In this episode, Bob George delves into discussions on tithing and the sacrificial system, examining their places within the old and new covenants. Listeners also gain insights into maintaining truthfulness and simplicity in their walk with Christ. Through real-life queries, Bob emphasizes the timeless essence of gospel truths and the need for the modern Christian world to return to the core simplicity found in Christ, shedding the complexities and misunderstandings often introduced by human traditions.
00:00:48 Discussion on Spiritual vs Physical Healing
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George. Today we are pleased to present a special radio show featuring call-in listeners from Bob’s original people-to-people daily radio program that was on the air for over 30 years, offering real answers for real-life problems as he addresses common questions as well as the tough issues of today, directing callers to the centrality of Christ in you, your only hope of glory. We want to remind our listeners that Bob George Ministries needs your financial support to continue to have Classic Christianity Radio on the air. Please visit BobGeorge.net to find out how you can help support us financially. Let’s now join Bob as he presents practical biblical insights as he helps people experience a life of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s go to Raleigh, North Carolina, listening on WPJL. Alan, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hey, Bob, how are you doing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Fine, thanks.
SPEAKER 06 :
Great. Hey, Bob, I’ve got a question. I guess we need to be enlightened about this. In the book of, I’m sorry, the book of, out there, chapter 53, and when it talks about Christ on Calvary and how he was bruised for iniquities and he was wounded for iniquities and a chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we were healed. Is that talking physical as well as spiritual healing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely not. There’s nothing physical in that whole context. And in so doing, Alan, to me, what gets me is it diminishes what Christ Jesus came to do. He came to take away sins. And when you’re trying to pull into there such a feeble thing as just getting your arm repaired or your eye repaired, instead of seeing the… The fall of man. Yes, I wish people would get this into their head. We were fallen creatures. We had no hope, he said, without the covenant. We had nothing except death. Mm-hmm. And to think that he went to a cross, was pierced for our sins, Christ for our iniquities, and the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. What is the punishment? Death. What was brought upon him? death what did that bring for you and me peace and by his wounds were healed anything talking about physical healing there we all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned our own way and the lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all it tells you what it’s talking about yet people want to go in there and say oh that’s physical healing and to me the more that i hear this and the more i see if you begin to wonder are there any well christians And if they were, well, what in the world would you do in one of those meetings except sit and observe somebody else? I mean, that isn’t what the Christian life’s about. Remember when Peter, when Jesus was at Peter’s home and the man came to him the next day and he said, Lord, they’re waiting on you to come in there and heal some people. And he said, no, I’m going on to other towns and proclaim the gospel for that’s why I came. I didn’t come to be a healer. I came to save people.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hey, but Bob, you know, I read the other night and I was trying to, I studied the Bible a lot, and I was looking at the book of St. Matthew in chapter 8, and it talked about when Peter’s mother was healed by Jesus when he went into Peter’s house, and then it says this was a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah. And I was wondering, was that referring back to that scripture?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, obviously it isn’t referring back to that scripture because he’s not talking about physical healing. Okay. I mean, how would Jesus’ wounds heal somebody? He was suffered. It just said he was punished for our transgressions, for our iniquities.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
So the punishment that was upon him and the wounds that he suffered was for our iniquities, not our illnesses.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay. Now, I figured maybe that might have some correlation, that scripture, because I didn’t know exactly where it was affirmed back to in the book of Isaiah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, again, you know, I would just look at that type of thing and say to you this question. Alan, are you a born-again Christian? Do you wear glasses?
SPEAKER 06 :
Mm-hmm. I don’t, but I know you can, sure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And so the issue is, if you did, why would you wear glasses when by his stripes were healed? Why don’t you just take them off and crush them and move on? Why do you see people teaching that stuff have rugs on their heads instead of growing hair? Just why don’t you ask God to grow him some hair? You see, you know, this is such nonsensical things when you stop to think of what’s going on in that field. People are standing up with contact lenses in their eyes or having LASIK surgery or, as I said, putting rugs on their heads and everything under the sun and up there preaching that God will heal you if you have enough faith. And the issue is that it isn’t that God cannot heal, but it’s what Jesus said, I don’t do anything unless the Father tells me to. So if the Father told him to heal somebody, he healed them. If he didn’t tell them, he didn’t. God’s the initiator of all things.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exactly.
SPEAKER 03 :
And that doesn’t happen in an assembly. That can happen in your bed.
SPEAKER 06 :
That’s right. Bob, I appreciate it, okay?
SPEAKER 03 :
You’re welcome, brother. God bless you, pal. Bye-bye. We’re going to go to Arlington, Virginia, listening on WFAX. And, David, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, Bob, this is Dave. I just wanted to make a comment to you. I… completely agree with your 1 John 1-9 teaching. And as I was reading through Romans, I came across Romans 8-13. And I’m really thinking that is something that I hope you’ll agree with, supplements what you’re saying. Because if we’re commanded, first of all, to be filled with the Spirit… What for? So we can be led by the Spirit, which then, if we’re really being led by the Spirit, then we’re not fulfilling the lust of the flesh. But when we do, or we fall back in that, even momentarily, what do we do with that sin? Well, you’ll hear the being filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and I say this kindly, ad nauseum, but you never really hear what I believe is the third component of So that, and that’s the Romans 8.13. I heard you just talking about Romans 8.14, but since I’m driving and I don’t have my Bible with me, I’m going to do the best I can to quote it. Romans 8.13 says, if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, then we’re going to really live. Now, where I’m making the connection, and I hope you agree with this, it’ll make me feel a little better if you do, is really… is that it’s not that Paul wouldn’t have necessarily, I’m being a little sarcastic here, it’s not that Paul wouldn’t have necessarily used John 1-9, except it just wasn’t around at that time. As near as I know, the Romans was written, and I guess, and I could be wrong about this, but something like in the ballpark of like 60 A.D.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, David, hold on a minute. We’ve got to get to the question here. But the whole issue here, the reason they didn’t use it wasn’t because it wasn’t around. The reason they didn’t use it is because it’s not true. Well, I knew that. Paul knew. And the whole issue of forgiveness is that it’s a finished act. And that’s what the entire testimony of the New Testament is about, about the fact that it truly is a finished deal. And we should learn how to walk by faith in that. And as you’re saying, to walk in the spirit, which is the counteractant to walking in the flesh.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that’s it, Bob, because I just came up in a Sunday school class, and one of the deacons really got upset with me, and I was as polite as I could be about it. And I said, look, you still see yourself as an old sinner. I said, I see myself as a new creation. He said, well, what do you do when you sin? I said, I go to Romans 8.13, because it tells me there that if I am walking in the Spirit, and the Spirit convicts me of a certain sin, sin, that if I take it to him, he won’t render it dead. Now, I said, what would you rather do? Would you rather continue to take your besetting sin and keep going back to 1 John 1, 9 over and over and over again and getting no relief? Would you like to take that forsitting sin to the Holy Spirit and let him put it in the place of death so you really live?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that’s a good answer, David. And you keep on standing strong for the truth, and that truth will continue not only setting you free but your people around you. Sorry we have to go on to other calls, but I appreciate your call, brother, and God bless.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right. Thanks, Bob.
SPEAKER 03 :
You’re sure welcome, Dave. Bye-bye. Let’s go to New Orleans. Listen on WLNO. Steve, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, hi. I’m a first-time caller. I listen to you all the time, though.
SPEAKER 03 :
Good to hear from you. Thanks, brother.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I enjoy your show a lot. I just have a question about the Bible where it says you can be forgiven for all your sins except for one. I just kind of was wondering if you could explain that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, Steve. In the Gospel of John, the Lord said that the world’s sin is unbelief in me. And the only unpardonable sin is rejection of Christ Jesus. The sins of the world, plural, were all placed upon Christ Jesus at the cross. And it was there at the cross where he who knew no sin became sin. For you would be. So that in him and his resurrected life, we could become the righteousness of God in him. And in him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And so our sins, plural, were all taken away. No man will ever go to hell because of his sins. Only the sin of rejection of the provision of God concerning his son, Jesus Christ. And when we reject Jesus and his provision of forgiveness and his provision of life, we remain dead in our sins and in the uncircumcision of our sinful nature, and we die in that condition. It’s an unforgivable sin.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, what I was concerned with was maybe I got this wrong. I thought it was blasphemy.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that’s what blasphemy is, is denying, blaspheming the truth of the testimony of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, God the Father testified to the coming of the Son. In the Gospels, the Son testified, I’m here. And now the Holy Spirit is testifying to the world that Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father prophesied in the Old, came and appeared in the New, and now is available for salvation. And when you reject the Holy Spirit, you have now rejected the totality of the Godhead. No one else from heaven is going to testify. And so that’s what blasphemy about the Holy Spirit is all about.
