MS Top 6 Season 3 #28

This is the Truth Network. Matt Slick is president and founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Matt is a master's of divinity and is ordained. He's passionate and Matt stands firm and lives to defend and promote the Christian faith. Monday through Friday, Matt takes calls from all around the world on his radio show. We've compiled this week's best. Matt Slick's top six.

Number six. There's passages in scripture that, you know, when I read them, they're not possible for me. You know, like, for example, Matthew chapter 5.48, you know, where Jesus would be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect. And, you know, 1 Peter 1.16, you know, he says, you know, be holy for I am holy. So how do I understand these verses? Just as they say, God wants to be perfect. He wants to be holy. Now there's more to it. But that's the first thing. That's what he wants.

Now people will say, well, wait a minute. God would never ask you to do something you can't do. Where's that in the Bible? See, God doesn't lower his moral standard to our level. He raises us up to his.

Number five. Whether we can do it or not is not the issue because he's the standard of righteousness. He will say, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Now the context is about loving everyone equally. That's what the context is in Matthew 5.43-48.

So we're to do that because he's the standard and that's what's right. And be holy for I am holy, 1 Peter 1.16, because he's the one who's holy. But we can't do it. So would God ever ask you to do something you can't do?

Of course. And he, of course, recognizes our inability. And this is why we have Jesus. Because Jesus is God in flesh, second person of the Trinity. And he is the one who became flesh and gave us what we need. So in Christ we're considered perfect. In Christ we're considered holy.

Number four. Not to say that God is not aware of our sin and our failure, but you don't understand. What's really important is that God, the Father, sees us in Christ. Now in Christ, as I mentioned in the sermon on Sunday, the issue of federal headship out of Ephesians 1.4, he, as the Father, chose us, that's the elect, in him, that's the Son, before the foundation of the world. So he chose us for salvation. Second Thessalonians 2.13 says, God chose us for salvation.

That's what it says. So he chose us, he gave us to the Son. In John 6.37, Jesus says, all that the Father has given me will come to me. And so what we are, we are in Christ from eternity ago. And so God has given us everything we need in Christ.

It's the now and the not yet. The now is on the sinner. And not yet am I glorified. Yet there's a sense in which I already am glorified. Romans 8.9 and 30.

Number three. We have to understand that in God's mind he knows the reality, of course, of our sinfulness. But because we are in Christ, Ephesians 1.4, died with Christ, Romans 6.6, crucified with him, Romans 6.8. Then he sees us, having died to the law, Romans 7.4, in Christ, purified and ready. And so therefore, he says, Be holy as I am holy. And so through Christ, filtered to us, it works. And our works, filtered through Christ to the Father, it works. And that's how it can be done. Okay.

Number two. Is there a sense in which if someone, you know, will not repent of sin, like, for example, if they're living in sin and they know it's sinful, and they won't repent of it, then in that sense, does it mean that because the person fails to repent, that they won't be saved? Their lack of repentance is an evidence that they aren't saved. We can't lose our salvation.

I can go through all that. I know people debate that. But as my firm stance, I'm not going to deviate on that. Jesus says, Will the Father's let Jesus lose none of all that he's been given. John 6, 37 through 40. Jesus can't fail to do the will of the Father.

We can't be lost. He can't just send it at the cross. Colossians 2.14.

I can go into it in depth. But someone who does not repent of sin is a liar. Because 1 John 2.4 says, if you say you know him and do not keep his commandments, the truth is not in you and you're a liar. So someone says, Yeah, I believe in Christ. I trust in Christ. And I still live in sin with my girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever. I say to those people, don't call yourself a Christian. If by any chance you are really regenerate and you're in such rebellion, God's going to discipline you and you're lucky he still let you breathe.

Because he might kill you in order to take you home. Go read 1 Corinthians chapter 5 for that. And 1 Corinthians 5. I warn people, if you really are saved and you're going into sin like that and the hardness of your sin is working against you and so that you don't feel it much anymore, then God may very well just kill you.

And that's it. Or it's the case that you're not saved and then they need the gospel. And I'd say, look, if you don't repent of this, you know, turn from this to evidence you're not saved, fires of hell are waiting for you. Because you're putting your own pleasure and your own sensibilities and your own morality before the blood of Christ, before the sacrifice of Christ. The judgment of God is upon you right now and they'll fall even heavier upon you on the day of judgment. Goodbye, goodbye, it's time to go. Say goodbye, why is it sad? Makes us remember the good times we've had.

All we've got is the end of the road. Welcome back now, here. I always trust a guy named Matt Slick on the radio. We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Matt Slick's Top 6. For more on Matt and his live syndicated call-in radio show, go to TruthNetwork.com. Got a question? Matt Slick has your answer. This is the Truth Network.