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Radio Show Transcript, © 2001, Persuade The
World Ministries, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, Servant. Copying
and distribution (without editing) is highly encouraged.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
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Opening introduction by Mark
McWilliams…
Welcome and thank you for joining this radio
broadcast of Persuade The World Ministries. You’re
about to hear our radio production of the book written and taught
by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled “License To Sin,
The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral
Foundation.” If you call us in the next hour,
we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s
broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. Just
call our toll-free phone number: 866-Obey-God. That’s
toll free, 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. Gordon James Klingenschmitt
is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and a
seminary graduate of
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Thanks, Mark. The title of this first
segment is “A Matter of Life and Death,” and I’d
like to begin this entire 18-part series by telling you a true
story about a situation in which I found myself, many years ago.
Now everything I’m telling you is exactly the way I remember
it, except for the names of the people, which I’ve changed
to respect their privacy. When I was a mere freshman “doolie”
at the U.S. Air Force Academy (they called us doolies, from the
Greek word doulos, meaning “slave”), I faced many
seemingly insurmountable pressures that pushed me and my
classmates to the brink of exhaustion. Together we survived
early mornings of physical conditioning, late nights cramming
overloads of technical academia into our already overloaded
minds, long days being “trained” in the classrooms and
on the athletic fields and in the corridors of Vandenberg Hall.
The upperclassmen always seemed to despise our very existence,
and often barked orders at us, telling us just how wrong we were,
no matter what we did. It took only one grueling semester
for God to completely humble me of my arrogance and bring about
my conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. I repented and
desperately cried out for that “personal relationship with
God” I’d never known, and God definitely met me and He
transformed my heart and mind with the Truth of His Gospel.
And He did it just in time, for almost immediately following
that, I faced a difficult challenge in a mid-semester change of
roommate assignments. My two new roommates for the Spring
term were self-proclaimed members of “the brew
crew”—part of a rebellious band of four freshmen doolies
from our squadron, who were determined to party at all costs and
look out for nobody but themselves. The brew crew used to
blow off steam on weekends by drinking as many beers as their
bodies could hold, then sneaking from room to room in the middle
of the night, terrorizing the other sleeping freshmen, by
strapping them into their beds with duct tape, and then relieving
themselves out their second story bedroom windows onto the
sidewalk below (without much regard to anyone who might be
walking there). They’d never really hassled me too
much, because only weeks ago I’d tried to be a pseudo-part
of their clique, and I’d often drank and partied with them.
But now I was a converted Christian and things were beginning to
change.
The leader of “the brew crew” was a strong, handsome,
ex-fraternity jock who transferred to the Academy from
Anyway, Hugh started asking me why I would no longer drink or
party with him, and he seemed very indignant when I offered my
response: “You know, I’m a Christian now, and my
lifestyle has changed.” He didn’t like that
response, and He set out to test my resolve. He commonly
displayed anger, even to the point of violence; his temper flared
so that he often challenged me to fist fights. Those times
when I refused to stand up to him, he would either forcefully
push me, or hit me, or he would verbally denounce me as a
weakling and walk away in disgust. But those times I did
stand up to him, I felt guilty for not turning the other cheek.
Craig remembers watching all this, but I struggled with it at the
time, and I silently withdrew to pray for Hugh, trying to remain
steadfast as a good example without condemning him. Now I
was not a perfect Christian, in the sense that I was just
learning about the Christian faith, and I’m still learning
today. But even at the beginning of my new walk with God, I
worked hard to maintain a perfectly clear conscience, by
confession and daily repentance. (And I still do this
today). Out of necessity during those days, I faithfully
and quietly read my Bible every night before sleeping, using the
night-light at my study desk, right beside Hugh’s bed.
Craig wondered why I put up with Hugh’s abuse, and privately
encouraged me to just retaliate and put an end to it.
One dark and depressing Saturday night in the middle of that
Spring semester, after a terribly stressful week of Academy doolie
life, Hugh returned to our shared room from the beer hall. He
was alone, and I was there at my desk, quietly reading God’s
Word before bed. He ignored me, he grunted a few times, and
then he climbed up into his rack to go to sleep. But for
the next half hour, I sensed that I was being watched. I
glanced behind me to catch Hugh, wide-awake in his bed, silently
watching me as I turned the pages of my Bible. He got down
out of bed and he pulled up a chair next to mine. I could
smell the alcohol on his breath as he began to philosophize and
justify his existence. Apparently, even in his less than
sober state of mind, he felt a small bit of conviction by what he
saw in my life. And he began to speak.
