The Narrow Path 10/7

Hosted by Steve Gray is not of the studio today, so called from the usual format we put together some of the best calls for past programs cover a variety of topics important that anyone in the Bible and Christianity in addition to the radio program has website www.narrowcast.com where you can find hundreds of resources will be downloaded for free and out. Please enjoy this special collection calls to Steve Greg on the narrow path first collectivities and he was calling from Buckeye Arizona. I just might mention maybe part of my Cytomel.

Andy from time to time sets up speaking engagements for me in the Phoenix area is done this in the past. Welcome to question about first Corinthians chapter 8 note concerning the idle and I wanted to get your your cake if you could provide a little more teaching here and in specifically looking at verses 11 and 12 it says and because of your knowledge shall the week brother parish, for whom Christ died. But when you – sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Perhaps give a little experiment and understanding for us all on dissolution on your thinking okay I'll all the underlying concern in first grade 11 chapter 8, nine and 10 is that there were in cornets, idols, idle Temple swimming certainly throughout the pagan world there idolatrous temples worshiping various false gods and one of the main features of the worship of false gods had to do with eating sacred meals, even very much as Christianity worship Christ in focusing on the Lord's supper.

So the pagan temples also conducted these community meals in honor of their deities.

Now what happened was that they would slaughter a bunch of cows and pigs and sheep and things like that and serve them up to in a community meal at the idle Temple and it was considered a part of the worship of those idols that whatever was not eaten there would be sold as meat to be sold commercially in the in the marketplace and that meant that as you were going to the marketplace buying meat for your home. The meat that's available, might very well be, and often was the remnant of an animal that had been sacrificed to an idol now for those who have more superstitious kind of approach to Christianity.

They might've thought well and animal ciphers to an idol is ciphers to the devil. I want to bring food cyclist titles and my house eating meat ciphers. Titles of these feast. This is a worship of demons, I don't want to bring that kind of stuff in my home now. Therefore, there were differences of opinion among the Christians in Corinth about this.

Many understood that as long as you're not really worshiping the idle, it doesn't matter much about what meat you eat, even if the meat was once part of an animal that was sacrificed on others felt more sensitive about that and they felt like anything that had associated idolatry wanted nothing to do with now. Paul actually favored those who took the more libertine view. He actually said it doesn't really matter what you eat meat sacrificed to an idol isn't really any different than meat that wasn't ciphers to model and he says what have you. You don't find for sale in the marketplace as far as makers go ahead and buy it. Don't worry about whether it came from an idol feast, or what it was privately slaughtered, or whatever. I just eat it. Don't worry about it, but he did say if somebody tells you that this is my check question idle. That means they think it's important, and if it's important to them. Then there's this other consideration and Paul is concerned about this throughout the entire three chapters of first Corinthians 8, not intent. And that is that although there are some things that are lawful for Christians to do.

Not all lawful things are good idea to do. Paul said all things are lawful to me but not all things are edifying is that in all things are lawful to me but not I will be brought under the power of any. So Paul is arguing that there are some things that are actually lawful that if you do them, if not necessarily hurt you spiritually, but there's times when you really ought not to do them in another underlying principle of Paul brings out is that even if something is lawful in general. If you think it's not then it's not for you and what's going on in that subtext is that your heart is what matters most in this matter. If you think it's wrong to eat a piece of meat that was part of an animal ciphers and idle even if it's not wrong in the sight of God. It's wrong in your site and if you go ahead and do it then. By doing it your you're going to get your own conscience. You're actually in essentially that you are willing to do something that you actually think is wrong, even if the thing isn't wrong. The fact that you'll do something that you think is wrong is a sin, and so Paul saying if you don't have a clear conscience about this kind of thing that you shouldn't do it. Now Paul is writing to the Corinthians in a context where there were both kinds of convictions among the Christian, some recognize that they had liberty to eat meat sacrificed to idols and others felt they did not and pulsing with those who don't think they should shouldn't because they be going as a country should cause them to sin against their conscience. Now those of you who do have that liberty. It's a possibility that you by doing this in front of them may tempt them to do that which they really think they're not supposed to do. They may do it to fit in it. We can think of this. For example, in the case of in our society.

