Books Recommened

Bob George, bestselling author of Classic Christianity, shows readers how grace changes everything because of one often-ignored foundation of the faith—the New Covenant.

Jesus Changes Everything

It’s Time to Embrace God’s Unconditional Love

Bob George

Many Christians feel anything but new. They are told salvation is a free gift, but trying to live up to what they think God demands seems like anything but a gift. Feel free? They don’t. Bob explains how this results from basing Christianity in the Old Testament—making the faith a law-based religion.

But the New Covenant, God has put in place through Christ’s death, changes everything. Readers will see the joyful truth that,

• effort, guilt, and fear from living under law give way to rest and peace from realizing their relationship with God doesn’t depend on their performance;
• motivation by punishment is replaced by inner motivation through God’s complete acceptance;
• and the experience of distance from God gives way to the experience of His unconditional love.

Purchase: Jesus Changes Everything: It’s Time to Embrace God’s Unconditional Love

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Classic Christianity

Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing

Bob George

The breakthrough book that has helped over half a million Christians worldwide since 1989!

Classic Christianity—Bob George’s eye-opening distillation of the life-transforming truths of the gospel—now has a fresh cover and interior that reflect the up-to-the-minute relevance of its message.

Like so many Christians, Bob George started out in love with Jesus, only to end up feeling disappointed and empty. Drawing on his struggles and his teaching and counseling experience, Bob cuts to the heart of believers’ common questions…

• Doesn’t God expect me to clean up my act before I approach Him?
• I know God loves me—but does He accept me?
• I’m saved and forgiven… do I just wait for heaven now?

In Classic Christianity, believers will see the way back to the life Jesus provided—a life set free from the law’s bondage, lived in the newness of the Spirit, and secure in the Father’s affection. Find out more at www.classicchristianity.com.

Purchase: Classic Christianity: Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing

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Classic Christianity Study Guide

Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing

Bob George

More than half a million tired, frustrated Christians have rediscovered the life-transforming truths of the gospel in Classic Christianity. In this practical study guide to the book, they’ll find more step-by-step help for becoming grounded in the Father’s liberating love.

After briefly reviewing a section of Classic Christianity, author and Bible teacher Bob George provides Scriptures, questions, and insightful examples to help readers fully understand and grow in their identities in Christ. Used with the book or as a stand-alone study, this resource encourages believers and seekers to discover the true Source of life and freedom—Jesus Christ.

Fill-in space is provided for readers to use as they work through this volume. Together with Classic Christianity, this study guide provides a great curriculum for small groups or Sunday-school classes. Find out more at www.classicchristianity.com.

Purchase: Classic Christianity Study Guide: Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing

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Growing in Grace with Study Guide

Bob George

If your only experience of God’s grace is salvation, you’re missing half the good news. The other half is equally inspiring—Jesus wants you to experience His grace every day as He lives his life through you!
Discover vibrant, life-embracing faith through the simple and timeless truth of God’s grace. As people who have been saved by grace and set free by grace, our next step is to grow in grace. As we grow, we rejoice in the scriptural promises that enable us to give up guilt and anxiety, let go of legalism, and rediscover the joyous reality of Christ living His life through us!

The helpful study guide is perfect for small groups and all who desire to learn even more about the freeing life that is ours as followers of Jesus Christ.

Purchase: Growing in Grace : With Study Guide

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Victory over Depression

Bob George

A new cover and study section invites readers to experience victory over anger, disappointment, and depression! Bob reveals how Christ can break the power of unmet needs, unhealed hurts, and hopelessness in our lives.

Readers explore principles that help them:

• Recognize unrealistic expectations.
• Deal with the causes of depression.
• Put their hope and trust in God.

Victory over Depression encourages readers by sharing examples of people who have been set free through the infinite love of God. Excellent for individual or group study.

Purchase: Victory Over Depression: How to live above your circumstances

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Complete in Christ

Bob George

Why do so many people experience disappointment and failure in their lives? Why do so many men and women struggle with a sense of low self-esteem? Could it be they’re unsure of how to obtain true fulfillment in life?

God never meant to offer us a self-improvement course. Instead, He offers us an entirely new identity. Not only will He forgive your sins, but He will give you a new life in exchange for the life you have been trying to live in your own strength.

In Complete in Christ, Bob George, author of the bestseller Classic Christianity, explores this exchanged life and provides clear meaning for often-misunderstood truths—fundamental truths that ensure abundant, fulfilled living.

Begin to focus not on your own failures and inadequacies but on His view of you—that you are fully loved and accepted in Christ. Receive God’s invitation to exchange your old identity for the joy of being Complete in Christ!

Purchase: Complete in Christ: Discovering God’s View of You

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Faith That Pleases God

Bob George

You Don’t Need to Strive for What You Already Have

You began your new life in Christ with joy and peace. Then your attempts to please God and grow as a Christian brought bewilderment, frustration, and defeat. You know there’s a better way, but where can you find it? In Faith That Pleases God, Bob George offers a practical look at true, biblical faith — the kind of faith that produces the joy God offers to every believer. It’s all here — in Faith That Pleases God.

From the author of Classic Christianity, comes a dynamic book to help readers strengthen their faith.

Every Christian desires to please God, but how is that done? Faith That Pleases God helps readers discover that a proper understanding of faith is essential and includes—

• recognizing the differences between faith, belief, and trust
• seeing the kind of faith that pleases God
• realizing faith’s role in the work God is doing
• learning how to “rest in faith”

By understanding faith, readers will know what pleases God. This, in turn, results in a more serene Christian life that draws upon God’s wisdom and power for every need.

Purchase: Faith That Pleases God: You Don’t Need to Strive for What You Already Have


Please read our welcome message.

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Hebrews 6:4-8 Understanding of Falling Away

There is much confusion for many, over a few passages in the Bible, in the book of Hebrews concerning being brought back to repentance, falling away from God, and crucifying Jesus repeatedly. Let's take a look at the book of Hebrews in the proper context.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Hebrews 6, verses 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

But before we look at those specific passages in the book of Hebrews, it is wise to keep the following verse of scripture from the book of Romans at the forefront of our minds.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

The book of Hebrews was written to the Hebrew Christian Church around 70 A.D. Some scholars have placed the writing after 70 A.D., between 85 A.D. to 95 A.D. However, given the fact that there is so much talk about the Hebrews sacrificial system, the Hebrew Levitical Priesthood, and the Hebrew Temple, my inclination is it was written sometime before the destruction of the Hebrew Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. However, it isn't necessary to be dogmatic on the actual date the book of Hebrews was written.

The human author that penned the book of Hebrews is equally not written in stone. I trust God wanted it that way. Some folks think it was written by Paul because of certain writing styles, and others theorize it could have been written by someone else around the same time. Others have made the case for someone close by to Paul, or even one of the other Apostles. Once again, I don't believe it is an absolute requirement that we establish who the human writer that penned the book of Hebrews down on parchment, but it is much more important to focus on the subject at hand. Besides, there have been numerous theologians down through the centuries that have written volumes in regards to "Who is the author of Hebrews?" that we don't need to rehash that subject here. Feel free to do some research yourself; do a Google Search on Who Wrote Hebrews if you wish. I'll place my vote on Paul, but I can ask God that in the future.

From a historical standpoint, the early church was made up of mainly Christian Hebrew believers. Yes, I know that might be an oxymoron statement of "Christian Hebrew believers" to some people today, because they would say, "that you can't be both a Christian and a xyz person at the same time," but in the interest of clarity and brevity, the early church was mostly a group of Hebrew people that were believers in Jesus Christ. These Hebrew believers, believed in Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah, believers in the New Covenant, and had come out of centuries of their families being steeped in the traditions of going to the Hebrew Temple to get their sins forgiven on the Holy Day of Atonement and offering other ongoing sacrifices.

The Hebrew people down through the centuries, before and after Jesus' birth, death, burial, and resurrection, had been involved in a sacrificial system of various and diverse types of offerings being brought forth at the Temple Alter of God in order to gain forgiveness of sins by God. The Temple sacrificial system by the Hebrews had ceased for the most part after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, after fire was set to the temple, and subsequently tearing the temple down by the Roman soldiers, stone by stone, to get to all the melted gold that had run down in the cracks of stone. There probably were still pockets of animal sacrifices being performed by Hebrews after this time, but without the prescribed method for sacrifices no longer present with the Temple having been destroyed, the days of animal sacrifices by the Hebrews had all but ceased.

