In this episode of Classic Christianity Radio, Bob George leads us through an enlightening discussion on the power of forgiveness and the liberation that comes with truly understanding God’s word. We explore the profound impact of offering and receiving forgiveness, and how it can transform our lives. Bob emphasizes that trials and tribulations often teach us valuable lessons about grace, and that it’s through these experiences we can share comfort with others. Listen in as we delve into the essence of forgiveness — not just as a concept, but as a liberating practice that Jesus himself exemplified.
00:00:04 Introduction to Classic Christianity Radio
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George. Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.
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And whoever this person was that did something to you, you can cry out the same thing. Father, forgive them. They didn’t know what they were doing. Was it evil? Absolutely, it was evil. Was it bad? Absolutely, it was bad. Can God take it and use it for good? Yes, he can. How? By teaching you about his comfort. By showing you what it means to be comforted by the hand of God. And so that we can reach out to others with that verse of scripture. What a great God and Savior we have. Who comforts us in all of our problems. So that we too can comfort others with the same comfort that we have received from God. Why does he allow us? And when I say that allow us, the reason he allows us to go through trials and tribulation is because he gave free will to man. And then as much as man has a free will, then man is going to choose to do evil if he so chooses to do so. And God allows that because he isn’t going to take the free will away from man. But why do we go through these things? Why do we go through these trials and tribulations that we go through? To give us comfort? You know, if we never had a trial or a tribulation, how do we ever understand grace? To give us comfort. How come? So that we can turn around and comfort others with the same comfort that we have received from God. Forgiveness. How many of you have somebody in your heart that you’ve never truly forgiven? Do you know when you don’t forgive a person, you not only punish yourself, but you absolutely punish the other as well? Forgiveness. To be able to say, I forgive you. You screwed up, and I forgive you. Greatest words you’ll ever hear. It’s almost like that commercial, thank you. Great words, I forgive you. And to allow that to be true in your life, that I know that there have been trials and tribulations. I know that there have been things that you have done and I have done that are so far out of God’s will that we don’t even need to talk about it. But I forgive you. The greatest words you’ll ever hear. Jesus Christ came to forgive. He died on a cross and suffered to forgive. And he says, forgive one another in the same way as I’ve forgiven you, forgive one another. And yet our old prideful hearts will sit there and hold on. I’d like to do that, but if I do, I might get hurt again. How many of you ever thought that? If I forgive this person, they’re going to do it again to me. What’s that called? Speculation. Fantasy. You don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. What I have learned in life, that 90% of the things that I worry about never do come about. How many of you have ever seen that take place? So Jesus was saying to us, if you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free, free from all of these demons, so to speak, that grab a hold of our minds. And grab a hold of our souls and keep us in bondage. Because if you need to be set free, it’s because you’re not free. And no one is free apart from being set free in Christ Jesus. There’s no way to be free apart from being set free from the air that binds us. And the air that binds us is all through this world that we live in today. And the only truth that we’re ever going to go to to find out what is real… is to go to the Word of God. It’s the only book on the face of this earth that you can go to and know that when you pick it up, you’re going to read 100% truth. And that truth will set you free from the air that occupies our minds. The people answered him, we’re Abraham’s descendants and have never been a slave to anyone. He didn’t understand who he was talking about. We’ve never been a slave. Here these people were absolutely in bondage to the legalistic system that they were a part of, in bondage to the rules and regulations. But they were saying, no, no, we’re not slaves. How can you say that we need to be set free? There are people today who are sitting there, what do you mean I need to be set free? I’m already free. Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now, folks, look at this. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. How many of you out here in this room and in the sound of my voice could say that you’re a slave to sin? If it says anyone who sins is a slave to sin. How many of you have sinned? How many of you have sinned today? What does he say you are? You’re a slave to sin. Now he says a slave has no permanent place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you’ll be free indeed. If you’re a slave to sin, you have to be set free from that. Now what does that mean? Set free that you’ll never sin again? There are people who believe that, that you come to Christ and lead a sinless life. Have you ever heard that one? You’ll never sin again? I had a guy tell me that one time. I said, let me interview your wife. And he had the audacity to do so. He put her on the phone. But she didn’t stay on very long. Folks, when you’re talking about being freed, you’re talking about that if you’re a slave to sin, there’s a consequence, is there not, to sin? And again, what is the consequence? Death. And you’ve got to be freed from that. It’s not that you and I, as a born-again believer, if we ever sit down and think that when I became a born-again believer, I’ll never sin again. Is that practical? I mean, is there anyone who will go along with that? Then this room is just full of lost people. And you shouldn’t be listening to me because I’m lost too. Are we together on that? But the issue is that we’ve been set free from being a slave to sin. We have been set free from the consequence of sin, which is death by the gift of God itself. which is life. And when the Son has set you free, you shall be free indeed and free for how long? How long have you been set free from the consequence of sin, which is death? Forever. He said, I know you’re Abraham’s descendants and yet you’re ready to kill me. Why? Because you have no room for my word. Now, folks, these are religious people. These are people who know the word of God from beginning to end, and many times had the majority of the Old Testament memorized. And yet he’s saying that you have no room for my word in your heart. Now, is there any difference between what Jesus was speaking and what the Old Testament was saying? I mean, isn’t all that the Word of God? What was the difference in what Jesus was saying? He was teaching us the meaning of the Word of God. The Bible taught what it said. Jesus came and said, I’m going to teach you what it means. I want to ask you a question, guys. Do you put your faith in what the Bible says or in what the Bible means? Which is it? All together, what is it? What it means. If you don’t know what it means, you don’t know what it says. And so a computer knows what the Bible says, but a computer does not know what the Bible means. Neither do you and I, unless Jesus reveals it to us. And that’s why you can be teaching in a Bible study. And if a person is not born again, you may as well be talking to a rock. And you can teach a person what the Bible says, and you can then teach them what it means because you are born again, and the Spirit of God has revealed to you what it means. And you can teach what it means to somebody who’s lost, as clear as a bell, as logical as you can get, and they sit there and say… I don’t understand that. How many have ever run into that? I don’t understand that. Let me see the hands. How many have ever taught a Bible study or been in one where somebody’s sitting there that is just dumb as dirt? I mean, they just don’t understand anything. Why? Because the Spirit of God doesn’t live in you. The Bible tells us that. If you don’t have the Spirit of God living in you, you do not understand what the Bible means. Now, you may be able to quote it all day long just like an actor as to what it says. But if you don’t know what it means, you don’t have anything to put your faith in. And so he says, even though you know what the Bible says, you have no room for the word that I’m giving you, which is what it means. You don’t have any room in your heart for that because you’ve already determined what it means by leaning on your own understanding. And so you don’t have any room for true understanding. All you’ve got room for is your man-made understanding. You have people today who have grown up with false teaching, unbelievable type of false teaching. And when you tell a person truth about that, there’s no room in their heart for it. This is what I believe. This is my tradition. I’ve been taught this. So don’t tell me these other things because I don’t believe them. There’s no room in my heart for truth. So he said, I’m telling you what I have seen in my father’s presence. And you do what you have heard from your father. I’m telling you what I have seen in the father’s presence. And you do what you have heard from your father. And they said, Abraham is our father. They answered. And Jesus said, if you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the things Abraham did. Catch this one. As it is, you are determined to kill me. A man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does. We’re not illegitimate children, they protested. The only father we have is God himself. And Jesus said to them, if God were your father… You would love me for I came from God and now I’m here. I’ve not come on my own, but he sent me. This is why my language is not clear to you because you’re unable to hear what I say. The language of truth of Jesus is not clear to a person who’s unable to hear what you’re saying. You can talk to a lost person. And the language that you speak, the language of God, isn’t clear to a person. A person whose heart is hardened by legalism. You don’t hear truth because you’re unable to hear what Jesus is saying. Here’s why. He said, you belong to your father, the devil. And you want to carry out your father’s desires. Folks, there’s two fathers. You got father the devil. And you got God the father. And you’re going to worship at the feet of one of those two.
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Classic Christianity Radio thanks you for your support of our online and radio ministry. Make sure to visit bobgeorge.net to order a copy of the Closer Look Bible Study Series. A Closer Look Bible Studies features eight in-depth study guides that detail hundreds of Bible verses to help you deepen your understanding of the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. A Closer Look Bible Study Guides are an excellent tool for both individuals and larger Bible study groups. Please visit bobgeorge.net to order your copy of A Closer Look Bible Studies as well as many other wonderful books, CDs, and study guides. With your support, we can continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Let’s continue now with our Classic Christianity radio program.
SPEAKER 02 :
And when you’re talking about worshiping at the feet of the devil, then it says that your desires are going to be to carry out The devil’s desires to carry them out. I want to ask you a question. Do you think that a person that is walking around wanting to destroy people and kill people and blow up people in the name of God, who is their father? The devil. The devil. The devil. People in this day and age that are walking around saying that we believe in Allah, that may be true because Allah is the devil if what they’re doing is the devil’s works. To carry out the devil’s works in the name of God. And that’s exactly what was taking place with the Pharisees. The only difference is instead of blowing up buildings in New York, they were planning to kill God himself, the son of God. Probably one of the worst atrocities when you think about that could ever have been committed is to kill God. Kill God. That’s what pride will do for you. We’re told that this God that you worship, the devil, he’s a murderer. And he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. For there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language. He’s not talking in a foreign language. He’s speaking his native language. Why? Because he’s a liar and he’s the father of lies. The father of lies. And yet Jesus says, because I tell the truth to you, you don’t believe me. Why? Because your father is the father of lies. How many of you ever felt that you’ve ever had a satanic attack? In any way, shape, or form. Demonic attack, satanic attack. Now, those of you who didn’t hold up your hands, how many of you have ever had some satanic thoughts come into your head? Let me see your hands. Then how many of you have had a satanic attack? Whenever you think things that are contrary to God, who is putting that into your heart? When you have fear… Who’s putting that into your heart? He said, God didn’t give you a spirit of fear. Now, that’s in the Bible, isn’t it? God does not give you a spirit of fear, but of love and of a sound mind. How many of you believe that to be true? So when you have thoughts of fear, now I’m not talking about fear if all of a sudden a lion jumped into this room and started coming toward the stage. I’m not talking about something like that. That’s natural fear. I’m talking about fears in the mind. I’m talking about the speculation that we put in our minds, the fantasies that we put into our minds. And how many of you have ever sat there, you know, again, your husband is late for dinner. And you’re sitting there cooking dinner. And he’s late. Well, now the occasion is he’s late for dinner, isn’t it? That’s what reality is. It’s 6 o’clock and he’s supposed to be here at quarter till. That’s reality. He’s late. And so you get mad because he’s 15 minutes late. Then your mind starts going backwards first. He was late yesterday, too. In fact, he was late twice last week. He was late four times the week before. And before long, you got about 40 mads worked up toward the back. Everything he’s ever done wrong in the past is right now in the present. How many of you ever done that? Now, that isn’t good enough, you see. So now you start thinking toward the future. I’ll bet you that slob’s going to be late again tomorrow. And probably the next day and one of these days, I’m going to be sitting here cooking dinner, about 105 years old, and he’s going to be late for my funeral. And now I’ve got about 100 mads working over one thing. He’s late for dinner. Now, all of that other is what? It’s called fantasy land. Is there any reality to that? No, it’s fantasy. It’s just what I’m thinking that’s going to happen. Now, do you know what’s going to happen? Not unless you’re God. You don’t know what’s going to happen. So you just think you know what’s going to happen. And it is so convincing that we become convinced that whatever I think is going to happen is real. Don’t we? I mean, that’s reality. So don’t confuse me with facts my mind’s made up. And it’s reality to you. Your emotions do not know whether that’s true or whether it isn’t true. All your emotions are doing is responding to what you’re thinking. And your emotions are merely responding. He’s going to be late for the next 10 years. I’m mad about that. He was late for the last 10 years. I’m mad about that. And my emotions are responding proportionately. And that’s how we become basket cases emotionally. That’s all fantasy land, folks. There’s no reality to that at all. It’s all fantasy. What you do know is today, right now, this moment, I’m cooking supper and he’s 15 minutes late. That’s what you do know. Nothing else. The past is over, the Bible says. The future is God’s country. So he says live one day at a time. Now, when we don’t do this, what happens to us? Well, we get into self-pity. How many of you ever had self-pity? And how many of you ever kind of had a pity party? And then you try to invite people to it and no one wants to come and that makes you even more pitiful. And you get all of these things, these emotional things that take place as a result of just not letting go and not living in the present. And just dealing with the present instead of quit dealing with what’s happened in the past. Quit dealing what you think is going to happen in the future. None of that, guys, is from God. Do you understand that? Your past thinking is not from God and the future thinking is not from God. Period. Get it into our heads. It isn’t from God. Sounds like it is. He always tells it right in your nice voice. And you put it as yours and you claim it as your thinking. But it isn’t from God. That’s fantasy. So what does he say to do? He says, quit believing the liar. I’m telling you the truth. Believe me. I’m telling you the truth. Do not continue believing the liar. You live in the present one day at a time. What does that mean? There’s only one time that I can praise Jesus. That’s right now. I can’t praise him yesterday. It’s gone. What I did yesterday is over. That’s why Paul says, forget the past. Press on to the high calling of Christ Jesus. If you don’t forget the past, you’re going to live in the past. And your past is going to always be present if you don’t forget it. Do you realize that? Your past mistakes are always going to be a present mistake if you don’t forget it. Am I right or wrong? And if you’re after someone who’s made a mistake, their past mistake is always going to be a present mistake in your mind if you don’t let go of it. So he says, forget the past. He says, press on to the high calling of Christ Jesus, the future. Whose business is the future? If I knew what the future is going to be, I’d know who’s going to win the election Tuesday. I’d make a million dollars on the stock market if I knew what was going to happen just an hour in advance. I could make millions of dollars on the stock market. The future belongs to God. So he says, whenever you start thinking about the future, forget it. That’s God’s country. Praise me the only time you can, and that’s right now, today. Praise me today. Thank me today. Be grateful for what I’ve given you today. Be thankful you’re alive today. Praise God that whatever’s happened to you in your past, you can learn from it and experience from it. If you don’t learn from it, you’ll have another one. Because God is going to let you learn. Praise God for what’s happened. Praise God for what you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow. It’s God’s country. Forget the past. It’s over. And learn to praise Jesus one day at a time. That, my friends, is truth. And he says, believe me and be happy. Let’s pray together. Father, it seems like in our lives, it’s just like sometimes we hang on to clothes that are so old that they’re about to fall off the hanger and we just don’t want to get rid of them. That we do the same thing with past resentments. We must learn that if we’re going to live in peace and be free, that we have to hand these things over to you. I thank you, Father, for the forgiveness that you have given to each and every one of us. I thank you for the forgiveness that you’ve given to me. So many times I have thoughts that I know are not of you. Sometimes resentments that I know are not of you. And I just have to praise you for your patience and your love in my own life. And I thank you, Father, for the love that you’ve extended to each and every one of us so deeply that our minds can never really fully comprehend it. But we can apprehend it. And we thank you for that as well. I thank you, Father, for every person within the sound of my voice. And I pray that if today something was said that will enable them to let go of the past and past resentments and hurts, to teach us how to release these things into your hands forever. So we thank you, Father, for what you’ve taught us and pray now that you will enable us to go and to have a great day in the Lord, to walk in him, to love him, to trust him. And to give Him the praise in all things. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.
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Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another, and praise the Lord. Amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Put Jesus first in your life and turn your life around.
