Question and Answer Program No. 89

Dr. Purnell true, but it's also a subjective feeling it has to do with our motion field feel like you're saying that is to depend on whether or not it's been a good week so we need to understand both our standing and it's an emotional feeling. So as believers we resist the enemy wants to discourage us no longer even become a Christian. By becoming you don't lose yourself by this is become one of our most popular broadcast over the years as twice each month on the first and third Friday of each month we answer questions that have come in from listeners. We have a special Bible question line that listeners call in with any question that they have regarding the Bible or the Christian faith. Stephen Devi takes the time to answer those questions on the air. I'm Scott Wiley Stevens here with us in the studio and we are eager to get started. So here's the first question for today are from Fredericksburg.

This is a follow-up to a question. A lady asks recently about his or on any unforgivable sin. And what about struggling since in light of that what you say to someone who maybe for decades long struggle with assurance issues. After having lived in the sand for at least two decades how you how we want to measure and the struggling will send this person may have in the light of that what you say to someone like Joseph Scriven, the author of what a friend we have in Jesus who may have committed suicide, and even William Cooper, the author of God moves in mysterious way, who seemingly had a lifelong battle with his own struggles of sand and even became something of a recluse.

I'll leave you with that thank you very much goodbye Barbie thank you so much for listening up there in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and thanks for calling with this question today. Stevens really several parts to this, but RB brings up this idea of a believer struggling with a decade-long sin, I guess, wondering what would we say what encouragement will be half or somebody has that struggle will I think we need to clarify that every believer has decades long struggles with sin. I think RVs probably referring to. Maybe one particular sin, but let me rephrase the question. Is it possible for a Christian to struggle with sin throughout their life and answers absolutely now when Paul was delivering the gospel of justification by faith and the full sufficient atonement of Christ for sinners and and the sin debt. He makes it very clear that were sinners and were saved by grace and those who are saved are still sinners. In fact, I'm going to send tomorrow and the next day and up until the very end of my life. More than likely. So the question would come back well are you giving everybody a free pass in the apostle Paul anticipated that and that's what he said in Romans chapter 6 look at my telling you to go sin because there's grace you know so sin, more so the grace can abound more. No, not at all. God for bid.

Paul said that were called the holy living were called to pursue the character of Christ. At the same time, we recognize that we have a body of flesh. This sin nature within us and there's a lot of debate about whether or not sin nature was destroyed.

I don't frankly, a lot of that semantics. I know I'm still living with me and something still alive in there that does certainly panders to sin and that is the battle and so Paul gives his own testimony. In fact, Scott, I often tell people must listen to a very mature believer share his own personal struggle and testimony of how he struggles with the issue of sin. What is he have to say and I'll turn to Romans chapter 7 and I'll begin to read where Paul writes for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not for the good that I want. I do not do, but I practice very evil that I do not want from doing the very thing I do not want to no longer the one doing it. That sin which dwells in me. He says in verse 24 wretched man that I am who will set me free from the body of this death that if we put it.

That is going to lead us all the despair but he goes on to say thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact I tell people to live in Romans seven that your testimony just make sure you are including Romans chapter 8 verse one as part of your testimony.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I love that word. Now therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not when you die, not when you get to heaven. Not after you had a great week. You never miss devotions went to church and yet if you kept your nose frequently. Note therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So that's the personal testimony of a mature believer who struggles with sin, Stephen. I think as people do face that struggle with sin and especially when they find themselves falling prey to the same sin over and over and over again.

It's really easy I think to to become discouraged and RB even mentioned the idea of assurance that what we say to a person who is it.

It seems just just be the same sin repeatedly and they just never are able to quite get victory over it. Well I think that's what the writer of Hebrews is challenging us to do lay aside the sin that so easily entangles you so you can run the race there.

There's no question where our salvation and our status is complete in Christ.

In fact, according to Ephesians 2 were already seated with Christ in the heavenly God can see the end of our time thought process from the beginning he already sees us right now as seated with Christ in the heavenly.

That's our status are standing that's unchangeable. What you been brought to life. You can't be unborn you you can't be born again and then be unborn once again you are born again, you're in the father's hand. No little or anything will ever snatch you out of but were still challenged run that race which means let's be careful let's be on guard. Let's be alert. There is a sin that so easily entangles his role different look a little different for all of us. But Satan is been measuring you my friend since the moment you trusted Christ. He knows the buttons to push. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your strengths and part of his agenda is to deceive and to discourage infected destroy the integrity of your testimony. And whenever you give sway to that entangling sin.

Guess what happens to assurance only goes down. Why, because our assurance is both an objective truth that is were in Christ.

Nothing can separate us from Christ of the love of Christ. Having come to him by faith are assurance is an objective doctrinal truth. But it's also a subjective feeling it has to do with our emotion. How you feel today you feel like you're saying that is going to depend on whether that is been a good week whether or not you read the word whether or not you you battle that temptation so we need to understand is both are standing and it's an emotional feeling. So as believers we resist the enemy who wants to discourage us in the thinking will were no longer Christians look you didn't become a Christian. By becoming good. You don't lose your salvation by becoming bad, that isn't licensed to sin. Let's make sure we have our doctrine straight, so lay that sin aside battle it if it's the computer get rid of the computer if it's the Internet. Get rid of the Internet get an accountability relationship going with with someone where you can be asked the hard questions.

If it's a relationship you may need to and it takes strong steps as you call the holy living, so that that sin that Satan knows can easily trip you up can be battled more effectively.

Yet I appreciate your reminder that it's really something we face until the day we die.

So when RB brings up illustrations of some men who live productive Christian lives, but did not end their life well, it's a challenge to us that we we need to be faithful right to the very end.

That's right were talking about our Christian testimony, not our salvation.

In other religions that will say well here's how it affects that you know right before you die at the priest commit a sprinkle of water on you, and so your your good to know that that completely denies the doctrine of Christ's sufficient atonement. In fact, let me read a verse or two that John wrote to believers in his first letter first John chapter 1. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us what we know it is. Is John writing to unbelievers know he's writing to believers is writing to Christians what we do with the fact that we sin well you confess their sins and then he writes on in chapter 12. My little children, so if you have a question about whether any writing to Christians, here goes my little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. That is, John doesn't want us to just live a life of sin.

However, if anyone sins, and the gift is a conditional clause in the Greek language and sins. Anyone will sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, and it's as if he adds, by the way he is righteous and he is the satisfaction for our sin. So let me add just a comment here Paul will write to the believer from this little booklet called blessed assurance that we put together some time ago.

He says we are being put to death all day long, were considered as sheep to be slaughtered, but we overwhelmingly conquer through him from chapter 8 verse 37. I think that such a wonderful text, got in and beloved is your listening because Paul calls his sheep in the previous verse and I calls us conquerors when I think of a conquering animal. I don't think of a sheaf I think of a lien or any goal or an elephant not a sheep. Sheep don't stand a chance. That's Paul's point. It's not the strengths of the sheet which makes us victorious. It is the strength of the shepherd. That's what makes us victorious as we lean on him day and day out in this battle by the way, one more comment friends the mark of of maturity in your life and mine is in sinlessness. Be careful there is in sinlessness.

I believe it's alertness to sin. And I think it's quickness to confess how long does it take you to confess that sin when you send a day a week do you justify the rationalize it it I think maturity friends is when you send your your your grieved and in the amount of time between your sin in your confession. I think as you grow in Christ grow shorter and shorter and shorter. Thank you Steven and thank you so much RB for calling in with your question. There's a lot more that we could say on this topic, but friends I want you to know that Stephen has written a little booklet that I think might help you if you would like to learn just a little bit more about assurance of salvation. It's a booklet called blessed assurance can a Christian lose his salvation. We can give you some more information about this booklet.

If you call us today. Call us at 866-482-4253 before we move on. I want to give you the Bible question line that RB used to call in with his question. If you ever have a question about the Christian faith or the Bible than you'd like Stephen to answer it on a future broadcast, here's the number to call 910-808-9384. Let me remind you that we do not answer that number that is a number that's only set up to record your question, you can record your question will play it on the future broadcast for Stephen to answer, but that number is 910-808-9384 and you can call that number anytime Stephen here's another question we received from Eric Spiro, Junior and I have a question Adam and Eve have a belly button because they were created and I was wondering if Jesus had a belly button. As he was hooked up to Murray. He would grab Murray's blood was in her blood.

Answer law with the murder writing him. Thank you so much for calling in with your question Stephen, there's no doubt that throughout Scripture. Blood is very important. Blood sacrifices in the Old Testament all the way to Jesus dying a bloodied death on the cross for our sins is right, but the I guess the heart of Ed's question is is it that blood that gives us our sin nature will back your first point without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, so we know the Christ's atoning work for us involve the shedding of his blood.

He could've been on the death could've died in an accident for us. He had to literally shed his blood and guts to wonderfully arrange that through the crucifixion, but Ed takes a leap. However, into an area that we we need to make sure we correct there is anything in the Bible that says that sin is resident in the blood. We were told that the life of the flesh is in the blood. That's our life source, but there isn't anything in the Bible it says lied, contains sin, are our sin. Friends comes from our sinful nature which has to be related to simply the union we have is a human being, going all the way back to the source of sin are representative Adam from Adam, we've all received then that sin nature.

Now the wonderful thing about the birth of Christ is that God the father in this wonderful mysterious plan of redemption avoided the sin nature of Adam by avoiding Joseph.

The Holy Spirit miraculously allowed that a within married to be fertilized for Jesus to be conceived so that Jesus because he is an egg of Mary, though, brought to life by means of the spirit in has two natures. He has a human nature. He's fully human. He has human blood. He has a human nature is a human personality is human attributes. He's fully human.

However, he does not have a fallen nature and because of the spirits work. He has a divine nature. So Jesus has two natures, divine and human without having a fallen nature, he would have gotten that from Adam. We call that original sin or inherited sin. Think of this way friends if you ever gone camping and nearby really beautiful stream. You know that's flowing past your campsite anything, get a glass of water. You know, fill my canteen or whatever and you're not aware that upstream a few miles somebody's dumped his trash or poor.

That is old coffee or spoiled milk into that string that streams polluted and it was polluted at its source or its fountainhead. That's what Adam did. Even though we weren't there we were in Adam and he the fountainhead of the stream of the human race. He polluted it and we have that within us well. Can you prove that yeah I sure can.

I've had four children and I never had to teach any of them had a lie or cheat or steal that these are pastors kids Scott C think they'd be especially you know angelic well I'm raising pastors kids to talking about. You don't have to teach the medicine were to get that from you get there from their fallen nature inherited from Adam so I can just were to summarize quickly sin is not in the blood.

Human blood is not filled with sin are human fallen nature is the source of sin that we inherited from Adam. So keep this in mind, and I'm not a doctor and I want to go too far out on this branch but but her mother doesn't give the child his blood or the father they provide DNA material, certainly, but blood is produced by marrow, and that child's blood is any different from his mother's anyway you have a different blood type and Jesus more than likely did. From Mary the Bible doesn't really deal with that and I think because of that word.

I can go too far out on that. It doesn't really matter to the doctrinal content of this issue. That is, sin is not in the blood. Jesus had real human blood. He was a real human baby conceived by means of the Holy Spirit and an egg from Mary so that he is both fully human and fully divine. However, in bypassing Joseph by means of the spirits role in conception Jesus Christ bypass than that fallen human nature that would have been inherited from Adam's even before we leave. Ed's question behind though. I just want to bring you back to this whole idea belly buttons so Adam and Eve and Jesus that have belly buttons. Okay, I can say without any question or doubt that Jesus had a bellybutton he he had an umbilical cord, Joseph had to cut it right there that that lean to stable fully human and his birth.

