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 the show. It's me, Matt Slick, and you're listening to Matt Slick Live. If you want to give me a call, all you have to do is dial 877-207-2276. And I want to hear from you, so give me a call. You can also direct an email if you want to do it that way.

This is the email to info at carm.org, info at carm.org. Put in the subject line, radio comment, or radio question, and we can get to them.

Alright, so no radio, no live radio for me tomorrow. That's uh Friday before the 4th of July. And no radio live on Monday because some of the people at the radio station are taking time off, etc., which is fine. And so I'll be back on live on Tuesday next week. And Tuesday would be the 7th.

Yeah, Tuesday.

So we'll be back on live on the 7th.

So we'll be off tomorrow, 3rd, and then the 4th and 5th is the weekend, and 6th is Monday. Take that off, just so you know. All right, now there you go. If you want to give me a call, like I said, 877-207-2276. Let's get to.

Alberto from Georgia. Alberto, welcome. You're on the air. Yes, good evening, Masley. My question is on John seventeen, nine through eighteen.

The word world How does he use in his proper context there as a referring to the world the system or the world at the centers Or the world asks the world the global world itself. But that's a good question. It really is a good question. On verse 9, I ask on their behalf, I do not ask on behalf of the world. Hmm.

You know, that's really a good question. And you got me thinking because of some other theology I know about, that in the back of my head What is that? That's a good question. I ask on their behalf, do not ask on behalf of the world, because a lot of times, you know, God's loved the world. And um So people I'll discuss this with them.

And um People will say that the word world means every individual ever lived. But if that's the case, do not ask on every behalf of everyone, but only those whom you've given me.

Someone might say that that's just in reference to the disciples. And uh Let's see, I'm no longer in the world, yet they themselves are in the world. Come to you. I can just check that out. That's a really good question.

I'm going to have to look at that to see, just kind of do an analysis on how it's used, what the. what the possible contexts might entail.

So I don't have a good answer for you right now. Except that Okay, go ahead.

Okay. Can I get I got another quick question for you? Sure.

Okay, I hear preachers say that Christ, or God doesn't say a sinner in sin. or a Christian in sin. But he says I'm from sin. But yet in Romans chapter five, verse twelve says that Christ died for us. While we're yet sinners, So either way.

Still, Christ has this Uh save uh a center in SIN Anyway, they're in sin. But yeah, they don't take from sin for even Christians, even though. We he says those incense From our sin, and we're still going to be in sin anyway until the day we die. It's just a matter of what's intended by the statement. He doesn't save us in our sin if he means he doesn't save us in our continued abiding in sin, and we just don't repent of it.

And that would be true. On the other hand, we are in sin in the sense that the unbelievers are slaves of sin. And that's Romans 6, 14 through 20. And so because they're slaves of sin, he saves them in their sin. He slaves while they're in sin, he saves them, regenerates them, and then they repent.

So it would be You know, it just depends on what he means by it in that context, okay? That's what I would say.

Okay, so the basic like semantics they call it? Semantics, or which says intention. Yeah. Because you can have different things be meant in different ways. And what I always like to do when it's when there's a bit of ambiguity that might be allowed by a statement.

I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say, okay. What do you mean by that? In what sense? And that's that's how I I deal with it, okay?

Okay. Okay, could I have one quick question again? Sure.

You know, in Romans 3, 23, you said there's none that does good. Right. The Bible says that. Romans chapter 3, verse 23. But yet, even though it says that, but we still as humans, we still good do good things anyway, even though it says there's none that do us good.

So can you explain can you in this proper context, can you explain the word good? managing that contest. Yeah, there's different contexts in different ways goodness could be understood. God is the ultimate standard of what is good, and so no one does any good in that sense. And we would say if an atheist picks up a a wallet that's fallen out of a guy's pocket and he returns it to the guy, we'd say on a human level that's good, but on a divine level it's not.

So goodness is not measured by relativistic terms, normally speaking, in theologies. It's measured by the standard of God. In Christian theology, God is a standard, not man.

So if we were to say that Oh, interesting. If we're to say that uh That you know he did a good thing. What senses the goodness. And that's why the Bible says no one does good. because there's no one who can do good.

