Bible Questions and Answers, Part 30

Christianity is very simple. It is about having Christ and in not having Christ you have nothing and in having Christ you have everything verse by verse through a passage of Scripture.

He's going to field questions from his home church about the Bible and the Christian life maybe deal with the question you have wrestled with questions like when people are regenerated.

Do they keep any part of their old sin nature and if you can't see God and live valid Isaiah survive after he saw God and more. So let's get started you're going to hear a member of Grace Community Church asked a question and then John will respond in the Bible when Jesus responses from the dead.

I've been reading about that and then he was 927 I saw that it says and inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.

Huckabee explained that because classes was dead, but that had been raised from the dead, so that would mean that you have to die second time. Yes, good question Todd. The question is asking is how can it be that Hebrews 927 passage is all-inclusive. It is appointed on the men once to die, if Lazarus, in fact died twice. I'll ask you a question. Todd, what about Enoch. He didn't die at all. So you got at least one person who never died it all and you got Lazarus who died twice and you have not only Lazarus but a lot of other folks who died twice in fact anyone who was ever raising the dead died twice. Jesus died on the cross. It says the graves were open all kinds of Old Testament saints came back to life so they had to die twice, then you have the people that Jesus raised the daughter of gyrus and the son of the widow of Nadine, you have the ones that were raised by Elijah the prophet from the dead. All of those people died twice, then you have to answer the question of what about the rapture. A whole population of Christians are immune to die once every rapture to heaven. So what we assumed and from all of that biblical data is that the statement of Hebrews 927 is a general statement to which there are by God's design. Certain exceptions, and we need not fear that it's still true that it is a point in the men once to die.

That is the norm. Men die is extremely unusual when they don't die and we can count on death. In fact in history. You can count the people that didn't die by just counting Enoch and may be Elijah was translated in a whirlwind, but there less than a handful out of the millions and millions of died, and of those who died twice.

That's also a very small group of people who were raised from the dead, and yet in the future there will be a whole group of Christians who will miss death because of the rapture would like to be in that group would, but we just know that the principle of Hebrews 9 is still true that men die and they die once and then they face God's judgment. So we take it as a general principle in that regard.

Good question in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke on the surface there is. There appears to be some difficulties and I'm doing with that right now in Luke chapter 1 how can we be assured that Luke is tracing the genealogy of Jesus through Mary's dissent and also can you recommend a book that deals in depth with the on the genealogies of Matthew and Luke and attempts to harmonize and Matthew gives a genealogy in chapter 1. Luke is it in chapter 3, we believe that Matthew gives the genealogy of the Lord through the line of Joseph K and that the best explanation of the line of the genealogy of chapter 3 of Luke is that it is the genealogy of Mary now. The key thing is you have to study those in detail.

There are many, many good sources. I would suggest you that if you're looking for a good source.

William Hendrickson's commentary on Luke is excellent. He has an excellent section on that particular genealogy that the real problem with it.

You go all the way. It's different than the genealogy of Matthew one right it's different there different names so we know that it takes a different turn. You have to realize this. Joseph is in the line of David and so is Mary. But Joseph came down through a different family.

Another would you have David here and off of David children off of them children.

So you got a lot of ways you could still be a son of David are a child of David are in the Davidic line. Joseph comes through one of those channels. Mary comes to another. We know that because the names in the genealogy are different. So the coming down through different lines. The reason we assume that the Matthew genealogy is indeed the genealogy of Joseph is because that's exactly what it says in verse 16.

Jacob begot Joseph four tells us it's down to Joseph now when you come to Luke what is most interesting is the genealogy of Matthew starts. You know with David and goes to Joseph.

The genealogy of Luke starts with Mary and goes backwards tracing of the other way.

What is intriguing is that it never says Mary and that's where the confusion comes it says in verse 23 of Luke three and Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age being as was suppose that the son of Joseph, who was of Haley, who was of my thought and then he starts going backward now what you have to recognize there is genealogies for the most part, do not incorporate the name of the woman and the reason that Joseph's name appears here is because it is normal to place him in the line through his father. Mary is not mentioned because it was not normal to trace that through the woman. But what is stated here is very unique because it says Gina Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age, being as it was supposed that the son of Joseph, so this genealogy does not trace it through Joseph. It says he was only supposedly the son of Joseph. Such a statement is a statement that isn't attempting to be consistent with a male genealogy and yet demonstrate that in fact it is not Joseph.

That is the issue here, but Mary and she the one named is there an implication of the fact that he was only supposedly the son of Joseph. Thank yes, hi John, my name's Wayne.

