Program #L9—“What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life? (Cont’d)”
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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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(Start) Thanks Mark. I want to title this segment “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” I mean, if there’s one question you really have to figure out before you die, it’s this one: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Well if there’s one person in all history who can answer that question, it’s Jesus Christ.
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I want you to read this for yourself, in Luke chapter 10. This is what I call Luke 10 soteriology, or salvation theology according to Jesus.
Now listen carefully. The man asked
Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied.
“How do you read it?”
The man answered: “‘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.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do
this and you will live.” [1]
Oh my. Did you hear what Jesus said?
Love God and love your neighbor. Do this and you’ll
inherit eternal life! Now it’s true that Jesus died on
the cross to forgive your sins, but according to Luke chapter 10,
if you don’t love God and love your neighbor, then what
Jesus did on the cross doesn’t apply to you! This is
the law of Christ. Love God and love your neighbor. Do this
and you will live.
(Higher) So are you saying,” asks Johnny Lukewarm,
“that if I don’t love God with all my heart and love my
neighbor as myself, then I’m going to hell?” What
if it were true, Johnny, would it change your behavior? The
Bible says this: through love and faithfulness sin is
atoned for…[2] and We know that we have passed from
death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not
love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.[3] And
the Bible also says, everyone who loves has been born of God
and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God.[4]
So if Jesus said in
Luke 10 that you have to love God and love your neighbor to be
saved, then we’ve got to ask: who’s God going to
condemn to hell?
Before we answer that question let me state that I am not any
man’s judge. I don’t have authority over you.
I am your equal, your peer, a member of your generation, and I am
not your judge. But I am called to be a messenger sent from
the One who will judge you someday soon. And here is
God’s message: Love God and love your neighbor. Do
this and you will live.
You know the greed-filled sin of gambling is popular in America?
Satan himself rules your heart whenever you go gambling. Gambling
was once confined to Nevada and New Jersey, but now it’s
legal in 46 states—within driving distance of nearly every
American home.[5] But gambling is
sin. It’s the same as worshipping false gods, because
it proves you love money more than you love God. If you
gamble, your god is Money.
“Oh no, gambling is just entertainment,” says Johnny
Lukewarm. “The casinos call it “gaming”
instead of gambling. It’s just a game.” No,
Johnny Lukewarm, if you’re out there listening, a better
word for it “lust.” You don’t want
entertainment; you lust after money, and you worship the false
god of Money. I can prove it’s not entertainment.
If you couldn’t win any money back, how many quarters would
you put into those slot machines, just to watch the pretty lights
and spinning wheels, if no money could clink out into that tray?
How long would you continue to be “entertained?”
If lottery tickets
didn’t pay back any money, how “entertaining”
would it be to scratch off that little paper ticket? How
much “fun” would that “game” be? If
there was no money at those blackjack tables, how many people do
you think would drive hours out of their way to come and play
blackjack? Not many at all, because there’s no
entertainment in it. You just love money.
You’re full of
greed, and you love money more than you love God. Money is
your god. You are an idol worshipper. Don’t
claim to be Christian while you worship false gods. No
one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve both God and Money.[6]
(Higher) “Well
what about investing in the stock market?” asks Johnny
Lukewarm. But Johnny, if you invest money just to get more
money, you’re an idol-worshipper. People who want
to get rich fall into temptation and a trap…For the love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager
for money, have wandered from the faith. [7] Don’t
wander from the faith to pursue a big 401(K) retirement plan.
Love God, not money.
If you become a doctor or lawyer, just so you can get rich,
you’re an idol-worshipper. Don’t love money.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content
with what you have.[8] Obey the laws of love, not selfishness.
Become a doctor so you can heal people. Become a lawyer so you
can promote justice. Become a soldier or policeman so you
can protect and serve people, not so you can gain personal power.
Politicians, make God proud of your voting record, don’t
just pander for selfish advancement. And everybody else out
there, why do you go to work every day? Just to get
more money? Or do you work because you love your neighbors
and want to serve them?
Greed is everywhere today, even in the church. I hear some
prosperity preachers promoting greed every time they take an
offering. They twist the scripture “Give, and it
will be given to you” [9] into
“Give, so that it will be given unto you. Send
me money, so that God will give you back a 100-fold return!”
They convince their followers to give out of a selfish motive, so
they can get back a greedy return on their investment. They
pollute God’s holy altar. Giving should be an act of
love, not because you want something back. If people give
to this ministry, I pray your motive is to help others, not
because you want some selfish reward. Give because you love
God, and you love your neighbors.
Did you know almost all rich people are going to hell? Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” [10] Yeah, I know, I’ve heard Pastor Loophole out there, trying to water down that scripture. (Lower) “well they had very big needles back then, and it’s actually not too difficult to get a camel through the eye of a needle, so it’s really not that hard for rich people to go to heaven. Just believe Jesus forgives you, even while you continue to enjoy your sins of greed and selfish hoarding.” But that’s a lie. Your big bank accounts prove just how selfish you are.
Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed,” and he told this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you… This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” If you’re rich toward yourself and not toward God, your big bank accounts are going to testify against you on the day of judgment, proving how you loved money more than you loved God. How can you claim to love God whom you haven’t seen, when you don’t love your neighbor, whom you have seen? If you’re rich and you’re hoarding it all for yourself, I charge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sell everything you have, and give to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow Christ. If you love money, get rid of every cent. Forsake your idols and worship God alone.
“How much can I keep for myself?” you ask. Zero.
Jesus said “any of you who does not give up everything he
has cannot be my disciple.”[11]
All your money belongs to God. He’s just loaned it to
you, and you’ll answer to Him for every wasted cent. If
you don’t use it for His kingdom, you’ll hear Him say, “Take
the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten....and
throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”[12]
Hell will be full of rich, selfish men, who squander God’s
money on themselves.
“So are you saying that if I love money, then I’m full
of greed and I’m going to hell?” asks Johnny Lukewarm.
What if it were true, Johnny? Would it change your
behavior? Although the Bible says neither....idolaters
nor....the greedy…will inherit the kingdom of God,[13]
and No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an
idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of
God,[14]
I’ll just say this: Love God with all your heart and
love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will live.
Think about that for a moment, while we take this short break.
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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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Thanks again, Mark.
Did you know that sexually immoral people will spend eternity in
hell? A University of Chicago study found that 83 percent
of adult men and 70 percent of adult women admit to having
engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage.[15]
The Bible calls that fornication, or sexual immorality. A
University of Wisconsin study found that half of all American
adults have lived with a mate outside of marriage. Co-habitation,
or living in sin, has increased six-fold since the 1960’s.[16] But God says the sexually
immoral… their place will be in the fiery lake of burning
sulfur.[17]
Prostitution is rampant in America’s suburbs. (Higher)
“But I’ve never hired prostitutes,” says Johnny
Lukewarm, “that’s only something people do in the shady
part of town.” But Johnny, who are those
“actresses,” taking off their clothes in the
“R” rated videos you rented last weekend? Anyone
who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery
with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin,
gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into
hell. [18]
And who are you video store-owners and cable TV operators out
there, who earn your living by selling sex videos? Are you
no better than pimps who profit by selling your whores over the
television screen? I challenge you with the authority of
Christ, destroy your inventory, and serve God as aggressively as
you’ve been serving the devil.
(Higher) “Are you saying,” asks Johnny Lukewarm,
“that if I watch sexually explicit videos, then I’m
guilty of adultery, and I’m going to hell?” What
if it were true, Johnny? Would it change your behavior?
Revelation 21 says the sexually immoral… their place will
be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.[19]
You know, homosexuality is also becoming very popular in our
culture, but I tell you there’s no such thing as a
homosexual. Not one homosexual exists on the face of the
earth. You show me a man or woman who claims to be
homosexual and I’ll show you a man or woman who was created
by God to be heterosexual. But sadly they were neglected by
their same-gender parent, and longing for love and affirmation,
they looked for an older, same-gender friend to replace that
parent, and then they were deceived by a sexually perverse
grown-up, who craved to fill their depraved sexual appetites with
vulnerable innocent children. It’s called recruiting.
“But homosexuality is genetic,” they say, “God
made me this way.” That’s a lie. God
created you to be heterosexual, but I’m sorry, you got
recruited. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
Any high-school biology student studying Mendelian genetics,
Punnett squares, and Darwinian natural selection will suddenly
realize that homosexuality cannot be genetic. It’s not
possible. They still haven’t proven it’s genetic,
and they never will. Take off your emotional blinders and
think about this for a second.
If a man with dark hair mates with a woman who has dark hair,
odds are their children will have dark hair. If a man with
brown eyes mates with a woman who has brown eyes, odds are their
children will have brown eyes. But if a homosexual man
mates with another homosexual man, odds are good they won’t
have children! So how did they pass along their genes?
Natural selection would’ve made the homosexual gene extinct
eons ago. You people are being fooled! There are no
homosexuals out there!
But here’s another theory for why people act homosexual today: Recruitment. You know, the easiest way for homosexuals to maintain an available pool of perverse sex partners is to recruit your children. That’s why you see their big public relations campaign to “normalize” homosexual sin, beginning with children’s books, and public school ‘education’ campaigns, and children’s television programs, and even legal battles to adopt children. If they can train children to accept homosexuality as normal, it’s that much easier to recruit them. But Jesus said, 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.[20]
“So are you saying all if people don’t repent of sexual
immorality, they’re going to hell?” Although the
Bible says do not be deceived: Neither the sexually
immoral...nor adulterers nor....prostitutes nor homosexual
offenders....will inherit the kingdom of God, and sexual
immorality, impurity and debauchery…those who live like this
will not inherit the kingdom of God,[21]
I’ll just say this: Love God with all your heart and
love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will
live.
Did you know people who are full of hatred, unforgiveness, and murder will spend eternity in hell? (Higher) “Oh, I suppose murderers may not go to heaven,” says Johnny Lukewarm, “but I just get angry now and then. Anger isn’t a sin.” But Johnny, your unforgiveness, anger, and bitterness are sins calling for your destruction in fire on the day of judgment. You have heard that it was said…‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…in fire.[22] You’ve got to forgive. You’ve got to love your enemies.
The United States has the highest divorce rate in the world,
because people just won’t forgive each other. Approximately
half of all U.S. marriages, even Christian marriages, end in
divorce.[23] But what did
Jesus teach? I tell you that anyone who divorces his
wife, except for marital unfaithfulness,[abandonment, or
physical abuse[24]] and marries another woman commits
adultery.[25]
Now will adulterers inherit the kingdom of God? “I
hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel.[26]
Confess your sin to God, that He may forgive you.
“Are you saying if I don’t forgive them, I’m going
to hell? You don’t know what they did to me!”
And you don’t realize what unforgiveness is doing to you.
Jesus said, If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father [in
heaven] will not forgive your sins.[27] Do you realize that if you don’t
forgive what they did to you, then God won’t forgive you of
your sins? Although the Bible says hatred,
discord,… fits of rage…those who live like this will
not inherit the kingdom of God,[28] I
just encourage you to love God and love your neighbor. Do
this and you will live.
Let’s touch on abortion for a moment. I’ll
withhold my personal opinion, instead I’ll just mention a
few statistics, generally acknowledged as true by both sides in
the debate. Since 1972, there have been more than 30
million abortions in the United States.[29]
Today, nearly one in four pregnancies ends in abortion.[30] But only 7 percent of all abortions
involve the threatened life of the mother, the health of the
child, or a victim of rape or incest.[31]
So 93 percent of abortions are just for convenience. Some
describe the babies as “unwanted,” yet for every one
child given up for adoption in America, there are 20 couples on a
waiting list, hoping to adopt.[32]
And they’re not all waiting for white babies either, because
83 percent of abortions are performed on white females.[33]
Do you think God
views a fetus as a human being? The LORD says, “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set
you apart.” [34] God has a plan for every child, even before
they’re conceived. You know life doesn’t begin at
conception, it begins even before conception—in the mind of
God.
Suicide is likewise popular in America, with or without a
doctor’s assistance. Suicide is now the second leading
cause of death among American adolescents.[35]
Of the world’s largest 25 industrialized countries, the
United States rate of suicide for children under 15 is double
that of the other 24 countries combined.[36]
“But it’s my life,” you might say, “Nobody
else can tell me when to end it.” Actually,
you’re wrong. It’s not your life, because your
body belongs to God. You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.[37]
If you commit or assist in suicide, you’re not just a
murderer but you’re also a thief, stealing a life that
doesn’t belong to you. God owns you, and God alone can
decide when your life should end.
“Are you
saying,” you might ask, “that if I participate in
abortion or suicide, God will send me to hell?” I need
not give my opinion. The Bible answers better than
I—“murderers… their place will be in the fiery
lake of burning sulfur.” [38]
“But I know somebody who died while committing these
sins,” you may say, “I don’t want to believe my
friends or relatives are in hell.”
I’m so sad for your loss. Let me clarify that we
can’t know for sure that any one individual is in heaven or
in hell. That’s between them and God. But if the
worst was true, and they were suffering in hell today, what would
that dear person want to say to you? Would they pray to
God, “I beg you, father, send [a messenger] to my family’s
house... warn them, so that they will not also come to this place
of torment.”
But God replies, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let
them listen to them.” [39]
Now before we pray,
I want to encourage everybody listening: don’t think that
other people’s sins are worse than your own. The sins
I have committed, and the sins you have committed, are just as
bad as the sins we’ve mentioned today. And apart from
God’s mercy, none of us deserves to go to heaven.
But Jesus died on
the cross to forgive all of our sins, if we’ll just turn to
him and repent and change our hearts. Love God with all
your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this,
and no matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you and
you’ll have eternal life. Let’s look to Jesus
together, and pray for his forgiveness. Would you pray
these words with me to God? Wherever you are, just stop
what you’re doing for a moment and pray with me to God.
“Father in heaven, I’m so sorry
for my sins. I confess the sin of greed. I have loved
money more than I have loved you, Lord. I confess the sin
of sexual immorality. I have loved pleasure and lust more
than I have loved you, Lord. I confess the sin of
unforgiveness and bitterness and thinking murderous thoughts
about people that you love, God. I forgive them now, and I
ask you to forgive them also, and to forgive me of my sins.
Lord Jesus, I trust in your atoning sacrifice on the cross, and I
ask you to come and rule my heart, right now. In your name
I pray, Amen.”
Did you just pray with me? If you prayed with me, would you
say Amen? Go ahead, say it out loud. Amen, Lord
Jesus. Some of you are receiving a physical healing in your
bodies right now, as God’s forgiveness takes over in your
heart. But if you said Amen just now, I hope you’ll
write to us and get a copy of this book you’re hearing.
I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have this book read
and endorsed by people like C. Peter Wagner, and professors Tony
Campolo and Jon Mark Ruthven, Pastors Ted Haggard and Floyd
McClung, and Joy Dawson and Bill Hamon. So you know
it’s trustworthy. In our book and in our future
broadcasts, we’ll answer the questions you may have about
faith versus works or eternal security, and you’ll hear more
theological adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole.
So I hope you’ll write us and tune in next time. Now I
love you, and I care about you. So here’s Mark with
more 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] Luke 10:25-28 (NIV)
[2] Prov 16:6 (NIV)
[3] 1 John 3:14-15 (NIV)
[4] 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
[5] Reno, Ronald A. “Gambling with America,” Christian American, (Chesapeake, VA, July/August 1996) p. 25.
[6] Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
[7] 1 Tim 6:9-10 (NIV)
[8] Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
[9] Luke 6:38 (NIV)
[10] Matthew 19:23-24 (NIV)
[11] Luke 14:33 (NIV)
[12] Matthew 25:28-30 (NIV)
[13] 1 Cor 6:9-10 (NIV)
[14] Eph 5:5 (NIV)
[15] Edward O. Laumann, John H. Gagnon, Robert T. Michael, and Stuart Michaels, The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1994, p.502.
[16] CNN Headline News, 16 Jul 95, and Family News In Focus, 13 Jan 00
[17] Rev 21:8 (NIV)
[18] Matthew 5:28-29 (NIV)
[19] Rev 21:8 (NIV)
[20] Matthew 18:6 (NIV)
[21] Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
[22] Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV)
[23] Bennett, William J. Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1994), p. 59
[24] 1 Corinthians 7:15 (NIV)
[25] Matthew 19:9 (NIV)
[26] Malachi 2:16 (NIV)
[27] Matt 6:14 (NIV)
[28] Gal 5:19-21 (NIV)
[29] Op. Cit., Bennett, p. 68.
[30] Op. Cit., Bennett, p. 68.
[31] Ibid. p. 69.
[32] Operation Rescue.
[33] Op. Cit., Bennett, p. 69.
[34] Jer 1:4-5 (NIV)
[35] Op. Cit., Bennett, p. 78.
[36] 1997 Suicide Report on Industrialized Nations, CBN News, 8 May 98
[37] 1 Cor 6:19-20 (NIV)
[38] Revelation 21:8 (NIV)
[39] Luke 16:27-31 (NIV)