This broadcaster has 1105 show archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
March 15, 2022 6:30 am
Episode 923 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions.
Questions in this Episode
1. Why don’t we see God intervening and helping those in Ukraine?
2. I know the Bible says to “love your enemies,” but when do we get to pray the Imprecatory Psalms? I am very angry with Putin for what he has done. I have prayed for his salvation, but I am not sure what to do right now.
3. Does 1 Timothy 4:1-16 imply that we can lose our faith?
4. I have family that I know believes in Jesus, but only go to church when we ask them to join us. It seems like they believe but there seems to be very little relationship with Jesus and doesn’t appear that they hold onto Him with trust for everything in their lives. I know we can’t judge their hearts, but I worry that I won’t see them in heaven.
5. I have heard you say that Paul’s comments about head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11 are only for for the Corinthian church in the Bible. But if God inspired all of Scripture, how can it’s passages not be universal commands?
Today’s Offer8 Things Everyone Should Know About Church
Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone.
Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.
ResourcesCore Question – Can I Lose My Salvation?
Should we pray for God's judgment on Vladimir Putin.
That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.
We would love to hear from you in our phone lines are open right now you can call us at this number 833-843-2673 you can spell it out on your phone, 833.
The core also post your question on one of our social media sites course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first step today.
Here is a question we received from one of our listeners named Rhonda and having a very good time understanding why God intervene on behalf of these people. There are so many prayers going forward and my day is dwindling and part of why I'm calling because I'm wondering if God really in the midst of all this chaos, I could see a miracle question.
Thank you, Rhonda i.e. I am with you in terms of wanting to see the Lord intervene and of course we don't know you don't know how God is answering the prayers that are being offered up right now mean the reality is, as God is at work, and God is moving even in the midst of that the devastating circumstances that that happen. The things that happen around us, and even to calamities and wars and in those kinds of things. Things were singing Europe right now is don't lose hope sister don't lose hope of this Scripture makes it absolutely clear that even wall the nations of the world are at war raging against one another that God is seated on his throne that Jesus Christ right now is raining from heaven. This is the promise that we see throughout throughout the Scriptures. I think of Psalm chapter 2 God's kingdom, God's anointed raining from Mount Zion making his enemies a footstool for his feet and this is this is the promise that we have in Scripture. And while right now at the present time we we don't see all the nations of the world submitted to the rulership of Jesus Christ. We know we know that God is going to judge the world and we know that God is working through the proclamation of the gospel.
We know the gospel is being preached right now in Ukraine and in Russia, so the Jesus is working there by his word and spirit. And that's what you want to continue to pray for is that that the Lord would advance his kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel and and rest in the fact that that he's going to do. That is, as he promised in in his word, and so sister I just want to encourage you and and say yes, the Lord is at work and you can trust in him. Thank you for your call Rhonda. We actually have a core question that helps to respond. Part of what you're asking her it's called. How can Christianity be true if God allows evil and suffering is to be a great one to pick up right now is your entering into conversations with people about what's happening in Ukraine again. It's how can Christianity be true if God allows evil and suffering. You can find that by going to our website core Christianity.com/free downloads just like that core question.
By the way our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life how your faith intersects with what's going on in today's world. Give us a call 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 get a lot of questions about the church and the purpose. The function of the church.
Your core Christianity we put together a great resource absolutely free on that particular topic yet told eight things everyone should know about the church in as you said Bill here core Christianity.
We loved the church, the local church and pastor of a local church, and I know there's a lot of confusion about what the church is in the role of the church in the world today and so we want you to get a hold of this resource again.
Things everyone should know about the church.
Yours for free over it. Core, Christianity.com/offers download that resource. You can also call us for that resource or anyone of our resources at 833. The core let's go to one of our listeners that called in earlier this week hi I love your program. By the way my enemy think that I may not Christian but I and I know the Bible says love your mind and pray what I think they called Cory the light guy. I'm very angry right now all and so we get to pray God will now you are I will break.the man but I don't know what you can write quite late. Thank you.
Yeah Connie thank you for that question. And we ought to have as believers in Jesus Christ the righteous indignation when we see injustice when we see people being hurt in the innocent being harmed there. There's a cause a cause for anger and I think righteous anger here now. When do we pray the imprecatory prayer is that what you see in the Psalms and for those of you who don't know what that is unique in the book of Psalms. At times the psalmist will pray for God's judgment to rain down on his enemies on the enemies of the psalmist even yelling into their there is heavy duty.
The Psalms really were that with the psalmist is crying out and saying God, you know, let them have it that kind of a thing will will were called in to the new covenant to love our enemies. So is it ever proper for us to pray need of these curses on the enemies of God. What about but guy like you know Vladimir Putin who who is known in the center. The news right now. The things are happening in the Ukraine. Well first you not.
I think of the exultation that the apostle Paul gives in first Timothy chapter 2 verses. I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and Thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth of the version that we have this exhortation as encouragement to pray for all people, in particular kings and in leaders those who are in authority for their salvation that they would come to the knowledge of the truth that they would repent of their sins and and follow Jesus Christ and in so that's everything I want to say there. This is something that's very clear that week. We need to be doing for the believers around us in a civil leaders also for the leaders of of other countries. Men like Vladimir Putin. You do have at times in the New Testament the disciples of our Lord calling for for judgment calling for justice. The passage of Scripture that I think of is in Revelation chapter 6 is of the martyrs beneath the throne of God, crying out to the Lord and John says in Revelation chapter 6 verse nine when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who'd been slain for the word of God and for the witness that they had borne they cried out with a loud voice, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth to see other there crying out for God's justice for God's judgment really upon those who persecute the church and then put Christians to death there in in the context here, and typically is what's important to understand the context of of some of the things we see, like with the with the Psalms of imprecation, but typically those prayers for her judgment were were prayers that were made against the enemies of God's covenant people, those who were attacking the city of God. If you are the very particular context in the history of redemption and so is it ever appropriate for the church in a win-win. When people are coming against the church against the gospel persecuting the church work for the church to say God bring justice bring judgment will you. I think I think it is appropriate at times.
That's what you see in Revelation chapter 6, but were also called to pray for mercy and for for the salvation of the Lord to reach even those enemies me think of of Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor of the church is converted, and become this mighty apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray that would happen in in Putin's life and and pray that the Lord would work mightily and in that way and then II think that when you do so you can do so confidently knowing that that something that God calls us to do per first Timothy chapter 2 verses one and following so I God bless you and I thank you for your question, thanks so much for listening to core Christianity. We really do appreciate you.
Let's go back to the phone's body is on the line from Stillwater, Oklahoma Barney, what's your question for pastor. Israel, yeah, thank you for taking my call.
I had a question for you.3 versus zero want to go through them. First Timothy 12. I have a point hereunder. Timothy must in the state.
First Timothy 41 says that a spirit spigot expressed in the latter times some shall depart in the faith meant for 16 says, take heed unto thyself and under the doctrine continue in the imprint doing this thou shalt state � they'll and dammit, here's the Emma point is Timothy was the son in the faith to Paul and I'm just looking at this and every time I'm about to once saved always saved. I get another Scripture about 41 maps and that that the point is is that he's talking to Timothy to continue in this and you just like both thyself and then hear the thought, you know, you guys encourage me to study the word. I just have a question about nobody can plug me out of his hand but cannot let myself out of his hand. That's my question. A party God bless you and yeah I have her to put that we living there. Some people think well yeah, we know that they say will. The Bible teaches.
You can lose your salvation and and then there are other say why do they lose my salvation, but I think I can walk away from it. I think I couldn't as you put it there. You plug myself out of got notice of looking at a God's hand. But if I want I can I can jump out of God's hand that kind of thing will first, it's important to understand in first Timothy chapter for me this is really the sort of prophetic utterance of Paul gives Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits in the teachings of demons.
This is apostasy a great apostasy if you will, that is a turning away from the truth and you you see this in various places in the Scriptures talked about me in Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. Second Peter where it talks about false teachers that are there in the church. These these apostate teachers if you will. I don't think that these individuals are losing their salvation right. That is, I think that there there people who were in the faith. If you will, in the sense that they had received this teaching for a period of time. They sat under it may be the they embraced it and even taught it, and yet they turned away from it.
They they rejected the gospel that they were around in proximity to, but had never truly embraced for themselves and in my view is that those who truly embrace the gospel in whom the Spirit of God is at work.
Those who are who are regenerated by the spirit born again of the Holy Spirit that while they may struggle and we all struggle with with sin, and there may even be periods of you know really battling with something more, or your doubts that we have in in the Christian walk that that ember of faith, it's always burning if you will, as it is and can be put out, and that while those individuals might wonder me think of somebody like that.
The prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 engine for a season be be walking in in a way that's not pleasing to the Lord that God ultimately causes those who are his, to persevere, to persevere in grace that God doesn't just cause him up to persevere, but that God is the one who preserves his own Barney and what a comfort that should be for us as Christians because we know the and of the fickleness of our own hearts prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love as the great hymn says, here's my heart take and seal it to seal it for thy courts above what we know our weakness, our struggle, we need a God who is going to keep us going to hold on to us and then that's precisely I think what Christ does for his sheep. And so while there are those who are around the church and in the church and and maybe even have positions of authority in teaching who are there for a while but then leave date they commit apostasy.
I don't think that means that they were ever truly saved in one. One passage that you could go to. I think that confirms this is what we read in the book of first John in first John chapter 2 that John is writing about apostates.
Those were in the church, but then left rejected the teaching rejected the gospel. He says in verse 19 they went out from us, but they were not of us.
For if they had been of us, they would've continued with us, but they went out that it might become plain that they all are not of us. There is very clear is again they were around but they're not really of us and how do we know that all the abandon the faith and so there's one passage of Scripture for you to think about brother God bless Marty we are actually have a greater core question on this topic as well for anyone who's having questions about their salvation. It's called can I lose my salvation a great free resource you can find that@corechristianity.com/free downloads look for can I lose my salvation. This is core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez. Our phone lines are open will be taking calls for the next eight minutes or so.
If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life for doctrine or theology up on your phone right now. Call us at 833 the court by the way were to be recording a second core Christianity program today so you can actually call him for the next 40 minutes or so with your questions or you can can call during live show. You can call during our recorded program 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673 we do receive emails as well. And if you have a question first. You can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and a drill.
Here's a question from Chrissy she says hi. I'm an inner core member with the question I have family that I know believes in Jesus and his resurrection they celebrate Christmas and Easter, but they only go to church when we ask it seems like they believe, but there seems to be very little relationship with Jesus and it doesn't appear they hold onto him with trust for everything in their lives.
And I know I can't judge their hearts, but I worry that I won't see them in heaven. Also pastor a drill a question. Do you have a photographic memory should go a drill, but the lesson is easy. No affect my memory's not that good. I struggle with that but with with regard to to your question with family well first unit none of us perfectly follows after the Lord are perfectly trust God with everything in our lives, but there is very concerning nominal Christianity that's out there. That is, I'm a Christian, but really in name only. Yeah, you know, is racist way identify as a Christian I guess my head as I believe something that would be that in you know that. Looks like I go to church.
You know on Christmas I go to church around Easter time. You know I maybe say prayers before bed every once in a while. That kind of the thing but but that that's that's not what Christianity is, is all about and in and in my estimation, someone who has truly apprehended understood the grace of God experience the forgiveness of sins that the washing away of of their sins are the you just can't get enough if you will. This idea that like I have that but but you know I just really don't care about God or go to church or any of those things and that that's I think of really serious problem indicative of of an issue, a deep spiritual issue and and I think the way that we address this deep spiritual issue is not by saying you need to try harder. Boy you know you do really love got better go to church. Everything was on it.
I can think of we want to point people to the wonder of the magnitude the beauty of what God has done to redeem us so that we would be drawn in its that it's the kindness of God. Paul says to the Romans that leads us to repentance. It causes us to realize just how good the Lord is so that we want to offer our lives to him in worship, our bodies, Paul says in in Romans chapter 12 as living sacrifices to the Lord and when somebody you know that the adjuster of going through the motions or go to church. You know once or twice a year.
That kind of the thing wouldn't sleep with it. In that situation.
My sense is that they've not really understood the wonder of the depth, the beauty of the gospel and so I think the way you can be an encouragement Chrissy to your family members is to talk about that gospel to talk about the glory of Christ what he's done to redeem us sinners who did not deserve it, who had not earned it and and you come to find that the more we experience that the more we know that the more we want to begin church around other believers around others were calling upon the name of the Lord, the more we want to strive after holiness and in serving the Lord and so I would say make the gospel front and center.
The goodness of God. The kindness of God to you and to your family and as you have those conversations and you know in and get to gauge a little bit more of of where they're at.
Calling them to live as becomes the followers of Christ because there are as as you know and as we see many people who do have. That's of nominal Christianity. Yeah I'm a Christian.
I think it's okay for us as believers, we ought to as believers.
So, what does that actually mean and what what does that look like because here's what the word of God says here's how are called to live.
Here's were called to believe to embrace and and for many people. We have to challenge them in a godly way in a good way in a helpful way and call them to live as becomes the followers of Christ. In light of the love of Christ. We love him because he first loved us. And so that that's more than anything what what we all need to grow in our understanding what your family needs to grow in an understanding of is that love of Christ for them so that they might in turn love him as well.
Chrissy thanks so much for your question and will be praying for your family members encourage you to pray for them as well. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, just a reminder were to be recording a second core Christianity program. After this one. And so if you've had a question this just been burning on your mind and you wanted asked Pastor Israel. You can call us for the next 35 minutes or so at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also want to mention we have a great resource that's for you called eight things everyone should know about church. It really dives into the purpose God's purpose for the church and its function here on earth, so check that out by going to core Christianity.com/offers. Let's go to a voicemail that came in from one of our listeners. This is from Rick was going to the young lady about having her hand and whatnot after was reading about all and that he only meant meant it.
Aren't there and my question is I thought the Bible was no God inspired. So Paul has better. I was her I would thought that God basically inspired him to say that no if it was just for them. People then at that time. Why is it that is different for us it was God inspired the whole Bible honor San Juan with not for us as well. Rick thinks that question in yes we do believe that all Scripture is inspired the second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 poses all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work and so that I wasn't mean to suggest a young woman asked a question about head coverings in the book of first Corinthians in just how we were supposed to understand that today and I mentioned that there there were reasons to believe.
I believe that the expectation that Paul gives her the teaching that Paul gives there is related to a specific situation related to that the context there in Corinth. Some of the some of the history there and that doesn't mean that it's not for us in terms of unit we can't draw application teaching correction reproof from it.
It just means that we need to understand it in its context and how it might apply to us today and so nothing in in the Scripture is irrelevant to us. It's all relevant that the thing is, we need to understand it. According to its context, and then draw out the applications once we understand that the teaching of the Scripture in in in its historical setting and so that that's the key.
There we need also recognize that some things in the Bible are prescriptive for the church at all times mean rules for us to embrace and to follow and and some things are more descriptive. You know that the disciples talking about things that were taking place in the apostolic. For example on descriptions of the life of the church there that we can learn from that. We can glean from but that what that report meant to be prescriptions for the church in all ages, and so some of this just gets into you know the importance of basic Bible interpretation. Understanding the Scriptures in their context and then being able to from that place draw out proper applications and and that's we want to do on this broadcast want to dig into the word of God understand the Scriptures in their proper context, the historical setting and background and from there glean what God is speaking to us today to his word and by his spirit. So thank you for that question Rick and may the Lord bless you. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together