Program #L15—“The Theological Adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole:  Inability (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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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 Regent University, holding both M.B.A. and Master of Divinity degrees.  He’s also the founder and servant of Persuade The World Ministries, a 501(c3) tax-exempt religious non-profit corporation in Colorado Springs, dedicated to persuading individuals in America and throughout the world to forsake their sins and submit their hearts and minds to the loving rulership of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  And now with today’s teaching, here is Gordon James Klingenschmitt. 

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Teaching by Gordon James Klingenschmitt…

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 2^nd 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. 

(Start) Now let’s continue with Loophole #23, entitled “You’ll never get rid of your flesh.”  So here’s Pastor Loophole again. 

(Lower) “Johnny, holiness is just not possible in this lifetime, because your physical body, your flesh, is inherently sinful.  Your flesh is full of hormones and wicked desires which you can never control, so it’s not possible to be totally free from sin until you die, and you leave your flesh behind, and you can finally be holy up in heaven.  But not during this lifetime.  And if holiness isn’t possible in this lifetime, it must be optional.  You can go to heaven even if you’re not holy.” 

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 your physical body, or your flesh, will be tempted in this lifetime, but that doesn’t mean you have to sin.  If your stomach is hungry, you’ll be tempted toward gluttony, but you don’t have to give in.  If your hormones are raging, they will tempt you toward sexual immorality, but you don’t have to give in to that.  You can learn self-control, and master the desires of your flesh in this lifetime.  It really is possible to live a holy life--not after you die--right now!  You know, the only visible difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is mastery of the flesh? 

Christians are tempted by their flesh, just like non-Christians are.  But Christians are not ruled by their flesh.  Even Jesus was tempted by his fleshly desires, but He didn’t give in.  And you don’t have to either.  And the Apostle Paul was tempted by his sinful nature, and he described that wrestling with his flesh in Romans 7.  But then in Romans 8, he got set free by the empowering Spirit of God.  Paul wrote that we could be controlled not by the sinful nature [the flesh[1]] but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.[2]  That’s the secret of mastering your flesh.  Just invite the Spirit of God to come and rule your heart. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. [3]

Don’t believe that holiness is impossible in this lifetime.  It’s not only possible, it’s mandatory, or you won’t make it to heaven.  The Bible says, With God, all things are possible, and it also says, without holiness, no one will see the Lord.  If the Spirit of God lives in you, you can live a life of self-control, and master your flesh, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. [4]

OK, not let’s switch gears again, and hear Loophole #24. 

            (Lower) “You’re only human, Johnny,” says Pastor Loophole, “everybody makes mistakes.  Nobody’s perfect.  We’re all human, so you can’t be holy 100% of the time.  Even Michael Jordan—the best basketball player in the world—couldn’t hit all of his free-throws. So if holiness isn’t possible all the time, then it must not be required.  You can go to heaven without living a holy life, because after all, you’re only human.” 

TIME OUT !!  Let’s look at the scriptures everybody.  First I want to acknowledge, nobody’s perfect when it comes to knowledge or judgment or ability to reason or mental or physical ability.  We’re all imperfect human beings in these areas.  But the lie is that no human being can be morally perfect in this lifetime, and everybody make mistakes morally.  That’s a lie!  Sins aren’t mistakes.  Sins aren’t accidents.  When you sin, you do it intentionally, not by accident!  The Bible says, Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.[5]  So just because you’re not a super-genius or a super-athlete doesn’t mean you can’t be perfect in your character.  You can be and you must be.  The Bible says, Anyone who claims to live in [Christ] must walk as Jesus did. 

            Now in our last broadcast we proved three different ways that perfect holiness is possible in this lifetime.  If you missed it, write us and request cassette number L14.  But for this teaching, let me clarify that moral perfection is different than physical or mental perfection.  For example, the Bible teaches that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.[6]  Jesus was morally perfect.  But that doesn’t mean he was perfect in knowledge, because he admitted he didn’t know the time of his return.  And that doesn’t mean he was perfect physically—it’s possible that Jesus tripped on rocks and spilled some milk, and he probably missed a few free-throws on the basketball court.  But these are accidents; they’re not sins.  Jesus wasn’t perfect physically or mentally, he was perfect morally.  When Jesus played basketball, he committed zero intentional fouls.  So it’s OK if you’re not perfect mentally or physically, but you must be perfect morally, just like Jesus was. The Bible says, Anyone who claims to live in [Christ] must walk as Jesus did.

Now when you sin, don’t say, “Well I’m only human.”  That’s no excuse.  Your humanity doesn’t excuse you, it just proves how guilty you are.  You’re not an animal without conscience or soul.  You are not a wild beast who feels no conviction or remorse or knows no right or wrong.  God didn’t create you to be a slave to your lusts and sensual urges, like pigs or dogs.  You are a human being, you’re created in the image of God, and you have a free will, and a conscience that knows right and wrong, and you have complete moral faculties.  And since you’re a free moral agent, and not an animal, you’re completely responsible to choose what is right.  After all, you’re only human. 

Now here’s Pastor Loophole again, with Loophole #25.  

            (Lower) “Oh, I suppose holiness might be theoretically possible,” says Pastor Loophole, “but nobody’s ever achieved it except Jesus.  The Bible says ‘all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.’ [7] and ‘if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ [8]  So anybody who claims to be holy is a liar, Johnny.  And if nobody but Jesus was actually holy in this lifetime, then you can’t be holy either.  Do you really think you can equal the holiness of the second person of the Trinity?  Nobody’s ever achieved that level of holiness, so if it’s not possible, then it must not be required.  You don’t have to be holy, and you can still go to heaven.  Jesus forgives your sins, even while you continue to enjoy them.” 

TIME OUT!  Let’s go back to the scriptures everybody.  Let’s rightly divide the word of truth.  First, I want to acknowledge the true part.  It’s true that everybody in history has sinned at some point in their life, except Jesus.  We all fallen short, and we all need a Savior, and Jesus was the only man to live a sinless life over His entire lifetime.  But the lie is that after you become a Christian, and after you confess and forsake your known sins, that you still can’t live the rest of your life in actual holiness, just like Jesus did.  That’s a lie!  You can walk in consistent holiness, and the Bible is full of people whose behavior was blameless, just like Jesus, after they got saved.  In fact, the Bible says in 1^st John, no one who has been born of God will continue to sin…He cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

            Did you know the Bible lists dozens of people, who lived blameless and sinless lives, living in consistent actual holiness for extended periods of time, just like Jesus did.  And if they lived consistently holy lives, then we can too.  

For example, Adam and Eve lived morally perfect lives.

            (Lower) “Adam and Eve were not holy,” says Pastor Loophole.  “They sinned when they ate the fruit off that tree!”  Yes, they did.  But how many days, months, or years did they walk in the garden with God, before they fell, living in actual, perfect holiness?  Before they sinned, didn’t they walk in perfect holiness, just like Jesus, for some definite period of time?

Here’s another example—Did you know King David only sinned once in his entire lifetime?  The Bible says in 1^st Kings 15, that King David did what “was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.”[9]  Now if David lived in sinless perfection, for many years before that one sin, and many years again after he repented of that one sin, then it must be possible for us to do that too. 

The Apostle James lived a holy life. 

Do you think James was a hypocrite, or did he practice what he preached?  He said: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” [10]  James practiced what he preached.  He lived a holy life in faith and in deeds.

The Apostle Paul lived a holy life. 

(Lower) “Paul wasn’t holy,” says Pastor Loophole.  “Paul wrote in Romans 7, ‘what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.’”  [11]  Ah, yes.  But then he got saved.  In Romans 8, Paul rejoices because he’s free from sin:  “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death…”

And then he wrote, “My conscience is clear.” [12] And he said, “Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world…in the holiness and sincerity that are from God…” [13]  And he said to the Thessalonians, “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.”[14]  Holy, righteous, and blameless.  Sounds like Jesus, doesn’t it?  Actually, it was Paul. 

(Lower) "But Paul wasn’t perfect," says Pastor Loophole.  "He had a ‘thorn in the flesh,’ or a messenger of Satan who tempted him to fall into sin."  Ah, yes, but what was God’s promise to Paul?   God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  You know, when you’re weak and being tempted to sin, God’s influential, strengthening grace can empower you to live a holy life.  The Bible says Jesus is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault.   Don’t tell Him His grace isn’t strong enough to save you.  It was strong enough to save Paul, because Paul wrote, “In Christ we.....have been made holy, and have been set free from sin....” [15]

Now I’ll be back in a minute, with more examples of holy, blameless people, other than Jesus.  But now let’s take a 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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Teaching continued by Gordon James Klingenschmitt…

Thanks again, Mark.  Did you know the Apostle John lived a holy life? 

            (Lower) “John wasn’t holy,” says Pastor Loophole.  “John said ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ ” [16]

Ah, yes.  John wouldn’t claim to never have sinned.  Only Jesus has never sinned.  Anyone who claims they’ve never sinned is a liar!  But what happened after John confessed and repented of his sins?  The next verse says, If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.[17]  Was John purified from all unrighteousness, or do you think he just kept on sinning until he died?

            He must have been purified, because he later wrote, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him…No one who is born of God will continue to sin,…he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”[18]

Did you know the Apostle Thomas lived a holy life? 

            (Lower) “Thomas was not holy,” says Pastor Loophole.  “That’s why they called him the doubting Thomas!”  Yes, but that’s before he repented.  After he repented, he called Jesus “My Lord and My God!”[19] Then he became a missionary to India, and became a martyr, like the other holy, holy disciples who followed Jesus.  Can we at least be as holy as Thomas was, and repent and call Jesus, “my Lord and my God?”

Did you know the Apostle Peter walked in actual holiness, just like Jesus did?

            (Lower) “Peter wasn’t holy,” says Pastor Loophole.  “Peter denied Jesus three times!”  Well, yes, he did.  But that was before.  After he repented of that, God empowered him to live a holy life, and he preached, ”just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy.”[20]  And he also wrote: “he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.” [21] Now when Peter was suffering and being crucified upside down for his faith, was he done with sin by that point, or do you think Peter continued to sin right up until he died?  No.  Peter said, “he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.” 

Now Jesus and the Apostles weren’t the only people to walk in consistent holiness for an extended period of time.  Many of the early Christians everywhere lived holy lives.   

            Peter wrote to them, “You have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers…you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…”[22]  They were a holy nation, not unholy. 

And many at the Church at Corinth were holy. 

            Some preachers label the Corinthians as ‘carnal Christians.’  But there’s no such thing as a carnal Christian.  God only sees Christians, and non-Christians who pretend that they’re saved and going to heaven when they’re really not.  Anyway, Paul described the Corinthians as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus…who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours…He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ [23]…[Carnal sinners] is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified…” [24]