There seems to be a big problem in the church today concerning the doctrine of eternal security. Most Christians believe you can lose your salvation. One of the arguments that uses Revelation 35 which says he who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels that they point out two things. Number one that overcome is in the present tense and that means you have to work in order to keep your salvation, and they also say that God has an eraser and he will use it to remove your name from the book that please comment on this verse and also explain what Moses meant in X. This 3232, when he said that now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, please block me out from thigh book, which thou hast written good that's very concise Wayne, thank you.

I love that verse in Revelation 35 that is the greatest verse. That's one of the best verses in all the Bible on eternal security. I don't know how those people can do that with adverse and it seems a well you see right there your level to get your name blotted out of the black. No one explained that verse in Revelation 35 it says he that is overcoming he that is in overcome her now. How do you get to be in overcome Revelation John so I will ask John John what is in overcome what you talking about what you mean by this.

Will John will tell us that we have overcome verse four of first John five, John says for whatever or whoever is born of God is overcoming the world so the over comers are the people born of God and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even what faith so saving faith makes us in overcome her saving faith makes you in overcome her your born of God. So now in verse five, Revelation 3, we noticed that the one who is a Christian who by faith in Jesus Christ has been born again has overcome the world.

The world is no longer his master is in overcome her. That's the definition of a Christian choice is the one that is in overcome her. The same will be clothed in white raiment is conditional is really other condition except being in overcome her know if you are in overcome her and you overcome by your faith and you are born again. Then you will be clothed in white raiment, that is an absolute fact there are no other conditions today. The day will come when you enter into the glory of the presence of the Lord and he will close you in the brilliance of pure and holy reality forever never and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels, and what the Lord says here is not that he will blot out our name, but what that he will not now how you can get eternal insecurity out of that. I do not know. He says I will not do that in order to get that that this is written to the church at Sardis and at Sardis. They had a basic principle in terms of the city and citizenry that many cities of the ancient world had when you came into the city. You are written on the roles of the city and you are identified as a member of that city. You belong to that place. But if you committed some criminal act or if you dishonored the city in any way brought reproach upon it. They would erase you out of that city role, and you then would be dispossessed and disenfranchise you would be if you will, a man without a city and what God is saying is they may do that to you and Sardis but I'll never do that to you. If you have put your faith in me and are by virtue of saving faith in overcome her you will be clothed in white garment which was used for very honored people in the city.

I promise to do that and in no condition will I ever do to you what men do to men, I will never blot you out but I will affirm you I will confess you before my father for his age.

This is a gilt edge guarantee that you can't lose your salvation. So when they pick on that verse there and realtor.

Now you're asking about Moses and Moses is saying no Lord if you don't do something with this people blot my name. He is really saying essentially the same thing. Paul said in spirit. In Romans nine where he says, I could almost wish myself accursed for the sake of my kinsman, my brother right Israel. In other words, I can almost come to the point where I say, God, I'm so concerned about the salvation of Israel that damn me and save them what he is saying is, old Lord, my passion runs so deep I have such a great concern for this people that I wish you do something for this people know God.

If you're not going to do anything for this people that I love. I can't bear the burden just eliminate me.

This is the outcry of an impassioned heart, and you don't you don't find the doctrine of insecurity in that outburst of passion is nothing Moses says there about whether or not that could happen he just is pouring out the emotion of his own heart.

When you want affirm the doctrine of security there two passages that I would recommend to you that are an unanswerable John 10 and Romans eight, and then I think part of the reason people do they believe in insecurity is because they can't explain certain people's behavior. In other words I say what about my aunt Ethel came to church for a long time and then totally bombed out and they don't know what happened, so they explain it is the loss of salvation. The Bible explained it as never having had it right. First John 217 they went out from us because they were not of us. If they had been others they would've continued with us, but they went out from us, that it might be made manifest. They never were of gay thank you. My name is Beverly Atlanta asked that the Christian have an old nature does a Christian have an old nature.

All okay back to Romans six, seven, all right.it's a hard thing to just explain this briefly, but I will make a stab at it. Beverly all right, you have to start with this.

The Bible never uses the term old nature, but that's not probably never use the term new nature either. So we have to realize those are artificial terms we've sort of conjured up but when you say does a person have an old nature. What you're basically saying, and most of us have come out of that background of the been Christian for very long, that you used to be just an old nature. That's all you work since Cincinnati got saved, got a new nature, and I have a new nature and old nature in a fight each other right like the black dog in a white dog in the used to tell me the black dog is the old nature. The white dog is the new nature and the one when the one you say second two will win.

