Program #L14--“The Theological Adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole: Inability”
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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. Today we continue our mini-drama entitled “The Theological Adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole.” You may remember our characters, Johnny Lukewarm, and Pastor Loophole from our last broadcast. But before we re-introduce these two characters, let’s read again from 2nd Timothy chapter 3. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” People often turn to counselors who tell them what their itching ears want to hear. As is the case with our character, Johnny Lukewarm, who comes into Pastor Loophole’s office to get advice…
(Lower) “Please have a seat, Johnny. What seems to be
bothering you today?”
Johnny’s brow furrows with concern. (Higher)
“Pastor Loophole, I’m very upset about this particular
passage of scripture. It seems as though God is commanding
me to do something I really don’t want to do. Do I
really have to repent, and stop sinning, and obey God? Or
is there some other alternative?
(Lower) “Why, certainly there is, Johnny, you just relax.
I can offer you dozens of alternatives, and give you very logical
reasons why you don’t have to obey God.”
(Higher) “Oh, thank goodness. For a minute there, I
thought I’d actually have to change my behavior and obey
God!” Johnny breathes a sigh of relief. He sits
forward eagerly, with his itching ears searching for some way of
escape from the Holy Spirit’s conviction. But the
Spirit of God is grieved away, and He slowly withdraws his
conviction from Johnny’s life.
Now let’s continue with Loophole #19,
entitled “Perfect holiness is not possible.” So
here’s Pastor Loophole again.
“Perfect
holiness is just not possible to achieve in this lifetime,”
says Pastor Loophole. “I mean, can any human being
really live a perfectly holy life? If God demands absolute
perfection, then none of us can ever meet God’s
standard—it’s just too difficult. And since
perfect holiness is not possible, then it must not be required
for salvation. Perfect holiness is a nice goal, but
it’s never fully reachable. That’s why Jesus died
on the cross! So you could go to heaven without holiness.
Jesus forgives your sins, even while you continue to enjoy some
of them! If perfect holiness is impossible, it must be
optional when it comes to salvation.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the
scriptures everybody, and analyze Pastor Loophole’s advice.
Let’s rightly divide the word of truth, and separate the
truth from the lies in the advice given by Pastor Loophole.
First, I want to acknowledge the true part. It’s true
that God has high standards, and without access to God’s
help, nobody could be perfectly holy. But the lie is that
even with God’s help, you can’t be holy in this
lifetime. Here’s the truth to replace that lie: With
God’s enabling, strengthening help, you can be holy in this
lifetime. And not only is holiness possible, it’s
mandatory for eternal life. The Bible says, without
holiness, no one will see the Lord. The truth is that
God does not forgive those sins you continue to enjoy. And
Hebrews 10 says, if you deliberately keep on sinning, no
sacrifice or atonement for your sins is left, and what Jesus did
on the cross doesn’t apply to you.
Now let’s talk about these two words for a moment: “perfect
holiness.” Say them out loud. “Perfect
holiness.” What do you think? Is it possible for
you to achieve perfect holiness? Don’t say
‘no’ right away, what does the Bible say about perfect
holiness? You know, these aren’t my words,
they’re in the Bible. Jesus commanded, “Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”[1] And God commands, “Be
holy, because I am holy.” [2] Now whatever God
means by these commands, “be perfect,” and “be
holy,” let’s everybody first agree these commands
didn’t originate in my mouth, they came from the mouth of
God. Jesus said, be perfect. And God said, be
holy. So if you refuse to “be perfect” and
you refuse to “be holy,” you’re not rebelling
against me and my teaching, you’re rebelling against God.
Now what does God
mean by these words, “be perfect” and “be
holy?” Instead of making up our own definitions of
these words, let’s find God’s definition of
“perfect holiness.” Let’s not create some
different standard—either higher or lower—and pretend
it’s the same as God’s standard. Perfect holiness
is doing everything God requires—nothing more and nothing
less—only what God himself requires in the Bible. Now
can you at least agree that if you meet all of God’s
requirements for perfect holiness, then you are perfectly holy?
Even if some theology professor looks at you and disagrees.
If God says you’ve done everything He requires, then
you are perfectly holy.
OK, so what does God require for perfect holiness? Jesus
said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This
is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is
like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
[3] Did you know that all of God’s
requirements can be summed up in two commandments, Love God and
love your neighbor? The Bible says, Love one another,
for he who loves…has fulfilled the law. The
commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not
murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as
yourself” Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.[4] So if you love, you automatically
fulfill all of God’s other commands. Even his commands
to “be perfect,” and “be holy.”
If you love God and love your neighbor, you automatically fulfill
all of God’s requirements for perfect holiness. The
Bible says, He who loves…has fulfilled the law.[5]
So if you love God
with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, you are
perfectly holy, not according to my definition of perfect
holiness, but according to God’s definition of perfect
holiness. So this leaves us just one question: Is it
possible in this lifetime, to love God with all your heart, and
love your neighbor as yourself?
Now I’m going to give you three
theological proofs that it is possible to love God with
all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Perfect
holiness is possible in this lifetime. And if loving
God with all your heart is possible in this lifetime, then
it’s required, not optional. Now if loving God with
all your heart is not possible, then it can’t be required.
But perfect love, or perfect holiness, are possible in this
lifetime, and I can prove it three different ways.
Here’s proof number 1:
This is what I call the “God’s
justice” proof. Let me ask you a question. Is
God full of justice? Yes. The Bible describes God as
a just God. He treats people fairly. He’s not
unjust or unfair. OK, then let me ask this: Does God
reward obedience and punish disobedience? Yes. The
Bible says God rewards people when they obey, and punishes people
when they disobey. OK, now here’s my last question: Is
it fair or just, for God to give you an impossible command, and
then punish you when you’re unable to obey? Let me ask
a different way. If God commanded you to perform an
impossible task, and you couldn’t do it, would it be fair
for God to punish you for disobedience? No way! This
proves that all God’s commands are possible to obey. God
is just and fair, and God will never command you to do something
you’re unable to do.
Just imagine if God said to Johnny Lukewarm,
“I command you. Flap your wings and fly.”
“But I don’t have any wings,
God,” says Johnny, “I can’t obey you.”
“Then you will be punished,” says
God.
“But God, that’s not fair!”
says Johnny, “How can you punish me for disobedience, when I
don’t have any wings? That’s unjust!” You’re
right Johnny! The God of the Bible would never command you
to do something impossible. The God of the Bible only
commands you do things you’re fully able to do! So
when God commands you to be perfect, and be holy, and love God
and love your neighbor, it must be actually possible to do these
things. If it wasn’t possible, God would be unfair to
give commands like that.
Now here’s proof number two:
I call it the “all you have”
proof.
Jesus says in Luke 10, “‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your
mind’” [6] That’s what he
requires: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and
strength. Now did Jesus say, Love the Lord your God with more
heart than you’re able to have, with more soul than
you’re able to give, with more strength than
you’re able to muster, and with more intellect than
you’re able to think?” No! God only
requires all you have, not more than you have.
Or let me ask it
this way. Does God require 101% of what you’re able to
do, or just 100% of what you’re able to do? If God
requires everything you’re able to give, does He demand more
than you’re able to give? If God requires you do all
you are able to do, and nothing more, then are you able to do
what God requires? If perfect holiness requires only that
which is possible, then is perfect holiness impossible?
Of course not. As Charles Finney once said, “To deny
that entire obedience to God’s law is possible is to deny
that a man is able to do as well as he can.”[7] If perfect holiness
requires only what is possible, then perfect holiness, by
definition, is possible!
Now here’s proof number three:
I call it the “enabling Christ”
proof.
Let’s imagine that you are completely
weak and unable to obey God, but you have access to Jesus Christ,
who can strengthen you and enable you. The Bible says, The
Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my
feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me
to go on the heights.[8] Now if you’re completely unable to
obey God, but you have access to Jesus who can enable you and
strengthen you just enough to make it possible for you to obey
God, then is it still impossible for you to obey God? Are
you unable to obey, when you have free and open access to Divine
Ability Himself? Don’t call Jesus impotent. He
is strong, and able to save you from all your deadly sins. The
Bible says, He is able to keep you from falling and to present
you before his glorious presence without fault? [9] Now when you say
perfect holiness is not possible, you’re saying Jesus
isn’t strong enough to make you perfectly holy! Surely
the arm of the LORD is not too short to save. [10] He will keep you strong to the end,
so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ.[11]
Again, if perfect
holiness is impossible for you alone, is anything impossible for
you plus God? With man this is impossible, but with God
all things are possible.[12] What is impossible with men
is possible with God.[13] Let all these lies, that
“perfect holiness is impossible” and “we’re
not able to be perfectly holy” vanish in the presence of an
Almighty God. Everything is possible for him who believes.[14]
Sovereign LORD… Nothing is too hard for you.[15]
With God’s help, you can obey all His commands, even
“be perfect,” and “be holy.” With
God’s help, it’s easy to love God with all your heart.
Don’t say perfect holiness is impossible. What is
impossible with men is possible with God.[16]
Everything is possible for him who believes.[17]
Now think about that, 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
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Thanks again Mark. Let’s continue
with Loophole #20, entitled, “You can’t know enough to
be holy.” Here’s Pastor Loophole again.
“It’s impossible to be holy in this lifetime,”
says Pastor Loophole, “because we can’t know everything
God requires. It takes an entire lifetime to learn what
pleases God. Only when you see God face to face will you
know enough to be holy. You’re probably committing
sins everyday, and you don’t even realize it! No,
sanctification is a lifelong process, and only after you die will
you know enough to live a holy life.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the
scriptures everybody. First, I want to acknowledge the true
part. It’s true that in this lifetime we don’t
know everything about God, and in our ignorance, we might
accidentally violate some of God’s commandments that we
haven’t yet learned. But the lie is that accidental
sins you commit in ignorance are even sins in the first place.
It’s only a sin if you know what you’re supposed to do,
and don’t do it. The Bible says, Anyone…who
knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.[18]
Sin requires knowledge of right and wrong. If you
don’t know right from wrong, God doesn’t view it as
sin.
That’s how brand new believers can live in actual holiness,
even when they don’t realize that their actions appear
sinful! New believer might not realize they’re walking
in sin. And until the Holy Spirit reveals that sin issue to
their heart, they’re not responsible to deal with it. If
they don’t know better, they’re innocent of all
crime—white as the driven snow. That’s why Adam
and Eve we totally innocent in the Garden of Eden—because
they didn’t know right from wrong—they hadn’t yet
eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.[19] And that’s why mentally ill people
are often found “not guilty” by reason of
insanity—because they don’t know right from wrong.
But that’s also why we who teach will be judged more
strictly.[20]
Because we know right from wrong. And that’s why Jesus
said to the teachers of the law, "If you were blind, you
would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see,
your guilt remains.[21] And that’s why Paul wrote, “Sin
is not taken into account where there is no law.” [22]
And that’s why God provided atonement, for the sins the
people had committed in ignorance.[23] If you walk in ignorance, and you
don’t know right from wrong, then God doesn’t hold you
accountable to obey rules you don’t know about.
But if your sins
are not committed in ignorance, Johnny Lukewarm, watch out!
If you know better, and you deliberately continue to embrace your
sins, fear God! The cross covers sins of ignorance, but if
you’re walking in intentional sin, then what Jesus did on
the cross doesn’t apply to you. Forsake your known
sins immediately!
“That
servant who knows his master's will
and…does not do what his master wants
will be beaten with many blows. But
the one who does not know and does
things deserving punishment will be beaten with few
blows. [24] If you know
what God wants, you’re accountable to do it. But
even if you don’t know everything God requires, you can
still be holy in this lifetime, just obey the rules you know.
Especially these two rules, which encompass all the other ones
anyway: Love God and love your neighbor.
OK, let’s change gears again, and go on
to Loophole #21, entitled, “Constant Thought.” Here’s
Pastor Loophole again.
“You can’t be holy all the time. If we had to love God all the time, that would require we constantly think about God, 24 hours a day. But can you love God while you’re asleep? Or while you’re doing a math problem? No, we can’t be holy all the time, it’s just not possible. And if holiness isn’t possible, it must not be required.”
TIME OUT! Let’s look at the
scriptures again, and analyze Pastor Loophole’s advice.
The true part is that living a holy life requires you love God 24
hours a day, around the clock. But the lie is that loving
God 24 hours a day means your mind has to be focused on God 24
hours a day, and you have to walk around your house with your
hands up in the air, worshipping God 24 hours a day. You
don’t have to do that to be holy. Holiness is taking
time to love your neighbors. It’s being kind to your
enemies, and loving your children, and even taking care of your
own body, as long as you’re not being selfish about it.
Jesus loved God 24 hours a day, but that doesn’t mean he
stayed awake 24 hours a day. Jesus loved God even while he
was asleep! So it must be OK if we sleep too, as long as
we’re not lazy and slothful. And Jesus was a
carpenter, so he must have maintained perfect holiness, even
while his mind was occupied with building furniture. Holiness
doesn’t require constantly thinking about God. People
have this screwed up concept of what holiness looks like, and
sometimes we make it harder than God does. Just love God
with all your heart, and prioritize the time you have. Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.[25]
OK, let’s change gears
again—let’s hear Loophole #22—entitled,
“Partial repentance is good enough.” Here’s
Pastor Loophole again.
“Johnny, you don’t have to be absolutely perfectly holy
to get into heaven. I mean, Christian conversion involves
‘real change,’ but not absolute perfection. If
you just forsake most of your sins, that’s close enough.
You don’t have to forsake them all. Partial repentance
is close enough. After all, perfection is just not possible
in this lifetime, so it must not be required.”
TIME OUT! Let’s look at the
scriptures again. Did you know Jesus commanded us to
“be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect?”
That’s not my teaching, that’s the teaching of Jesus
Christ. Jesus said you’ve got to love God with all
your heart, not just part of it. And all your soul, not
just 90% of it. And with all your mind and with all your
strength. You can’t partially repent. You’ve
got to forsake all your known sins, and make Jesus the Lord of
every part of your life. Now if a man deliberately embraces
1000 known sins before conversion, and he repents of 999 of them,
but he willfully and deliberately continues to enjoy 1 tiny sin,
does God forgive that one tiny sin he hasn’t repented of?
No way. Hebrews 10 says if we deliberately keep on
sinning after receiving 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.
If you haven’t
repented of all your known sins, you haven’t repented at
all. A little yeast can spoil the whole dough. Anything
less than total submission to God’s rule is not submission
at all. God demands your unconditional, immediate, and
total surrender. No one who continues to sin has either seen
him or known him. [26]
Now some people might call this teaching
“perfectionism.” But if you want to slap me with
a label, then put that label on Jesus too. Jesus said, “be
perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
I’m not talking about physical perfection, or mental
perfection. You don’t have to be a super athlete, like
Michael Jordan, or a super genius, like Albert Einstein. Just
love God with all your heart. Just love your neighbors at
least as much as you love yourself. Just do everything
you’re able to do. That’s all God requires.
He’s not demanding the impossible. Just love God as
much as you can. If you love God as much as you can, and
love is made complete and perfect in your heart, you’ll have
nothing to fear. Just walk in perfect love, like Jesus did.
But if you refuse to walk in perfect love, like Jesus did, then
don’t claim to be a Christian. The Bible says, This
is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must
walk as Jesus did.[27]
Let’s pray together. Would you
pray these words along with me, to God. Go ahead and say
them out loud. “Father in heaven, I want to love you
with all my heart. I want to be perfect in the way I love
you. I don’t want to hold anything back. But I
choose right now, to love you with every ounce of my strength,
and every part of my mind, and with all my soul. I forsake
all my known sins, right now Lord. Even the tiniest one I
can think of. I hate my sins, and I ask you to come into my
heart right now and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Come
and be the Lord of every part of my life right now. I
surrender all. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
Did you just pray with me? If you just
prayed with me, would you raise your right hand up to God? Wherever
you are, it’s OK. Just raise your right hand up to
God, as a sign that you prayed with me and gave your heart back
to Him. Some of you are receiving a physical healing in
your bodies right now, as God’s loving rulership takes over
in your heart. But if you prayed with me, whoever you are,
can I ask you to write to me and get a copy of this book that
you’re hearing me teach from? In our book, and in
future broadcasts, we’ll answer the questions you may have
about faith versus works, or eternal security. So I hope
you’ll write to us and tune in again 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
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
[1] Matt
[2] 1 Pet
[3] Matt 22:37-40 (NIV)
[4] Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)
[5] Romans 13:8 (NIV)
[6] Luke
[7] Charles G. Finney, Systematic Theology,
Bethany House Publishers,
[8] Habakkuk
[9] Jude
[10] Isa 59:1 (NIV)
[11] 1 Cor 1:8 (NIV)
[12] Matthew
[13] Luke
[14] Mark
[15] Jer 32:17 (NIV)
[16] Luke
[17] Mark
[18] James
[19] Genesis 3:6 (NIV)
[20] James 3:1 (NIV)
[21] John
[22] Romans
[23] Heb 9:7 (NIV)
[24] Luke 12:47-48 (NIV)
[25]
[26] 1 John 3:6 (NIV)
[27] 1 John 2:6 (NIV)