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. Everybody, welcome to this show. It's me, Matt Slick, and your list of Matt Slick Live. Hope you are going to have a good time listening today. May the Lord bless you.

And if you want to give me a call, the number is 877-2072276. And you can also email me at info at carm.org. Info at CARM.org. All right, I'm taking tomorrow off. Got some stuff I want to take care of and/or relax and stuff like that.

So, tomorrow won't be a live show. Just give you a heads up on that. If you're new listening, you're not sure what this show is about, I'm a Christian apologist. Every now and then I talk about like three or four weeks. I'll just do a re-intro.

I'm a Christian apologist, which means I defend the Christian faith, teach theology, debate, write books, and have been doing radio for well over 20 years. And if you have questions on Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, UFOs. Let's see, Transcendentals. I love talking about Transcendentals. The one in the many, some philosophy.

Let's see what else we talk about. All kinds of stuff. Questions, Bible difficulties, and things like that. And that's what I do. Been doing it for 46 years.

Of course, three of it. I took a seminary degree. But even then, I was doing it. Even then, I remember I'd be in class and always paying attention and learning apologetics and learning stuff. And then I'd go out to lunch and come back late to classes because of witnessing to people.

So, you know, I love doing it. And by God's grace, we'll continue to do it.

So, like I said, if you want to give me a call. Um Just give me, call me at 8772072276. And let's get to Ricky from Pennsylvania. Ricky, welcome. You're on the air.

Oh yeah. Hi, how are you doing? Doing all right. Hanging in there, man. What do you got?

Great.

So my so I I guess my question is, I've noticed in the last year The the more I pray for like my reading of the Bible, to renew The the further away. I feel from God. And so Given that Calvinism is true, I I'm starting to think that maybe I'm just not elect and that's why he's not answering my prayer.

Well, it could be lots of reasons that he's not answering your prayer. One is possible you're in sin. I'm not saying you are, I'm just saying that's a possibility. And more often, I've discovered that the real reason is because. He is putting you through a desert time.

Yeah. And A lot of people don't realize this.

Now, for example, Moses was in the desert 40 years before he was used. Elijah was in the desert. Jesus went into the desert. Paul went into the desert. It's just a time.

I had a period of time, it was five years. Five years. Where I just wasn't feeling close to God, didn't feel like He was answering prayers. I'd pray, I felt like I was going up to the ceiling and bouncing down, and that was it. for five years.

And what came out of it was something very simple. It came down to this one thing. Do I believe in the resurrection of Christ? or not. And I just knew.

Yeah, I do. And the desert time purified everything. And it got down to that one thing. And it was very helpful. This might be something God's doing with you.

Okay. Click them. But I mean if if if if it's true, right, that there are some who are not like right It could be me, like I just don't see how I can Find comfort. You know what I mean?

Well, let me ask you, do you believe Jesus Christ is God in flesh? Yes? And you believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, one God and three distinct, simultaneous, co-eternal persons? Absolutely.

Okay. And you're justified by faith alone in Christ alone? There is no other way. There you go. The unbelievers are given that privilege of believing and receiving it.

Only believers are. And there were believers in the world. I guess I could be fooling myself, right? I could truly believe I think those things, but. Yep, that's true.

You could do that. And um as a matter of fact I had that exact problem while I was in seminary. In seminary, Hide that problem. And I still remember having a conversation with a professor about it. He and I were alone in the chapel.

I said, Look, I need to really talk about something. And I said, How do I know I'm not tricking myself, thinking I'm believing what I really don't believe. I want to believe, and I think I do, but do I really? Because sometimes I think the things I shouldn't. do the things I shouldn't do and somebody don't I don't want to do the things I should do and And do I really believe and I wonder maybe I'm fooling myself.

Does this relate to you? Yeah, yeah. Like I I used to read a lot, I used to study a lot, it used to come really, really easy, and then it's like. about a year or two ago it like just kinda like it now now it's like super hard. I I almost never read my Bible anymore.

