Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. Um 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. And if you want to give me a call on this lovely July 23rd, 2026, all you got to do is dial 8772072276. I want to hear from you. Give me a call.

You can also send an email to info at carm.org, info at carm.org. Put the subject line video comment or radio question, and we can get to them. All right, got some good stuff to talk about tonight, and um.

Alright, so we got some things going here and some good stuff. All right. Hey, why don't we just jump right now? Just jump on the line. Let's get to Alan from Virginia.

Alan, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, Matt, how you doing? Oh, I'm hanging in there, man. Dang that what do you got, buddy?

Okay.

So, one thing I've thought about recently, I just got reminded of it, is I'm having a hard time understanding what forgiveness. Exactly is. Yeah. Um, 'cause you know, for for a definition to be true, it has to be true in every single situation, you know what I mean? Um Yeah.

How does scripture define forgiveness? Um Oh. Why? There's different levels of forgiveness that I see in Scripture. One, and God says He will forgive your and forget your sins and remember them no more.

And that's a form of forgiveness. He doesn't bring them up again. He will remember them no more. It doesn't mean he forgets, it just says to remember his active voice. I remembered it.

It means you brought it up. Forget, it means what happened.

So God just doesn't bring it up again. And that's a form or an aspect of what forgiveness is. Another one is to not hold against anybody something that They've wronged you about. And forgiveness can be based on things that are really wrong against you. As well as things not really wrong against you, you just perceive that they are.

Either one. The issue of a Christian forgiving must be done because he has been or she has been forgiven of Christ by Christ, and so we are to forgive as we have been forgiven. And so the call as a Christian is to forgive in our hearts and our minds, and to not bring things up again.

So, in a marriage, for example, husband and wife might be arguing about something, and one of them asks forgiveness for something. And the the other uh the spouse says, Okay, it's you know, it's forgiven. and then a month later he who has forgiven, or she who has forgiven, brings it up again. This would be inconsistent in the biblical mode of what forgiveness says, God remembers your sins no more. And so, with forgiveness, it is almost like the idea of forgetting, but it's not.

You just decide to relinquish. Um How do you say this? Relinquish attachment. An attachment to, but a concept or an effect upon you, a negative thing upon you, or an offense to you. that you're relinquishing that, you're getting rid of it.

And you don't hold it against that person anymore, your thought, your mind, your deed, you let it go. It's a very difficult thing to do. And um And so I have someone in my family who, let's just say, it took years to forgive of some things. Nothing heinous. It's just, you know, cumulative stuff.

And you got to go through, okay, I need to forgive about this. And I thought I had, and I discovered years later I hadn't. And so this brings up a whole nother level of what forgiveness is. It can have an intention to do it. a decision to do it and it's not really done down deep.

And this is just an inconsistency in what we are, and God knows this, and will sometimes later on bring it up. Oh, you think you're really forgiving?

Well, then let's take a look at this, and you go, ouch. And so, forgiveness is deeper than most of us recognize, but if we were to emulate it in the case of God, He forgives, but he also takes care of the offence himself. Upon himself, so that the other person could be forgiven.

So, sometimes in forgiveness, the idea of taking upon yourself something. that hurts you. for the safety of somebody else. is another form of a manifestation of what forgiveness is. Because forgiveness is based out of God's love.

and His Holiness. They're kind of combined. and we we manifest it.

So there's there's a lot to it. I hope that helps. I think it helped a l helped a little bit. I guess one thing I was thinking of That's one thing I'm thinking of too right now is that Not forgiving. seem to be in some cases particularly focused on the Uh the offended rather than the offender and If the offend did doesn't basically pass on the attachment to that action.

uh you know, basically offending them. then what can lead to that is it can grow into re some sort of revenge and that can be that can lead into STEM. Uh yes, it can lead into uh murder, actually. And so uh let's see, it's a let me check on something here. I gotta move this over here, this window.

Come on. Um Okay, I'm trying to find it. Uh Yeah, do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be protected. put away from you.

Along with all malice, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. This is Ephesians 4:30 through 32. We're to forgive as we have been forgiven. That's the model. And so we're offended and we let the offence go.

without the emotional negative attachment attached to it, Go. and then start to turn to love to that person. That's what's hard. You can see there. Yeah, that's there.

