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The Narrow Path 8/12

The Narrow Path / Steve Gregg
The Cross Radio
August 12, 2020 8:00 am

The Narrow Path 8/12

The Narrow Path / Steve Gregg

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August 12, 2020 8:00 am

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Welcome to the radio broadcast, Steve, Greg and were live for an hour each week afternoon taking your calls.

If you have questions about the Bible and the Christian faith.

You can call and we'll talk about those things.

If you have the issues let us say you disagree with the host about something and you would like to balance comet, feel free to do so. The number is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 our first color today is Eddie from New Haven, Connecticut hello anyone good good start. My question is we were doing a little study on L which man and Lazarus parables. But when I got rolloff wit when I was greeted toward the end of that where the rich man said hey you sent somebody back to my brothers in Bellevue and in the answer given was they have Moses and the prophets.

Basically they have the Torah. The word of God, ran the answer was, even if somebody came back from the dead in one matter, and I was like wow is knock on the resurrection is like.

I looked at it. If you have the judges scale you have Moses and the prophets where the weight on one side of the resurrection was way up in the year like that even mean anything such as your beautiful crickets of the steam off the resurrection by faith and summary comes back to the God's word that the statement is was actually true because the Jews I did not.

For the most part convert even though Jesus did rise from the dead, and even when he raised Lazarus from the dead.

In John chapter 11 we read that many of the people who saw that went and reported it to this to the chief priests and they decided to kill Jesus and Lazarus to take destroy the evidence so you can see that there are people whose hearts are so hard that they won't be converted.

Even if they see a man risen from the dead, and that's what Abraham is saying in that parable.

It's similar I think to what Jesus said in verse in John five verses 45 and 46 and 47 the last three verses of John 5G. So do not think that I shall accuse you to the father. There is one who accuses you Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, she would believe me, for he wrote about me but if you do not believe his writings. How will you believe my words. No, Jesus saying is you Jews have received from God. Revelation through Moses of God's will is very privileged because actually the Gentiles and receive any such thing.

You guys have that privilege that you neglected. If you're not listening.

Moses, the prophets, you not interested in hearing from God. And if you're not interested from hearing from God, you, what was that I say you will be impressed if a man rises from the dead eye. He's not saying that the rising from the dead is not impressive, but of course there were people racing the daddy before Jesus, he raised them. My gyrus is doddering and lesser sin. And it didn't cause anyone to believe so, when a neighbor. Nothing is people are not interested.

If people are not interested in what God is trying to get across them.

As evident by the fact that they're not paying attention. What he got across them for most of the prophets, then they're going to find some excuse for not believing even if a man rises from the dead will reducing while there is a speaker that sparked the whole Christianity amino acid cycle wall ran and it when they seen the risen Jesus.just then they went almost a monument bank that was the whole spot right right right that they weren't the ones who were refusing to leave Moses and the prophets.

They were that they were the faithful remnant in Israel. Israel always had us a segment of the population that was faithful to God that it's throughout Scripture is called the faithful remnant, the remnant of Israel.

There is always a lot of people in Israel and sometimes the majority who did not listen to the prophets.

They killed the prophets instead.

So we can see that Tom Mares two kinds of Jews in the and in Jesus day and the ones who did follow Moses, the prophets was who did care about what God had to say they were innovation. They listen to Jesus, the ones who didn't did not. He simply saying you know if you're not convinced by most of the profit function accurately convention.ship thank you thank you okay thanks your call.

Take care YouTube all right.

Our next caller is Brian from new Epps Ipswich in New Hampshire and other New England color right Steve I think is right about the sixth time I called you to recognize that all you know I don't record your voice because so many n similar anyway get to the point.

I wonder responded to quality to add yesterday and won the first one was the one that said he was against the preacher that blessed the congregation with forgiveness of sins and you said about the Catholics have practice that will from what church is called apostolic Lutheran Church, and we actually do practice this in some degree. My question first question was, have you ever heard of largely vilest audience know EE was his reading teacher in Lapland in the 1800s, and in fact have a book here on him and in the book. Here it talks about this place here bring them to a wrist injury meant the air emitted onto them that I highlighted and it talked a lot about the power of the keys but Terry shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Let me loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and speaks a lot in here about its the in this case it isn't like the guy was talking about on the radio. The cases were people up and intent. This awful and the and they want to be converted. They want to be right before God and he he would bless them with in in the name of Jesus and his shed blood begin this assent. We actually tended to this day at practice that someone in our church. Okay well that's not what the caller was describing the different churches had different practices like that and in different ways of understanding that particular verse, verse, you mentioned in John 20 we also talked about it with: yesterday my dude there are different ways that people understood that verse I and I always seem to so I wanted to explain a little bit how we have kind of been from the movement during the starting time, although my lot from Martin Luther to alter the second issue was the one with the guy who thought that infant children could not see and did not have any sin in them and could only do it by observing others and I totally disagree because it takes no knowledge of anybody doing anything before little child learns how to lie, to be spunky learns to be sassy is in the HQ and all the things I don't believe his point was that children learn to do bad things by watching others, necessarily that children do bad things because they's submits temptation, and like everybody else. He was questioning whether children have a natural bent that requires them to sin or whether they simply do so because they're tempted and they fall to temptation just like Adam and Eve did so, I mean that yet those were both of those calls were on points that are somewhat controversial, and where Christians have different views so thanks for sharing yours.

Okay thank you I got blessed to have arrived by now. All right. Our next caller is going to be Dave from Garden Grove, California. Dave look to the narrow path. Thanks for calling you a couple comments about language per a few days ago one of them had to do with culture, and others actually of an even more drastic example, the just culture.

The word for right German, which is a negative is pronounced and spelled the same way now in English, which is the opposite of heaven, so that was one example. I'm thinking here of what was it that was sent on a previous program that you responded to, because I don't remember. Call about it and I'm not sure what the point is that you're making running gel, and had to do with foul language. Okay, okay, sure, and how some words of sages might mean different things in different culture and some of those so you're not disagreeing with you not to screen regional I'm adding to it okay because that's more drastic example is not just culture the actual word itself means a completely different thing in in the English it is a swear word under some circumstances to the German word bright yes the word works for bright in German is the same as the word for the opposite of heaven in English since the word for hell. Well, I thought that in German hell was HOLLE Holland, but I everything in a different language filter. Yes, it would be.

But if you spell it the same way as an English word bright okay all right, that's one thing, there is whether or not Paul ever addressed the question of how language I believe he did. And Colossians 38 so be so put away all these anger wrap malice and slander and foul talk from your mouth similar to what I quoted in Ephesians 9 point thank you all right or next color is Mike from Denver Colorado. Mike looking to the narrow path for calling bid afternoon Steve, thank you so much for taking my call on mom actually a first time calling him of the line you'll it's so great to be here and I actually start date you broadcast out about immaculate generate at their work and like you had yet seen you guys actually broadcast from to make you lower well I'm I live and to make elastic broadcast emanates from Portland Oregon, but I I'm connected through the Internet to eventually chloride is actually referred to your show all my ever couple comments today. I'm on Angel.

Actually I'm I forgot to say I don't know if I mentioned I am a millennial younger person on 20th floor, but I did have a comment on how soak yellow writers popular theories on how it said that it's could actually be located in the center of the water on the Bible and transit descriptions of the lake of fire on the DPD thinking as above the sink below on when someone passes over and there's been a lot of near-death experience accounts of people feeling like they think descending into the center of the earth after the eighth died or hit flat right so I thought I would race that questioning possibility on your thoughts on of hell literally being in the center of our well I've heard that the results of the child actually remember my father once speculated about that when I was young it doesn't seem. It doesn't seem impossible. I don't really, you know, I've never really know once once it comes up. It's a suggestion I think okay that's I don't know of a reason it can't be true. And then I usually dismiss it because it doesn't matter to me where hell is Dominic could be or could be in some other dimension – not in the physical realm.

I don't I don't really know.

Sorry, I just say yeah it is. The theory is not a new one and now as far as the language of people going up to heaven going down to hell, it's possible that going down to hell will doesn't mean that hell itself a similar way, way down. It might be could mean that. But of course when people die they went to shale. According to the Hebrew Old Testament and and that's translated hell in many English old English Bibles, but it really just means the graven people deftly go down into the ground.

Integrative and snow.

It's possible that hell was associated with that motion, but I think I just think we have to take dad to look at the realistic possibility that you know it could be an actual physical place rather than a figment of our imagination much like purgatory snow. I still like these are actually physical realms, and I know that you probably could spend the rest of our lives on this never figured out probably know there's people that do dedicate their whole life to the subjects and figured out that you know I think it's very interesting to consider that is a positive and I'm too tedious to just take a hard look at DP near-death experiences. I don't know if you've taken a look at any site.

Be sure not hitting something in here yeah I I've never been sympathetic to the idea that hell is a figment of someone's imagination and if I say it might not be a physical place. It might be another dimension. That doesn't mean it's a figment of someone's imagination because I believe other dimensions exist. For example, God and angels and demons, and the devil, and departed spirits. They all are in a different dimension than the physical dimension so on. But I don't believe any of those are figments of our imagination.

So, I wasn't suggesting that the question of whether hell is a Physical Pl. in August. No very difficult to know and frankly, since I don't plan to go there and I don't think I would. I don't really care where it ends up being. I think I got a feeling wherever it may be as could be a very unpleasant place to be. Appreciate your call to Mike, thank you sorry Bino all right or next color stand from Placentia, California hi Stan, welcome to the narrow path, I will appreciate every yes when you speak and grant appreciate the wonderful work that I learned so much for listening to all this mentioned briefly.

I was confusing God and Eve straighten me out. God breathed in life ended Adams lungs of breath of why they became a living soul and I was thinking well of people who use that reason that before a baby would breed that that it would have a soul but you know it you believe that it's time to any kinesthetic conception that we are do have a soul agreed yeah Saxon word soul's okay in the New Testament sometimes is translated life and died. We do know that the box is the life of the flesh is in the blood. So we have to say that at least a scissors blood. There is life now. I would suggest this. Even if there was, not life at conception what I think would have said it is because at conception. A baby begins to grow in dead things don't grow like that. That's the only living things really grow and what it from the very beginning even before his blood. It has human DNA so it's definitely human being. It's a living human being because it's got human DNA and it's growing. So what you know to decide that there's some other arbitrary point at which we think life begins not at conception of some of the point beyond would be.

I think arbitrary.

Thank you so you helped him that my question is this Leonard of Lordship many years ago I read the book you have peace with God by Billy Graham and and he said that about the same thing as a lot of the radio preacher say that you just have to believe in that that the court, the Bible says he believes that is baptized shall be saved or must be born of water and the spirit and I felt when I prayed to God aboard ship fell good for a while but it wasn't till I was baptized by immersion that I really felt different and so many I want to do that for the benefit of your audience sure I want you to say what you think about these creatures that sit on the radio that this may well and then well and by the way, I became baptized. Okay, let me let me jump in you. I don't have anything that was said against a particular preachers and I do believe a lot of preachers water down the gospel somewhat and I think that the ones who don't mention bad are very negligent in not doing so, but they may be thinking that if a person comes to believe in Christ will believe in Christ means you now to become a follower and if your follower, you can do what he said and if you do it.

He said he could be baptized so they might consider that this is something that will take place, even though they don't mention it that time. I don't think they can. I don't think we can assume that about people I don't think people know that today I think in the first century. They did. I mean when when Paul in the first century when Paul said to the Philippian jailer. I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. I think in those days it was understood all if I become a believer. Then I get baptized because that's what believers do and and and the jailer did get baptized that night. Although we don't see Paul mentioning baptism is something that Christians were known to do same thing when Philip was preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch and asked chapter 8 it says he preached Jesus to them and they came to body of water in the Lancet will. Here's why.

What prevents me from being baptized. Now we don't read that Philip mentioned baptism, but he may have with read all that he did say but it was understood to become a believer in Christ do what you do when you become believers you get baptized. Now I don't.

