Words of Jesus Podcast - Sin is Revealed by the Law

Episode Date: June 4, 2021

Are you called of God? If you desire to go His way, start immediately, but don’t expect instant perfection.  Recognition of the difference between us and God is the catalyst for change. Peter said it this way, “I am a sinful man.”  How do we reach the salvation we desire? It’s in the gospel, though continually overlooked - the law is our schoolmaster.  (Paraphrased) Jesus said, “Keep my commandments, the big ten, and Dad and I will lead and guide you from-the-inside! We demonstrate faith by our works of obedience.  That’s step one.  Instantaneous salvation is a false doctrine. Don’t miss the perfection Jesus has in mind for you.  ***Jesus Calls Four Disciples (Part 2)JESUS stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, teaching the word of God to those who pressed abut him.           He entered one of two ships that were standing by the lake and requested Simon, called Peter, whose boat it was to thrust out a little from the land. Simon did so, and Jesus taught the assembled crowd from the boat.           When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon:           “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nest for a draught.”Simon replied:           “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net.”           They did so and caught a great multitude of fished, so many that their net was broken. They beckoned to Simon’s partners, James and John, sons of Zebedee, who came and helped them. They filled both ships so full that the ships began to sink.           When Simon saw the great catch of fished, he knelt at Jesus’ knees, saying:           “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”           For he and all who were with him were astonished at the amount of fish that they had taken.           Then Jesus said to the fishermen:            “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”           When they had brought their ships to the land, Simon and his brother Andrew followed after Jesus. Also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, left their ship and their father and followed Jesus. (The gospel of John omits the Temptation scene and seems to place the calling of the first disciples nearer to the time of Jesus’ baptism that do the other three writers. John mentions Philip and Nathanael, instead and James and John. Nathanael asks the well-known question, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”)*** ***CHAPTER 5 SCRIPTURES (KJV):MATTHEW 4:18-22And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the...

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus series with Don C. Harris Hello and welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series brought to you by the Think Red Ink Ministries in Pytown, New Mexico. I'm Don Harris, your host. I'm glad to have you here. If you've been a part of the shows for the past few weeks, there's been a lot to think about,

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That's what we do. And I'm just convinced that the more we get to know our Savior, the more we get to know His words and what He had to say and the life that He lived and the friends that He had and the enemies that He had, we get to know Him. I think that's pretty rare. We were talking last time about believing and the difference between believing alone and

works alone or them coupled together or whatever. And you'll be hard pressed as a Bible student to find faith and works absolutely separated because faith requires works. Without it, it's dead. I just don't think we need to treat works like a cuss word and say that it's not by works. As I said in my travels, in my experience,

I have never met anybody who thought they could work their way to Heaven. As a matter of fact, you know the Jehovah's Witnesses are condemned for that all the time. People say they think they can work their way to Heaven. Well have you ever asked one if that's true? Because you'll find that there's just, you know they're accused of a lot of things that they ought not be accused of. And that's one of them. They believe that a person of faith ought to work.

Well, so do I! And so we have some things in common. Nevertheless, the idea of faith and works is always a problem because of people's definitions of these things. And I just think it's interesting in the story that we told before Jesus decided to teach the followers that were there on the beach that day. He decided to teach them by standing or sitting or whatever

I don't know what position he took but he was in Peter's boat Peter pushed out from the shore a little bit and he preached to them well they were done Jesus said alright Pete I want to I want to pay you for the use of your boat and he says just push out there and let's let the net drown for a draft of fishes. And he says, we can if you want to, but I'm telling you I've been out there all night and we took nothing.

And he said, come on, let's go give it a shot. And so they go out there and they end up almost sinking his and his partner's boat trying to get this draft of fishes in. Well, when Peter realizes that this guy that was preaching on his boat all this time, you know, Peter, he doesn't care. He's over there mending nets and pulling the flotsam and jetsam out of the nets and cleaning them up and getting them ready for tomorrow.

And so he's over there picking nasty stuff out of the net and smelling like a fisherman no doubt. Breaking out in early morning sweat. And Jesus is over there just preaching. And Jesus is over there just preaching. And you know he was listening to whatever was being said. But he put him into this category of a religious guy. Maybe he's a zealot. Maybe he's a libertarian. Maybe he's, I don't know. He's got something to sell.

He's got something stuck in his craw. But Peter was hardly interested. Oh, I say so. I don't know these things. I'm just trying to put pants on the scripture if it's all the same to you. So I see Peter's over there just kind of minding his own business and doing his work. Getting ready to go home and get some rest. And I'm sure that he listened to different points that Jesus had to say and certain things that might have been a different sort of, well, he'd not heard it before.

You know, that's interesting or this is interesting or whatever. He grew up in the Jewish culture, and he wasn't ignorant about the things of God. But boy oh boy when Jesus came down to where he lived he realized I'm not going to get through to this guy with intellect or with my seminary knowledge or with anything spiritual. I don't know. Maybe I could get through or with my seminary knowledge, or with anything spiritual,

I don't know. Maybe I could get to him if I made it rain, or made it stop raining, or something like that. But outside of that, I don't think this guy's going to pay attention. Well, he killed two birds with one stone. He felt like he owed him a debt on the boat. And so he says, come on, let me pay you for using your boat. Push out here and let's let down that net.

I just got done cleaning this net. Come on. We ought to do this. So they go out and they let that net down. And holy mackerel. I guess that would be holy mackerel, wouldn't it? He lets his net down, and it's so full he can't draw it into the boat. He starts hollowing to his friends back on shore. They jump in their boat and paddle out there to him. Help me, help me, help me. And so they help him get the fish into his boat. And when the fish finally get in the boat, they fill it.

Well, there's still fish in the net. And so they bring another boat around and they fill it up. Well, they continue to do this until their boats started to sink. And, well, all of a sudden, Jesus got to him and the Bible says that he came over and he fell at his feet. This wasn't an acknowledgement of a really good fisherman. It wasn't like, you you know, here, meet Eli. He's been a fisherman out here on this lake for, you know, 50 years. He knows where all the fish are. He's a wonderful man.

Okay, you can go with us. And they go out there, and Eli says, this is a great place to throw. And so they throw the net, and they get a draft of fishes, and he says, wow, that's great. You're really good at what you do. Thank you so much. Let me pay you. Let me help you. You're coming with us tomorrow, right?

You can hear all these things happen. If you're talking about a man. But Peter was convinced this is more than a man. This is more than anything I've ever encountered. This was super natural. This man is in command of nature. What did they say about Jesus when he calmed that storm? He says, what manner of man, what manner of man is this?

Not who is this? What kind of a man is this that even the wind and the seas obey him? Peter was fully convinced that this was not a regular old guy in shoe leather. He fell down and on his knees before him, grabbed him around the feet and said, depart from me. Go away from me. For I'm a sinful man. Not only did he ascribe this power that Jesus evidently exercised here to Jesus. And can I use the term?

He didn't ascribe it to him as a magic trick. He didn't ascribe it to him as some kind of talent that he had, or even a supernatural talent that he had. He ascribed it to the living God that Peter has loved all of his life and been very familiar with by way of the scriptures and by way of his lifestyle there in Jerusalem. Now Peter had different kinds of problems but you have to remember Peter was called.

He was called. And when Peter was called here his answer was I'm a sinful man. I'm just afraid that the calling of God that is on people's lives today is somewhat less than what we're seeing in the Scriptures. One of the reasons why I set out on this quest to find a true and a lasting and a logical Christianity was because of the disparity of what I experienced personally and certainly what I saw of other people

in the Christian world and how different it is between what's going on today and what I actually see in the Scriptures. Well this is the case here as well. When God calls a man, there is something in him that immediately somehow a light comes on and we're able to see just how degraded we've

become, how degenerate we've become. We can see ourselves in a light of holiness that just scares the living socks off of us. And it's a very, very frightening thing. But I want you to know that it is, if I can use the word natural, it's a very natural thing. We have an understanding within us natural. It's a very natural thing. We have an understanding within us that if we find ourselves

in the presence of God, as Peter did, in the presence of God, as you will one day, when you awake from your sleep, you know that's the first thing that happens to us when we awake from the dead? We see the glory of God. I don't know if it's going to be good or bad. I guess it'll depend, won't it? But as Peter found himself in the presence of God and just the thought in the mind of the drunk in the gutter, I was giving you the example.

In the mind of the drunk in the gutter, I was giving you the example. In the mind of that guy, when he just entertains the idea of becoming Christian, going God's way, cleaning up his life. We even use the term, turning over a new leaf. It becomes apparent to that person that there are changes to be made. And I'm afraid that modern Christianity has taught us to try to downplay that situation so that people don't think about that. We want to downplay that situation

so that people don't consider for a moment how far they are from God. And if they start talking about cleaning up their lives, we actively stop them from doing that. And I don't understand why. It is a very natural thing for us to see ourselves in God's light. Here's what's happened to us now. We have

become a people the Christian people have become a people who have bypassed righteousness. They have bypassed the law, bypassed the judgment of God, and jumped square straight into New Testament, so-called, New Testament Christianity. Paul says that the law

was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. This is why the law is presented before a man's face whenever he considers making his way God's way or trying to eliminate that enmity between him and God, that we have peace with God. When that thought occurs to him, the first thing that happens to him is he sees himself in the light of the law. That is not an unnatural thing. That's not the devil. It's not the devil trying to take somebody off into some legalism or anything. I heard that and i'm thinking really do you really

believe that it's the devil's ministry to introduce god's holy law to people do you really think that that's his ministry now that when a person doubts their salvation that's just the devil. Really? That's the devil's ministry now to tell people that they need to be saved? It's insanity. But we do it all the time. We say it all the time. We don't care if it makes sense. It sounds cool. Churches are full. What's your problem? Got more people going to my church than go to yours. This is the way we feel. Well, I think what we need to do is quit looking at majorities and numbers of people and look at what the scriptures say. You think Peter was wrong? You think he was scolded for bringing up the fact that he was a

sinful man? You think that Jesus says, ah, don't worry yourself with that. You know, you catch them, I'll clean them. Right? No, no, no. All these things get dealt with in time. It's just that, what's the underlying false doctrine here? Instantaneous salvation. Saved by faith alone and not by works. You know, it's just, you know, faith without works. They believe you're saved by faith without works. The Bible clearly saying all along,

faith without works is dead. So you're being saved by dead faith. Underlying foundational false doctrine. It doesn't allow us to even think this way. And that's why these things have to be erased. You can't find it in the Scripture. You owe it to yourself and everybody around you and certainly the people that you will eventually minister to to erase these doctrines that you don't find in Scripture. To quit saying things that you don't hear said in Scripture. It's our only safe bed, if you will. It's really the right

way to do this. And I think that we're making a huge mistake by, I don't know, do we think we're translating the Bible into English when we say silly little things like that? I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to think people's motives are wicked, that they teach false doctrine for the sake, for the purpose of damning people. I can't believe that. I mean, I'm sure that might be the case somewhere, but not the majority of cases.

This is people out here that love the Lord. They want a relationship with Him. And they don't understand that all that comes over the pulpit is not the Word of God. And they just can't believe that that preacher would tell them something that's not true. Again, do I believe that that preacher has ill intention toward his congregation that I'm going to, you know, where are you going? Well, it's Sunday. I'm going to go up and deceive them people. No, I don't believe that. I think that

his intentions are good. I don't think his methods are good. His theology stinks. His doctrine stinks. And I don't know what else we're going to get over the pulpit from somebody who has these foundational problems other than bad doctrine. But his intention? No. He loves people. He wants the best for them. I don't know. I don't understand why he knows something to be the truth and not preach it. Knows something to be false and preach it anyway. I don't understand that. He'll have to answer to God for that, not me.

But we're willing to teach fantasy. We're willing to allow people to play with other gods. We allow people, well, you know, I realize you feel like thou shalt not steal. But after all, I mean, this is like the IRS. I mean, really. is there a problem here? You know, you're cheating on your income taxes a little bit. You know, come on, it's the IRS. It's not really a person. Or let's pad this bill on the insurance a little bit. Let's just get all we can get out of this. Well, yeah, but that's stealing. That's not stealing from anybody. That's just stealing from a corporation.

Where do these ideas come from? They're justifications. Preachers teach us to justify. Our friends certainly teach us to justify. And I think within ourselves, we have the ability to do it with our eyes closed. But we don't need to be justifying our wrongdoing. What we need to do is fall at the feet of the Savior and say, I'm a sinful man, oh Lord.

I'm a sinful man. But what you'll find is, if you do that, well, the only thing you're going to find in Scripture is him appreciating the fact that you're not going your way now, you're going to go his way. He says, I appreciate it so much, as a matter of fact, that if you'll do that, I'll never remember anything you've ever done wrong. That's just a heck of a promise, folks.

I want that promise. I want that in my life. So how do I do? Tell me again. How do I get that? Where he won't remember anything I've ever done wrong? How do I get that? By keeping his commandments.

By doing what he says is right and orderly and decent and just. Not necessarily what you think is. Now, that's a good deal. I want that. So I'm going to pursue that. I do find that there are people that feel like that salvation comes in the midst of our sin. It comes while we are in sin.

And if you believe in instantaneous salvation, you have to believe that. But you know, there are improvements we can make on our life that please the Lord. And what are we trying to do? We're trying to be chosen of God. How are we going to be chosen of God if it's not to please Him every day? So when a person comes to Christ, so to speak, when they come to that point in their life saying, you know what, I'd really like to make some differences in my life, then we have to be able to tell them how to

answer this call on their life. We talked about several shows back, we were talking about in the book of Revelation, it talks about when he describes a certain group of people to John, he says these are the called, the chosen, and the faithful. And remember I was telling you that there's not a thing in the world you can do about God calling you. That's him.

That's his sovereign business. That is what he does. He decides who to call and who to who to collect and who to reject you know like that kind of talk that's him speaking not me yeah you know i'm the lord god i i'll accept who i accept and i reject who i reject it's none of your business um and you know as as tough as that might be what we need to focus on is have I been called? Well, after you've decided that you have indeed been called, and if you have a desire within yourself to make these things right, I assure you people that

have not been called, they don't have that. They couldn't care less. But there are many who are called that are not Christian. I want to say that as well. But if you are called the next thing you need to know is how to answer that call. I'm afraid that modern Christianity just does not give us that answer. They don't teach us this.

Sometimes they feel like they're teaching us this when they say, well, you know, they give the universal answer, I call it. It doesn't matter. I got trouble with smoking pot. I got trouble with filthy language. I got trouble with pornography. I got trouble with alcohol. I got trouble with whatever it is. Well, you need to get saved, brother. I mean, that's what they'll tell you. Well, you know, nice answer. But as far as I'm concerned, next. Has anybody else here got an opinion? I don't even understand what this guy says when he says you need to get saved. You know why? He doesn't understand either. He just says you need to come to my church. That's what he's

trying to tell you. But that is, in a lot of people's minds, the answer to the call is to get saved. Now it goes off into some pretty wild stuff from this particular point and departs the scripture miserably in a lot of cases. I had a collection of tracts one time that I collected from all over. They leave them on gas pumps and they leave them

on counters and they put them in little, you've seen them, they're all over the place. And looking for one that actually said what the scriptures say. And boy, that is not easy to find. But I'm always drawn to, there's a story in the scriptures where a question was asked that is the very question to which we want an answer.

What must I do to inherit eternal life? It was asked four different times. It's recorded in three different Gospels. All answered the same way every time. And most people do not know how Jesus answered the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? If you ask a thousand preachers, you'll pretty much get 999 identical answers. But I assure you not one of them will tell you what Jesus actually said.

We're going to talk about that when we get to that scripture. But do you know what he said? Do you know how he said to answer this call? Do you know how he said to inherit eternal life? Some of you are not going to like this answer. But again, it's not me. It's Jesus, the one you say you worship.'s Jesus the one you say you worship it's the one you say you love

it's your savior yeah him the son of God he said this not me he said keep the commandments no he didn't and even if he did say that he meant something else. No, I'm afraid not, friend.

As a matter of fact, he reiterated. He had an opportunity to crawfish on this and say, Well, yeah, keep the commandments, but you've got to have faith. You know, because it's all by faith and not by words. No, no, no, he didn't say that at all. What did he say? When the young boy that asked the question, asked him about what must I do to inherit eternal life,

he said, keep the commandments. He says, I've done that from my youth. How did Jesus answer? Yeah, that's right. This do, and thou shalt live. It is obvious that keeping the commandments of God put us into this place of safety. We've been calling it saved, but it's not being made sound. It's not being regenerated. It is being made safe. We got to go. Time's up. I'm so sorry. You've been watching the Words of

Jesus series brought to you by Think Red Ink Ministries. If you'd like to get in touch with me, I would love to hear from you. You can send me an email at don at thinkredink.com or you can write to Think Red Ink Ministries PO Box 718

Hightown, New Mexico 87827 Alright, we'll see you next time. Bye-bye. You've been listening to Don C. Harris of Think Red Ink Ministries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredc.com. That's ThinkRedInc.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you