Jesus, Gender, and the Gospel in the Modern World

I'm a high school teacher in Canada and I'm receiving some pressure to use gender pronouns based on student preference, not biology.

How can I respond in a godly way to this issue, while still treating my students with love and respect best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us with your question.

At 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today a story about a lady who says retirement just isn't for her. Her name is Mei Lee.

She works for the state of California and she is celebrating her 77th year on the job and her 100th birthday. Yes, the state says she is the longest tenured employee, as well as their oldest serving employee in the past 77 years Mrs. Lee has held a variety of jobs, most recently as a financial analyst or the Department of Gen. services. She says she still prefers to do her work on budgets with pencil and paper and Mrs. Lee says she has absolutely no plans to retire when you talk about diligence a drill. This lady is like the Energizer Bunny yet Yahoo pumpout by making 200 and luckily like that. That's pretty cool that is very cool and what it what a great work. This lady has, let's get to our first question of the day. Mike emailed us and he says did Old Testament believers experienced the new birth. I mean, were they born again. Hey Mike, well that's a really good question know we think about being born again we immediately lose my mind. I go to John chapter 3 and the discussion that Jesus has with the religious leader, ruler of the Jews, named Nicodemus member that story that Nicodemus goes to Jesus.

Under the cover of night he services you know and we know that your teacher come from God and Jesus basically you know, shock them and says hey if you want to see the kingdom of God. You have to be born again. Nicodemus is confused. Nicodemus said to him in verse nine. How can these things be, and Jesus answered him, are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things as it seems like right there. Jesus indicates that Nicodemus is teacher of Israel should understand or know about the new birth, but one thing I think it's really important for us to just say at the outset is believers under the Old Testament were saved in the same way that believers in the New Testament are saved substantially right. Maybe we can't say that if you are living in the Old Testament as you were saved by works, you know, sacrifices, and keeping the law while in the New Testament were saved by grace, and in the forgiveness of sins.

A lot of people are confused about this, even in the Old Testament. All of those sacrifices that whole system pointed forward to Jesus to justification by faith that the free grace of God and so believers under the old covenant, and under the new covenant are saved through Jesus Christ and by faith we really have to get that and yet there's so much in Scripture that seems to indicate that under the new covenant are our experience of the Holy Spirit is going to be different in some regards than what they had in the Old Testament days and this is something that was promised repeatedly throughout the prophets, Jeremiah 31, 33, for example, the new covenant promise, but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.

I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. You think of that great promise in Ezekiel chapter 11 verse 19 I will give them one heart and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh. They may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them, and they shall be my people and I will be there God just one more think of Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse six, for you have this promise in the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live promise repeated in the Old Testament that the spirit of God was to be poured out on the people of God in this unique way under the new covenant.

You see this also in Joel chapter 2 it's fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in acts chapter 2. So there two things that we can have to hold together one believers under the old covenant and in the new covenant are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. So there's one way of salvation. And yet we also have to make room for the fact that as God has administered his grace is covenant love over all of redemptive history. There are unique ways in which God has revealed himself and under the new covenant. It's not that. Now for the first time people are experiencing the new birth regeneration at the filling of the Holy Spirit. Here's what's distinct about the new covenant now God is pouring out his Spirit on all flesh numbers. Mike is not just the priest and the prophets, the kings of Israel like that. Now there's this unique experience of the Holy Spirit that we all have as followers of Jesus.

Jesus, when he ascended into heaven Holy Spirit out on the church.

