Episode 156

Today we continue the How Were Your Barriers Removed series with an interview with Bill. Bill grew up in a Christian home and received Christ as his personal Lord and Savior early on in life, but that doesn’t mean that there were no barriers to salvation. Every instance of biblical salvation is a genuine miracle where the holy, triune Creator God reaches down to an unworthy and wretched sinner to bestow forgiveness and restoration where none was possible. Praise be to God! Join us on this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast to hear how the Lord performed that exact miracle in Bill’s life some years ago.

[Bill]

Works are absolutely required, it’s just that our works are not required for salvation and the works are required. The works of Jesus Christ, complete of works of Jesus Christ are required.

[Jay]

Thank you for tuning in to the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG. and we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

This is episode 156 of the Removing Barriers Podcast, and this is the 38th in the series of How Were Your Barriers Removed? And in this episode, we’ll find out how Bill’s barriers were removed when he came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[Jay]

Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things Removing Barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removingbarriers.net/donate, Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

Bill, it is indeed a pleasure. Welcome to the Removing Barious podcasts.

[Bill]

Thank you. MCG. Thanks for inviting me.

[MCG]

Right. Well, let’s get right into it. So, Bill, tell us what state or country were you born in?

[Bill]

I was born in Pennsylvania, Delaware County, near Philadelphia.

[MCG]

Cool. Tell us about that area. Is it like a farm in town, or is it a big metro area?

[Bill]

It’s a suburb of Philadelphia. You almost probably wouldn’t see a clear distinction when you cross the boundary line from West Philadelphia into Delaware County. It’s a. A lot of what we call twin houses.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

Like sort of like if you had townhouses that were just two together and then a space. A lot of those, there were a few single houses, but a lot of twin houses and some row houses mainly, I would say blue collar.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

Working class, so to speak. My father worked for General Electric Company in Philadelphia. He was a welder, so that’s about the way I would describe. Probably goes back one or 200 years.

[MCG]

Little quaint town.

[Bill]

Ah, at the time, the next town next year by town had a downtown stores. My, my town didn’t have any real stores.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

Maybe just like a a corner grocery store or something. But within a mile, the next little town, it had a Main Street with all kinds of shops and. Stores nothing very fancy, but all adequate as they got older then they began to be shopping malls that were further but much more attractive. And so the downtown area, wasn’t it kind of became rather depressed. Carried on, but it wasn’t really nice. It was adequate but.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

For some things.

[Jay]

You mentioned that your father was a welder and that you grew up in a blue collar working class neighborhood. Can you describe what your mother did for a living and what kind of family you were born into? Where religious, family or not so religious? Could you describe your family and your upbringing? To us.

[Bill]

Yeah. My mother was primarily a homemaker. She did have a part time job. She worked in the home. My grandmother ran a flower shop and greenhouses, and my mother was the book. Cheaper for my grandmother’s business. And so I don’t know exactly how many hours should we she put into that. But she had big Ledger books that she was always recording it in, and she did the payroll back then. It was all done with cash. We had a paying flow, but she would figure out everybody’s pay according to their rate. And, you know, subtract the federal taxes and the state taxes and whatever else the Social Security. And then of course, that money then had to be, you know, turned in to the appropriate, you know, collecting agencies and. You know, she took care of all the finances and taxes and everything for my grandmother’s business. And then she also handled what she called the deadbeats. People that bought on credit and then were difficult to collect from them later on. So she had a number of different things that she did. Processes to try to collect the money. She did that with some degree of success. There were some people. That, you know, were impossible. But she would do her best. And she did. Collect a lot. Of money, it just took a while. It just a little labor attention. So, but my family was a Christian family.

[MCG]

Ohh wow.

[Bill]

Bible believing we were members of an independent non denominational church and. Everybody, almost everybody in my family, we’re Christians. So, you know, I grew up attending church with my family and Sunday school and. Vacation Bible School Boys brigade, which was like our version of scouts and missionary conferences and evangelistic services. All that sort of thing. What parents were committed Christians? And so, you know, that’s what we did. It actually, you know, wasn’t too much different. Basically, then, the church that Tom and I attend now.

[MCG]

Cool as you were describing your mom and all that stuff, I’m thinking about man. I want if anyone could do that today without computers, you don’t. You have the ledges, a lot of stuff. It’s like, wow.

[Bill]

Yeah, yeah, that’s something. It was a lot different, that’s for sure.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely.

[Bill]

Back then, people didn’t know that they needed computers.

[MCG]

Don’t Get Me Out of a job is because they need computers. Why? I have a job. So tell us. Do you have any siblings or anything or what’s that dynamic growing up? Do you have any brothers, sisters.

[Bill]

I have one sibling and older sister.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

And she lives in another state with her husband and family. And so we don’t see each other too often, but we, you know, communicate as often as we can.

[MCG]

Do you remember the first time you heard the gospel and the growing up in a Christian home? You probably said, man, I heard it from the womb. Do you remember the first time you heard the gospel?

[Bill]

I know I couldn’t say because as you alluded to, you know, having grown up in the church, you know, heard the gospel repeatedly as far back as I can remember. I will say it, it probably sunk in when I was about 8 years old, or at least to the point where, you know, I realized I needed to make a decision we were having. Financial listing services at our church, as we did periodically and you know they would go for several days in a row. And the speaker one night just made me realize, although I already knew and agreed with everything, that he already said, that I had never actually made any kind of a personal decision or commitment to Jesus Christ. I think you know, growing up I understood everything or began to, you know gradually. I mean us I think from the time I was maybe. Three or four years. Old and you know, growing up in church, we were taught these things in Sunday school and in junior church. And, you know, as far back as I can remember. So just a. Matter of one day. You know, she said. Hey, you. I never actually like signed on.

[Jay]

Gotcha. You said that that was around 8 years old. Would you say that was also the same time about which time that you had the full realization of your sin and your need for? The Savior as well.

[Bill]

Well, I think I realized it. And you know and assented to the the whole idea. It’s like, you know, growing up from an early age, I was used to the ideas. It’s just that, I guess, kind of like if you were a young. Person and you knew about life insurance and you knew how it worked and you understood why people carried it. And then one day you decided, hey, you know what? I don’t actually have it. And I actually do need it. So then, you know, you take action to, actually. Apply for a policy and get one you know, maybe like when you’re married or something like that. That would be a logical time. That’s also maybe a person. It would dawn on them that they need to do this. So I think it was sort of like that. So like in the terms of barriers, I I don’t think I had any barriers, it was just that coming to the realization that I had never prayed to the Lord and acknowledged that I knew that I was a Sinner and couldn’t save myself and that. To Jesus Christ that died with the. To pay the penalty for my sins and that I accepted that and at the same time you’re willing to be accountable to God, who’s you’re turning your life over to him. You’re not just getting a ticket that you’re going to put in your pocket. You’re being adopted into God’s family. And you’re saying yes. I want to be adopted by. This family I kind of looked him over and I I like this family and so. One hand, it’s like I know that I have to live according to the ways that this family. But on the other hand. You know, I don’t want to be like an orphan the rest of my life and have no assurance of what will happen to me, especially when I die. But even all throughout life, you know, you don’t have God’s protection and blessing. Really.

[MCG]

Man, well, I have a two-part question. But instead of acting in two parts, I’m going to ask 2. Questions go back to when you were eight. What do you think? You really understood compare to your knowledge now because a lot of folks will say ohh kids can’t understand all these things. What would you say that you believe you understood when you were eight? Compare it to what you understand now and kind of maybe give us the difference between both of them and then I will come back and ask the other question.

[Bill]

Well, I think that fundamentally I understood it the same as I do today. I understood that I had done bad things. But I mean you know, I was 8 years old, not the same as maybe a person growing up into adulthood and.

[MCG]

OK.

[Bill]

Having say a very rough and chaotic life and maybe getting in trouble with the law and really hitting rock bottom, I mean, there’s all kinds of things that can happen to a person that really hurt them physically and emotionally, spiritually. And, you know, I didn’t get banged around that way in my life. I grew up in a good home, and so I was very sheltered, really. And there’s something, you know, we can elaborate on that later on too, because you could say, well, I didn’t know any difference. So, you know, why would I not, you know, continue on the inversion?

[MCG]

Right.

[Bill]

Fundamentally, I think I understood, nonetheless, that we were also those we were taught this, and I could see it. And I guess I never really considered the matter that maybe if I performed enough good works. That was never really a consideration. I just accepted the fact that we couldn’t pay for our sins and that Jesus died for our sins. So there’s a point that on what I do. Not think of at the time that I understood later is that the reason we can’t pay for our sins is because each sin alone is an offense to an infinite God of infinite worth. And so just like if I could step on a bug and that’s means nothing at all.

[MCG]

Right.

[Bill]

If I were cruel and I injured a cat or a dog, well now that’s becomes significant because a cat or a dog, if it’s somebody’s pet especially. Actually, you know that living creature has some value far more value than a buck, and then take that further. OK, if cat or dog if if I’m cool or kill a cat or dog it’s not you know the same as a person but kill a person. Now this is extremely serious. And you know, there could be a death penalty for that, or maybe not. But it would still be extremely serious. But here again, these are still all finite creatures. Now, if I offend God, who’s an infinite? Creature both the offense is infinite and I’m a finite being, and there’s no way that a finite being could pay an infinite defense, and that would just be one. You know our offense is, you know, probably happen. You know, many every day. And so it would just be impossible. It’s just like a spec compared to the rest of the universe, it would be impossible, so I would not have thought about it in those terms. Nonetheless, I understood that we could not or accepted at least, that we could. You know, pay for our own sins that Jesus paid for them, and I accepted that. Believe that and ask Jesus to be my savior with the time and knowledge that I’m just center and. So fundamentally, I believe that I understood it, even if not as fully as an adult, how vast the ramifications were. I still understood it. I’m not saying that all children are ready to accept it at 8, or I think it it varies. You know, according to the child, each one you know, come to a realization, maybe a different age, but it just so happened that I was about 8:00. Well, I was eight. I was exactly 8.

[MCG]

Cool. So let me exit this. Can you zoom in on that day that you made the decision and tell us about that day? Were you at church, where you at home? Do me another day and tell us exactly what happened that day.

[Bill]

Right, so these evangelistic meetings were, I guess they went from Sunday. They may have gone from Sunday to Sunday to tell you the truth, but they at least went for several week days in a row. And one night we attended all the meetings. And so I don’t know which. Whether it was you know the second or the third night or the 4th night, but one of those evenings I was listening and and I understood what he was saying, he was clear. And, you know, he said that everybody needed to make a personal decision on their own. And. And I don’t remember the whole message. But I do remember. As he said that, well, I know about this. I mean this is. What I’ve always. Known, but it’s like, did I ever. Actually make a decision for myself. It’s like don’t have any recollection of that. And so that made me feel, you know, insecure at that point. And I had decided that, well, when I got home that that night when I went to bed and had my prayers, that I was going to make it a point to pray and. Massachusetts to pay my favor.

[MCG]

Hey man. Alright, you’re listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. We’re sitting down with Bill and we are finding out how were his barriers removed? We’ll be right back.

[Jay]

This is the removing barriers podcast. If the podcast or the blog were a blessing to you, leave us a rating and a review on your favorite podcast platform. And don’t forget to share the podcast with your friends, Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net. And subscribing to receive all things, Removing Barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removingbarriers.net/donate, Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold all things are become new, so bill after salvation after that evangelistic meeting and you came to realize that you hadn’t yet put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord saved you that. Evening, when you turned to him in faith, what changes were evident in your life after that point?

[Bill]