Yeah, interesting. Because the thing is, if you know, let's say you're offended by somebody, legitimately or illegitimately, it doesn't matter. The offense is taken by somebody. This, if it's not forgiven and dealt with, can lead to uh uh bitterness, which can lead to anger. which can lead to Harmful desires of someone in your heart, you want something really bad, so that's spiritual murder.

So Lack of forgiveness can lead to bitterness, which can lead to anger, which can lead to judgment and spiritual death and stuff like that. This is why we want to snip it in the bud and be forgiving as quickly as possible. Not always easy to do. But that's what it is, because that's what Christ did.

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Sounds good.

Well, I appreciate it, Matt. It's not easy. You got some issues there? We could talk about stuff. I certainly could.

Um I'm trying to think of I mean, I don't think there's too much, I haven't. forgiven. I mean, of course I I get frustrated, like probably most people do at things, but I don't know. I I I tend to be better at just passing things off. You know what I mean?

Now, but I did use. I mean, but one thing is in my In my uh Death side You can say they are very stubborn for better and worse.

So it's pros and cons with both of those stuff.

Sometimes uh Let's just say a grudge is something that needs to be addressed. This is not fast. If it gets far enough. Yeah, it needs to be addressed. You're right.

Grudges are held in marriage relationships, family relationships, friendships.

someone's offended and then you have to deal with it and let it go. And it's very difficult to do. It is. Because because we're self-righteous. That person offended me.

That person needs to make it right. That person needs to apologize. That person over there needs to do it XYZ. and they ignore the responsibility of their own hearts. And that's that's a problem.

in a sense to thinking that the person offended you, even though they it may not be in that specific form or understanding at the time. Can be a form of pride being like, I'm of this status. How dare you speak to me in this way, type of deal? Of course, of course. Yeah, it it's You know, whether you're offended legitimately or illegitimately, uh very similar occurrences occur in a person.

The offence is taken, the ref offence is retained. And then with that, different levels of festering And anger manifest with it with additional self-justification because you cannot continue in these negative emotions. uh towards others without justifying them. to yourself. That's sort of the town worries.

Yep. That person wronged me. And too much extent of that, and you could just be self-odolizing too. Yeah, in a lot of ways. We look at ourselves uh You don't in a In an egotistical way.

I mean, how can you dare disagree with me because I'm so old and I'm so experienced, I've done this a million times, I know you shouldn't, etcetera. We can have all kinds of ways of justifying Our self-righteousness. That is a foundation for our lack of forgiveness. towards others. And as a Christian, forgiveness is one of the most difficult things to do.

Because when we are righteously uh offended than to forgive someone else. And we all have those people in our lives who really have. It really is the case that they blew it and they offended. and you've got to forgive them. And that is very difficult to do.

Because it's so much easier to say No, they're just wrong, and I know they are, and maybe they are, and you're right.

Okay, now what are you going to do about it? Are you going to forgive as you've been forgiven? And that's Ephesians 2. Uh fire thirty two. or 432.

You gotta do that.

Now I will say though. I I will say though, I don't think At least my partial understanding of forgiveness. I don't think being very forgiving of someone meanings you should continue Per se a toxic relationship that hasn't been able to improve after right, yeah, agreed. That's a whole nother facet of interpersonal relationships. You know, if someone's offended you repeatedly and continues to, there comes a time when you've got to distance yourself and do what you've got to do.

and yet still maintaining a level of forgiveness. It can be difficult. Forgiveness does not always mean you have to go back into the situation over and over again. After a while, you're just done, and that's okay.

So it's a tightrope we walk sometimes. Forgiveness, judgment, self-righteousness, dealing with the same people over and over again. It can be very difficult. It just they really can't. Got you.

Well, I appreciate it, Matt. I hope you have a blessed day. YouTube brother man. God bless. You're right.

Okay.

Now, just about that, you know, I remember. Here's something just to think about a little bit. I remember uh once I I the Lord brought it to my attention And um you know, I had to go through and go through a process of forgiveness of someone. And That's why I done it. And then a year or two, three later, I forgot what it was.

the Lord, in His great mercy, revealed to me that I hadn't for really forgiven. I'd gone through the motions as much as I could, But I wasn't able, I found out, to see. to be able to really forgive. And then I had to deal with another issue, and that was my own stubbornness and pride. And so then I had to deal with that before God.

