Episode 21

Pastor Paul LeBoutillier Sue: Diane has a question for you, and she says,

There definitely is a difference between the spirit and the soul, and we know that because there are two completely different words used in the original language for each of them, and so knowing that, that really helps a lot. The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, and it can be translated breath or wind, and really all we know about our spirit is that it's something that God breathed into us originally to make us living beings, and that needs also to be born again. We need to be born of the spirit, so that's what we know about the spirit. The other Greek word that is used for the soul is psuche, and it's where we get our word psyche, and it essentially refers to the intellect, the emotions, and the will of man. So you've got that which is breathed into us through God, the spirit, and the psyche or the psuche, the soul. So two very different things.

Very good. All right. Neil has a question, “Thank you for your teaching ministry. The leadership at my church are happy to have women elders. I do not think this is biblical. However, I'm not making an issue out of it. I live in a small town of 4000 people and the church I attend is the only good church to attend despite this issue. I have been asked to be an elder but have declined. As I said, I do not feel comfortable serving with a team which includes women. Am I being pig headed? I know I have gifts and talents that would be useful for the church.”

That's probably really frustrating for him, knowing that he has a heart to serve, a desire to serve, and he knows that he's even got some gifts from the Lord, but he doesn't feel comfortable because this particular church embraces women in the role as elders. And I don't think it's pigheaded to follow the Word of God.

Right.

I really don't. And honestly, if this is the only issue that this church has going on, then it's probably not the end of the world, although it is an unbiblical thing. My concern always when I hear about a fellowship that chooses to kind of do something like that is I want to know if there's other areas where they have kind of chosen to sidestep the Word of God as it relates to leadership or some other aspect of what the Bible reveals. So that's probably what I would encourage Neil is to make sure that's maybe the only area that is a problem.

And what's difficult for us to know on this side of the question is, what do the elders do in this church?

Yeah, that’s true.

Because churches choose all kinds of names for all kinds of positions. And these elders could be like… Pastor Paul: A board of directors.

A board of trustees or something like that.

And they just call them elders.

And they could be taking care of the physical plant. So it's difficult. Or as we know elders in our church experience, we consider them pastors because the word is the same. And so our elders are full on pastors. So that's what's difficult to know here.

Yeah. So I would probably want to know, are these women considered to be pastors in the church?

Sure.

Because you're right, that would change things.

Candace says,

Good question.

It is very good.

The first thing for starters, we don't refer to the Holy Spirit as it because the Holy Spirit is a person. So we say he; did he arrive?

Right.

So she's basically saying I'm confused. Jesus talks like he's bringing or giving the Holy Spirit for the very first time. And yet in the Old Testament, David speaks of the Holy Spirit working in his life and he prays, Lord, don't take your Holy Spirit from me. This is a good question, but you have to understand that the Holy Spirit has been around always from the very beginning. I mean, from the beginning of creation, the Holy Spirit has been around, but the Holy Spirit works in different ways at different time periods. The Holy Spirit was never given to indwell someone until Jesus paid the price of our sin on the cross. The Holy Spirit came with people in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit even came upon people in the Old Testament to empower them for service. But David didn't have the Holy Spirit living in his heart like we do under the new covenant. And because this is something that God did differently after Jesus paid the price for our sin. So the Holy Spirit's been around the whole time, but there are different works of the Holy Spirit. I know it makes it sound when you listen to the words of Jesus, like this is a brand new, the Spirit has never come before, but I'm going to send him. He's speaking of sending him to do a new and unique work in the lives of believers.

The other thing that I don't know if you want to get into it on Psalm 51, but we love Keith Green and we love that song. We sang this a lot. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. And that can also be confusing for a New Testament believer like, could that happen?

And the answer is no, the Holy Spirit will not be taken away because of sin or whatever. That was an Old Testament reality, but not under the new covenant. Psalm 51:10 (ESV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Great. Allie says,

We assume that that was the time when the Holy Spirit was given to all believers, not just the men who were in that room.

And she says,

Presumption, meaning all I got to do is ask, and it's going to be given.

Ask and believe… Pastor Paul: Because I'm believing with all my heart… Sue: Believe that you have received it.

Presumption comes from assuming that God is obligated because of my faith and faith is huge and faith is very important, but faith does not obligate God to violate his will because we're told by the apostle John in John's first letter, he says that we have this confidence when we come to God, that when we pray according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 (ESV) And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. So this is our confidence when we pray according to the will of God, we don't always pray according to the will of God, but there are times that we know his will because it's given to us in the word. And we're very confident about what we're praying for because we know this is God's will. When I'm praying for someone to be saved, I know I'm praying according to the will of God, because the Bible tells me he is not willing that any should be lost, but that all would come to repentance. So that's not presumption on my part. And so that's the defining line between presumption and faith. Do I know that I know because of the revelation of God's Word, that this is his will? Then I pray confidently. If I don't know his will, then I pray differently. I pray and say, Lord, not according to my will, but according to yours and Lord, if it be your will, I pray this and so forth. That's the line. It's constantly submitting our prayers to the will of God.

Good. All right. Jasmin says,

No, it's not. It's not really a sign of the end times. It has become a sign to people because a red heifer was used in creating the sacrificial ash that was used in the sacrificial system under the old covenant. By the way, red is something that was a picture under the old covenant. You got a red heifer. You've got red scarlet yarn. You've got the blood, the red blood. And of course, that's all a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for us. The reason the whole red heifer thing has become a sign is because we know from the Bible that during the Great Tribulation, the first part of it, Israel will restart the sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant. In order to do that, they have to have a red heifer. And I think as far as I know, this has already happened and they have what they need. What they don't have yet is the temple, and that still has to be built. But anyway, that's the whole connection of the red heifer. It never was meant to be a sign of the end times. We've made it so because we know that sacrifices will resume during the first half of the Great Tribulation in Israel.

Joyce says,

I believe that it was a judgment on his earthly legacy. I fully expect to see Eli in heaven. He was a man who loved the Lord. He had some real weaknesses. Restraining his boys was one of them. Food was another. But he was a man who opened his heart to the Lord. When he heard the prophecy that Samuel gave, he said, let it be as the Lord determines. He didn't fight it. He didn't get angry. He was a man surrendered to the will of God. And I believe it affected his earthly dynasty and the lineage of those who would come after him, but not his eternal destiny. And the reason is because we're not saved by what we do or don't do. We're saved by grace through faith.

Good. Charity says,

So two questions. I'll answer the second one first. The Bible does say that we will receive a name that only known to us alone. So the Bible does say that in the book of Revelation. But as for the issue of how can I make my family understand the Trinity? You can't because you can't understand the Trinity. The Trinity isn't something we embrace by understanding. The Trinity is something we embrace by revelation. And that's the problem with Jehovah's Witnesses that I have found is that when you're talking to a Jehovah's Witness, they will literally say to you, that doesn't make any sense. I agree. I don't think the nature of God makes sense from the standpoint that we can comprehend his nature, how he can be one God and three persons. I don't get that. So there's no way to make them understand. And that's the thing I would say to Charity. I would say, well honey, do you understand the Trinity? And the fact of the matter is she doesn't, she accepts it because it's in the Bible. And that's what has to happen. And it will happen as the Lord opens their heart and mind, but that is only going to happen through prayer. So I would say to Charity, don't argue the issues of the Trinity with your family, pray for them, for their hearts and their minds to be open, to embrace the revelation of God apart from intellectual understanding.

Excellent. That's good. Revelation 2:17 (ESV) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.