Well, you know, probably not the kinds of changes that an older person might experience, you know, in my life I’ve heard, you know, a lot of different people give their testimonies and and some people had, you know, very rough lives and. They, you know, had difficult times. Basically, you know a lot of self-inflicted things that they have encountered in their life. And so you know I didn’t have really any of that. But I can say that I did become conscious. Of the fact that August, now a child of God and that be accountable to God, but I needed to live as a child of God, and so that did affect, you know, my behavior, or at least like when I was with kids at school, I knew that they might talk in certain ways, in certain words. Behave in certain ways that I realize that that’s not the I’m just different and that’s the way it is. So I would say that’s probably really the only thing I can think of because before I really didn’t think of it. Not that I was. I don’t think in general I don’t think my behavior changed very much, but just my awareness of how other kids work, behaving or talking. Yeah, I mean, my parents, even if I didn’t feel. The need because I was a child of God, you know, I still had to behave a certain way just because my parents, you know, had had taught me, you know, how I needed to behave. And, you know, there were, like, certain words. We just don’t say you’re going to hear them, but we don’t say them. We don’t do this. We don’t do that. And that’s how it. Is OK, and that’s just so that there are no problems and I was not a rebellion. This type. But I would say, though, that I internalized the idea that no, I’m a child of God, and so it probably made me more more sensitive in general to things going on around.

[Jay]

And if I could ask a follow up question to that, did you struggle at any point with your assurance? Really. Perhaps I shouldn’t say typically, but oftentimes there are people who grew up in Christian homes who heard the gospel their whole lives. Got say that an early age sometimes when they get into their teen years, maybe early adult years, they either backslide or they have trouble with their assurance. Did you ever experience?

[Bill]

Not really. I will say this, that that’s a good question probably, I don’t know some years later, still a child, maybe, I don’t know, maybe it was 11/12/13. I don’t know that the thought occurred to me. Well, what if there’s no God and there was a Beatles song? You know back then. And they said, you know what? If there’s no heaven above us, no hell of something like that. And I thought, well, what if I mean? And so, you know, I thought about it, but really, I’d say probably within about 5 minutes, I realized that wasn’t. Possible. You know, it just there was no. You know, as soon as I tried to imagine a world with no God, I was left with no sensible explanation about where we. And so when doubts arose, they only lasted a few minutes, and I read even the first time. I just remember, you know, thinking that’s OK. I’m just going to just accept this idea, you know, kind of like, maybe for fun, but just OK, we’re just. Here, there really is no God and it’s like a few minutes later the thought entered my mind. So where did everything come? Like so you know, just by the deductive reasoning process of elimination, say, well, you know, we didn’t spontaneously come here, although I think that some people actually do believe that there’s a spontaneous generation. I listened to a lecture once and somebody talking about this, and the speaker referred to, I guess, a fairly important person in his field saying that his idea was. No, of course. Things didn’t just pop into existence. It took time. And that. Well, that’s that’s kind of because.

[Jay]

Like you’re such slightly better.

[Bill]

I mean, it’s like if you don’t think about it, it it seems like what makes it easier, right. But if you think about it, well, the time is irrelevant. It’s still something coming from nothing, and that still can’t happen, and so anyway, that’s just, you know, foundationally the problem with the whole thing about no God. And then another thing like that is that maybe some people tried to assert, well, matter has always existed.

[MCG]

Right.

[Bill]

And over time, you know, I guess the right molecules came together and something happened. Well, there’s still no active agent there. Like, even if there was matter. Matter can’t do anything by itself.

[Jay]

Right, true.

[Bill]

It’s not alive. It doesn’t do anything. And in any case, you know, it’s still a problem because this is just my own idea. Is that matter is composed of molecules that are composed of atoms, and the atoms have little electrons that are. Whirling about orbiting A nucleus, and if something is in motion, what set it into motion and what keeps it going because.

[MCG]

Right.

[Bill]

Is if this matter has always been here, it has some eternal past, and how could it have on board some eternal power supply? It doesn’t make any sense to me. I just don’t see how that could happen because we’re talking about. Object. If an atom could be an object, it’s a finite thing, and so I don’t see how it could contain an infinite amount of energy. It must contain a. Only a finite amount of energy if it contains any energy. Think personally, I think that God keeps the whole thing going, but in any case, even if God instilled it with a certain amount of energy when he created it, you know it might run as long as he intended it to run, but it could not have had an incident past. So the idea that matter has always been here is also it makes no sense to me, I’ll say. It that way? Umm so. You know, the idea of the God well, some people. So where did God come from? But that’s immaterial. It doesn’t matter where God came from, because the same is a painting, an artistic painting hanging on the wall in an art gallery is evidence of a painter and artist. Right. Even if we don’t know who the artist was, even if it doesn’t have a signature or we can’t see it, it’s a material we don’t. Say, well, we don’t know who the artist was. It was never signed. Therefore there was no artist. No, I mean, you know that if the painting is on the wall that somebody painted it. And so so that the creation is evidence of a creator. And the fact that we cannot explain. Presence in the past or anything like that, it’s irrelevant. We already know that we don’t know everything and so if we don’t know that well, that’s just one more thing of 1000 other things that we don’t know. And the fact that we don’t know them doesn’t make them look true.

