Bob and Lori seemed like the picture-perfect, American Christian family —stable jobs, regular church attendance, a comfortable life, and a loving home.

But behind the scenes, their lives were falling apart. Lori discovered Bob’s infidelity and his struggle with addiction. Bob, drowning in shame and darkness, saw no way out but to end his life.

What changed wasn’t anything they could do to simply fix their marriage. It was what God did to transform their entire lives.

This is the powerful story of how God stepped in to their crumbling world to save them, restore their marriage, and give them brand new lives.

If you’re battling addiction, feeling hopeless in your marriage, or doubting whether God can redeem your life, take the time to watch Bob and Lori’s journey because what God did for them, He can certainly do for you too!

There are many people who believe that because we are justified by faith, the way we live our lives—our thoughts, words and actions—has no bearing on whether or not we are saved. The New Testament actually teaches the exact opposite.

Host: Pastor Steve, one thing you discuss in your book, “Intoxicated with Babylon,” is the difference between genuine and false faith. You started that discussion in the book by talking about two conflicting messages going out to the church in America today. What are those two messages?

Steve: There is a cry, I believe, going out from sober and godly people who understand how the spirit of the world has infiltrated the church and how it's affecting people's lives. They are passionate about the need for Christians to return to holy living. It's like a refreshing call to repentance and holiness going out from some. But unfortunately, there is another voice that is so loud and so dominating in Christian circles that it really smothers out the first voice, and basically, the message that they are propagating is this: "You don't have to be holy. You don't have to obey God. You can basically live how you want to live. As long as you go to church and just follow some basic outward rules, you don't have to get yourself in a strain about living a holy life. That's what grace is there for. If you have just a few little sins in your life, don't be too concerned about it. God loves you, and His grace will cover it all."

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Host: There is a kernel of truth to this message of grace you're describing. So would you say that the problem is that the message of grace is being overemphasized?

Steve: That's exactly what it is. Of course, we appreciate God's grace, and it does cover us in our lapses. But his grace is meant for sincere believers. We're talking about a holy God, and He does not wink at sin. Paul said, "God is not mocked." But the message of the modern church is largely that you can live for yourself, that you can live selfishly, that you can live a worldly, carnal and even a sinful life...and none of that really matters because God's grace is going to cover you no matter what. And that’s just simply unbiblical.

Host: You mentioned Paul's writings. Didn't Paul warn us about this kind of teaching becoming common in the last days?

Steve: Yes, he did. In one of his passages of Scripture where he started referring to what Christianity was going to look like in the end times, he gave Timothy what has become a famous warning—that the time would come when "they will not endure sound doctrine." Why not? Because they "want to have their ears tickled." And so, therefore, they will "accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires," and they will turn away from the truth. (2 Timothy 4:3) And that's exactly what we see happening in America today.

Host: If you look at the American church today, it seems like we think we can do whatever we want without any consequences. Is that where this false teaching has brought us?

Steve: Let me take it a step backwards. Our prosperity has affected us. There's a reason Jesus warned about the "deceitfulness of riches" (Mark 4:19). We have become accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle, and that lifestyle is very much to please the flesh. So what has happened is that there's been a subtle change in Christianity over the last forty years. We started with Christianity being Christ-centered and revolving around a sovereign and holy God—the Almighty. We had a huge perspective of the Lord forty years ago. And little by little, that has been withered away by this selfish desire for worldly living, until now, by and large, the Christian faith in the United States has become man-centered. Richard Baxter, an old Puritan, encapsulated what I'm talking about when he said, "As much as God desires the salvation of men, he will not prostitute heaven and set the gates of it wide open to those who only fly to it in extremity but never sought it in good earnest, nor indeed do now care for it or desire it for any other reason but to excuse them from going to hell."

Host: You're talking about our need to do more in order to seek God. But someone might ask, "Wait a minute. Are you talking about works? I thought we were saved by grace?" What's your response?

