S1: Hello, friends. It's time for the second hour of Open
S1: Line with me. Michael. Right. It's Moody Radio's Bible study
S1: across America. We're talking about your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. We're sitting around the radio
S1: kitchen table and I'm taking your questions. So just give
S1: me a call. (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. If you can't call,
S1: just go to our website online radio. Click on the
S1: Ask Michael a question link and you'll be able to
S1: post your question there. And Trish will put it in
S1: the mailbag. I hope you have your Bibles open. I
S1: hope you have a second cup of coffee going. Uh,
S1: because we're ready to talk about the about the scriptures again.
S1: The phone number (877) 548-3675. If you think, how can I
S1: get my call in? Now is the time to call
S1: at the beginning of the hour. There's about three lines
S1: or four lines open. So just now's the time to
S1: call (877) 548-3675. We're going to talk to Lorraine in Monroe, Wisconsin,
S1: listening on Moody Radio there 106.9. Welcome to Open Line, Lorraine.
S1: How can I help you?
S2: Hi, Michael. I have a question. Um, some churches teach
S2: entire sanctification. Sanctification. And I'd like to find out if
S2: that's biblical. And then what is the clear definition of sanctification?
S1: Sanctification. I'll start with the last part. To sanctify is
S1: to be made holy. The process of making us holy. Okay. Now,
S1: the thing is, uh, the book of Hebrews uses the
S1: word sanctify a little differently in the book of Hebrews.
S1: It's very common, and it's just that author uses it
S1: more of our positional sanctification, referring to that, when God
S1: looks at us, once we've trusted in Jesus, we've been sanctified.
S1: He sees us entirely holy. Uh, it's similar to the
S1: way the Apostle Paul in Romans uses the word justified,
S1: declared righteous. Okay, but generally speaking, when we see the
S1: word sanctification or sanctify, it's referring to the process, not
S1: the product, not not the positional, uh, sanctification that we
S1: have in Jesus, but rather the process of sanctification, uh,
S1: of being drawn closer and more and more holy, uh,
S1: to be made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
S1: Does that make sense?
S2: Yes.
S1: Okay. Uh, now, uh, Romans eight, by the way, uh,
S1: is a good passage to if, uh, if you want
S1: to study sanctification, that process, uh, and then, uh, now
S1: the the issue of entire sanctification, sometimes I feel like
S1: it's unrealistic. It's it's more from the Wesleyan tradition, something
S1: that John Wesley taught, uh, called it was also called
S1: perfect love. And the idea of entire sanctification is that
S1: once we reach, uh, once we know the Lord, we
S1: reach a certain level of maturity that we won't sin. And, uh,
S1: I don't think so. A couple of reasons. I would
S1: assume that they would think the apostle Paul was a
S1: mature believer. But the apostle Paul says in Philippians, uh,
S1: not that I've arrived, but I press on. Right? Uh,
S1: and uh, verse 12 of chapter three 312, not that
S1: I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature,
S1: but I make every effort to take hold of it
S1: because I have been taken hold of by the Messiah, Jesus. Brothers,
S1: I do not consider myself to have taken Ahold of it.
S1: Meaning I'm not there yet. Uh, so he apparently is
S1: not entirely sanctified yet. And, uh, another verse I think
S1: that's really important about this is, uh. Now, I've never
S1: been I've never really have sat under the teaching of
S1: someone who holds this. I've only read about it about
S1: it in books, so, uh. But here we go. Ready?
S1: First John chapter one. It says, uh, and this is
S1: obviously written to believers. It says that in chapter five
S1: of First John, he says, I write these things to
S1: you who believe. So he's not talking to lost people.
S1: He's talking to people who know the Lord, who put
S1: their trust in Jesus. Uh, and that's that's important to
S1: see that in first John five, that he says, I
S1: write these things to you who believe in the Son
S1: of God. Okay. Now, in first John one, he says
S1: in verse eight, if we say we have no sin,
S1: that has to be a nature to sin. We're deceiving ourselves.
S1: And the truth is not in us. Verse ten says,
S1: if we say we don't have any sin, we make
S1: him a liar, and His word is not in us. Uh,
S1: and then he says, I'm writing these things to you
S1: so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin,
S1: we have an advocate with the father. So he's not
S1: saying just because we sin, it's okay. I'm not trying
S1: to encourage you to sin. I'm just saying when we do,
S1: we have an advocate with the father. But it seems
S1: clear to me from this. And he gives guidelines. If
S1: we confess our sins, he is faithless, faithful to forgive
S1: our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So the
S1: the point of this is that John seems to be
S1: thinking that we all sin, and as long as we
S1: say we don't, we're making God a liar. Now, I
S1: think there's a condition to perfect love. I don't think
S1: they're unrealistic. I think they say that perfect love, or
S1: entire sanctification, means we don't intentionally sin, but we can
S1: inadvertently sin. Here's the problem. Even I've been a believer
S1: a long time. I really want to follow the Lord.
S1: But even I, uh, just get mad at mad at
S1: myself constantly for intentionally sinning. You know, it's not just
S1: something that happens inadvertently, you know? Uh, I don't know
S1: anyone that doesn't sin intentionally. Now, that's not good. But
S1: I have an advocate with the father, and. And that's
S1: what I would say in first John two two. He
S1: is the satisfaction for our sins, and he is the
S1: advocate that we all have with the father. Uh, I
S1: don't want to intentionally sin, but I do sometimes. Don't
S1: you think you do, too?
S2: Sure.
S1: Yeah. So I, uh, with even with that caveat of
S1: saying it's not referring to and is only referring to
S1: intentional sin and not unintentional. That's that would be, I think, uh,
S1: the problem. Okay.
S2: Okay. So it sounds like it's not possible.
S1: I don't think it's possible. You know, there are a
S1: lot of by the way, there are a lot of
S1: people from the Wesleyan tradition Who I've heard teach, and
S1: they may officially say they believe it, but when I
S1: hear him teach the Bible, you know, from time to
S1: time they they recognize that we sin. So. Yeah.
S2: Okay.
S1: Okay. All right. Uh, okay. Thank you. Uh, by the way,
S1: my sister's name. Lorraine. Uh, you don't hear that name
S1: very much.
S2: You don't. You don't. You really don't. I was hoping
S2: it was coming back. A lot of the older names
S2: are coming back, but so far, uh, this one has.
S1: Not that one, but. And, you know, back to the future.
S1: There was a character named Lorraine, and I always thought
S1: that was cool because my sister is named Lorraine from
S1: about the same time we're, you know, we're baby boomers.
S1: So there we go. Anyway, great. Great talking with you, Lorraine.
S1: Thank you. Thank you. Uh, J.R. in Tennessee, listening on Wmwx.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
S3: Yes, sir. Uh, so my uncle went to Israel a
S3: couple summers Ago, and the tour guide told all the
S3: people there that when Peter denied Jesus. He wasn't doing
S3: so out of fear, but he was doing so because
S3: he thought he was protecting Jesus, because he was saying
S3: the tradition was that they had to have 2 or
S3: 3 witnesses, eyewitnesses, to bring charges. So Peter was trying
S3: not to be a witness, and he was thought he
S3: was protecting Jesus. Do you think there's any validity to
S3: that take?
S1: I love Israeli tour guides, but they always think that
S1: they've got a little background thing that's going to help. No,
S1: I don't think there's any validity to that. First of all,
S1: why would he deny the Lord if he was used
S1: as a witness? It would be. It would not be
S1: to corroborate what happened. Right? He would he would say, uh,
S1: you're misunderstanding what Jesus meant when he said, uh, tear
S1: down this temple and I'll raise it up in three
S1: in three days? He was talking about himself. Yes. You know,
S1: he he would not be a good witness. So he
S1: didn't have to deny the Lord to avoid being a witness.
S1: He wouldn't be a good witness of the accusation. He'd
S1: be a good witness for the Lord Jesus, don't you think? No.
S1: He was afraid. Otherwise, if he was accomplishing his purpose,
S1: would he go out and weep bitterly afterwards?
S3: No, no. No, sir.
S1: Yeah. So, you know, I actually you're going to find
S1: this hard to believe. I find it hard to believe sometimes,
S1: but periodically I work on training. I do seminars for
S1: Israeli tour guides, and one of the things I try
S1: to tell them over and over is don't try and
S1: use a background inappropriately. Like using the two. You need
S1: 2 or 3 witnesses, and all of a sudden you
S1: have an insight that's not apparent from the text. That's
S1: not the right way. You know, just I always tell
S1: people the plain sense makes sense. Seek no other sense
S1: lest it result in nonsense. And that's what that is.
S1: That's nonsense. Okay.
S3: Thank you. I was very skeptical. I was very skeptical
S3: of that take. So thank you for confirming that.
S1: Yeah, there's some great Bible teachers among the tour guides,
S1: but that's one of the reasons why, when I bring
S1: a group to Israel, uh, this is going to I
S1: just do. I've been doing this now for a long time.
S1: I think the very first group I brought to Israel
S1: was in 1997. So that's a long time. I'd been
S1: to Israel many times before that, but studying there, I
S1: did a pastoral internship there, you know, things like that. Uh,
S1: lived there for a summer, a couple summers, actually. Uh,
S1: but the point of it is that when I started
S1: leading tours, I wouldn't let the guides teach the Bible.
S1: I figured people came not to hear them teach the Bible.
S1: They came to came to hear me teach the Bible.