So say succumb to the new nature. The white dogs over the problem with that view is it makes salvation add addition.

In other words, when I get saved. Nothing happens to my old nature. I just get some else.

So salvation is not transformation its admission, so nothing changed just something new was added. That is very difficult to defend scripturally that salvation is admission everything I read about it is that if any man be in Christ is what he's a new creation. It's got to be metamorphosis. It has to be transformation and so what I believe, then, is that you, your old person.

Your old man your old nature is transformed. It's eliminated in the reality of conversion and you become a new creation.

You have an old creation. No, no, not in the sense that your old one is still there fully intact, just like it was and I got a new one side-by-side with no but your new nature still has a problem and that is sin that is in you and your flesh in your humanness.

So let me say it this way so not misunderstood the people who have the idea that you have a new nature and an old nature postulate that idea because they want to acknowledge that sin is still in our lives. And sometimes when I talk about not having an old nature. People go you know and the stair into starches all McCarthy doesn't believe you have sin in your life and say that all just don't call it an old nature just call it what the Bible calls sin that is in me, that is, in my flesh. So as long as I have humanness.

I have sent but I am one new creation creation in Christ. So you answer your question is no. We do not have an old nature. Yes, sin is still there but let's use biblical terms and let's not say were an old nature and the new nature and make conversion look like it was admission rather than transformation. Okay thank you Brett and I would ask you in the Bible versus no man can see God and live. Isaiah says that he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up and Wanda ask you how I see God. Well what it's intending to say in your talk about Exodus chapter 32, 33 were Moses is calling for vision of God and the Bible says no man God says no legacy in live and that is true, what Isaiah saw was in a vision. It was not in reality the full glory of God. If you read that text, you'll see that and Isaiah is seeing a vision that is a vision of God which he was able to see and still live in. As I've said many times vision of God is somewhere between a dream and reality it's not just a dream and it's not the full reality, but he has this this incredible and marvelous vision of God.

Now the only thing we can say in reference to the Exodus passage is that he didn't see all there was to see her would've been consumed.

Now that's not inconsistent with Exodus, either because you remember God says to Moses no man could see me and live. So then God takes Moses if you keep reading that passage in Exodus 32 and 33 he talks Moses in the cleft of a rock River that and he says you stay in that rock and I'll let my glory pass by, and I cannot he's is I cannot show you my face, but I will reveal to you and uses the Hebrew term that means back parts I will reveal to you my back parts.

In other words, there is a part of me which you can see and live, but the fullness of my glory. You could see it would consume so whatever it was that Moses saw was not fatal. It was not the fullness of his glory. Listen when Christ came into the world that he come in his full glory know we came in veil glory right veiled in human flesh when he comes the second time he comes in blazing glory and people scream for the rocks of the mountains to fall on them to hide them from his consuming press so it's only a question of a controlled revelation of God.

Listen, the Bible is a revelation of God. The Bible is God reveal right is a veiled revelation when you came to Christ, the Holy Spirit came in your life that is a revelation of God and of the Holy Spirit came to you in the fullness of infinite glory, you'd be consumed to so all the revelation of God to man in a way is veiled, so that man is able to deal with what God is saying if you saw my face. That is the fullest expression of who I am. You be concerned okay question about the abomination of desolation when when Christ comes in. The powers that be something.

This can be played in and out and open as it can be subliminal and really subtle limits of the people it really can talk about Matthew 24 were says in verse 15 it when time of the tribulation that will be the abomination of desolation, taken out of Daniel the prophet Daniel points to the period known as the tribulation in the future. He says in the middle of the seven-year period of the tribulation, the Antichrist is going to do that which abomination send desolate and out we went through that in Matthew 24 we saw that basically that means that there will be worship going on in the temple and in Jerusalem the Jews would be back in their worship back in their religious activity.

The Antichrist who makes a pact with them for a brief period of time makes peace. It says in Daniel 927 he gives them back their worship in the middle of that period of time as they think it's all going well. All hell begins to break loose and it's initiated by one great event. The Antichrist sweeps into the temple, desecrates the temple abominations. The place pollutes it now I believe personally that will be an outward overt act. I don't know exactly what kind of an active will be.