Now the only one who can is Jesus. And so, because he's saying that only God is good, he's God, so he's good. But the sense there is just understood differently. Like the other question you had there.

Okay?

Okay, thank you. Sure, man, no problem, buddy. All right? God bless. All right.

Take care.

Okay. Alright, now, hey, look, if you want to give me a call, the number is 877-207-2276.

Now, I'm going to.

Okay. Yeah. We talk about something's kind of cough there.

So Okay. We have meetings uh in Carm on On uh Fridays and of course, except for holidays we take time off. and one of our missionaries is in Nigeria. And I'm going to go over this a little bit. What he has given to us.

He wrote something. He says, By the grace of God, I just returned from an evangelism trip to a rur rural area, and I'm gonna what I'm gonna do is remove information. I don't want anything to endanger him. But these areas that have come under heavy and devastating attacks by Fulani. Terrorists.

Alright, now I'm going to look up what Filani is. I want to make sure that. Let's see, who are the Fulani?

Okay. But make sure that I'm going to ref reference this properly because Um It's a an ethnic group.

So One of the things that we found Here, uh the Falani terrorists, which would be the Muslims, uh They are, yes, they're fundamentally Muslim, predominantly Muslim, etc.

Okay. So Many of the Christians there had been displaced, having lost loved ones in the violence. Little babies were.

Now, I gotta be careful how I say certain things because of what he's describing. and I'll just say it wasn't good. All right? Uh while several others were abducted and are still being held in the terrorist forest camps.

Now, um It goes on, he says, Despite the deep pain and trauma, the Lord used the outreach powerfully. I preached the gospel to those displaced believers, and it made tremendous impact on them. Hearts were encouraged, faith was strengthened, and many experienced hope and comfort in the midst of their suffering. It was truly a divine encounter, and all glory belongs to God alone. Please remember these precious brethren in your prayers, that God would continue to protect, heal, and restore them, that the captives would be released soon.

Now, this is one of many things that he has written to us. The reason I'm bringing this up now is. what what Moses, he's uh a guy we support. From Nigeria. It's other con, but it's not.

And He is a faithful presenter of the Word of God. He's been arrested. He's been uh beaten. He's been threatened, he's been shot at. uh has been pursued.

There's uh Muslims want to Kill him? And he has passed out literature exposing the flaws of Islam. as well as literature on the defense of Christians, if they have the right to defend themselves. The Muslims, he has repeatedly told us, are being funded and I don't know by whom. funded with motorcycles and uh AK-47s.

and you're going in suddenly the villages, they just I guess they just roll up and then turn the mics on and go through and then shoot everybody. and they've burned down churches. They have um kidnap people. As I said before, he knows fifteen pastors Who are now no longer alive because of the Muslims who are coming in and doing this?

Now, one of the questions I want to ask Muslims is: what is it about your religion that lends itself to so much violence? But that'll be another question another time.

So, what I'm two things. One is Would you lift up Moses in prayer? for protection and Last week at our meeting, we we prayed for him. And I've prayed for him before and will continue to pray for him. I need to pray for him even more than I have been.

But just ask that you would remember him in your prayers, that he would be protected. that he be enabled and empowered to preach that gospel. And It's a serious thing that he does.

Now he has a vehicle. and we support him financially. And so we're due this next week coming up. to uh to support them. And as always, we need that financial support.

So if you support us. Then, to the degree you're doing that, you know, God remembers, God knows. And you're participating and sharing in the work of this ministry, which is to produce articles, produce radio, videos, and support the missionaries. We have missionaries in Nigeria, Malawi, Colombia, South America, and Brazil, South America. And just letting you know, that's what we're doing.

So, if you want to consider supporting us, we'd really like that. And this money goes. to support the missionaries. It really does. And I have to go in uh soon here and um and support the guys in South America.

In Africa, though, I have to go into the bank, arrange a meeting, and then we go through uh extensive paperwork to get funds transferred to them. which is why I try and do it uh one or two months in or three months in advance. But because we're low on funds, I won't be able to do it uh very l uh much in advance. But that's okay, that's all right.

So anyway. If that's something that you would consider supporting, but we really need that prayer. Please pray for Moses that he would be protected. As he goes and preaches that gospel. He reminds me of the people in the book of Acts.

He's out there doing it, risking life and limb. And he's almost lost his life more than once doing this. All right, having said all of that, let's get to Charlie from Baton Rouge. Charlie, welcome. You're on the air.

Don't be careful. Hey Matt, thank you so much for taking my call. Sure man, no problem. Hey, I'm just trying to work through some. epistemological issues and just want to get your thoughts.

Um Trying to understand if there's maybe different tiers of knowledge, and I'll just share with you kind of where I am and then let you maybe push back or comment. It would seem that as Chris says, we can have certainty Regarding things scripture reveals in Proverbs 22, we can have certainty regarding the words of God and then. In Luke One, we can have certainty regarding the contents. of what is revealed.

So I would see one tier that there is Perhaps. Can you hold on, Chunk? We got a break. We've got a break coming up. Hold on.

And we'll get right back to you after the break.

Sorry about that. Hey, folks, be right back after these messages. We have three open lines: 8772072276. We'll be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your call at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Hello, Robert. Welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, as usual, the number is 877-20-722-76. Let's get to Charlie from Baton Rouge.

You still there? Hey, Matt. Hey, man, you Alright, so where were we? I'm just trying to work through some epistemological issues here, and it seems as Christians that. The Bible says we can have certainty.

uh regarding the words of God, what is revealed in the words of God. And then I think that perhaps Clantinga said there was another critique here of how rationally warranted these in which we can know our names or what it is. That was than the certain things that scripture reveals. And so I guess my understanding would be that certain knowledge would demand an infallible source, whereas when we know our name or the day, we're depending on sense and reason, which is not infallible. Thus, although we can be pretty sure about it and call it knowledge, it wouldn't be on the same level as that which is revealed in Scripture.

Okay. So you're talking about, since you mentioned the word epistemology, you are talking about different levels and types of knowledge then? Right. Correct?

Okay. And you're correct. There's general revelation, we can have knowledge of that. But a special revelation is a different category. His special revelation is scripture, we can have a salvific knowledge and regenerative work of God in us.

And so we can have intuitional knowledge, habitual knowledge, as in how to ride a bike. We can have knowledge that we can't prove, like my wife loves me. But can't prove it. It's just, you just know it.

So there's different kinds, and you're right that. Regarding our salvation, that God can grant to us an assurance and a certainty. that he does with some people and others he doesn't.

So you're right, there's different types of knowledge with distinctions and categories.

Okay. Yeah, I'm here. I don't know if I answered your question, but I'm just you know, there's a lot of information there.

So are you having an issue with certainty or something? No, not at all. I believe that we can have certainty, but I'm just wondering if. I've talked with some people and they kind of push back in regards to saying that. You know We cannot be certain that our name is what our name is in the same sense that we can be.

certain regarding that what scripture reveals is true. Because our senses and reason are not infallible.

So, if we're going to be, I guess, epistemologically. Precise, we've got to admit. that there is a difference. And I'm just wondering if you would honor that distinction. There's a difference between levels of knowledge and certainty.

Absolutely. Yep, it just necessarily goes. Um And I think that a lot of times God does not give us absolute certainty in some areas so that we will, by faith, get hither to trust in Him. I think that's an important thing. uh consideration, okay.

Okay. Alright. All right. Well, I sure appreciate your time. And I met you years ago at an apologetic symposium that Mike Riddle.

Had up in Boise, so I was there with Andrew Rappaport and Anthony Sylvestra.

So appreciated our interaction.

Well, yeah, sorry to remember you, but I do remember that. And I never remember Andrew being there.

So, but Mike Riddle, yeah, I've met him a few times and. And stuff, so yeah, it was good. It was good. It was in Boise. Yeah, I remember the church.

I mean being there. Being downstairs and a super tall guy was there. Yeah, yeah. That's right.

So but I appreciate your ministry and your commitment to theological precision and uh Wish you the best. Yeah, well, thank you, man. I do appreciate that. I do. Thank you.

Alright, Matt. Take care.