Maybe some drinking of alcohol there some people who believe it's wrong to drink alcohol. The Bible doesn't say it's wrong to drink alcohol but there there's a lot of Christians who think it is. Other Christians believe it's okay for Christians right alcohol in moderation but in a situation where let's say somebody who doesn't believe in drinking alcohol is going to place reverence drinking socially, he may feel under pressure to drink socially with everybody else that may tempt him to go ahead and drink alcohol but in his own heart. He believes it's a sin. He believes it's wrong. And although it's not necessarily a sin for him for a person to drink alcohol. It's a sin for him to do so because he believes it is and and so Paul saying if you by your example of eating meat ciphers idols embolden the conscience of somebody who really doesn't think it's okay and they go ahead and eat it. They are doing what they think is wrong and therefore they're doing something that is in fact wrong for them to do and you're damaging their conscience are damaging their spirit. You're leading them to do something which they understand to be disobedient to God and therefore you bring condemnation upon their conscience and this can certainly do harm to that effect.

It may lead them. Paul Paul and have a pulse target is that some people when they eat meat ciphers idols.

It takes them back in other some people I know who were like myself teenagers in the in the 70s who, when they hear the rock music from the 70s. It takes them back to days when they were doing immoral things when they were using drugs when their living rebellious lives against God. Now I wasn't doing that in my teens, and that music doesn't take me back to at all effective as a matter fact I was preaching and teaching in a revival during those years, but is also hearing that music and write about music. Now it takes me back to a time of great spiritual rejoicing in and excitement in Jesus. Just because the music connects with the time but when people were living in sin of that time and they couldn't music it takes a back, sometimes it does some spiritual harm. I'm not saying always will, but it can and likewise when people became Christians in Corinth that they ate meat that they knew ciphers idols. In some cases that would take them back in their minds to their old idolatrous ways and some of them were actually going so far as to go back into the feasts and idle temples and neighborhoods located meat sacrificed idols. Paul says so really go eat in the temple and and and they were actually drawn back in to idolatry, just as some people are drawn back into drugs and alcohol and fornication by overture say things that remind them and draw them back to their old life. So Paul is saying this, and there are people who are weaker.

He calls the weaker they can't eat meat sacrificed idols are damaging their conscience are made, even damaging their their their Christian resolved and therefore you cause them to you cousin spiritual harm if you by your liberty in eating it. Encourage them to eat it when they really think it's not right of any so you could be doing them harm. That is not doing to you when you eat the meat that's what's that's what's going on this whole discussion might some really elaborate it like Cyrillic complex but there's just a number of spiritual principles that Paul is concerned about here, not, not the least is that if people do something that their conscience doesn't is wrong there damaging themselves spiritually and if you do things that would lead another person back into sin, but doesn't lead you to sin, you may be sitting as it were against them. So the verses you asked that in first Corinthians 811 and 12 are is it because of your knowledge shall the week brother parish, for whom Christ died.

When he is is you know something they don't, your knowledge, is that an idol is nothing at all. It doesn't matter at all. If you eat meat, ciphers, idols, God doesn't care where the meat came from, you know that, but your brother doesn't he's weaker about that and so your knowledge and your living according that knowledge in your expressing the liberty in your conduct that knowledge would inform that could lead somebody else into something that they don't have the liberty to and you could lead them into sinning and you made it as he says your week brother will perish if he can't handle it. And if he goes back into life of sin, but her thoughts is that when you die sin against your brethren and with their conscience, you sin against Christ. Now this is just a generic statement whenever you sin against a Christian your sin against Jesus. Remember Matthew 25 when Jesus said it is much as you do to the least of these my brethren, you do it to me or anytime you sin against a person is a part of the body of Christ, you sin against the head of the body as well. Whatever someone does against you is not against you. And Christians are identified as the body of Christ. So you harm the body of Christ you harm Christ, and so that's what Paul is saying in those verses.

There's a number of presuppositions behind these two verses. But those presuppositions are largely spelled out in the whole discussion of fricatives, eight, nine, 10, it's, it's not too hard when you kinda follow posterior thought through those three chapters to know the kinds of things that are in for his statements. In these two verses get is concerned about people stumbling back into sin, because they get encouraged by somebody with more liberty than they have in their conscience to do things that they really think they should into and then they crush their consciences damaged and it can even lead them back if that week back into a idolatry which is them that perish. Although Christ died for them. By the way this reason that particular verse raises serious questions on Calvinism because Calvinism says if Christ died for someone that can't parish specifically. Jesus didn't die for anyone except the elect according to Calvinism and those for elect can't parish but Paul speaks of the possibly of those who are elect brother who, for whom Christ died. They might perish if they go back to idolatry. So Paul apparently was not familiar with their Calvinist or ideas. Kimberly from Arizona is next. Welcome to the narrow path can really call capital let you know that future of mankind. Capital are you asking whether it has a future fulfillment or if it's a passing Allen okay well if you get going to come okay well probably most people that you'll hear teacher on Malachi to be future senators say that Malachi chapter 4 is in the future. I don't think so. I think that it's not.

I think it's the first wall begin in chapter 3. Malachi starts introducing John the Baptist and Jesus coming and so forth. And then he begins to follow censure his readers for for not paying her ties and things like that. Then he gets back to the fact that this real judgment coming that could be a destruction of the temple that happened in 70 A.D. now that's what I believe he refers to what he says that the Lord will suddenly come to his temple is the reference I think to coming in judgment upon you because has the for who can endure the day is coming who can stand when he appears he's like a refiner's fire for soap and so forth… I think a reference to judgment coming on the temple. I believe also in chapter 4 verses while verse one also talks a day.

That's burning like an oven, and all the probably burned up.

I think that's also target A.D. 70, when the temples burned up but that the to those who fear God's name the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings. That was Jesus coming. Jesus came to the faithful rain remnant of Israel before the destruction of the old system was realized. And so Jesus arose, arose with healing in his wings. Here healing ministry like the sun rising and when John the Baptist was born.

His father prophesied that this is the beginning of a sunrise with the dawning of a new day and so the Sun of righteousness was rising in Christ.

Now in chapter 3 verses 16 and following talks or how God to rescue his remnant as he did, of course, before he destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. he allowed the Christians to escape, and they did and he talks or gather them like jewels being got a man gathers his tools before he abandons your house to the flames and that's what how does he gathered his people out. Now there's a reference at the end of chapter 4 to Elijah coming out Jesus said to his disciples, if you can receive it. John the Baptist is Elijah who was to come. So Jesus is referring to this very prophecy it was Elijah who is to come. While there is no other reference to Elijah coming except here in the Old Testament so is clearly referring to Malachi. For recent Elijah who is to come is if you can receive it. John is Elijah who was to come.

In other words, I sent. If you can receive it. This prophecy, Malachi 4 has been fulfilled. When John the Baptist came, so we are going by what Jesus said in a number of other other factors in the book of Malachi in the New Testament to I believe that this is fulfilled in the first century. I don't believe photography in times all extended 100 well yeah let me just say this limb to say this, you can find a hard time selling this idea to a lot of people because first of all there's not there's a very large percentage of Christians who've never been cold for some reason how significant it was when God destroyed the old temple system and replaced with the new covenant is like one of the major themes of the preaching of Jesus and of John the Baptist and of the apostles and the and yet many Christians have never been told that that was an important thing.

So whenever they see something on judgment and weird stuff like this is how that must be the tribulation of the future that was the end of the world. And that's because they don't know much about what happened at at at that time and and they often are not really using the New Testament to interpret their basically coming up with their own idea of what it means and ignoring what Jesus said, it means and even when you point out with Jesus. That means the look for ways to make it not be what he said I know this because I been pointing this out people for many years and and although they have no Scriptures for what they're saying they just will not accept in many cases what Jesus said about and so that's because some people just died in the wool and times aficionados who want everything to be about the end times your Jesus in Luke chapter 21 Jesus predicted that the temple would be destroyed which it was 70 A.D. and he said not one stone we left him standing on another and when they are the disciples and how will we know this is about to happen. He said in verse 20 when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that it's destruction is near and then two verses later said these are the days of vengeance, that all things that are written may be fulfilled. So Jesus said that the destruction of Jerusalem, which his disciples would live to see some of them with that would happen so that all things that are written will be fulfilled, presumably needs all things written in the prophets in the Old Testament, and that would include Malachi and so I personally believe that most Christians have not taken Jesus very seriously about prophecy, they take you know the TV evangelist seriously about it.

They take Helen think seriously about the take over pastors usually taken Jesus seriously about it is something most Christians have never considered doing because he didn't agree with the popular and times teachers today right after I got six more calls before run on time but I appreciate you joining us today.

All right Rick talk next to Mary from Rancho Cucamonga Mary, welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling out here.delete. But if anything I wanted to comment on the new Apple tally. I think they are new direct representation really strong and thinking neglected it well attended by data leakage really and left at church and gladly tell the pastor that anionic well yes Bethel church in Redding California is sort of a hub of influence for something called NAR or the new apostolic Reformation. They see themselves as heading up obviously and end times. Restoration of New Testament Christianity, which is largely focused on recognizing apostles switch. Their leaders claim to be and profits and so forth and very strong emphasis on working supernatural works.

Bethel church is no doubt in the category of the second category mentioned those who tend to become enamored with supernatural things and not very discerning of what's from God and what's not from God and in NAR.

I'm sure many of the people in it are godly people but it's not. It's a movement that places an emphasis on the supernatural, which I believe is far beyond any emphasis the Bible places upon. I believe the supernatural is something that the Bible takes for granted as true, there is God, and there are demons and God works miracles.

Sometimes not. Not all the time and and miracles can be wrought through Christians on occasions when God wishes to do so. But once people begin to acknowledge what I just said they tend to be Some People the Certain Temper Become Addicted to the Supernatural.

It's It's in a Balance Is One of the Hardest Traits Defined in Human Beings. If They Either Wanted Denounce All Supernatural or They Just Want to Become Enamored with All Supernatural. I Myself Remember When I Was First Baptized in the Holy Spirit Back in 1970 and I Became Aware of the Gifts the Spirit. The Biblical Gives Rise. Exit Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Which Many People Would Think of As a Non-Charismatic Church, but It Is Charismatic Chuck Smith Believe in the Gifts of the Spirit and I Came to Understand and Believe in Them There Too. But Chuck Was Very Much Interested in a Biblical Approach to the Gifts the Spirit Which Was I Think That Helped Me When I Was Young and Aunts Ever since. But I Remember Being Somewhat Initially Fascinated with the Supernatural.

I Come Out Of the Baptist Background Were I Had Heard of the Thing about the Supernatural in the Church and Then I Came to a Mildly Charismatic Church, Which Is a Calvary Chapel and When I Became Aware That the Gifts of Spirit Were Real and and Read the Book of Acts Relates of Things Going on There Sometimes Happen Now to. I Was Very Fascinated As a New Thing Is like a Child with a New Toy and I Remember Reading A Lot Of Books by People Who Were in That Movie, Especially of the Word of Faith, Type, and Initially I Was Taken in by the Word of Faith for Maybe Six Months to a Year. I Was Reading Kenneth Hagan A Lot Because I Was 16 Years Old and I've Never Heard of These Things before and and They're All Kinds of Testimonies and and the Receipt They Were Using Scripture I Was, Not Quite Mature Enough to Organize How They Were Abusing Scripture, but I Later Found That out through My Studies, but You Know II Understand When People Suddenly Realize While There Is Such a Thing As Supernatural Healing There Such a Thing Supernatural Gifts.

The Spirit Sometimes People Go Overboard with It and and Become Undiscerning and Just Want to Embrace Anything That's in That Category. I Have To Say That When I Was 16 I Did so Too.

I Was a Child When I Became a Man I Put Away Childish Things. I Hope and Now I Want to Have Just a Biblical View of Things and Not One That Goes to One Extreme or Another and I Think Bethel and Then NAR Movement Are Those Who Do Go to One Extreme, I Think Not in a Healthy Sense.

They Actually Are Open to All Kinds of Supernatural Things That I Think Strike Me As Cultic, One of Which Is What They Call Great Soaking Where They Actually Go to the Grave of Some Great Man or Woman of God in the past and Lay down on the Grave and Soak up the Spirit Out Of a Grave, That Sounds More Cultic Than Anything Else and Certainly Doesn't Having to Divide the Bible or Christian Spirituality. But That's One of the Things They Do and They Do Other Really Strange Things Are so.

He Wanted Me to Comment on It.

That Is My Comment. I Think That the NAR Movement Is a Pretty Good Example of People Who've Gone Too Far in Their Fascination with the Supernatural and and Do Not Put It in Its Proper Place and Do Not Apparently Use the Bible to Discipline Their Meal There Thinking about That Is, to My Mind a Dangerous Thing Because If You're Not Testing the Spirits and Then Fall Spirits Can Masquerade As the True Spirit.

Satan Himself Masquerades As a an Angel of Light.

Paul Said in Second Corinthians, and John Said We Are to Test the Spirits Because of Many False Prophets and Then He Says That They Are Speaking from the Spirit of Antichrist. So If You're Not Testing the Spirits, You May Think Your Seeing Something Is Being Done by the Holy Spirit and John's Is Not the Spirit of Antichrist.

That's a Demonic Spirit. So This Is Something That You Know It There's Responsibility on the Christian and What Many People Don't Take That Response or Just Saying I Want to Find a Teacher Seems Nobody's Talking I Just Do What He Does Say What He Says and so Forth.

And I Hope to God That People Don't Do That with This Radio Program, but There Are People Who Do That with Their Teachers. This Program Is Here to Teach You to Think for Yourself in a Godly Way to Biblical Way and If You Do That, I Think You Will Be Protected More Or Less a Much Larger Degree Than Others against the Deceptions That out There. There's All Kinds of Deceptions in the Modern Church. I Only Have A.M. about a Minute before Have To Take a Break at the Bottom of the Hour. We Have Some of Our Stations Leave the Network at the Half-Hour Point.

