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.

All right, everyone, welcome to the show. If you want to give me a call on this lovely day, which is August 25th, 2026, all you got to do. Is dial 8772072276, and you can give me a call. Also, let's see, we get this stuff working. No, that's yeah, that's right.

Huh, a little odd. Anyway, a little tech thing there going on. Also, you can email me. That's easy to do. Just send an email to info at carm.org.

Info at CARM.org. Put the subject line, radio, comment. radio question either one of those that'd kind of you kind of know what to look for And then we can get to those when we get to those. We have no callers waiting right now.

So sometimes when that's the case, is uh I I just I go to those and uh and stuff.

Now It's uh weird. We're having a little bit of an issue. On my uh My computer. I don't know what's going on. Don't know why it is doing what it is, but that's what it is.

So we'll just have to deal with that. And if you want to give me a call, like I said, 877-207. Two two. Seven cirques. Why is there no sound?

You guys hear me now? Can you hear me? Can you hear me now? No? We have a computer.

It's an issue. I don't know. Everything is set. Everything is fine. And let me just check.

Yeah, everything's good. I don't know why it's not working.

So we had a problem yesterday. And I guess we're having a problem today, too, with something.

So I don't know. I don't know what's going on. It's just not feeding. We had a problem with uh even months before. And anyway, so I'll tell you what, we'll do is just not worry about that.

I'll see if I can tackle that during the break. But if you want to give me a call, like I said, we've got a call coming in. The number is 877-207-2276. Also, if you are so interested. If you want, you could go to Carn.org forward slash calendar.

We've been keeping that up to date more frequently. And I'll be in a debate next month on 24th.

next month also on 9-11 through the thirteenth will be in Southern California. Speaking at a conference about Islam, I'll be discussing the issue of the Trinity. Uh in two aspects. Two aspects of the Trinity dealing with how the Trinity makes sense of everything and how the Trinity provides the condition of redemption. And I'll be going through the doctrine.

It's going to be interesting. I'm going to get some advanced stuff for people, but I'm going to go slowly so they can understand it. Then do a workshop on the Trinitarian essence. as necessary in our redemptive work, on God's redemptive work for us.

So there you go, and I'm gonna re just reload my page. Maybe something will happen and fix that. With uh With StreamYard. That's kind of strange. And also, I don't know what's going on with other things, too.

So, anyway, okay, so I released an article today. If you are interested in checking that out. What are the core doctrines that uh Islam denies?

So I went through that. And um There we go. I think we got that going So I went through that, wrote it took me several days to write it. The way sometimes some articles are just bigger than others, require a lot more work and formatting to make sense so that you can go in quickly and easily and understand stuff. I try and make complicated things easy.

And I'm working on a lot of other articles simultaneously. One of the things I'm interested in getting to is Attacking Masculinity: A Threat to Christianity. And I'm going to say yes. And I'm going to give the theological reasons for it. And then I'm going to also work on an article: what are some of the misconceptions people have about Christianity?

Like, you know, the Bible says all religions lead to the same God. Things like that. Those were misconceptions.

So, um. All right, so let's get to let's get to Clay from North Carolina. Clay. Welcome, you're on the. Brother Matt, it is a God-given pleasure and honest.

Sincerity thing that I get to talk to you. I've tried to call before, but I don't know what's been happening. Because every time I've tried to call Um for some reason they wanted to block my number. Um but um I'll say, you know what? It's But look, man, you and I have had some conversation, and it's been close to a year since I last talked to you.

And I really do, brother, give thanks to the Lord for what you do. And what you bring to the table, and everything you say and share, because I value your viewpoint, and I know you have a godly heart.

So I really want to give thanks to the Lord for that.

Well, all I can do is say thank you and To God be all the glory.

So So, here's my question. I found this out about a month and a half ago. Do this Bible study on Thursdays in this group that I'm part of. And the most we've ever had are like 31, but we're doing the study in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6. But it was interesting out of nowhere, we talked about Um the Sabbath.

And I know and understand that the Sabbath was celebrated years and years and years ago on a Saturday. But from what I understand and what was shared The Sabbath is now Done on a Sunday because after the resurrection of Jesus being. Coming back to life and sitting at the right hand of his father as we speak.

So, I'd like to get your viewpoint on that. I mean, because there are people that still say that it's on the Saturday, but. What was highlighted, the reason I'm Asking and saying and sharing this with you is because people, you know, what was said and shared. And this Bible study was said, because why do we worship? Why do we come to church on Sunday?

Um, you know, why do we sit there and give thanks to the Lord? You hear a pastor sharing a message and stuff like that, and so. Just, you know, your viewpoint on what your thoughts are.

Okay, sounds good.

So There is a theological component that people need to understand. It's called covenant. A covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties.

So I made a covenant with my wife to take her. Till death do its part. She passed away nine months ago today, as a matter of fact. And so the covenant of our Lord. I apologize for that.

I hope and pray she's resting with the Lord. She is. And so the covenant ended because the stipulation of the covenant was till death do you part. And so covenants are agreements. They have covenant signs and things like that.

So the Sabbath The Sabbath is part of the covenant work of God in Exodus 20.

Now, in Exodus 20, there are two tablets that were provided, the Ten Commandments, two tablets. Most people mistakenly think that they are six on one and four on the other, or four on one and six on the other. No, it's ten and ten. All this is important. Explain everything.

So ten and ten is two copies. Each person in a covenant gets a copy of the contract.

So the tablets were put, the two tablets were put in the Ark of the Covenant. which is in the Holy of Holies. And the Ark of the Covenant, on top of it was the mercy seat, the lid, which is called the footstool of God.

So it's in the presence of God, one copy in the presence of God, but also the tabernacle and the temple in the presence of man, of the people of Israel.

So the.

So the two documents represented one covenant for God in his possession and one covenant for man or Israel in his possession. All right. Covenants have stipulations and requirements, and as a covenant of the marriage, till death do you part, the part of the covenant is stipulated by that. If you go to Hebrews 9, 20, 9, 15 through 16, you'll see that with the death of Christ, the new covenant is instituted.

Now that's critical. Right. Because the Latin word for covenant is testamentum. Which is Old Testament, New Testament, Old Covenant, New Covenant. The old covenant, according to Hebrews 8.13, is made obsolete with the death of Christ, who instituted the new covenant.

The Old Covenant law is now made obsolete, it's not doesn't apply to the Christians.

So We have this issue of the Ten Commandments. and they are morally correct. it's not the case that we don't have to obey them. Because nine of ten of those are reiterated in the New Testament as still being valid. The nine out of ten, the one that is not reiterated is the Sabbath.

Because the Sabbath, typologically, is a, in the Old Testament, is a prophecy, a prophetic type. of salvation. Rest from your works. You don't work to be saved, you rest in the work of Christ.

So, he is our Sabbath. And Jesus says in John 10:28, Matthew 11:28, Come to me, all who are heavy laden, I will give you rest.

Now In Romans 7, 1 through 4, it talks about those who have died to the law, or died in Christ, died with Christ, have died to the law.

So Romans 6:6 and Romans 6:8 says that the Christian has died to the law or died with Christ.

So Romans 7:4, we've died to the law. Therefore, we're not under obligation to keep that law for salvation.

So, all this is to say, and I'll bring it home, is that the Old Testament covenant was abrogated by the death of Christ. We're not under the obligation of the Old Testament law in order to keep ourselves saved or to obtain salvation. Of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is the one that was not reiterated in the New Testament. I have the documentation on our website when I go through that very topic.

So we are now free from the obligation of having to follow the Sabbath. On Friday evening to Saturday evening. The reason the church moved from that to um to Sunday is because In Romans 14, 5 through 6, one man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. Paul the Apostle is telling us That we can be convinced in our own minds on the issue of one day being above another, Sabbath above another.

because we're not under that law anymore.

Furthermore, in Colossians 2:16-17, it says, Let no one act as your judge in regard to food, drink, festival, new moon, or Sabbath day. In Acts twenty, verse seven, on the first day of the week, when they gather together. First day of the week is Sunday. They they broke bread. They tithed.

Jesus rose on Sunday, the first day of the week, is called the Lord's Day. In Revelation 1:10-11, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud trumpet saying, The Lord's Day is the day of the resurrection.

So What happens is, because Jesus died and we died with him, we're no longer under the obligation to keep the law. We are there free to obey Christ, not for salvation, but because we're regenerate. We don't have to keep the Sabbath on any particular day. We could be convinced in our own mind which day to do it on, but we're free and we celebrate on the day that Jesus rose from the dead, and that's how it works, okay? Yeah, Net Brother Matt, that's exactly what was brought out about Sunday being the first day of the week.

And it came around the time that, you know. that Jesus was resur was you know, resurrected from the grave. And so I completely get it. I do. Um, but there, I've had some conversations with about three or four people, and I was trying to share that in a fellowship luncheon that we had about three or four weeks ago.

And I was trying to get them to understand that. And I I I um I'm glad that you shared this because now I can refer to some of the scripture. that you brought out. And you know, I I really again Uh it is great. It is a God-given blessing to be able to talk to you.

And I really do give thanks to the Lord for what you are doing. uh and the heart and the passion that you have to share what you're sharing. Uh because Um Except. you know I know you probably get uh persecuted like Paul does. But you know what?

You're you're saying to what you know in your heart. And that just Speaks volumes to me. I really do appreciate it.

Well, praise God, brother. All I got to do is say praise God. All right, and we also have an article on We have an article on Carm on why do we worship on Sunday. You can go check it out. And there's a break, we gotta go, okay, brother?

So, talk to you later, man. Right to self-regulate, my friend, and brother, and everything. And God bless you, brother. And you keep doing what you're doing, man. I'm praying for you.

Okay, God bless.

Okay. We'll talk to you guys later. Be right back after these messages. 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 easy 877-207-2276. Robert from Virginia, welcome. You're on the line, brother.

Okay, I'm Robert A. I've got a question about the soul, and the spirit talks about. in the Bible, uh in several places about soul. And the spirit of man And my question is, you know, what does that Are they one and the same? And what is that like here on earth?

And what is that like or what is it going to be like that in heaven?

Well, I can't answer what it's going to be like in heaven because I've not been there. I can't tell you. And the Bible doesn't say what it is.

So there are people up in heaven right now who are going, Well, it's easy. You just and then it can tell you, you know.

Alright, so there's different views, two main views here that we're talking about: what's called dichotomy and trichotomy. Die is too. Try is three. The dichotomists will say that soul and spirit are used interchangeably. And so therefore they're really just different words for the same thing.

That's a the dichotomous view. And the trichotomists would say, well, the harder to back up one sec. The dichotomy would say, soul and spirit are the same thing, and then we have an additional thing called the body.

So die would be two.

So the body is one thing, and then the soul-spirit basically the same thing. The trichotomist would say there's a body, but the soul and the spirit are different. And I couldn't tell you which one is the truth biblically. I haven't been able to settle it because the Bible says things like the word can divide between the soul and spirit, but then it also says things like the soul and the spirit, and uses them as their equal.

So. Maybe. I don't read them.

So, I don't know. I don't know exactly which is the right one and how to use it.

So, that's what I just tell people. I lean towards dichotomy. Myself, I lean towards soul and spirit being the same thing, just different words for the same thing. But I'm not going to die in that hell. Maybe I'm wrong.

Okay. Alright.

Okay, thank you very much. Hope that helps. Maybe not, but I hope it does.

Okay. Watch. That well, that's where I am. I you know, it's like, okay, which one is which? And And does it really matter?

Um Well, here let me tell you why in one area where it does matter. There are false teachers. who go around saying such things as The spirit is separate from the soul. And the spirit can be, a human spirit can be possessed by the devil, but not the soul. And they'll say things like that.

Oh, okay. And you go, well, that's dumb, you know. And so, in those kind of things, people will do things like that.

So And I have an article on it someplace on drich trichotomy. I think I have it on Carnes someplace. If I don't, I need to write one, because I was just looking for it. I didn't see it. And um Okay.

And I could have sworn I'd written one.

So, when we move to the new site, not every single thing was converted. Every now and then we find an article that wasn't, very rarely. But anyway, I'll have to make sure.

Okay. Okay. Thanks very much. All right, brother. God bless.

Okay. All right, let's get to next longest waiting is Jeff from Ohio. Jeff, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, thanks for taking my call, Matt.

Yes, I have a question regarding occult practice. I know you've touched on it a few times, including before you got saved, you were involved in it yourself. But My question is. You know, there's disagreement among God's people on where the line falls. That is, you know, I've known Christian athletes who say they like to Visualize a play before they actually execute it on the field and They're okay with that, but I know of other Christians who will say that that kind of practice is.

Occults. And I just want to note, where do you draw the line? Yeah, occult it means hidden, and you're seeking to find hidden things. Um So The idea that you're imagining a play running through it in your head, that's not occultic, it's just practice in your mind. For example, I walk on the block, and it's a one-mile circuit, and what I'll often do is.

Replay in my mind discussions I've had or hypothetical discussions I've had. I'll work through logical thises and that's and scriptures and try and relate things and think about stuff. It doesn't mean I'm in the occult. And I used to play tennis a great deal. I was pretty good.

But you know, I'd play tennis and I would visualize The way I wanted to serve in a certain corner, a certain place. That's what you do. It's not occultic.

So people who say that It it's ridiculous. Yeah.

However, however. It can be occultic when you let your mind focus on occult things. Imagining a sports play is not an occult thing. Imagining that you're in contact with a spirit, trying to find out how to get a hold of the spirit, or letting your mind empty and blah blah blah, and you try in contact, that is occultic. Right.

So-called spirit guides. Yeah, those are demons. Yes, they're demonic forces, spirit guys, American Indian stuff, and um And then, yeah, I mean, all kinds of occultic. But yes, so just seeking that uh it seeking the other side of the spiritual realm. A football player imagining your head in your head is nothing like that.

But trying to contact spirits or imagining a contact or meditation or connection with them, that is occultic.

Okay. Okay, but I've heard some Christians, you know, they'll say anything involving. The subconscious, like, here's another athletic example: athletes. What they'll do is they'll play Classical Baroque music at normal volume, and then on a second audio source, they'll have. They'll play At very audible, very low level.

their own prerecorded voices of themselves Um Reciting back positive affirmations Is that like a form of hypnosis or what about that? It's an audio suggestion, a semi-hypnosis thing. And now that's one step closer to the occult. But it doesn't mean it is alcultic. Because what the sports people will do who are highly trained Who are highly motivated.

I remember when I wanted, I wanted to go pro as a tennis player. And I found out that I didn't have the talent.

So, but I do remember. I do remember the severe mental state I had to put myself in, very concentrating in order to do what I had to do. It's a very demanding sport. People don't know that, but it is. And so I had to do things like that.

The same thing did martial arts for years. You imagine things, you work through scenarios and things like that. Or when I carry my weapon with me, when I go about town, I've imagined in my mind scenarios that I would react to in certain ways. And most of them involve just running, just getting out of there.

So there's nothing wrong with that.

Now, when you put your mind in an altered state in order to contact the the spirit realm, that's dangerous, that's occultic. You put your mind in an altered state to remember a play or to remember answers on a test, that's not occultic.

Okay. Or, yeah, or you mean, so you say, we got a break.

Okay, hold on.

Okay, there's a music going. We'll get back to you after the break, okay, Jeff? Hey, folks, we have two open lines. If you want to give me a call, 8772-0722. Seven six and the right back.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, up and bottom of the hour. Welcome back to the show, and let's get Jeff back on the air. You're back on, brother.

You there? Yeah, I'm right here. But yeah, to rehash though. You know, when I sa when I mentioned you know, you said it was a little closer to the occult to have low volume self-affirmation in your own voice while listening to slow Baroque music at regular volume. Um Some would even go so far as to say that just Saying out loud consciously positive affirmations is a form of magic.

No, it's not. It's that I wish people would stop. I wish a lot of people would stop talking after they think. You know? Just I'd like to just have a a um An ability to point somebody, you're not allowed to speak out loud, not until you've thought this through for three days.

I wish I could do that to people. They're just people who just don't know, they don't understand, and they say things that just aren't very critically concise.

So just having an affirmation out loud is not occult. You know, it just. It's just dumb, okay? And people talk about it. People talk look people talk to themselves and they'll make affirmations.

You know, I did pretty well yesterday when I when I did blah, blah, blah. I really I'm pleased with myself. You can talk out loud because some people they're auditory learners, they're auditorily oriented. There's nothing wrong with that. I wish people would stop with this.

Staff would be cool.

Okay, sorry.

Well, you know, I guess I can respect and appreciate the fear of the occult. That is something we need to be careful about, for sure, but. In fact, here's another example. This is my own personal example, you know. When I'm dreaming at night, if I become what's known as lucid, that is aware that I'm dreaming even though I'm still asleep.

I'll wake myself up immediately because I'm concerned about doing something. Bad. No, that's there's nothing wrong with that, okay? People know their dream.

Sometimes people know they're dreaming. They wonder if they're dreaming. It's not occultic, okay? The occult is seeking the dead or seeking the spiritual realm. Seeking it.

That's a direct, an indirect form of it is being involved with objects and practices that open up bad doors. the paranoia of so many people is you can't even think a thought. that where you're imagining yourself doing something properly. You can't even do that. It's occultic.

No, it's not occultic.

Okay. Yeah.

So what opens up bad doors? Drug use. Pornography False doctrines. idolatry uh false religions are generic.

Okay. There are practices people can do. of emptying their minds, meditating on concepts and ideas or objects, and letting and letting things happen. These are the kinds of things and that people need to be aware of.

So um if If people start having bad dreams, It might be because they had bad pizza. If they start having bad dreams over and over and are spiritual in nature, You need to pray. Because there can be demonic attacks. It doesn't mean you've opened a door. It's just, it's subjective, and it's very difficult to nail everything down.

And when I talk to people, About this, which is not very often, and they think something is going on, I have to interview them. and see what's going on. Have there any gifts been given to you by family or friends who are not believers? Just ask. It doesn't mean it's a bad gift, if it's the case.

You just have to ask. You know, uh what what's going on? Did you are you involved in illicit drugs? Are you praying to Mary? Are you uh seeking the intercession of dead people?

As a saint in these false religions, are you believing the Book of Mormon? You know, these are doors for the occult, for demonic activity to come in.

So there are more specialized procedures. That I don't want to go into that you can Practice in order to open doors on purpose. I used to do that when I was before I became a Christian. And renounced all of it. And I won't tell people how to do it.

Right. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

Practices like transcendental meditation and yoga. B Either borderline or opening yourself up to the dangerous horses. Yes, both of them do.

Now, transcendental meditation involves the alteration of the mind and trying to get in tune with the divine consciousness and various things like this and energies in the world. That is occult practice. People who try in contact or get in contact with chakras or energy balancing, that's the occult as well. Yoga. Energy balancing.

Yeah.

Got chakra. Uh There are people who say and believe that there's negative energy and positive energy. And that even though what energy is an impersonal force, yet they're good and bad. But goodness and badness are related to the menu.

Okay. So talk. goodness and badness are related to persons. not an energy, not like electricity or radar.

So, it's an improper term for people to say a negative energy because they don't understand what they're saying. Uh so There's there was no I know I was gonna say other stuff, but there's other stuff, okay?

Alright.

Okay, and you mentioned yoga too. Yes, yoga is occultic at its basis because it's energy balancing. and it is seeking to get in tune with Oh my god. Yeah.

Now, there's a difference between yoga and stretching So if you are doing what's called a lotus position. And you're just stretching, that's okay if you're just stretching. And you cross your legs, you're stretching. There's nothing wrong with that. If you're practicing, and I used to do yoga when I was younger, too.

with energy balancing chakra uh Chalkers. I think a lot of people don't know. Anyway, so. Uh it but Yoga officially by the designation what it is is occultic. but it does not mean that a person can't do stretches.

Okay, and so you can stretch, all right? Just don't do. any energy balancing visualizations of divineness as you're contacting through poses and things like this.

Okay. Stretching's okay. All right, I should do that stuff too. Yeah.

Interesting how this is coming up more later.

Okay, brother?

Okay, thank you for your time.

Okay, good. All right, God bless. All right, hey, if you want to give me a call, the number's 8772-072276. Before we get to the next caller, yes, ladies and gentlemen, for the newbies, before I became a Christian at 17, I used to be involved in the occult. Um I have seen, I can still remember, the manifestations.

lights moving, voices. Um Presents, things like this, PRE, not a present like a Christmas present, but a presence. in the room. I can get into more details about stuff, but I should be involved with that, also with yoga. And uh Energy balancing, chakra balancing, movements, and all this stuff.

I remember it. And he's been involved in all this stuff. And then, by God's grace, and only by God's incredible grace, he saved me from my sins. And he is the one. who brought me out of that that uh stupidity and filth.

And now I'm saved by God's grace. Let's get to Alberto from Georgia, Alberto. You're on the air, brother. Um, yes, good evening, Maslick. Uh Um If the Catholic Church claims to have the only true truth and that is the true religion, Why aren't they preaching in the streets?

Patterson out in the streets, you know. You know, like the regular venture goes to do. I mean, they're afraid to get slapped and knocked down and then. And hold on to the police side, um and okay. What's your question, though?

Wait, hold on. You have a question. Why why aren't they? pitching the streets like, you know if they have the true, true religion once they want everybody to know about it, the Catholic Church. I don't know.

You have to ask Catholics, and I'm glad they're not out there spreading their false doctrines. And they're they're false religion.

So I'm glad they're not. But understand Catholicism is ritualistic and it's sacerdotal. Rituals and ceremonies are the means by which, sacerdotally speaking, the grace of God is imputed to people.

So they want people to come into their Catholic Church to get that. That's their evangelism. They don't go door to door, generally speaking. I'm glad they don't because we don't want it to spread any more of its false doctrines.

Okay. Yeah, because I spoke to a Catholic, I call this Catholic Church. And I spoke to the lady And she said that it's all kept a tables to go to the nightclub, drinking, partying and all that. And it's still, you know, and it's okay to them to do that. Even the Catholic priests told me the same thing.

It's okay to them to go party with their friends in Gladys. It all depends on what is meant by okay, what context and what things there are.

So this is not just a generic universal statement. It has to be understood in particulars.

Alright, so hold on, we gotta break. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages for the last... Segment of the hour. If you want, give me a call, 877-207-2276. I'll be right back.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, buddy, welcome back to the show. Let's get back on with Alberto from Georgia. You still there, brother?

Yeah, like I was saying earlier, she told me that it's okay for them to part in the world, you music, and all kinds of stuff, and the priest.

So, if that was so.

So what the what's the purpose of Unbeliever? for what a reason to comes to Christ in the first place 'cause that they're doing the same thing they're doing.

So they don't see no change in their lives. You see, can a Christian go to a party?

Well yeah. Can they crush and go to a party where there's dancing and music?

Well, yeah, why not? And so participating in the music, like dancing and all that. Yes, I have no problem. Hold on hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

Okay, okay.

Okay. So there's no problem with a Christian going to a party and doing things like listening to music and dancing.

Well, we have to draw the line at doing anything that would violate. The word of God. The Bible doesn't say don't go to a party, it doesn't say you can't dance. In fact, it even gives instructions to dance in the issue of worship in church. In the worship cell in the Old Testament.

Let's see, I don't, I'm sorry, Master, but I can't agree with you, my conviction, because If you're dancing to wording music, and the Bible says, Do not love the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And so, if I'm in the world, then to the worldly music, and so if I'm going to a sample, If I'm going to a rack group. With music, dance.

Well, you weren't letting me finish. Alberto, Alberto, Alberto, you weren't letting me finish. I was running through possibilities here.

Okay. I'm trying to start off with one end and move towards the other. To explain it, you can't have a single statement covering every situation.

So If I have a friend who has music at his house, he's having a birthday party, and they move the furniture out of the kitchen with the tile floor and they have dancing, there's no problem with that. If I have an unbelieving friend who does the same thing, I don't have any problem with that. If they're getting drunk and doing drugs, that's wrong, and I don't want anything to do with that. It just depends on the context and what's going on.

Okay. Okay, so in my younger years when I first out of wasn't in a certain job. Had a cruise ship party. I wanted to go. But I didn't have to need to go.

But some Christians that are spreading rumors about me accusing me of being a backslider without even mean doing anything Be worthy to call a bachelor, just because the ladies in the job. Wanted me to go with to the cruise ship with them. Even though the g one of the girls had a you know boyfriend where I knew I didn't go I thought it was it was it was wrong to go.

Okay. look, I can't exeget every circumstance and feelings. I'm trying to tell give people general Ideas the You can go have fun. Just do it without sinning. Don't participate in the deeds of darkness.

Dancing is biblical. Miriam led the women in dancing the tambourines after crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 15. David danced before the Lord. David Dell. But I didn't I'm moving on.

Yeah.

Okay, just moving along, trying to explain things and it becomes difficult when they just don't Let me finish. Let's get to Erlene from Virginia. Erlene, welcome. You're on the air. Hi, how are you doing?

Hello, can you hear me? Yes, I hear you. Uh-huh. Uh, yes. My question is, is like some characters tithes and uh do tithes and offering and some don't do it at all.

So what is your take on tithes and offering? You're not obligated to tithe. You're free not to. You're not obligated to tithe? Yeah.

Okay. Okay, so let me Get the thought whole thought out, okay? Um you're not obligated. You're not obligated to tithe. You're not obligated to not tithe.

You're free to tithe. You're free not to tithe. We don't live under the law. Generally speaking, however, we have to realize as Christians that we support ministry by what we call a tithe, what we call an offering. An offering is beyond 10%.

A tithe is 10%.

So we're able to give more than 10% or less than 10%. I never tell anybody that they have to tithe. I don't do that. You're free to do it if you and the Lord have agreed, and you do that. You're free not to do it.

It's between you and God. The New Testament does not tell us that we have to tithe. The tithing is the Old Testament law, and we're not under that law. But I tell people, people need to understand that ministries, pastors, stay, they're able to pay bills by the tithes and offerings people give.

Okay. Okay. Yeah.

So if you don't have to tide, that means you don't have to do the 10%. You don't have the tithe. You don't have to. You're free. You're free to.

You're free to tithe. Now some, we've got to be careful here because I tell people if you don't want to tithe, is it because you're selfish? Is it because you don't want to you want to have more money for your shoes? Then you have to talk about that with the Lord.

Now, if you say, I can't tithe because my children won't have any food, that's different. If you say, I could tithe, I just don't want to. What's between you and God?

Okay. Okay. Okay. Hi. Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Alright, God bless.

So I like to tell people about this: that there's no obligation, I see no obligation to do it in this New Testament. None. Um Now, let me kind of correct that a little bit. In the New Testament, Um Covenant. There are in the New Testament documents, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, there's evidence of.

tithing going on. Because the uh the Pharisees would do that and things like that. and it mentions in Hebrews Abraham's tithe till Melchizedek.

Now what it does say, on the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and give as he may prosper.

Now, this is something in 1 Corinthians 16 that says to give. The motivation about it is that you are using what God has given to you. to give back. to God. to the pink ball.

that need help. I'm going to read a verse. Uh let's see. Uh in fact remember where it is.

Okay. This is 1 Chronicles 29.14. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer as generously as this this? This is David's prayer and giving and offering for the temple, okay?

So, it's who am I and my people that we should be able to offer as generalistly? as this, and here's the part I love. for all things come from you, and from your hand we give back to you. It's from your hand, Lord, that we give back to you. That's the question, or that's the issue I want people to think about.

that I say to people, you're free to tithe. You're not obligated, you're free. There's a freedom of saying, Lord, From your hand, you have given me so much. I give back to you. And you give back to him by giving money in a church, giving money to ministries, or.

helping the the uh your neighbor. who's who can't afford new tires on the car. And instead of tithing at a church, you freely go say, I'm gonna buy you tires. And you help out. This is all under the idea of the body of Christ helping each other, as well as some of those outside the body of Christ, for the purpose of the expansion of the kingdom of God.

And so that's why I say to people: you're not obligated, you're free. You have to understand what that freedom is. It's not a law. It's An act of love. of freedom because in in love we give.

That's the nature of it. And so, naturally speaking, Christians will offer to support others because that's part of what it means to be free in Christ as you have been supported and forgiven. You do the same with others. That's the. the kind of spiritual obligation, of which tithing falls under So that's why I say again, you're not legally obligated to tithe, you're free to tithe, you're free to help and to offer.

From God's hands, we give back to Him, 1 Chronicles 29:14. Uh sure. Let's get to Ron from North Carolina. Ron, welcome. You're on the air.

Thank you, Matt, for taking my call. Matt, I got a quick question for you. I'm wondering if the Bible has any verses that talk about. how if a Christian repents Um That we're forgiven for our future sins, not just our past sins and our current sins, but our future sins. Does it clearly state somewhere in the Bible that it's for the future too?

Okay. No, it doesn't say for future sins, but it says like all his sins, blah, blah, blah, will be forgiven as in the context of time reference. But we can deductively draw that. For example, two thousand years ago, Jesus was on the cross, and our sin was imputed to Christ. He bore our sin in his body on the cross.

That's 1 Peter 2.24. Your sin and my sin were future. to him. And Colossians 2:14 says he canceled the certificate of debt. consisting of decrees which was hostile to us, he took it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

That means the sin debt, I believe, of his uh people, the elect. were put upon Christ. And which is future sin, you know, in our perspective, future sins. But the people of the Old Testament, it was past sins. And people were alive at the time, it was their present sin related to Christ.

So yes, the future sins of all individuals who are in Christ will be paid for and were paid for back then.

So this gets, I have to, I can't just leave it there. I have to say, Jesus canceled all of our sin debt at the cross. It's not cancelled when you believe. It's already canceled at the cross.

Now this blows people's minds because they say, No, you have to receive it in order to be forgiven.

Well, yes, you do, but I didn't say forgiven. I said sin debts canceled. They're different. The sin debt is the breaking of the law of God. That was canceled at the cross, Colossians 2:14.

But you and I didn't exist.

So you and I, let's say you and I got saved ten years ago. That means before that we were functionally under the wrath of God. Even though Christ had paid for our sin, I don't believe in universal atonement, he only bore the sin of the elect. Otherwise, you have logical impossibilities.

So if And some other issues. And so he canceled ascended at the cross. And what happens when we believe? That's when we're justified. And so, the idea of forgiveness of sins so often in the New Testament is talked about in the present sense because we go and experience the forgiveness upon us.

This has to do with the theology called the now, the not yet. I'm trying not to introduce too many concepts because I can make it all make sense, but I have to teach it slowly, step by step. And so In a sense All of your sins, future sins, are forgiven at the cross, or are canceled at the cross. And when you confess Christ and you believe, you're justified.

Now, the funny thing is, we go through and we sin, and then we go ask God to forgive us. There's a sense in which called the now the not yet. It's his now was our not yet, back two thousand years ago. And so, this temporality and this tension between then and now, and I won't get into all that right because we don't have enough time. 10 seconds, and I'm out of time.

And it's a deep topic. And I just ran out of time, man.

Sorry, you're going to have to call back tomorrow. It's okay. Thank you, Matt.

Okay, I was trying to get through it.

Okay. Hey, folks, sorry about that. It's a complicated but not complicated topic, and it has to be done step by step. And then people go, oh, I get it now. I didn't do a very good job.

My apologies on that. If you want to give me a call tomorrow, all you got to do is wait till then. May the Lord bless you. Have a great evening. And we'll talk to you tomorrow by God's grace.

Goodbye. Another program powered by the Truth Network.