You believe in Jesus Christ, even that if you can say that Jesus is Lord. Paul says in first Corinthians that that is from the spirit of God you can do that unless you had the spirit of God truly confess that Jesus is Lord. What an amazing thing to swipe also says in first Corinthians we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

What amazing thing and that's all in fulfillment of the promises that we have there in places like Jeremiah 31 and in Ezekiel 11 and in other places as well. So yes Mike I do believe that the saints of the old covenant experienced the new birth there saved the same way that we are, and yet there's something unique distinct. Even better about the new covenant is not now for the first time were experiencing the forgiveness of sins is now the whole church. The whole body of Christ, young and old, rich and poor, male and female is filled with the Holy Spirit in this unique way so that we all we all are the temple of the living God, thanks for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez would love to receive your question you can call us at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 three from Rhode Island. I dealt with a probably seven years old watching the man my family and I didn't know Terry, I dated married married now and I just can't let it go. I want to. How can I going to God and ask forgiveness more times than not I need help I call myself a Christian. I can't get past that, so I can't move Joseph's will first let me pray for you Chris's father in heaven we come before you now and I want to lift Joseph up to you what I can tell despite his voice that is burdened. His heart is heavy with the sin and we know what your word says and what Jesus said we have to be serious about the sins in our lives and I know Lord that he longs for deliverance and so we look to you, Lord, knowing God, that sanctification is a gift that comes from you, knowing Lord God that you forgive all of our sins through your son Jesus Christ, and it's only by the work of your spirit that we can put to death the sinful deeds of our bodies, whatever those things might be a pray for him right now, Lord, you say, oh God in your word that sanctification our sanctification is your will that we would abstain from sexual immorality.

And I know Lord God that that's your will for Joseph that I know God that when we pray for anything. In accordance with your will that you hear us and so I pray for my brother right now. I pray that you would sanctify. I pray Lord God that you would give them a sense of the forgiveness of his sins. No matter how many times he's fallen, even repeatedly, Lord God, I pray that as he looks to you and to your son Jesus that he would experience more just the sense of your presence, a sense of your love, a sense of your forgiveness God that he would view himself not as one who is enslaved to sin, but one who through faith in Jesus Christ has crucified the flesh, Lord God, that he is, and can present himself to you as alive from the dead, and that the members of his body, Lord, you can present them to you as instruments for righteousness. Like Paul says God lift my brother up and I know that there are so many Lord right now who are listening who who wrestle with this same sin. God would you pour your grace out upon them.

What you point your spirit out upon them. Would you bring conviction where there needs to be conviction and repentance. Lord we need to look we pray for these things in Jesus name, amen.

Look, Joseph, the first thing I just wanted to do is remind you of the promise of the gospel that we turn to Jesus Christ. We are forgiven and you think you know will will like how many times do I have to turn to Jesus to struggle with the same thing in my really repentant. Does God really hear my prayers and and there's one passage that I think of that I that I believe can be really encouraging for you. It's what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 as he was discussing forgiving people with one of his disciples in Matthew chapter 18 in verse 21 Peter came up to him and said, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him as many as seven times. Peter thinks he's being generous here are like me somebody sin against you seven times if I forgive him seven times are. That's pretty good Lord and and Jesus said to him I do not say to you 7×77 time RAM is not putting a number on it. He's a just keep forgiving. Let me just say something to you brother if if Jesus calls us his disciples to forgive over and over and over again were sinful were weak. If he does that. Imagine how much more grace and mercy he has the notion of grace and mercy when you turn to me to be 77 times that he doesn't withhold his grace from you. He forgives Jesus why John says in first John, you know, if we say we don't have sin were liars, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So you have that promise. It is a matter how many times you fall in turn to Jesus look to him say God be merciful to me a sinner when you look to him by faith. I can assure you on the basis of God's word that God forgives you he's merciful to you that you have to fight this, sin will kill you.

This is what Paul says in in Romans chapter 8 right leg by the spirit. This is something you can do in your own flesh. By the spirit we put to death the sinful deeds of the body, and I think you confess your sins to God.

I don't know what kind of accountability you have in your own church. I think one thing that's really helpful brother is confessing to someone else who can hold you accountable talk to your pastor or an elder in your church get accountability. There are there some programs out of favor a look into some of these but five Internet monitoring programs like covenant eyes which can be really helpful.

Right.