So, when reading the bible, Christian Old Testament [Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)] or Christian New Testament, it is important to always understand the context of the various books in the bible when reading the words of God. That is extremely important when it comes to understanding the historical settings and understanding within regards to the book of Hebrews from the target audience's perspective.

The book of Hebrews is one of comparisons. It is comparing the new to that of the old. It compares Jesus Christ being superior to the prophets, superior to the angels, superior to Moses, superior to Joshua, and superior to the Levitical Priesthood in which the priests offered sacrifices day in and day out in the Temple. The book goes into great depths of explaining the new promise in detail for Israel and the New Covenant, which was promised long ago by the Prophet Jeremiah. It really is a foundational book for Christianity and understanding early Hebrewism (the early law keepers, those that thought they could keep the law), that people today would do well to read it from gaining a better insight into their own world beliefs, and the world of their forefathers before them.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

"The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

The following hypothetical question was brought forth about a passage in chapter 6 of the book of Hebrews.

I am still confused about Hebrews 6:4-8. I become a Christian when I was younger, but then recently I have fallen away the Lord. Can I come back? I think so.

The person asking this question is confused on falling away from the Lord; as though there is something they can do to cause God to separate one's self from the Lord. There have been numerous pastors, teachers, and professors at Christian Bible colleges, universities, and even seminaries that are teaching people and seminary students that they can fall away from salvation. Once again, this shows that they have a strong misunderstanding of what salvation and forgiveness are in the first place. These folks equate getting your sins forgiven as salvation. Salvation is new life from the death. Salvation is receiving Jesus' life inside you the moment you believe in him. This is the true meaning of being "Born Again". A person goes from spiritual death to receiving the Holy Spirit of God for life. I will add, it is for eternal and permanent "life." It is not temporary life. You can not repent of your unbelief one day, because repentance in the New Testament is always a one way street, and receive Jesus to begin with that day, and then somewhere down the line, in your life, do something bad where he is going to leave you. This teaching that you can do something to get rid of Jesus is bunk. For ... he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

Let's take a look at the passages together in detail from the beginning of the 6th chapter of Hebrews. Let's grow up. Let us all become mature in Christ is the theme.

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The writer of Hebrews was trying to take these early Christian believers, and bring them up in maturity. But, the writer had to keep going back to the basics for many of them. They were so caught up in their traditions, that they were finding it impossible to move forward. The writer was talking to two groups of people. Those that were babes, and those that were mature in Christ. However, the babes were constantly going back to their traditions of thinking that they had to offer sacrifices at the alter, even though they were saying that they believed in Christ Jesus and the total sin offering he provided for all. In my opinion, the writer of Hebrews had the patience of Job, but wrote this as a warning and exhortation for the baby group.

It is important to note that only God and the individual person of God are themselves the only ones that can truly know whether they are a Christian or not. However, the writer of Hebrews writes in such a way that it causes a person to think.

Not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death.

What is the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death? First off, it bears repeating here, that repentance is always a one way street in the New Testament. That means that you can not repent one day of your unbelief in Jesus Christ, and then then turn around the next day and say, "I don't believe in Jesus Christ," because that would mean that you never repented in the first place. I will also say that no one has ever repented of all of their sins. I know, you have heard it said many times, "that a person has to repent of all of their sins in order to be saved." That saying is a bunch of baloney. Think about it, let's say you say, I am going to repent of saying lies, and then tomorrow, you lie again. You never repented with the true meaning of repentance in the first place. Repentance has been so watered down, both in Christianity and in Hebrewism (those that believe in law keeping), that most people don't even look at the true meaning of the word repentance. You are speaking double talk and are double minded in your thinking. You are confused in your understanding of forgiveness by God.

You must repent of your unbelief, or you will remain spiritually dead.

The King James Version might be a bit clearer in the true meaning of verses one and two in chapter 6 of Hebrews.

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

This is baby stuff. This is immature thinking. This is the early church trying to go back to the Mosaic sacrificial system of bringing the sacrifices to the alter, and also at the same time saying Jesus did it all. These were dead works that never brought life. They never repented of them. The organized church of today is no different in their teaching when it comes to error in thinking about repentance, faith toward God, baptisms, laying on of hands, and eternal judgment.

