The Living Waters Podcast

In today's episode, the guys talk about sinless perfection and its many errors. There are two angles people most often take to this topic. First is that once you’re saved, if you’re really saved, then you become completely sanctified and you will never sin. The second view is that you can get to a place where you grow so much in the process of sanctification where you no longer sin. Those that hold on to sinless perfectionism not only don’t understand what the Scripture says, but they also don’t understand the true nature of sin itself. If a person was actually tuned in with both of those things, they would never believe they were perfect or could be perfect. To believe yourself free of sin is a sin in itself.  Especially for young believers, the doctrine of sinless perfection is extremely harmful because it bypasses the Gospel. Ecclesiastes 4:20 says “There is no one on earth who is righteous. No one who does what is right and never sins.”, while 1 John 1:8 tells Christians “If we say we have no sins, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  We can never attain the level of Christ and must not forget what he did for us. Even if we’re not as far as sinless perfection, we Christians all need to be weary of the pull towards legalism and ​​antinomianism, through which we may give no weight to sin. Sin is not an enemy out there, but rather a beast that we are all constantly fighting from within. The Scripture tells us that even as Christians, we are living in habitual sin and rebellion from God. It is natural to desire a life without sin after we have been saved, but we must remember that we have the advocate of the Father on our side. We often talk about sin as simply the act of doing something unrighteous. Augustin saw sin as ultimately disjointed loves. As long as we live in this fallen and broken world as fallen and broken people, we are going to sin.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys focus on sanctification.  Sanctification occurs in two parts: initial sanctification occurs instantaneously when a person is saved and is all God's work.  This initial change involves being set apart for God and delivered from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of Christ.  After conversion, we spend the rest of our earthly lives going through progressive sanctification, which is grounded in God's work of conforming us more and more to the image of Christ as we are involved and responsive. We play a passive role through dependence on God, and an active role through obeying and yielding to God.  God will ultimately complete the work He has begun of making us each holy as He is holy, but He uses our involvement as a means by which He completes this work.  Since we were made positionally holy at the time of initial sanctification, progressive sanctification is actually the process by which we become who we already are in Christ.  We are new creations, and as the flesh and Spirit continue to war within us, we can know that the completion of our sanctification is sure! There are several different views of sanctification, and the guys highlight the Wesleyan view with its practice of waiting for God to simply sanctify people out of certain sins.  Contrary to this view, the testimony of Scripture is that we must not sit on our hands, but rather get up and get moving!  The sign of a true Christian, the guys explain, isn't that someone has arrived.  Rather, it is that someone is sensitive to sin, continually responding to it by repenting and turning to Christ.  As the conversation winds down, the guys talk about the need for patience and accountability in relationships among Christians, as well as the importance of being in the Word every day.  We need to hear from God if we are to be changed; this requires the self-control of a daily commitment, and at times may require developing a taste for the different flavors of Scripture through increasing in knowledge of God Himself.  Ultimately, all the effort required of us is well worth it, as we can see the sweet reality of God renewing us after the image of His Son! Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!Check out The Evidence Study Bible.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys talk about Christian justification, the foundation upon which our faith is built. Justification by faith is one of the pillars of the reformation. Justification is defined as an act of God’s grace wherein he pardons all of our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. To be justified means more than to be declared not guilty, but rather to be declared righteous before God. Today, the doctrine of justification is under attack, specifically by Christians in the deconstruction movement.  However, confusing justification and sanctification will undermine the gospel and turn justification by face into justification by performance.  If we have been declared righteous, then sanctification will complete its work inside of us on that day when we see Him. The work of grace is absolute thoroughness because it comes from God, not from us. Oscar speaks to the significance of double-impunity and the selflessness of Christ becoming sin for us so that we may become the righteousness of God before Him. Often, we become so accustomed to the world of our faith that concepts like this don’t contain the weight they deserve. The more we see ourselves as sinners, however, the more graceful God seems in our eyes. We can’t begin to imagine God’s anger and wrath towards our sins. When we understand the righteousness of God and his wrath towards sin and sinners, then we are truly able to understand the love and grace shown to us on the cross. Diminishing His wrath also diminished His love and grace. Shifting gears, the guys discuss justification as a theology which should penetrate our daily lives, seep into the trenches of everything we do. Humans are programmed to be constantly justifying our own actions. When we truly understand what God has done for us and that he is ultimately pleased with us, all of those fears melt away.  Justification fortifies our life of those things, and what a relief that is!  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys talk about Christian discipleship and what it should look like. Not only do we see discipleship mentioned throughout the New Testament, it is at the very heart of the Great Commission. We often don’t focus enough on the fact that God holds all authority of heaven and earth. The guys define discipleship as any student, pupil, apprentice or adherent as opposed to a teacher. In the ancient world, it is associated with people devoted to a religion or philosophy. People tend to view the Great Commission as a commandment to go out and create converts, but really it commands us to make disciples. Disciples are followers of Jesus whose lives are marked by God and reflect His glory through thought, word and deed. The only way to make a disciple is by sharing a life with them and true discipleship is seeing how this individual we are looking up to handles day to day affairs.  