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Please stay tuned in about 30 seconds, we will write back to continue the program for the second small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to life, and welcome you to the near and have nothing to tell you today that today's radio show was over, we invite you to visit the narrow path.com you will find out the audio teachings blog article verse by verse teachings and the archives of the radio shows Denny's learn and enjoy the thank you for supporting the listener supported narrow path with Steve Greg and to the narrow path radio broadcast is our second half hour. The program those of you… Stations that pick up the program at this point and don't carry the first half-hour.

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If you visit the narrow.com. Our next caller is Carol from Lincoln, California Carol, welcome to the narrow Effexor calling think it curled in the Bible study this week. It was considered an impossible Internet opened up the whole thing to their debacle and in he entered 13 popular mechanically.

Paul can claim there are actually quite a few apostles there is at least I think at least 17 people in the New Testament were called apostles Paul certainly is an apostle, and Matthias was also called an apostle, there were 12 obviously which were the first apostles and Judas hanged himself and in acts chapter 1 at Peter suggestion the church appointed another person to replace Judas to fill in the gap of the 12, and that man was Matthias.

And as we read the story about that.

Luke tells us that from that time on Matthias was numbered with the 11 apostles, which means you know he was is the 12th. He was numbered with the other 11 so the 12 apostles the original apostles were the original 11 minus Judas and then Matthias was added then got added other apostles later on Saul was converted became the apostle Paul. Barnabas was also an apostle Paul's companions Silas and Timothy are called apostles in first Thessalonians and and there are some other people who might be called apostles, depending on how you interpret this video insert versus the I think what would understand is that the 12 had a special function and that function as we read in Galatians chapter 2 was to reach out to the circumcision first. That is, to the Jews and Paul and his companions were selected to go out to the Gentiles. This is an agreement that was made or recognized in Galatians 2 when Paul met with Peter James and John and I this is after Paul's ministry for some time, Peter, Paul, Paul and Barnabas met with Peter James and John, and this agreement was was made that Peter, James and John and their group would go to the circumcision and Paul and his group go to the un-circumcision of the Gentiles. So Paul certainly was an apostle is much as Peter was, but to a different to a different mission field, and so Matthias was with 11 working at the church in Jerusalem and eventually going out to the places that the church in Jerusalem. Of course eventually scattered because of the destruction of Jerusalem, and even before they scattered some of the apostles. There branched out. Thomas went to India, for example, and the others different traditions that were these apostles went when they finally left Jerusalem, but initially those 12 were appointed to establish the church, which was originally in Jerusalem, and to get on its feet and then eventually they were tall the world to put Paul was the first apostles to selected specifically to go to the Gentile world and he had companions, Silas, and Barnabas Timothy himself, who also were called apostles.

So some people say well you know they shouldn't of chose Matthias because God intended.

Paul to be in that position and you know they say the choice of Matthias took place before Pentecost of effort was led by the Holy Spirit and it was a mistake but Luke doesn't mention it been a mistake. Luke simply mentions Matthias became part of the 12 apostles and then ever.

After that in the next several chapters it mentions the apostles gave witness the apostles work signs and wonders.

The apostles did that.

That includes Matthias to me for the apostles so people have mistakenly said well we know that God didn't choose Matthias because he had Paul in mind and we can see by the fact that Matthias is never mentioned again after his election as an apostle in chapter 1 of acts was not true.

The apostles are mentioned many times after that. Most of them are not mentioned by name. In fact, nine of the 12 apostles are not mentioned by name. After acts chapter 1, but they are mentioned as a group, and Matthias was part of the group that cleared my letter, typically, clearly, and that will be on the 12 ground cuticle in the plaintiff gave that in Matthew 19 Jesus said you 12 hooping with me from the beginning will sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel is that this will happen in the regeneration century. He didn't say in the resurrection we might expectancy in the resurrection, because that's term Jesus you sometimes but he said to the subs in the regeneration you 12 will sit on conference another word regeneration is used in Titus to speak of what what we have since Pentecost we been regenerative been born again.

And Jesus might be talking about in the age of the spirit.

When we are regenerated when when Christians are regenerated the apostles. Those 12 and have a specific ministry of authority in the Jewish mission that is so you'll judge the 12 tribes of Israel in all we could see them literally sitting in front of her. He wanted to, but I'm not sure if he means it that way. Maybe he does.

I could see it as being more or less figurative that they are given authority as apostles over the church in Jerusalem over 12 tribes of Israel to the to the Jewish church, whereas, as we said Paul was not. Paul had authority of the Gentile churches, but if we are going to suggest that the apostles are the 12 apostles are going to sit some day on 12 literal thrones and judged the 12 tribes of Israel that it is a good question. You know who will be the 12 and I think we have say if if that's literally it happened a happy Matthias because Judas is not to be there early and literally. Well, that depends on on your instincts about that.

Some people have a real real hard time taking anything on literally the other people find a little easier. I think the Jesus did speak not literally on many occasions and so I'm unable to see it that way already that help a lot out laconically okay Carol, she thinks you, our next color is Jeffrey from San Francisco hi Jeffrey could hear from you again. I cannot keep three question to make it really quick as possible of you agree with me when I say to you that the greatest revival in church history is yet to take place. Why would like to think so. I don't know of anything that would make it possible for me to predict that, but I think it could be like II hope for it and I pray for the author concludes that it is simply because when I talk you report like Christ. What you waiting for the return, I'd say that there has to be one last great revival across the world before Christ returns. A commission must be complete.

You know that and 40 window has to be close you think about it for 2000 years. The light had the adoptable good spread everywhere mean you know now in high technology that we have right now we need we need your other two questions for my lines were full and I only have a half-hour to other questions will quickly numerology you know you don't believe numerology that I would fill you numerology the word of God.

For example, know we can't live without numbers numbers are not man-made are given to it by God that would take some time to think about it.

You check your bag valid number how old you are vulnerable you weigh yourself number that's not but that doesn't really support any kind numerology that just we know that our numbers yes there have always been anything that has to do with members of the part of numerology. Nobody. Nobody denies numerology, but you're talking about some kind of a mystical meaning of numbers are you not also include, but it's really not the world and got mystical okay so what is your question what is your question about the majority of the Jewish people accepted Christ at the public with Diane his first coming that would undoubtedly change the court, the biblical history would be involved in that numbers like the number date numbers the truth of the Trinity had the number 777 but we don't know I'm asking what your question is not asking for sermon only question might might might or might question the need for dooming that give you any indication that numerology is biblical mean know nothing nothing nothing you just said tells management numerology is that if all the Jews had accepted Jesus history would have changed dooming the full number of Jews and it makes numerology… The majority of the Jewish people at the time the vast majority had accepted Christ because they're going to do that did accept Christ the court the 12: there was a small number, but it wouldn't change the course of the history had the majority the Jewish people at that, the Christ of Matthias Rieke to do that doesn't numerology that has the majority's will that part of numerology number okay okay within then what you're calling numerology what you're calling. Numerology is merely mathematics again.

Everybody believes in mathematics. I thought your talk about something that is usually called numerology, which is where the Jews and other people have placed some kind of spiritual or mystical significance on certain numbers but that's that's not the same things.

Mathematics mathematics and netiquette in the mythical thing okay so okay so I didn't hear a question yet.

Unless you just asked me to confirm what you're saying. Well, I mean, you know, when Christ returns. You know one thing. First ministry. You know is ministry left with three to half year.

Did that mean everything is numbered in the Bible. If you think about it okay okay okay fine, okay, so there's lot numbers okay okay let's agreement your third question when others letter #requested that the last time I'll say something about that for quite in his humanity concerning marriage I would know marriage, electronic talking multiple things a little dirty about that, the note, the brilliant and it certainly wasn't intended to that be that way but I would hope you would agree. When people have even worked in a God ordained marriage. The part of the innocent. Okay, it is of the utmost importance that Christ preserves the innocent, would you not agree well were calling innocents. The word innocence can mean naïveté, and I think that's how you're using it. But if you're using it to see.

Innocence can also mean not guilty of anything if that's the way you mean.

I don't think that Christ if he had gotten married and had had a sexual relation to the wife.

I don't think he would've lost his. I don't think you're doing guilty of anything suits to be innocent in the in the moral sense the work that you send me talk about a certain naïveté, which people have when there remain virginal and I agree. I believe that I believe that sex the expense of sex does cause a person to cross a threshold and experience that other people haven't had it's not a necessary threshold to cross necessary but it is there but I don't know the crossing that threshold makes anyone more corrupt than they were before.

And that's I think what would make it something if it was inappropriate for Christ. It would be because it would be corrupt. Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts. We got lots of people waiting.

So you have to move along here is Dr. Timothy from Ontario, California Timothy, welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling my call. My question is in the Old Testament God wanted at the Fiat so the nation Israel and that it happened but it did happen, but then they rejected what was the idea of them being a nation where they need to draw other people and dig shown that understand that whole concept purpose of visit was to be holy, set apart nation that would live in a way that God wants people to live God did not really expect the pagan nations to all live the way he wanted to he would've loved it if they did that toxic people have free choice, and God knew that most nations were not interested in worshiping him most human beings are not, it should worship him.

But God wanted to have a people I nation separate from the other nations were his ways could be practiced could be revealed, and through whom he could bring the Messiah in the world who would reach out to all the nations now Israel. In some respects were supposed to be a light to the nations. We don't really read God giving instructions to the Jews to go out to the nations and and disciple them into the Jewish faith ever. But we know that Abraham's seed. The promises made it through Abram see all the nations would be blessed. It's hard to know exactly how the Jews understood that we that we understand it, according to the New Testament to be a reference to Christ as Abram see from all the nations be blessed, but that he came to this earth through a nation that God had established, I suppose. I suppose the reason for making them a nation instead of just a race of scattered people was that they would have therefore some kind of a society that could where they can enforce the culture and values and the laws that God gave them more as if they were just strangers and pilgrims throughout all the world as individuals they could try to live by God's law, but there wouldn't be any way to have a society that followed those ways.

Not until such time as Christ came to give his spirit to people who are converted now. No international with the church doesn't have a political nation.

The church is a spiritual entity, but exquisite spiritual Jewish people were not spiritual and carnal and like any other carnal people. The way to keep them in line would be to have laws and have pure pressure and general social norms and things like that and and having a national entity to enforce those norms with law is pretty much. I guess the best way to make that happen. It wasn't the ultimate because God doesn't ultimately want his people to be a political nation. He's, it's a spiritual nation that we now are converted into its international and interracial, but what was going on in the Old Testament. Of course, was something that God was doing as a type and shadow of spiritual things. Israel was a carnal material community and they are a type and shadow. I believe of Christ and of his coming kingdom and have his people, which is us, but we are.

We aren't politically defined. We are spiritually defined by being born of the spirit and the spiritual community.

They didn't have that going on so I guess political is the best way to bind them together. That's why he made a political nation out of them and gave them instructions to live differently than the pagan nations in a way that he would revealed and that pleases him great at what I really appreciate it though. Aaron J. Transient physical circumcision, spiritual circumcision, there is a is a physical nation Israel and their spiritual nation Israel.

Many other scriptures that are like that be like the last second and the spiritual aspect and tell him one last thing I so appreciate your lectures and teachings that I have your app on my phone site looking to every day four hours a day and not listen to your lectures on the kingdom of God three times and are just so good Steve, I thank you so much for those teachings do not next month. My wife and I will be 30 years we have been Christians had the stuff that I'm learning from you is so new and different from everything that Todd and Clark. It's all there. It's all right there in the same even reading all those years and you know what that when you see it through other people's eyes that are teaching you as opposed to someone who's teaching what it's actually saying it.

It's absolutely dumbfounded. One of the product. That's one of the problems with denominations, I guess, is that they have their own viewpoint and they promote only their own viewpoint and so people who were converted and raised in those denominations are typically not good to hear much of another viewpoint and I guess that's fine if the first thing they hear is perfectly correct but who who can claim that any denominations. These are all perfectly correct. I think it's a lifelong learning experience with that you sometimes have to get out from under the under the wing of your denomination here.

You know what other Christians of thought throughout history over the same now in way them and compare them. Test all things for years I listened to the stuff just never make sense. And then when I started uniting DRG at work all a few years back. I just appreciate your teachings in your lectures stop on the kingdom of God that I really appreciate thank you very much the same calculator to call Robert from Austin Texas. Welcome to the neuropathic sculling bag for taking my call. I did have a quick question I want to know how do you know when your conversion is true because it seems like I did have this lingering thin all the time and I just want to I will do everything I can do this either cries and an international struggle so much and you know and I you know read the book in the outside of film upbringing with a lot of things is really is a reasonably simple answer.

How do you know your conversion is true while he told me he told me how how you can know because you want to serve the Lord. Now, of course, you sin on virtually every Christian unforeseen every Christian sense that we wish we couldn't. That's why were Christians because we wish we couldn't there are people who have no heart for God, and they sin and they don't wish they didn't, they they're glad they do, it's what they want to do with her life.

The fact that you wish you could stop sending means that you've all, you've made a turn you've repented.

You've turned around and now you want to serve God but yourself struggles there's weakness. There's flashing here at war, and so forth and and everyone stumble sometimes. James John said.

I write these things to you so that you don't sin. But if anyone does sin he said in first John two wanted to. If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but since the world, so he writes. He says you shouldn't sin I'm writing to encourage you not to sin. I'm sure you don't want to sin.