SPEAKER 09 :
So if you’ve ever in the past, like if you had a temper and you swore, that doesn’t… It has nothing at all to do with any of that.
SPEAKER 03 :
It has to do with the fact of have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. And aren’t we glad.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right, well, that helps me out a lot. I appreciate that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, you are in Christ, and if you’re in Christ, it’s impossible for you to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. You’ve already agreed with the Holy Spirit concerning the testimony of God in regard to his Son, and you have accepted Jesus, and you have life.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right, well, I appreciate that a whole lot.
SPEAKER 03 :
Takes a lot of load off your back, doesn’t it, brother?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, it does. I used to… Hello?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, uh-huh.
SPEAKER 09 :
Because I used to have a temper, you know.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
It wasn’t in the word real strong. I used to have it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. Well, some people think that using the Lord in vain, that you’ve just had it. That is a sin that was put behind the back of God never to see it again. All of your sins are behind his back, never to see them again.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Well, that’s wonderful. I appreciate you answering my question. I appreciate you being there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thanks, Steve. Glad for your call, brother. All right. God bless you, pal.
SPEAKER 09 :
God bless you, too. You have a good evening.
SPEAKER 03 :
You, too. Bye-bye now. Let’s go to Augusta, Georgia. Let’s go on WFAM. Myron, quickly, you’re on the air, my friend.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, yes, gentlemen. Good afternoon. How y’all doing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Doing good. Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Wonderful. Brother George and other brethren there, my question is pertaining to the tithes, the tithing question. I often hear different ministers. I heard you mention to one of the brothers earlier about the prosperity preachers and all. I’ve heard men use Deuteronomy chapter 14 and verses 22 through 26 pertaining to the tithe. Isn’t tithing a yoke of bondage upon the people?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it’s old covenant. It was the way in which you supported the Levitical priesthood. So I tell people, if Levi is your priest, well, you ought to keep on tithing. But Jesus is my priest, so I give joyfully.
SPEAKER 09 :
Amen.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thank you, brother.
SPEAKER 03 :
Myron, God bless, my friend.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless. All right. Bye-bye. Classic Christianity Radio is a listener-funded program, and because of your generous donations, we are able to be on the air. Go to bobgeorge.net to order the life-changing audio CD series, The New Covenant, Law and Grace, and How to Have a Proper Self-Image. These series are essential to understanding our inheritance in Christ, what it means to experience freedom and the abundant life in Christ, living under grace, not under the law, and to see ourselves as God sees us, as a completely forgiven person, loved perfectly and righteous in His sight. Please visit bobgeorge.net for additional information on how you can join us financially and help support the radio ministry. With your prayers and support, we can continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Let’s continue now with our classic Christianity radio program.
SPEAKER 03 :
We’re going to go to Huntington Beach, listening on Kaybright. John, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hi, Bob. How are you doing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Hi, John.
SPEAKER 05 :
Good to talk to you. Listen, I’m going to ask you something, and I want to give you my take on it, and you can correct me if I’m wrong. And before I do it, I hope you don’t get frustrated or angry, because actually, you’re about the only guy on the airwaves on every channel that I really respect your opinion. That’s why I’m calling you. I’d like to know about, in Ezekiel, in chapter 43 and 44, and I’m not going to read it, because I’m sure you’re familiar with it, but In 43 it begins with verse 18 through about 27, and then again in 44 it begins with verse 15. And it’s about the millennium when Jesus is back on earth that the sacrifice is going to be restored. And my take on it is, could this be not for the people like us that are going to take place in the first resurrection and have glorified bodies, but for the people that are living in the flesh? that are going to be born and died?