Steve: Yes, that is very true. We are only saved by grace and by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. But James makes the point that if there is true saving faith, there is going to be works accompanying that faith. And if there are no works, then it's a good sign that there is no true, saving faith. And so it seems like a contradiction with all that Paul says about works. But actually, there is no contradiction. Because when Paul is saying that we are not saved by works, he is referring to the Jewish system of trying to earn your salvation through works.
       If I could put it this way, what we're talking about is before and after conversion. If you have not been converted and you are trying to earn your way to heaven, you will never do it. You will never make it there. But if you have truly been converted, then there is going to be proof of that conversion in the way that you live your life. So there really is no conflict between what James is saying and what Paul said.

Host: In “Intoxicated with Babylon,” you give three proofs of true conversion. What are they?

Steve: These are three of many proofs of conversion, but they are maybe some of the bigger issues.

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1. One proof is a continual growth in obedience to God.

We begin this Christian life as spiritual babies, and of course, at first, God gives us a lot of latitude for our mistakes and sin issues that are still hanging on our lives—the struggles we have to work through, and so on. The Lord understands. But he expects growth, and for a person that has truly been saved, there's going to be that growth, because Jesus Christ is living within.

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2. Another proof of genuine conversion is the development of an eternal perspective.

The genuine believer is just simply going to have eternity in the back of his mind. It's going to shape his worldview and the way the sees the rest of his life. He's going to have eternal values in the equation. What many so-called Christians do is live with a temporal, earthly mindset, and that makes me wonder whether they have really been converted.

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3. The last characteristic that I mention in the book is love.
Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). And here, again, the temptation is to take a superficial perspective of what love is: "I'm a nice guy, and I love people." But that's not the fiery love of Jesus Christ that burns through a real Christian's heart. That kind of love causes you to get out of yourself and meet the needs of other people in one fashion or another. So a true love that compels you to see the needs of others and to help other people is a sign of healthy Christianity.

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Host: If someone considering these things doesn't see evidence of genuine, saving faith in their life, what should they do?

Steve: If there is reason to doubt whether or not you have truly been converted, there is only one thing to do, and that is to get on your face before God, to begin to cry out earnestly for the Holy Spirit to make Himself real to you, to repent of your sins, to repent of your self-will and your worldliness—anything that you have allowed to get between you and God—and to refuse to get up, so to speak, until the assurance has come to you that you are a child of God. And then, you can go forth with the confidence of knowing that you have crossed that line, and that you belong to Jesus Christ.

There has only ever been one Judas Iscariot—someone who walked alongside God in the flesh, only to betray Him to His death. Yet, the lessons from Judas’ life and where he went astray are deeply relevant to all of us.

This powerful message by Ed Buch led many to the altar in repentance during our Sunday morning service. We pray the Holy Spirit will use it to search your heart as well, exposing any areas where your devotion to Jesus may be wanting.

Why is our Residential Program so effective at helping men break free from sexual sin? Because we lead people to the TRUTH—the only thing that has the power to bring people into real freedom. In this episode, we'll talk about some of the most common lies our Residential Program students are battling with, and we'll walk through the very truths that dismantle these lies.

Resources

• Check Out Our Residential Program
• 20 Truths that Helped Me in My Battle with Porn Addiction (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries
• 10 Half-Truths that Keep Us Addicted to Porn (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries

In the 23rd message of our “Unveiling Yahweh” series, Steve Gallagher shares God’s pathway for victory over sexual sin.

Every professing Christian who is constantly losing the battle against sexual sin has developed a distorted view of God. As a result, they question God and His ways. In today’s sermon, Steve Gallagher answers some of these questions with biblical answers to prove that God is not only trustworthy, but He is also the only source for lasting victory over sexual sin.

Compulsive porn users. Serial adulterers. Out-of-control spenders on sex. These are the kinds of men who enroll in our 9-month Residential Program, and for over 35 years we’ve been watching God radically transform these men. But why is our program so effective? In this short podcast series, we'll look at the top five reasons why so many men find a brand-new life at our Residential Program.

Resources

• Check Out Our Residential Program

It is a spiritual law that a life which is dominated by sin can only breed death. But it is also a spiritual law that a life dominated by righteousness can only breed life. So what hope can the habitual sinner ever have to live that kind of life? In our recent chapel service, Nate Danser & Steve Gallagher shared about how it wasn’t the American church system which enabled them to do so, but it was a radical encounter with the living God, and then an ongoing pursuit of Him.

Pride...it brought about the fall of Satan and put man at odds with God, resulting in the destruction of man. This is why the role of humility in a Christian's life can hardly be overestimated. Humility undoes the damage of the fall, and God becomes his protector and his friend.

Resources

• Exposing the Root of All Sin (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries
• i: The Root of Sin Exposed (Book) By Steve Gallagher

When Chris looked at Marissa, he saw a woman who would help him control his lust. He saw someone who would help him achieve a prosperous life. When Marissa looked at Chris, she saw a man who would help her pursue the Lord, someone who would help her cultivate the kind of spiritual life she dreamed of having. One day, both of their dreams came crashing down. But this did not result in the destruction of their marriage. Instead, it brought about the creation of something unexpected. Something beautiful. Something brand new.

In the 22^nd message of our "Unveiling Yahweh" series, we will be looking at God’s plans for us.

We have a way of interfering with God’s plans for our lives when we make sinful choices. When we reap the negative consequences of those decisions, it’s easy to despair about the future. But even when we sin, God still has a plan to do good in each of our lives. And as Dustin Renz shares out of Jeremiah 29, if we will submit to His plan, He will work good for us, even when we are facing the worst of circumstances.

Sin always comes with painful consequences.  Emotional, physical, or relational pain. And for many people, these consequences often stir up difficult questions. "If God loves me, why would He allow such hard consequences? Does this mean that God has forsaken me? Is there any way to move forward after this?" In today’s episode, we look to the Scripture to give biblical answers to some of these questions.

Resources

• #534 - A Firm Foundation: The (Real) Grace and Love of God (Podcast Episode)

God genuinely loves us, but unless we are doing our utmost to repent of sin and worldliness, He is not going to be pleased with us. And while He does not expect us to achieve sinless perfection, He does expect us to obey His call to "Be holy as I am holy."

Host: Steve Gallagher has joined me in the studio. Steve is the founder and President of Pure Life Ministries. Steve, it’s good to see you again. Thanks for coming by.

Steve: Happy to be here with you once again.

Host: Steve, as we continue our discussion in your book “Intoxicated with Babylon,” we're talking today about the command from God, “Be holy, as I am holy.” A.W. Tozer said, “We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing.” Now in your book you share how looking back into the 1900s, holiness really used to be the expected thing.

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Steve: There was a time in the church when there was such a biblical standard amongst God's people that there was almost like a peer pressure to live a godly and holy life. There just were things that you didn't do. You didn't go out drinking or dancing or even things that we consider normal nowadays, like wearing makeup or jewelry. There were just things that Christians knew were not appropriate and it was understood across the entire church world that this was the way it was.

Host: Yes. And even though you're talking about how it was in the church, that had an impact all across our culture. If you look at 1940s America, there was still a significant influence towards at least some level of morality because of what the church believed and practiced.

Steve: I believe because of the level of consecration that was in the church in those days, there was still a great deal of spiritual power at work in our country. But as that level of holiness has dissipated over the last 50-60 years, so also has the power to go with it.

Host: Well, Steve, whatever happened to that concept of holiness in the church then?

Steve: I believe there are a couple of different factors that have come into play. First of all, theologically, some people took exception to that term. I know that there were those who under the name of holiness took it to extremes to where they lived a rigid lifestyle and we're very legalistic. But that was really a very small portion of those who were trying to live a holy life before God. For the most part, Christians who were endeavoring to live a holy life were doing it with a sincere heart and an earnest desire to live a godly life. But some people took an exception to that and over time they were able to demonize the term holiness in much the same way the liberal press has demonized the term abstinence in our day.
       So, now it's almost a term that is politically incorrect within the church. You just don't hear about holiness anymore, and that's a terrible tragedy amongst God’s people. The other thing that came into play was television and all the other things that lured Christians into the world. That caused that separation from the world to disintegrate until really the church has become just one step away from the world.