If it's anything parallel to the act of Antiochus epiphanies during the inter-tester metal. It would be slaughtering a pig on the altar and jamming pork down the throats of the priests that's what he did. Now I don't know all the details of what it will be but I do think it will be in it will be a noteworthy act. It will be at a reportable act that might even be an actor could get a photograph of important newspaper. My names Jackie and the question concerning first and Hebrews it says that we have the high priest has been tempted in all things we are, yet without sin. Well, I understand that Jesus was tempted that when I don't understand is if he did not have a sin nature and how could he have been tempted as strongly as we you looking at Hebrews 415 we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin right master this case to if you had solid gold. Could it be testing and fire. It was tested. What would it prove to be goal could pass the test.

Sure does that mean I wasn't tested. Know could you take a test. Bless the Lord and get a 100% on good you now is an honest girl who I don't mean I mean could you hypothetically mean a real easy for helping with the illustration of a very humble you can take a test and get a get a 100% of that meter wasn't legitimate. Just know it just means that you passed the fact that Christ was tempted or tested this on the problem. Satan can approach Christ and give him a test because he passes it doesn't make it any less a test right so he was tempted and tested.

In fact, he was tested to extent that we can understand because usually we fall to the temptation somewhere along the line and the longer we resist the harder Satan works well imagine the case of try Christ because he never gave in and he was tempted to the maximum.

Every time, but he passed every test. So the fact that Christ was tested was not to demonstrate the Henson nature to demonstrate that he was sinless, and because a person is perfect doesn't mean they can't be tested. It simply means a pest test so Christ and his absolute perfection passed every trial and tested. Satan came when Satan came in wanting to deny God's word and to take things into his own hands and obey Satan and disobey God and so forth and so on. Those were tested legitimately were offered to Christ and could be offered to any person. It God or man by the approach of Satan and Christ passed every that's John MacArthur here on grace to you answering Bible questions from members of his congregation. I hope he answered one you had John today you are asked about the Christians old sin nature and you gave a great answer but you admitted that you didn't really have time to explore the issue in a spontaneous Q&A so I want to follow up on that we've just produced a new study tool that looks deep into the issue of sin and we want to offer it free to anyone who has never been in touch with Grace to you and actually I should clarify. This is a study tool that we have redeveloped yes because it was backed of 34 years ago that we produced 150 of the study guys and they were designed for the listener to grace to you to have the study guide in hand while listening to the radio and so you are not only hearing about your going to the booklet and they were immensely popular and we brought them back and I think this may be the fourth one. Now that's kind of redeveloped and tremendous response to them. And here's the good news.

We are so excited about the new redeveloped form of the study guide that we want to give a free copy of this one. And by the way this went on, the freedom from sin is 250 pages of the Bible study material. We are so thrilled about these study guides and so anxious to get them into the hands of all of you folks that we want to make a free offer of the newest study guide freedom from sin to anyone who has never contacted Grace to you before and wants one, and it's 250 pages.

It's a full book and it's based on a study of Romans six and seven and I remember the days when I first went through Romans six and seven how life-changing it was understood my own sinfulness understood salvation, justification and sanctification in ways that I had never understood before now. This booklet is the study guide again. The title freedom from sin just a little background for many years we produced study guides and they went along with the broadcasts that were back doing that again kind of re-doing redeveloping as Phil said these study guides into a modern format and making them available a few weeks before we start a series so you can follow them as you listen there basic outlines with the lot filled in and their perfect complements to the study that you listen to, but they also would stand alone just reading. Also, I have always found them really helpful if you're a teacher because everything is outlined for you.

The publishing rights have reverted to us. So were reintroducing these and before were done we could have 150 of them back in circulation takes you. Verse by verse through an amazing portion of the Bible. The great news there free to anyone is never contacted us before do it today for others of you who are part of our ministry. You can always order them would love to get them in your hands as well. Yes, and friend.

Romans six and seven is all about how to kill sin and live for the Lord.

It's incredibly practical stuff to get the freedom from sin. Study guide free. If you've never contacted us before getting touch today call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org, the freedom from sin. Study guide lays out powerful biblical truth that can energize your worship and strengthen your resolve to fight sin with everything you have for fresh understanding of the resources God has given you to overcome sin, pick up the freedom from sin. Study guide to yours free. If you never contacted us before. Just call 855 grace or go to TTY.org. That's our website, TTY.org and when you visit there. Make sure to take advantage of the thousands of free resources available, including race stream. That's a continuous loop of John MacArthur sermons starting at the beginning of Matthew and going through the end of Revelation and it takes a couple of months to get through all of them in the sermons. Repeat. You'll find grace stream@tty.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to watch grace to you television this Sunday, then join us Monday when John launches a brand-new series called the world versus the kingdom of God. You don't want to miss it being here for the next half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you