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Live from historic downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, home of founding father James Wilson, 19th century hymn writer George Duffield, 19th century gospel minister George Norcross, and sports legend Jim Thorpe.
It's iron sharpens iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the church and the world today. Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Matthew Henry said that in this passage we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better. It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with your own questions.
And now here's your host, Chris Arnzen.
Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensirenradio .com. This is Chris Arnzen, your host of iron sharpens iron radio, wishing you all a happy Friday on this third day of May 2024.
Before I introduce my guest and our topic today, I want to remind all men in ministry leadership that the next iron sharpens iron radio free pastors luncheon is being held on Thursday, June 6th, 11 a .m. to 2 p .m. at Church of the Living Christ in Loisville, Pennsylvania, and our keynote speaker for the very first time is Dr. Joel Beakey, who is a founder and president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and not only is admission free and your lunch free, but every man who attends is going to get a very heavy sack of free brand-new books personally selected by me and donated by generous Christian publishers all over the United States and United Kingdom.
Everything is absolutely free at the insistence of my precious late wife, Julie, who launched these luncheons with me in the 1990s. She always insisted that not one thing be charged for at these biannual luncheons, and she wanted the time to be just purely a time of rest, relaxation, and edification, and fun, and fellowship, and feasting for men in ministry without any ulterior motive or hidden agenda, and she insisted that there never be a charge for these luncheons or anything that is present at the luncheons.
So, if you would like to attend this event Thursday, June the 6th, 11 a .m. to 2 p .m. at Church of the Living Christ in Loisville, Pennsylvania, send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put Pastors Luncheon in the subject line.
But today I am delighted to have a returning guest definitely one of my favorite guests to interview on Iron Trump and Zion Radio, and I was thrilled to see such a huge response in social media from my listeners who are thrilled that this brother is back on the program for an interview today.
His name is Jeffrey Thomas. He was the pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church in Aberystwyth, Wales for over 50 years, a very historic church, and during that time Jeff preached through almost every word of the Bible.
He received his theological training at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2011. Jeff is a frequent conference speaker all over the world and also holds the position of visiting professor of historical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan that I just mentioned moments ago.
And he is the author of a dozen books, including his autobiography, In the Shadow of the Rock, as well as the comprehensive volume, The Holy Spirit, and a best-selling book entitled, You Can Have It All.
But today we are going to be addressing a book that he has written published by Reformation Heritage Books, Knowing the Cross, and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back after a long absence to Iron Trump and Zion Radio, Pastor Jeff Thomas.
Thank you very much. How kind, how exciting to to be here again, and I'm coming back, of course, two weeks time. I'm speaking once again, but four times on Revival. Yes, I.
Want to let our listeners know about that. That is a conference being hosted by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals on Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th, and Jeff Thomas is speaking on Friday night at 7 p .m., 8 p .m., and 9 p .m., and then also at Saturday at 9 30 a .m., 10 30 a .m., and 11 30 a .m., and the first session on Friday night is The Spirit of Life in You.
The second session is The Sons of God, Not Slaves of Sin, and at 9 p .m. is a question-and-answer session. Then on Saturday, he's speaking on The Valley of the Dry Bones at 9 30 a .m. and 10 30 a .m.
He's speaking on No Condemnation, No Separation, and 11 30 a .m. is another question-and-answer session, and if you want more details on this event being held right here in Pennsylvania, the this is called the Gap Bible Series, and the seminars take place at the Town Clock Chapel in Gap, Pennsylvania, and the website to find out more details is AllianceNet .org, AllianceNet .org, and click on events and scroll down until you see Gap Bible Series, and if you scroll down again, you will find the the events with Jeff Thomas coming up, and I think that is next week if I'm not mistaken, but or is it two weeks?
I can't remember. Two weeks. Two weeks, and so I'm excited to have you on the program, as are many of our listeners, and as I said already, we are addressing your book, Knowing the Cross, and the cross is really what separates true Bible-believing Christianity from the counterfeits in Christendom, and also from every other religion.
It is a pivotal and one of the very most vital issues addressed in the Scriptures that offer God's children eternal life, so if you could pick up on why you wanted to write this book and and just open your heart for us, as you always do.
Thank you very much. You know the cross is given such a significant place in the Word of God. You know, a third of the Gospels deals with one week, the last week, in the life of our Lord. It is that important for the message of why God sent his Son into the world.
The climax of it all is the Lamb of God is taking away our guilt and shame, and He is reconciling a holy God to sinful men and women whose hope and confidence then is not focused in anything they can ever do to merit that.
But all that has been merited for them by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I called the book Knowing the Cross because of my respect for an old friend, J. I. Packer, and one of his best-selling books, Knowing God, and so I took up that theme.
You know how when he begins his ministry and is baptized by John the Baptist, then John says of him, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And then the Apostle Paul, when he writes to the Corinthians and to the early church, he speaks to them of the message prioritized by him.
What did he speak on, first of all, when he went to a new area and introduced people to this extraordinary teacher, miracle worker, and this humble and gentle Jesus? Well, he says, first of all, he told them how Christ had died for our sins and that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.
So it was given a priority by him. In fact, he says he was determined not to know anything among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. It was a message which didn't go down well with the Greek philosophers or the Jewish legalists, but that was his great theme, the cross of Christ our Lord.
It's a declaration. It was his good news and good news must be shared. It makes you grab the phone and tell what you know to your family and your neighbors. You call your sister. I've got good news, you say.
And this news of Jesus' death is especially rich and hot, never out of date. We're not in the business of giving tips or advice or a description of our feelings. When we stand in the name of Jesus Christ behind an open Bible, we declare the good news of what Christ achieved on the cross that is utterly relevant to every single one of our hearers, not depending on their intelligence or their age or their guilt or their innocence.
But all who have ears to hear the best news of all, we speak about hope for the world. And that's our great concern. I can say to everyone in America, I have good news for you. Now the message seems foolishness that he went to the cross.
He could have escaped. He could have been delivered from it by his father, but he didn't. And that dying of Jesus is the power of God because he made him. God made Jesus to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So we are summoned in the great commission of the Son of God to bring this message to men and women where she said, happy if with my latest breath I might but gasp his name, preach him to all and cry in death, behold, behold the Lamb.
And so that commission is given to us and it's my delight and it's my challenge to you this afternoon hour that you receive this mind-blowing truth like a person who digs a pit to bury some rubbish and he finds a chest and it's packed with treasure and he sells all he has that he might get that treasure for himself.
And so here in the historic existence and humbling of the God-man who died on Golgotha here then is the Lamb of God and you must take a certain posture before him and say to God, Father, forgive me because I've heard that the blood of your Son can make the foulest person clean and that blood has become my only plea.
I flee from all my sin and all my virtues to hide in the wounded side of Jesus Christ who is my Lord and my Saviour. All my joy is found concentrated and spelled out and experienced now in the message of the cross and all my sadness and shame are because of those things that he took the cruel nails and the crown of thorns and the darkness and his abandonment to reconcile you my God to me and obtain divine pardon for what I've been and what I've done and that it took so long for me to realise this and fall before you with tears of joy and grief.
The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, it overwhelms, it breaks our hard hearts, it crushes, it melts them, it transforms them into hearts of undying gratitude and awesome anticipation that the face that was spat on for us the moment we die will be the face we will see and the voice that preached the Sermon on the Mount that voice will speak to us and say welcome, welcome my brother, welcome my beloved one so that from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
So the book is all about aspects of the cross of Jesus Christ that it's an imputation of our guilt to him that it's the humiliation of the Son of God that we might never be humiliated that it is a substitution and a propitiation of the wrath of a sin-hating God that it's redemption from our slavery and bondage to our sins that God is satisfied by it and that death's power over us is destroyed by it.
It's the foundation, it's a new covenant in Jesus' blood better than the covenants of the Old Testament and it is to be proclaimed and believed and loved by all Christians everywhere and when they meet the Saviour they will cast any crown that they've had any fame, any reward, any reputation they will cast it before Jesus and say you alone are worthy of all the blessings that you have now given to me and a countless number of people that's the message of the cross of Jesus Christ my Saviour.
Well hallelujah. And why is it there are people who are outside of the Christian faith both those that would be openly enemies of the cross and those that are just ignorant of the Christian faith who say why on earth if God does exist why on earth would he require the cross in order to make sure that sinners could go to heaven when they pass away, when they die and leave this earth?
Why was this necessary in the plan of God?
Well it's because of two factors, two attributes of God God's holiness, God's righteousness, God's anger with all that is tawdry and mean and cruel and debasing and foul. And God's holy justice focuses his wrath on all of that.
And God doesn't just shrug. He's not like Buddha with an enigmatic smile on his face as he sees the silly things that the young people are doing. God is angry with the wicked every day all that contradicts what he is as just and lovely and pure and kind and patient long-suffering gentleness.
And so here is the problem then not just with us in our sin but with God in his holiness and in his justice. And the cross of Christ is essential because it does something to God himself it propitiates, it appeases the anger of a sin-hating God so that now we may plead the death of Jesus Christ as the way a holy God has been reconciled to us and he's given us a ministry of reconciliation.
He gives us this great word that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. God took our pain. God the son took our condemnation. God sent him in love into the world in order to appease his deep deep hatred against all that is mean and unkind and cruel and debasing so that now God may be just and yet he may justify those who plead the merit of Jesus Christ so that they say Lord you can be satisfied with me because my guilt and shame has all been imputed to your son Jesus Christ unwillingly he has embraced it and taken it and though he was enticed to cry that the crucifixion should be terminated and that God his father should send a legion of angels and deliver him he would not come down from the cross until all the penalty of our sin was paid.
And that God's holy justice towards us was completely satisfied. And that is the reason then that God in his love for us that love that he's showing to you this day that you are listening to the good news of Jesus Christ and him crucified although you've not lived a good life.
God loves you to tell you this message of the cross. And he's loved us believers in Jesus Christ much more than that in that he did not spare his own son that we might be spared for our sin.
Well we already have a listener question uh and that is from joyce in manhasset long island new york. And joyce says what was christ really fearing in the garden of gastronomy that had him sweating drops of blood.
Was it primarily the physical torturous death that awaited him or was it the wrath of God that was going to be poured upon him by his own father. Or was it both.
Well the humanity of Jesus is is seen there Jesus of Nazareth um he is there the man who has a a real body. Um there was no built-in analgesic um painkiller. When God sent him into the world he felt the pain of the lash and the nails.
Uh that was our savior. But more than that um he had never experienced the loss of God or eternity from the very beginning. God had always been there. And then when he came into the world he could when he woke in the morning know God's presence with him.
And that presence continued with him keeping him shedding his love abroad in his hearts. And then at the end of the day he could thank God that he hadn't been away from him for a moment. But in Gethsemane he knows what's going to lie before him that next day that he's going to experience something he has never experienced before.
And as uh as a man he he fears and he cries. He's going to cry my God my God why has thou forsaken me. And only by the help of God can he drink the cup that God has given him. And only by the strength that God supplies will be he be enabled to go through those hours and taste death for us all.
The separation of his body and his soul for the first time those were the concerns that were on him that made him say to his friends I need you to come and pray with me at this time. Um please um help me at this time because of what lies ahead of me.
Amen. And I think that was a very good question of Joyce because there are Christians uh or at least professing Christians who are very repulsed by the notion that the cross was where Christ's father poured his wrath upon his son and they uh in fact some have even called it uh child abuse uh and they merely come up with other theories that Jesus died to pay a ransom to Satan which was an error that was believed by many in the early church amongst the church fathers.
But Jesus Christ being the God-man could not have been only solely fearing a physical death because there have been many thousands and thousands countless thousands of millions of martyrs who faced equally gruesome deaths and some of them even women and children uh marched bravely to their deaths without even asking God to deliver them from the fate that they that awaited them.
So it can't be just the physical death that awaited him that caused him such.
Anger quite so quite so it is the the loss of the presence and the comfort. And God was never nearer to him. God was never more in love with his son than when he hung there taunted by the crowds supported by the nails.
He never loved him as much. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. But the Lord Jesus was not experiencing and feeling the love that had always accompanied him through eternity. And through the 33 years he had lived all the comfort was taken from him and he was discovering the ugliness of sin as he was made sin for us.
His affections his conscience his intellect his inmost being his heart now experiencing the shame and the guilt of all the broken commandments all the lovelessness that men and women have by nature all now imputed to him and experiencing the disdain and holy justice of God towards all of that defilement and wickedness.
And that was really what he knew lay before him. But there was no other there was no other good enough. There was no other holy enough. There was no other who was God as well as man so that the atonement has an infinite and eternal and omnipotent power to it.
That is then never going to lose that power till all the ransomed church of God are saved to sin no more. So the God-man has to that sinners like ourselves can be redeemed.
Amen and we have to go to our first commercial break if you would like to join us on the air. The question of your own for jeff thomas our email address is chris arnzen at gmail .com. Chris arnzen at gmail .com.
Give us your first name at least your city and state and country of residence. And by the way joyce in manhasset long island. You have won a free copy of knowing the cross compliments of our friends at reformation heritage books.
Make sure you give us your full mailing address in manhasset long island new york so that cvbbs .com cumberland valley bible book service can ship that book out to you at no cost to us or to you at cvbbs .com.
Keep your eye out in the mail for that return label and please make sure you get us your full mailing address. Don't go away we'll be right back. I'm pastor keith allen of linbrook baptist church a christ-centered gospel-driven church looking to spread the gospel in the southwest portion of long island new york and play our role in fulfilling the great commission supporting and sending for the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
We're delighted to be a part of chris arnzen's iron sharpens iron radio advertising family. At linbrook baptist church. We believe the scriptures of the old and new testaments to be the inspired word of god inherent in the original writings complete as the revelation of god's will for salvation and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak.
We believe in salvation by grace through faith in jesus christ. This salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of god was purchased by christ on the cross and is received through faith alone. Apart from any human merit works or ritual salvation in christ also results in righteous living good works and appropriate respect and concern for all who bear god's image.
If you live near linbrook long island or if you're just passing through on the lord's day we'd love to have you come and join us in worship. For details visit linbrookbaptist .org. That's l-y-n brook baptist .org.
This is pastor keith allen of linbrook baptist church reminding you that by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of god not a result of words so that no one may boast the lord blessing in the knowledge of himself.
I'm pastor bill shishko of the haven an orthodox presbyterian church in comac long island. I hold the iron sharpens iron radio program hosted by my long time friend and brother chris arnzen in the highest esteem and i'm thrilled that you're listening today.
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We teach families to worship together as families. Puritan is committed to teaching the whole counsel of god so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of god. As the waters cover the sea we sing the psalms teach the law proclaim the gospel make disciples maintain discipline and exalt christ.
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We can be reached at securecomgroup .com. That's securecomgroup .com. But today i want to introduce you to my senior pastor doug mcmasters of new high park baptist church on long island. Doug mcmasters here former director.
Of pastoral correspondence. At grace to you the radio ministry of john mcarthur. In the film chariots of fire the olympic gold medalist runner eric liddell remarked that he felt god's pleasure when he ran.
He knew his efforts sprang from the gifts and calling of god. I sensed that same god given pleasure when ministering the word and helping others gain a deeper knowledge and love for god. That love starts with the wonderful news that the lord jesus christ is a savior who died for sinners and that god forgives all who come to him in repentance trusting solely in christ to deliver them.
I would be delighted to have the honor and privilege of ministering to you if you live in the long island area or queens or brooklyn or the bronx in new york city. For details on new 516 -352 -9672 that's 516 -352 -9672 that's new high park baptist church a congregation in love with each other passionate for christ committed to learning and being shaped by god's word.
And delighting in the gospel of god's sovereign grace. God bless you here at iron sharpens iron.
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So go to royaldiadem .com today and mention iron sharpens iron radio. We're now back with jeff thomas and uh jeff uh i know that uh you have had uh quite a number of decades proclaiming the cross. Uh and if you could please provide for us uh more reasons why people need to flee to that cross.
Why they need to fall at the foot of the cross and cry out to christ for mercy because it is our only hope if you could continue. Well it's because of the wonderful.
Achievements of the death of jesus christ that the scripture tells us about. Um you know how the new testament takes pains to acknowledge that the authors paul and and peter and james and jude and the others um they owed their life-changing ministries and joys and wisdom from their contact with jesus christ.
Um they were introduced to one who had all power in heaven and earth. He had power over creation. He could speak and the winds and waves obeyed him. He could walk on water. He could curse a tree. He could turn water into wine.
He had power over demons. The greatest case of demon possession the world has seen or ever will see. In the gadarine demonia jesus delivers him. He delivers men and women from their diseases some in the last stages of incurable disease.
He heals everyone. And then he has power over death itself. He raises the widow of nain's son and lazarus and jairus's daughter. And he himself conquers death as he predicted. The challenge of what is more powerful.
The preacher of the sermon on the mount or death and the resurrection of jesus christ shows what power and authority he has. Yet he is the one who goes to the cross. He is the one who lays down his life.
His father is the one who doesn't deliver him from it. He delivers him when the elders of the synagogue at nazareth want to throw him off a precipice and they can't find him because it's not the time and god could have sent a legion of angels to deliver him.
But he doesn't because without the shedding of blood there is no remission for our sins. Without that condemnation just and right that jesus christ bears there can be no pardon and no forgiveness. But god now can look on jesus christ and can be merciful to all those whose trust was in him.
And so we say as christians god forbid that we should boast except in the cross of our lord jesus christ. The message of his dying love is what we proclaim. It is above every other message in the world that achieves man's chief end which is to give glory to god.
We give glory to god through his son jesus christ. We enjoy peace with god through our lord jesus christ. And so you are confronted with a certain massive historical fact that our creator the incarnate god was killed through being nailed to a cross nakedly publicly shamefully outside the city of jerusalem two millennia ago.
What's all this about. What is its meaning. What is it significant. What does it have to say to americans in the 21st century as to what we believe or how we are to live. The answer is only found on the lips of jesus.
I give my life a ransom for many. And on the words of the apostle paul one of the first christians god made him to be sin for me who knew no sin that i might be made the righteousness of god. And that is the message then that has transformed europe.
And as it's been taken to the countries of the world it has transformed them to the one understanding of the cross. None can create that change except that understanding. He died as a substitute. He died as the one to whom our guilt and shame was attributed.
He died penally. He was found guilty. And god did not when he saw him made sin did not withhold the judgment that sin makes. The writer isaiah says in the famous 53rd chapter that he made him to be sin for us.
He says that he bore our sins and god did not spare his only son. That he might spare you who go just as you are without a plea but plead the merit of the all-sufficient sacrifice that the loving jesus has made for us.
Amen. Uh we do have. Let's see here. We have randall in west babylon long island new york and randall said once again in the media we've been hearing about members of the jewish community claiming that we who are christians are anti-semitic if we dare to point a finger at the jews of the first century as being responsible for the death of christ.
But if we were to deny that would not it be a lie. This is an obvious and true fact of history is it not.
Well yes but it was on his pilot a gentile a roman who uh and just said i washed my hands of him and he permitted. Uh the jews themselves were not allowed to uh crucify fellow jews. But um it was the decision that pontius pilate made as well as uh ananias and caiaphas and the men they bribed to say they'd heard the lord jesus blaspheme.
There was a system of legalistic pharisaism that dominated the land. It had been in existence for about 200 years. And that system was like all men of power. They weren't willing for that power to be um disdained and ignored.
They wanted to keep it and so it was for them then the greatest wisdom that he died that their power could be maintained. And so um it wasn't the race but it was individuals motivated by agreed for power the jewish pharisaic scribes and priests.
They were the ones then who said he must die that we can still have the power that uh that that we are enjoying. That's that's the the people who put.
Him to the cross. Now i have said to people over the years after becoming a born again believer myself when they bring up similar objections i say that jews did indeed. Uh it's a historical and biblical fact that they cried out for christ's death.
They rejected him as being their messiah. The romans physically carried out the execution. Jesus christ voluntarily laid down his life as a ransom for many. God the father orchestrated this execution before the foundation of the world.
And i as a sinner am also responsible for his death because if we were not sinners there would be no sacrifice required. Uh and so i have even said to people it's nothing to brag about to say that you had no involvement in the death of christ because if you completely remove yourself from responsibility for the death of christ then you cannot have any benefit from the death of.
Christ am i making sense. That's very well argued. And oh i agree completely with what you say there. That's that is very important. I mean all the old testament types of the sacrificial system the blood of heifers and pigeons and lambs and and goats that couldn't cleanse people from their sins.
They were. They were types which were zealously maintained through the old testament because they were looking forward to one day one who would come who would be god's love who had all power and all love and the purity that he was without spot and without blemish.
And he could then achieve what only the analogous types in the old testament were prophesying and looking forward to. Jesus comes and he bears our condemnation. And he does it not just for the old testament jews but he does it for the world.
Behold the lamb of god. John the baptist says he takes away not just jewish sin he takes away the sin of the.
World amen. And we have to go to our midway break right now. Folks please be patient with us. Uh the midway break is always a little longer than the other breaks because grace life radio 90 .1 fm in lake city florida requires of us a longer break in the middle of the show because the fcc requires grace life radio to localize this program geographically to lake city florida.
And uh therefore they air their own public service announcements and other local things in the middle of the show while we air on the other hand simultaneously are globally heard commercials. Please use this time wisely write down as much of the contact information as you possibly can for as many of our advertisers as you can so that you can more frequently and successfully contact our advertisers.
And we hope that means you buy their products and use their services and visit their churches. But when you can't do any of those things there's one thing that every orange urban zion radio listener can do.
If you love the show contact their advertisers and say thank you for sponsoring iron sharpens iron radio and give them perhaps a sentence or two as to why this program means so much to you. We cannot exist without the financial support of our advertisers folks.
So please contact them as often as you can and send in your questions to jeff thomas on knowing the cross the 631. I'm sorry i was kidding. Give you my phone number to chris arnson at gmail .com. Don't go away.
We'll be right back. Chris arnson of iron sharpens iron.
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That you heard about them on iron sharpens iron radio. Chris arnson here. Host of iron sharpens iron radio. I strongly recommend a church i've been recommending as far back as the 1980s. Grace covenant baptist church in flemington new jersey.
Pastored by alan dunn. Grace covenant baptist church believes it's god's prerogative to determine how he shall be worshiped and how he shall be represented in the world. They believe churches need to turn to the bible to discover what to include in worship and how to worship god in spirit and truth.
They endeavor to maintain a god-centered focus and to protect worship from the intrusion of carnal entertainments and distractions. Reading preaching and hearing the word of god singing psalms hymns and spiritual songs baptism and communion are the scriptural elements of their corporate worship performed with faith joy and sobriety.
Discover more about grace covenant baptist church in flemington. New at gcbc-nj .org. That's gcbc-nj .org. Or call them at 908 -996 -7654. That's 908 -996 -7654. Tell pastor dunn. You heard about grace covenant baptist church on iron sharpens iron radio.
It's such a blessing to hear from iron sharpens iron radio listeners from all over the world. Here's joe reilly a listener in ireland. Who wants you to know about a guest on the show he really loves hearing.
Interviewed dr joe morecraft. I'm joe reilly a faithful iron sharpens iron radio listener here in attoy in county kildare ireland. Going back to 2005 one of my very favorite guests on iron is dr joe morecraft.
If you've been blessed by iron sharpens iron radio dr morecraft and heritage presbyterian church of coming georgia are largely to thank since they are one of the program's largest financial supporters.
Heritage presbyterian church of coming is in foresight county a part of the atlantan metropolitan area. Heritage is a thoroughly biblical church unwaveringly committed to westminster standards and dr joe morecraft is the author of an eight volume commentary on the larger catechism.
Heritage is a member of the hanover presbytery built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets jesus christ himself being the chief cornerstone and tracing its roots and heritage back to the great protestant reformation of the 16th century.
Heritage maintains and follows the biblical truth and principles proclaimed by the reformers scripture alone grace alone faith alone christ alone and god's glory alone. Their primary goal the worship of the triune god that continues in eternity.
For more details on heritage presbyterian church of coming georgia visit heritage presbyterian church .com. That's heritage presbyterian church .com or call 678 -954 -7831 that's 678 -954 -7831. If you visit tell them joe.
Riley iron sharpens iron radio listener and a toy in county kildare ireland sent you if you love.
Iron sharpens iron radio. One of the best ways you can help keep the show on the air is by supporting our advertisers. One such faithful advertiser who really believes in what chris arnton is doing is daniel p puttifuco serious injury lawyer and christian apologist.
Dan is the president and founder of the historical bible society. Their mission to foster belief in the credibility of scripture as the written word of god. They go to various churches schools and institutions to publicly display a rare collection of biblical texts along with a fascinating presentation by mr puttifuco demonstrating the reliability of scripture to advance the cause of the gospel.
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Thanks for helping to keep iron sharpens iron radio on the air. When iron sharpens iron radio first launched in 2005 the publishers of the new american standard bible were among my very first sponsors.
It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the iron sharpens iron radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the nasb. I'm dr joseph piper president and.
Professor of systematic and homiletical theology at greenville presbyterian theological seminary in taylor's south carolina and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor chuck white at the first trinity lutheran church in tonawanda new york and the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm pastor anthony metheny of christ church in radford virginia and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor jesse miller of damascus road christian church in gardenville nevada and the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm pastor bruce bennett of word of truth church in farmerville long island new york and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor rodney brown of metro bible church in south lake texas and the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm pastor jim harrison of red mills.
Baptist church in mayapac falls new york and the nasb is my bible of choice. Here's a great way for.
Your church to help keep iron sharpens iron radio on the air. Pastors. Are your pew bibles tattered and falling apart. Consider restocking your pews with the nasb and tell the publishers you heard about them.
From chris arnzen on iron sharpens iron radio. Go to nasbible .com that's nasbible .com to place your order. Dr joseph piper president emeritus and professor of systematic and applied.
Theology. At greenville presbyterian theological seminary every christian who's serious about the deformed faith and the westminster standards should have and use the eight volume commentary on the theology and ethics of the westminster larger catechism titled authentic christianity by dr joseph morecraft.
It is much more than an exposition of the larger catechism. It is a thoroughly researched work utilizes biblical exegesis as well as historical and systematic theology. Dr morecraft is pastor of heritage presbyterian church of cumming georgia and i everyone looking for a biblically faithful church in that area to visit that fine congregation.
For details on the eight volume commentary go to westminster commentary .com westminster commentary .com. For details on heritage presbyterian church of cumming georgia visit heritage presbyterian church .com heritage presbyterian church .com.
Please tell dr morecraft and the saints at heritage presbyterian church of cumming georgia that dr joseph piper of greenville presbyterian theological seminary sent you. Hello. My name is anthony eugenio and i'm one.
Of the pastors at hope reform baptist church in quorum new york and also the host of the reform rookie .com website. I want you to know that if you enjoy listening to the iron sharpens iron radio show like i do you can now find it on the apple's itune app.
By typing iron sharpens iron radio in the search bar. You no longer have to worry about missing a show or a special guest because you're in your car or still at work. Just subscribe on the itunes app and listen to the iron sharpens iron radio show at any time day or night.
Please be sure to also give it a good review and pass it along to anyone who would benefit from the teaching and the many solidly reformed guests that chris arnson has on the show. Truth is so hard to come by these days so don't waste your time with fluff or fake news.
Subscribe to the iron sharpens iron radio podcast right now. And while you're at it you can also sign up for the reform rookie .com podcast and visit our website and the youtube page. We are dedicated to teaching christian theology from a reform baptist perspective to beginners in the faith as well as seasoned believers from keach's catechism and the doctrines of grace to the olivet discourse and the book of leviticus.
The reform rookie podcast and youtube channel is sure to have something to offer everyone seeking biblical truth. And finally if you're looking to worship in a reformed church that holds to the 1689 london baptist confession of faith please join us at hope reform baptist church in quorum new york again i'm pastor anthony.
Evinio. And thanks for listening. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said give yourself unto reading.
The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves he has no brains of his own. You need to read solid ground.
Christian books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the prince of preachers to heart. The mission of solid ground christian books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to christians in the present and future and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.
Since its beginning in 2001 solid ground has been committed to publish god-centered christ exalting books for all ages. We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid-ground-books .com that's solid-ground-books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past or present you can unearth from solid ground.
Solid ground christian books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of iron sharpens iron radio and let me highly recommend a couple of.
Items that my guest today jeff thomas participated in that are available through solid-ground-books .com what is the beauty and glory of the holy spirit with contributors jeff thomas joel beecke joseph piper john carrick and more.
And there's also cultivating biblical godliness also with contributors jeff thomas joel beecke ryan mcgraw morris roberts ian hamilton and more. And there are many other volumes that you should certainly have in your possession through solid-ground-books .com who bring back into print lost treasures from the past even as far back as the 16th century protestant reformation and also bring into print for the very first time new works by such modern authors as dr james r white of alpha and omega ministries.
So please go to solid-ground-books .com today and make your purchase mentioning iron sharpens iron radio. Before i return to jeff thomas i have a few very important announcements to make if you love the show and you don't want it to disappear from the airwaves folks please go to iron sharpens iron radio .com click support then click click to donate now.
You could donate instantly with a debit or credit card in that fashion. If you prefer snail mail sending in a physical check to a physical address the old-fashioned way at your post office. There will also be a physical address that appears on your screen when you click support at iron sharpens iron radio .com where you can mail your checks made payable to iron sharpens iron radio.
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The bible is very clear that we are primarily to use the money with which he has blessed us which is still his money. We're primarily to use that to provide for our church and our family. And providing for my radio show is obviously not a command.
But if you are blessed financially above and beyond your ability to provide for church and family you have extra money for benevolent recreational and trivial purposes. Please share some of that money with us.
If you want us to continue to exist go to iron trip and zine radio .com click support. Then click click to donate now. And uh if you are not a member of a christ honoring biblically faithful church home anywhere you live in the world i may be able to help you find a church as i have done with many people in our audience spanning the globe sometimes even within just a couple of minutes from where they live.
That may be you too if you are without a church home so please send me an email to chris arnzen at gmail .com and put i need a church in the subject line. That's also the email address where you can send in a question to jeff thomas.
That's chris arnzen at gmail .com. Chris arnzen at gmail .com give us your first name at least your city and state and your country of residence. Uh let's see here. Uh we have uh bobby in north belmore long island new york who says in the king james version revelations 13 verse 8 says that the lamb was slain from the foundation of the world.
I don't understand that wording. And i know that some other translations word it differently. We know that christ actually the lamb of god was slain on the cross in his third decade of life. So how could it say the lamb slain from the foundation.
Of the world. Wow that's a wonderful question isn't it. Yes i can remember when i was a student at westminster seminary um going to professor murray with a a concern to ask john murray what does this verse of scripture mean that.
And um he would say well give me some time to think about this. And then um a couple of days later he would find me and he would talk to me about the understanding that he had again sharpened his mind and checked what he was going to say in the light of this study of this particular verse.
And you know um what do we know about the lord jesus christ. Well we know that he eternally existed there. Never was a time when he was not when he was not uh a wonderful in his teaching his knowledge was omniscient wonderful in his power.
There without him was not anything made that was made. And um he was also then the uh the great uh teacher who could expound and uh and enlighten the most brilliant and the dullest in the world. He was always that and he always knew that he would have to come into the world and atonement would have to be made father son and holy spirit were all agreed about that that there could be no other means of forgiveness and god remaining holy and just a hater of sin.
And yet one who would pardon the very chief of sinners the most wicked man this world has seen. And um he could receive pardon and mercy only by atonement only by the wrath of god being propitiated only by a substitution made that was infinite and sin-bearing.
And uh that would cover the worst of offenses. And he knew that that was to lie before him when he came in the world. It was written in the volume of the book about him that he would be the suffering servant of god.
And isaiah 53 speaks so powerfully that knowledge he always had. And so um he is the lamb of god. He always has been he always will be. But now his wounds are are glorified and they are the subject of our praise and joy for all eternity.
He will ever be the delight and theme of our thanksgiving and joy in the heaven of heavens. So um that is all known to him and all committed all commitment that he made to um his incarnation and his redemption was there from the very beginning.
The lamb of god slain before the foundation of the world. Amen. And by the way everybody who has sent in a question today uh has won a free copy of knowing the cross by my guest jeff thomas. Compliments of reformation heritage books and compliments of cumberland valley bible book service cvbbs .com.
We'll actually be shipping the book out to you. And we want to thank our friends at reformation heritage books for offering us a limited number of copies for our listeners today. And we want to thank as always cvbbs .com for shipping out to our listeners all the items that they win whether it be books or bibles or dvds or other things.
We thank you so much. Uh let's see here. Uh we have ronald in eastern suffolk county long island new york. And ronald says we who are calvinists believe firmly that jesus without question definitely atoned for the sins of his people on the cross and he finished the work of redemption on calvary 100 percent.
And therefore he must have only died for his elect because of the fact that not everyone will be saved. Is it wrong for christians to say to everyone including strangers or even openly anti-christian strangers that they that that jesus christ loves them and died for them.
Um yeah that's a good question. And uh i i i believe what you have said concerning the purpose of the cross. I believe that uh one drop of the blood of christ is a factual to redeem and cleanse and save all that it was intended to save.
But i do believe there are cosmic consequences that the world is groaning because of sin. That defilement is there that men and women are made in god's image and and likeness. And god shows wonderful kindness he causes the sun to shine upon them and their flocks to prosper and they live a long life.
And there is uh kindness and graciousness and all those are gifts of god to people who defy him. And they are all bought. Those gifts of god's mercy and kindness to all men. They're all bought by the blood of jesus christ the son of god.
I don't like the phrase jesus loves you and has died for you. I i don't like that phrase because it can give people some security who as yet have no repentance for their sin and no trust in jesus christ.
But i do say this to all of you who are listening today many of you are are not christians yet and yet god has loved you so much that this afternoon all over the world but mainly in america is caused you to hear the greatest message it's possible for a person to hear the group the best news of all that the son of god became the lamb of god and died in our place on the cross that there might be forgiveness for all the evil and foolish things that we have done and that we might go to heaven saved by the precious blood of jesus christ.
And god has loved you so much that he's made you tune in the radio today as you're driving in the car or as you're sitting in your home and you're hearing the best news. What wonderful love god has shown to you in bringing you this message.
What are you going to do with that love. What you're going to do with the lord of love. What you're going to do with a message that god has particularly brought to you today. Are you going to burn such love.
Or are you going to bow and confess that your heart has been too cold for too long and that you are going to turn from this broad way ignoring him and start out a new life now walking hand in hand with the lamb of god trusting in him forevermore.
I pray.
That it will amen. Uh we have noble in cheyenne wyoming who says as a christian were you always a believer in the doctrines of sovereign grace. And if not if you were arminian at one time was there a book or books that the lord used to revolutionize your understanding of what took place at calvi calvary bringing you more in harmony with those doctrines of grace that we cherish.
Oh what a lovely question. Um yes i um very early on in my i was converted 70 years ago in march 1954 in a little church in a south wales valley. And i came under conviction during the spring months as a number of other people in the church were and i would walk along and i would be thinking to myself.
I wonder if god will call me this sunday night to himself. I wonder if he'll shed his love on my heart and give me assurance that i'm a child of god. And on that second sunday in march in 1954 i i received such assurance.
And during the years that followed i met the finest calvinistic people who helped me and spoke to me. I heard dr martin law jones preach for the first time in 1958. I read studies in the sermon on the mount and thought this life is a wonderful life a beautiful life this holy life.
And um i never realized that um a man preaching the bible could give joy to an entire congregation which it did when i heard lloyd jones preach. So he was a great help as calvinistic methodist minister in in wales.
And then um as a student um i was given a book to read fundamentalism and the word of god by j .i packer. And that helped me to trust in the bible that it was true. And then packer wrote a forward to a book called the death of death a puritan work by john owen.
And packer wrote a wonderful introduction to explain the uh the doctrine that you have mentioned the doctrine of particular redemption that there were um um company of people innumerable in their number from every country and nation and tribe of vast millions and millions of them that jesus christ had been given by his father to come into the world to save.
And that he laid down his life as the good shepherd for the sheep not for the goats but for the sheep and saved every one of them. And i was very persuaded reading packer and john owen.
Um to come to that happy conviction myself praise god and by the way you can certainly get the death of death and the death of christ and john murray's redemption accomplished and applied. And all these other great works uh from the history of the church and also from recent history.
Uh at cvbbs .com cumberland valley bible book service cvbbs .com who sponsor this program. Uh let's see here. Uh we have josiah in lancaster pennsylvania and josiah says there are people that i think have an overly sentimental understanding of the cross.
Is that a possible thing to over sentimentalize your christian faith. Yeah i suppose it is i.
Suppose it is i i want a christianity of affections. The greatest commandment is to love the lord my god not to understand him or or do his will but to love him that he is so lovable. And that love has been displayed in sparing not his own son but giving him up so freely and making him to be the substitute for us sinners.
Um that is um that is love so amazing and so divine. And it should be responded to by um affection. And it should be preached about affectionately. And it you know you talk to boys who come to church and have no interest in the gospel and they know the answer to questions.
You say to them uh why did jesus die for my sins they'll say. But there is no understanding there of what their sins are. How good defiling how weakening how contrary to the will of god how hurtful to their families and their friends and to their own souls.
And that the only way that we might be pardoned and have eternal life is because of the cross work that jesus christ has done for us. So no one will just blurt out um well he died for our sins or um we'll sentimentalize the old rugged cross.
Um we are too familiar with it. Um it came to the early church with shocking power uh breaking their hearts um they are totally depressed. They thought he he was the one who was going to redeem israel but he's died on the cross so he can't be the son of god.
They thought um our response to it should be what we sing about in the great hymns. Love so amazing. So divine demands my soul my life my all. It demands a wholehearted response of affection understanding obedience consecration.
Um all those things. Yes let's be aware of sentimentalizing it. But let's make sure that pure and holy sentiments do present themselves in our talking to god and thanking him for what he did to his son and how he's forgiven us because.
Of that yes i'm assuming i don't know for certain uh what josiah meant by the question but i'm assuming it could be that there are people uh famous people and perhaps even your next door neighbor uh who uh don't deny jesus christ existed.
They don't deny he died on the cross. But they view it merely as an act of humility merely as an example that we should be willing to lay down our life for those we love for our friends even for strangers.
But if it's robbed of its true meaning if it's robbed of the propitiatory aspect of it uh it really has no benefit to those who are romanticizing it in such a way that robbing it of its essence. Am i am i uh.
Somewhere in the right category here i'm quite sure i agree entirely with you. Um you know the liberal the the unbeliever looks at the cross of christ and he says do you know what it means. It means this man stuck to his guns.
He had certain convictions and though he was threatened with a terrible death um he believed what he believed right to the end. And so they say um here's an example to us if you have a conviction stick to it and keep it and even lay down your life for it.
Well you can see how erroneous how dangerous that is. You can be in the clan for example and have terrible racist views and hold them. You should be ashamed. You should be turning from them and disassociating yourself from them.
Or you don't say. Well he stuck to his guns. Many people have got convictions that are totally unacceptable to god. And so um yeah let's let's make sure that our convictions about the cross of christ are biblical and sober and discerning and god-honoring.
Uh let's.
See here. We have cj in lindenhurst long island new york who says i have heard jesus christ described as a victim on the cross but i know that he did willingly lay down his life so can both be true. Yeah i don't i i would never use.
Only very very carefully would i use the word uh victim. I know there were men bribed to lie that they'd heard him blaspheme. I knew that the court the judges the jury the sanhedrin were heavily against him that there was no possibility of a just trial.
And um in that regard then christ was victimized by his opponents. But of course he was the lamb of god before the foundation of the world as we've been reminded again this afternoon. And um from the very beginning and the seed of the woman was going to bruise the head of satan and he himself was going to suffer in the conflict although emerging victorious at the end.
And so the victim became um christ the triumphant lord of lords and king of kings reigning forever and ever.
Amen. And uh obviously on an earthly uh sense uh jesus was indeed murdered uh. And he he was innocent uh the only innocent uh person ever executed the only fully innocent person ever executed uh although there obviously been people who have been wrongly executed who did not commit the crimes they were being charged with.
But he was the only perfect person to ever been executed. And he was murdered but at the same time as we've already said he laid down his life willingly and also the father himself orchestrated this execution.
So if people refer to him as a they are not conveying the idea that jesus's death was beyond his control. Am i right. Yep. Yep that's right. And we have to go to our final break right now. And if you also want to join us with a question of your own our email address is chris arnzen at gmail .com c-h-r-i-s-a-r-n-z-e-n at gmail .com.
As always give us your first name. At least your city and state and your country of residence. Don't go away we'll be right back. James white of alpha omega ministries here if.
You've watched my dividing line webcast often enough. You know i have a great love for getting bibles and other documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity. And besides that they feel so good.
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The publishers of the new american standard bible were among my very first sponsors. It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the iron sharpens iron radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the nasb.
I'm pastor nate pickowitz of harvest bible church in gilminton ironworks new hampshire and the nasb is my bible of choice. I am pastor rich jensen of.
Hope reform baptist church in quorum new york and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor.
Sule prince of oakwood wesleyan church in toronto ontario canada. And the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm pastor john samson of king's church in peoria arizona and the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm pastor chuck volo of new life community church in kingsville maryland and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor steve herford of eastport baptist church in.
Jacksonville florida and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor roy owens jr. of the church and friendship in hockley texas and the nasb is my bible of choice. Here's a great way for.
Your church to help keep iron sharpens iron radio on the air. Pastors are your pew bibles tattered and falling apart. Consider restocking your pews with the nasb and tell the publishers you heard about them from chris arnson on iron sharpens iron radio.
Go to nasbible .com that's nasbible .com to place your order. This is pastor bill saso grace church at franklin.
Here in the beautiful state of tennessee our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support iron sharpens iron radio financially. Grace church at franklin is an independent autonomous body of believers which strives to clearly declare the whole counsel of god as revealed in scripture through the person and work of our lord jesus christ.
And of course the end for which we strive is the glory of god. If you live near franklin tennessee and franklin is just south of nashville maybe 10 minutes or you are visiting this area or you have friends and loved ones nearby.
We hope you will join us some lord's day in worshiping our god and savior. Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about grace church franklin. Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org.
That's gracechurchatfranklin .org. This is pastor bill sasser. Wishing you all the richest blessings of our sovereign lord god savior and king jesus christ today and always.
Greetings. This is brian mclaughlin president of the securecom group and supporter of chris iron sharpens iron radio program. Securecom provides the highest level of security systems for residential buildings municipalities churches commercial properties and much more.
We can be reached at securecomgroup .com. That's securecomgroup .com. But today i want to introduce you to my senior pastor doug mcmasters of new high park baptist church on long island.
Doug mcmasters here former director of pastoral correspondence at grace to you the radio ministry of john mcarthur. In the film chariots of fire the olympic gold medalist runner eric liddell remarked that he felt god's pleasure when he ran.
He knew his efforts sprang from the gifts and calling of god. I sense that same god-given pleasure when ministering the word and helping others gain a deeper knowledge and love for god. That love starts with the wonderful news that the lord jesus christ is a savior who died for sinners and that god forgives all who come to him in repentance trusting solely in christ to deliver them.
I would be delighted to have the honor and privilege of ministering to you if you live in the long island area or queens or brooklyn or the bronx in new york city. For details on new high park baptist church visit nhpbc .com that's nhpbc .com.
You can also call us at 516 -352 -9672 that's 516 -352 -9672 that's new high park baptist church a congregation in love with each other passionate for christ committed to learning and being shaped by god's word and delighting in the gospel of god's sovereign grace.
Armored republic exists.
To equip free men with tools of liberty to defend god-given rights against the twin threats of tyranny and chaos. If you own a rifle to resist tyrants and criminals then you should own body armor and a med kit.
For the same reasons a rifle stops evil. Body armor and a med kit keep you in the fight and preserve your life. Armored republic is a body of free craftsmen united to create tools of liberty. We are honored to be your armorsmith of choice.
Civilian ownership of body armor is about increasing decentralized power and by comparison reducing the advantages of power. The danger of centralized power is often represented by the word king. As americans we hate the word king applied to any mere man.
We are armored republic and in a republic there is no king but christ. Arm yourself with tools of liberty at armoredrepublic .com. Hi this is john sampson.
Pastor of king's church in peoria arizona. Taking a moment of your day to talk about chris arnson and the arn sharpen's iron podcast. I consider chris a true friend and a man of high integrity. He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key doctrines of the christian faith.
I've always been happy to point people to this podcast knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the internet where folk won't be led astray. I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide.
This is a day of great spiritual compromise and yet god has raised chris up for just such a time. And knowing this it's up to us as members of the body of christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer and in finances.
I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting arn sharpen's iron. Financially would you consider sending either a one-time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry.
I know it would be a huge encouragement to chris if you would. All the details can be found at iron sharpen's iron radio .com where you can click.
Support. That's iron sharpen's iron radio .com. I'm dr tony costa professor of apologetics and islam.
At toronto baptist seminary i'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where i've been invited to speak and have grown to love hope reform baptist church in quorum long island new york pastored by rich jensen and christopher mcdowell.
It's such a joy to witness and experience fellowship with people of god like the dear saints at hope reform baptist church in quorum who have an intensely passionate desire to continue digging deeper and deeper into the unfathomable riches of christ in his holy word and to enthusiastically proclaim christ jesus the king and his doctrines of sovereign grace in suffolk county long island and beyond.
I hope you also have the privilege of discovering this precious congregation and receive the blessing of being showered by their love as i have. For more information on hope reform baptist church go to hope reform li .net that's hope reformed li .net or call 631 -696 -5711 that's 631 -696 -5711.
Tell the folks at hope reform baptist church of quorum long island new york that you heard about them from tony costa on iron sharpens.
Iron. When iron sharpens iron radio first launched in 2005 the publishers of the new american standard bible were among my very first sponsors. It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the iron sharpens iron radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the nasb.
I'm dr joe moorcraft pastor of heritage presbyterian church in cumming georgia.
And the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm anthony uvino founder of the reform rookie .com and co-founder of new york apologetics. And the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor tim bushong.
Of syracuse baptist church in syracuse indiana and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm eli ayala.
Founder of revealed apologetics and staff member with the historical bible society and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor josh miller of grace bible fellowship church in harrisburg pennsylvania and the nasb is my bible of choice.
I'm joe bianchi president of calvi press publishing in greenville south carolina and the nasb is my bible of choice. I'm pastor jake corn of switzerland community church in switzerland florida and the nasb is my bible of choice.
Here's a great way for.
Your church to help keep iron sharpens iron radio on the air. Pastors are your pew bibles tattered and falling apart. Consider restocking your pews with the nasb and tell the publishers you heard about them from chris arnzen on iron sharpens iron radio.
Go to nasbible .com that's nasbible .com to place your order. Chris arnzen here. I am forever grateful to cumberland valley bible book service for their generous financial support of iron sharpens iron radio.
But that's not the only reason i love them. Cvbbs .com carries the finest in theologically reformed literature from 16th century classics like calvin's institutes 17th and 18th century puritan treasures like the works of jonathan edwards 19th century volumes by the prince of preachers charles spurgeon all the way up to the 21st century with the best of r .c. sproll steve lawson vody baucom and more.
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That's cvbbs .com enriching minds and maintaining the theologically reformed influence of iron sharpens iron radio through their financial support now shipping worldwide. Welcome back folks. I also want to remind you that this program is paid for in part by the law firm and associates.
If you are the victim of a very serious personal injury accident or medical malpractice please call my friend dan buttafuoco attorney at law anywhere in the united states at 1 -800-now-hurt 1 -800-now-hurt or visit his website 1 -800-now-hurt .com 1 -800-now-hurt .com.
Make sure you mention chris arnzen of iron sharpens iron radio. And i also want to remind you one more time if you haven't done so yet if you're a man in ministry leadership you are invited to the next iron sharpens iron radio free pastor's luncheon featuring guest speaker dr joel beakey of puritan reform theological seminary in grand rapids michigan.
This is a free event and not only is admission and lunch free but you will receive a heavy sack of free brand new books personally selected by me and donated by christian publishers all over the united states and united kingdom.
By attending everything is free. So if you want to register send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put pastor's luncheon in the subject line. That's thursday june 6th 11 a .m to 2 p .m at church of the living christ in loisville pennsylvania that's chrisarnson at gmail .com is where you send your free registration.
And i know uh jeff thomas. You are a friend and admirer of dr joel beakey. Are you not.
Yeah yes indeed yes. We've preached in one another's churches and i've taught in his seminary and i've read his books and his fourth final volume of his systematic theology 3 000 pages all together wonderful.
I'm looking forward to getting back soon. And in fact uh his.
Publisher reformation heritage books the public the publishing ministry that he founded published know the knowing the cross the book that we have been addressing today by jeffrey thomas. I want to make sure uh jeffrey that you summarize what you most want etched in hearts and minds of our listeners today about the cross because it is such a vital subject.
With infinite consequences. Oh well i hope you've been thoughtfully listening and beginning to understand what jesus was saying when he said that no man can come to the father but by him that he alone is the way and the truth and the life.
Do you understand now how he could insist on this that the only way to heavenly life is through dying love of the lamb of god. No one else could pay the price of sin. He alone could unlock the door of heaven and let us in.
Only he has the key only by him. Muhammad and buddha and the gods of the hindus didn't give their lives that we might be saved. The lord jesus must be the savior or we are forever lost. What i'm asking of you now is this to bring your intellect to this word of the cross and believe it.
Bring your intellect to the gospels and read mark's gospel through and savor the final chapters that describe his dying love for us. This is the historic existence and humbling of the god man who died on golgotha.
And i'm saying cling to it admit yourself to it come from where you are and place your hand as it were on the head of the lamb of god and take it to the throne of grace. And when god says to you well why should i let you into my heaven that you will you will say three words because of jesus that that's the only reason that blood has become my only plea.
And now you flee from all your sins and all your virtues to hide in the wounded side of jesus christ your lord and savior. And all your delights your richest joys are experienced in the word of the cross.
And all your sadness and shame are because of the things that you have done. And that it took cruel nails and a spear thrust and darkness and abandonment to reconcile yourself to god and obtain divine pardon for what you've done.
The cross of the lord jesus christ overwhelms it breaks our hard hearts it crushes it melts them. It transforms them into hearts of undying gratitude hearts of awesome anticipation of seeing that face that was spat upon for us that bore the crown of thorns.
For us whose dying love took our condemnation. When i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died my richest gain i count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride forbid it lord that i should boast save in the death of christ my god all the vain things that charm me most i sacrifice them to his blood.
See from his head his hands his feet. Sorrow and love flow mingle down. Did air such love and sorrow meet or thorns composed so rich a crown with the whole realm of nature mine that were an offering far too small love so amazing.
So divine demands my soul my life my all. And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders i confess the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness. Oh i hope that you all can come there. The safest place in all the world is calvary.
The only name to plead before the throne of the holy god is the name of jesus christ our lord. May you stand there and plead that. And may we all meet one day at jesus feet. Good night to.
You now and thank you for listening. Hallelujah and amen. And uh what. When you said uh when we stand before the throne uh and hear uh why should i let you in. Uh the answer that you gave so passionately and simply because of jesus.
That reminded me of my mother my precious mother at 70 years old right now that's only uh eight years older than i am right now. Uh when she was 70 years old dying of pancreatic cancer she had been a roman catholic her whole life she had was very superstitious in many ways her whole life.
But the lord got a hold of her and transformed her before she departed this earth. And i was sitting by her bedside in the hospital and i said to her mom you have lived such a wonderful life of of selflessness and generosity and humility.
Uh you have been a very religious woman. Uh you are well known in the town. We live as being just a sweet and kind and gentle woman. Your children love you and can't even think of anything over which to criticize you.
Uh has any of that been a reason why you will enter heaven when you leave this earth. And she said absolutely not. I said really why. And she said uh jesus died for my sins. That's the only reason why i'm going to heaven.
And i said yes. But don't these other good things that you've done. Aren't they going to help you to get to heaven. And she said no. That would be like the religious leader who prayed in the temple. And he bragged about all the things that he did.
And he he he bragged about not doing the things that are sinful. And he he said he thanked god that he was not a wretched sinner. Like the tax collector who was in the temple praying as well. And the tax collector bowed his head beat his breast and said lord be merciful to me a sinner.
And my mother said chris i am that tax collector. And i almost fell off my chair. And yeah. And our mutual friend who's also now in heaven peter jeffries was visiting the united states at the time. And he visited my mother for a half hour alone.
And he emerged from her sick bed. And he said to me in his thick welsh accent i don't know what you're worried about. Your mother's going to heaven. She's born again so very good. I want to thank you so much uh jeff for doing such an extraordinary job.
I want to remind our listeners you can find out more about knowing the cross by my guest at heritagebooks .org. You can also order that book at cvbbs .com cvbbs .com. And please do not forget about the conference the seminar two weeks from now featuring jeff thomas on friday june 21st and saturday june 22nd here in gap pennsylvania.
Go to alliancenet .org alliancenet .org. I hope you all have a blessed and safe and happy and christ honoring weekend and lord's day. I want you all to remember for the rest of your lives that jesus christ is a far greater savior than you are a sinner.
Amen.