“Gordon,” he said brashly, “ya’ know, I think
you’re O.K.. I see the change that’s come over
your life lately, and I see you reading your Bible all the time,
and I just thought I’d let you know that I can appreciate
your religious convictions.” Now I was amazed. This
was the first time he’d shown me any kind of approval since
my conversion. He slapped his hand firmly on my back, and
continued with a half-smile, “In fact, I want you to know
something about me. You may not believe this by my
lifestyle, but I’m a Christian too. My parents are
both Christians, and I was raised in the church, and I want you
to know that I believe very strongly that Jesus is my Savior, and
that he died for my sins. And, yes, I know that I’m
doing a lot of bad things lately, but I believe God is very
merciful, and He’s going to forgive me. I also want
you to take courage in knowing that someday, Gordon, I’m
going to change. Someday I’m going to settle down and
get married, and have a couple kids, and stop all the partying
and women and drinking, and I’ll get right with God too.
Don’t you worry about me. I’m going to turn out
just fine.”
Now I was absolutely astounded. And I was so young and
immature in my understanding of God’s Word at that time,
that I felt completely unable to respond. I myself
didn’t yet know that Jesus said, “Not everyone who
says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven.” [2] And I’d never
yet read the New Testament scripture where it says, “do
not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral...nor
drunkards...will inherit the kingdom of God.” [3] Yet even though
I’d never previously read these scriptures, the Spirit of
God inside of me was disturbed and grieved by Hugh’s
statement of blasphemy, and blatant mockery of what Jesus had
done for him at the cross. It almost made my stomach turn.
In substance, my
response to him was this: “Hugh, how can you believe
that God is so merciful that he forgives your sins, even while
you continue to enjoy them? I mean, don’t you have to
repent for God to forgive you?”
His response was
warm and soothing, part of some out-of-context sermon he’d
heard in his youth from a liberal pastor—“Nah, God
loves me. And love covers over a multitude of
sins! [4]“ He got this big grin on his
face, and seemed rather pleased with himself, and climbed back
into his rack for the night to go to sleep. But my heart
was deeply grieved for him in his deception, for something inside
of me knew that without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
[5]
The rest of our freshman year at the Academy came and went.
Hugh treated me a little better, and I continued to pray that God
would bring about a true and genuine conversion in him. Our
doolie year complete, we all got “recognized” and
became upperclassmen; we were assigned to new squadrons and new
roommates; we all separated and went on with our lives.
About one year later, one whole year after that late night
conversation I had with Hugh, on a Friday night as I slept in my
sophomore room, I heard a knock on the door. My mind was
groggy as I woke up, and I looked at my clock, which read 3:15
a.m. The door opened, and there stood Craig, my other
former roommate from my freshman year. He walked into the
room as the cobwebs left my brain. I hadn’t seen Craig
in quite a while, but I can’t forget the look on his
face—he was pretty upset about something.
He said,
“Gordon, wake up. I’ve got something to tell
you.” I sat up in bed and tried to focus my eyes.
“It’s about Hugh. He and some buddies were up in
Boulder tonight at a fraternity party. They all drove back
together a couple hours ago, and they were so drunk they
couldn’t contain themselves. So they pulled off the
highway to get out of the car and relieve themselves in the
ditch. But when Hugh crossed the highway to get back into
the car, he got hit by a semi truck. He’s dead,
Gordon. He didn’t even see it coming. The
alcohol killed him.”
I was now fully
awake, and stunned speechless by the terrible announcement.
I thought back solemnly to the year before, all the good times
and bad, and that conversation I’d had with Hugh. He
said he was going to settle down someday and get right with God.
Now Craig knew about my faith in God, so he said, “Gordon, I
want to ask you a question. I mean, like, what about his
soul? You know the kind of lifestyle he lived. I just
can’t help but think that he’s the kind of guy that
might end up in hell for all eternity. Why do I feel like
he didn’t make it to heaven?” This question kinda
caught me off guard, especially coming from Craig, because
he’d always acted kind of like Hugh did.