SPEAKER 03 :
No, John, it’s going to be taking place because of the unbelievable rebellion of the Jewish people to this very day. God called them a rebellious people, and that’s what they are. They are rebellious toward the Messiah. And when the temple is rebuilt in the end times, which it certainly will be, they will initiate the sacrificial system once again, which to me is the ultimate of spitting in the face of their Messiah, Christ Jesus, and making a mockery of the grace of God that sanctified us. So, no, it’s just because of the rebellion, continual rebellion. of the Jewish people who will not accept Jesus as their Messiah. And so they will initiate that system. And I’m convinced, John, incidentally, I am absolutely convinced that when that occurs, you’re going to have thousands of dumb Christians going back to Israel to kill a bull and goat, which will be the most… When Jesus is actually sitting in the temple, they’re going to do this?
SPEAKER 1 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we’re not talking about Jesus sitting in a temple. He isn’t sitting in a temple until he’s ready to sit in a temple. But the sacrificial system will be into effect probably even prior to the – I believe it will take place even prior to the rapture possibly. But, John, again, don’t get confused over that stuff. We don’t know for sure when that’s going to happen. But one thing that we do know is how we’re saved today is by faith in Jesus, not in the Old Testament. We’re not saved by the Old Testament. We’re saved by the New Testament. We’re saved by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. There isn’t anything about that in the Old Testament. We’re saved by Jesus. And Jesus came and gave salvation to those who by faith will put their faith in his completed work, death, burial, and resurrection. And at the end times, I believe that you’re going to see a rapture of the saints. And you’re going to see for three and a half years, you’re going to see a time of peace. You’re going to see the Antichrist in the midterm of that sit in the temple. And you’re going to see the most destruction that the earth has ever known, that if the Lord didn’t come back, it would totally destroy itself. I think those are the events that will take place in the end times. But on the other hand, John, I personally think that I’m going to die before that event occurs. So I want to be ready for the Lord whether I go to see him through death or the rapture. And I think that’s the condition we need to be in. We’re going to go to Denver, Colorado again, listening on KLT. And Ty, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 04 :
James 5, verse 12, it says that you should let your yes be your yes and your no be your no and you don’t swear. And a lot of people tell me that means Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain. But in the study notes here, it says, you know, as in, I swear to God this is the truth. You’re not supposed to say that type of thing. And in trials and jury duty you see on TV, you see people, you know, they give you a Bible and they say, hey, put your hand on this and swear to God to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And you try to tell them, but it says I shouldn’t. What do you do in a situation like that? What does that mean exactly, that verse there? What is he trying to tell you?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think that you’ll see an amplified passage of that scripture back in Matthew 5, 33, where it says, again, you have heard that it was said to people long ago. Do not break your oath, but keep the oath you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t swear at all, either by heaven, for it is God’s throne, or by earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. And don’t not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair, black or white. Simply let your yes be yes and your no be no, and anything beyond that comes from the evil one.” So when we begin to make promises and commitments, we are doing something, quite frankly, different than what the scripture says to do. Just let your yes be yes and your no be no.
SPEAKER 04 :
And I think that you will be condemned.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And again, I think that what Paul or what James is saying here is the same thing. Above all, do not swear nor by heaven or earth. Jesus just said that. or by anything else. Just let your yes be yes and your no be no. Now that has nothing to do with putting your hand on the Bible and swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because that is a way and a means And for some people, not all people, that that is a way and a means of people who are sensitive to the things of the Lord who are saying, I am going to tell the truth. Because if you didn’t do that, you would have people lying under oath and even people who put their hand on the Bible and say that lie under oath. But it’s a very dangerous thing. So there’s nothing anti-biblical about doing that at all, especially in a court of law. Because it also says in the scripture to obey your government, and the government requires that. And to a Christian, we should have no problems at all with doing that. If you’re guilty and a criminal, you’d have a lot of problems doing it. But as a Christian, we shouldn’t have to fear that at all.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. So that’s just an outward sign of saying, hey, this really means I’m telling you the truth. You can trust me. So help me, God.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, absolutely. And, again, you have people, you know, I swear on my father’s head, you know, and I swear, and he said, don’t do that. Just let your yes be yes and your no be no.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. Yeah. I know. It just made me think, and you guys always have a real clear view of things, so I appreciate that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, again, that passage back in Matthew really explains that in detail.