So yes that what he would've had a bellybutton Adam and Eve, I can say without any doubt that we absolutely do not know the Bible does not tell us.

Thank you so much Ed for calling him. Thanks Stephen also for your for your answer friends.

The number that you can call if you have a Bible question is 910-808-9384 Stephen we have another question that sort of relates it's it's fairly similar to ads and that it gets back to to really the birth of Jesus were now in order to leave by 300 Levi and Judah were you I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much for calling and with that? I do need to tell you that after hearing your question, we had to spend a little bit of time looking up some genealogy is not something that I guess we had memorized her had committed to Harper Stephen. How can we help Marty thank you Marty for calling in genealogies are art challenging issues. In fact, that we sort of get buried here little bit because there are some debates related to is Luke's genealogy truly marries or is it just another way of presenting Joseph sin, and here's what we do know what we do know very clearly taught in Scripture is that Elizabeth was a wife related to Erin. She was Luke chapter 1 verse five says she was from the daughters of Aaron, so that we know Elizabeth was related to Erin. We also know that Zachariah would have been also because he was a priest related to Levi as well.

Now here's what we do not know. This is where church tradition unfortunately creates all sorts of interesting subjects, but they can't necessarily be defended. There's nothing in the New Testament that tells us that Mary and Elizabeth were sisters. We have one text and that's Luke chapter 1 verse 36 where it says refers to Mary's relative Elizabeth.

The King James translates relative cousin and that's their decision. All translations have to make some decisions.

We do know is that they were related, but we don't know how what we can be fairly confident of is that they weren't necessarily sisters they could have been cousins or second cousins.

I think we have every reason to believe then that Jesus and John the baptizer were also related in some way distant cousin, third, fourth cousins were just not sure were not told for sure we do know is that we have the genealogies of Joseph and Mary both of them trace back to the royal line. The genealogy of Mary deals with the official line.

This is going to give Jesus the legal right as the adopted son of Joseph to be the king of Israel. This would satisfy all the Jewish tradition or or or legal rights. Luke gives Jesus right to rain through Mary and I do believe that Luke's genealogy is related to Mary as it relates to the human nature of Jesus. We answered that a little bit earlier in the program. By the way. Another interesting factor is and I was reminded of this in our study. Here's we reviewed the issues is that because of the virgin birth. Jesus is able to avoid the curse of Jehovah come the father of cut Anaya and he's able to sit on the throne where the curse of Jeff and I would've would've precluded any of that from from taking place. Lots of interesting things taking place. II think Marty just wants to know you know Elizabeth and and Mary if they are related.

How can that be if Elizabeth is tracking through the priestly line and I think the answer is very simple.

Were not told Elizabeth and Mary were sisters were not even told their cousins.

Just somehow related in some distant fashion. Both Mary's genealogy and Joseph genealogy though do track back to the royal line.

It is divergent. If you want to study that they're going going to come from different limbs on that family tree, but they do return back to the royal line giving Jesus both the human rights and the legal right to sit on the throne of David. Thank you so much Steven and Marty. I hope that bring some some clarity to it, Stephen. I was thinking as you were talking I have a lot of people in my life that I consider myself to be related to, but we don't share a bloodline related by marriage or there's just lots of ways that that Mary and Elizabeth could have been related.

That's right will thank you Marty for calling and with that question.

The number that she used to call us was 910-808-9384. That number once again is 910-808-9384 just about at the end of our program so were not going to take the time for another question. I do want to remind you though of something that we said earlier in this broadcast the first question related to sin and the assurance of salvation. Stephen has a booklet that is written called Blessed assurance. Can a Christian lose his salvation so wonderful little pocket-size book that I think would be a great encouragement to you if you ever struggle with the idea of assurance of your salvation. You can call us right now at 866-482-4253, or an easy way to remember that 86 648 Bible we would love to talk with you personally over the phone and take your order down if you prefer to communicate electronically, you can send an email to info@wisdom online info@wisdom online.when we come back Monday were going to continue through our current series. I hope that you will make plans to join us this same time next week is