I think that was understood in the first century because no one got baptized except believers in Christ, and everyone who was believe Christ did get baptized, so it was sort of the entry ritual into the kingdom of God or into the body of Christ, but I think today people don't understand that we have so many different versions of the gospel that have been preached and some of them very inadequate and in churches today. Even the churches that believe in baptism like the I was raised in the Baptist Church and they subtly believe in baptism but you know they don't believe Messerli should be baptized right away.

Yolanda baptism every once in a while and and if you've come forward and alter covers or maybe want to consider being baptized and that's not how they did it. New Testament times are right that baptism was a requirement.

I do believe it, but I and which I believe it is been restored and I thought I would baptized where I was that okay well I'm not having.

I myself am not part of the restoration movement, which is Church of Christ is therefore I'm not going to put my endorsement on the Church of Christ as the restored church. I would say the church of Christ has done well in reemphasizing baptism as the New Testament does, and as many churches don't solve. Actually, I really think I need take another call before renting time here so I appreciate you calling today. Thank you for all your help. Sure, that blessed my right to write resting next to Marie from Sacramento Marie, welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling 1928 Luke 2230 hearing disciples neighbor and on 12 around 12 trying to contact Scott contact okay meaning well okay I thought you asked me about the difference context, but it's he either means see in Matthew he says in the Jeep is that in the regeneration you 12 who been with me for the game will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Now what does he mean by in the regeneration. It seems to me like a lot of readers and and scholars assume he means in the resurrection so that they'd be saying that when when Jesus comes back and raises the dead. The 12 apostles will have special role of judging the 12 tribes of Israel that is to say we know from Galatians chapter 2 that the apostles in Jerusalem believe that theirs was a ministry to the circumcision as the Jews where's Paul and Barnabas had a ministry to the uncircumcised marriage. The Gentiles, so these these 12 guys largely saw their mission was to convert the Jews and because of that it may be that in the resurrection they will have a special role of authority. We know that were all going to reign with Christ maybe system delegate for the judging of the unbelieving Jews to to these 12 men. I don't know there's another possibility because the word regeneration which is used very much in the Bible is used in Titus chapter 3, and I think verse five were taught or how we've been saved by the washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit regeneration then would be talking about being born again. So when Jesus said, in the regeneration you 12 Wilson on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. He might be meeting when the Holy Spirit would come and panic at Pentecost when when the chain the church would be regenerated which they were not apparently at that point then during the church age, especially at the beginning. These guys would have special authority in preaching to them and maybe even denouncing the 12 tribes of Israel for their unbelief but it's not obvious is not obvious what he means. And I think most people take the first view, you know that you that during the time after Jesus returns at the judgment that the 12 apostles will sit in some position of special judgment over the tribes of Israel. I don't know if they even knew what he meant. But you know I guess Sunday will know when judging a great white throne judgment. Well, if the first view is correct.

Yes yes I mean the again I don't know.

The first is correct, but if it is, then it would be at the same time as the great white throne judgment which is the only judgment at the end of age. Okay, thank you for joining us today. Got Douglas Murray all right we have more callers that we also have another half-hour canopy of a break. We have take this point and then after the break we have another half-hour so don't go away will be glad to take all the calls that are coming in that we have time for.

We take this great selection know that the narrow path is a listener supported ministry. We spent a lot of money buying radio time. We don't spend a lot of money and anything else you have any salaries don't have any advertisements. We don't have. We have no budget for an overhead with no overhead when you send money to the narrow path, we write a check to the radio stations and they let us down there on the stations for another day pass. What we do with it. So if you like to help us and the air you can write to us at the narrow path, PO Box 1730 macula CA 92593.

That's the narrow path, PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593. You can also donate for the website.

Everything there is free but the website is the narrow path.com.

If you hold on our deck and 30 seconds for another. You know the narrow path radio show is Bible radio that had nothing to sell you everything to do the right thing and share with your family and friends. Tell them to tune into the narrow town on this radio station. The narrow path.com when they will find topical audio teachings blog articles and diverse teachings and are kind of on the radio shows you know listener supported Nero With Steve Greg share which you now welcome back to the narrow path radio broadcast.

