WEBVTT - Hour 1: Bible Answers for Today 0:00:09.920 --> 0:00:14.400 A prominent conservative, was interviewed recently on a very popular 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:18.320 program and he said he only cared for his own 0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:21.880 nation and his own people, his own family. He just 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:26.320 doesn't care about Israel and the Jewish people. Should we, 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:29.960 as followers of Jesus, care about the Jewish people? Stay 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:34.519 with me. We'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends. 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:39.440 Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study Across America. 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:42.279 My name is Michael Rolnick. I'm the academic dean and 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:45.520 professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:51.279 I'm so grateful to be able to sit around the 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.440 radio kitchen table and join you as we're talking about 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:59.240 your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. 0:00:59.550 --> 0:01:01.350 If you have a question and you would like to 0:01:01.390 --> 0:01:09.110 call the phone number, here is (877) 548-3675. Let me give 0:01:09.110 --> 0:01:16.590 that to you again. You can write it down. (877) 548-3675. 0:01:16.870 --> 0:01:19.470 To hear Haynes is in the producer's chair today. Omar 0:01:19.470 --> 0:01:28.150 Mendoza is our tech guy. Again, the phone number (877) 548-3675. 0:01:28.430 --> 0:01:31.550 Go get yourself a cup of coffee. Open your Bible. 0:01:31.590 --> 0:01:36.110 Because we're about to study the scriptures together. Well, this 0:01:36.110 --> 0:01:38.750 prominent conservative who said he just didn't care about Israel 0:01:38.750 --> 0:01:43.910 or the Jewish people. He's mostly a political commentator. However, 0:01:45.150 --> 0:01:50.670 with that said, he also has been outspoken about his faith. 0:01:51.270 --> 0:01:54.070 And yet he he doesn't think that his faith should 0:01:54.070 --> 0:01:58.660 affect his concerns. Uh, because he said, I just don't care. 0:01:58.940 --> 0:02:01.700 I don't care about what's going on in Israel. I 0:02:01.700 --> 0:02:05.100 was thinking I could give political answers to this political commentator, 0:02:05.100 --> 0:02:07.860 but I think as a Bible believer, I need to 0:02:07.860 --> 0:02:12.060 give biblical answers to what he has to say. And 0:02:12.740 --> 0:02:14.940 of course, there are many reasons that we should care 0:02:14.940 --> 0:02:17.820 about Israel and the Jewish people. But here are five 0:02:17.820 --> 0:02:22.900 reasons we should care about Israel and the Jewish people. 0:02:23.260 --> 0:02:27.460 First of all, we should care because Israel is distinct 0:02:27.460 --> 0:02:31.980 among the nations. What he said is Israel is just 0:02:31.980 --> 0:02:36.619 another nation. It's not important. It's insignificant. It's just one 0:02:36.620 --> 0:02:39.300 of many nations. And it's a small one at that. 0:02:39.300 --> 0:02:45.260 And he just didn't care. Well, uh, this is what 0:02:45.300 --> 0:02:49.140 Ezekiel 25 eight says. This is what the Lord God says, 0:02:50.419 --> 0:02:55.579 because Moab and Seir said. Seir said, look at the 0:02:55.580 --> 0:02:58.890 house of Judah. to look. The house of Judah is 0:02:58.889 --> 0:03:03.090 like all the other nations. Therefore I will. I will 0:03:03.090 --> 0:03:06.650 indeed expose the flank of Moab, beginning with its frontiers. 0:03:07.090 --> 0:03:10.929 Here's what God is saying. He's saying Moab had the 0:03:10.930 --> 0:03:14.049 temerity to say that the nation that God chose is 0:03:14.050 --> 0:03:17.770 just like any other nation, and it's not significant. God 0:03:17.770 --> 0:03:22.330 says no, Israel is significant. It is distinctive. And then 0:03:22.330 --> 0:03:27.490 he says, because Moab said that I will execute judgments 0:03:27.490 --> 0:03:30.530 on Moab. That's what it says. And then they will 0:03:30.530 --> 0:03:33.930 know that I am the Lord. So first of all, 0:03:34.250 --> 0:03:37.090 we need to recognize that God has made a choice 0:03:37.090 --> 0:03:41.250 to take this nation and make them his nation. Not better, 0:03:41.570 --> 0:03:46.130 not stronger, not greater, but beloved by God because he 0:03:46.130 --> 0:03:51.050 chose them. So Israel is distinct among the nations, and 0:03:51.050 --> 0:03:54.570 we need to be concerned for this nation that God 0:03:54.570 --> 0:03:59.880 has made distinctive. Now, second reason that we should care 0:03:59.880 --> 0:04:03.520 about Israel and the Jewish people is because God loves 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:08.560 the Jewish people forever. Jeremiah 31 three says this the 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:12.400 Lord says, I have loved you to Israel. I have 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:16.160 loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:21.840 you with loving devotion. God loves the Jewish people. He has. 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:26.520 That's the reason he chose them. It's it's total elective love. 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:29.760 It was his choice. It was unconditional. There was no 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:33.400 merit in Israel to cause God to choose Israel. But 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:37.200 God chose Israel and he set his love upon this nation. Now, 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:41.160 some people say God used to love the Jewish people. Uh, 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:44.480 but he doesn't any longer because the Jewish people have 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:48.839 not believed in the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. Well, Paul can 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:53.960 corrects that view in Romans chapter 11. Uh, in chapter 11, 0:04:55.150 --> 0:04:58.590 He talks about God's faithfulness to his love for Israel, 0:04:58.870 --> 0:05:04.029 regardless of Israel's unbelief in Jesus. Now, Jewish people are 0:05:04.029 --> 0:05:06.790 not unbelieving about everything, but they do not, for the 0:05:06.790 --> 0:05:09.470 most part, believe in Jesus. I think I would be 0:05:09.470 --> 0:05:11.630 an exception, but there are many of us who are 0:05:11.630 --> 0:05:14.430 in the remnant that are exceptions. But for the most part, 0:05:14.470 --> 0:05:16.910 Jewish people have not yet believed in Jesus. And this 0:05:16.910 --> 0:05:20.790 is what it says in Romans 1128 regarding the gospel. 0:05:21.270 --> 0:05:24.270 They are enemies for your advantage. That means they are 0:05:24.310 --> 0:05:27.470 opposed to the gospel, not enemies of God, but enemies 0:05:27.470 --> 0:05:30.270 of the gospel. And it's to the advantage of the Gentiles, 0:05:30.270 --> 0:05:32.669 because now the gospel has spread to the whole world. 0:05:33.029 --> 0:05:36.310 But then it says, but regarding election or chosen us 0:05:36.350 --> 0:05:43.549 chosenness they are loved, present, tense, loved because of the patriarchs, 0:05:43.790 --> 0:05:49.070 since God's gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable, Romans 1128 0:05:49.110 --> 0:05:51.950 and 29 make it clear that even though most Jewish 0:05:51.950 --> 0:05:55.980 people have not believed in Jesus. God still has his 0:05:55.980 --> 0:06:00.060 chosen love for them because of the choice of the patriarchs. 