Lord bless. Lord bless you.

Okay. Fuck you.

Alright, now, hey, if you want, you can give me a call. The number is 8772-07-2276. I want to hear from you. Give me a call. And, um,.

So, I've got several things we could talk about and um Okay, good. I got that. All right. Whew, just a lot going on all of a sudden here.

So, uh,.

So last night, I walked four miles around my neighborhood, and as I do that, sometimes I will get on. And I I'm hearing well, I'm hearing some weird stuff going on. Let's see if we can take this and remove that. Here's good a tech A voice from someplace.

Well anyway. I'm gonna try that. Man, I don't know what that is. Man, that is so strange. At any rate, um Boy, talk about getting distracted, man.

So I was walking around the block, and I have a headset that ties into my phone, and I just walked around. And usually I'll listen to conversations going on, and just kind of See what's going on. And um So I went into this one room and wow. Um It was just They were so full of hate. And um So I went to this room and these two anti-Calvinists got in there.

And I was there for probably an hour as I walked around because it takes 20 minutes to do one route, and I did four miles, so I was there about an hour. And just just enduring and listening and learning to the incredible hatred that they had. for the idea of God's sovereignty. And they said I was a demon speaking, a demonic false gospel. And I said, well, what is the true gospel?

Then, if I was seeking a false gospel, I told them earlier, I said, I believe that what I preach to people is that anybody and everybody who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ and believed in him died on the cross, rose from the dead for our sins, and you believe and trust in what Jesus did by faith, then you're okay with God. You'd be saved. And I said, is that wrong? And they wouldn't answer. And they said it preached a demonic gospel.

And You know, these are just two guys, you know, they're kind of rabid guys who are just full of hatred. And um But it was interesting. Yeah. And what also is interesting, it kind of reminds me of something, is the issue of. How in the last days there's going to be mockers who will arise and they will deny the truth of God.

Now I'm not saying these guys weren't Christians, but Wow. It was really interesting to experience the vitriol. of the hatred that was coming forth from these guys. and they did not like the idea that God works all things after the counsel of His will. And that God elects and predestines.

They don't like that. And they were saying that what I was believing in and espousing was from the devil. And one guy accused me of so many sins. And just Disaccused me left and right, left and right.

Now, my feelings aren't hurt. I'm not complaining or whining about that. But I said to him, I said, You certainly are accusing me a lot of things. And uh He said, shut up your mouth, you devil. You know, it's just, it's really interesting.

The kinds of encounters that I have where I go into varying rooms. And deal with so much hatred. A day before that, I was in a room with. uh a couple of atheists. and they were highly interruptive.

The may hunting. rude, condescending. And It was just the way of the world. We Christians aren't supposed to be like that, are we? Anyway, just interesting, just observation.

When we get back, we'll get to Richard from North Carolina. And please stay tuned. If you want to give me a call, the number is 8772-07-2276. I'll be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Hello, Robert. Welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, you can. All you have to do is dial 877-2076.

2276. Let's get to Richard from North Carolina. Richard, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, thank you, Matt.

Appreciate you taking a call. Sure.

Matt, a friend of mine and I had a discussion today about Matthew seven. Verses 21 through 23, and there's two things in those that I'd like to ask you about. Um In verse 23, it says, I never knew you. That particular phrase. Right.

And then verse twenty One, says He that doeth the will of my Father, What is what is the will of my father, and I never knew you? Can you explain those for me? Sure, let's start with one you asked first. Uh never knew you.

Okay, so Here's some scriptures. Jesus says in John 10, 27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.

Okay. In Galatians 4, 8, and 9, when you did not know God, you served by nature those which are not gods. But now that you've come to serve God, now that you've come to know God, or rather are known by Him, now you've come to serve the true and living God.

So there are these verses that talk about God knowing us. If he knows you, you're saved. If he doesn't know you, you're not saved. This is not an issue of omniscience, but a relationship. On the day of judgment, if God comes up to you and says, I don't know you.

It means you're lost.

So, this phraseology of I never knew you is a reference to the issue of they were never saved to begin with.

Okay. You with me?

Okay. Alright, now that's the Greek word there is gynosko. Since I'm bringing this up, I want to show you something else.

Now, that's the word gynosko, to know.

Now you know God or known by God. My sheep hear my voice. I know them. I give eternal life to them, etc. All right, now.

When we go to Romans chapter 8. 29, we see something interesting. Those whom he Foreign. he also predestined.

So this here is the word proganosco. And or uh probably no. And it means to know in advance, but the known ones are also the predestined ones. This is uh often missed by people who Well Just don't see this pattern, let's just say.

So the foreknown ones are also the predestined ones. and the verses that show that show that God loves or knows you. Are those versus dealing with uh Salvai salvation, okay?

Alright, makes sense? Yeah, it makes sense. One of the things that Gal was talking to, he was warning about this whole backslidden Christians, people that fall away Did they ever know God? And if so, how can He say, I never knew you? That type of thing.

Right. It means they were never saved. And 1 John 2:19 says they went up from us because they never were of us. If they had been of us, they would have remained.

Now We can go on a little bit of a. I'll do this too. We'll go to John 6 because it's opening up a little bit more. In John 6:37, all that the Father gives me will come to me.

Now it does not say, All who come to me the Father will then give them to me.

Now it says, all that the Father gives me will come to me. The Father gives a group to the sun. The ones that Father gives me will come to me. The one who comes to me, I certainly will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

This is the will of him who sent me, that all that he has given me, I lose none. But raise it up on the last day.

So Jesus the will of the Father is that Jesus not lose anybody.

Okay. Okay. So, this issue, which is fallaciously taught in a lot of churches in America, and I seriously, I'll double down on it, fallaciously taught. that you can lose your salvation.

Well then that means then that Christ redeemed people and then lost them in violation of John 6 37 through 40. it would also mean that he cancelled their sin debt. at the cross, but they're still going to hell. Colossians two fourteen. Says this.

It would mean then that from the predestining of God's elective work, Ephesians 1:4, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we be holy and blameless. In love, He predestined us to adoptions. It would mean then that God elected people for salvation. In Christ, redeem them, predestined them, and yet they still go to hell. It would mean then that those who had been appointed to eternal life and believed, Acts 13:48, who were appointed to eternal life, or believe, some of them can become unbelievers.

It would mean then that God who caused people to be born again, 1 Peter 1.3, then it would mean that they would become unborn again. How's that work? Does God go in there and unborn again them? What's going on?

So, there are lots of problems with this idea because their idea of God is not where it needs to be. They need to have a higher view of God. The way to see that and to know that is to go into the scriptures and recognize. God predestines, God elects, God is the one who's the ultimate, he is the source of all truth, and he works all things after the counsel of his will. A lot of people don't like this because they want their own freedom in their idolatrous inclinations.

They want their own freedom to be the final arbiter of what salvation is because they say God isn't fair if he decides who goes to heaven and hell, which is what Romans 9:9 through 23 says. They don't like the idea of God's sovereignty. This is something that most Christians who believe that need to repent of. You need to stop believing it and repent and become sinful. and the reason it's sinful because it does not represent the truth of who God is.

It doesn't mean they're not saved. It means they're in ignorance. And so then they'll say, well, we can lose our salvation because, well, it's up to me to get it by my faith and my wisdom. And therefore, if I decide To stop believing, then I'm going to be lost. You see, it's up to me and my goodness.

obtain and retain. But they don't understand. You can't even come to Christ unless it's granted you by the Father, John 6:65. God grants that you have faith, Philippians 1:29. Does he grant it to you and appoint this to you and grant faith to you that come to Christ?

Does he do it? Only to have you outsmart him, or you in the freedom of your own will say, Hey, I don't need God anymore, even though he's the one indwelling you, John 14:23, who's made you born again, 1 Peter 1:3. people want their own sovereignty because they have idolatries in their heart. They raised up idols in their own heart, namely their own sovereignty and their own freedom, which is a violation of what the true biblical theological system is. I'm just saying this boldly because it's what I believe.

And I believe that Christians need to repent of this unbiblical teaching. And I will debate people on it. I'll have formal debates if you want to do it and call people out on the carpet. God doesn't make mistakes when He redeems people. The ones given to him will never be lost.

John 6:37 through 40. In fact, In John 10, 37. Let me show you this. John 10, 20.

Sorry, a little going on this, okay? John 10, 27. John, he says this, my sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them, and they'll never perish. Notice what Jesus says: I give eternal life to them, they will never perish.

Eternal life and never perishing. In John 3, 16, What does he say? God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, whoever believes in Him. Shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus equates not perishing.

and eternal life. He equates them together. Let's go back to John 6, 37 through 40. He says, This is the will of verse 39: This is the will of him who sent me, that all he's given me, I lose nothing.

Okay. And raise him up in the last day. This is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I'll raise him up in the last day.

So you'll have eternal life, and that you will not be lost, because eternal life is in verse 40. And Jesus says that he'll lose none. Eternal life never perish. That's never perish is in verse 39. Eternal life is in verse 40.

This is how Jesus speaks. But what do people do? No, no, no. I'm the one who is wise enough in my own estimation to be able to receive Christ because I figured it out. And so therefore, since it was me who decided, it's me who can undecide.

Because of their arrogance and their pride. This is what this is. It's prideful or arrogance. We believe because God granted that we believe, Philippians 1:29. Our belief in Christ is the work of God, John 6:28, 29.

What must we do to work the works of God? Jesus says, This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. And Jesus says, You cannot even come to me unless it's granted to you from the Father. You can't even come to him. unless the Father grant it to you.

And check this out. This is John 12 and 13. But as many as received him, We receive Christ, we do. Because he enables us to, okay? And when we do, we do because he grants we have that faith.

That's why we receive him. But to as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, even those who believe in his name. Who were born, context is being born again, who were born not of the blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Too many people are walking around with their chest puffed out spiritually, thinking they're the one in their wisdom who decided that they needed God. Yeah Did they believe?

Yes, they did. Did they decide? Yes, they did. Because God enabled them. They need to give credit where it's due.

And if God's the one who's predestining us, as the Bible says, He's the one who called us, He's the one who's going to keep us. He won't lose anything. People need to repent of their false doctrines. The Protestant Church will be right back after these messages. Huh?

That's right, folks. We'll be right back. Please.

Okay. 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, 877-207-2276.

Richard, you still there? Yes, and yes I am.

Alright, I did a little bit of a rant. There you go, okay? No. Will think that because of the way they live, if they live a they get saved and they live a sinful life. That they have lost their salvation if they're backslidden.

I hear that all the time. If they backslid and they need to repent, it doesn't mean they're not saved because God will certainly allow people to backslide to certain degrees before He yanks the chain. And so they need to understand that the yanking of that chain is often in the form of discipline and cause, cause and effect. And so God loves, God is very patient, and we're all sliding to some degree. But there are sins and levels of sin which are worse than others, need to be repented of openly, like adultery, pornography, lying, stealing, all this kind of stuff.

Using the Lord's name in vain needs to be stopped by Christians, especially if they claim the name of Christ. And if they don't, they'll be disciplined. Just go to 1 Corinthians 5, where a man was having relations with his father's new wife, and Paul said, deliver him over for the destruction of his flesh. Kill him.

So we need to understand that God is a righteous God, a holy God. He will be patient, just like He was with the Canaanites for hundreds of years, and warning them: stop what you're doing. And then He wiped them out. Because they wouldn't repent. We Christians need to understand that even though we're set free in Christ, that if we claim the name of Christ, you better walk in it and you better live it.

And if you're not, Well, then the discipline of God's going to come upon you. But first, usually, what He does is He gently works, gently draws, gently corrects, convicts, gives you the word, and He wants you to come to this relationship with Him of love and patience and kindness. That's what He wants. But if you are going to continue to live in sinful rebellion against him and you claim the name of Christ, he'll either harden your heart. As a form of judgment, or discipline you as another form of judgment, if you really are saved.

And if you're not really saved, then he'll let the hardness of your heart just bring you further down into the depths of hell. And this is what we need to realize as Christians. Our walk with Christ is serious. Doesn't mean He's up there waiting with a 4x4 to snap it on our heads every time we do something wrong. That's not it.

He is so patient. He is so kind. He is so loving. Oh boy, do I know that one. But He will, at a certain point in time, Take action.

And so I'm just telling people: just if you say you're Christian, make sure you're living like it. If you're living with a a s a woman or a man that you're not married to. in that rel kind of relationship. That's hypocrisy. That's lying.

That's fornication. It's sin. It needs to be stopped. You need to repent. Things like this.

we need to deal with. All right? Okay, buddy. I'm sorry. Here we go again.

You get me going. You get me going. Okay. That's okay. That's okay.

And the other question I had was about verse twenty-one, the will of The father? Yes, the will of the Father.

Okay, so we, and people will often bring this up, and they'll say, you have to do things to get to heaven. You have to do it. See, you got to do these things, do the will.

Okay, when I ask him, well, what are those things that God wants? What's the will of the Father?

Well, If they were truly saved at one time, Jesus would have known them. We already went through this. And we already went through if they went out from us because they never were of us. But the will of the Father is that we listen to Jesus. Right?

That's what it the bi the Bible says. The will of the Father is that Jesus lose none. The will of the Father. Uh Is that we obey Christ and we submit to Christ.

Okay, it's simple. And so Jesus says, come to me. And the father says, listen to him, it's my beloved son. And listen to him.

Okay?

That's it's as simple as that. Will the fathers listen to Jesus? Believe in what Jesus says. That's what people are supposed to do. All right.

Okay. Okay. Well, Matt, I appreciate your time. I really do appreciate your wisdom. In the scriptures.

I love the way you just show everything by not just one or two scriptures, but by multiple scriptures, and that really Yeah.

Well, praise God. It's the word of God that is the final authority, not me, not a church, not tradition, not a council, not church fathers. But the Word of God, it is inspired, and what is God-breathed has the authority of God.

So, therefore, the authority of God must speak in the Word of God. That's why the Bible says of 1 Peter, excuse me, 1 John 2:4, if you say you know him and do not keep his commandments, the truth is not in you, and you're a liar.

So, better examine yourself to make sure you're in the faith. And if you are in the faith, I'm talking to everybody here. If you are in the faith, then live like it. And if you're not in the faith, get on your knees, repent, and ask God to forgive you. Come to Christ and live for Jesus.

Okay, all right? All right. Thank you, man. Have a blessed day. You too, ma'am.

God bless, brother. Thank you.

All right. All right, now let's get to Sherry from Utah. Sherry, welcome. You're on the air. Hi, how are you?

by God's grace doing very well, far far better than I deserve. Oh.

Okay, well, I wanted to ask you about a couple of things. I believe in the sovereignty of God, but I also believe man has free will given by God.

Okay, we're gonna go.

Well, let me just say a couple of these verses, and that'll help describe it, okay? Because when Jesus says when he came in on John 3, you had talked about John 3 a little bit, but Jesus says that he came to save us, and yet many will not come because they love their sin. More than coming to him.

So that seems to imply a choice. Of course, it is. They choose consistent with their nature. Free will is simply the ability to make a choice consistent with what you are. It's not forced on you.

God, for example, has free will. but he cannot sin. Right? Would you agree?

So, free will must be defined based on what God is, not what we are.

So, free will is the ability to make a choice that's consistent with your nature. that is not forced on you. It includes God, it includes us. If the unbeliever is said by Scripture to be a slave of sin, A hater of God doesn't do any good, doesn't seek for God, is dead in his sins, cannot receive spiritual things. Then his freedom must be consistent with what the Bible says about him.

Right? Okay. Well, it just seemed like Jesus was saying, you know, they had a chance, but they decided. Sin is better. Can I ask you another verse?

Let's follow up. Hold on, let's follow up. You're absolutely correct. They chose their sin. Over.

They had the free will to be able to choose sin. But Jesus says in John 6:65, You cannot come to me unless it has been granted to you from the Father. If it's simply up to free will, and what you're espousing sounds like what's called libertarian free will. If you're espousing what's called libertarian free will, that it's just up to us. We just need the information, we can choose.

If that's the case, then why did Jesus say, You cannot come to me unless it's been granted to you from the Father?

Okay, what would you say? Right. But then why would he say when he rode into Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I would have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks, but you would not. In other words, he wanted them to come. And yet they decided That's right.

It's exactly correct. Is that free will?

Well, isn't that like making a choice for you? You're correct. They're choosing according to what their desires are. and their desires are wicked. That's what they're doing.

They're choosing to rebel against God.

Now remember, Jesus specifically said in John 6:65. You cannot You cannot come to me. Unless It has been granted to you from the Father. It's not up to a person's sinful free will, then, is it? Right.

Why would he be upset then about people who don't come?

Okay, hold on. As if God hadn't decided. I asked you a question, though, and it's two times now about John 6:65. And I don't see really responding to it. Jesus said, Okay, I'm sorry.

That's all right. Jesus said, You cannot come unless the Father draws you. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. That's John 6:44. John 66.

Just remember John 666 minus 1.

Okay. That's John 66. John 6, 65, Jesus says, You cannot come to me unless it has been granted to you from the Father.

So would you agree, then? that what Jesus said is true? Whatever Jesus says is true. It's just how you interpret what he says.

Well, he says that no one can come to me unless it has been granted from the Father. Do you agree that no one can come to Christ unless it's granted from the Father? Yes, I would have to agree with that. That is the clear word of God. Amen.

So anyone who believes in Christ does so because it's been granted to them by the Father, right? Right. Right, but you know, he says unless the father draws, right? And then it says later on. He will draw all men to himself.

If he be lifted up, he will draw all men to himself.

So I believe that's talking about. The drawing of the nations through a cross. You're very good. I totally agree with you. Absolutely.

That's exactly good. Good answer. All the nations. He'll draw all men, all people, all people groups to himself. That's right.

It doesn't mean. that he's granting that they have faith. or that they come to Christ. to everyone.

Now, what Jesus says in John 6:29 and 28 is really interesting too. What he says is, The Jews said, What must we do to work the works of God? And Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.

So is it God's work that you believe in Jesus? Yes, it's God's work. It's God's will too. Yes, and we don't have much time to get into this, but I'm not trying to mess you up or contradict you with scripture, but I'm trying to break a couple things down because we need more time to build it back up. But in Mark 4:10 through 12, they ask Jesus, why are you speaking in parables?

And he answers them.

so that they will not be forgiven. He actually says that.

Okay. Mark 4, 10 through 12. If it's his will, and here's a deep question we can't get into because we've only got two minutes left. If it's his will that everybody be saved, Then We have a problem with Jesus speaking parables, so they will not be saved. Here's another question.

Does God know what it would take? To save anybody anytime, anywhere, under any condition without violating their free will. And the answer was of course, yes, he does, right? Would you agree?

Yeah. Well, that's a a different statement because um You know, like, could he make miracles so everybody would believe yes, but that's not the right belief. A belief is something that you don't know. No, no, no. Jesus said to Thomas, John 20, 25-28, put your hand into my side.

Now believe. It was a miracle of the resurrection.

Now believe based on the miracle.

Okay. Right, but we all don't get miracles. Like, you know that. I just lost my husband. I mean, we don't get that.

I just lost my wife. Yeah, I'm sorry. You got that right. But my my husband loved the Lord and he didn't get saved. He he died of cancer.

So, I mean, he's good. But people would say, um I just feel like we need to be more gracious to the that there's different viewpoints and that we can agree to disagree gracefully and not like Yeah, I agree. There's a different viewpoint on sovereignty, free will. We're almost out of time. We're almost out of time.

Certainly we are almost out of time. I know. But the thing is, the right view is the view of Scripture. And what I do with people is I show them what the scriptures say by reading it to them.

Sometimes I just quote it to them and they don't agree. They don't even realize I'm quoting it to them. But darn, we've got to go. We'll be back on Tuesday next week. I'll back, okay?

We can talk some more, okay?

Okay. Thanks, Matt. God bless you. And I'm sorry that you lost your sweet wife. And you with your husband, sorry.

Hey folks, we'll be back on Tuesday next week.

Okay, Tuesday next week. May the Lord bless you. Please consider supporting us. We do need that. God bless.

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