SPEAKER 04 :
And that was Matthew 5? Yeah, it’s 533. 533. Uh-huh. Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
There it is. 33 through 37. Okay. Talk to you later, pal. God bless you, pal. Bye-bye. Castle Rock, Colorado, listening on KLT. Tonight’s Colorado night, Bob. Sandy, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, hi. I’ll try to make this quick. I really get a lot out of your show, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m a new Christian, and I thank you for your show.
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re welcome.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes. My dad was raised Catholic, and he is not a Christian. He’s lost, and it’s really a struggle for me. And I heard part of a listener’s question before about a book that you had recommended, and maybe anything else you can recommend. I pray for his salvation all the time. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I tell you what we’ll send to you. It’s a little booklet we did called A Miracle of a Lifetime. And all that is, it’s an article about my own personal testimony. And it appeals to men. Sandy, for some reason, our ministry… is very much directed toward men. And it’s not that we’re directing it. It just is that way. If you’ll notice on our calls tonight, we had Andy, Larry, Richard, Rich, Steve. Most of them were men. That’s unheard of in call-in radio. And so but I think that what it is, is that the gospel is extremely logical. And I think we do present the gospel in a logical fashion and men respond to that. So that little testimony book has been used to for for hundreds and hundreds of men have come to the Lord as a result of reading that. And so I would recommend that you just put that into his hands and see what he thinks of it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, that’s awesome.
SPEAKER 03 :
I appreciate it. We’ll send you a few of those, and, you know, you can use them for other people as well. We’ll just get our guys to send you a pack of it for you, okay?
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I hope that something happens there, and you keep us posted, okay?
SPEAKER 10 :
I will.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, Sandy. You hang on now, all right? I will. Bless you now. Let’s go to San Diego, California. Let’s go on KBRIGHT. Gigi, you’re on the air.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes, this is J.J.
SPEAKER 03 :
Is it G.G. or D.Z.?
SPEAKER 01 :
No, J.J. J as in Jesus. J as in Jesus.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, okay, J.J., all right.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you. I studied the Bible for 11 years now, and I study it on my own, and I listen, and I listen to all kinds of preachers like you, teachers like you, and I appreciate it, and I learn tremendously. But I have a question that eats me alive. I don’t know what happened on those 2,000 years that Jesus left this world and left in a simplicity of his words his way of living. I understand this as I have to live, and I have not been kissed at night by my father or my mother. I have been abandoned in three years, and I raised my own self. I have been a father and a child to myself. and I came to America, and I learned about God, how sweet and awesome He is. And I’m listening to all those TV stations and radios, and I don’t see the simplicity of Christ in the words of those preachers. I don’t hear live exactly the way Jesus Christ lived. So many theories and philosophies and dogmas. And that’s, I think, please correct me, that humanity fall because of woe of you preachers, woe of you Pharisees. Why the simplicity of Christ is not taught by the preachers, by the people of God. When I was very ignorant on the word of God, I was like Nicodemus. Where is Jesus Christ? How I can get in? I did not have understanding. Like Nicodemus is going a man to go back on the mother’s womb? Exactly the same way I was 11 years. Where is Jesus so I can go in him to live in him? And the simplicity in him for me is to live exactly the way he did. In John and Roman 8, as you mentioned, the Bible expresses exactly to be double-minded, to be of this world and living by the principality of this world is not to be in Christ, in the Spirit.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Gigi, you’re right. We’ve fallen away from the simplicity that is found in Christ. There’s no question about that. That’s why I wrote our book called Classic Christianity. The word classic means a return to the original. And that is exactly what the condition of the Christian world needs. We need to return to the simplicity that is found in Christ Jesus. We cannot imitate the actions of Jesus because he didn’t tell us to. He wants us to imitate the faith of Jesus who said that I do nothing unless the Father tells me to do it.
SPEAKER 01 :
Those that are following me are like angels. They don’t marry. They are pure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, J.J., we have to go off of the air, but I appreciate your call. And keep growing in grace, my girl. Okay? Bye-bye.
SPEAKER 02 :
Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another, and praise the Lord. Amen.
SPEAKER 08 :
Put Jesus first in your life and turn your life around.
