Full Transcript for Q&A: Old Testament Law, Suicide, and Internet Pornography

your call. We'll go back to the phone lines, 39 00:02:13.250 --> 00:02:17.069 talk to Rachel, listening in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hi, Rachel. 40 00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:20.199 Hi there, Hank. I'm a first-time caller, but I really 41 00:02:20.259 --> 00:02:24.419 enjoy your show. I have a question about the Old Testament. 42 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:29.000 Some of the parts of the law, like especially in Leviticus, 43 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:33.030 seem super logical and easy to understand, and some parts 44 00:02:33.150 --> 00:02:39.310 seem very difficult to put into practice these days. So 45 00:02:39.370 --> 00:02:41.909 how are we to interpret the Testament? 46 00:02:42.610 --> 00:02:45.650 Yeah, well, I mean, it's really important to understand that 47 00:02:45.729 --> 00:02:50.189 not all law is law, which is to say... that 48 00:02:50.229 --> 00:02:53.569 there are civil and ceremonial laws given in the Old 49 00:02:53.669 --> 00:02:58.750 Testament which are abrogated in the New Testament. For example, 50 00:02:59.509 --> 00:03:03.960 we do not have to assume today that the ceremonial 51 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:10.780 law regarding shellfish applies to us. It doesn't. In fact, 52 00:03:10.860 --> 00:03:13.830 Jesus made that explicit when he said it's not what 53 00:03:13.870 --> 00:03:16.729 goes into a man's mouth and out through his body 54 00:03:16.770 --> 00:03:21.240 that defiles him. It is what proceeds from the heart. 55 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.120 And then Mark adds the note, in saying this, Jesus 56 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.780 declared all foods clean. So the point here is that 57 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:33.689 civil and ceremonial laws have been abrogated, and the reason 58 00:03:33.830 --> 00:03:37.090 is Jesus Christ has fulfilled them. In fact, if you 59 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:39.870 read the book of Hebrews, Hebrews makes plain that to 60 00:03:39.909 --> 00:03:43.810 go back to types and shadows, when the substance has come, 61 00:03:43.930 --> 00:03:49.340 is tantamount to trampling upon the sacred blood of Jesus Christ. Now, 62 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:53.180 there are moral aspects of the law that apply today, 63 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:56.819 which is to say we can say of certainty that 64 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:01.879 the Ten Commandments apply today, even the commandment with regards 65 00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.710 to the Sabbath, which is to say that the Sabbath 66 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:08.789 is now in celebration of the rest we have through 67 00:04:08.830 --> 00:04:11.770 Jesus Christ. And that's why the day has changed, but 68 00:04:11.810 --> 00:04:15.370 the cycle hasn't changed. So we work six days, we 69 00:04:15.530 --> 00:04:19.449 rest one in honor... of the rest that we find 70 00:04:20.110 --> 00:04:24.189 in Jesus Christ, who liberates us from bondage to sin 71 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:26.459 and death through the power of his resurrection. 72 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:31.879 Well, could you explain how to interpret something like women 73 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.100 should cover their head or men should not cut their 74 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:37.439 sideburns or you should not be homosexual? I mean, are 75 00:04:37.459 --> 00:04:38.540 those both the same? 76 00:04:38.699 --> 00:04:41.750 No, they're not the same. When we speak of homosexuality, 77 00:04:41.810 --> 00:04:46.110 we're talking about an enduring moral law. When we talk 78 00:04:46.269 --> 00:04:50.529 about certain aspects of the law, they are, for example, 79 00:04:50.889 --> 00:04:53.199 when we're told that we are to greet one another 80 00:04:53.259 --> 00:04:58.420 with a holy kiss, the principle there is a universal principle. 81 00:04:59.220 --> 00:05:02.920 The way in which that principle is expressed is not universal. 82 00:05:03.660 --> 00:05:08.129 The laws with respect to homosexuality, however, have never been abrogated. 