The word disciple comes from the word discipline, which is exactly what we need to be a part of God’s army. Knowing that discipleship is a lifestyle creates better accountability for every believer. You can not make a disciple unless you are a disciple yourself. Christians are called to share the content of the gospel in the context of relationships that reflect God’s relationship with us. Then, they guys share advice for communicating with someone in a loving way when the conversation has gone off the path. On one hand, we should not be afraid to challenge a Biblical brother in his sin. On the other hand, we must be the type of person who is willing to confess his own sins. Part of Biblical discipleship is being comfortable in calling out our brothers. We must also realize that if we are not being disciples to our children, they will in turn be discipled by other people. The only real sign of true Christian growth is a life rooted in holiness.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys talk about the importance of Christian counseling.  Christian counseling is one means by which we may look at ourselves and our health in a holistic way; that is, from physical, spiritual, and mental lenses.  While people looking for counsel need to follow advice that Ray offers to read the Bible and obey what they read, they also need to understand that physical and mental realities impact overall well-being.  Counseling, the guys go on to explain, is a modern-day need.  It has not always been available, and Christians have lived for centuries without it.  However, the shift to modernity (and the isolation modernity fosters) has not been good for the human soul, and has created the need for a dedicated space for focused conversation on matters of the heart.  These conversations do not all need to take place in formal counseling contexts, though.  At its core, Christian counseling is simply Christians talking together, speaking truth to one another, and exhorting one another. Not all counseling calls itself "Christian," and even church counseling can be unhelpful.  The guys dive into what to look for and what to avoid in counseling, first warning against the dangers of secular counseling.  Secular counseling lacks a foundational sense of human nature, sin, and the remedy of the gospel.  It also tends to either offer no constructive input at all or point the counselee inward to the self.  Church counseling can go awry, as well, by taking a "just stop it" approach to helping people.  What people truly need is counseling that gets to the heart, seeing where they may be harboring idols and how the gospel applies to their lives and struggles.  The guys offer extensive counseling resources to explore, run through counseling principles, and explain why they espouse a counseling model called nouthetic counseling.  Nouthetic counseling involves "confronting a friend" and leads the guys to their final charge to listeners: do the work of counselors simply by speaking truth and wisdom into others' lives! Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!Check out Ray’s book God Speaks. You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the power of hymns and worship music in evoking emotions and honoring the Lord. They explore the controversies surrounding music in Christian circles and emphasize the need for discernment. They also share heartwarming stories and recommend books that reflect the impact of music on faith. The podcast dives into the depth and beauty of hymns and encourages listeners to rediscover traditional hymns for worship.

In today’s episode, guest RL Solberg (Rob) joins the conversation in an interview at the NRB conference to discuss the Hebrew Roots Movement and what RL has termed as Torahism. They chat about Hebrew Israelites and distill the misunderstanding of where theological errors begin to form in their theology. Listen in to better be equipped to evangelize to these groups and gain resources for informed responses to fringe conversations that are becoming more prevalent through social media!  RL shares about his new book, Torahism, that was spurred on through conversations he engaged in with people who were adamant about keeping the Old Law. Are Christians required to keep the Law of Moses? Rob is an author, apologist, and professor who shares here his definition of Torahism, and the story that started him down this journey. Learn about the Facebook conversations and blog articles that got turned into a book.  Rob shares about the umbrella of belief systems that says Christians are required to keep the Law of Moses—a system often named Hebrew Roots, Messianic Christians, and a variety of other terms. Through street preaching, the hosts share their own experience of the importance of names used for Christ. Rob’s book helps people better know how to answer the difficult questions Torahists present. Learn where this error begins to form in their theology and how, while many may be sincere in their search for truth to go deeper into the roots of their faith, they often go too far. Rob explains that to understand a deep, rich, and theologically sound Christianity, you do have to understand the Jewish roots. So, where does the theological and exegetical error start? There is not just one “silver bullet” in scripture to address this, there are many verses! However, Rob touches on the complexity of the issue that this is not just an intellectual thing, there is a spiritual and emotional commitment of these people for what they’re doing. There is often a pre-commitment to thinking the law is still binding. Patience is necessary to approach the Word and get into it with Biblical literacy that steps back to look at the contact of the proof texts.  As the episode draws to a close, listen to how RL suggests one might respond to an online post regarding these topics. Learn why it is so important to first emphasize where both sides do agree, before starting to tease things apart. RL discusses the work of the law and of Christ with the New Covenant, deciphering between principal and expression. While God is unchanging, His people do change. How do you properly and practically interact with the Old Testament laws? Rob talks about thSend us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

If we love anything before or above God, we are setting our affection on the gift rather than the giver. The Bible refers to this as inordinate affection and is a direct violation of the first, second and tenth commandment. Our discussion today is centered around a topic which every Christian has found themselves in danger of: idolatry. Our call to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength is constantly something which makes us susceptible to idolatry. Idolatry is defined any time we love something more than we love God. In fact, you can never break any of the other commandments without breaking the first one. In today’s world, we see idolatry everywhere, from the cars we drive, the homes we live in, social media, our reputations and more. Idolatry can refer to idolizing good things, too.  The human heart is an idol factory. We must be aware of our own hearts and identify the false idols all around us. Nothing dissipates the fear of the Lord like idolatry. The guys distinguish the three different types of idols: cultural, personal and religious. At the crux of the matter is the fabrication of Gods from things which are not. The two elements of idolatry are not worshiping God and worshiping God in the wrong way. There is only one Savior and only one God, and He sees the grand picture of everything. Therefore, we must surrender to him and trust His plan. It is in our nature to become what we worship and we have the choice to become more like our Creator or like our blind and mute idols. While it’s valuable to call out false idols, you are advised to be prepared for the backlash you will receive in turn. Cultivating a fear of the Lord will help keep us from falling into idolatry. Ways to identify our own idolatry is to get involved in a faith based community and ask yourself through prayer and meditation reflective questions on where your idols lie. Through the sovereignty and goodness of God alone can we understand our deepest desires.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!Check out Ray’s book, World Religions In A Nutshell. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

As many people are opting not to get married at all, while others are quickly dissolving their existing marriages, the sanctity of marriage is currently in big trouble. On today’s episode, the guys offer advice for listeners who are not yet married on what to look for in a future spouse. They begin by sharing how long they have all been married to their wives: Ray for 51 years, Mark for 22, Oscar for 10 and E.Z. for nearly 26 years. What a joy it is for each of them to think about the beauty of a marriage rooted and grounded in the Lord. We are reminded that the institution of marriage was not man’s idea, but God’s. Beginning in Genesis, the first thing we look for in a future spouse is the opposite sex. It is when people redefine or reinterpret God’s word on the basis of current cultural trends that we get into great danger. Then, they share how to advise our kids on choosing a future spouse. We are reminded that beauty is vain and what is most important is that a person really loves the Lord and will push you, as their spouse, closer to Him.  We often believe that falling in love will be this enchanted kingdom experience, but we need to love others in a gospel, rather than a selfish, way. We’re reminded that expectations can either be disappointment or a saving grace entering a marriage. Beginning with what a man should look for in a wife, the guys identify first and foremost that she should love and fear God no matter what. Proverbs 31:30 reads “Charm is deceitful, beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” In a world which has tainted every aspect of God’s original design, there is nothing better than to see a man and wife fulfilling their God given roles. We must help our daughters understand the importance of choosing a man who has a biblical understanding of leadership and masculinity. Other attributes for potential husbands is someone who is a hard worker in whatever he does. God calls for man to emulate the greatest love that this world has ever known. For the women listeners, you are told not to settle when choosing a husband. We must be satisfied in the Lord before we can ever be satisfied in our marriage. As the episode wraps up, the guys share some hard questions one should ask a potential spouse.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!Check out Ray’s book Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's politically charged climate, the guys have noticed that Christians are often confused and split on how to engage with politics.  What is the proper role of the Christian in the political space?  The foundational truth the guys want to convey is that God wants us involved in the public square - and this includes politics!  And in the US, we not only have the responsibility to be involved, but the privilege of easily accessible ways of doing so.  Voting is one way of engaging with politics, and it is both a gift and a responsibility; after all, not voting at all gives tacit approval to the status quo!  Some Christians might argue that, since God is sovereign, we do not need to involve ourselves in politics.  What these believers miss, though, is that God uses means to accomplish His ends, and our involvement in the politics of our nation is one of those means.  God is advancing His kingdom in the world, and He has given His followers a moral, ethical, and spiritual command to engage in this work, willing the good of others through action.  We obey, in politics and other areas, and trust that He is bringing His plan to completion. The real question, then, isn't whether or not Christians should be involved in politics, but how they should be involved.  The guys discuss the importance of being aware of politics on a local level and loving nearby neighbors before centering attention on national issues.  They also talk through the problem of hypocrisy in politics (and the disillusionment it brings) and work through the dynamics of being willing to partner with non-believers in politics while still holding to biblical values.  Christians must, they explain, avoid the pitfalls of adopting secular expectations of the world around us, elevating politics such that it takes priority over our faith, allowing political engagement to crowd out spread of the gospel, and looking at others as merely conservatives or liberals.  We must give to politics what belongs to it without making it the center of our identity, and we must encourage the presence of evangelistic Christians in politics.  As the conversation ends, the guys talk about a healthy balance of news intake, the importance of praying for political leaders, and aiming to impact the world by raising godly children. Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro