1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Good morning, faithful listener, is This is Jen 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: with the Bible Explained Podcast. Today. We're in the Book 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: of Hebrews and we're specifically in Hebrews chapter three, finishing 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: out this chapter. We've been in this chapter for a 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: few days now, for about a week, and one of 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: the things that I alluded to last week was Hebrews 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: potentially teaching that you can lose your salvation. So I'm 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: going to get more into why I don't believe that 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: Hebrews teaches that in today's episode. And if so, if 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: Hebrews is not teaching that you can lose your salvation, 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: what is Hebrew's teaching here. We'll get into it in 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: a second, but before we do, here's a quick word 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: from a sponsor. Speaking of sponsored ads. You guys might 14 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: not know that on Fridays, I do a completely ad 15 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: free podcast episode and it's just like my normal episodes, 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: except we are going through through the Book of the Psalms. 17 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: And also I have my old music instead of the 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: new music that you guys have gotten used to recently, 19 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: which I don't know if that's any appeal to you 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: guys or not. I did have a few people complain 21 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: about the new music. They just did not like it. 22 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: Whatever floats your guys's boat. I personally like the new music, 23 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: but I digress. The Friday Podcast episodes are available to 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: those who become members over on my coffee page. So 25 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: if you'd like to gain access to the ad free 26 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,639 Speaker 1: Friday Podcast episodes, then go over to my kofe. You'll 27 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: find that linked in the description of this episode and 28 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,639 Speaker 1: upgrade from being a faithful listener to a faithful member. 29 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: All right, let's go ahead and read Hebrews three twelve 30 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: through nineteen. I'm very much looking forward to talking about 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: this episode because I think a lot of people really 32 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: misunderstand what's being said here, myself included. Actually, I have 33 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: a note taking Bible that I've had since twenty eighteen. 34 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: It's my favorite Bible on the planet, and I use 35 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: it all the time, and I have many notes in it. 36 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: And if you go back and read my old notes 37 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: from Hebrews that I was writing down way back in 38 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, whatever it was, you'll see that 39 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: I used to believe Hebrew's taught that you can lose 40 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: your salvation because it's kind of what it sounds like. 41 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: So let's get into this belief today and read Hebrews 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 1: three twelve through nineteen together as usual, faithful listeners, I'll 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: be reading from the web. Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there 44 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: might be any one of you an evil heart of 45 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: unbelief in falling away from the Living God. But exhort 46 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: one another day by day, so long as it is 47 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: called today, lest any one of you be hardened by 48 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ. 49 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: If we hold the beginning of our confidence firm to 50 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: the end. While it is said today, if you will 51 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion. 52 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: For who, when they heard rebelled? Wasn't it all of 53 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: those who came out of Egypt led by Moses, with 54 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: whom was he displeased for forty years? Wasn't it those 55 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness, to whom 56 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: did he swear that they wouldn't enter into his rest? 57 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: But to those who were disobedient, we see that they 58 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: weren't able to enter in because of unbelief. If you 59 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: did not get a chance to listen to the first 60 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: portions of Hebrews three. I do recommend listening to those 61 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: before you delve into today's episode only because it'll give 62 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: you a little bit more context as to what we 63 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: are talking about today. But last Thursday we discussed Hebrews 64 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: three seven through thirteen and how it talks about the 65 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit actually getting angry at the people in the 66 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: wilderness to the point where he said, they are not 67 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: going to enter into my rest now. At that time, 68 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: the rest was talking about the Promised Land, and if 69 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: you go back and read the account of the Israelites 70 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: in the World Wilderness, the first generation did not enter 71 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: into the Promised Land because of their deep unbelief in God, 72 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: even though they were seeing his miracles take place for 73 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: forty years, they just refused to believe. They didn't really 74 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: want any part of God. They wanted things to go 75 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: exactly the way that they wanted, and not to truly 76 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: follow what God wanted for them, even though that was 77 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: the better plan in the long run. And we can 78 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: see that now, but the people at the time they 79 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: couldn't see it. They could only see the problems that 80 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: were laying right before them, rather than seeing the full 81 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 1: picture like God could. And now we can because the 82 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: scriptures documented everything that took place in the wilderness and beyond, 83 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: but the people, because of their unbelief, did not enter 84 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: into the Holy Spirit's rest. And so now the author 85 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: of Hebrews is taking that story and applying it to 86 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: the church today. He says in verse twelve, beware, brothers, 87 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: less perhaps there might be in any one of you 88 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: an evil heart of unbelief falling away from the Living God. 89 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: So first and foremost he mentions the word brothers here, 90 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: so that means that the author is talking to the church, 91 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: the people who live the Christian life. And he continues, 92 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: lest perhaps there might be in any one of you 93 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the 94 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: Living God. But exhort one another day by day, so 95 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: long as it is called today, lest any one of 96 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Now we 97 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: talked about these two verses on Thursday as well, But 98 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: essentially what the author is saying is that you need 99 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: to change your heart today, as long as it is 100 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: called today, because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. 101 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: You do not know what the next second is going 102 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: to hold, let alone tomorrow. So right now at this 103 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: very minute, change your heart from a heart of unbelief 104 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: to a heart of belief. It's an urgent call to 105 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: every single person that says that they are a Christian. 106 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: And then he continues in verse fourteen, for we have 107 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of 108 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: our confidence firm to the end. While it is said today, 109 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts 110 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: as in the rebellion. So that is where a lot 111 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: of people are like, oh, you can definitely lose your salvation, 112 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: because he's clearly talking to Christians here. He's clearly saying 113 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: that the only way you can truly become saved is 114 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: if you hold your confidence of Jesus to the very end. 115 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: So if your confidence shakes at any point in time 116 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: on who Jesus is, that means that you lose your salvation. 117 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: But I'm going to argue that the author of Hebrews 118 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: here was not writing all this down to scare true 119 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: believers or to make them doubt their faith or question 120 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: their status as a child of God. I don't believe 121 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: that at all, because there's too many verses in scripture 122 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: that say, once we become a Christian, we are always 123 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: a Christian. For example, here's what Jesus himself says in 124 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: John chapter ten, verses twenty three through thirty. It was 125 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon's porch. 126 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, 127 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: how long will you hold us in suspense? If you 128 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: are the Christ? Tell us plainly, Jesus answered them, I 129 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: told you, and you don't believe the works that I 130 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: do in my father's name. These testify about me, But 131 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: you don't believe because you are not of my sheep. 132 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: As I told you, my sheep hear my voice, and 133 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal 134 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: life to them. They will never perish, and no one 135 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: will snatch them out of my hand. My father, who 136 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: has given them to me, is greater than all. No 137 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. 138 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: I and the Father are one. And then immediately after this, 139 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: if he keep reading, it says the Jews tried to 140 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: stone him. So anybody that says that Jesus did not 141 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: claim himself to be God have never read the Gospels. 142 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: I mean that was very clearly Jesus saying I am God. 143 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: Anybody that says that I and the Father are one, 144 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: you would know without a shadow of a doubt that 145 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: person is saying I am God. So yes, Jesus did 146 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: in fact call himself God. Okay, But going back to 147 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: the original point, Jesus told the Jews that he was 148 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: the good Shepherd and that those who believed in him 149 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: were his sheep. And these sheep knew his voice, and 150 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: Jesus knew the sheep. And he also says, right here, 151 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: I give eternal life to these sheep. They will never perish, 152 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 153 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: My father, who has given them to me, is greater 154 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: than all. No one is able to snatch them out 155 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: of my father's hand. I and the Father are one. 156 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: So these people who believe in Jesus, he says, they 157 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: have eternal life and no one is able to snatch 158 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: them out of my hand. That right there proves, and 159 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: I mean this is Jesus himself speaking. Jesus told us, 160 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: once you become saved, you cannot become unsaved. No one, 161 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: not even yourself, can snatch yourself out of God's hand. 162 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: Like you're always gonna be part of that sheep fold 163 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: when you become saved. And there's other verses that prove 164 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: this as well. For example, first Peter one three through five. 165 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: Here's what Peter says, the main disciple of Jesus, blessed 166 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, 167 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: who according to his great mercy, caused us to be 168 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: born again to a living hope through the resurrection of 169 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled 170 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 171 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: who by the power of God are guarded through faith 172 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 173 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: So that's another verse that shows that this salvation we 174 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: inherit is incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade away. 175 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: Anybody who has faith in Jesus, true faith in Jesus, 176 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: has this salvation. We become part of that sheep fold 177 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: that Jesus was talking about. And we know that the 178 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: Bible does not contradict itself, It never contradicts itself. So 179 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: then what is Hebrews three talking about here? Well, in 180 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: order to understand that a little bit better. We actually 181 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: have to move a few chapters over to Hebrews six 182 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: and read verses four through six. Here's what this says 183 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: for concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of 184 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 185 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: and tasted the good work of God and the powers 186 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: of the age to come, and then fell away, it 187 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: is impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing that 188 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: they crucify the Son of God for themselves again and 189 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: put him to open shame. And at this point you 190 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: might be like, jen, how does that prove that people 191 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 1: don't lose their salvation? Because it sounds like it's clearly 192 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,719 Speaker 1: talking about people losing their salvation there. But let's read 193 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: it again and see the verbiage that the author uses here. 194 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: He says concerning those who are once enlightened and tasted 195 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the 196 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit and tasted the good work of God and 197 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: the powers of the age to come. The author is 198 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: not using language there that denotes a true salvation. He 199 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: keeps using words like you tasted the heavenly gift, you 200 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: tasted the good work of God. Or you partook of 201 00:11:55,559 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. Those words indicate dip your toes in 202 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: the water, but not fully getting into the water. Basically, 203 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: somebody who goes to church kind of partakes of everything 204 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: you know, understands the message of the Gospel, might even 205 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: believe that Jesus exists, might believe that God exists, but 206 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: never truly come to that moment of surrender and faith 207 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: in who Jesus is, That is who this verse in 208 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: Hebrews is talking about here people who dip their toes 209 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: in but never fully get into the water. In fact, 210 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: Jesus himself talks about these exact same people in three 211 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 1: parables back to back Matthew thirteen twenty four through thirty three. 212 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: I'll start with the first parable here. In verse twenty four, 213 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: he or Jesus set another parable before them, saying, the 214 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good 215 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: seed in his field, but while people slept, his enemy 216 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: came and sowed darnal weeds among the wheat, and then 217 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: went away. But when the blade sprang up and produced grain, 218 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: then the darnal weeds appeared. Also, the servants of the 219 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: householder came and said to him sir, didn't you sow 220 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: good seed in your field? Where did these darnal weeds 221 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: come from? He said to them, an enemy has done this. 222 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: The servants asked him, do you want us to go 223 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: and gather them up? But he said no, less, perhaps 224 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: while you gather up the darnal weeds, you root up 225 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: the wheat with them. Let them both grow up together 226 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: until the harvest. And in the harvest time, I will 227 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: tell the reapers, first, go and gather up the darnal 228 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: weeds and bind them in bundles and burn them. But 229 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: gather the wheat into my barn. That is a story 230 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: of what the church is kind of like. The true 231 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: Christians symbolize the wheat the darnal weeds, which, by the way, 232 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: darnal weeds looked a lot like wheat, but they're useless 233 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: and garbage. Those weeds symbolize the people who go to 234 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: church have an out appearance of Christianity, might say all 235 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: the right things, but internally they don't actually have the 236 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: salvation because they never truly took hold of it. They're 237 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: the people that Hebrew six talks about who they just 238 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: go to church and they dip their toes in they 239 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: partake of certain things. They taste of the things of God, 240 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: but they never truly jump into the water. And what's 241 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: to say in the parable, Well, Jesus is going to 242 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: actually allow these weeds to grow up with the wheat, 243 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: he says, because if he doesn't, the wheat might actually 244 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: get uprooted with the weeds when they go and you know, 245 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: pol out all those weeds, some of the wheat will 246 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: also come up with it. And Jesus wants to make 247 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: sure that his own are not uprooted. And he might 248 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: be like, how is that a good thing? Though? You know, 249 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: because Jesus is allowing these I guess evil people into 250 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: the church. They look a lot like Christians, but they're 251 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: not truly Christians. Why is it that Jesus is allowing 252 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: these people to flourish along with the wheat. I think 253 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: the short and easy answer to that is it's better 254 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: to allow these people to be shown for who they 255 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: truly are, rather than immediately removing them from the church. 