------------------------
Radio Show Transcript, © 2001, Persuade The
World Ministries, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, Servant. Copying
and distribution (without editing) is highly encouraged.
-------------------------
<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
-------------------------
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
-------------------------------
Thanks Mark. I want to title this segment of our teaching,
“The Rulership of God.” When Jesus walked the
earth, he taught with one particular purpose in mind. All
of his teachings, miracles, and actions were dedicated to
bringing forth perhaps only one message to anyone who would
submit to it. And what’s that one message? The
Jesus said, “I
must preach about God’s kingdom...this is why I was
sent.” [1] At the beginning of
his ministry, he called out the invitation—“Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is near.” [2] And what about
after his death and resurrection? What did Jesus tell his
closest friends just before he ascended into heaven? The
Bible records that Jesus appeared to them...and spoke to them
about the
To begin, we must define the term “kingdom.” There’s
a big difference between a kingdom and any other form of
government. For example, in a democracy, the masses of
people are in charge. The people discuss issues, gather in
political parties, try to persuade other people to agree with
them, elect leaders, and support or reject those leaders every
few years. Whatever the people want, ultimately ends
up written into the law.
But in a kingdom,
there’s only one who reigns supreme: the King. This
King holds all the authority that exists in that system. The
King makes all the decisions, he appoints all the government
officials and military leaders, he writes the laws any way he
chooses, and he commands the people’s respect and obedience.
Whatever the King wants done is done without question. Whatever
pleases the King becomes reality in the lives of other people.
A kingdom, therefore, is simply a place where a King rules.
The Kingdom of God, then, is that place where God rules. His
will is done perfectly there, without exception. His
subjects come under God’s rulership, and they submit to
God’s wishes. They do everything that pleases him, and
nothing that displeases him. Whatever God wants to happen,
it happens in His kingdom.
But God’s
kingdom is not geographical. It is moral and spiritual.
That’s why Jesus described it, saying “nor will
people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’
because the kingdom of God is within you.” [4] In other words, it’s not a matter
of geographical boundaries on a map, it’s a matter of
individuals submitting their hearts to the king. And
God’s subjects aren’t governed by force or by sword,
they’re governed by persuasion and love. Listen, we
have freedom, to either submit our hearts to the king’s
rulership, and be blessed as a member of his kingdom, or to obey
the rulership of some other king and deal with the natural
consequences of that decision.
Now God’s will isn’t always done here on earth. People
don’t always do what God wants. This is obvious both
in scripture and in today’s newspapers. God
doesn’t rule in the hearts of most people. Why? Because
they’ve chosen foolishly, to submit to only to themselves as
god, instead of wisely worshipping their Creator and receiving
His blessings. But there is hope. God has given us a
means, a method, a doorway for entering into His kingdom. It’s
called (are you ready for this?) repentance, or forsaking of sin,
or whole-hearted submission to his rulership. Don’t
despise the word repent; it’s Biblical, and it’s the
method God himself created for us to enter his kingdom! Jesus
said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
[5] In other words, there’s the door to
God’s kingdom! Enter in!
And so everywhere Jesus went, he brought a sample of God’s
rulership. Jesus did this by example, with his personal
submission to God’s rule, but he also did it with his words
and miracles. How did Jesus teach us to pray? “Let
your kingdom come, let your will be done, here on earth in the
same way that it is already being done in heaven.” [6] Apparently, up in heaven, everyone loves
to submit to God’s rulership. Now you listening on the
radio, let me ask you a question. Would you be comfortable
going to heaven, if when you got there, God ruled there, and you
didn’t?
In another place in the Bible, we see Jesus casting a demon out
of a boy, and he explains it like this: “If I drive
out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come
to you.” [7] In other words,
“Look everybody! God’s will is being done. God’s
rulership is taking over in this boy’s life!” Other
examples also demonstrated God’s kingdom.
Jesus preached repentance, healed the sick, raised the dead, and
performed many miracles, why? So that people would wake up
and submit to God’s rule. Finally, Jesus took on
the awe inspiring task of purchasing our redemption on the cross,
making a way for us to be saved from our deadly sins, by the
atoning sacrifice of His shed blood.