0:06:00.060 --> 0:06:03.739 And so why should we care about Israel? Because Israel 0:06:03.779 --> 0:06:07.540 is distinct among the nations. Because God loves the Jewish 0:06:07.540 --> 0:06:13.620 people forever. Also, because God cares about what happens to Israel. 0:06:13.940 --> 0:06:17.659 God cares about it in Isaiah 49, 15 and 16. 0:06:17.700 --> 0:06:19.380 This is what he says. Can a woman forget her 0:06:19.380 --> 0:06:23.420 nursing child or lack compassion for the son of her womb? 0:06:24.380 --> 0:06:29.300 Even if she could forget, I will not forget you. Behold, 0:06:29.700 --> 0:06:32.300 I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. 0:06:32.300 --> 0:06:36.779 Your walls are ever before me. God says that the 0:06:36.779 --> 0:06:41.260 situation in Israel. God's concern about this people is perpetual. 0:06:41.260 --> 0:06:46.020 It never stops like a mom who will never forget 0:06:46.620 --> 0:06:49.740 her own nursing child. Now, there may be a bad 0:06:49.740 --> 0:06:51.930 mom out there that will forget, but God would not 0:06:51.930 --> 0:06:57.450 be like that. He is ever concerned for his beloved Israel. 0:06:57.450 --> 0:07:02.010 That's so important for us to remember that God cares 0:07:02.010 --> 0:07:05.330 about what is happening in Israel. It's not something that's 0:07:05.330 --> 0:07:10.730 just pass. Whatever happens, happens. God is carefully observing the 0:07:10.770 --> 0:07:15.530 walls of Jerusalem. The concerns of Israel are ever before him. 0:07:16.090 --> 0:07:20.850 So we should care because God cares. God Israel is 0:07:20.850 --> 0:07:23.850 distinct among the nations. God loves Israel and the Jewish 0:07:23.850 --> 0:07:28.050 people forever. God cares about what happens to Israel. Fourthly, 0:07:28.050 --> 0:07:31.090 because God will bless us for caring. Genesis 12 three. 0:07:31.090 --> 0:07:33.370 One of the most famous verses God says to Abraham 0:07:33.370 --> 0:07:35.810 and his descendants, I will bless those who bless you 0:07:35.810 --> 0:07:38.730 and curse those who curse you. And all the families 0:07:38.730 --> 0:07:42.530 of the earth will be blessed through you. Now again, 0:07:42.530 --> 0:07:47.250 people say that is just a an Old Testament idea, 0:07:47.250 --> 0:07:49.730 that it's not a New Testament idea. I think it's 0:07:49.730 --> 0:07:54.360 so interesting in Luke chapter seven where the centurion would 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:58.600 like to have his servant healed. And the Jewish community 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:02.360 of Capernaum come to the Lord Jesus. And in Luke 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:05.560 seven four through six they came to Jesus and pleaded 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:09.720 with him earnestly, this man is worthy to have you 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:13.480 grant this, for he loves our nation and has built 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.840 our synagogue. And then it says in the next verse, 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:23.280 So Jesus went with them. Why did the Lord respond 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:27.680 to the needs of this centurion? Well, obviously, because he 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:32.679 loves him. But especially because it was in response to 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.240 what the Jewish community there said. He loves our nation. 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:38.960 He built our synagogue. The direct result of that, the 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:42.440 Lord gets up to go bless this man by caring 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:46.360 for his servant. It's an outworking of that Abrahamic covenant 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:52.350 in Genesis. Genesis 12 three God blessed the centurion because 0:08:52.510 --> 0:08:56.110 he had blessed the Jewish people. So we should care 0:08:56.110 --> 0:08:58.589 about Israel. If we want to be blessed, we should 0:08:58.590 --> 0:09:01.510 care about the Jewish people. If we want to experience 0:09:01.510 --> 0:09:04.710 God's blessing, because God will bless those who bless the 0:09:04.710 --> 0:09:10.550 Jewish people. So why should we care? Because Israel is distinct. 0:09:10.830 --> 0:09:14.350 Because God loves the Jewish people forever. Because God cares 0:09:14.350 --> 0:09:17.790 about what happens to Israel. Because God will bless us 0:09:18.110 --> 0:09:21.750 for caring. And here's the fifth reason. Because caring for 0:09:21.750 --> 0:09:25.590 the Jewish people is a way to care for the Messiah, 0:09:25.630 --> 0:09:30.230 Jesus himself. What do I mean by this? Well, in 0:09:30.230 --> 0:09:34.790 Matthew 25, verse 31, there is a parable, the parable 0:09:34.790 --> 0:09:37.310 of the sheep and the goats. And a lot of 0:09:37.309 --> 0:09:40.950 people think this is just something that's describing our circumstances today. 0:09:40.950 --> 0:09:45.470 But it really there obviously applications for today. But here's 0:09:45.470 --> 0:09:48.580 what it says when the Son of Man comes in 0:09:48.580 --> 0:09:50.420 his glory. So it's at the return of the Lord 0:09:50.420 --> 0:09:53.580 Jesus and all the angels with him. He will sit 0:09:53.620 --> 0:09:56.620 on his glorious throne. And then it says, all the 0:09:56.620 --> 0:10:00.060 nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate 0:10:00.059 --> 0:10:03.980 the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the 0:10:03.980 --> 0:10:06.819 sheep from the goats. And he places the sheep on 0:10:06.820 --> 0:10:08.460 the right and the goats on the left. And the 0:10:08.460 --> 0:10:11.059 king says to those on the right, come, you who 0:10:11.059 --> 0:10:14.580 are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for 0:10:14.580 --> 0:10:18.100 you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry. 0:10:18.100 --> 0:10:19.980 You gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, you 0:10:19.980 --> 0:10:22.540 gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and 0:10:22.540 --> 0:10:25.980 you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. 0:10:26.179 --> 0:10:29.300 I was sick and you looked after me. I was 0:10:29.300 --> 0:10:33.339 in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous. These 0:10:33.340 --> 0:10:35.780 are people who are righteous by faith. They believed in 0:10:35.780 --> 0:10:39.020 the Lord Jesus. But the righteous will answer him. Lord, 0:10:39.020 --> 0:10:42.459 when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, 0:10:42.500 --> 0:10:44.459 or give you something to drink? They say, we don't 0:10:44.460 --> 0:10:49.730 know anything about this. When did all these things happen? Well, 0:10:50.570 --> 0:10:53.890 the answer is the king will reply. Whatever you did 0:10:53.890 --> 0:10:57.770 for the least of these brothers of mine, you did 0:10:57.809 --> 0:11:02.010 for me. What that is saying is, during the future tribulation, 0:11:02.010 --> 0:11:04.770 when there are believers in this world and the future 0:11:04.770 --> 0:11:10.690 false Messiah is persecuting and attacking Jewish people, it is 0:11:10.690 --> 0:11:13.969 the believers who will take a stand and care for 0:11:13.970 --> 0:11:17.729 the Jewish people during that time. And at that time, 0:11:17.730 --> 0:11:20.290 the Lord Jesus, when he judges the nations, he'll say 0:11:20.290 --> 0:11:24.689 to those righteous, because you are caring for my brothers, 0:11:24.690 --> 0:11:27.929 the Jewish people. It was as if you were caring 0:11:27.929 --> 0:11:31.850 for me. That's what the Lord Jesus was saying, because 0:11:31.890 --> 0:11:37.770 caring for the Jewish people is directly attributable to caring 0:11:37.770 --> 0:11:39.929 for the Lord Jesus, who is the king of the 0:11:39.929 --> 0:11:43.210 Jewish people. If we care about the King of the Jews, 0:11:43.210 --> 0:11:48.960 we should certainly care for his people. So these are 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:52.120 the reasons that we should care for the Jewish people today, 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:55.240 care for Israel today because Israel is a distinct nation, 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:59.079 because God loves the Jewish people forever, because God cares 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:01.800 about what happens to the Jewish people. Because God will 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:05.440 bless us for caring. Because caring for the Jewish people 0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:09.280 is a way of expressing our care for the Messiah, 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:14.040 Jesus himself. Uh, someone once wrote, how odd of God 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:18.360 to choose the Jews. I think that was an interesting 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.080 statement that was made. Ogden Nash replied, how odd of 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:25.480 God to choose the Jews, but not so odd as 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:29.720 those who choose the Jewish God, but spurn the Jews 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.840 by saying, I don't care what happens to Israel. This 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.840 is someone spurning the Jewish people. We should never do that. 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:41.480 We should love whom God loves, and God loves the 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:54.630 Jewish people, and God loves the nation of Israel. Well, 0:12:55.550 --> 0:13:01.790 I did want to mention something about our current resource 0:13:02.390 --> 0:13:05.070 that is something that I think you you need to 0:13:05.070 --> 0:13:09.189 be aware of. Uh, I often tell people to build 0:13:09.190 --> 0:13:11.870 a library that there's a book, there's several books that 0:13:11.870 --> 0:13:14.429 we should all have so we understand the Bible better 0:13:14.429 --> 0:13:18.230 and study it better. Um, and one of the books 0:13:18.230 --> 0:13:20.990 I think everyone should have is a Bible dictionary. And 0:13:20.990 --> 0:13:26.150 there are many really good Bible dictionaries, but they're important. 0:13:26.390 --> 0:13:29.270 It's not looking at words so much as who are 0:13:29.270 --> 0:13:31.150 certain people in the Bible where as a place that 0:13:31.150 --> 0:13:35.870 is mentioned. What is this event that is being described? 0:13:35.910 --> 0:13:38.270 You can get out a Bible dictionary and look it 0:13:38.270 --> 0:13:43.420 up and what we are offering for a gift of 0:13:43.420 --> 0:13:46.020 any size, we'd like to send you and say thanks 0:13:46.020 --> 0:13:49.740 by sending you the Ultimate Bible Dictionary. The reason I 0:13:49.740 --> 0:13:53.380 love this Bible dictionary is it is tiny. It is 0:13:53.420 --> 0:13:56.700 about the size of my hand and it's published by 0:13:56.740 --> 0:13:59.020 B and H, the same publisher that produced my favorite 0:13:59.020 --> 0:14:03.780 Bible translation, the the Holman CSB. And this ultimate Bible 0:14:03.780 --> 0:14:07.580 dictionary is so easy to carry, so easy to use. 0:14:07.580 --> 0:14:10.740 It's just a great resource. I love it that we're 0:14:10.740 --> 0:14:13.380 able to offer it for a gift of any size. 0:14:13.380 --> 0:14:16.140 If you'd like a copy, just send your gift and 0:14:16.140 --> 0:14:19.540 we would love to say thank you, uh, for that 0:14:19.540 --> 0:14:23.260 gift of any size, uh, by sending you a copy 0:14:23.260 --> 0:14:26.540 of the Ultimate Bible Dictionary. Here's the number you should 0:14:26.540 --> 0:14:28.500 call if you would like to give a gift and 0:14:28.500 --> 0:14:37.940 receive a copy of the Ultimate Bible Dictionary, call (888) 644-7122. 0:14:38.140 --> 0:14:47.450 That's 44. 7122. And uh, uh, or you can go 0:14:47.450 --> 0:14:50.170 to open line radio.org. Of course. And you can give 0:14:50.210 --> 0:14:52.250 online and that would be great. You know what I 0:14:52.250 --> 0:14:53.650 think I'm going to do? I talked a little bit 0:14:53.650 --> 0:14:56.050 too long in my opening word. So I think what 0:14:56.050 --> 0:14:57.530 we're going to do is take a little break here 0:14:57.530 --> 0:15:00.330 and then we'll just, uh, hit the ground running when 0:15:00.330 --> 0:15:03.050 we come back after this break and take your calls 0:15:03.050 --> 0:15:06.650 and your questions. Uh, my name is Michael Melnick. The 0:15:06.650 --> 0:15:08.890 program is called Open Line. We're going to be right back. 0:15:08.890 --> 0:15:11.930 So stay right there with your questions coming up right 0:15:11.930 --> 0:15:34.690 here on Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. So 0:15:34.690 --> 0:15:37.330 glad to be with you. We're going to go right 0:15:37.330 --> 0:15:39.410 to the phones. My name is Michael Ray Dolnick. This 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:43.000 program is open line. And we're going to take your 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:47.560 questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. Here's 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:53.600 Tony in Ketchikan, Alaska, listening on K120, I guess is 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.200 what it's called. Welcome to Open Line, Tony. How can 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:56.960 I help you? 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.360 Yes. Good morning doctor. I need the help, please. John 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:04.560 one two, verse 15, where it says, do not love 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.600 the world. Okay. I have been wondering with this question 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:09.600 for a long time. When I drive, I do like 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:13.479 travel and driving and I see this beautiful God's creation 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:17.920 the rolling hills, mountains, flowers, whatever, and the Grand Canyon, 0:16:17.920 --> 0:16:20.560 which I have been there hundreds of times. And every 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:22.760 time I go, it's like a wonder to my brain. 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:27.000 Now my question. Would you please. Is he wrong to 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:31.280 love and to admire this God's creation of us? 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.120 You're asking about first John 215 where it says, do 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:39.310 not love the world or the things that belong to 0:16:39.350 --> 0:16:42.350 the world. Yes, if anyone loves the world, the love 0:16:42.350 --> 0:16:45.150 of the father is not in him. Well, it's not 0:16:45.150 --> 0:16:48.910 talking about the beauty of creation there. When it's talking 0:16:48.910 --> 0:16:52.430 about the world, it's talking about the cosmos. The organized 0:16:52.430 --> 0:16:57.750 system that is, uh, led by Satan and opposed to God. 0:16:58.270 --> 0:17:02.230 That's that's what it's talking about. The world system, the culture, 0:17:02.630 --> 0:17:07.990 the the world culture. It's organized. Cosmos means organized. And 0:17:08.230 --> 0:17:12.430 it's led by Satan, the prince of, uh, the god 0:17:12.430 --> 0:17:17.590 of this world. And it's organized in direct opposition to God. 0:17:18.230 --> 0:17:21.830 So that's what it's talking about when you think about 0:17:21.830 --> 0:17:27.030 three battlegrounds, uh, of a believer in Ephesians chapter two. 0:17:28.990 --> 0:17:34.030 Here's what it says. Uh. That was my very quick 0:17:34.030 --> 0:17:37.580 definition of what the Bible means by the world. they're in. 0:17:37.619 --> 0:17:43.980 First John two. Uh, it's it's the world system organized, uh, 0:17:44.660 --> 0:17:49.020 by Satan in opposition to God. Here's what it says. 0:17:49.020 --> 0:17:51.220 But before we knew the Lord, you were dead in 0:17:51.220 --> 0:17:55.139 your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according 0:17:55.180 --> 0:18:00.179 to the ways of this world. That's what it's talking about. 0:18:00.180 --> 0:18:06.340 That satanic organized system organized in opposition to God, according 0:18:06.380 --> 0:18:09.540 to the ruler who exercise authority over the lower heavens. 0:18:09.780 --> 0:18:12.659 That's the devil. So the world, the devil. Those are 0:18:12.660 --> 0:18:16.580 the first two. The spirit now working in the disobedient. 0:18:16.940 --> 0:18:21.180 We too, all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires. 0:18:21.180 --> 0:18:24.060 Those are the three enemies of the believer the world, 0:18:24.060 --> 0:18:28.899 the flesh, the devil. And those are all designed to 0:18:28.940 --> 0:18:32.140 try and oppose God. That's what we were like, uh, 0:18:32.140 --> 0:18:34.979 before we knew the Lord. We were living under those. 0:18:34.980 --> 0:18:38.490 Now they're still our enemies. They're still what we battle. 0:18:38.530 --> 0:18:40.609 But what first John two is saying, we need to 0:18:40.650 --> 0:18:46.530 oppose in our hearts and our actions this system organized 0:18:47.170 --> 0:18:51.490 by Satan in opposition to God. That's what it's talking about. 0:18:51.490 --> 0:18:53.650 It's not talking about the Grand Canyon. It's not talking 0:18:53.650 --> 0:18:58.490 about the Rocky Mountains or the the beautiful scenery and 0:18:58.490 --> 0:19:02.450 and glory of creation in Alaska. Okay, Tony. 0:19:02.890 --> 0:19:04.610 Thank you so very much. Thank you. 0:19:04.609 --> 0:19:08.369 Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your call. Appreciate it. Uh, 0:19:08.369 --> 0:19:12.770 we're going to talk to Kathy in Brookfield, Illinois, listening on. 0:19:14.410 --> 0:19:17.570 Welcome to Open Line. Kathy, how can I help you today? 0:19:18.050 --> 0:19:21.170 Okay. I'm reading. Thank you. I'm glad to talk to you. 0:19:21.450 --> 0:19:28.730 I'm reading Matthew 16, 18 and 19 where, um, where 0:19:28.730 --> 0:19:33.169 Peter when Christ is talking to Peter and saying, on 0:19:33.210 --> 0:19:35.800 this rock I will build my church in the gates 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:39.920 of Hades will not overcome it. But Jesus is the 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:41.920 rock Saint Peter, right? 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.680 Well, this is talking to Peter. Jesus is the rock. 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:49.760 Do you remember the song? Uh, I always think of 0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:51.879 this when. When I first came to Faith, Larry Norman 0:19:51.880 --> 0:19:55.119 was doing all this rock and roll music. First Christian rock. 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:57.560 And he sang Jesus is the Rock. And he rolled 0:19:57.560 --> 0:20:00.880 my blues away. Remember that? Anyway. So yes, Jesus is 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:04.959 the rock. However, he is not a rock. He is 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:08.480 not made of granite. He is. He's a. The Lord 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:12.280 Jesus is the God man in his humanity. He is 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:16.440 flesh and blood. He is not rock. What? That is 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:21.040 when the Bible calls the Lord the rock. That is 0:20:22.760 --> 0:20:30.080 a metaphor for his firm. Uh, his firmness, his strength. Uh, 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:37.430 it is also, Uh, in Ephesians 220. He is the cornerstone. 0:20:37.550 --> 0:20:42.949 He's not really a cornerstone. That, too, is a metaphor. Um, 0:20:43.670 --> 0:20:48.870 and then if you, uh, if you look at other places, 0:20:48.869 --> 0:20:54.869 the Lord Jesus is called. Many other metaphors. Okay. Uh, 0:20:54.910 --> 0:20:59.190 we can just go on and on. And the reason 0:20:59.190 --> 0:21:02.310 I point this out is that at times, a metaphor 0:21:02.350 --> 0:21:05.830 can be used not only of the Lord Jesus, but 0:21:05.830 --> 0:21:08.870 of someone else. And in this context, in Matthew 16, 0:21:08.910 --> 0:21:13.150 I know a lot of people who are Protestants don't 0:21:13.150 --> 0:21:17.470 like this because they think, uh, well, because other traditions 0:21:17.470 --> 0:21:21.510 have used this to make Peter the first pope. But 0:21:21.510 --> 0:21:25.630 Peter wasn't the first pope. But after Peter's great confession, 0:21:25.630 --> 0:21:27.590 he where he says, you are the Messiah, the son 0:21:27.590 --> 0:21:32.699 of the living God. He says, uh, Peter, you're blessed 0:21:32.700 --> 0:21:36.580 because my father in heaven revealed this to you. Uh. 0:21:37.020 --> 0:21:42.740 And you are Peter, which is a name that means stone. 0:21:44.420 --> 0:21:48.500 And on this rock. Now, it's not just Peter's confession, 0:21:48.500 --> 0:21:52.100 it's Peter himself. I will build my church. And the 0:21:52.100 --> 0:21:57.340 question then is, how is it that Peter was the rock? Uh, 0:21:58.900 --> 0:22:01.379 I believe that the answer to that is found in 0:22:01.380 --> 0:22:04.179 verse 19. I will give you the keys of the 0:22:04.180 --> 0:22:06.260 kingdom of heaven. Now, people have taken that to mean 0:22:06.260 --> 0:22:08.220 that Peter is the one that we meet in heaven. 0:22:08.460 --> 0:22:10.940 Remember when we see Saint Peter because he's God. 0:22:11.020 --> 0:22:12.220 He was the gatekeeper. 0:22:12.660 --> 0:22:14.740 Well, yeah, but I don't think that's what that means. 0:22:15.060 --> 0:22:17.740 If you look at the book of acts, the very 0:22:17.740 --> 0:22:22.780 first person to preach to Jewish people was Peter. He 0:22:22.780 --> 0:22:26.659 opened he unlocked the gate and proclaimed the gospel to 0:22:26.700 --> 0:22:30.690 Jewish people at Pentecost. And then in chapter eight, Even 0:22:30.730 --> 0:22:35.570 though Philip had preached to the Samaritans, it was Peter 0:22:35.570 --> 0:22:39.210 that had to go lay hands on the Samaritans so 0:22:39.250 --> 0:22:41.850 that the Holy Spirit could fall on them. And he 0:22:41.850 --> 0:22:44.570 opened the door of the spirit and the church being 0:22:44.570 --> 0:22:49.770 built in Samaria. And then in acts ten, he is 0:22:49.770 --> 0:22:54.689 the one that the Lord sends to Cornelius, the first Gentile, 0:22:54.810 --> 0:22:58.290 to become a believer and be to in, in the, 0:22:58.330 --> 0:23:02.290 in the ecclesia in the church. And Peter is the 0:23:02.290 --> 0:23:05.650 one that preaches to him, so he unlocks it for Jews, 0:23:05.770 --> 0:23:10.850 Samaritans and then Gentiles. That's the way he is, a 0:23:11.050 --> 0:23:14.330 sort of foundational and opening the door of the gospel 0:23:14.570 --> 0:23:18.850 and the building of the body of the Messiah through, uh, 0:23:18.850 --> 0:23:22.810 through Peter. That's what what happened there? Does that help? 0:23:22.850 --> 0:23:23.369 Yeah. Well. 0:23:24.050 --> 0:23:28.609 It does help. I just, um, I was Catholic when 0:23:28.609 --> 0:23:33.080 I was a kid, and I remember some priests talking 0:23:33.080 --> 0:23:37.640 explaining this a long time ago. I thought, Jesus is 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:38.119 the Rock. 0:23:38.760 --> 0:23:40.680 But he is the rock. Don't get me wrong, he 0:23:40.680 --> 0:23:41.240 is the rock. 0:23:41.240 --> 0:23:43.000 I believe he's the rock. 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:45.720 Yeah he is. I think he is too. But that 0:23:45.720 --> 0:23:48.879 doesn't mean the metaphor. Yeah, yeah, but that doesn't. 0:23:48.880 --> 0:23:51.639 Mean that the metaphor of rock can't be used of 0:23:51.640 --> 0:23:52.480 someone else. 0:23:52.960 --> 0:23:53.680 Just as there. 0:23:53.680 --> 0:23:55.200 Are many metaphors, that's what. 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:55.720 It is. 0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:58.920 Can you explain really quickly about the the keys to 0:23:58.960 --> 0:24:02.159 the kingdom? It looks like he was giving Peter the 0:24:02.200 --> 0:24:03.840 keys to the kingdom, whatever. 0:24:03.880 --> 0:24:05.240 He was given the keys, because he. 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:07.080 Is the one that unlocked the door. 0:24:07.440 --> 0:24:08.080 For Jews. 0:24:08.080 --> 0:24:12.080 To believe. Acts to Samaritans to be enveloped into the 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:15.880 body of the Messiah. Acts eight. And then acts ten. Cornelius, 0:24:15.880 --> 0:24:18.640 the first Gentile to be in the body of the Messiah. 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:20.760 So Jews. 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:24.520 Samaritans, Gentiles. That's how he got the keys. Okay. 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:25.119 That's how. 0:24:25.400 --> 0:24:26.440 Thank you very much. 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:28.870 Yeah. Thank you for your call. Appreciate it. 0:24:29.710 --> 0:24:30.030 Uh. 0:24:32.270 --> 0:24:36.230 Well, you know what? Uh, we're we're we're going to 0:24:36.230 --> 0:24:38.189 take more calls in a moment. What we're going to 0:24:38.190 --> 0:24:41.590 do is I do want to tell you about becoming 0:24:41.590 --> 0:24:45.270 a kitchen table partner. There are such wonderful partners of 0:24:45.270 --> 0:24:48.310 this program. There are people who partner by listening. And 0:24:48.310 --> 0:24:50.909 I so appreciate that. I always thought that Eva would 0:24:50.910 --> 0:24:52.990 be the only one listening to the program. So when 0:24:52.990 --> 0:24:56.390 I meet listeners across the country, I'm always amazed and grateful. 0:24:56.630 --> 0:24:59.470 I'm amazed that there are some people who give occasionally 0:24:59.470 --> 0:25:01.710 when they they hear a resource that they would really 0:25:01.710 --> 0:25:04.590 like to have. But then there are people who, regardless 0:25:04.590 --> 0:25:07.990 of resource, regardless of anything else, they are our kitchen 0:25:07.990 --> 0:25:11.070 table partners. I'm so grateful that they partner with us 0:25:11.070 --> 0:25:13.750 by giving monthly so that we can be on the 0:25:13.750 --> 0:25:17.310 air weekly. Uh, we do a special Bible study moment 0:25:17.310 --> 0:25:22.310 for them that they receive, uh, in their inbox. And 0:25:22.310 --> 0:25:24.590 every other week it's a Bible study moment that they 0:25:24.590 --> 0:25:26.900 can listen to and, and study the word a few 0:25:26.900 --> 0:25:29.659 minutes with me, or sometimes me and Eva. Uh, I 0:25:29.820 --> 0:25:32.939 just so appreciate, uh, you becoming a Bible. Uh, a 0:25:32.980 --> 0:25:35.460 kitchen table partner. Uh, the way to become a kitchen 0:25:35.460 --> 0:25:38.060 table partner, if you're interested, is go to eight, call 0:25:38.100 --> 0:25:45.020 (888) 644-7122 or go to openline.org. We really appreciate if you 0:25:45.020 --> 0:25:47.260 do that. Uh, we'll be right back with more of 0:25:47.260 --> 0:25:50.940 your questions in just a moment. In fact, the Febc 0:25:50.980 --> 0:26:09.380 mailbag is coming right up. Stay with us. Welcome back 0:26:09.380 --> 0:26:13.500 to Open Line. So glad that you're listening today. I'm 0:26:13.500 --> 0:26:16.980 so grateful that the Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with 0:26:16.980 --> 0:26:20.899 Open Line to bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's 0:26:20.900 --> 0:26:24.820 a terrific organization. They bring the good news to people 0:26:25.050 --> 0:26:28.209 all over the world via media, and also they have 0:26:28.450 --> 0:26:31.530 individual personal engagement, people who are out there talking about 0:26:31.530 --> 0:26:34.770 the Lord and they do a marvelous work. Check out 0:26:35.090 --> 0:26:38.330 the Febc podcast. It's called Until All I've Heard. You 0:26:38.330 --> 0:26:41.850 can find that on your whatever podcast distributor you have, 0:26:41.890 --> 0:26:47.130 or you can go to Febc. Org, that's Febc. Org. 0:26:48.170 --> 0:26:51.610 And joining me right now with the Febc mailbag is 0:26:51.609 --> 0:26:55.010 to hear, Haynes, I am so glad you're sitting in 0:26:55.010 --> 0:26:58.450 today for Tricia, or I guess you partner with Tricia 0:26:58.490 --> 0:27:01.649 in sharing the duties on Saturday mornings. I'm so glad 0:27:01.650 --> 0:27:04.210 that you're able to come and join me to hear. 0:27:04.250 --> 0:27:07.170 Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Thank you. Yeah, 0:27:07.170 --> 0:27:08.330 we do share the duties. 0:27:08.770 --> 0:27:11.890 Yeah, I think that's great. I think it's wonderful. Uh, 0:27:12.010 --> 0:27:14.690 people said to me, why would why is Tricia not 0:27:14.690 --> 0:27:18.689 coming every Saturday? Because we need to get you on 0:27:18.690 --> 0:27:21.969 the air, too. That's that's. We need. 0:27:22.250 --> 0:27:24.760 And I think it's also just just we're here during 0:27:24.760 --> 0:27:27.600 the week. And so just to give us a balance 0:27:28.080 --> 0:27:29.360 we share the Saturdays. 0:27:30.000 --> 0:27:32.280 Yeah. And you know, she's I have to say, uh, 0:27:32.280 --> 0:27:35.360 Trish is a mom. She's got little kids that are 0:27:35.359 --> 0:27:38.199 home on Saturdays, and I'm happy that she gets to 0:27:38.200 --> 0:27:41.119 be with them every Saturday, that she is not with me, 0:27:41.119 --> 0:27:45.000 but she's still prepared the mailbag. Did she not? 0:27:45.040 --> 0:27:48.560 She did. She sent these questions to us via email. 0:27:48.560 --> 0:27:49.280 So thank you. 0:27:49.800 --> 0:27:50.560 Yep, yep. 0:27:50.560 --> 0:27:53.000 So. Well no, no, it's not via email. It's a 0:27:53.000 --> 0:27:55.880 huge bag like in miracle on 34th Street where they 0:27:55.920 --> 0:27:58.199 carry the bags in at the end. That's what it 0:27:58.200 --> 0:27:59.080 looks like, right? 0:27:59.520 --> 0:28:00.000 Right. 0:28:01.440 --> 0:28:05.919 Yeah. The the theater of the mind. Okay. Uh, let's 0:28:05.920 --> 0:28:07.640 let's look at some of these questions. 0:28:07.800 --> 0:28:11.560 Sure. We will start with Kathleen from Ohio listening through. 0:28:13.080 --> 0:28:17.679 She says my friend lost her mother recently. She says, 0:28:17.680 --> 0:28:20.240 where can I tell her that her mother is now? 0:28:20.280 --> 0:28:23.870 She has hopes that because they are the chosen people. Um. 0:28:23.869 --> 0:28:26.910 They're Jewish. That those. She died without proclaiming Jesus as 0:28:26.910 --> 0:28:29.750 her Lord and savior. That she is with Jesus. How 0:28:29.750 --> 0:28:33.230 can you comfort someone whose loved one has passed away 0:28:33.230 --> 0:28:37.670 when you're uncertain of their eternity, but doubt they're with Jesus? 0:28:39.030 --> 0:28:41.350 You know, I think one of the things that people 0:28:41.350 --> 0:28:44.430 want to have is to have a special deal for 0:28:44.470 --> 0:28:49.590 Jewish people. And of course, if you care about Jewish people, 0:28:49.590 --> 0:28:55.150 if you care about, uh, others in other religious groups, uh, 0:28:55.150 --> 0:28:57.910 you think, okay, well, maybe the Lord will reveal himself 0:28:57.910 --> 0:29:01.390 after death or something like that, but I want to 0:29:01.390 --> 0:29:05.510 just say this. The Bible says for, uh, that, that 0:29:05.510 --> 0:29:08.230 God so loved the world that he gave his one 0:29:08.230 --> 0:29:12.030 and only son. And whoever believes in him will not 0:29:12.030 --> 0:29:16.630 perish but have everlasting life. That's a really simple verse. 0:29:16.630 --> 0:29:20.390 But do you notice the point? God has made provision 0:29:20.390 --> 0:29:24.100 for everyone, but it has to be activated by faith. 0:29:24.100 --> 0:29:27.740 This is what the Lord Jesus said specifically to Jewish people, 0:29:27.740 --> 0:29:31.460 but it applies to everyone. Therefore, this is John 824 0:29:31.500 --> 0:29:33.940 therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. 0:29:34.180 --> 0:29:37.180 If you do not believe that I am he, you 0:29:37.180 --> 0:29:41.420 will die in your sins. In other words, and by 0:29:41.420 --> 0:29:44.660 the way that I am, he is a declaration of deity. 0:29:46.180 --> 0:29:46.580 Okay. 0:29:47.460 --> 0:29:52.620 It literally says, unless you believe that I am, uh, 0:29:53.140 --> 0:29:56.300 then you'll die in your sins. So, uh, I don't 0:29:56.300 --> 0:30:03.340 think anyone, Jew or Gentile, uh, gets a special backdoor 0:30:03.380 --> 0:30:09.540 way into the hand, into the the the eternity. There 0:30:09.540 --> 0:30:13.380 is a need. We. That's why we proclaim the gospel. 0:30:13.380 --> 0:30:16.860 That's why I tell Jewish people and Gentiles, even people 0:30:16.860 --> 0:30:21.450 who are from a a Bible believing tradition. That's why 0:30:21.450 --> 0:30:24.050 we were proclaiming the gospel regularly. The good news is 0:30:24.050 --> 0:30:27.650 this that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. 0:30:27.690 --> 0:30:30.010 He took our punishment with his death. He was declared 0:30:30.010 --> 0:30:34.010 to be God with power through the resurrection. And his 0:30:34.010 --> 0:30:37.489 ability to save us is clear. So what do I 0:30:37.490 --> 0:30:41.370 say to someone? And this doesn't just mean Jewish people 0:30:41.370 --> 0:30:44.690 who may have lost a loved one. I don't know 0:30:44.690 --> 0:30:47.810 the destiny of most people who die, and I don't 0:30:47.850 --> 0:30:55.570 offer hope that way. All I ever do is ask. Uh. 0:30:57.610 --> 0:31:02.450 All I do is I ask for God to comfort, uh, 0:31:03.050 --> 0:31:05.730 the people. And I always like, with a Jewish person. 0:31:05.730 --> 0:31:08.490 I say, may you be comforted among the mourners of Zion. 0:31:08.490 --> 0:31:11.370 That's what we traditionally say. Uh, I ask for God 0:31:11.370 --> 0:31:15.530 to bring the those who who are here to bring 0:31:15.530 --> 0:31:19.480 them comfort. Unless I am absolutely certain that this Jewish 0:31:19.480 --> 0:31:26.440 person or Gentile person. Had made a firm decision to 0:31:26.480 --> 0:31:30.960 follow Jesus. You know, I don't you know, I trust 0:31:30.960 --> 0:31:32.959 that God knows what he's doing. The judge of all 0:31:32.960 --> 0:31:35.680 the earth will do right. And I do believe that 0:31:35.680 --> 0:31:38.680 God can bring comfort, even to people who have lost 0:31:38.680 --> 0:31:41.600 a loved one. And we don't know their destiny. Uh, 0:31:41.600 --> 0:31:43.200 the other thing I always say is that there are 0:31:43.200 --> 0:31:47.720 many Jewish people who were secret believers because of the 0:31:48.760 --> 0:31:53.040 difficulty of taking a stand for Jesus publicly. It's not 0:31:53.040 --> 0:31:58.440 like they rejected him or. HID their faith. They just 0:31:58.720 --> 0:32:01.560 didn't speak up. And so sometimes I've talked to Jewish 0:32:01.560 --> 0:32:05.200 people and they say, yeah, I've believed that. Um, and 0:32:06.160 --> 0:32:08.520 it is kind of sad to me that they are 0:32:08.520 --> 0:32:11.680 not bolder, but it causes me to be very hesitant 0:32:11.680 --> 0:32:16.240 to decide on this side of the equation, who is lost? 0:32:16.480 --> 0:32:20.910 Who is in heaven. I just trust God to bring comfort. 0:32:20.910 --> 0:32:23.870 And that's what I would say. Kathleen. Just to say, 0:32:24.390 --> 0:32:26.870 may God bring you comfort now. May you find comfort 0:32:26.870 --> 0:32:30.190 among the mourners of Zion. Uh, that the the Lord 0:32:30.190 --> 0:32:31.270 can give you comfort. 0:32:31.870 --> 0:32:37.430 Michael, thank you for that caring, truthful, truthful response we have. 0:32:37.630 --> 0:32:44.830 It's, by the way, uh, I hate doing funerals. And 0:32:44.870 --> 0:32:48.190 let me just say, when I officiate at a funeral, 0:32:48.590 --> 0:32:51.990 most of the time I've not known the destiny of 0:32:51.990 --> 0:32:55.430 the person. Uh, I had a dear friend that passed 0:32:55.430 --> 0:32:56.870 away a few weeks ago, and it was one of 0:32:56.870 --> 0:32:59.670 the most joyous occasions. Even though I was heartbroken about 0:32:59.670 --> 0:33:05.750 losing a friend because he had taken a really clear, uh, position, 0:33:05.750 --> 0:33:07.990 he had trusted in the Lord. He had walked with 0:33:07.990 --> 0:33:11.150 the Lord and and, you know, I know where he is. 0:33:11.150 --> 0:33:12.950 But most of the time, it's not like that. 0:33:13.150 --> 0:33:18.180 So thank you so much, Michael. We have another question 0:33:18.180 --> 0:33:22.060 from David in Florida who listens through the Moody Radio app. 0:33:22.420 --> 0:33:26.220 His question is, are faith and belief synonyms? 0:33:27.820 --> 0:33:31.540 Yeah, he I see his question. He's written out a 0:33:31.540 --> 0:33:33.540 lot more. You know, we're saved by grace through faith, 0:33:33.540 --> 0:33:37.860 but we're actually saved by belief. Well, the word group 0:33:37.860 --> 0:33:44.140 in Greek is from the verb pisteuo or pistis, which 0:33:44.140 --> 0:33:50.700 is the noun, and it means belief or faith, believe 0:33:51.460 --> 0:33:56.780 or trust. It's all the same word. It's it's in English. 0:33:56.780 --> 0:33:59.900 We have different synonyms for it, but it's all the 0:33:59.900 --> 0:34:03.500 same word. It's all the same word group. The word 0:34:03.500 --> 0:34:07.980 group in Greek. And the same thing in Hebrew. Uh, 0:34:08.020 --> 0:34:11.740 Ammon is the Hebrew word, and it's all the same 0:34:11.739 --> 0:34:16.129 word group. Whether you see, trust, believe, Have faith. It's 0:34:16.130 --> 0:34:22.370 all the same. So yeah, they are actually faith and 0:34:22.370 --> 0:34:26.090 believe are absolute belief are absolute synonyms. Yes. 0:34:26.530 --> 0:34:27.170 Thank you David. 0:34:27.210 --> 0:34:29.649 They're synonyms English. In Greek they're not even synonyms. They're 0:34:29.690 --> 0:34:32.529 the same word. So okay. 0:34:32.570 --> 0:34:35.410 Thank you for that. Thank you so much. Um, another 0:34:35.410 --> 0:34:38.250 question is from Ron, also in Florida, who listens through 0:34:38.290 --> 0:34:42.250 Moody Radio Florida. Is there a difference in the temptations 0:34:42.250 --> 0:34:46.330 of the flesh and temptations from Satan in our battle 0:34:46.330 --> 0:34:50.010 against the flesh? Is our battle against the flesh instigated 0:34:50.010 --> 0:34:53.370 by Satan, or are there two different areas we face? 0:34:54.570 --> 0:34:56.129 Well, one of the things that we're going to see 0:34:56.130 --> 0:34:59.489 is that, uh, in the Millennial Kingdom, there will still 0:34:59.489 --> 0:35:04.050 be people born. There will still be people who are. 0:35:06.250 --> 0:35:10.650 Who need to trust in Jesus. Uh, and they will. 0:35:10.690 --> 0:35:15.120 Some of them won't. And they will be battling the 0:35:15.120 --> 0:35:22.640 flesh even though Satan is bound. So, uh. And so 0:35:22.640 --> 0:35:28.320 there are the the flesh itself operates within us. Uh, 0:35:28.760 --> 0:35:32.319 but I don't today. I don't doubt that there is 0:35:32.320 --> 0:35:36.160 a connection between. I read it earlier in the program, 0:35:36.200 --> 0:35:39.000 Ephesians two one through three, where we have our three. 0:35:41.400 --> 0:35:45.719 Enemies the world, the flesh and the devil. And I 0:35:45.719 --> 0:35:52.640 think in James one. There's a passage that that kind 0:35:52.680 --> 0:35:58.640 of reflects what's going on. It says, uh, no one 0:35:59.960 --> 0:36:03.000 undergoing a trial should say, I'm being tempted by God. 0:36:03.000 --> 0:36:06.480 For God is not tempted by evil. He doesn't tempt anyone. 0:36:06.760 --> 0:36:10.440 He himself. But each person is tempted when he is 0:36:10.440 --> 0:36:15.550 drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Now 0:36:15.550 --> 0:36:18.790 the evil desires is a reflection of the flesh. The 0:36:18.790 --> 0:36:25.190 temptation or enticement that is drawing him away is the devil. 0:36:25.190 --> 0:36:28.030 I think that the the devil is out there fishing 0:36:28.030 --> 0:36:30.589 and he's dropping bait, and our flesh is the one 0:36:30.590 --> 0:36:33.549 that responds to it. And he knows which areas of 0:36:33.550 --> 0:36:38.590 the flesh are different areas of weakness for each of us. Um, 0:36:39.190 --> 0:36:42.629 you know, I, I remember having a dear friend once. 0:36:42.630 --> 0:36:45.390 She would have never been tempted to be immoral. Not 0:36:45.390 --> 0:36:49.150 at all. Ever. Uh, this is, uh, I've been friends 0:36:49.150 --> 0:36:52.790 with this person for maybe 50 years now, but when 0:36:52.790 --> 0:36:55.310 we were in college, she would have never been tempted 0:36:55.310 --> 0:36:58.669 to be immoral as she isn't now. However, she was 0:36:58.670 --> 0:37:02.629 tempted to marry someone that didn't know the Lord because 0:37:02.630 --> 0:37:07.029 he was a good and kind person. And. And that 0:37:07.030 --> 0:37:13.100 was a temptation from the enemy. Uh, so, you know, 0:37:13.140 --> 0:37:17.100 I think that that he knows each of our desires secretly, 0:37:17.620 --> 0:37:20.900 that maybe even better than we do because he observes 0:37:20.900 --> 0:37:25.260 us and he drops the enemy or his, you know, 0:37:25.660 --> 0:37:28.620 the demons will drop bait in front of us. Try 0:37:28.620 --> 0:37:31.980 and arrange things to be so that we're tempted based 0:37:31.980 --> 0:37:37.140 on our own individual fleshly desires. And so, uh, they're 0:37:37.140 --> 0:37:41.339 not the same, but they certainly do operate together. I 0:37:41.340 --> 0:37:41.940 would say. 0:37:42.180 --> 0:37:43.300 Thank you for that. 0:37:43.860 --> 0:37:46.500 Yeah. By the way, that's why we need to shore up. 0:37:46.500 --> 0:37:50.140 Know the word of God, resist it. Uh, resist the 0:37:50.180 --> 0:37:53.259 enemy and he will flee. And, uh, quoting the Word 0:37:53.260 --> 0:37:55.860 of God, I believe, is the best way to resist 0:37:55.860 --> 0:37:57.580 those temptations of the flesh. 0:37:58.100 --> 0:37:58.700 So. Amen. 0:37:58.739 --> 0:38:01.940 Anyway, thank you. Tara. We're going to come back with 0:38:01.940 --> 0:38:05.060 more of your questions in just a moment. This is 0:38:05.100 --> 0:38:07.900 Tara Haynes. Michael. Ray. Dominic. This is open line on 0:38:07.940 --> 0:38:09.060 Moody Radio. Stay with. 0:38:09.130 --> 0:38:09.410 Us. 0:38:23.370 --> 0:38:26.130 Welcome back to Open Line. My name is Michael Ray. 0:38:26.450 --> 0:38:29.169 I'm so glad you're listening today. I love talking with 0:38:29.170 --> 0:38:32.890 you about your questions about the Bible, God and the 0:38:32.890 --> 0:38:40.450 spiritual life. Uh uh, the, uh, The Chosen People Ministries 0:38:40.450 --> 0:38:46.930 has done something. It actually really relates well to, uh. 0:38:49.290 --> 0:38:51.730 What I opened the show with talking about why we 0:38:51.730 --> 0:38:54.730 should care about Israel. People frequently ask questions about the 0:38:54.730 --> 0:38:58.690 Jewish people. They frequently, frequently ask questions about Israel. Are 0:38:58.690 --> 0:39:00.970 they the chosen people? Where do they fit in the 0:39:01.010 --> 0:39:05.410 plan of God? And so Chosen People ministries, who partners 0:39:05.410 --> 0:39:09.520 to bring you open line every week? they are offering 0:39:09.520 --> 0:39:13.400 a free booklet called Why Israel? It explores the topic 0:39:13.400 --> 0:39:16.919 of Israel through the lens of Scripture, and it deals 0:39:16.920 --> 0:39:20.160 with questions like has the church replaced Israel today? What 0:39:20.160 --> 0:39:23.279 what should we think about Israel today? Uh, these questions 0:39:23.280 --> 0:39:26.640 and more will be answered with an outline of biblical 0:39:26.640 --> 0:39:29.240 theology of Israel. And if you'd like a free copy 0:39:29.239 --> 0:39:33.640 of Why Israel? Just go to the Open Line website. 0:39:33.640 --> 0:39:37.200 That's open Line radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link 0:39:37.200 --> 0:39:40.600 that says a free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click 0:39:40.600 --> 0:39:42.279 on that and you'll be taken to a page where 0:39:42.280 --> 0:39:45.320 you can sign up for your very own free copy 0:39:45.320 --> 0:39:49.759 of Why Israel? Well, we're going to go to the 0:39:49.760 --> 0:39:53.920 phones right now. We're going to talk to Jeff in Akron, Ohio, 0:39:53.960 --> 0:39:57.239 listening on CRF. Welcome to Open Line. Jeff. I hear 0:39:57.239 --> 0:39:58.719 you're driving, right. 0:39:59.480 --> 0:40:01.439 Well, I just pulled over, so I think we're good. 0:40:01.480 --> 0:40:01.839 Oh, good. 0:40:01.840 --> 0:40:03.200 That's what I was going to ask you to do. 0:40:03.239 --> 0:40:06.160 Please pull over so that we can talk and not 0:40:06.160 --> 0:40:09.950 be distracted. That's good. Keep safe. How can I help 0:40:09.950 --> 0:40:10.790 you today, Jeff? 0:40:11.550 --> 0:40:16.670 So my question, um, comes out of, uh, first Corinthians 714, 0:40:17.350 --> 0:40:23.870 where Paul writes that a believing spouse will sanctify his 0:40:24.230 --> 0:40:28.989 unbelieving spouse. And, um, and then he goes on to say, 0:40:29.030 --> 0:40:33.910 otherwise the children would be unclean. So my concern or 0:40:33.910 --> 0:40:39.469 question is, um, facing an impending divorce, where would that 0:40:39.510 --> 0:40:43.989 leave my spouse? And, you know, most most importantly, like 0:40:43.989 --> 0:40:46.870 my my kids, as far as being unclean. 0:40:47.310 --> 0:40:49.910 Is your spouse a believer? Is your wife a believer? 0:40:50.630 --> 0:40:54.270 I it's hard to say. Um, you know, I hate 0:40:54.270 --> 0:40:55.910 to comment on what someone believes. 0:40:55.950 --> 0:40:56.270 No, no. 0:40:56.270 --> 0:40:59.110 But she let me just say, has she professed to 0:40:59.110 --> 0:40:59.910 be a believer? 0:41:02.230 --> 0:41:04.670 Like, I, she keeps it to herself. She doesn't go 0:41:04.670 --> 0:41:07.779 to church. She has some church hurt from the past, 0:41:07.780 --> 0:41:09.300 so I don't know where that lies with her. 0:41:11.180 --> 0:41:17.180 Okay, well, the context here is about, uh, staying married. Mhm. 0:41:18.060 --> 0:41:22.420 That's that's the point. Uh, if any brother, verse 12 0:41:22.460 --> 0:41:24.899 has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live 0:41:24.900 --> 0:41:28.140 with him, he must not leave her. Verse 13, if 0:41:28.140 --> 0:41:31.219 also if any woman has an unbelieving husband, and he 0:41:31.219 --> 0:41:34.100 is willing to live with her, she must not leave 0:41:34.100 --> 0:41:41.339 her husband. The idea is that, uh, generally speaking, it 0:41:41.340 --> 0:41:45.859 is more likely for. Well, first, those two verses are 0:41:45.860 --> 0:41:49.060 saying that if your, uh, if a person's spouse is 0:41:49.060 --> 0:41:53.219 not a believer but still willing to stay with the believer, 0:41:53.260 --> 0:41:58.339 stay together. Uh, that's because, uh, in ancient times, when 0:41:58.340 --> 0:42:01.660 this was being written to the Corinthians, when people became believers, 0:42:01.660 --> 0:42:06.010 they wanted to leave their spouse. who didn't know the Lord. 0:42:06.890 --> 0:42:09.489 And Paul is saying, no, no, stay in that circumstance. 0:42:09.489 --> 0:42:14.330 Stay with her. Why? For that's the explanatory word. The 0:42:14.370 --> 0:42:17.610 unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, 0:42:18.090 --> 0:42:21.890 and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by 0:42:21.890 --> 0:42:26.370 the husband. The word sanctify means set apart. And I 0:42:26.370 --> 0:42:29.490 like how the CSB translates it set apart. In other words, 0:42:29.489 --> 0:42:33.850 what it's saying is this person, this unbelieving spouse, if 0:42:33.890 --> 0:42:38.010 you stay married, is more likely to become a believer 0:42:38.930 --> 0:42:43.210 in the context of a of a loving relationship. Then 0:42:43.210 --> 0:42:45.250 if you just break up because one is a believer 0:42:45.250 --> 0:42:48.049 and one isn't. So that's what it's saying. That's why 0:42:48.050 --> 0:42:52.530 we stay together, because that that will enable the spouse 0:42:52.690 --> 0:42:56.529 who doesn't believe. More likely not certain, but more likely 0:42:56.690 --> 0:43:00.410 to become a follower of Jesus as well. Otherwise, your 0:43:00.410 --> 0:43:05.240 children would be Corrupt, but now they are set apart 0:43:05.239 --> 0:43:11.120 for God. The same thing if if, for example, uh, you, uh, 0:43:11.239 --> 0:43:13.440 if a person has a spouse that's not a believer 0:43:13.440 --> 0:43:16.560 and takes the children with them, they are now less 0:43:16.560 --> 0:43:20.800 likely to become believers outside the confines of this loving 0:43:20.800 --> 0:43:24.200 family and the outside of the influence of the believer. 0:43:24.400 --> 0:43:28.239 That's what Paul is saying. He's not saying that children 0:43:28.239 --> 0:43:31.080 are automatically not going to be believers, but it's it's 0:43:31.080 --> 0:43:37.440 more about likelihood, um, staying together in a context of 0:43:37.440 --> 0:43:41.640 with the believing spouse is better for the unbelieving spouse. 0:43:41.640 --> 0:43:44.719 It's better for the unbelieving children. They are much more 0:43:44.719 --> 0:43:50.440 likely to become believers. Uh, how old are your children today, Jeff? 0:43:51.160 --> 0:43:54.640 Um, well, I have a stepson is 17, and then the, um, 0:43:54.920 --> 0:43:56.040 my daughter is seven. 0:43:58.360 --> 0:44:04.030 Well, let's talk about your daughter. Uh. if she. The 0:44:04.070 --> 0:44:06.270 thing that this is saying is not that she automatically 0:44:06.270 --> 0:44:09.270 becomes I mean, we're all unclean in the sense that we, uh, 0:44:09.270 --> 0:44:11.830 if we don't believe we're in our sins, but the 0:44:11.830 --> 0:44:14.350 likelihood for her to be set apart, to become a 0:44:14.350 --> 0:44:18.030 believer is better for her to be as you have 0:44:18.030 --> 0:44:22.750 influence in her life. So even if you're going to divorce, 0:44:22.750 --> 0:44:27.510 you cannot abandon your child. You have to, uh, try 0:44:27.510 --> 0:44:32.990 and have good influence into her life, both emotionally, physically, 0:44:32.989 --> 0:44:39.030 but spiritually as well. Uh, that's that's that's there. Yeah, 0:44:39.190 --> 0:44:40.750 but that's what it's talking about there. 0:44:41.270 --> 0:44:41.590 So. 0:44:42.350 --> 0:44:46.110 Okay. Okay. And you're still close with your daughter? 0:44:46.830 --> 0:44:50.030 Yes. It's still we go to church every week, and, um, 0:44:50.230 --> 0:44:54.390 she's a believer and she's been baptized. She's okay. All that. 0:44:54.430 --> 0:45:00.780 It's the spouse. It's my spouse who's requesting the separation. So, 0:45:01.100 --> 0:45:03.100 you know, I kind of I don't want to hold 0:45:03.100 --> 0:45:05.299 her hostage by it, but I also just concerned with 0:45:05.300 --> 0:45:08.700 my daughter and and him wording that unclean. I just, 0:45:08.739 --> 0:45:11.260 you know, she automatically become unclean. 0:45:11.820 --> 0:45:14.980 No, no. Do you understand what that's saying? It's about taking. 0:45:14.980 --> 0:45:15.180 Her. 0:45:15.700 --> 0:45:20.420 Taking her out of the influence of of the the believer. 0:45:20.460 --> 0:45:24.219 That's what it's talking about. So just keep influencing her, 0:45:24.260 --> 0:45:26.620 even with the separation or a divorce. Okay. 0:45:27.260 --> 0:45:28.259 Right. Thank you. 0:45:28.300 --> 0:45:33.540 Okay. Yeah. Uh, Jeff, I'm sorry that you're going through this. It's. 0:45:33.580 --> 0:45:37.259 I think it's the most painful thing. Um, sometimes I 0:45:37.260 --> 0:45:41.460 think a divorce is even harder than losing a spouse. Uh, 0:45:41.620 --> 0:45:46.580 and so the thing is, don't lose the influence you 0:45:46.580 --> 0:45:51.620 can have, uh, on on even your 17 year old stepson, uh, 0:45:51.620 --> 0:45:56.100 your daughter and maybe even, uh, continue to love and 0:45:56.100 --> 0:45:59.690 care for your wife, even if she proceeds with the divorce, 0:45:59.690 --> 0:46:02.570 because who knows what kind of impact you can have 0:46:03.210 --> 0:46:06.649 in her life in the long run. So anyway, thanks 0:46:06.650 --> 0:46:08.890 for your call, Jeff. I can't believe it. The first 0:46:08.930 --> 0:46:13.050 hour of the program is done, but there's a whole 0:46:13.090 --> 0:46:16.290 other hour of open line coming up a second hour 0:46:16.330 --> 0:46:18.530 on most of these stations. You know, if your station 0:46:18.530 --> 0:46:20.850 doesn't carry it, that's okay. You can listen online, you 0:46:20.850 --> 0:46:22.970 can listen on the podcast, you can get the Moody 0:46:22.969 --> 0:46:25.130 Radio app. There's all sorts of ways you can get 0:46:25.130 --> 0:46:30.690 the second program during the break. Check out our website, radio.org. 0:46:30.730 --> 0:46:34.370 That page has links to past programs, questions, things like that. 0:46:34.370 --> 0:46:36.890 How to get our current resource. Even if you're interested 0:46:36.890 --> 0:46:39.290 in going to Israel with me or traveling with me, 0:46:39.290 --> 0:46:42.410 there's a link to my personal web page. Org you 0:46:42.410 --> 0:46:45.370 should check that out. The Bible study across America will 0:46:45.370 --> 0:46:48.650 continue in the second hour, so stay with us. Open 0:46:48.650 --> 0:46:52.489 line with Doctor Michael Melnick is a production of Moody Radio, 0:46:52.850 --> 0:46:55.649 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.