256 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: I actually have an example of this from my own 257 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: experience years ago. In one of the ministries that my 258 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: husband and I are involved in. We had some leaders 259 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: that worked side by side with us, and these people 260 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: seemed fantastic, They seemed really on fire for God. They 261 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: seemed to feed into a lot of people at our church. 262 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: But then a day came where somebody in our church 263 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: made a mistake and I use the word mistake, not sin, 264 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: because there was no malicious intent behind this mistake. But unfortunately, 265 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: this mistake suddenly started leaking out to every single church 266 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: member in our church. Not only that, there were suddenly 267 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: people from other churches that knew about this mistake. It 268 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: got spread so wide and so far it became gossip 269 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: and even slanderous at times, based upon a mistake that 270 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: really should have only been kept between two families and 271 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: not leaked to our entire church. But it got leaked, 272 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: and we found out, unfortunately who leaked it, and it 273 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: was that same couple who was serving with us in 274 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: that ministry. So my husband and the pastor actually ended 275 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: up confronting the couple over this gossip that took place 276 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: that spread this so far and so wide, And when confronted, 277 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: this couple actually left the church, and not just left 278 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: the church, but started spreading gossip about the church and 279 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: completely abandoned every person that they had previously fed into. 280 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: Like I'm talking full on ghosting these people. And the 281 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: reason I tell this story is because I believe it 282 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: connects very deeply to this parable in Matthew, and also 283 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: what Hebrews three and Hebrews six is talking about here. 284 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: And knowing more about this couple that left our church, 285 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: I believe they qualify as these weeds that Jesus is 286 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: talking about here. But you can imagine if God had 287 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: removed them before their true colors are really shown, you know, 288 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: when they were really feeding into a lot of people 289 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: at this church. If God would have removed them, how 290 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: the wheat would have also been affected by that because 291 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: they would have been like, oh my gosh, you know, 292 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: this couple was so nice to me, they were so kind, 293 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: and now they left the church, and God punished these 294 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: really good people because they can't see the heart. Only 295 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: God can see the heart. And that is why God 296 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 1: waits until the true colors are really shown before he 297 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: judges these people, because he doesn't want the wheat to 298 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: also be affected by this. But going back to Hebrews 299 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: chapter three, our passage for today, I believe the weeds 300 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: is who Hebrews three is discussed here. He says in 301 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: verse twelve, beware brothers, Lest perhaps there might be in 302 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: any one of you an evil heart of unbelief in 303 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: falling away from the Living God. But exhort one another 304 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: day by day, so long as it is called today, 305 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness 306 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if 307 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: we hold the beginning of our confidence firm to the end. 308 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: So don't just dip your toes in and then take 309 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: them back out, But hold fast to that faith you 310 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: initially partook of. While it is said verse fifteen, today, 311 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts 312 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 1: as in the rebellion verse sixteen. For who when they 313 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: heard rebelled, wasn't it all those who came out of 314 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: Egypt led by Moses. So that verse right there ties 315 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: in perfectly to Deuteronomy twenty nine eighteen through twenty one. 316 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: You know, God led his own people out of Egypt 317 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,199 Speaker 1: and into the wilderness, and it was those people, the 318 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: people God called his own, that turned their backs on 319 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: him and rebelled against him. Starting in verse eighteen, lest 320 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: there should be among you, man, woman, family, or tribe 321 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 1: whose heart turns away today from Yahweh our God, to 322 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 1: go and serve the gods of those nations, lest there 323 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: should be any among you a root that produces a 324 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: bitter poison. And it happened when he hears the words 325 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: of this curse, that he blessed himself in his heart, saying, 326 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: I still have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness 327 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: of my heart to destroy the moist with the dry. 328 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: Yahweh will not pardon him. But then Yahwe's anger and 329 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the 330 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: curse that is written in this book will fall on him, 331 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: and Yahweh will blot out his name from under the sky. 332 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 1: Yahweh will set him apart for evil, out of all 333 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of 334 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: the Covenant written in the Book of the Law. So 335 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: it is not enough to just call yourself a Christian. 336 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: The Israelites believe they were good if they just called 337 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: themselves Israelites, if they said, oh, yeah, I'm a child 338 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: of God. They believed that that was enough to get 339 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 1: them into Heaven. But it is not enough to just 340 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: be a Christian in name only, because what happens to 341 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: the Israelites who did the exact same thing here. It 342 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,239 Speaker 1: says in verse nineteen that they were blessing themselves in 343 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 1: their hearts, and they were saying, I have peace though 344 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: I walk in the stubbornness of my heart. But it 345 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: says in verse twenty that God is not going to 346 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: pardon those people. It didn't matter if they were Israelites, 347 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: if they called themselves children of God. What mattered was 348 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: their hearts. And that's the same thing for Christians today. 349 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter if you call yourself a Christian. That 350 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: means absolutely nothing. It's what your heart truly believes. Are 351 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: you going to be a weed that Jesus talks about 352 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: in that parable that springs up among all the beautiful 353 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 1: wheat and you look like a piece of wheat, you 354 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 1: act like a piece of wheat, but deep down inside 355 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: you're actually a weed because you don't believe the words 356 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: of Jesus. Don't be those people. That is what Hebrew's 357 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: chapter three is talking about here. Don't be a weed. 358 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 1: In fact, going back to Hebrews three, verse sixteen, for 359 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: who when they heard rebelled, wasn't it those who came 360 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: out of Egypt led by Moses? With whom was he 361 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: displeased for forty years. Wasn't it those who sinned whose 362 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: bodies fell in the wilderness, to whom did he swear 363 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: that they wouldn't enter into his rest? But those who 364 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: are disobedient, we see that they weren't able to enter 365 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: in because of unbelief. So this is not talking about 366 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,679 Speaker 1: the Christians. This is talking about the people who claim 367 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: Christianity but do not actually believe in Jesus. They might 368 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: be going to church, they might be saying all the 369 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: right things, they might even be doing great things in 370 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: Jesus's name, leading ministries, teaching people what the Bible says, 371 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: but deep down inside, all they're doing is tasting the 372 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: good things of Jesus, not actually jumping in. And that 373 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: is who Hebrews is warning here the people who are 374 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: the weeds. Don't be a weed. Don't be somebody that's 375 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: just going to church because you think that's the right 376 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: thing to do. Change your heart today. Don't wait, you 377 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,960 Speaker 1: don't know what's going to happen a second from now. 378 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: Change your heart while you still have time. Become part 379 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: of that sheep fold and not just a fake imitation. 380 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 1: Now on Thursday, we're going to jump into Hebrews chapter four, 381 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: and Hebrews four talks a little bit more about this topic. Actually, 382 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: So on Thursday, what I'd really like to discuss with 383 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: you guys is how you know if you're truly saved, 384 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: because there's probably a lot of people out there that 385 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 1: think kind of like the Israelites did in the wilderness, 386 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: where they're like, oh, I'm good because I do such 387 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: and such, or because I claim to be a child 388 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: of God, or because you know, I do all of 389 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: these good things. So we're gonna talk about how do 390 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: you truly know that you are a Christian? So we're 391 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: gonna delve into that topic on Thursday, and I hope 392 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: that you guys tune in to discuss it because I 393 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: think it's a really important thing for all of us 394 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: who claim to be Christians to discuss and to think about. 395 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 1: So we're gonna get into that on Thursday. But faithful listeners, 396 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: before I end today's episode, here is another word from 397 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: a sponsor. Okay, as you guys can tell, I'm very 398 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: passionate about the Book of Hebrews, but we're also really 399 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: cooking in the Old Testament as well, and tomorrow we're 400 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: gonna be discussing Hezekiah, King Hezekiah and how he goes 401 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: through this illness that almost takes his life. We're gonna 402 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:57,640 Speaker 1: see how God responds to Hezekiah's prayer and what Hezekiah 403 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: does after he prays to God. And unfortunately, Hezekia does 404 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 1: not do the right thing. Shocker, because none of the 405 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: kings in the history of Judah, it seems like, ever 406 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: do the right thing. But we're going to delve into that. 407 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 1: So there's good things happening in the Old Testament as well. 408 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: So I hope to see all of you guys tomorrow 409 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: six am or whenever you choose to wake up and listen. 410 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: So faithful listeners, I hope you all have a wonderful, 411 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,959 Speaker 1: wonderful rest of your day until tomorrow, happy listening, and 412 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: God bless. I just want to take a second to 413 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,479 Speaker 1: thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership with 414 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: me on the Bible Explain podcast. In fact, if you 415 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: go to lifeudio dot com, you'll find dozens of other 416 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got shows about prayer, 417 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 1: Bible study, parenting, and more.