Catholic churches teach that you must go to the confession booth to get your sins forgiven, while at the same time saying that Christ forgave you of your sins. Which is it? Did he forgive you or do you need more forgiveness in the confession booth?

Protestant denominations teach that you need to 1 John 1:9 yourself before Christ will forgive you, while at the same time teaching that all of your sins; past, present, and future have been forgiven. Which is it? Do you need more forgiveness of sins if all your sins are forgiven? The bible teaches that forgiveness of sins and atonement is in the blood, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. So, either Jesus did it all or you need more forgiveness.

The fundamental question comes into play is how many prayers and how many good deeds will earn enough forgiveness from God? Think about it, how much is required by God? Furthermore, Yom Kippur is one of the most important holidays in the Hebrew religion. 'The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year.' In the Old Testament Days gone by, the "Day of Atonement" was the day that the High Priest "Kohen Gadol" was required to make a blood sin offering in the Temple "Holy of Holies and call upon the Name of YHVH to offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the people." References: Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.

Shemot - Exodus 30:10

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

So, we see that the main religious systems are all about what you are doing, instead of what Jesus Christ The Messiah has already done. The focus with religion today, is always on self.

True Christianity is always focused on God, and what he has done for us, by providing the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins, through Jesus Christ The Messiah.

The hypothetical question above shows the deep inward misunderstanding of the Gospel message, and the thought process of the person asking the question in the first place. It shows the focus of self, instead of the focus on God and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When a person "falls away" today, they are falling away from the true Gospel. They are going back to their own sacrificial systems of playing religion, thinking double minded thoughts, going to the confession booth, trying to make or keep themselves clean with a Christian bar of soap (confessionism 1 John 1:9), and never having repented in the first place. Remember, repentance is always a one way move. A person can not repent one day and then repent another day of the same thing, because they did not repent in the first place. Again, read more about the true meaning of repentance and understand why this is impossible to be brought back to repentance. In verses 4 through 6 of Hebrews chapter six we read, "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

These people were sampling with a taste at the table of God. They never wholly swallowed what they were tasting; which is to say, they never truly repented. They were spitting it right back in the face of God. They were around people enlightened, sharing the Holy Spirit, going through the motions as though they accepted what Jesus had done for them, but they continued to fall away from the true teachings of Jesus. They kept wanting to go back to the "Day of Atonement." They kept sacrificing to God. They wanted to earn their own forgiveness in things that they were doing. This was a public disgrace, because to their loss, they were crucifying the Son of God over and over again. Here they were saying that Jesus did it all for them, and then the next day rolled around, and they wanted to sacrifice for their sins again. How could anyone be brought back to repentance, if they never repented in the first place? This shows that they never repented in the first place. You can not go back from where you have never been. It is impossible.

This is exactly the same as the Catholic saying to their people that God forgave them, and then the next day going to the confessional booth and the Mass, and thinking that somehow God is being sacrificed all over again. This is exactly the same as the Protestant saying that all his sins are forgiven, and then the next day asking for more forgiveness through a misunderstanding of 1 John 1:9. These folks are spitting in the face of God, publicly disgracing Jesus Christ in front of everyone.

Then the writer of Hebrews issues a very stern warning for those folks with a comparison with land that has good soil, and land that has poor soil.

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Now, the writer of Hebrews turns the coin, and starts talking to the other group of people. He has confidence in the following group.

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The writer is talking to another group and encouraging them not to become lazy in their understanding. Not to give in to error in teaching. Be diligent to the very end. If that means going against the tide of religion, then so be it. If that means focusing on God, and not yourself, which is the things that accompany salvation, then so be it. If that means standing up for what is right, and good, and honorable, even when it goes against the tide, then so be it. If that means loosing a friend because of your true belief in the truth of Jesus Christ, then so be it. If that means being thrown out of your church or synagogue when you share the truth, then so be it. Allow God to lead you in all ways. Remember, the work of God is this, to believe in the one God has sent. Imitate those that through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

John 6:28,29

Believe in Jesus, and receive eternal life today. I beseech you, God has reconciled you to himself through Christ Jesus, now be reconciled.

Please read the Welcome message.

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What Do I Do After I Sin?

Thank You Jesus; You Paid The Price For Me!

Great article, but I have a question: so what do I do after I sin? How would I pray? How would I settle it?