83 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:12.860 In other words, they're enduring moral laws, and they're laws 84 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:15.639 that are made in the Old Testament and then repeated 85 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:18.199 in the New Testament in such a way that we 86 00:05:18.350 --> 00:05:23.930 understand that Christ is ultimately setting parameters around our lives 87 00:05:23.990 --> 00:05:27.329 so that our joy might be complete. Which is to 88 00:05:27.410 --> 00:05:31.389 say that he has created us in such a way 89 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:35.379 that we are to function in concert with his principles, 90 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.810 and when we don't, we bear... the marks of that 91 00:05:39.569 --> 00:05:44.610 psychologically and physiologically as well. And that's why those laws 92 00:05:44.670 --> 00:05:48.750 have been set there in place for our protection. 93 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:50.329 Okay. 94 00:05:50.350 --> 00:05:51.790 Well, this will definitely help me in my study. 95 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:52.470 I appreciate it. 96 00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:54.350 You got it. Appreciate your call. I want to go 97 00:05:54.370 --> 00:05:57.629 back to the phone lines. Talk next to Tom. He's 98 00:05:57.680 --> 00:05:59.199 listening in Maryland. Hi, Tom. 99 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:00.300 Hi. 100 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:01.220 I appreciate you. 101 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:01.860 Taking my call. 102 00:06:01.939 --> 00:06:04.879 I apologize for the question because I know it's one 103 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:08.889 you've answered several times each week, and it's about the 104 00:06:08.990 --> 00:06:13.569 triune God. And no one's ever asked this question that 105 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:19.560 I have heard. My question is, if it's God, Jesus, 106 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:23.620 and the Holy Spirit are one, when Jesus was baptized 107 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:27.459 by John, God came down and spoke and said, you know, 108 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.819 this is my son who I'm well pleased. I'm just 109 00:06:29.899 --> 00:06:34.339 wondering how that happened, how that

kind of works into it. 110 00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:37.449 Well, I think it actually makes the point of the Trinity. 111 00:06:38.329 --> 00:06:41.350 There are three planks in the Trinitarian platform. The first 112 00:06:41.470 --> 00:06:44.149 is that there's only one God. And when we say 113 00:06:44.170 --> 00:06:46.149 there's only one God, we're talking about the nature or 114 00:06:46.209 --> 00:06:51.370 essence of God. The second plank of the Trinitarian platform 115 00:06:52.009 --> 00:06:55.569 is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God. 116 00:06:56.610 --> 00:06:59.149 We are told the Father is God in Scripture, the 117 00:06:59.189 --> 00:07:01.149 Son is God in Scripture, the Holy Spirit is God 118 00:07:01.170 --> 00:07:06.269 in Scripture. But the third plank the Trinitarian platform makes 119 00:07:06.370 --> 00:07:11.629 clear that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct. 120 00:07:12.709 --> 00:07:17.029 So when the Father sends the Son, or the Father 121 00:07:17.110 --> 00:07:22.209 speaks from heaven during the baptism of Jesus Christ, we 122 00:07:22.269 --> 00:07:26.189 are seeing identity formed and completed on the basis of 123 00:07:26.269 --> 00:07:30.490 relationships within the Godhead. So the Father sends the Son, 124 00:07:30.990 --> 00:07:34.079 the Son prays to the Father, The son sends the 125 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:38.730 counselor and so forth. So that's precisely what we have 126 00:07:38.790 --> 00:07:41.529 in Trinitarian doctrine, that there's one God revealed in three 127 00:07:41.589 --> 00:07:44.089 persons who are eternally distinct. Now, I've said this many 128 00:07:44.129 --> 00:07:46.889 times in the broadcast. That's not something that I comprehend. 129 00:07:46.949 --> 00:07:50.269 It's only something that I apprehend. That's what the Bible teaches. 130 00:07:50.769 --> 00:07:54.250 And because I'm not philosophically driven, I'm biblically driven, I 131 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:58.250 bow my knee before God's revelation of himself to me. Now, 132 00:07:58.370 --> 00:08:00.860 the Bible is not in any sense asking us to 133 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:04.339 believe a contradiction. If the Bible were to say in 134 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:07.839 one place that there is only one God and another 135 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:11.000 that there are three gods, that would be an obvious contradiction. 136 00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:14.720 That's not what is at play here. The Bible's saying 137 00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:18.480 there's one what, in terms of nature or essence, and 138 00:08:18.620 --> 00:08:22.670 three who's, in terms of relationships within the Godhead. 139 00:08:23.629 --> 00:08:24.410 Great, thank you. 140 00:08:24.689 --> 00:08:26.610 You got it. Appreciate your call. Back to the phone lines. 141 00:08:26.629 --> 00:08:29.509 Want to go to Heidi in Omaha, Nebraska. 142 00:08:29.629 --> 00:08:30.029 Hi, Heidi. 143 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:31.459 Hi there, Hank. 144 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:31.980 How are you? 145 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.159 I'm good. How are you? 146 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:33.899 Great. 147 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.519 I'm excited to talk to you today. 148 00:08:35.539 --> 00:08:36.879 Thank you. Likewise. 149 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.340 I'm hoping that you can answer a question for me 150 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:43.370 that's been plaguing me for years. My question is from Genesis, 151 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.210 where it talks about after Cain murders Abel, God places 152 00:08:48.309 --> 00:08:51.090 a mark on him and sends him out into the world, 153 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:55.490 the mark with the purpose of protecting him from being persecuted. 154 00:08:56.789 --> 00:09:00.070 And then he marries and continues on with his life. 155 00:09:00.169 --> 00:09:03.169 My question is, where do these people come from and 156 00:09:03.269 --> 00:09:04.210 who does he marry? 157 00:09:04.929 --> 00:09:08.649 Well, remember that Cain and Abel lived at a time 158 00:09:08.710 --> 00:09:12.950 when people lived for long periods of time. Adam lived 159 00:09:12.990 --> 00:09:15.730 almost a thousand years. You think about a thousand years 160 00:09:15.769 --> 00:09:19.490 that sometimes goes over very quickly without us contemplating the 161 00:09:19.529 --> 00:09:22.669 fact that that's half the time between the time Christ 162 00:09:22.909 --> 00:09:26.230 walked the earth and now. So it's a long period 163 00:09:26.250 --> 00:09:29.049 of time to have children and for those children to 164 00:09:29.090 --> 00:09:32.009 have other children. When I think about myself, I have 165 00:09:32.009 --> 00:09:33.990 12 children, and in a few years, God knows how 166 00:09:34.009 --> 00:09:37.129 many grandkids we're going to have. The grandkids and great-grandkids 167 00:09:37.169 --> 00:09:40.529 are just going to multiply. But imagine living 1,000 years. 168 00:09:40.549 --> 00:09:43.919 You're going to have a lot of people, a tremendous 169 00:09:43.980 --> 00:09:48.299 proliferation that takes place. So there would have been many 170 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:52.320 people alive at that time. The assumption that people make 171 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.519 is that Cain and Abel, because they are the subjects 172 00:09:57.009 --> 00:10:00.120 and the emphasis that they're the only kids and that 173 00:10:00.169 --> 00:10:03.799 simply isn't correct. So Cain would have married a sister 174 00:10:03.899 --> 00:10:06.700 or a niece. And there was no problem with that 175 00:10:06.860 --> 00:10:11.879 early on in civilization because genetic imperfections only accumulated over time. 176 00:10:12.659 --> 00:10:16.019 So it was not a problem early on in the 177 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:17.120 history of civilization. 178 00:10:18.460 --> 00:10:22.120 Interesting, interesting. Well, I certainly appreciate your information. 179 00:10:22.470 --> 00:10:24.990 You got it, Heidi, and I've actually answered that question 180

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00:14:53.179 --> 00:14:53.759 us online at equip.org. 243 00:15:07.250 --> 00:15:10.330 Every Bible Answer Man broadcast, such as the one you're 244 00:15:10.370 --> 00:15:14.149 listening to right now, is made possible through the financial 245 00:15:14.190 --> 00:15:18.240 support of friends like you. Each month, we depend entirely 246 00:15:18.340 --> 00:15:21.639 on God's provision through His people to bring you more 247 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:25.940 of the broadcast, podcast, and other resources you rely on. 248 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:29.679 If you want a sound proclamation and defense of the 249 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.879 gospel of Jesus Christ to continue to be heard through 250 00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:36.830 the outreaches of the Christian Research Institute, Become a member 251 00:15:36.889 --> 00:15:44.789 of CRI's support team today. Call 888-7000-CRI and stand with 252 00:15:44.889 --> 00:15:52.440 CRI daily in the battle for life and truth. That's 888-7000-CRI. 253 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:58.700 Or visit our website at equip.org. Once again, here's your host, 254 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:00.139 Hank Hanegraaff. 255 00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:01.799 Thank you very much, Randy. And back to the phone 256 00:16:01.830 --> 00:16:04.970 lines next to John in Dallas, Texas. Hi, John. 257 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:06.159 Hi, Hank. 258 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:07.399 Thanks for taking my call. 259 00:16:07.659 --> 00:16:08.139 You're welcome. 260 00:16:08.899 --> 00:16:10.580 I'm on a car phone. I hope you can hear 261 00:16:10.620 --> 00:16:13.720 me all right. My question is about John chapter 8 262 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:18.200 and verse 30 through 32. And first, reading from the 263 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:21.100 NIV in verse 30, it says, even as he spoke, 264 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.539 many believed in him. And then in verse 31, to 265 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:27.539 the Jews who believed him, Jesus said, if you hold 266 00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:30.840 to my teachings, you are really my disciples. So I 267 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:35.409 recently heard a teaching that this This means that not 268 00:16:35.470 --> 00:16:39.549 everyone who believes is truly saved, that in order to 269 00:16:39.610 --> 00:16:42.629 be truly saved or to have assurance of our salvation, 270 00:16:42.690 --> 00:16:46.450 we need to demonstrate fruit in our lives. Now, while 271 00:16:46.470 --> 00:16:49.350 I don't really disagree with that, I'm not certain that 272 00:16:49.389 --> 00:16:53.200 this passage is teaching that. Can you shed any light 273 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:53.580 on that? 274 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:57.159 Yeah, I can. I hope you're not reading while you're driving. 275 00:16:57.580 --> 00:16:58.480 No, I'm memorized. 276 00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:01.659 Oh, good. Great, yeah. Well, that's commendable. And here's the 277 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:06.700 point I want to emphasize here. In this passage, you 278 00:17:06.769 --> 00:17:11.630 have Pharisees saying

that Jesus is demon-possessed, and Jesus is 279 00:17:11.750 --> 00:17:16.789 pointing out that he could not possibly be demon-possessed because 280 00:17:16.829 --> 00:17:20.910 he does the work of the Father. So obviously, someone 281 00:17:20.950 --> 00:17:23.859 who is saying that Jesus Christ is demon-possessed is not 282 00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:29.559 a believer. And You have the explicit teaching of Christ 283 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:33.079 in this passage where he says to the people who 284 00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:37.920 are claiming to be Abraham's descendants, he says, I know 285 00:17:38.269 --> 00:17:44.190 you are Abraham's descendants, yet you are ready to kill me. 286 00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:49.109 So this is a clear indication that the people to 287 00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:55.589 whom Jesus Christ is speaking are not genuine believers. Which 288 00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:59.259 underscores another reality, and that is not everyone who is 289 00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:03.680 descendant from Abraham is the seed of Abraham in the 290 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:09.720 sense in which Jesus Christ is communicating. Abraham, in the 291 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:13.240 words of Scripture, Paul is talking here in Galatians 3, 292 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:17.220 only had one seed, and that seed is Jesus Christ. 293 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:20.869 If you are in Christ, then you are the seed 294 00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:24.450 of Abraham and an heir according to the promise. Therefore, 295 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:28.519 there are those who claim to be Jews and are not. 296 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:31.619 They are a synagogue of Satan, as Jesus puts it 297 00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:35.339 elsewhere in the book of Revelation. So the point is, 298 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:39.779 to be the seed of Abraham is not a genealogical construction. 299 00:18:40.420 --> 00:18:44.599 It's not about your ethnicity. It's about relationship, not race. 300 00:18:45.779 --> 00:18:48.220 What then does it mean in verse 30 when it says, 301 00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:51.720 many believed as he spoke? Is that a saving faith? 302 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:57.009 Well, in verse 30, You have these words, Jesus in 303 00:18:57.049 --> 00:18:59.829 Prologue says, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, 304 00:18:59.910 --> 00:19:02.670 then you will know that I am the one I 305 00:19:02.990 --> 00:19:05.890 claim to be, and that I can do nothing on 306 00:19:05.930 --> 00:19:08.470 my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 307 00:19:09.490 --> 00:19:13.849 The one who sent me is with me. He has 308 00:19:13.970 --> 00:19:17.109 not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. 309 00:19:17.670 --> 00:19:21.549 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. 310 00:19:21.730 --> 00:19:25.759 So there are those that listen to what? Christ is saying, 311 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:30.960 and genuinely believe. There are others who listen to what 312 00:19:31.339 --> 00:19:35.619 Christ is saying, and

instead of believing, consider him to 313 00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:36.539 be a false teacher. 314 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.549 Okay, so then he's not necessarily addressing those exact same 315 00:19:40.609 --> 00:19:41.990 people in the next verse. 316 00:19:43.049 --> 00:19:45.069 The next verse, where it says, to the Jews who 317 00:19:45.130 --> 00:19:48.109 believed in him, Jesus says, if you hold to my teachings, 318 00:19:48.910 --> 00:19:52.220 you are really my disciples. then you will know the truth, 319 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.539 and the truth will set you free. So those who 320 00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:59.369 genuinely believe are his disciples, and then they answer, we 321 00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:03.509 are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves to anyone. 322 00:20:03.569 --> 00:20:07.339 How can you say that we shall be set free. 323 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:09.380 And Jesus replies, I tell you the truth, everyone who 324 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:12.809 sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has 325 00:20:12.849 --> 00:20:15.400 no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs 326 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.269 to it forever. So if the son sets you free, 327 00:20:18.289 --> 00:20:20.910 then you'll be free indeed. And then the verses that 328 00:20:20.950 --> 00:20:24.849 I quoted earlier, I know you are Abraham's descendants, yet 329 00:20:24.910 --> 00:20:28.410 you are ready to kill me. So again, there are 330 00:20:28.470 --> 00:20:32.049 those who continue as slaves to sin and those who 331 00:20:32.450 --> 00:20:35.750 genuinely believe, and you see the dichotomy here, between the 332 00:20:35.809 --> 00:20:38.569 two spelled out very clearly by Jesus Christ. 333 00:20:39.410 --> 00:20:42.589 Well, that's consistent with the teaching that I heard recently. 334 00:20:42.630 --> 00:20:46.109 So I appreciate your time on that, and I'll definitely 335 00:20:46.150 --> 00:20:48.130 drive safely and keep listening. 336 00:20:48.710 --> 00:20:50.009 Thank you. Appreciate your call. I want to go back 337 00:20:50.029 --> 00:20:52.930 to the phone lines and talk to Margaret in West Virginia. Hi, Margaret. 338 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:57.490 I had a question. A Baptist minister that I've been 339 00:20:57.539 --> 00:21:02.440 listening to, among others, has preached for some time on 340 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.210 once saved, always saved. And the logic that followed with that, 341 00:21:06.250 --> 00:21:08.710 this occurred to me and then I heard him preach on, 342 00:21:09.369 --> 00:21:12.710 is if a person was saved and they had in 343 00:21:12.769 --> 00:21:16.430 a moment of weakness, they took their own life, that 344 00:21:16.450 --> 00:21:19.500 they would still go to heaven. And all my growing 345 00:21:19.619 --> 00:21:23.339 up years, I was always told, you know, that was 346 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.640 a straight ticket to hell if you committed suicide. No exceptions. 347 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:30.240 And so I'm really confused on that. 348 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:32.740 Well, it's not a straight ticket to hell, but let 349 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:35.640 me say this. Someone who's a genuine believer dare not 350 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.299 in any way take their own life, because taking their 351 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:41.269 own life is the murder of oneself, and murder is 352 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:46.769 condemned explicitly in Scripture, throughout the Scriptures, but very decidedly 353 00:21:47.049 --> 00:21:51.180 and specifically in the Ten Commandments. So one should never 354 00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:54.619 take the prerogative of life and death into their own hands. 355 00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.799 That's a prerogative of God alone. 356 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:58.460 How does that fit in, though, with... That's what I thought, 357 00:21:58.509 --> 00:22:01.230 but how does that fit in with one saved, always saved? 358 00:22:01.250 --> 00:22:04.490 Well, what I'm pointing out, if you are a believer, 359 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:07.230 you should never take God's prerogative into your own hands 360 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:10.609 and then murder oneself. So it's unthinkable for a Christian 361 00:22:10.630 --> 00:22:12.920 to do such a thing. But in the prologue to 362 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:16.599 your question, you said something. During a moment of weakness... 363 00:22:16.730 --> 00:22:18.440 Now I can define that a lot of different ways. 364 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:22.720 Let's suppose that I did something irrational in a moment 365 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.019 of weakness that is completely inconsistent with my Christian testimony. 366 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:31.700 That does not disqualify me from heaven. Because what disqualifies 367 00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:38.279 you from heaven is a continuous, willful, ongoing rebellion. It's 368 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:42.759 not an act, but a continuous action. So I'm saying 369 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:48.789 two things. It is conceivable that someone commits suicide during 370 00:22:48.809 --> 00:22:53.009 an act of despondency when they're not in their right 371 00:22:53.109 --> 00:22:57.210 frame of mind, that does not preclude that they would 372 00:22:57.250 --> 00:22:59.410 go to heaven. That's not, as you pointed out in 373 00:22:59.450 --> 00:23:03.400 your question, an automatic ticket to hell. But having said that, 374 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:07.160 the other side of the coin is it is inconceivable 375 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:11.059 and inconsistent for a Christian to murder in general. 376 00:23:11.900 --> 00:23:15.019 Right, right. Okay, I see what you're saying. Well, thank 377 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:17.309 you so much, because I really didn't know how to 378 00:23:17.829 --> 00:23:18.750 digest that one. 379 00:23:19.690 --> 00:23:22.730 I've laid that out in the complete Bible answer book 380 00:23:22.769 --> 00:23:25.890 collector's edition. And what I point out there is three 381 00:23:26.529 -->

00:23:30.630 sequential points. The first is that no single act is unforgivable, 382 00:23:31.430 --> 00:23:34.910 that the unforgivable sin is a continuous ongoing rejection of forgiveness. 383 00:23:35.730 --> 00:23:39.279 The second is that while suicide is not an unforgivable sin, 384 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:41.680 those who take the sacred name of Christ upon their 385 00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:46.740 lips dare not contemplate it. And the third is, underscoring 386 00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:49.660 what I said earlier, which is the fact that suicide 387 00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:52.440 is the murder of oneself and as such is a 388 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:56.220 direct violation of the Sixth Commandment. So it's a direct 389 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:58.559 attack on the sovereignty of the very one who knit 390 00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:01.220 us together in our mother's womb. So it's inconceivable for 391 00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:03.599 a Christian to do that, at least a Christian in 392 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:07.259 their right mind, but who knows? The one thing that 393 00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:10.599 we can say as a premise is that What disqualifies 394 00:24:10.619 --> 00:24:13.740 you from heaven is an ongoing, continuous rejection of the 395 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:14.660 love and grace of God. 396 00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:19.519 Yeah, yeah, I get it. So you've got a complete 397 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:20.380 Bible answer book? 398 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:22.819 Yeah, it's called the Complete Bible Answer Book Collector's Edition. 399 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.640 Okay, okay, that's good. All right, thank you. I appreciate 400 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:27.380 this so much. 401 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:30.819 You got it. Appreciate your call. Back to the phone lines, 402 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:34.960 we'll talk to Jonathan next in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hi, Jonathan. 403 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.400 Yeah, hi, Hank. Thank you for taking my call. 404 00:24:38.869 --> 00:24:39.119 Pleasure. 405 00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:42.180 And I just wanted to also say that, you know, 406 00:24:42.220 --> 00:24:44.460 I travel a lot for work, so I really, really 407 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:46.869 appreciate sermons and shows like yours. 408 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:47.690 So thanks for that. 409 00:24:47.829 --> 00:24:49.309 Thank you. 410 00:24:49.349 --> 00:24:52.549 My question is, you know, due to personal experience, I 411 00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:54.910 am very familiar. I think I have a really good 412 00:24:54.950 --> 00:24:59.109 grasp on just how much the porn industry can poison 413 00:24:59.150 --> 00:25:03.349 the minds of the country. And my question is, what causes? 414 00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:06.920 as a Christian, what kind of actions can we take 415 00:25:07.289 --> 00:25:09.569 to really try to put a stop to it and 416 00:25:09.630 --> 00:25:13.250 try to tear down and stop and shut down these 417 00:25:13.309 --> 00:25:16.670 websites that are just making it go so rampant and wild? 418 00:25:17.549 --> 00:25:19.809 Yeah, we've got to do everything that's permissible to do that, 419 00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:23.269 but recognize that ultimately pagans are going to exercise their 420 00:25:23.309 --> 00:25:25.730 job description. They're going to be pagans. The real issue 421 00:25:25.789 --> 00:25:30.799 now becomes Christians exercising their job description. As people's hearts 422 00:25:30.940 --> 00:25:35.309 are changed, their behavioral patterns are are changed as well. 423 00:25:35.769 --> 00:25:38.329 So ultimately the way that you become salt and light, 424 00:25:38.569 --> 00:25:41.670 the way that you redeem a culture is by changing 425 00:25:41.750 --> 00:25:45.329 the hearts of people within a culture and that ultimately 426 00:25:46.190 --> 00:25:50.180 changes the fabric of the culture itself. The problem, the 427 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:54.299 systemic problem is that Christians unfortunately today are more a 428 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:57.799 microcosm of the culture than a change agent in the 429 00:25:57.880 --> 00:26:00.420 culture and as a result of that our culture isn't 430 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:05.299 being transformed, we are being conformed by the culture as 431 00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:09.140 Paul talks about in Romans chapter 12. Thanks for tuning 432 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:10.960 in to this edition of the Bible Answer Man broadcast. 433 00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:13.680 Look forward to seeing you next time with more of 434 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:14.140 the show. 435 00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:17.720 Thanks for tuning in to the Bible Answer Man broadcast. 436 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:22.640 Our website equip.org has an abundance of resources to sharpen 437 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:26.190 your discernment skills and help you grow in life and truth. 438 00:26:26.809 --> 00:26:30.900 We provide books, videos, and informative articles. You can also 439 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:35.069 listen to the broadcast, download archived programs, get answers to 440 00:26:35.130 --> 00:26:38.829 pressing Bible questions, or connect with us via social media. 441 00:26:39.230 --> 00:26:45.720 All this and more at equip.org. 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