My name is Steve Greg and we are live for another half-hour taking your calls if you want to try to get through and be on the program today.

You can call this number 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 all right our next caller today is Renée from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Renée will come to the narrow path. Thanks for calling. I think you all that we okay all right Chris anything that: okay, great. So man was made from the dust of the ground and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul is not true of the animals also, the answer would seem to be yes because the Bible mentions that God did that with the animals and and as Genesis 219 it says out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what it call them now it says God made the animals out of the ground, which is also apparently like I did with Adam on the other hand, the while it is true that in the book of Genesis in the flood story. It does refer to animals is everything that has the breath of life in it who died and it's referring to animals. There is, most people so animals are said to have the breath of life in them now.

The one thing we don't have that connecting the two is we don't read that God breathed the breath of life into the animals.

He might have. All we read is that he form them from the dust of the earth and then later on we read that they had the breath of life in now.

God may have made them such that they would have the breath of life without him breathing his breath into the nostrils and remember, man was made in the image of God to be like children of God, not like pets like animals and by breathing into their nostrils. His own breath. It may be unique. It may be that I mean maybe that the animals we can't say that there was because the Bible doesn't specifically say that God did remember the word breath in Hebrew gridlock is the same word for wind.

It is also the same word for spirit and so it could be saying that God breathed in the man's nostrils the spirit of life and and that's possible. It may be implying that it's God's spirit that was breathed into man which we would not initially want to go there with animals that we don't have any evidence of the animals have the spirit of God in the now they have. They are living souls were Nefesh, which is man became a living Nefesh soul. I animals are called souls to become Nefesh in Scripture. So we've got a lot of the same a lot of parallels man and animals both made on the ground, man and animals both have the breath of life in the man and animals are all both called Nefesh or souls, but what we don't have income. We don't have any statement that God breathed his own breath. That is, from his own nature's own spirit into the animals that maybe something is unique to man. I can't say now in saying that animals have the breath of life, friend, or that they are souls that doesn't address the question of whether animals are immortal or not, I think not. In fact, I think man would not be either in the seats of the tree of life, says in Genesis 3 that if man eats of the tree of life you live forever and that MM was supposed to eat of the tree of life and live forever except God said if you eat of the other tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then you'll be deprived of life, you'll die and we see that when they did eat of that wrong tree.

God cut them off from access to the tree of life, so they would not live forever, so it seems to me that God made man animals mortal but man alone had the potential to be immortal to eat of the tree of life and and he lost that opportunity be by sin and that's why that's why man dies because of sin and animals perhaps would have died anyway.

I assume they would've died anyway because there's no suggestion that they were ever offered to eat of the tree of life, and if man would not have eternal life without eating it. I don't think animals would either appreciate your called, thank you very much. Interesting idea of fun questions you sent okay Dietrich from Livingston, Massachusetts on the line. Three. Welcome to the narrow path high Dietrich. We lost Dietrich okay he's gone. Rodney from Detroit, Michigan.

Welcome to my call. Sure, I have been to just wanted to comment on in the first one knows about Ashley. I miss you program a lot and believe that. I guess when we die. I guess we just remain in the grave sleeping until the resurrection. In Genesis 35 there is an interesting verse about Rachel's says that Rachel is about to die, that you name one of the children and it says that like as her silence departing for she had died and she named her child so it sounds like it's saying that her soul is departing from her body. That's what it said and I want to get your common anatomy that is good proof not to believe in soul sleep and then the second question is, second, and the caller that said that.

How about being in the center of the earth. Capturing an accident that talks about followers that when they didn't side with Moses that it said that the earth opened up and swallowed them and they went down alive into the pit, and I know the kid in the Old Testament is the parallel live torment side of town. Also, could you comment on both those okay sure we got to target the second one first and that is that they went down to the pit. It is true that she'll sometimes translate the pit's shale is also translated the grave and son and in in the King James shale is very often but not always translate hell, so you'll find in the King James, the same Hebrew word is transit hell or the pit or the grave, which obviously is a diversity of ideas and that some Hebrew scholars would save the word shale simply means the place of the dead, not initially, of the wicked gist of the dead, it's true.

Cora was you wicked but David also in the Psalms often spoke about himself going to shale and expecting that when he's in shale.

He will be able to praise God anymore and that he use that as an argument to God to keep them alive longer so you can praise God longer so shale is that we were anyone else when they die. According to the Old Testament usage, the word out. There is no real revelation of immortality in the Old Testament, but there is in the new and the Bible indicates that if we are in Christ we have everlasting life or eternal life, and that would suggest that we don't go where other people go because we, unlike them have eternal life and and they they obviously don't think of somewhere else when they die. We must have eternal life. We have to be alive somewhere and to be absent from the body processes being present with the Lord is personal sleep is concerned, and Rachel soul departing the language of the soul departing does to a person like you or me who thinks of the soul as living in the body and going somewhere else – that certainly conveys that image. I suppose if I didn't believe that about the sulfide if I just believe Jim's soul sleep is the: I would probably just say, well her soul is departing just means her life is departing, which is a figure speak to her let her life was not her life was in her when she was alive and it's gone. When she's not so desk obese referred to as the departure of her life because the word soul can be translated that way. Now I myself. Of course, believe that we do have a soul, but the parts and goes to be with the Lord for said but I'm not sure if I if I believed in soul sleep. I might be able to wiggle out of that one.

By simply saying, well, okay, what that's calling the soul may simply be a reference to life itself. Life was departing from her. Therefore it's not necessarily telling us anything about her postmortem experience.

You can try that on the note maybe to work all right.

Let's talk I think is a very interesting list… Thank you so much okay Ronnie thank you talk to Jerry from Pittsburgh not enough.

That's Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Pittsburgh California Jerry welcome in Pennsylvania thank you in a bottle and you will go outside the Bible and I really appreciate that you use so helpful. I've gotten to two questions about having to go the ones that I have in cabins since the heaven of heavens and outbound that have been abandoned and I talked about how to talk about the shell and you called me twice before. The same point that well the answer to questions and you expect whenever I sent okay thanks for bring up the second get this answer if I can. First of all, the word hell. As I said in the Old Testament the word shale which doesn't necessarily mean what we usually think of is hell just refers to the place of the dead and sometimes even the grave, the place of the physical body, but instead it means more than that in the inter-testament will. Between the old and New Testament and where it's also called Hades in the Greek and in in the inter-testament. The Jews developed the idea that Hades was a place beyond the grave, where both righteous and on rights of people are consciously separated into different fates that wicked into a fiery fate in the righteous into Abram's bosom is Jesus is the term in his story from Lazarus.

Richmond now that's a that's an idea that was introduced in the book of Enoch, about 200 years before Christ is not found in the Old Testament, but so when the Bible and militant parts with the lowest howler or hello whenever the word hell always in illness.

It's always the Hebrew word shale is more than one Greek word for hell in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament is only one and it doesn't always mean, hell, it likes it can in the grave in place of the dead. It depends on context. The idea of the lowest hell is simply talking on somebody being humiliated to the lowest degree of status who you know when they've gone gone help. But now in in the word heaven. The word heaven is used in a number of ways to choose to speak of the atmosphere around the earth where the birds and the clouds are in the heavens where balloons fly airplanes fly, and so forth. But it also issues about speak of the universe at large were the galaxies are and so forth.

That's the heavens. Further out now. It's also sometimes the case that heaven is referring to God's dwelling place for his throne and switches. As I understand it a spiritual dimension not of not a place somewhere for more miles out. Then the galaxies hit on me and I don't mean the Bible does say that in him we live and move and have our being in it so specifically he's not very far from any of us so God is in heaven, but is never far away right and so now, by the way the Bible does not generally talk about heaven is a place where people go. It's a place for God is its God's throne is in heaven. God is in heaven the angels of heaven, we have many references to heaven is that realm were the angels and God live.

We have almost nothing about people going to have me get something in Revelation where John was caught up into heaven and saw the throne there. Daniel seems to see some of his visions, especially if in a chapter 7 from a heavenly viewpoint is apparently in heaven where he sees the ancient of days and so forth on the throne, but there's not much in the Bible, old or New Testament about people going to heaven, some people think there's a lot on it because Jesus frequently spoke about 32 times in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven, and he target the need to enter the kingdom of heaven and inherit the kingdom of heaven so forth and and I think most people I don't know about most of the great number of people make the mistake of thinking that the kingdom of heaven is simply another term for heaven but in fact kingdom of heaven is just another term for the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God in the Bible is not said to be in heaven but on earth member resource break your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That's what were looking for in the kingdom of God is that which Jesus said was nearby when he spoke use of the key targets can use as time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is has drawn near so is not something far away. He started the same thing that would would be the kingdom of God in the Old Testament, which was my father never inspected can be equally initial that Campbell and I'm supposed to be perfect and holy as God is able well be holy as God is holy, let Masako that from the word holy in the in the Greek and in your court.

Your quoting well your current Leviticus in the Old Testament according Peter in first Peter chapter 1 he quotes with a concern regarding the Hebrew and Greek. But the Hebrew and the Greek word for holy means separated or set apart specifically for divine purposes different than ordinary things. So the tabernacle was a holy building. It wasn't used for bingo.

It was used for one thing that's for the worship of God in all the priests were holy. They were set apart to offer ciphers.

They can do anything else they were set apart by God. For one thing, now we are set apart. I got for thing that's been holy and God is set apart from the rest of the creation. He's holy he's unique we need to be uniquely his. And that's what I think it means not Peter when he quotes Leviticus 1 Peter quotes be holy, for I am holy. He says as he who is called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of behavior because he is said be holy as I'm holy, so Peter says we need to be holy in our behavior. Now holy means set apart for God. So what he saying is our behavior needs to be said in all of our actions. We need to be acting as people set apart for God are at our behavior has to be that which is pleasing to God and acceptable to God as an attainable, well it's it's it certainly is the goal.

Now I won't say that no one reaches it in this life because I know some people that it seemed fairly devout and and don't seem to much interruptions and that about this, but most of us are not very perfect and so we you know all and all of our behavior well.

Lot of us are not holy in all of our behavior, but but it is the standard is the goal.

He's not saying if you're not holy are you behavior going to hell he saying be holy in all you behavior, it's that it's insert like it if you were in high school pull vaulter in track and field and your coach said you know in order to win this tournament I we got an opponent in the opposite school who can get over the bar at such and such.

I don't even know what height is realistic but say 20 feet or something like that and and so the bar set at 20 feet in the pull vaulter tries to get over.

That's what he's aiming at now. Sometimes when I get over it might knock the bar down now.

Okay, they don't kick him off the they don't expel them from school.

He doesn't go to jail or go to hell he just he just didn't do what he was made and make it he's gonna try again is to keep trying because that is not to lower the bar because the bar has to be that high. That's that that's the aim and if God's at the bar at a lower we might attain it and be satisfied that, but I think the idea is the model for us to imitate. It says in Ephesians 51 it says be imitators of God, as dear children thing the aim at is that we are as holy as God is now were not, but we don't stop aiming. That's we don't say well, that seems impossible based on just try. Well then you're not going to be a follower of Christ because the aim of the follower of Christ is to be like God to be like Christ know you mentioned Jesus statement at the end of Matthew 540 said be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect. I could say exactly the same thing about that except I know a little bit more about that versus meaning he's not saying in this particular verse that we have to be as perfect as God in all respects he's talking about.

In the context the need to be like God perfectly and seamlessly loving because were supposed to not just love our neighbor, but to love our enemies as well. As God sees as God sends his rain on the just and the unjust.

Because this the sun to rise on the evil and the good God sends his blessings. He's good to everybody, even the bad people and we need to be like that.

We need to not just greet our friends were no better than publicans. If we do that so that's that's what he's saying there and if you look at the parallel to that statement. The last verse in Matthew. In Matthew five is behold be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect. If you look at the parallel to that in Luke chapter 6.

Same discussion.

Same thing leads up to the statement as in Matthew five, except there and look it says be merciful, as your father in heaven is merciful.

So the idea being perfect in that context is imperfectly merciful, not just your friends but to your enemies as well.

Hey, I'm running on time. I got some calls. I need to take some, but I appreciate you joining us today on. Thank you for joining us a good to hear from you of the subject. All right Rick talk to Travis in San Diego.

Travis, welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling. When the script many are called but few had shown that mean that God no beats a when they are born well. I don't think that means that, but I do believe he knows I do believe he does know who's going to say that I don't think that's what he saying that verse because that verse doesn't talk about God's foreknowledge and talks are God's choosing not God could know who's to be saved, even if you made no choices about it all for free will.

He might know what we choose, even if he didn't, even if he didn't choose but when Jesus and many are called but few are chosen in that particular context. I believe what he saying is the chosen are the ones that God chooses to adopt his sons. He doesn't say on what basis he chooses them. He doesn't say choose them before they're born he could he could be saying and everybody who who can run a four minute mile. I'm going to choose you to be on Mike tractate okay well that does mean they were chosen for their born judgments are chosen on the basis of meeting qualifications. Now God says I'm going to choose to save everyone who receives Christ and becomes on his followers.

Well then that then we will be chosen once. If we follow Christ. It does mean he made that choice. Any earlier than we chose to follow Jesus, but that the choice was whoever fits this category is on choosing that cat on chose that group Solomon had added you're welcome to welcome to join but I'm choosing as my family is my children certain people and they are the real ones who believe in Christ so to speak. Few are chosen.

I mean if you are County should good you can import into that idea. That means there chosen before the foundation of the world certainly doesn't say that it could as easily say no. You will be the ones I'm choosing to to rain with me and the new earth. Your chosen if you belong to the group of people that qualify, which are those who follow Christ for his disciples believe in him now say many are called, is to this point out that God is calling a much larger number of people to be his children than actually end up being his people. Many are called idea.

Paul, in another place tells the his readers that they were called by the gospel. So when the gospel is preached say to the multitudes they all are called by the gospel to become followers of Christ, but only maybe a few will really become followers of Christ. That's the idea, the number of those were called that influence were preached to about Christ is a much larger number than the number who actually end up responding and becoming part of that chosen family that will reign with God. But, you know, I've always thought the company selected to quote this verse because it has the word chosen and it I don't think it helps them much because they believe that the elect of the same ones who are effectually called that is they believe in something called irresistible grace, which they also call the effectual call this if God is elected you. He will call you effectually and you'll come so to say. Many are called but few are chosen which seem to make a difference difference between those who are called, and those who elect are chosen and that for that account in assessing what is different kinds of calling peers effectual calling and there's ineffectual, the Bible dismissively distinguish between those selects a Calvinist or doctrine of necessity, but II think that the passage it works just fine. Just understanding that everyone hears the gospel is hearing the call, but some don't want to come and some don't respond in some don't obey and therefore the chosen group that agreement. Christ the chosen family.

They don't come into it. So the not part of fewer and are not group that in the larger group. That's how I understand that verse I frequently might be published. Travis okay so you have time, I was going take another call and look at the clock.

I'm afraid I couldn't give even 30 seconds to another, so I'm sorry about that. Both Barbara and Michigan and even Texas. I love to talk to you. Please call early in the day tomorrow and will hopefully be able to get to your questions that you had you hoped to have today using the narrow path radio broadcast. My name is Steve Greg and I don't mention this all the time that we have an app and hide I get emails from people saying what station is your program on in our area and in many cases I've say we don't were not on a radio station in that area, but it doesn't matter because you don't need a radio station was the firm. You just need a smart phone you got one of those who doesn't just go to the places you kidnaps for an iPhone would be a place called the app store if you got a android you can place called Google play and you just download the app. The narrow path.com is the download for free lunches on your phone you got this radio program with you wherever you go you got the live broadcast.

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