Episode 20

Pastor Paul LeBoutillier Sue: Larece has a question for you, “As Christians, are we still guided by Old Testament laws? I grew up in a Sabbath-keeping church where the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 were taught from an early age. Do these still apply? I ask because I no longer observe the Sabbath, so does that mean I'm being disobedient? I also don't tithe. What does that mean for my storehouses, am I sabotaging my own blessings?”

Well, there are several questions here and there that she's kind of asking. And all of them are the kind of question that I would really kind of expect to get from someone who was raised, as she readily admits in this question in a legalistic home. She says she was in a Sabbath-keeping home. And that tells me that she was in a home where people were abiding by the Old Testament laws that God made in the Mosaic Law between Himself and Israel. So, as I've said many times, there's nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments. And people ask me, are we to follow the Ten Commandments? There's nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments. Here's the issue. Under the New Covenant, we have received something better than the Ten Commandments. And that's not blasphemous to say that, because what we've received is the lawgiver Himself who has come to live in our hearts. And so, in the New Testament, we are not told to be followers of commandments. We're told to be led by the Spirit. She brings up several things in this question about observing the Sabbath, about tithing. In the New Testament, tithing is not commanded. We are told to give according to what we have decided in our hearts, obviously being led by the Holy Spirit. And we're not to feel like we're under some kind of compulsion to give. We're to give freely, joyfully. God loves a cheerful giver. He doesn't want us to give rigidly or because of an obligation. So that's the essence of what it means to be a believer under the New Covenant. We're to be led by the Holy Spirit, not by laws. The laws were great. The laws are great. They show the moral purity of God. They show the holiness of God. But they only can communicate so much to us. The Holy Spirit is unlimited in His ability to communicate to us. So we're to be led by the Spirit as believers. We keep the Sabbath because the Sabbath is a shadow. This is something Paul tells us in Colossians 2. Things like the Sabbath are a shadow. The reality, however, is found in Christ. So, as we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we actually keep the commandments. And things like tithing, as I've already said, that's to be done according to what's in your heart. So, be led by the Spirit, not by laws.

Excellent. Maxine has a question, “Why in some Bibles are verses missing from some chapters? Thank you and God bless.”

This is that great question. And I always have a question for the people who ask me, why are some Bible verses missing or words missing? And I come back to them and I say, why in some Bibles are verses added? Or why are words added? See, my question is just as legitimate as Maxine's. Colossians 2:16-17 (ESV) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

The assumption is made by Maxine and others that because the King James Version is the oldest Bible, that's the standard, that's the baseline by which we judge all English translations.

Oldest English Bible.

The oldest English translation. Actually, it's not the oldest English.

Yes.

But it's the oldest...

Most popular.

Most popular English translation. And so, it is assumed by people that if something isn't in the King James, like if there's a verse that's in the King James that's not in one of the other more modern translations, or a word that's there in the King James that's not in others, it's assumed it's been removed or taken out. And of course, people have written books who love to make all kinds of big deals about this. It's a conspiracy.

It’s kind of paint a picture of somebody redacting with a black marker.

They're trying to keep this information from you. It's absolutely ridiculous. But you have to remember something. The King James Bible is not the oldest version of the Scripture that we have. The oldest manuscripts that we have are the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. Now, we don't have the original autographs, but we have copies of copies of copies, which are very plentiful. But those original language versions, those are the ones that we should be looking at. You don't compare things with the King James Bible. Honestly, when the King James translators set out to translate the Bible in the early 1600s, they didn't have as much manuscript evidence as we do today.

Right.

So you got to be very careful when you compare English translations to the King James. Here's the answer to Maxine's question. When Bible translators sit down to translate the Bible into English, they don't go to the King James. They go back to the original languages. So, if there's a verse that seems to be missing, that means it wasn't in the Greek manuscripts that they chose to translate the Bible. If there's a word that is missing, it means that in the Greek or the Hebrew, that word wasn't there. Those translating committees are very honest, sincere, and godly people, and they want to translate the Bible as close to the original as possible. So don't compare modern English translations of the Bible to the King James. That would be an error. Compare them with the Greek and Hebrew. Find out which Greek manuscripts your Bible used. Find out which Old Testament manuscripts your Bible used to translate the Bible. Now, let me just say something here about differences in wording and verses that may appear in some but not in others. I have read the Bible in many translations, and I often reference other translations when I'm teaching. I usually read out of the ESV, but I will look at and reference the New American Standard Bible, the New King James, the NIV, even sometimes the New Living Translation, which isn't a bad translation. And I can tell you this, whatever differences there are, are minor, extremely minor, and affect nothing of any essential doctrines. That's such an important thing to remember. There's no conspiracy going on here, and there are no doctrinal differences between Old English translations of the Bible and New English translations of the Bible. If you've been told otherwise, you've been lied to. Simple as that. There you go.

Good answer. Matthew says,

I assume that the reason Matthew is asking this question is because this sounds odd to him. He's probably from a background that assumes—well, you could be from two different backgrounds—one that assumed that when you get saved, you will automatically receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time, or he comes from a tradition that really kind of downplays the baptism of the Holy Spirit and just merges it with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and doesn't really set it apart at all. Those are the two kinds of backgrounds that might consider my testimony a little odd. The fact of the matter is, the Bible tells us that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. That is the ministry of the Spirit by which we are born again, by which we are illuminated as to the Scriptures, by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption, on and on. But there is another work of the Holy Spirit which doesn't necessarily happen at the time of salvation, and it's the empowering work of the Holy Spirit, which is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. Some people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit immediately upon conversion to Christ. Others wait or may wait weeks, months, or years before they have opened themselves to the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. So this is not an odd sort of a thing. We read in the book of Acts that Paul found a bunch of believers that had been born again through the ministry of Apollos, but had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because they hadn't even been taught about the Holy Spirit. Acts 19:1-7 (ESV) And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them,

Good. All right. Blayze has a question. “Hi Pastor Paul, what is the appropriate thing to say to a friend who is experiencing brokenness from a parent passing away? I don't want to say things that are wrong but I also want to plant a seed that might draw this person to the Lord.”

Those are tender and difficult situations. So I'm assuming that Blayze is speaking to an unbeliever.

Yeah, sounds like it.

Who has experienced the devastating loss of a family member, and he wants to be encouraging and be a blessing. There's no special instructions in the Bible that say this is how you're to do it. As believers, as I've mentioned already, we are to be led by the Holy Spirit. I would really encourage him to pray and ask the Lord, what would you have me say to this person? How can I comfort them? How can I speak encouraging words to them, but also leave them with a hunger for more? The Bible tells us that our words are to be seasoned with salt, causing people to want the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. more of what we have to say. So we have to be careful about what we say, and we need to be led by the Holy Spirit. And I don't think there's a single answer that would be given for all people, for all situations or all circumstances. I think we need to be led by the Spirit in each situation. And you even need to be praying while you're talking, while you're talking to that person. Between you and the Lord, just as you're listening to them talk, you're just saying, Lord, lead me, lead my words. Let my words be a comforting balm. Let them be an encouragement. Speak through me now, Lord. Anoint me with your Holy Spirit. And when I open my mouth, let your words of comfort come out.

That's really good. I think there is some practical guidance on what not to say during those times. And that almost like Job's friends is like, just don't speak for the Lord. Don't try to give any kind of answers or insight that you may think is going to be comforting, but in my experience in life, it never is.

Yeah.

I think about just the times that I have gone through grief in my life. So I look back on how people responded to me, merely their presence.

Just being there.

Just being there, just hugs, I'm sorry. Even to say, I don't even know what to say. Just so sorry that you're going through this right now.

And praying for someone, just praying God's comfort, that can be all the testimony that that person needs because that communicates to them that you believe that the Lord is a source of comfort. And so as you pray for them, as you just go to them and say, can I pray for you, that God would comfort your heart in this time of grief and hold their hand and pray for them.

And what you said about being led by the Spirit is so critical because as you know people, we're all very different. You and I have talked about this aspect of some people are solo sufferers and some people are social sufferers.

They're community sufferers.

Yeah. And you kind of have to ask the Lord, do they even want people around?

Right.

Because you and me, we understand these things because we represent each side of the spectrum.

I'm a solo sufferer. If I'm going through grief or difficulty, I want to be alone with the Lord.

And so it really is important to just ask the Lord, when should I even connect with this person?

Or even asking them, would you like me to come and just encourage you? Can I come and pray for you? Find out where they're at.

And I'm the social sufferer. When I'm sick, I want to be on the couch. Everyone pay attention to me. So we're all different.

Yes, we are.

All right. Thomas says,

In my experience, I would say, yes, it is easier for somebody who has lived a life of sinful opulence to come to the Lord than someone who has really tried all their lives apart from God to live a holy life or a righteous life or just even a moral life. Because moral people tend to trust in their morality. They tend to think, I'm not so bad. I've never murdered. I don't cheat on my wife. I pay my taxes. I obey the laws of the land. I work hard. I love my family. What's the problem here? And they tend to trust in that. And that can be a barrier to coming to the Lord and recognizing your need of a savior. So I believe that when someone has lived just a really openly sinful life and they recognize their sin finally, and they have such a desire to be cleansed, they're like, oh man, I am filthy. I need Jesus to wash me. So I do think there's a real difference there.

And then what about this part, does this relate to his words in Luke 5 about the sick needing a doctor?

Jesus said, I've not come for those who are well, I've come for the sick. And the sick are kind of those who recognize they're sick. Everyone is sick, but there are some people who think they're well, like the religious leaders did in Jesus's day.

They didn't even recognize their need of a savior. So I think there's a connection there.

Good. All right. Bob says,

Well, I hope so. There are certain groups of people who really place a huge emphasis on knowing the day and the hour that you came to Christ and people will celebrate those things. And by the way, there's really nothing wrong with that. Somebody might say, today is my 10th spiritual birthday. I was born again 10 years ago today. There's a lot of other people—Bob is obviously one of them, I'm one of them who have really no idea for sure when we came to know Christ. And honestly, I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all. In fact, if a child is raised in a godly Christian home and from their very earliest days taught that they need to put their faith in Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, that child is going to make a progressive growth in their relationship with God, whereby they may never be able to point to a date and time in their life. They just were like, I was raised believing that Jesus died for my sins. And I've always known it and I've always thanked Him for it. And I don't know the day that I came to the Lord. Bob is obviously struggling with an assurance of his salvation because he doesn't know the date and the time. Here's my question to Bob. Do you know you're saved today?

Right.

You don't remember when you came to the Lord. I believe he did come to the Lord. But the question really doesn't matter when you came. The question is, are you there now?

And I was just going to ask, is there anything wrong with someone today or even daily just reaffirming their trust in Jesus to forgive their sins?

Nothing wrong with that at all. That's what we do every time we take communion.

We remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. And we reiterate by taking of the bread and the cup that we have received what He did for us on the cross. So I would say to Bob and anyone else who doesn't know when they got saved, don't worry about it. All you got to know is that you're saved today. Today I'm trusting in Jesus. I know that I know that I know that I put my faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Excellent.