And in order to forgive others, we often have to deal with our own stubbornness, our own failures. because it is so comforting and easy to justify the offence. and the right to stay offended. And is the opposite of what Christ requires of us. It says, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4.32. And this is the standard. We shall always seek that standard, the standard given by Christ himself. That's hard. But that's what we're to aim for.

So if you've not repented of forgiveness, or not forgiving, Well then do it again and again and again until your heart gets right. We'll be right back after these messages. Give me a call, 877-20722. 7-6, be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your call at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Oh, Rodwood, welcome back to the show. We have nobody waiting. If you want to give me a call, you can. 877-207.

Two two. seven six and we got several things to talk about Um Let's see, what should I focus on? How about this one? Joanne, a friend of ours, sent uh me a link uh information There is a in South Carolina, a Presbyterian church hires transgender minister in Anderson. And it's a PC USA church, Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, and it's a very, very liberal.

uh denomination. I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's a false uh Christian denomination. And it says in this article, I'll be writing on an article and releasing it a little bit. today or tomorrow.

A small struggling Presbyterian church in Anderson, South Carolina, has taken the bold step of hiring an openly transgender woman as its new pastor. It's hired Reverend Laura Bethany, and with the last name there, Booch Leater. I'm not trying to mispronounce it, but it's a tough one. As it stated, supply pastor blah blah blah bushlet will begin her ministry on August 2nd at the North Anderson Church on any given Sunday. Has an average of 20, 30 people.

And And the person is also, in addition to being transgender, also self-identified as intersex. And that is a person who has physical characteristics that don't really match some things. I'll just leave it generally like that. The article goes on to say: Time will tell how intersex transgender activist minister, oh my goodness. An intersex transgender activist minister walked into a bar, and there was a frog there, and they said, Hey, what's going on?

Man, you know, don't croak on me. Anyway, we'll be. You'll be received in the small and quite politically red city of Anderson. Bitchelritz will. Butchleiter was quoted as the Baptist in the Baptist News Global article as saying, I want to answer the call to go places where I can continue to be the question.

I don't want to be a disruptive force, but I do want to be a countercultural force. And I read the article. I didn't see anything in scripture referenced there, and this is pretty typical of apostate false religious systems.

Now, you know, very, very often I deal with the apostasy of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy. They are not Christian churches, okay? They are whitewashed sepulchres, dead men's bones on the inside. They appear clean on the outside, but inside they're full of dead men's bones, rotting corpses of spiritual death. And um So, you know, first, I think it's 1 Timothy 4.

The Spirit explicitly says in later times that some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctors of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. And let's see, I think there's another one here. Let's see. What's some other stuff I've got? Uh That's that one.

Let's see, they went out from us because they never were of us. If they had been of us, they would have remained. I think there's also second Timothy 3. Trying to remember because there's a lot of you know a lot of verses in my head and sometimes You know, as they get older, they kinda They kind of cross. But this is 2 Timothy 3.

But realize this: in the last days, difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, malicious, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than God. Holding a form of godliness, though they have denied his power, avoid people.

So, this is basically the same kind of a thing. This idea of a transgender person who was a male, claims to be female, and then is going into a church to be in the pulpit is a violation of Scripture. Because God doesn't make mistakes, and who He has male and female. And the scriptural qualifications for pastoring must be above reproach and be consistent with the creative design of God, 1 Timothy 3:1 through 7. And transgenderism denies that.

Therefore, transgenderism is unbiblical, it's ungodly. It doesn't mean we hate them. It doesn't mean we don't can't love on them, okay, and treat them well. It just means they're not qualified to be holding positions of pastoral authority, preaching and teaching. And I am quite sure that such a woman guy, who pretends to be a woman, will preach heresy and feel-good theology, mamby-pamby stuff.

And will not be preaching the power of the word of God. This is the kind of stuff that's happening in the world today, and it's going to be happening more and more because the Bible prophesies it. Let's get to Patrick from. North Carolina, this should be interesting. Patrick, welcome.

You're on the air. Uh good evening, um Matt. Thanks for ta uh taking my call.

Okay.

So what do you got? And my question is. I talked to you before about, I believe Calvinism is an idol and it's a cult. And uh the reason I think it's true is because Calvinism would n would not exist before John Calvin, is that correct?

Well, the name didn't, just like the word for homosexuality. Which occurred in the 1900s was developed, but the Greek word athenikoitas, 1 Corinthians 6:9. is what that means.

So just because the term came up later on doesn't mean the concept wasn't taught there. And yes, the the reformed doctrines are found in Scripture before way before Calvin ever uh discovered them or Let's just say uh codified them, okay? Yeah, but they're misinterpreted because uh You know, uh John Kelvin, uh, Some of the stuff he says is in the Bible, like election is called born again in the Bible. No, the word born again is Um Not the same thing as election. Just put it that way, okay?

You must be born again, born from above in John 3. Athenas. And it's not uh um election, which is klectos.

Okay, different words. Not the same thing.

Well, yes, that that's when a Christian becomes a person becomes a Christian is when they're born again because the flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. Because you're baptized with the Holy Spirit. But that is election and and it's not before the time No, it's not.

So you're just wrong. You just don't know what you're doing. You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know scripture.

Okay?

Well, can I a person elected in Calvinism? They're elected before the beginning of time, so they don't have to get born again because they've already been elected before the beginning of time. No, election means they need to be born again and that they will be by the direct hand of God. It doesn't mean they don't need to be born again. This demonstrates to me: you do not understand Calvinism.

You attack what you don't understand. Yeah. You mean that um A nelected person in Calvinism still has to be born again. Yes. Yes.

Election means choosing. God has chosen the person to become born again. It doesn't mean they are born again when God chose them. Born again is an actual experience of an individual. Who has trusted and put his faith and trust in Christ?

Then they're regenerated, that's when they're born again. They were chosen by God beforehand for that purpose.

Okay.

Oh, okay, how about John 3, 16? Whoever believes You know, whoever believes has eternal life. When it says whoever, that means anybody, right? Not just the elected people. It doesn't say whoever in the Greek.

It doesn't say that. It says pas hapistuon. It doesn't say whoever, which is the Greek word hos. And what's here is not the word hos, but pas ha pestuon. And what it literally is, is all the believing one.

That's what the literal Greek says. Yeah, right. But the point is, is all, not just certain persons, all. No, it says all, the believing one.

So the all is restricted to those who believe.

Okay.

But you're telling me that you have to be elected before the beginning of time to be one of those all. That's right. Amen, brother.

Now you're getting it. Hold on, we got a break, okay? Hold on. We'll be right back, folks, after these messages. Yeah.

Please stay tuned. 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.

Let's get back on with Patrick.

Okay, Patrick. You're on the air. Yeah, I'm still here. But the point is is um What's Calvinism has to do with election? Ah!

Yeah, you have to go to the bottom. Calvinism. Why is that involved with the electric. Because it defends election. Because the Bible teaches election.

John Calvin is dead. He's an idol. That's what I'm saying. He's an idol. I don't.

I don't follow John Calvin. I don't follow him.

Well, you call yourself a Calvinist, so you have to have a connection with John Calvin. No, it's just a shorthand term, is all it is. We can also say reformed theology.

Okay.

Yeah, but Why don't you just say, instead of your shirt saying, I'm the Calvinist, just say I'm a Christian that believes in born again. I could say that if I had a t-shirt. The one I'm wearing now, though, that'd be a better way to do it. The one I'm wearing now says I'm the Calvinist your Armenian pastor warned you about. And because I make it sound like you're the one, you're the only one or the special one.

Is that the case? Not at all. A friend of mine was wearing this shirt. I went, ooh, I want that shirt.

So I'm not the only one. No. Hold on, let me talk, man. I'm just telling you that I believe in reformed theology. I believe in election predestination because the Bible teaches it.

I'm just simply defending it. And the more people believe in the doctrines of reformed theology and the doctrines of grace, the less they're going to believe the false things you do, the false things that Catholic and Orthodox churches do, and the false things of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. It's a very, very biblically based system. In fact, on Monday night, I've already set it up on Facebook and on YouTube at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

I'll be doing a Q and A session on Reformed theology, on Calvinism. People who hate it, who say it's a false gospel, false God, where idolaters would not say, blah, blah, blah. All these ignorant people are going to invite them in and they can, if they're as long as they're polite, just ask questions and I can answer them.

Okay?

Well, you know, the word Catholic's in the Bible, but the word Calvinism is not.

So The word atheism is not in the Bible either. Catholics, at least, their denomination is in the Bible. But, you know, dr the word dragster is not in the Bible either. Neuters UFO. We we're not talking about traces.

Okay, here's another thing. You said that oneness is a cult. Yes, it is. Why is oneness a cult? Because it denies the true God, denies the true Christ, and has works to salvation.

I know, but see that's the reason I believe Calvinism is a cult. You're not going to say you believe it because you are one. But I think it's something that people have to be warned about. Calvinists believe in the Trinity. that Jesus Christ is God in flesh, died on the cross, rose from the dead.

We believe in justification by faith alone, in the work of Christ alone, and that the faith that we have is granted to us by God, Philippians 1:29. And the reason we came to Christ is because Jesus says you can't come to the Son, to Himself, unless it's been granted by the Father. John 6:65. We believe these things. And you know, one of the problems that people have had with me when I defend Reformed theology is how much scripture I quote.

I quote scripture more on that topic than basically any other topic. I go to town on it, it's all over scripture.

Now if you want to join in on Monday night And you want to try and ask some questions, I can do that. But I've been fending off questions and stuff for 36 years on this. I know the topic, and I know how to defend it. I know where it's found in the scripture. I know about verses, you know, 2 Peter 3:9.

He wants all to be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4, all to be saved. I understand all these things. I just cross-reference them with Mark 4:10 through 12, Romans 5:18, and various things. 2 Corinthians 5:14.

And I know these verses. I know what they're saying. And I try and politely say, Have you considered this? I don't say, look, you need to learn. I say, look, can I show you something that might bear information on something that maybe you've not considered?

And I try and show people.

Okay.

But you know, John Kelvin, it's listed in the history that He had Michael Surveillance killed because he didn't believe his doctrine. That's not true, okay? Is he had not surveilled?

Well, it is true that he was involved with Michael Surveillance's death. Because he had a different belief. No, that's not it. I can tell you've not done your homework. It was servetus, okay?

Servetas. Calvin, what took for you? Calvin went to France to meet Servetus to try and convert him to the truth, but in Catholic France, Calvin would have been executed as a heretic. Yet Calvin went there, so he risked his life to speak to Servetus. After Servetus went to, I think it was Geneva, was arrested, Calvin pleaded that the members of the council, if he's going to have to be put to death, don't burn him.

It's too cruel. At least behead him. But Servetus was executed on October 26, 1553. Calvin didn't have Servetus killed. He risked his own life by going to France to warn Servetus not to come to Geneva.

Yet Servetus did that.

Furthermore, it was the law of Geneva that heretics be killed, and so blah, blah, blah.

So you just, I'm reading from my notes. You don't know. This is often the case with people who hate Reformed theology. They're woefully ignorant. They think they understand.

Like it'll be John 3:16. Whoever believes, that means anybody can do it. That's not what it says. And I correct them. And the only reason anyone believes is because it's been granted that they believe.

Philippians 1:29. And Jesus said, or excuse me, in Acts. No. Okay.

Look, we're going to move along.

Okay.

You call the word of God heresy. You know what you're doing. Philippians 1:29, to you it has been granted to believe. That's what it says. Let's get to Brent from North Carolina.

Brent, welcome. You're on the air. Just Matt, how are you today? Oh, here we go. I'm doing all right by God's grace, hanging in there.

What do you got? It sounds like it was, you know, our father is not the author confusion. You have a lot going on there with you. The question tonight is: what is truth to you and others in the radio world? What is truth?

I I'll I'll answer if you just take a breath. You keep asking the same question, I wouldn't answer you. What is truth? Truth is that which conforms to the mind of God. And who is God that made?

Yahweh, the Trinitarian Being, that's who God is. Uh Okay.

So to my question tonight, you said truth is what now? That which corresponds to the mind of God. Statements or propositions, truth-bearing entities that correspond with the mind of God, who knows all things actual as well as potential.

Okay?

Yes, sir.

So, so side to me is a little confusing. I heard you think you know a lot of scripture. But you know the devil knows the scriptures very well. Yeah, but I know you're quite familiar with demonic doctrine. Yes, that's true.

You're quite aware of that, yep. Yeah, yeah, uh it's been a lot of lies that's been orchestrated throughout the earth, admittedly, uh, but nobody want to tell the truth for some odd reason. I'm telling the truth at risk. I've told the truth at risk of my life. At risk of injury, of lawsuits, of threats.

I've been swatted, chased in cars. I've been threatened with death. I've been threatened by people. We've had all kinds of threats and legal threats come. Oh yeah.

I I risk a great deal for to tell you the truth. Not like some people. Mm. Yeah, so y'all who quoted that they have made a covenant with death have made lies a refuge and they've hidden behind falsehoods. When are you people gonna ever start telling the truth?

Telling the truth about Look, let me ask you, is Jesus God in flesh? Is Jesus God in flesh? I'm asking you a question. Give me the answer. Yes or no?

Is Elohim in the flesh?

Okay.

To answer your question, Yeshua was Elohim. John 3:15, for y'all so loved the world that he gave away. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let me just try this. How many gods exist in the universe?

How many gods are there? Just how many gods? And all real questions. There's many gods, if you want to say gods. Second coronavirus.

How many real gods? That's what we're doing. Man.

Okay, how many real gods are there?

Okay, we're going to move along. We'll just go. Let's get to Charlie. How are you doing? Charlie from North Carolina.

Charlie, welcome. Charlie! Yeah, one day to date. Charlie. I haven't seen nobody.

Charlie? I'm on the radio. Yes, you are. I'm sorry. I ran into somebody I knew at Food Line and kind of got excited.

Wow. It's been a great day so far.

So, what do you got, Charlie? Yeah, man. Praise the Lord.

So, first of all, I was thinking this when he was talking about Calvinism. Uh you know if you read the Bible And you come away with the idea that salvation hinges on anything other than God's grace and his election, you haven't read it. Your hermeneutics are poor and you need to restudy. Amen, brother.

Amen. And I would just say, as Calvinists, we just agree with his hermeneutic approach. We agree with his hermeneutic approach to Scripture. We just agree with what he came up with. We're like, yeah, we affirm that.

That's all it is. But. Oh, we got a break. Hold on, Jeremy. Oh, hold on.

We got a break. Go ahead.

Okay, so we'll get right back to you after the break. Then we'll get to Jermaine.

Okay, so hold on, brother. Hey, folks. Woo! Interesting day today. I'm gonna check to see if it's a full moon.

We'll be right back after these messages. Please stay tuned. It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, welcome back to the show.

Let's get back to Charlie, the last segment of the hour. Charlie, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, brothers. Yeah, before I asked my question, I was going to say, I think we should think like Calvinists, but live like Arminians, you know what I mean?

I got it. Live like everybody's been chosen because we have no idea, but know in our minds and hearts that God chose. That's right. We're in sales, not production. As Bill McKeever said.

Right.

Okay.

Right.

Amen. Yeah, so my question is, um, So I know in our branch of theology and Reform theology, cessationism is a really, really big thing. I don't think it's biblical. I think it's Okay, praise the Lord, brother. Um I just And I'm wondering, you know So we say sola stratura, but no cessationist can give a clear Scripture that says that the gifts would ever die.

Actually, on the contrary, in 1 Corinthians, it says that they will continue until that which is perfect comes, which is Christ. That's what they use.

So, you know. Yeah, I mean, what do we I mean, how can we experience the fullness of our calling as the body of Christ? whenever we are his expression and we are his hands and feet, whenever we're doing exactly what Paul said not to do. When he said, do not tell the eye or the foot, I have no need of you. And I feel like that's kind of what's happening.

So You know, do you have a question about this? I'm just kind of curious. Yeah, what do we do? What do we, like, what. What do we do whenever we like because I my church I love my church man it's full of pastors and jumping off the church?

What do I does that hinder Does that hinder fellowship? Or like, should it hinder fellowship? Should I find a new church? I mean, okay, it depends on the attitudes of both part both sides. Like, uh, I have a friend who's a cessationist, and uh Andrew Rappaport, and he's a dispensational uh cessationist.

I'm a Reformed continuationist. Yeah, yeah. And we fellowship, we insult each other, we have fun, we joke, you know, all kinds of stuff. But there's no big deal because we understand that this is not essential doctrine, and we're not we are ordered by Scripture not to make judgments on spiritually debatable issues. Romans 14, 1 through 12.

So that's the thing. And like I'm all millennial, and one of the board of directors, he's premillennial.

Okay.