Host: Well, Steve, regardless of our current understanding of holiness, the fact still remains that holiness is still a central requirement of being a true believer.

Steve: Absolutely. As you mentioned, God said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And the book of Hebrews even says, “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14b, 1984 NIV) So we have to ask ourselves if we really believe what the Bible says. We have so watered it down and kind of ignored statements that are very clear-cut commandments because we don't want to live by them. So, we've just kind of created a different gospel that is without any requirements or expectations from this holy God. The problem with that is that when we stand before this holy God, all of that is going to be shown for what it really is.

Host: Well, Steve, before we get into a discussion about how we achieve holiness or how we pursue holiness in our lives, perhaps we should just stop here and define what it is. What is holiness?

Steve: Let me say what holiness isn't first of all. Holiness is not sinless perfection. When we're talking about holiness, we're talking about a spiritual condition where a person has become consecrated to the Lord to such a degree that he has an intimate, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no outward ongoing sin in his life. There is no attachment to the world. There is a true flow of God's love through his life. I think that describes what holiness is.

Host: I wonder if one of the reasons that we have kind of discarded the concept of holiness is because when we hear things like, “There is no sin.” We just can't meet that expectation.

Steve: Yeah, if someone gets the idea in their mind that God is demanding sinless perfection then it can be overwhelming and demoralizing and the person just feels like, “What's the point? There's no way I can ever arrive at that place.” But that really isn't what God expects.

Host: So really, is it right to say then that holiness is something that God wants us to be pursuing?

Steve: Yes, holiness is something that we should be pursuing. The Bible uses the term sanctification to describe the process whereby God is extracting the sin, selfishness and pride out of our inner being and replacing it with Himself. As that exchange is going on, we are going through a process of becoming holy. I guess you could say it this way, holiness is the goal, and sanctification is the process to lead us to that goal. So, the pursuit of holiness is simply just the process of sanctification.

Host: Steve, you said in your book that separating oneself from the world does not necessarily bring a person into holiness, but it puts that believer in a position of being made holy. Can you explain what you mean by that?

Steve: Well, we all know about these different denominational groups that are completely separated from the outside. There are the Amish and there are some of the Mennonite or German Baptist groups, where they are a community unto themselves and they have anywhere from some to no connections with the outside world. That in itself does not make you a holy person. I have been around some of these folks and there is a refreshing innocence there because of that separation. But our separation is unto God. It's not enough to just be disconnected from the carnal world around us, we have to be connected to the Holy Spirit, to Jesus Christ. That is what true holiness is.

Host: Steve, one of the great misunderstandings that you talk about is this idea that holiness is a transactional thing and that it's just going to happen automatically. The thought of, “When I die, the Lord's just going to make me holy.” What place does actual holy living play into our preparation for the end of our life in this world?

Steve: That concept that you just mentioned has been propagated over the years by those who are seemingly frantically trying to maintain their life in this world and feel no expectation from God to change. And so, they've kind of devised this entire scenario where they can just live like the devil basically and then one day they die and go to heaven because they said a prayer and went forward at an altar call one time. That is decidedly not what the New Testament teaches. It is very, very clear in Scripture that we are being, first of all, tested during our time here on earth. We're going to prove out where our heart lies and the reality of our commitment to Christ. Secondly, we are being prepared for eternal life. We are being trained on this earth to be used by God in the eternal realm in ways that we don't even understand yet. These are things that are beyond our comprehension and yet it seems to be the case that God is doing a definite work inside of us here to prepare us for something eternal.

Host: Amen. What would you say to the individual that may be listening who has a sight of the holiness of God, yet when they look at themselves just see how unholy they are?

Steve: Well, that's a great thing really, because that's exactly what should happen. When you truly see the Lord, you realize how far you are away from His standard and the way that He is, but there is a freedom in that because God loves sinners. He really does love us and all He asks of us is to fight. All He's asking is that we strive towards holiness. That we do our best to live a life pleasing to Him and do our utmost to repent of sin. That we do our best to turn away from the things of this world and turn to Him. As long as we are in that battle, God is pleased with our lives.