But if you do send me an advocate with the father. So Christianity calls us away from a life of sin but it is not initially characterized by sinlessness, at least not not early on, you may grow to the point where the sins that you start with now simply aren't in your life anymore either. There were sins of my life and I was younger that aren't there anymore, but I mean that this may have no sin, probably have other sins, you know.

But the point is Christians. Unfortunately, sin. But one thing they have in common. They don't else in the same sense that they all have the same grief over sin and desire not to sin and the determination to repent when they sin so that they get up and walk in the direction of Christ. Again God knows your heart and God knows the trajectory of your life.

If the trajectory of your life is to live in sin without remorse, then you're not a believer.

If the trajectory of your life is to live a godly life, but you have failures from time to time, which you regret, and of which he repents and you put them behind you and keep living obediently. That's the evidence that you have a heart for God is putting their heart of flesh, not heart stone. Your heart is right with God that we give the reason repent is because God has written his laws in your heart and you violate the law so your you're upset because your heart enough speaks against you because God's laws there but God's laws are because you are Christian because he is written under the encouragement, and I'll keep coupon thank you thank you very much question how much she, Robert, good talking to you. All right, let's talk to David from Auburn, Washington David, welcome to the neuropathic for calling Steve just I want to get your ministry got lucky brother and I gave the question that the big at the beginning of the show. You made an announcement that you have Matthew a note out to be recorded and maybe click on your Facebook for anybody who can make that meeting to be held view that I'm not I'm not gonna record tomorrow because it's in a restaurant. There's background noise sometimes is music plans figures, but I do.

I certainly have recorded it before. If you go to our website.

The narrow path.com and you look under the verse by verse teachings you'll find there are the top first verse by verse two, Matthew confided there. I often question really quick. When the document introduced in 481 of the doctrine harmful in any way and that they contradict God's character in him being love Laura you know I you now can I know people at Anoka right Dr. Nina and Joe got character to be left out of my after off-line. Okay appreciate your call. Is there any danger in the Calvinist doctrine. There could be, but I don't think it always materializes. I think I think there are Calvinists who live his godly life is anyone who is not a Calvinist and inducible great Puritan of the Puritan rise role Calvinist from a spark and you know there's been lots of great Calvinist people there. Calvinism apparently didn't endanger their souls because it didn't prevent them from living for God but but people react differently to their doctrines and some people adopt Calvinist doctrines and don't live for God and then it if they're not looking for God, for any of the following reasons a I'm elect and therefore I can't lose my salvation or be. I am not elect. So why bother trying to live for God because a person is not a lie can get saved anywhere.

Michael just eat drink and be merry. Calvinism has led to both of those abuses. At times it doesn't have to. But it has.

I have known people who argued exactly that way. In that case, the Calvinism has been very dangerous, and it has hurt them. In fact, now do you is Calvinism visit doesn't misrepresent the character of God. I think it does. It basically says that God doesn't love everybody that he's created.

He has elected to save some. Although he could save all if he will wished he doesn't wish to. He wants some to be saved and he wants him to be damned, and that this is clearly what Calvin taught it for every consistent Calvinist teachers.

Sometimes people call themselves coppers don't even know what Calvinism teaches and so there's a way I don't believe that you mischaracterize it. No I didn't.

I might've missed her because what you believe that you're not a Calvinist. If you don't believe I'm talking about Calvinism retirement. Calvin taught what Calvinist teach for Presbyterianism to tort reform. Teaching teachers if you don't believe that you're not a Calvinist because that is what Calvin does teach that God sovereignly saved everyone that he wanted to save and did not save the rest because he didn't want to because if he wanted to he would've done it because there's nothing that hinders him from saving man's free will is not a factor in Calvinism God's will is sovereign and he overrides all free choice of man if he is chosen you to be saved to be saved, if he is not chosen to be safe you can't be say that's Calvinism and anyone who's a Calvinist or says there Calvinists. I don't believe that within you better study Calvinism little more before you call yourself a Calvinist patient you're not a Calvinist, definitively, so that would be it does not miss represent the character God. I think it does. I think I want everyone to be saved, and I think the only reason some people are. It's that people don't want to be saved. In some cases, not on God's terms even listening to the narrow radio broadcast, my name is Steve Greg run Monday through Friday at the same time with an open phone line to the call with your questions about the Bible and the Christian faith or talk about areas of disagreement. We are listener supported ministry. That means we we pay the bills, which is really paid for airtime only on the basis of income becomes voluntarily from listeners you'd like to help us down there. You can write to the narrow PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593 also donate from the website where everything is free@thenarrow.com thanks for joining us. Let's talk again tomorrow