That's fine. Not a problem. You know, we can have differences and it's okay.

Now, if they break fellowship, over these things. That's on them, not on you.

Okay?

Oh, they would never, man. I mean, and we me and my pastor have healthy conversations about it. And he says that he says, hey, man, I could be wrong, you know, but the thing is, I just want to convince him. I know I can't do it. You know, it has to be a work of the Holy Spirit.

It's just, I feel like we're missing out as a church. You know, and just don't really know how to approach it or what to do because I feel like the Lord wants me to stay there. I've been there since I was born. that you think the Lord wants, then stay, and and just fellowship with his the believers. It's okay.

Now, this is a big issue to me because I was a senior pastor at a small church plant in Southern California when they found out I believed in this position. That, yeah, they're still available today. Long story short, I was no longer pastor. That's the short version.

So, I'm quite familiar with the issue and have debated it, defended it, many of you. Can you hang out one day and talk? Like, can like, I just feel like I could talk to you. There are so many questions that I want to ask you and things I want to talk to you about, and like on air that might not be able to ask. Oh, okay.

I was going to say, normally that's what we do on air, but yeah, people come into various rooms, chat rooms I'm in, and discuss things. Things and I answer questions.

So, yeah, you know, it's all depends on.

Well, come to my church, man. Have them invite me out. I love you, man. I really appreciate you. Have them invite me out to North Carolina to speak and do a conference on theology, apologetics, QA, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, the occult, all kinds of stuff.

People don't know I can speak on these things.

So okay. Oh, I know, man, and I hear it. I think we could really use the in our evangelism, you know, to be trained up and know these things and the questions that we're going to encounter and the way to um uh you know, properly debate these things. Um Yeah, dude, I'm going to have my pastor reach out to you, man.

Okay, sounds good, brother. Appreciate it.

Alright. All right, thank you, man. Have a blessed night. Thank you.

Okay, God bless. Yeah. All right, that was Charlie.

Now let's get to Jermaine from California. Jermaine, welcome on the air, buddy. Are you there? Oh, hey, Matt. Yeah.

Real uh, yeah, I almost didn't want to call in. It was really excitable, excitable shoulder day. Yeah, it's been different, but it's good. You know, get a kick out of it.

Okay.

Well, yeah, I guess my question was uh More relating to yesterday's topic.

Now, preaching the gospel does not constitute a curse on anyone, right? Because I've seen some people. try to equate the preaching of the gospel to the loss in Israel specifically As speaking against God's people. And I just do not see that biblically. And that.

That's more along the lines of what I usually try to argue for when When I I'm talking about spiritual Israeli. Only God knows who his people are, but I've seen Jewish converts over there. preaching the gospel. in the same way that I would love to. And That that that doesn't look like a curse to me.

No, it's not. Preaching the gospel is not a curse, but there is a verse. Let's see. 2 Corinthians Two, I had to look it up. For w We are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to the one aroma of death.

To death, to the other Roma from life to life. Who's adequate?

So, the idea here is that the preaching of the gospel is not good for some people. And 1 Corinthians 1:18, the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. And uh There's another verse I'm looking for. I can't find it. It's a judgment upon people when the gospel goes forth.

But anyway, I can't find it off the top of my head. Yeah, and um you know, for that's what I love about the show. We can always revisit it, but Would that kind of depend on how someone is preaching the gospel? Because I have seen where. is some folks appear to be preaching at people And it was almost like a condemnation instead of like information where you're You're just preaching the gospel and leaving the emotion and the judgment out of it, but just I have seen that, and that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking just simply sharing the gospel with someone. Yeah, it depends on the motive. You know, someone can get up and preach the gospel with malicious intention. And others can do it lovingly as a pleading to come to Christ. The fires of hell are waiting.

And so, um It just depends on the motive. And as Philippians 1:15 through 18 talks about, you know, whether pretense, good motives, bad motives, as long as the gospel is preached. That's what Paul says there. And so we would prefer that someone do it with good motives and a biblical attitude. But even if they're not, at least it's the gospel being preached.

And if they do it. You know, faithfully to the scriptures, you know, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You have judgment coming upon you. If you don't trust in Christ, you need to trust in Christ, etc. This kind of stuff, even if they don't do it with good intentions, it's still the gospel.

And the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who would believe, Philippians, I mean, excuse me, Romans 1:16. And so we need to trust that God's word will go forth, even by those who have less than pure motives and stuff.

Okay?

Okay, that's good enough for me. Appreciate it.

Yeah, enjoy your show today.

Well, yeah, it was interesting. You know, I get a kick out of it. And if you watch, you see I'm laughing, not mocking anybody, just not I just enjoy it sometimes. It just goes ridiculous. It's like once, you know, I got home from work and the kids, the place was just trashed, you know, because the kids were just having fun and being kids.

And you just laugh because it's good stuff, you know, and that kind of thing. It's like a mayhem. And I'm just cracking up because here we go. This is what happens with people. You know, just enjoy it, move, move through it, and move on.

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah, I actually didn't get to look at the video. This this is gonna be one of the few episodes I get to actually replay and and sit back and just watch And enjoy. Yeah, it was a special one. It was interesting. That's interesting.

But you know, I could tell you that I meet a lot of people like this online. uh like this show is typical of Of what I meet online. In fact, Would I meet online? Makes though this show is tame, it is nothing. Compared to some of the interactions I've had.

Like last night I was on for three hours, and this one guy was a Unitarian, he was insulting, he was rude, and I was just going at him, we were interrupting each other because, hey, it brings in people who listen. And then that way, more people will come back later. And so I did it with him for a half hour. And then another guy, as calm as could be.

So it just depends on the situation and what the motive is, but oh yeah. Yeah, all kinds, always it's it's different. All right. Yeah. Okay.

All right. Yeah, I think it's still a blessing that you allow some of those folks to speak.

So it it's uh It's informative. I'll say that.

So, yeah, thank you, man. I appreciate you, brother. It's informative. It is informative. Yes, it is.

So, God bless, brother. All right. God works. God bless. All right, here, a couple of things before we get to the show.

And the. In the chat, we have people in the chat in Rumble, and you can join us. Go to rumble.com forward slash Matt Slick Live. And usually there's, you know, 20-ish people in there chatting back and forth. And one of the things that someone said is, pray for Caleb, little two-year-old boy fighting stage four cancer.

And as soon as I read that, I just said we got to get that on the air. And and uh, you know, Caleb, he's two. Fighting for stage stage four cancer, ladies and gentlemen, out there, brethren, brethren. pray for the for Caleb and that the Lord would heal him. And that he'd be delivered by a miraculous work of the Lord's hand.

That's that's uh what we want to pray for.

So just lifting up uh Caleb. uh for that. You know, we don't have any bu any callers right now and uh And let's see, Kayla's big sister is extremely difficult for her and an anxious time for the family.

So pray for the family. They didn't know I was going to do this, they didn't know I was going to bring this up. But uh I did. It's one of the nice advantages that we have of having a radio show that I can be able to say to people, hey, pray about this, pray about that, lift this up, lift that up. And it's a privilege.

So, you know, I take it responsibly. And in light of that, I want to say that we also, you know, just stay on the air by your support. The only way to stay on the air is if you are graciously supporting us. And it's not a threat. You know, some people say, oh, if you don't support, we're going to ban.

I just say, look, if God puts it on your heart to support us, please consider doing that. Just go to Carm and look at the top of the page, you'll see the word donate. And you can set things up there. $5, $10, $15 a month is what we ask. And that's it.

If you don't want to do it, that's okay. That's all right. God provides, He puts it upon people's hearts and um I'll just let people know. We do stay on the air by that. We stay on the air by the grace of God.

Alright, I think that's about it. Let's see. We've got about 45 seconds left in the show. And okay, I'm just checking on my phone because I had a UPS driver scheduled to come here, and I wonder what time he's going to get here. And I wanted to make sure he wasn't at the door.

I left a note out there. Call my number if there's an issue. Could I j return something? Anyway, so that's it. That's it.

Okay.

The music's going to start in about 10 or 15 seconds. May the Lord bless you all. Hope you enjoyed the show today. And by God's grace, you'll be back on the air on Monday. Remember that, I mean, on Friday, tomorrow, Friday, sorry.

And on Monday, you can go to the Carm.org Facebook page. You can see what we're going to do, a QA session live. After the radio show on reform theology. Hey, there we go. We're out of here, man.

So, God bless everybody. I hope you have a great evening. We'll talk to you later. Another program powered by the Truth Network.