Now for you listening to me on the radio, let me ask you a
question. When Jesus went to the cross, what did that do
for you? Did he forgive your sins so you could
continue to enjoy them without fear of punishment? Did he
set you free from God’s rules, so that you wouldn’t
have to submit to God, and you could still go to heaven? Or
let me ask it this way: In a battle, does a King forgive
enemy soldiers while they continue to wage war against Him?
Or does he demand they surrender, throw down their weapons, and
join His side? Have you somehow managed to sneak in the
back door of God’s kingdom, without first submitting to
God’s rule, without bowing your knee before His throne?
Christ will never be your Savior unless He’s first your
Lord. And he’ll never be your Lord until you repent
deeply of all of your known sins, and submit your heart
completely to His authority. Don’t leave any stone
unturned. Don’t deceive yourself, because God knows
your heart and He’s not being fooled.
Would you pray this prayer with me? Go
ahead and say these words along with me… “Father
in Heaven, I confess that I haven’t submitted to You and
made You my King. I have never entered Your kingdom. But
I now repent, and change my heart toward complete submission and
loyal service to You, and Your Son, Jesus Christ. I
voluntarily cease all rebellion to Your rule, and I invite You to
rule my heart and soul from this day forward In the
name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”
Now would you just
raise your hand if you prayed with me. Did you mean what
you just prayed? If you prayed that prayer and meant it,
raise your right hand up in the air. God sees your heart.
Now if you just prayed with me, I want you to write to me and get
a copy of this book that you are hearing presented right now.
Here’s Mark again, with that information.
-------------------------
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.
-------------------------
Thanks again,
Mark I want to title this segment, “A License To Sin,”
which is the same as the title of the book that you’re
hearing me teach from based on Jude, verse 4:
“For
certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have
secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who
change the grace of our God into a license for immorality
and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
Now in early church history, when Jude was writing to the new
Christian Church, there were a lot of heresies and false
teachers. There still are today, but that’s why God
wrote the Bible, to preserve the truth, which today we call
“orthodoxy.”
One particular first century sect of false teachers and heretics
were named “the Antinomians.” Their name
antinomian was derived from the Greek words “Anti”
(against), and “Nomos” (law). They were
literally, “against law” teachers of lawlessness, who
believed the following:
Number 1, Jesus Christ came to abolish the laws of God, setting
Christians free to do as they please without consequence. (But
Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the
Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them
but to fulfill them.” [8])
Number 2. Antinomians believe since Jesus provided mercy by
atoning for our sins on the cross, man can be saved without
obedience to any of God’s laws. (But when Jesus was
asked, in Luke chapter 10, “What must I do to inherit
eternal life?” he required obedience to the spirit of
God’s law, the law of love. “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as
yourself, Jesus said, Do this, and you will live”
or gain eternal life Look that up in Luke chapter 10,
and we’ll talk in depth about that in a future broadcast [9])
But anyway, the Antinomians believe (and this is point number 3 )
that since Jesus brought the age of grace, Christians are free,
not only from the laws of Moses, but from the laws of God. (But
the Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9, “though
I myself am not under the law [of Moses]… I am not
free from God’s law but am under Christ’s
law…” [10])
Point number 4. Since a man is justified by faith apart
from observing the law [of Moses],[11] Antinomians concluded
that the law [of Christ] is likewise nullified and we don’t
have to uphold the laws of love. (but Paul refuted
Antinomianism, saying in Romans, “Do we, then, nullify
the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the
law.” [12])
Number 5. Antinomians believe that since we’re under
grace, we can sin aggressively, embrace selfishness, and still go
to heaven. Do you see their heretical logic here? But
we know it’s a lie, because Paul said in Romans, “Shall
we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no
means!” [13]
6. Antinomians believe the more we sin as Christians, the
more merciful God appears, and the more glory he receives. (But
Paul said, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may
increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any
longer?” [14])
So in summary, the Antinomian false teachers were those who
pointed to God’s mercy (the Cross of Christ), and used it as
an excuse to live in continual sin. They rejoiced and
celebrated Christ’s victory on the cross, because it not
only set them free from the laws of Moses, it set them free from
any need to submit to God! “I’m so thankful for
what Jesus did for me at the cross,” they would say,
“now I don’t have to love God or neighbor, I don’t
have to let God rule my heart, and I can still go to
heaven!” Do you see their argument?
But I’ll tell you this, the Antinomian message is only a
thinly disguised message from Satan himself—persuading man
to reject God’s authority. In the early church, these
lies led many astray into sin and even into hell. But the
writers of the New Testament, Jude, Paul, James, John, rebuked
these Antinomian false teachers as heretics, and defeated their
ideas by writing the Bible. The early Church fought tooth
and nail against Antinomian teaching, but She prevailed.
Unfortunately today in America, these Antinomian false teachers
have quietly resurfaced and they’ve gained a lot of power in
our churches, without being detected, or rebuked, or exposed as
liars. Many of today’s most popular sermons are
laced with subtle antinomian lies. And spiritually,
I’m afraid that Christian orthodoxy in America lies in great
danger. Listen, everybody, if we don’t protect
orthodox truth in American churches, America is going to die
spiritually.
Many assume our nation’s problems are caused by politicians,
or the courts, or the education system, or Hollywood. But I
think it started in our pulpits.
So how does the Antinomian heresy sound today? Before I
explain that, let’s again consider the words written by
Saint Jude: “For certain men, whose condemnation
was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.
They are godless men, who change the grace of our God
into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ
our only Sovereign and Lord.” [15]
Now ponder that for a second. Stop and pray for revelation.
Father in heaven, how could somebody take your grace, and change
it into a license for immorality?
I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. It has
several licenses in it. Here, for example, is my drivers
license. I got this license on my 17th birthday,
when I passed my drivers test. It has my picture, and my
address, and it gives me a power that I didn’t have before
they gave it to me. What’s that? Obviously,
I’m now allowed by law to drive a car. Before I got
this license, I could have been arrested and punished for driving
a car. But now that I have this license, I can drive all I
want. And if any authority ever demands proof that I’m
allowed to drive, I can just flash my little license card, and
they can’t punish me.
Also in my wallet, I have a type of license that says
“Public Library” on it. It was absolutely free
for the asking—didn’t cost me a thing! And now
that I have a library card, I have permission to do something I
couldn’t do before: check out books. Before I
got this license, I could have been arrested and thrown in jail
for stealing, if I’d tried to walk out with their books.
But now, this little license card lets me check out all the books
I want without penalty.
I have one more license here in my wallet, and it may surprise
you, but I hope it gets the point across. It’s a
little red card, and I received this card years ago, on the day I
“accepted Jesus as my Savior.” Across the top it
says in big, black letters, “LICENSE TO SIN.” This
card is very useful, and has helped me ease my conscience
hundreds of times.
My license to sin is red, because the blood of Jesus is my
atonement, and he paid for all of my sins when he died on the
cross—even if I don’t forsake them, even if I
don’t repent of my sins, even if I continue to enjoy my
sins. After all, God is merciful, isn’t he? And
there’s no expiration date, so it’s valid for eternity,
because Jesus paid for my past, present, and future sins, even
while I continue to enjoy them. And anytime I feel like
sinning, I just flash this card up to heaven, and (it works every
time!) God just turns his head and ignores my sin. He
doesn’t see me sinning, he’s only looking at what Jesus
did for me on the cross. It’s great! No
punishment, no fines, no jail term, and certainly no hellfire.
Perhaps my favorite way to use this “License to Sin” is
when I’m reading my Bible, and I come across a command of
scripture that makes me uncomfortable. This license gives
me the power to pick and choose which scriptures I feel like
submitting to, and which ones I can freely ignore, just because
they’re inconvenient. After all, Christ is my
righteousness, so I don’t have to be righteous.
I even heard a Christian song on the radio the other day, telling
me how “God always looks at me through rose colored
glasses.” Have you heard that song? I guess
God’s rose-colored glasses just filter out any appearance of
unrepentant sin in my heart—so that God’s eyes are not
the slightest bit offended.
And I recently
heard a sermon on TV about God’s mercy, telling me
“when God looks at you, all he sees is a little ‘Jesus
Mask’ over your face!” and he ignores my rebellion and
forgives me anyway—even while I continue to enjoy my sins.
And whenever I read
that bumper sticker that says: “Christians aren’t
perfect, just forgiven”—I thank God that I don’t
have to be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is
perfect,[16] or be holy in all
you do…just as he who called you is holy,[17] and I don’t have
to beat my body and make it my slave,[18]
or actually obey every command He gives,[19] because after all, I
can sit back and take it easy! THERE’S GRACE
FOR ALL THAT STUFF!
Now, do you see it?
The grace of God has been changed into a license for immorality.
That’s the heresy Jude is warning us about.
With sincerity now,
I hope my facetious, tongue-in-cheek logic starts to convict you
toward immediate repentance. Right now God is purifying his
church from all these Antinomian lies, but here’s the truth
to replace those lies: God does not forgive those sins which
we continue to enjoy. Let me say that again, God
does not forgive those sins which we continue to enjoy.
There’s no such “grace” for
sins you knowingly and willfully embrace. If you continue
to embrace your known sins, you’re in rebellion against God.
If you remain a rebel when you die, you’ll be treated like a
rebel when God judges your soul, no matter how many licenses you
carry in your wallet. There’s no such thing as a good
excuse to keep sinning. No red-filtered lens can deceive
God into pretending your rebellion doesn’t exist. Unless
you repent deeply and submit your heart to God’s rule, your
only future is in the eternal flames of hell.
Now yes, Jesus died
on the cross for you, but if you don’t forsake your known
sins and embrace Christ as Lord, not just Savior but Lord, then
what he did on the cross doesn’t apply to you. Hebrews
10:26 says this, 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.
[20] Let every false hope you’ve ever
leaned on for your salvation be utterly destroyed. Without
holiness, no one will see the Lord. [21]
Now as you consider that, let me draw your attention to the One
True Hope, our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
He can save you and separate you from your deadly sins. He
is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his
glorious presence without fault and with great joy.[22] God’s
rulership is very close to you—even within arms reach.
God offers you a trade. Will you give up your sins and
receive God’s rule over your heart?
Again, Christ
wants to save you from your deadly sins without cost, but it will
cost you your deadly sins. Will you let go of them?
Will you allow Him to separate you from your sins, as far as
the east is from the west, so far has he removed our
transgressions from us? [23]
Even if you’ve been a “Christian” your entire
life, perhaps right now is the first time you realize you need
Jesus to be your Savior and Sanctifier from sin. Run from
any Antinomian false teaching, into the arms of Jesus who can
save you from your deadly sins. It says in Matthew that
they gave “him the name Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins.” [24] He’d not be loving
if He left you in them. But if you refuse to be saved
from your deadly sins, then you refuse the salvation which Christ
offers. Open your heart to Him now, and let’s
pray. Would you pray this prayer with me? “Father
in Heaven, I am undone before you. I am left without any
excuse or argument for my sins. I just can’t hold on
to them any longer. I release them now, willfully and
forcefully, forsaking all known sin and asking you to fill me
with your life and holiness. I offer my heart to
Christ’s strong, saving hands, and ask to be made clean, to
be rescued and separated from my deadly sins. Renew my
mind, Father, and teach me what it means to be holy and love You
with all my heart. I renounce the false beliefs I’ve
held, and all association with false teachers. I commit to
leaving them, and finding a church that preaches holiness and
teaches the Bible. Lead me by Your Truth, and fill my heart
with Your love. Come and rule my heart forever, Lord Jesus.
In your name I pray, Amen.” Now if you prayed with me
just now, I want you to raise your hand. I don’t care
if anyone else is watching. Stop what you’re doing and
raise your right hand in the air. Did you mean what you
prayed? I know you did. If you just prayed with me, I
want you to write me and get a copy of this book you’re
hearing me teach from. I love you and I care about you.
Here’s Mark with that information.
-----------------------
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.
--------------------
<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
[1] Luke 4:43 (New Century Version)
[2] Matthew 4:17 (NIV)
[3] Acts 1:3 (NIV)
[4] Luke 17:21 (NIV)
[5] Matthew 4:17 (NIV)
[6] See Matthew 6:9-10
[7] Luke 11:20 (NIV)
[8] Matthew 5:17 (NIV)
[9] Luke 10:27-28 (NIV)
[10] 1 Corinthians 9:20-21 (NIV)
[11] Romans 3:28 (NIV)
[12] Romans 3:31 (NIV)
[13] Romans 6:15 (NIV)
[14] Romans 6:1-2 (NIV)
[15] Jude 1:4 (NIV)
[16] Matthew 5:48 (NIV)
[17] 1 Peter 1:15b, a (NIV)
[18] 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NIV)
[19] See John 14:15-24
[20] Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV)
[21] Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
[22] Jude 1:24 (NIV)
[23] Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
[24] Matthew 1:21 (NIV)