reveals himself as a Trinity being who exists as one person with three distinct simultaneous co-eternal persons. This one being who is God is Yahweh. Or we say L-O-R-D, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D in the Bible.

And so when it says, I am Yahweh. There is no other. besides me there is no God, you're just simply the the Trinity, Trinitarian God, just saying That's it. I'm the only one there is. There's nothing else.

Which, again, I always like to pick up the Mormons sometimes, which God says he doesn't even know of any other, there aren't any more. Period doesn't even know of any. I can go to all kinds of verses for that, which just proves Mormonism is false, but that's another topic.

So It does not challenge the deity of Christ because Jesus is both God and man. What we mean by that is the second person of the Trinity. Became flesh or became in union with a human nature, not combined. Not melded into something new, but the distinction remained between the human and the divine nature in the one person of Christ. And the attributes of those two natures, God and man, were ascribed to the single person.

So Jesus would say, I am thirsty, that's human nature. I will be with you always, even to the end of the earth. That's divine. Ability, right? And so, because he says, I will be with you always.

I am thirsty. The same person identified by him saying, me, myself, I claim the attributes of those two natures. This is why we call this in the hypostatic union the two natures of Christ, God and man, we have a doctrine called the communicatio idiomatum. or the communication of the properties, which means that the properties of both natures, the human and the divine, are ascribed or claimed or attributed to the single person of Christ. And that's just what that doctrine is, okay?

And that's what that is.

So anyway, so he is I'll just talk about this a little bit because it's interesting. Jesus, by walking on the on the earth with the disciples, going to sleep, Is part of the Godhead, is part of the Trinitarian being.

Now Let me ask you some questions. When did Jesus come into existence?

Well, there's a quick and easy, correct answer. Jesus came into existence 2,000 years ago. No, Matt, it can't be, because God's eternal and He's God. That's true.

However... What we say is that the union of the Word, the Divine Person, the Word, And with the human nature, that union occurred 2,000 years ago. And the union is who we call Jesus. Jesus by definition has two natures. That's who he is.

That union began 2,000 years ago.

So, in that sense, Jesus is not eternal, but in another sense, he is. He's eternal.

Well, what do you mean by that?

Well, he's not eternal in the sense that the union is eternal, but he is eternal in the sense that he has the attributes of divinity, and divinity is eternal.

So we're this in the communication of the properties again.

So just to mention, it just depends on which sense you're talking about. And this is really important stuff because if you think about it. How are you going to fix yourself right with God? How are you going to make it right with God? You've lied, you've cheated, you've stolen, you've lusted.

You've been prideful, you've been arrogant, you've been stubborn. unrighteously. That means there's a stain on your soul. Not just one. There's so many stains in your soul from your sins.

Your soul is just like it's black, invisible, so many stain marks, you know? How are you? Going to get right with the infinitely holy God of the universe.

Well, if there was a ladder that you could climb up to get to him, and once you get to him you're okay.

Well, if he's infinitely holy, He's infinitely above us. The ladder's infinitely long. You're never going to get there. It's just not going to make you can't do it. You can't do it by your own effort.

You could try forever, you're never going to make it because he's just beyond us.

So the only solution is that he becomes one of us. The second person of the Trinity became one of us. And he lived perfectly under the law, Galatians 4:4, 1 Peter 2:22. He was perfect in everything he did. And so he fulfilled the law perfectly.

We can't. Jesus never lusted, he never was prideful, he was never arrogant, he never stole, he never lied. Yeah. We have So we're we're staying. He wasn't.

And he Went to the cross. They killed him on the cross. But on that cross, it says in 1 Peter 2:24. 1 Peter 2:24. It says that he bore our sins in his body on the cross.

And this is what's really interesting. Sin is breaking the law of God. 1 John 3:4. Sin is lawlessness. Jesus, he said, You know, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

In Matthew 6 12 he says forgive us our debts. In Luke 11, 4 says, Forgive us our sins. Jesus equates sin with legal debt. Jesus does. Our legal debts, our sins, were transferred to Him on the cross.

That's good news.

So he died with them. And this is out of Leviticus 16 at the Azazel, the scapegoat, that the Sindh were transferred to the goat. And so, who became, you know, became sin and died. And so, this is a typological representation of Jesus who became sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21. He bore our sin in his body, 1 Peter 2.24, and he died on the cross, and he died with those sins, the wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23, He died. He satisfied the requirements of the law by living perfectly, and then he became a sin sacrifice because he's a perfect, unblemished sacrifice. and our sin was put upon him. Therefore, You can't do anything. That ladder, that infinitely long ladder, it.

He's already up there. Because he's God. And he'd come down to you. And all you got to do is trust in what He did. Not trust in what He did and your baptism.

That's adding a ceremony. To the solvific work of Christ, not trusting in Him, and I belong to the true restored Gospel Church. Not that. Not taking Eucharistic sacrificial things in the Mass or going to the EO church and doing this, you know, the bells and whistles and smells and all the stuff, you know, and all the guys with the big robes and the gold and silver and then you, you know, they do all this stuff. None of that, okay?

So salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Why? Because our faith This comes from God. Philippians 1.29 And our faith is in Christ, John 6:29. Therefore, if it comes from God, it's perfect, it's pure.

And it's not based on our works. Therefore, God does everything we need to be saved. This is why salvation is trusting in Christ. But you have the right one. If you're a Mormon, you got the wrong Jesus.

Faith is only as good as who you put it in. And the EEO and the RC.

Well, they add works to salvation. And that's their to their shame and their eternal damnation. Because we can't do that. Jesus made it easy. by doing everything we couldn't.

Our job, Our responsibility is to trust in what He did and receive Him. He will come into us, John 14:23. He'll make us new creatures, 2 Corinthians 5:17. Make us born again, John 3:16. And then we follow Him and live accordingly.

But living accordingly doesn't save us, it just demonstrates the regenerative work of Christ. in us. That is salvation. Trust in Jesus, not Jesus and anything. Hey, folks, there we go.

There's the music. I'm out of here. Tomorrow's the 4th of July. We'll not be on the air live. It'll be a pre-recorded show.

Lord willing, we'll be able to talk to you on the other side of the weekend on Monday. We'll talk to you. Have a great weekend, everybody. God bless. And we'll.

Talk to you uh next week. Another program powered by the Truth Network.