S1: So that's what I, uh. And that helps me not, uh,
S1: have this kind of stuff taught. So. Okay.
S3: All right. Thank you very much.
S1: Yeah. Thanks, JR. Appreciate it. Uh, thanks for the call.
S1: And we're going to take a break here. Uh, when
S1: we come back we'll take more of your calls at (877) 548-3675.
S1: If you have a question about the Bible or God
S1: or the spiritual life, we'll be happy to talk about
S1: it right here on Open Line with me. Michael Melnick,
S1: stay right there. More coming up straight ahead. Welcome back
S1: to Open Line. So glad to be with you today.
S1: So glad that you're listening. My name is Michael Ray Melnick,
S1: and I'm so glad that you're listening today. Uh, I
S1: want to talk about our current resource. You know, I
S1: remember one of my favorite things I ever did with
S1: my son is when he finished high school, we had
S1: a van that had two beds in it, and we
S1: traveled across country from Chicago all the way to San
S1: Diego and then up the California coast, up to Oregon,
S1: and then back to the to Chicago. It was one
S1: of the best things ever. And every morning for weeks,
S1: he and I would get out our Rand McNally Atlas
S1: and we would see, okay, this is where we're going.
S1: We didn't take any interstates. We only took back roads
S1: that whole way. Uh, just so that we could see things.
S1: We went to national parks. We, uh, we saw the
S1: Yankees play several times. It was so much fun. Uh,
S1: but here's the here's the deal. You need a map. Now,
S1: I don't think people anymore. They use maps. They don't
S1: use maps. Uh, they they use GPS. But when we
S1: read the Bible, it'd be really great if we had
S1: a road map. And that's why our current resource is
S1: a survey of the New Testament by Paul Benware, master teacher.
S1: It's a comprehensive guide that takes us on the journey,
S1: giving us a road map from Matthew to Revelation. It
S1: shows how each book connects, how they all tell one
S1: great story of God's redemptive plan. It is a terrific book,
S1: and it's yours. If you want to give a gift
S1: of any size to open line. I do want to
S1: say if you've never considered giving, uh, this is the
S1: book to give, uh, to give your gift so that
S1: you can receive a copy of this. It's a really
S1: wonderful book. Uh, it's it's easy to use. And the
S1: way to do that, if you'd like to give a gift, uh,
S1: for the first time, or if you've given before, do
S1: it again, because this is a this is a great
S1: book to get. Uh, all you have to do is
S1: give a gift of any size to open line by
S1: going to open Line radio.org, or you can call 8886447122886447122.
S1: And remember ask for survey of the New Testament by
S1: Paul Benmore when you give your gift. And we're going
S1: to talk to Julius in Gary, Indiana, listening on the
S1: Moody Radio app. Welcome to Open Line. Julius. How can
S1: I help you?
S4: Hi, doctor. Thanks for taking my call. Yes. Um, my
S4: question is, I was telling my trainer at the gym
S4: that he needed Jesus to pay his sin debts, and
S4: he was wearing a shirt that said the Most high
S4: is yahuwah y a y a h u a h.
S4: And he was saying that he didn't need Jesus. Uh,
S4: Jesus wasn't a virgin birth. David was Jesus father and
S4: things like that. And I was trying to tell him
S4: that that's not true. So how do you convince people
S4: that what they're doing is that that's not right? And
S4: he was explaining to him different translations and things. And
S4: it's just it's just hard trying to evangelize to people
S4: outside the church, you know?
S1: Yeah. Well, they're the ones that need it though, right? So. Yeah. Yeah,
S1: it sounds to me he's gotten like, like into involved
S1: with some sort of cult, to be honest. Uh, I've
S1: never heard the expression yahuwah. I've heard Yeshua. Uh, it's
S1: a distortion. They say that Jesus real name is. Yeah,
S1: like like Yahweh. Right. From the Old Testament stuff.
S4: Yeah. That's what I figured. Mhm.
S1: Yeah. And Yeshua, uh, the Hebrew word for Jesus is
S1: Yeshua y e s h u a. That's perfectly fine.
S1: There's also Yeshua. Uh, there's Jesus. Uh. Jesus. There's all
S1: these Greek and there's Spanish and God knows every language
S1: and it's fine. Yeshua is not the right name. It's
S1: not the right Hebrew name. And Yahuwah that may be
S1: a distortion of Yahweh. I don't know, uh, but here's
S1: the thing. All you, all you can do is keep
S1: showing what the Hebrew Bible predicted of the Messiah and,
S1: you know, the messianic prophecies and point them to Jesus
S1: or Yeshua. That's what I would do if I were
S1: you in that situation.
S5: Okay. All right.
S4: And one more thing. Um, just just some advice on
S4: how do you stay encouraged when people outside tell you
S4: that you're brainwashed and you don't know what you're talking about?
S4: How do you how do you keep going with that?
S4: Because it is frustrating at times. Like I say outside
S4: the church, most people don't don't believe in Jesus. They
S4: need Jesus and any of that stuff. They just they
S4: don't want to hear it. So how do you just
S4: stay encouraged to just keep going and just trying to
S4: tell people what's what you believe?
S5: Well.
S1: Uh, a funny story. Once I was at was at
S1: a festival and there was a guy there that was
S1: advocating for Jewish people not to believe in Jesus. He
S1: had a booth, and so I went and talked with
S1: him and he said, you're just brainwashed. That's what he
S1: said about me. I said, are you kidding? I'm not brainwashed.
S1: I'm the brainwasher. So. I said, I'm teaching people to
S1: believe this. I'm the one that's pursuing this. Uh, and
S1: so I suppose the way I stay encouraged is like,
S1: for example, the fact that so many Jewish people don't believe.
S1: That's so sad to me, but it says in Isaiah
S1: 53 that he would be rejected of men. And so
S1: when I see that that doesn't just apply to Jewish people,
S1: but he's rejected of men. It's prediction. If Jesus were
S1: accepted by everyone then then he wouldn't be the Messiah, right?
S1: Because he was despised and rejected of men. Also in
S1: Matthew chapter seven, this is what the Lord Jesus himself said. Uh,
S1: he said entering. Enter through the narrow gate, for the
S1: gate is wide, and the road is broad. That leads
S1: to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
S1: How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that
S1: leads to life. And few find it. Again, when when
S1: people reject this good news, it just confirms what the
S1: Lord Jesus said. So I try to just stick with
S1: that with what the scriptures say and and and celebrate
S1: like crazy when someone responds, when the Holy Spirit opens
S1: someone's heart and and they respond to respond to the
S1: gospel and just keep at it because you should expect rejection.
S1: It's not something that we should be surprised about. Okay, Julius.
S5: All right.
S4: Very good. Thank you so much for taking my call today.
S1: Yeah, sure. Thanks for the call. Appreciate it. We're going
S1: to talk to Trina in Cleveland, Ohio, listening on WCR.
S1: Welcome to the open Line, Trina. How can I help you?
S6: Thank you. Good morning. I have to say, I'm still
S6: working on my first cup of coffee. I hope that's okay.
S6: I haven't made it to the second cup yet.
S1: Oh, that's okay, that's great. Yeah. To get to, you
S1: need you need small cups. Right. So there.
S6: We go. Right, right. So my question is about the
S6: the marriage ceremony for Christians. Um, should it be performed, uh,
S6: in a church? Should it be performed at least by
S6: a pastor, um, a Christian marriage? What is proper. There
S6: are so many people out there who can perform marriage ceremonies.
S6: You know the marriage vows. But it just doesn't seem
S6: right to me. Unless it's, you know, am I wrong
S6: in that thinking? Unless it's by a pastor?
S1: Well, it's. I don't think it's a right or wrong issue.
S1: It's sort of a preference, uh, that you would have. Uh,
S1: I don't think there's any mandatory verse in the Bible.
S1: There's no ceremony in the Bible, from what I can tell. Uh,
S1: the the wedding is, is what I would think that
S1: it's not even in the Bible. It's just that, uh,
S1: we we're supposed to obey the government. There needs to
S1: be vows, um, and affirmation of those vows. And who
S1: asks those vows? Really? The Bible doesn't say who should
S1: or could or would do it. It depends on the government,
S1: you know. It was interesting when I moved to New York,
S1: when I lived in Texas and I did a wedding ceremony,
S1: it was like, no big deal, you know? I taught
S1: a Bible study. The state of Texas said, okay, you're
S1: you're allowed to do a wedding ceremony. Then I moved
S1: to New York, and I had to get all sorts
S1: of certification done before they would let me do a ceremony. Okay.
S1: So it just depends, uh, who it is, you know?
S1: Some places they require ordination, some places they don't. Uh,
S1: but here's the key. I believe that a wedding needs
S1: to be there. Really do need to be vows, you know?
S6: Right.
S1: A person needs to vow. Uh. And then not only
S1: do there need to be vows. But, uh, it should
S1: be before people with witnesses. Uh, that's essential, uh, to
S1: hold us accountable to our vows. So. Gotcha.
S6: Okay.
S1: Those are the those are the things that I think
S1: are essential for a proper wedding. Okay.
S6: Okay. Okay. That's very helpful. Thank you very much.
S1: Sure. Okay. Talk later. Uh gerlin. In Florida, listening on RMB.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
S7: Hi. How are you doing? Thank you for taking my call. Sure.
S7: And my question is in regard to first Corinthians seven
S7: at verse 39 where I've read, I've read it and
S7: I have an understanding. Just want to hear you elaborate
S7: on that first. So I may perhaps confirm my belief
S7: or help me understand that my belief is incorrect. That's
S7: not what the Scripture is saying. Or is it what
S7: the Scripture is saying?
S1: Okay, what are you what? I'm not just going to
S1: elaborate on the verse. What's your question about the verse?
S7: My question is, is a woman bound to her husband
S7: till death.
S5: Upon marriage.
S1: Here's what the verse says. A wife is bound as
S1: long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies,
S1: she is free to be married to anyone she wants.
S1: Only in the Lord. She can't marry anyone she wants.
S1: She has to marry a believer. Uh, but, uh, what
S1: this is saying is. Yes. Uh, that's why we say
S1: it at a wedding ceremony. This fits with what just
S1: was said. Uh, as long as we both shall live. Right.
S5: That's it.
S1: Right. Now, are there exceptions to this general statement? Of course. Uh,
S1: the Lord Jesus said that, uh, divorce. And I believe
S1: as a result of that, uh, remarriage, uh, is permissible
S1: in the case of immorality. So it's not required, but
S1: divorce and remarriage is permitted because of immorality. So, you know,
S1: you know, if you're having if your spouse committed immorality.
S1: First Corinthians 739 is not saying go kill your spouse.
S5: Right.
S1: Okay. Uh, and then, uh, abandonment here in first Corinthians
S1: seven by a nonbeliever in particular. Uh, that that would
S1: be a case for it. And then when it talks
S1: about abandonment, I think it's interesting in first Corinthians 715,
S1: a brother or a sister is not bound in such cases.
S1: Now when he says in such cases, what does he mean?
S1: It seems to me he's talking about when someone, uh,
S1: breaks their vows. A brother or sister is not bound
S1: in such cases. So in any other case where vows
S1: are broken, I think a person and in particular I'm
S1: going to talk to talk about this one area where
S1: I think he's talking about in such cases is like
S1: a physical abuse. That's a breaking of the vow. And
S1: in such cases, a person is not bound to stay
S1: with that spouse. Uh, so those are some of the areas. Okay.
S1: That's that's how I understand it. Uh, thanks for your call. I,
S1: I appreciate it. We're going to come back with the
S1: mailbag in just a moment. So stay with us. This
S1: is open Line with Michael Melnick. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: You know, so often people will talk about their tour guide.
S1: Someone called with a question about a tour guide in Israel.
S1: And I love the Israeli tour guides And unfortunately, a
S1: lot of people aren't seeing Israel these days because of
S1: the war with Hamas. And they would like to. I
S1: have a dear friend that really wanted to go see Israel. Uh,
S1: well Chosen People Ministries is offering a book called Israel
S1: the Land and the people. It's a coffee table book.
S1: It has some of the best pics of Israel that
S1: you'll see anywhere. It has pictures of snow top Mount Hermon, uh,
S1: the fortress of Masada, ancient Jerusalem, modern Tel Aviv, much,
S1: much more. It has prayer prompts. It has biblical verses.
S1: If you'd like a free copy of Israel, the Land
S1: of the people, just go to the open line website,
S1: open line radio.org. That's our website. Open line radio.org. Scroll
S1: down till you see the link that says A free
S1: gift from Chosen People Ministries. And click on that and
S1: you'll be taken to a page where you can sign
S1: up for your own copy of Israel, The land and
S1: the people. Joining us right now for the Far Eastern
S1: Broadcasting company mailbag is to Hera, and we're grateful that
S1: Febc partners with Open Line to bring you the weekly mailbag.
S1: It's a terrific organization that brings the good news to
S1: people via media and personal engagement. Check out the Febc
S1: podcast called Until All Have Heard by going to Febc.
S1: Org that's febc.org. Hey, Tara. Hi. We've got more mailbag questions. Huh?
S8: We do.
S1: Good. And I'm set. I got my Bible and I'm ready.
S8: Thank you. Awesome. We have Mary from Florida. Why did
S8: God want Saul anointed king when he was from the
S8: tribe of Benjamin and not from the tribe of Judah?
S1: Well, the tribe of Judah only becomes prominent after the
S1: Davidic covenant when David, after Saul is made king. Now
S1: there's a prophecy in Genesis 49 that Judah will will
S1: take leadership over the tribes, but that that was prophetic.
S1: It wasn't mandated. It was saying something that ultimately did happen. Uh, but, uh,
S1: if if Saul had stayed faithful and his line had
S1: become the dominant line, God would have found some other
S1: way to have the line of the of Judah become prominent. Uh,
S1: but I don't know about that. But really, what it
S1: was is that the people were trying to push God.
S1: I think this is something that theologians have called God's
S1: permissive will. And he also showed them how poorly that
S1: ended up when because they said what God says to them,
S1: you want to be like the nations. You've not read.
S1: What he tells Samuel is they haven't rejected you, Samuel.
S1: They've rejected me because God was the king. And until
S1: God chose to be the right time to to name
S1: the king after God's own heart. David. That's when the
S1: Lion of Judah would become prominent. So it was a
S1: way of God saying, okay, this is what you want.
S1: Let me show you how bad it turns out.
S8: And wow, thank you. Thank you for that. And Samuel
S8: did tell them before they got Saul how bad it
S8: was going to be.
S1: Yeah. And still.
S8: They did. They still did it. Wow. Thank you. The
S8: next question is from Jim in Illinois. He's listening through Wmbi.
S8: How did the New Testament writers remember what Jesus said?
S8: Was it because of the oral tradition? Was it through
S8: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Was it something else?
S1: The Bible tells us, uh, in the Upper room discourse,
S1: the Lord Jesus says to the disciples, uh, verse 20,
S1: chapter 14 of John. John 14, verse 26. But the
S1: counselor some. That's one way to translate. Translate it. Or
S1: the advocate or the. But it's the word for the
S1: Holy Spirit. But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, the one
S1: called alongside to help, is literally what the word means. Paraclete. Uh,
S1: but the counselor, the Holy Spirit, the father will send
S1: him in my name. He will teach you all things
S1: and remind you of everything I have told you. And
S1: so it's the Holy Spirit that guides them. Now, certainly
S1: it he may have helped them recall oral traditions. And
S1: those were, uh, spoken before they were written down, but
S1: it was through the oral traditions. Began with the apostles, uh,
S1: and they were the ones that were promised that he
S1: would remind them of all things that that they had
S1: been had heard from him. So, John 1426, it's the
S1: It's the Holy Spirit.
S8: Thank you. Thank you for that. Yeah. We have a
S8: question from Michael also listening in Florida Keys. He says
S8: he loves your ministry, Michael. And he says, as I
S8: understand scripture, one of the main reasons Jesus became human
S8: is so that he could experience everything we experience in
S8: human form. How do you think he's able to relate
S8: to us humanly about issues like the loss of a
S8: wife or child, or growing old, or losing loved ones
S8: if he didn't personally experience those things.
S1: This is what, uh, Hebrews chapter four. Verses 14 through
S1: 16 says, um, therefore, since we have a great high
S1: priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son
S1: of God, let us hold fast to the confession. For
S1: we do not have a high priest who is unable
S1: to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been
S1: tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.
S1: Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
S1: so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
S1: help us at the proper time. If he has been
S1: tested in every way did he? Was he tested in
S1: learning how to be patient with a teenager?
S8: I would say he was tested in patience. So he
S8: had what it what it would take to handle that scenario.
S1: I think you're getting it. And then as as he
S1: understood what it means to be sacrificial and put his
S1: wife first, he's not never been married, but he would
S1: have been tested in the area of being sacrificial. Uh,
S1: when it says that he was tested in every way,
S1: it doesn't mean he experienced every single temptation or test
S1: that we face. What it means is he was in
S1: every category because, you know as many ways as we
S1: can think of, there are potential tests so we can
S1: categorize them. He was, uh, he was tested in being sacrificial.
S1: He was tested in being patient. He was. You just
S1: name it. Uh, and so every category of test. Uh,
S1: he experienced, but not every single potential individual act. That
S1: makes sense.
S8: It does. Wonderful answer. Thank you.
S1: Yeah. So which is why he's such a great high priest.
S1: Just remember that he's. Every time you're struggling with what
S1: you're doing with your kids. Uh, you know, as a kid,
S1: I struggled with thinking about my parents. Right. As a parent,
S1: I thought about how to be the best parent. And
S1: I struggled because, you know, one of the things that
S1: you're trying to do is tame fallen children, right?
S8: It's true.
S1: You got to tame them. You know. We've all read
S1: Lord of the flies in school. You know, the the
S1: the they can I think that I think that was
S1: the name of the book. They they get wild. Uh, well,
S1: the truth of it is we're trying to tame them,
S1: teach them manners and so forth. And so, uh, and
S1: when we struggle with that, learning how to behave properly
S1: and guide properly and all that, we have a high
S1: priest because we we're going to blow it. He's a
S1: high priest who sympathizes with us and provides grace to
S1: help when we need it. So anyway, that's that's what
S1: I would say. I, uh, I appreciate that, uh, question
S1: because I always think, does Jesus really understand? I believe
S1: he does. Yes. Uh, we're both parents, right? So we know.
S8: That is true. Thank you. And we need Jesus. Thank you.
S1: Yep. Exactly. When we come back, we're going to take
S1: more of your questions right here on Open Line. That
S1: was Tyra Haynes. I'm Michael Melnick. Uh, we'll be right
S1: back with more of your questions on Open Line. Stay
S1: with us. And we're back. This is open line. I'm
S1: Michael ray Dominic. I am having a great time in
S1: the Word with you folks this weekend. Thanks so much
S1: for listening today. Uh, one of the things I so
S1: appreciate about being at Moody Bible Institute is we have
S1: special events from time to time. Uh, this past week,
S1: it was the missions conference, and we had over 50
S1: agencies there representing that great speakers. One of the things
S1: I see our students really responding to this, listen, the
S1: best foundation in life, I believe if you have a
S1: student that's going to go to college or a grand
S1: a grandchild that's going to go to college soon, tell
S1: them about Moody Bible Institute. Check out Moody Bible Institute.
S1: It's the best foundation for life and God will use
S1: it to challenge students lives. When I was at the
S1: missions conference this past week, I met a couple of
S1: people who were there and they said, we're kitchen table partners.
S1: I'm so grateful that they were there. They were missionaries,
S1: missionaries representing agencies who actually listen to Open Line and
S1: are kitchen table partners. They're people who committed to give
S1: monthly so that we could be on the air weekly.
S1: And I got to say, when when a missionary tells
S1: you they're a kitchen table partner, it's just so encouraging because,
S1: you know, they have limited funds and yet they're giving
S1: something because of their confidence in this program. And if
S1: you're listening and you'd like to, uh, to become part
S1: of that team, to be a kitchen table partner, I
S1: would so appreciate it. One of the things we do
S1: is we send out a Bible study moment every other
S1: week for our kitchen table partners. It's a Bible study
S1: designed exclusively for our kitchen table partners. Click on it,
S1: get to hear it. It's about 5 or 10 minutes.
S1: And it's it's a joy to produce. And I'm so
S1: grateful people actually do listen to it. And the way
S1: to become a kitchen table partner is to just call
S1: 88864471228886447122 or another. Uh, another possibility is to go to
S1: our website openline radio.org. And you can find that now, uh,
S1: people are starting to think about their vacations for next year.
S1: The the years coming up, I did want to tell
S1: people that there's a possibility of doing a Bible conference
S1: on a Caribbean cruise next December. It'd be kind of
S1: fun way to do it. It's on a tall ship.
S1: I'll be teaching the The Book of Daniel. Eve will
S1: be there, and we'll have some great time of worship.
S1: If you're interested in that, go to our web page,
S1: Open Line radio.org. Scroll down and then click on where
S1: it says something about Michael's personal web page. Uh, that's
S1: that's what I would, uh, suggest you do if you're
S1: interested in that. And we're going to go right to
S1: the phones right now. Uh, Mark. Mike in Northwest Angle, Minnesota,
S1: listening on kbps. Welcome to Open Line. How can I
S1: help you?
S9: Good morning, doctor. I've got your. You gifted this to me.
S9: I've got your moody Bible commentary and your important questions. But, uh,
S9: in conversations, people say, don't read me paragraph after paragraph
S9: after paragraph. And so they just say, I firmly believe
S9: angels came down from heaven and had sex with women
S9: on earth. And I said, no, that's not true. Angels
S9: aren't sexual beings, and but they don't want to listen
S9: to paragraph after paragraph from these two excellent commentaries. How
S9: can I refute them in 3 or 4 sentences?
S1: Uh, read them a verse. That's what I would say.
S1: Matthew 2230 is what I would show them and just say, well,
S1: the Lord Jesus didn't, uh, didn't teach that angels could
S1: have relations or take wives. It says in Matthew 2230. Uh,
S1: for in the resurrection this is people, men, women they
S1: neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like
S1: angels in heaven. Now, concerning the Concerning the resurrection in heaven.
S9: But then they said, this is on earth. They came
S9: down to earth, but maybe I will not imitate them.
S1: That's not what angels in heaven means. It means the
S1: messengers from heaven is what it's talking about. The angelic beings.
S1: It's not saying from heaven.
S9: All right, I'm going to use that.
S1: Yeah, that's what it means. Okay, sure. Thanks for your call. Thanks.
S1: Appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk with Mark in Cleveland, Ohio. Listen.
S1: Listening on CRF. Welcome to Open Line. How can I
S1: help you today?
S10: Hi, doctor. Thank you for taking my call. And thank
S10: you for that. Back to the future reference. I thought
S10: that was pretty cool.
S1: Lorraine? Yeah.
S10: Yeah, I actually live, um, I did my chemotherapy, um,
S10: here in Cleveland at a hospital that was actually shot
S10: in one of his movies. Light of day. Um, that's
S10: when I got saved in 92.
S5: Wow.
S10: Yeah. Okay, I want to preface my preface. My question. Um,
S10: with this. This is not a giving issue on my part.
S10: It's I just want to ask about tithing. I set
S10: aside what I can and give from my heart. But
S10: why do churches today even say, you know, bring your
S10: tithes and offerings? And is that biblical?
S1: Well, in the Old Testament, clearly there were tithes and offerings, right? Right. Uh,
S1: the I talked to a pretty well known pastor. He
S1: heard me say that today we don't do tithing. I've
S1: said this, you know, based we give what? Uh, according
S1: to second Corinthians eight and nine, we give. Second Corinthians
S1: nine says each person should give based on what he
S1: has determined on his heart. I think 10% is a
S1: great place to start. Uh, I really encourage that. I
S1: recommend it, but it's not something I require. There are
S1: some people who need to give more. Some people who
S1: need to give less depending on their income. And, uh,
S1: mainly we have to give sacrificially. There was a pastor
S1: that I spoke about this with, and he was convinced
S1: that Genesis 14. Uh, where Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek,
S1: established tithes before the law of Moses, and therefore, because
S1: it was pre law, that's why we should give tithes
S1: as a minimum for everyone.
S5: Uh, actually, just my.
S10: Dad in my commentary. Yes.
S1: But I, I don't believe that just because Abraham exemplified that,
S1: that that's a mandate. That's not necessarily a mandate. So.
S5: Okay.
S1: Okay.
S5: Yeah.
S10: I've always been a little nails on the chalkboard at times,
S10: you know. Yeah.
S5: You know.
S10: People who are struggling.
S1: When I hear people say, it's time for our tithes
S1: and offerings, do you know how I feel? This is
S1: how I feel. I feel like, well, they just mean offering.
S1: And I just translate it in my head to be offering.
S5: Okay, gotcha.
S10: I love my church. They're biblical. Yeah. Yeah.
S5: So.
S1: Okay. Thanks, Mark. Appreciate your call. Uh, we're going to
S1: talk to Taj in Chattanooga, Tennessee, listening on Wmwx on
S1: the Moody Radio app also. Uh, are you listening on
S1: the app to Wmwx? I think is what you're saying. Taj,
S1: how can I help you today?
S11: Hi. Good morning. Michael. Um, so in the beginning, it
S11: seems that God did not give us animals for food,
S11: only plants. So if we were vegetarians, why did Abel
S11: tend sheep?
S1: Uh, he needed clothing.
S11: Okay.
S5: That's why.
S11: Okay. Simple enough for me. So I guess the second
S11: part to this is. Is it possible? Pre-flood at times.
S11: At times during, uh, during the period before the flood
S11: that other people, uh, started eating meat before it was
S11: mandated that we could.
S5: Well.
S1: Uh, I'm not sure that people did not eat meat
S1: before the the flood, uh, or even were not permitted
S1: to eat meat. What we have, uh, for example, with
S1: the same passage in Genesis nine. Right. Uh, it says
S1: there the fear and terror of you will be in
S1: every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky,
S1: every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the
S1: fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.
S1: Every living creature will be food for you. As I
S1: gave the green plants, I give you everything. So they
S1: may have been eating animals, uh, you know, meat before there?
S1: I don't know, because just in the same passage, we've
S1: got the. The sign of the rainbow becomes the sign
S1: of the covenant that God won't destroy the earth again
S1: by flood. Now, does that mean that when water was
S1: shining on, on the sky with the sun, that there
S1: wasn't a rainbow? Of course there was. Uh. It didn't.
S1: This is not the creation of rainbows. What it is,
S1: is a, uh, association of the rainbow now as a
S1: sign of something. So it didn't. It's not that it
S1: didn't exist before. It's now a sign. Uh, it's not
S1: that people didn't eat animals necessarily prior to this, but now,
S1: in terms of an affirmation, God says, okay, I've had
S1: these ships on board. I'm now going to also affirm
S1: these animals on the ship on board, but now I'm
S1: going to affirm them, uh, being for food as well. So, uh,
S1: you know, it may or may not have been that
S1: people were vegetarians prior to the flood, I don't know. Okay.
S5: Uh. Thank you.
S1: Yeah. Appreciate the call. We're going to come. We're not
S1: going to take any more calls today because that's the
S1: program for the day. I can't believe it. That was
S1: the fastest two hours of my life. I'm so grateful
S1: for all of you that listened and for participated. Thanks
S1: for calling. Thanks for listening. Thanks for being part of
S1: the program. Uh, I also want to thank our team
S1: here in Chicago that made this possible. Omar and Tahira
S1: and Lisa, thanks for all that you have done in
S1: making the program. Keep in touch with Open Line by
S1: going to our website, Online radio.org. It's got all the
S1: links that you're looking for, how to be a kitchen
S1: table partner, how to get the chosen people gift, how
S1: to find out about my personal website. Keep reading the Bible.
S1: We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor
S1: Michael Dolnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S1: of Moody Bible Institute. Have a great weekend. See you
S1: next week.