Like, even when I try to study theology, it's like it's like pulling teeth. That's okay, then don't do it. You don't don't force yourself. Just relax. But I feel like it's like I'm like letting him down, you know?

Oh You're letting God down? I mean, I feel like he was kind enough to give up his life, like, at least try to do the little things. Yeah, but if you force yourself to be spiritual, then that's not where it's at. If I were you, what I would do is. Um Is just trust God through it.

And if you don't want to study, then don't. If you want to read the word, then don't. I mean, you can read a sentence or two, just think about it, but I'm not saying ignore God or ignore his word, but don't put yourself under a burden that becomes a weight that then kills your spirituality. But let me Tell you something. When I sat in that chapel with the Professor, He went to Scripture, and he said this In Matthew 7:7, Ask and it will be given you, seek and you'll find, knock and it'll be opened.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, We'll give him a stone. The reason Jesus says this, a loaf versus a stone, is because the way they cooked bread back then in those days, there were rocks that looked similar to the bread. the the color and the crust and the roundness and the flatness. It was similar to some rocks.

And so If you ask for a loaf of bread, he won't give you a stone. Or if you ask for a fish, he won't give him a snake. In the Sea Galilee, apparently there's a long, skinny fish. And If you, being evil, know how to good gifts. Give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give to those who is good to those who ask Him?

In other words, God doesn't fake you out. If you're asking for His presence and you're asking, For that that uh that functioned. He doesn't fake you out and give you something Unreal. He doesn't do that. You have to trust beyond your ability to feel and understand.

One of the things a desert does. is it teaches you not to trust your feelings or your lack of feelings. Because the truth of Christ's resurrection is independent of how you feel. and how devotionally minded you are. or aren't.

or if you feel like following today or not following him today. The resurrection of Christ is independent of all of it. Do you believe in that resurrection? Do you trust in what Christ did? and you can say yes even while you're bored of it.

because the heart is wicked and deceitful.

Now it doesn't mean you're not saved. Because God's one who grants that these things you confess, He grants that you understand them and receive them and believe them. Colossians 2.14.

Okay, John 6, 20. Or excuse me, uh Philippians 1.29 and John 6.65. God does what he does, these things. But if you're looking to spirituality based on feelings, or the the sensation of spiritual closeness. then you're looking the wrong place.

Now here's another thought, just to throw it at you. it could be, psychologically, you're not geared for that kind of thing. you might have autistic tendencies. Like Asperger's, like I have. I probably yes, I I bear a remarkable resemblance to you, yes.

Okay. Well, you poor guy, just don't look in the mirror and you'll be better off.

Okay. So So I have Asperger's, I've been diagnosed. We Aspies don't need as much social. emotional connection. And so part of the problem potentially Could be that you just don't need all of that, like a lot of people around you seem to, and you're looking at them and saying, well, they're feeling all this stuff.

I'm not. And you judge. Yeah, yeah. I read like Martin Luther when he talked about like when he was studying Romans and it hit him like there's this like overwhelming peace. And I feel like I once experienced that, but I don't continue to feel that And I just kinda like I kinda go, Well, if I don't feel that way, maybe maybe it's not maybe I'm just imagining it.

No, if you're not feeling it. You're just not feeling it. And then the response is, yeah, so. What's that got to do with anything being a Christian? Is it is Christianity based on your feelings?

No. No, but I'm trying to, like, you know what I mean? Like, when I pray, and if it doesn't come true, I'm trying to just at least. kind of follow that that that evidence, right?

Well yeah, the folks deeply grateful. Yeah. But are you following Christ because of what you can get? No. Okay.

You have to follow Christ. I th it sounds to me like you're being pruned. Because you're saying things that are spiritually Youthful. and they need to be matured. Because our faith is not based on our feelings.

or whether a prayer gets answered or not. Faith is on, did Jesus rise from the dead? Did he die for my sins? Yes, he did. You don't have to feel it, but you can certainly know it and affirm it.

That is what faith is. is not just a feeling, though sometimes he grants that to us.

So your desert, it sounds to me like you're in a desert. and you're being stripped of the things That in a sense could be idolatrous. Our hearts are wicked.

Sometimes we look to the experience. I remember when I was 17, I had a tremendous experience of God's presence. And I mean, tremendous. Far more emotionally intense than losing my son and losing my wife. Far more.

I've looked back on that for years and years and years, coveting that experience again. And it dawned on me after a while God isn't there to make me feel like his presence, at least in my case. but to have me know and rest in his presence because of what he was calling me to do. and apologetics. Because it's not based on feelings.

Okay. I mean, I I've heard your that story I guess. About the same thing, but something similar. And I I guess like sometimes I'm just like, Well, if you did it once What does it do again, you know? Yeah.

Why not? Why not a second time? Because he chooses not to, because then we'd be looking to that instead of him. Right, yeah. I I I mean, I know that.

It's just like I was just curious. I was just trying to I uh every everybody I've had a conversation with has not really provided me an answer that really makes me like peaceful You at least gave me something more to think about.

Well, look. Imagine yourself walking in the desert. And you're just focusing on the cross that's over the horizon, and you're heading that way. And the things that you carried into that desert are dropping. pride, stubbornness, selfishness, whatever it might be.

the desire for that experience again. Ego, there you go. See, in my desert experience, I had big drag marks where I was dragging my ego along with me. I mean he was gra gouging into the ground. All right, so, and pride, because that's what it is, so God does this to his people.

before he uses them. He cleans them. He breaks them. Don't look to your feelings. Keep your eyes on did Jesus rise from the dead.

Trust in that, and you'll find you'll grow better and smarter. Hey man, you can hang if you want, okay, buddy? We gotta break down.

Okay, thank you, man. Bye. All right, all right. God bless.

Well, there you go, folks. If you want to give me a call, you can. 8772-07-2276. We'll be right back. It's Matt Slick live, taking a call at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. All right, and welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, it's 877-207-2276. You can also email me, that is easy. Just send an email to info at carm.orginfo at carm.org and put in the subject line radio comment or radio question and we can We can get to them.

All right.

So there you go. All right.

Let's get on the phone with Linda from North Carolina. Linda, welcome. You're on the air. Hi, Matt. My question and maybe comment piggybacks on your conversation with the last a gentleman, I believe his name was Robin, Um I'll have a question and then a comment if you don't mind.

And then I'm just going to listen to what you're saying. I'm on a cell phone in a car. Got parked in the back of a parking lot, but I think you'll be able to hear me. No problem. Isn't it?

Possible. And I'm thinking of Robin when I say this. that a person could have uh be so down on themselves. because we know we're all sinners and we're all unworthy. Is it possible for a person like Robin to be so down on themselves That They don't Feel That they deserve salvation, and so they start thinking.

That They are not. the elect. they put themselves in that mind frame. Yeah, a lot of people do that. Mm-hmm.

Well, that's what I was kind of sensing or feeling. with your last caller. And to be honest, Uh I I actually Yeah. In my I just felt he was in a lot of anguish.

Okay. Anguish and The very fact That this person was in so much anguish over his. questionable Salvation. That leaves me to think. that he has to be of the elect.

Because I'm feeling that a lot of people who are that concerned and would go into that much of a mental state uh over not being the elect I feel they have to be elected because of that. You know, that's the way I was looking at that conversation. And that's all I have to say. Sure, generally speaking, people who worry about it are the ones who are saved. People who are dead in their sins don't struggle with things like this.

But I suspect that he's just going through a desert time because that's what's needed. And it happens to a lot of people. Where they don't feel God, don't hear from him anymore, not anymore, but for a while, where is he? What is he? And then they have to analyze what it is they believe and what they affirm.

What is their faith in? and it's a stripping away time and it's needed. It's a biblical concept too. Moses, Elijah, David, Israel as a nation, Jacob, Joseph, they all had their. Desert Experiences.

before being used. Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul. This is just the pattern of of Scripture. And so I like to let people know it's not unusual and it's not. I was It's not, it's you should worry about it, but you don't have to worry about it.

It's kind of a catch-22. If you don't worry about it, that's not good, but you don't have to worry about it because you can trust God, you know.

So, uh, the other. Yeah, the word is trust, just trust God. Uh to know what he's doing. He knows what he's doing. And then one other comment.

If I may, there was um and mentioned in that same conversation was that feelings and that he had had or hadn't experienced Something. good, emotional, something holy and then didn't get it back. And you were d talking about that. I have a great grandson I'm eighty years old and he's in his I forgot, but anyway. He was he's a Christian.

And he told me about a very uh holy angelic Spiritual feeling he had when he was in the sixth grade, that young. And he was going to a Christian school, and he accepted Christ, and he was baptized. And he's been a Christian his whole life. And he's not friendless. You know, but he still is a Christian.

I mean, he's fallen like the rest of us. But on occasion he has talked about Grandma Why don't I have that experience again? I had it then and I want it Now. And I said, well, You got what God wanted to give you. And If he wants any to do anything further, he'll let you know.

But no, you don't get to say, I want to repeat. It's all in God's hand. Be satisfied that at least you had that experience. That's right. And that's my last comment.

Well good, appreciate it.

Okay. Well, thank you very much. Yes, sir, except that I Um have been listening to you for years after I actually heard you on the radio. I don't have technology or a computer or any I don't have a radio in the home.

So the way I have to listen to you is get in my car. And listen to you in the radio.

So there has been snow on the ground, and there has been torrential rain. When I actually got in my car just to listen to you and kept the motor running.

Well, yes, sir. And I um I just appreciate you so much, and I have to tell you that I have. As an eighty year old woman, uh I have learned so much from listening to you and studying, you know. what you're saying. And it has enriched my life.

Uh it has and made me um Firmer in my faith, and because of that, I try to. help my family members according to what you have. Oh, that's it. Good.

Well, what God's word says, but praise God. Yes, yes, through taught us from the Bible. Thank you so much.

Okay, well, really appreciate that, Linda. God bless.

Yes, bye-bye.

Okay. Well, that was nice. That's a nice call. All right, now let's get on with Chuck from Ohio. Chuck, welcome.

You're on the air. Oh, thank you. How are you, man? I'm all right, hanging in there. Hanging in there, man.

What do you got, buddy? Hey, I I um was wondering about, you know, like with uh Greeting um some of the Puritans' writings and uh older saints and Kind of touching on total depravity yet. The older Yeah. uh a Christian gets and the more that they know God's word and and walk with him. Um here You kinda Get an overwhelming sense of your sinfulness, don't you?

Yes. Uh-huh. you become more sensitive. To it, even in the smaller areas. Absolutely.

Hey, hold on, brother. We got a break coming up, okay, Chuck?

Alright, hold on.

Okay, hey folks, we have two open lines. If you want to give me a call, 877-207. I'll be right back. Mm-hmm.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. Well, Rutherford, welcome back to the show. You can give me a call, 877-207-2276. Just want to remind you that we stay on the air by your support.

If you like what you hear and you want to hear it continue, all you got to do is go to carm.org. I mean, at the top of the page is the donate link, just carm.org, c-ar-r-m.or-g. And at the top of the page, you'll find that. And all you got to do is go check it out. We ask $5, $10, $15 a month.

And that helps us do budgets, not very much. You can set it up easily, and you can cancel it when you want to cancel it easily, too. All right, let's get to Chuck. Back and said, Chuck, you still there, Brother? Yeah.

Yeah, uh still here. All right, man. Good.

Uh Okay.

So I'm going to eat it. What what do you think about um Yeah, I know you said that you liked the the legacy standard Bible. But do you use that mostly for your personal study? Or have you actually begun to use it in public ministry?

Well, I use it occasionally. I like it when the only thing I like about it better than the NASB is it uses the word Yahweh instead of Lord. And for that, I'm starting to use it for citations where the word for Yahweh can appear in the Hebrew. And I like that. But uh my st general study Bible is the NESB 95 because it's what I've been using for uh a long, long, long time, 40 years.

So I'm very familiar with it. and and no sense in changing, but I do use other Bibles as well. Yeah, I lo I like that one too.

Okay. Well, good. Yeah, it's good. Every Bible has its advantages and disadvantages.

Okay. Yeah. Top twelve I've got an ESV. I I enjoyed it and I got a uh NLT that I read that well, I was reading that To my wife, and then we got to start reading the ESP together in the evening.

Okay. And uh She s she seems to be able to understand that one pretty good. Yeah. Yeah, and it's a good Bible and depends. You know, the ESV is a little bit easier, the NIV is easier than that.

It just depends what your goal is. Um I I suggest have at least three Bibles. And try and get a literal one, and a not so literal one, and a more or less literal one. And that's what I recommend. And you can go to Carmen and look up different Bibles and Which ones that there are, and NESB is very literal, the LSB is very literal, the ESV is a little bit less literal, and the NIV is a little bit less literal than that.

But they're good Bibles.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I think so too. Yeah. I really like the 1984 NIV, but they're really you can't hardly find them anymore.

Yeah, they had the these and thou's in there and I went to the ninety five. In fact, when I lived in Southern California, I literally lived uh eight or eight or nine miles from the Lachman Foundation headquarters. And so I went literally I I I just drove in there and got a special Bible that they had on a shelf that it was out of print. and I bought it for forty bucks. back in uh the seventies.

Yep, and it had wide margins and everything. And I could write my notes, and I had it through college, I had it through seminary, I had tons of notes in there, and then one day. I lost it, and I still don't know what happened to it. It really, really depressed me for years. I had so much information I'd written in there.

Over the years, but oh my god. Was that NASB 77? 95, yeah. No ninety-five.

Okay. Vietnam. Yeah, that's that's a good one. Uh Thompson Chain Reference just came out with a uh nineteen seventy seven NASB. Great prayer.

Yeah, I don't use the Thompson chain because it has dispensational stuff in it.

So that's just not my bag. But, you know, I've got one packed someplace, I think. I've got a lot of Bibles that are just packed in boxes.

So Okay. I I never did use one to study with, but I I've got one recently. And you know, it seems like it's useful to uh for to use like a topical Bible or to trace down words. Yeah, it it's it's good stuff, yeah. You can do it, there's different tools, lots of tools.

All right, brother?

Okay. Yeah. Okay, thanks a lot. All right, man. God bless, Chuck.

God bless.

God bless you too. Thank you.

Okay. All right, now. Let's see, let's get on with Chris from Idaho. Chris, welcome. You're on the air.

Hey, Matt. Yeah, I call you quite a bit. That's all right. Oh. Oh, I think I called you last.

Week or a few days, I don't even remember what, but it was about the Trying to reconcile the God of the Old Testament with the New Testament and um. You know, kind of references to the Canaanites and the Midianites, you know, how God. how to reconcile his actions to you know, the New C New Testament and kind of have Jesus' messages of You know I guess the situation where he was in Um When he said those who live Yeah. Um Right. Was that in the?

I think that was. You said that to Peter, right? When you was in Guardian Against the Mini, or was that a different? Oh, okay. But, anyways, my question is.

I I think people Maybe have They're um When they think of God's goodness, they don't consider Righteous ignition, is it indignation and as an attribute of God? And they, um, because of their lack of understanding that there's an adversary as well on paper. That's correct. That's correct. And just so you know, our conversation motivated me to write an article.

Why does What does the Bible say about child sacrifice?

So I wrote wrote it and released it yesterday.

Okay. Nice, okay. I'll check that out. Sure. But go ahead.

Yeah, so But yeah, uh so I just wanted you to kind of touch on You know Are there other examples in the New Testament that kind of point to? Take it. That being the attributes of God. that we can kind of reconcile to the Old Testament.

Well, yeah, you see, the same God of the Old Testament's in the New Testament, Jesus Christ, God in flesh. He got angry, overturned temple tables, called people pretty vicious names. You're your father, the devil, you whitewashed sepulchre. Those were humongous insults to the Jews in the context. Because they were ceremonially clean all the time because you're full of dead men's bones.

Oh man, that was an insult to them. And so righteous indignation is without sin. God gets angry, He gets angry at those who sin, He hates sinners. And you can go to Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5. He hates those who do iniquity, who love violence.

God hates them. And so God's judgment is coming out of His holiness. His mercy comes out of his attribute of love.

So, righteousness is part of his character because he's holy and never does anything wrong. And when people rebel against him, Um In different kinds of rebellion.

Some are very severe.

So let's just say for severe rebellion against God, where others are injured, God will deal with them. He'll deal with them now. or he'll deal with him in the afterlife. But God's righteous indignation is certainly good. The Bible says, be angry, but do not sin.

I forgot what the verse is, I'm gonna look it up.

Okay. So we c do you are you there? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Yep.

Yeah, so we are to be angry. Yeah, and people think that anger is wrong. No, it's not. Ephesians 4:26, be angry, and yet do not sin, do not let the sun go down in your anger.

So uh That's what it says in Ephesians 4.26. We can be angry, and we should be angry at unrighteousness, at heresies, at the rise of the alphabet mob that's trying to Forced homosexuality and stuff on our children's uh down our children's throats. We should be angry at the leftist news media, at the paganism of Hollywood, at the weak teaching of the pastors and elders in our churches today. We should be angry about these kind of things because when we know the word of God and the truth of God's word, we know where to draw the line. And when people continually rebel against God in their unrighteousness or their self-righteousness, we should be angry about that.

It doesn't mean we hate them, but we should be angry about these things and be angry without sin. Ephesians 4:26.

Okay?

Well, and another thing is like atheist, I think what they're painting a picture of good goodness being like total tolerance for everything. Kinda everything you just mentioned. Like having intolerance for like gay, you know, like homosexuals and you know, embracing the LGBQ community and all that. Yeah. That's They're hypocrites.

I think they just paint the picture. Right, yeah. They paint. And so, and then we got to break. Hold on.

We've got to break. Yeah, yeah. Let's get back on because this is an important topic because it is, you know, going to deal with it. We'll be right back, folks, after these messages. Want to give me a call?

You can. 87720. Seven. 2276, be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Everybody, welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, we have three open lines: 877-207-2276. This can be on with Chris. Chris, welcome, brother.

Yeah but Yeah. kind of back to what we were talking about. But yeah, I think that it's just like When people think of especially on the atheist side, they think of God's goodness as. Complete tolerance for, you know, not to take actions.

So, like, His actions in the Old Testament were not justified, and they try to paint him as a monster when it's really just. His attribute of righteous indignation. I think that's how I say it. And then. This this is this part of his character coming out 'cause he doesn't tolerate since.

Well, you called before we talked, and I think you mentioned atheists before and stuff like that.

So, are you in environments where you're contacting and talking to atheists? Oh, yeah, yeah. I called in and I set up a channel that I, you know, where I talk to atheists.

Okay. But I'm just trying to. You know, if you understand Scott's character better, then, you know, you can kind of explain things a little bit better to him. You know what I mean?

And give your reason for.

Well, remember, we talked before about the lack of grounding that any atheist would have on why something is or is not good, bad. Or whatever. They only have their subjective experiences. And I hope you're bringing that to their attention and saying, you know, if they say, well, the God of the Old Testament was a monster, say, okay. And now what?

So you say it, what does it mean? And how do you justify that it's true? This is what I ask atheists, and they don't know what to do with this kind of information or the questioning. Because they're just arrogant and uh d they're d uh they're God deniers and they they uh want to say for themselves what is right and wrong. And where do they get this from?

So, once I hammer them on that, then I go in and say, why don't you give me a specific example in the Old Testament? that you don't like. And we can talk about it, read the context. That's what I do with them. Oh.

Okay. Right, but whenever I bring up, like, hey, you need to consider all context around what is happening in the Old Testament. Absolutely.

They're like, well, there's no gray area. It's like, it is what it is. God's just being a monster. That's what they say. That's called repetition as tautologists.

He's a monster because he does these things we don't like. And the things we don't like is why he's a monster. It doesn't mean anything. You're going to understand the atheists have no grounding, they have no way to justify what they're asserting. You know, if I was talking to these atheists, I would just say, Well, why is it wrong?

What do you care? Or you'd never like to do that. You're talking about their foundation by which they draw their moral, like. Hey, like it's wrong, type, right? Like, what are they where what are they resting all like it's right or wrong on, right?

Because they don't have any firm grounding in that area in the morality area, right? That's kind of what you're referring to, right. What they're doing is just giving an opinion as though their opinion is somehow the truth. That's all that's happening. I say to them, look.

You're just giving me your opinion. I said, I'm not interested in opinions. Give me something better than I don't like it, therefore, God's mean. And so when when I'm gonna take my ball and go home. Give me something better than that.

Right. I've talked to them before it. I do. I say, look, I'm not trying to be mean to you. I said, but here you are trying to postulate the idea of universal morals when you can't even justify the universal moral system that you claim to assert is true.

Where are you getting this from? I don't grant them that. Oh, maybe you got a point there. I don't grant that. Not at all.

Okay, I had a debate with an atheist. A whole debate on this topic: is God a moral monster?

Okay. And I remember in the opening statement, in my debate statement, I said: look, if you're going to measure something that is bigger or smaller, you need a standard. You need a standard by which you can say something is right or wrong. What's your moral standard? And I said, my opponent, if he doesn't have a universal moral standard, all he's giving us is his opinions.

And no disrespect, men, but so what? We're not here to just operate or excuse me, argue about an opinion. You don't like it because you don't like it, and that's why we debate it. I don't care. Give me something solid.

And they couldn't do it because they can't do it.

Okay?

Get them. They can't really get past that. No, they can't. Yeah, I mean, past that. They're kind of refuted right there on the spot.

Because they don't have a They can't give an account. That's kind of what you're saying, right? They can't give an account for their moral. Like in New Jersey you have something It's like this. Grounding is the thing of which there's nothing beyond.

So I'm sitting in a chair on in my office on the second f story of my house, which is on the ground. Which is on the planet Earth, which is orbiting the Sun, which is orbiting the Milky Way solar system. I mean the galaxy, which is in a certain cluster, which is in the universe.

Well, where did the universe come from? Is it eternal? Is it not eternal? And all these things. What's the terminus by which something has its grounding?

We can do this grounding morally, we can do it logistically, we can do it with matter, with items. but every one of them demonstrates that God exists, because the grounding or the ultimate of which nothing is equal or nothing is greater. Is that thing?

So, in the Christian grounding, we would say God the Trinity is the foundation of everything. The universe exists because He created the universe.

Well, what created God? That's the wrong question to ask about Him because He's uncreated. He is, by definition, the uncreated one. He's eternal, therefore he's the terminus. And from there we can say he created the universe, the universe, the galaxies, the galaxies, the solar system, the solar system, the planet.

Here we are. And so we we don't go back infinitely because if you go back infinitely in regression of causes, then you have an ungrounded system. And it becomes gets into what's called actual infinites, and that's very problematic.

So this is it, this works with morality as well. Mm-hmm.

So you don't think I mean, kinda I guess we're kind of If by me asking this question, we're kind of getting off track a little bit, but you're saying that you don't. You don't think that there's a there's a possibility that God may have been created by No.

Some other source? No. You don't?

Okay. Because God says, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God. He says he doesn't even know the influence. God's revealing himself to us. That's the condition.

Right. All right? That's it. I mean, that's all. Hey, I appreciate the time, Matt.

Okay, brother. All right, man. I don't know if you have other callers. I mean, I like to chat with you more, but you probably have other callers right now. Yeah, we got one caller waiting.

Why don't you hold on? And if you want, I'll get to him. And then if we have time left, I'll bring you back up, okay?

Okay, hold on. All right, let's get to Carl from North Carolina. Carl, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, Matt.

Quick question. I do want to make a quick comment to the last discussion you had with this with the last caller. Um I really don't believe um most people, especially unbelievers and some Christians, for example, don't realize how great a center They are, and we are. That's right. And so they don't realize how super holy God is.

So when they come up with all these views and these theories about God, you understand that They don't, like you were pointing out earlier, they don't understand anything about the the character of God or the or the holiness of God. And the king somehow they pull them down to some type of human level or whatever level to make them feel justified. That's my view about that last. conversations you had but that is true So what do you got, buddy? My question is.

Play again? No, sir. Go ahead. I'm just saying what do you got?

So go ahead. Yeah. Alright, so my feet. My question is, uh do you think that uh the double knew that Christ was impeccable. And Phil tried to tempt him and coerce him to sin.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Okay, I see. Is there any, do you have any scriptural basis for your belief of that? Because, you know, God is holy.

And Jesus is God, so therefore Jesus is holy and he can't sin.

Alright, it's not possible for God to sin. But Satan knows this, but he tempted him anyway, because Satan is not like us. He's not smart and rational and he can weigh things out. You know, maybe it's not a better idea. No, he's insanely evil.

Mm. And he mu he's moved out of that. And that's just how he is, okay? He's bad, all right? Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, okay.

So, uh 'cause What I was thinking was cause Satan is not omniscient. He doesn't know all things like God. Right. He wasn't involved in the conversation that the Trinity had when they decided to make man.

So he wasn't privy to that conversation in order for him to know. That uh Christ would come And he would be born of a virgin without the aid of a human father. Maybe, maybe not, but not just You have another question, though? We've got one guy waiting, I want to get to him. But uh Yeah, I it's He just remember, he's insanely evil.

He doesn't think rationally. He thinks Evil. Yeah. But he's a clever, he's got a clever system though.

So, somehow, some way, in one sense, He he he has some type of system of understanding on how Um The divine work versus the human work. I don't know. You you you the expert. But I just tell people he's insanely evil. Don't expect rationality from him.

We judge him often by our standards. And when we understand his hatred, then it makes more sense.

Okay?

Okay, we're good. All right, fair enough. Apology, Matt. Thank you so much.

All right, brother. All right, man. Well, God bless. All right.

Okay. You too.

Alright.

Now, let's try to get back on with Chris from Idaho. We got about a minute and a half. Go ahead, Chris. You saw there, brother? Brother Chris, maybe yes, okay.

Yeah, yes, I'm here.

Sorry about that. That's all right. Yo, kind of what I would recommend for that last caller. Um have you read Milton's Paradise Lost? No.

Oh, you haven't.

So it's basically it's a book from Satan's perspective. Tom And it's I mean, it was written by somebody that's, you know, um It's all fictional, but it's like it's a different perspective on. How's Satan kind of like Trust humanity, and you know, he is very clever. And um you know, just kind of a different angle that he came. Um you know, basically Blind us, you know what I mean, to fall into sin because we are God's greatest creation, you know.

Yeah, I haven't read it, but uh okay.

So we only have about. Actually, we're out of time. Yeah. It's the top of the hour now. Are we?

Okay. Yeah, we've got to get going.

Okay, Rudder? Yeah. For sure. Yep. Are you in tomorrow?

No, I'm uh off off the air tomorrow, taking a day off.

Okay. Okay. All right, God bless. God bless.

Well, folks, there's the music. I'm out of here. May the Lord bless you. By His grace, I'm back on the air on Monday. I'm taking tomorrow walking to radio, and we'll just, Lord, willing, talk to you on Monday.

I hope you have a great day tomorrow, great weekend. May the Lord bless you. We'll talk to you later. God bless.

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