That doesn't deal with the heart issue. I think something, especially what would an individual is caught up in this think they feel like they can't be free. Just cutting off whatever avenues there are that cause you to fall. Whether it's on your phone on your computer, whatever it might be sometime setting up some accountability programs can be helpful just to help you take a step back, get that accountability and fix your eyes on Jesus. This is going to be a battle.

You have the promise of the gospel that your sins are forgiven you fight by confessing your sin by bringing it by bringing it into the light. I think also of what the apostle Paul told Timothy he said flee from youthful lust, but that he did just say flee from youthful full lust. He said pursue righteousness, faith is not just cutting off the avenues for this sin but it's it's pursuing Jesus it's making sure that you're in a good church. We are hearing the word of God preached it's it's digging into the Scriptures. Every day it's pram is like what the psalmist said in Psalm 119. I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.

Joseph hide the word of God.the word of the gospel in your heart, look if you fail, remember that you can turn to Jesus 70×7. Look to him that he forgives you, and with all your might fight against this and know when you pray as I prayed for you when you pray God sanctify me that that's a prayer that God wants to answer because it's his will that we walk in holiness and impurity and so brother first look to Jesus cling to the hope that you have in the gospel stand right is much as you feel like I can even get up stand and look to Jesus and say, God, I'm casting myself upon you. I need your forgiveness and receive the grace that he has for you and then run towards Jesus setting aside every weight in the sin that so easily ensnares like the author.

The Hebrew says in Hebrews 12 get the accountability that you need fed up Internet monitoring on your computer about those would be some suggest practical things you can do and dig into the Scriptures hide the word of God in your heart.

So brother thank you for your transparency for reaching out to us and know that Christ is for you to say that there's one resource I think that that can be a real encouragement to you into all of you are listening right now who struggle with this letter with another sin is an article I wrote over it.

Core, Christianity.com called for things to remember after you have sent four things to remember after you sin you so often will you send.

We thank God it is done with me and them have done it again.

You know what John says in first John, when we sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous brother when you fall when you fail Jesus Christ your great high priest is your advocate he's pleading your case before the father. There is hope because you have a precious, wonderful, powerful Savior, who prays for you and whose blood is sufficient to cleanse you from all your sin.

God bless you Joseph, thank you so much for your call and for your honesty and vulnerability and we will be praying for you and federal mention if you don't have a solid church where you feel you can be honest about what you're struggling with and then also reach out to others and be cared for them. We would just pray that you would find that there in your area. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. I'm Bill Meyer and we are a listener supported program and we count on listeners just like you to keep us on the air and speaking of that, we have an offer he want to tell you about today. Yeah, you know we want to invite you to consider coming alongside of us is a member of the inner core. Believe it or not. We just celebrated our 500th episode. I mean, it is pretty crazy when you think about it's been such a blessing to be able to answer your questions about the faith every day digging into the Scriptures and what were excited about where the Lord is continuing to take this program, but we need your support so we want to ask you to join the inner core with the monthly donation of $25 or more can be part of the team is making it possible to answer these questions to give comfort to people who are struggling and my saved arm wrestling with this and you know how do I understand this passage. What we want to encourage you with the word of God and we need your help to do that. And so it over to core Christianity.com/inner core. To learn more or give us a call at 833.

The core you can call us for any one of our offers at 833-843-2673. By the way, if you have a question for you can also record your question on our website. If you go to core Christianity.com/radio go be a little microphone icon there on the right side of the page. Just click that and record your question like Amy did. I think you so much for your program at such encouragement when I take my daily locks and listen to your program. I have a question for you. I'm a high school teacher in Canada and one of my goals is to treat my students as Jesus would treat them the struggles I face is that I'm receiving some pressure to use gender pronouns that students of different. This means that students who identify as transgendered, who are born with female anatomy might ask to be referred to with the pronoun cheer him in the past have been taught that using pronouns that deviates male and female identity that God is created will ruin my Christian witness.

How can I respond in a godly way to this issue, while still treating my students with love and respect.

Thank you. Hey, Amy, God bless you, thank you for that question. This is something were saying all over the place right manager in Southern California. Same thing over here you're going to need God's wisdom for your specific situation, but I don't know all of the repercussions and in the way things work there in Canada what it might look like if you was the teacher didn't do that mistake. Pray first and foremost, the wisdom of and that's one of the things that the Scriptures tell us to do.

And James talks about this relic. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. God wants to give you wisdom and so pray for wisdom in this situation personally, I wouldn't encourage you to call them by their quote on quote preferred pronoun because I think it would be dishonest people have gender dysphoria are really suffering from something and it is heartbreaking that it is that we we don't want to minimize that that there is the struggle that there are people who feel alienated in their own bodies and the culture is helping them buy into the lie that the problem is there body but we recognize as Christians. It is there something deeper at work here that were broken not just that our bodies are broken but but that the heart rate. Like Jeremiah says is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick right this is sin a sin issue is out today right on because I think people are identifying the problem the wrong way. You have things like gender reassignment surgeries, but the reality is gender cannot be reassigned.

The sad thing is you people who struggle with this work were wrestling with this gender dysphoria who go through things like gender reassignment surgery, and that has just devastating physical and psychological effects on individuals, and oftentimes some of the research is showing this majority the time that there is in any any change for the better. It doesn't help them psychologically doesn't make them happy or actually really is this devastating thing what people need is the love of Jesus that I know Amy just by hearing your question that that's what you want to give it. I think that the proper way to do that wouldn't be too affirm them in this decision of this feeling that they have no that doesn't mean that that the right thing for you to do is to sort of rub it in their face and and make sure that you know if it's this is a female that you're just like her. You female Italy you don't have to do that either. I think that you can be sensitive while at the same time not buying into really the lie that culture is telling people that we are telling ourselves as Christians, we want to stand for the truth and part of the way we love people is by standing for the truth, and the sad reality is that this is part of the struggle.

Amy is it today so many people have redefined love for them. Love means you can only love me if you affirm what it is that I believe or think we can love each other while still disagreeing.

I had a conversation some years ago with someone in my neighborhood who pastors a very progressive church. The church is one of those. They say this is how God made you, it's okay, homosexuality is not a sin, and so on and so forth. This individual actually even wrote a book on it and I read the book and I and I interacted with them some and and sort of responded with some scripture and and try to get a discussion well that never happened. Turns out one. One day I'm in the neighborhood grabbing coffee dad in the coffee shop and this individual sits down right by me and we realize okay you did you get my emails about your book and at what I we start talking and I asked him just a very honest question is that you I hold to the traditional view view the Christians of held for the last 2000 years. We believe on the basis of the teachings of Scripture.

Do you think that I can hold those views and still be loving to someone who identifies us gay or lesbian, or transgender. You responded to me and he said that I can feel loved. If you disagree with them.

And so that's why I just I agree with them. I said well what you do what when you disagree with someone in your church and they're doing something that you feel like a strong faith a couple and there's an abusive relationship and how do you confront that, while still being loving and it was so crazy that the response that I got from this individual. He said I'm offended by that question. This conversation is over and I just thought okay I wasn't trying to be offensive. You know a bit. The reality was the definition of love.

There was you.

You have to affirm whatever a person believes about themselves, about the world in order to be loving and that is not the biblical definition of love. Love is self sacrificial, it's rooted in the truth of who God is and of what God has done for us.

That's what we need to focus on a bean you can love them, you know, you don't need to try to get yourself fired by standing up for the truth of that kind of thing I think you pray for them. People don't need us to just tell them whatever it is that they want to hear and believe about themselves. People need us to be honest about the fact that were broken in sin and that our only hope for them for us for every body is Jesus Christ and him fight and that there is a Savior in heaven was able to deal with all of our sins. With all of our brokenness and was merciful to us when we go to and that's the truth you need to hold thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together