Good question. First off, we need to understand what sin really is.

Anything not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) We sometimes get it in our heads that there are little sins, and big sins, and in between sins.

For example: Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

* In essence getting angry with someone and saying a bad word to someone is the same as committing murder in God's eyes.

Another example of sin is Matthew 5:27-30 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

* So, we don't see too many people cutting off their right hands or plucking out their right eyes today (nor their left eye or hand either).

* Additionally, Jesus commands us not to worry in Matthew 6:25-34.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

* So, if Jesus tells us NOT to worry, and we worry, it's important to understand that worry is sin...

Once a person understands what sin really is, this brings a person to the end of themselves, of trying to make themselves righteous in the sight of God.

So, if you understand that you need Jesus and his righteousness, and his free offer of grace, a person comes to understand that God did it for us and forgave us of all our sins. Forgave is a past tense of forgive. This is the key. If a person understands that his or her sins have been forgiven, then there really is only one thing we can do, and it is to accept the forgiveness found in Jesus and say, "thank you." How much sense does it make, to keep asking for something that I already have?

Colossians 2:13-14 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

The debt has been settled.

This is only one side of the good news story of the gospel message. The other side of the coin is, once a person believes that Jesus did it all for them and receives (accepts it), then Jesus wants to give a person eternal life. When a person receives Jesus, and the forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ, Jesus comes to live within that person. Nothing can separate a person from Jesus once they come to him by faith. Not even a person's own sins that he or she commits in the future prevent separation from God.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here is an excellent link overview of Christ's FINISHED Work on the Cross.

Be sure to download and listen to the audios at BobGeorge.net - Bob George Ministries.
Listen to Daily Radio Shows

Also, take a look at this article about understanding the "Lord's Prayer" after the cross.

In Jesus's name,

Jim W.

Please read the Welcome message.

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What Makes a Person a Christian?

What is it to be a Christian?
Does growing up Catholic make you a Christian?
Does growing up in a Protestant denominational make you a Christian?

How about becoming a Catholic, or becoming a Baptist, United Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian (Presbyterian USA PCUSA or Presbyterian Church of America PCA), Reformed, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Charismatic, or Foursquare, Episcopalian or Anglican, Churches of Christ, Assemblies of God, Seventh-Day Adventist, or joining a Non-denominational Christian church; does that make you a Christian?

What about becoming a Mormon or Latter-day Saints, or first converting to Hebrewism and obeying the Mosaic Laws and the Ten Commandments, or how about becoming a Jehovah's Witness; can any of those religions help you on a path to true salvation?

Does going to a Catholic church or a Protestant church or even going to any church once a year, twice a year, or 52 times a year make you a Christian? What about following the Catholic seven sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist (Holy Communion), Confirmation, Confession (Reconciliation), Marriage (Matrimony), Holy Orders, or Anointing of the Sick; can any of those sacraments make you a Christian? What about becoming baptized under a Protestant denominational church; will that help you become a Christian?

What about saying the Rosaries everyday for a year, or wearing scapulars, medals, or crucifixes around your neck or any religious images on the walls or shelves of your home; does any of that make you a Christian?

How about being good, or doing good things, or helping the poor, or giving your money to charity, or helping others when they are in need; does any of that make you a Christian?

Why do I ask these questions? Because most of these questions are asked all the time, if not out loud, at least in the minds of billions of people from all over the world.

Nothing stated above makes anyone a Christian. I'll repeat this, there is nothing anyone can do to make themselves a Christian. No amount of going to church, no amount of going to the confession booth, no amount of saying the Rosaries, not belonging to a certain religion, no specific church membership, no amount of obeying the ten commandments, no amount of giving money to the poor, no amount of praying everyday, no amount of being good, no amount of good works, not even baptism, nothing you do can ever make you a Christian.

So, help me, what is the answer to becoming a Christian?

Faith

How to be a Christian; by faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:1-4

Listen my friends, listen to God. There is a righteousness from God, and his name is Jesus. He is the righteous One. He is the one that took the world's sin and paid the price for it. Believe in Jesus and be saved. Nothing more, nothing less will do.

If you are trying to be righteous before God in what you do; take warning from the old testament word of God.

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6

The filthy rags referred here in the Bible is related to a woman's period and menstrual rags. (Ref H5708: From an unused root meaning to set a period (compare H5710 and H5749); the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling: - filthy.)

Why be a Christian?

So, do you really want to try to go before God in your righteousness? Think about it, listen and hear the word of God. Get your thinking right. Place your faith in his righteousness not your own. Believe in Jesus and be saved onto eternal life. This, and only this will be counted for righteousness with God. Faith in Jesus is what makes a Christian a Christian.

I Am The Way, The Truth, & The Life, Said Jesus

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Please read the Welcome message.

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Journey to Discovering New Life in Christ Jesus

Bob George from Real Answers and people to people ministries.

Understanding Christianity, salvation, religion, and what it means to have new life in Jesus Christ. Receiving the power of God through Jesus Christ coming to live within a person when a person receives Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In everything give thanks.

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My Christian Journey

I have been a child of God for decades (time rolls on), and have appreciated the voice of People to People Ministries now Bob George Ministries daily radio show over the years, and especially that of Bob George for his never wavering teaching on the New Covenant, complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and Grace.

My story of the Christian journey has been quite an experience. Coming out of an early childhood of growing up in the Byzantine Catholic religious system, and then into a marriage where my wife thought there was little difference between Catholics and Protestants, and finally to my spiritual conversion in a bible study where we were looking at Jesus, and I came to the realization that Jesus forgave me of all of my sins. My heart was filled with joy, I was ready to dance the world away, because a great load had been lifted off my soul. I thought God was hacked with me, because I hadn't gone to the confession booth in years. Now, I knew the truth, and the truth did set me free. It wasn't until later, I came to realize, that at that moment in time when I came to believe in the finished work of Jesus, and His forgiveness, that the Holy Spirit came to live in me, and also gave me eternal life at that exact moment in time. Wow, what great news!

This bible study was through one of the Presbyterian denominations, PCA, that are quite conservative as apposed to the more liberal Presbyterian denomination, PCUSA.

After a couple of years at the church, (which was a newer church) the minister thought I might be a good candidate for eldership, along with five or six other fellows. Since the minister was only two years into the starting of this new church, and there were no elders, he wanted us to have a good foundation for what PCA Presbyterians believed and taught.

So, out came a ton of books, including The Westminster Confession Of Faith for study classes. Talk about deep studies, I felt like I was in Seminary school for six weeks. I took everything seriously, all the while comparing the teachings to the various bible verses. I was like a Berean (and still to this day), "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 You see, I was being taught by the Holy Spirit, and was also listening to numerous Christian radio broadcasts, including People to People Ministries.

People to People and the Real Answers website, and the teachings of Bob George was the one place that I could go to get consistent teaching, which matched up to the bible and what the Holy Spirit had shown me two years prior to this leadership class.

Well, as is typical of my usual self, and being led by the Holy Spirit, I could not be quiet about the total forgiveness issue. Needless to say, I did not become an elder in the Presbyterian church, as I was quite outspoken about being totally forgiven. This resulted in a church trial, where we (myself, wife, and family) actually I was told in no uncertain terms that they did not want me to talk about the forgiveness issue anymore, and if I could not abide by this, they wanted us to leave.

Since I had to do what I felt was right from God’s perspective, I could not agree to being quiet about being totally forgiven and felt like I had to dust off my shoes, shake out my clothes, and move on with my Christian walk.

Recollecting on this time of my life, it always struck me as really strange and quite illogical, that a group of people could say that all your sins have been forgiven, past, present and future, and then in the next breath take something out of context from the bible and build a completely new doctrine out of one verse of scripture, while so many verses of the bible support complete forgiveness of sins. Instead of looking at a single verse in the context of the particular book of the bible, or the situation that was being addressed by the writers of the New Testament, people tend to follow the teachings of man, instead of God.

Many church goers are followers of men, and have forgotten to be followers of God. Unlike the Bereans in the Apostle Paul’s day, that checked the scriptures to see if what was being taught by the Apostles was true; men today would rather believe in man’s teachings instead of God’s truth.

Believers are told today to be proclaimers of the good news of reconciliation. Jesus was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them. 2 Corinthians 5:19

This is great news! Proclaim it from the rooftops. Believe it and receive eternal life. The forgiveness issue has been dealt with by God. Now, people need new life.

Please read the Welcome message.

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