[MCG]

Finally, well, some paintings don’t have an artist because they was AI generated so.

[Bill]

That’s another story.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely. But well, think about the 8 year old child growing up in another Christian home. Do you believe that child could be saved and have the barriers removed, just like you did when you were eight?

[Bill]

You mean, could any other child have had the same experience as me? Oh, absolutely. I think that probably my wife had the same experience. Cool.

[MCG]

Yes. Yep.

[Bill]

I think that lots of children have that experience. Unfortunately, a lot of child. You know, seem to grow up that way and seem to have the same experience. And then ultimately, you know, they get into their teens or maybe late teens, maybe young adults and and then maybe they seem to depart from the faith and it’s, you know, a question as to. Whether or not they’re coming back, you know, and so most other true faith you. Maybe I can’t really say, but you know, I have seen that this happen. I’ve had beers at church growing up. Then when they got older, they became rebellious and went their own. Way alternately happened. You know, I think in many cases and I know sometimes people and their testimony indicate that they went through that. And then maybe parents or grandparents, you know, we’re praying. For them, and ultimately they came back, maybe they’re still waiting for them to come back. I don’t know. You know, it’s only the Holy Spirit knows about these things.

[Jay]

So what are some of the things that you are doing in your life personally in the area of evangelism, any type of ministry work that you are doing to reach the people around you and to help remove barriers like the ones you face in your life?

[Bill]

Well, at my church. I belong to a group that goes door to door Saturday mornings and you know, we try to extend an invitation and ask questions, and each person is entirely different, you know, just like as soon as somebody comes to the door, you try to guess how to approach them. And in any case, the. Point is you try to extend an invitation and we’ll share some literature with them. Sometimes. Apart from that, sometimes you know I have my own opportunities to share the gospel with somebody. There have been times, you know, maybe go out for a walk around the neighborhood and we have a shopping center within walking distance and that time this is not every day of the week. But it has happened at various times. Walk through the shopping center and somebody’s sitting on a park bench and offer them a track. And depending on how they. Respond in a couple of cases. You know, I was able to sit down and carry on a good conversation and I figure as long as they’re willing to talk, you know, we can talk. So that would be, you know, another. Saying that sometimes you know an opportunity that I have. You know, beyond that, you know, I mean, as parents, you know, obviously we’ve tried to to train our children and now we have grandchildren and yeah, of course, we’re confident that for the most part, our grandchildren are growing up in Christian home. But you know when they’re here, you know, we do what we can as well to be supportive. We have lots of Bible story books and try to encourage them to, you know, pick out some of the Bible story books and they’ll come. They’ll pick out books. Hey, when you read these. And say, well, hey, OK, let’s try to get a bonus book in there, too. And so we do that and whatever we can to, you know, try to encourage them, you know, in that way.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely. Yeah. All right, bill. We’re going to go into a little bit of a fun section. We’re going to find out some of your favorites. We gotta start with your favorite scripture verse. What is that?

[Bill]

Yeah, I think my favorite scripture verse occasions 289, but by grace, are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast, and also like 10 for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The reason I like verse 10 is because if you ever get into a faith versus works discussion, it puts the whole thing in. Perspective. It puts the horse before the cart. And so works are absolutely required. It’s just that our works are not required for salvation. Works are required. The works of Jesus Christ, complete of works of Jesus Christ are required. So it is a workspace system. It’s system. It’s not our works.

[MCG]

Any man? Hey man.

[Bill]

And we were created to do good work. So we absolutely do have to do good works if we’re not found breathing, then chances are we’re not alive. And so if if we’re not found doing good work. It calls into question whether or not we really have faith.

[Jay]

Right, you know, MCG and I were listening to a YouTube video of two conservative pundits that we’re talking about the difference between Judaism and Christianity, and it baffled us how they could not understand, at least in their speech, it seemed like they could not understand that Christianity rests on. The finished work. Of Christ. But that doesn’t mean that you can go out and live your life as you please. You live your life according to the scriptures because you are saved, not in order to be saved, and they just could not understand that and you could tell and the way that they try to explain Christianity from their understanding. And so those verses that you mentioned. Speak to that truth.

[Bill]

Right. Yeah. Else versus we were bought and paid with a. Price and so.

[MCG]

Right.

[Bill]

We are not our own.

[Jay]

Absolutely, absolutely. Bill. What is your favorite historical biblical account in the scriptures?

[Bill]

I would say this may sound a little nebulous, but I. Like the whole. Old Testament saga where from the beginning, when he’s first even dealing with Abraham, he basically lays down the law and says I will be your God and you will be my people.

[MCG]

And then.

[Bill]

And then there are blessings associated with that. But there is also discipline associated with that. If you’re not living and actually making God your God and so. You know, God laid this down to Abraham and numerous other times, you know, thereafter. And you know, the Israelites and children of Israel, you know, they would stand up there and say, yes, yes, this is what I want to do. And then after they crossed the Red Sea, I mean, it wasn’t that long. You know, before they went off the rails, right? I mean, they stood up and floored before Moses said yes, goddess or God, we will obey him. And then if fairly short while after that, they’re making the golden calf again. But you know, this goes over and over, you know that. So then God disciplines them in some way.

[MCG]

All right.

[Bill]

And then after a while, they repent and they come back to obedience and they obey for a while and God blesses them. And before long they get comfortable and their blessings, and then they begin to forget about God. And you know, if they begin to take up the ways of those around them that people that they’re not the Israelites but the other people of the other countries around them will take up with their God and start to do their things and. When they disobey, God must discipline them in some way. And of course, that’s all laid out in details. It’s very, very interesting, really. In the New Testament, the way it happens over and over again, that God blesses them, and then they if, while they prevail and God disciplines them, and then they. Thank God, bless the summer. And it was about the second time through the Old Testament that our really began to understand what God puts up with us. It’s the same. I mean, in the Old Testament it was the Israelites, but it’s all of us really. And God is just so, so merciful.

[MCG]

Oh yeah.

[Bill]

That, you know, he just bears with us through all these and over and over and over again. And even if we’re under disciplined and not feeling very happy still, he’s watching over us and taking care of us the whole time.

[MCG]

Yeah. I mean what a picture of the Christian life, huh? Our bill, what is the most convicting crypto passage to you?

[Bill]

So I think it’s John 318 and John 336 and John 318 says either believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son, John. 336 very much like that, since he that. Leave it on the sun, have everlasting life. Evidently not. Some shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, and I think those two verses, and of course there’s other verses too that are have that carry the same message. It makes it very clear what we’re up against if we, you know, choose not to believe in God, not to believe in Jesus, not to accept what he has done for.

[Jay]

Definitely a frightening thought. What is the most comforting scripture verse to you?

[Bill]

I think it’s you see, since 289 again actually because therein lies the promise of my salvation. And it’s very clear, you know, for my race race saved through faith and it’s not nothing that I could do.

[MCG]

OK. Hey man.

[Bill]

It’s God’s grace through God’s grace. He’s he gives me the same. It’s not even my own faith because yeah, if I’m not a believer, I have no faith. The Bible says that as an unbeliever. I’m an enmity. I hate God as an. As an unbeliever. I don’t want to be accountable to him. I don’t want God. It’s not even in my nature. You know, it’s and it has to be God that gives me the faith that in particular, Hollister has to come. And give me the faith and cause me to wake up.

[MCG]

Absolutely. What is your favorite hymn of the fate?

[Bill]

You know, there are a lot of hymns that I like, but I’ll kind of settle on this. Like I could change my mind, you know, in a year or less. But there’s a him called now. Thank we all our God. It’s got 3 verses. I’ll just three that I won’t sing it and and entertain you with my singing.

[MCG]

You’re a wonderful voice.

[Bill]

But the first verse is now. Thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices who wonders things has done and whom his world rejoices. Who from our mother’s arms has left us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. I know if you want me to go on, I can give you the other two.

[MCG]

But amazingly, we used to sing that song back in the islands at my public school.

[Bill]

Is that right? The very one. Great. That’s great. Yeah, I think it’s a wonderful. So I had to give that one some thought because I think there’s, you know, at least a dozen or so that I could take that I think are excellent. But I settled on this one for now at least.

[Jay]

OK, what about your favorite giant of the faith? Who is it? That one person in the scriptures when you read about them, it just blesses your heart. Who’s that giant of the faith for you. OK.

[Bill]

It’s Daniel. I just love Daniel, and I would describe him as a gentleman scholar. Fully faithful, confident, open and unashamed of his faith, resolved and uncompromising in his commitment to God, yet always respectful. I was well spoken, always composed, unflappable as my impression, and he was willing to suffer any consequence. That, and of course, we know from the Book of Daniel that he had very determined enemies, but God preserved and through all and reading that book, that the way that he was and conducted himself, I admire that. I think he’s my favorite one.

[MCG]

Yeah, man. Well, Bill, why don’t we wrap it up and tell us how can barriers be removed in the life of others? And that’s just generally how can someone have their barriers removed and be safe?

[Bill]

Well, I would say that the gospel message and a couple of times you know, I’m sorry, it’s only been a couple of times maybe, but where people? People were patient and willing to listen, and in fact, there was one guy, kind of a young guy too. And he was unhurried, and I said, you know, if you have a minute, I can show you right from the bottom, he said. Yeah, yeah. OK, fine. So we went to Romans 310. Romans 310 says there is none righteous. No, not one that’s a good starting point, Chris. It’s it’s early in the book of Romans, but also a lot of people have the idea that if my good works outweigh, you know, my sins, then I’m probably OK. I think I’ll make it. You know, I think I’m a good person, so here’s the foundation. There’s none. Righteous. No, not one. Yeah. And then say, well, why are there none? Righteous? Well, Romans 323 says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So we say, well, OK, so now what, what can we do about that? Well, it’s nothing we can do. Romans 5/8 says the God Commandeth or maybe demonstrates his own love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. So that’s what was done, they said. Well, why did Christ have to die? For us? Well, Romans 623 says for the waitress of sin is death. With the gift of God his eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, so. And say, well, OK, exactly what do we have to do then? You see the Romans 10/13 says first, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And then also acts 1631, just like it believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved. So what does that save us? Well, going over to book, John. John 316. And we’re really carrying on the 16th, 1718. The 16th says for God so loved the world that he gave his home again and found that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And then. Going on for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might. Say it. Honestly, there’s no good reason why a person should be offended. 11 says God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. Then very 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned, and he that believeth not is condemned already. So now you get down to the. Brass tax here. Believe it’s not just condemned already because he’s not believed in the name of the only God, son of God, and then Tom 336 saying the same thing really another way. He that believeth on the sun have everlasting life. And he that believeth not the son shall. Not see life, but the wrath of God our games. So from there, well, the next verse like to go into John 112, but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of not even to them that believe on his name.

[MCG]

Hey man.

[Bill]

And what about good works? Well, now we’re back to seasons 8:00 and 9:00 again, 8910. So we’ll include ten and Titus 35, which is not by works of righteousness, which we have done. According to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, the work of Holy Ghosts. But we have to respond. Not that we have to cooperate with God and just that this is our natural part. I think that when this happens, when he changes our nature.

[MCG]

Hey man.

[Bill]

Then it is now our nature to respond and accept for it’s our nature to reject him. We have a new nature. Now it’s her nature to accept you so. Thank God.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely bell. It was indeed a pleasure. Thank you for joining us on the Removing Barriers podcast.

[Bill]

Thank you, MCG and Jay enjoyed talking with you and. God bless you and your ministry. You’re with removing barriers.

[Jay]

Thank you so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Make sure to rate us everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or Stitcher. Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers. Go to: removingbarriers.net. This has been the Removing Barriers podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.