But I thought for a moment, and then I responded as gently as I
could. “Craig, all I know is what the Bible says.
Either Jesus is Lord of your life, or he’s not.” We
didn’t say much of anything more, as we thought about the
finality of Hugh’s death. But there was nothing that
could be done for him now. His life was over.
Anyway, Craig went back to his room, and I got out of bed. I
wandered the corridors of Vandenberg Hall for hours, crying out
to God for some reason why. “Why did you take him now
Lord? Why didn’t you give him more time?, I
prayed. Surely he would have repented someday, and honored
you, the way you deserve!” My thoughts turned to
Hugh’s soul and I wondered about heaven and hell.
I could just imagine the dreadful dismay Hugh must have felt,
only seconds after he was dead, when he stepped out of his body
and caught a grasp of his new spiritual surroundings. He
must have looked down in horror at his body, now lying dead and
bleeding on the highway. The finality must have been
unbearable, as he realized he wouldn’t have any more chances
to get right with God. He was completely sober now, but
what indescribable horror must have filled his heart, as he
slowly turned to face God alone, fully comprehending the
seriousness of his predicament. What went through his mind
as he walked that long road to stand before the throne of eternal
judgment? What could he possibly say to God when he
arrived? And what if God wasn’t convinced? You
know, the terror he must have felt, moments before he faced
judgment, must have been nearly as painful as the eternal flames
of hell themselves.
So am I saying Hugh went to hell? Maybe he did, maybe he
didn’t. That’s not for me to decide. That’s
between him and God. Yet I have learned, and this is
important, I’ve learned what the Bible says: If we
deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge
of the truth, no sacrifice or atonement for sins is left,
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire
that will consume the enemies of God. [6] That’s in Hebrews 10:26 and 27.
Let me read it again…If we deliberately keep on sinning
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice
for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and
of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
My thoughts turned briefly to the pastor who had told Hugh the
lies of his youth: “You can go to heaven without being
holy. Just believe Jesus is your Savior; we’re saved
by faith. You don’t have to repent of your sins, that
would be salvation by works. The blood Jesus shed on the
cross pays for your sins, even while you continue to enjoy
them!” Oh, I’m sure his pastor wasn’t so
blatant, I don’t know, but then again, his preaching must
have somehow left that impression in Hugh’s mind,
didn’t it? He certainly couldn’t have gone far
out of his way to remove such loopholes from Hugh’s
theology, did he? Now how would such a pastor answer to
God, when God required an accounting for Hugh’s soul? Aren’t
such preachers cowardly false prophets, who tell people what
their itching ears want to hear,[7] filling up the pews every Sunday, but at the
same time laying a stumbling block before blind people that trips
them unknowingly into hell? Surely all such false teachers
will be held accountable by these words of Jesus: “If
anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around
his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to
the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such
things must come, but woe to the man through whom they
come!” [8] Woe to you,
preachers everywhere, if your teaching allows people to enjoy
their deadly sins. Now let’s take a short break and
hear from Mark.
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Middle segment by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon. He’ll be back in just a moment. But first, do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey, then send us your best possible donation, after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time calling us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. And please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, then we need you to sponsor us, by joining the Persuader’s Club with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club, we’ll also send you an autographed copy of Gordon’s book that you’ve been hearing. Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. Or call us in the next hour at 866-Obey-God. Right now, let’s return to Gordon James Klingenschmitt.
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For years now, my heart has ached over the loss of this young
man, Hugh. As I look around me, at the Church in America, I
see thousands, even millions just like him. Are you one of
these? Do you pretend to be Christian with your lips, but
your heart is far from God? Do you believe God exists with
your mind, but refuse to worship Him with your heart and soul and
strength? Preachers, are your evangelistic meetings and
literature filled with flowery verbiage about forgiveness, while
you remain silent about God’s demand for immediate
whole-hearted repentance and holiness? Now let me ask you
listening to me right now. Do you believe in Jesus as your
Savior, but refuse to submit to him as your Lord? You know,
Jesus is described 24 times in the New Testament as Savior,
but 603 times as Lord.
Millions of
Americans pretend to be Christian in name, when all their selfish
efforts resist God and make a mockery of the cross with their sin
and compromise. But the destruction of such people was
foretold by Jesus in Matthew chapter seven. Jesus
said “Many will say to me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord’....and I will tell them plainly,
‘I never knew you. Away from me you evil-doers!’”
[9] So just because you say
you’re going to heaven doesn’t make it true. You’d
better study God’s Word a little closer. You
can’t say one thing and do another, and get away with it.
Now you listening to me right now, in your car, or in your home,
what do you hear God’s Spirit saying to you right now?
Do you claim to be a Christian, but act like a non-Christian?
Do you think like Hugh did? How many lies are lodged in
your theology, allowing you to delay repentance and wallow in
your sins? How many of God’s commands have you
ignored, just because you think God forgives you? Let me
say this: Jesus Christ will never save you from hellfire
unless He first saves you from your deadly sins. And how
can Christ save you from your sins, while you continually and
willfully embrace them with a death grip that will not relent?
I’m asking you, right now. Forsake your sins before
they destroy you. Repent deeply before God. If Jesus
Christ isn’t the Lord of every aspect of your life, fall on
your knees and make Him your King, right now. Today God
sets before you the choice of life and death, heaven and hell.
Choose life, and live.
Let’s take a moment to pray. Would
you pray this prayer with me? Go ahead and say these words
along with me…
“Father
in Heaven, I’m so sorry, for taking your mercy for granted,
when I have not fully repented. I now repent of my known
sins. [Take just a moment to name specific sins, especially
that one you’re thinking about right now.] God, I
forsake these sins completely. I willfully change the
desires of my heart. I choose not to love my own selfish
pleasures, but God I want to love you with all my heart. I
change the choices in my heart, from disobedience to complete
obedience. I choose absolute submission to Jesus Christ as
Lord of every part of my life. I’m no longer my own
boss, Lord Jesus, you are my boss from this day forward.
[Now ministers of
the Gospel, pray with me] If I have misled people in my
preaching, by allowing them to continue enjoying their sins, I
now repent. I choose instead to devote my life to learning
and speaking God’s truth, about the necessity of repentance
and holiness.
[Now everybody
pray] Father, I receive your forgiveness, and I receive
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as the only acceptable payment
to satisfy God’s justice, for those sins which I’ve
whole-heartedly forsaken. I receive your cleansing
forgiveness, right now. In the name of my
Lord, Jesus Christ,
I pray. Amen.” Now I’d like to ask you to
raise your hand if you prayed with me. Wherever you are, if
you’re in your car, or your house, or in front of other
people, I don’t care. I want you to raise your right
hand up in the air to God as a sign that you just prayed with me
and gave your heart back to God, entirely and without
reservation. Go ahead. God sees your heart. Did
you mean what you prayed? I know you did, and so does God.
Now if you just raised your hand, I want you to write to me and
get a copy of this book that you’re hearing presented right
now. I love you and I care about you. Here’s
Mark again, with that information.
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Closing trailer by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon, and thanks everybody for listening. Do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember that we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey God about how much these teachings are worth to you, and return to us your best possible gift after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time contacting us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D, and please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Now do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, we’re specifically asking you to join the Persuader’s Club, and to sponsor this radio broadcast with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club as a monthly partner, we’ll send you an autographed copy of the book you’ve been hearing, written and taught by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled, “License To Sin, The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral Foundation.” Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. That’s persuaders-club.com. It’s the monthly donations of our Persuader’s Club partners who keep this program on the air. Now if you have comments or questions about today’s broadcast, you can email us at “persuadetheworld@yahoo.com,” Or you can write to us. Or you can always call us toll free, at 866-Obey-God. And if you remember, please tell us the call sign of the radio station you’re listening to. May God bless you, and thank you for supporting Persuade The World Ministries. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
[1] Names changed to respect privacy.
[2] Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
[3] 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)
[4] 1 Pet 4:8 (NIV) Note in context that Peter is directing people to love one another, not describing God’s love toward sinners.
[5] Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
[6] Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV)
[7] 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
[8] Matthew 18:6-7 (NIV)
[9] Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV)