What If I Don’t Feel The Wretchedness Of My Sin?

I know objectively that I'm a sinner but what if I don't really feel bad about my sin best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition 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 right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first step today we want to tell you about a special baby shower for a gorilla any day now. The Audubon zoo in New Orleans will have a new baby gorilla and to celebrate the zoo is hosting a virtual baby shower with the baby registry so the people can give gifts to the gorilla family.

This is 13-year-old Western lowland gorilla to mommy is about to give birth to her first baby, and there are a few different ways to buy gifts. You can donate to the toy and food fun for the gorillas. You can also donate on their Amazon gift list which has personalized items for baby gorilla like sheets mega blocks teething rings and other items. What do you think that you and I should buy for the baby gorilla. Oh I mean I just feel like that baby baby gorillas can it be so spoiled, you know, being raised there with all those wonderful you know gorilla breaks or whatever they're giving to the baby gorilla. I don't know Bill, I mean I feel like food would be the best thing like a bundle of bananas or something like that. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of banana so I have no problem setting them all to my house so keep you updated on the baby girl close birth. Let's get to our first question of the day and Cedric went to our website recorded a voicemail at core, Christianity.com/radio sometimes a church pastor will say things that really rubbed me the wrong way. So I just want to know how can I tell if my pastor is preaching a false doctrine.

Some guidance on how to not get back.

Thanks yesterday. Thank you for that question, and a really important one because over and over again. We said this on the program before but over and over again in the New Testament you have these warnings about false teachers a week. We need to be cautious with the things that we hear and discerning in Scripture talks about being Korean no testing everything we hear, according to what the word of God says, and so I'm glad you asked this question Cedric and I and I think it is a set it's an important one. You do have Jesus's words in Matthew chapter 7 now right there.

He says no false teachers are known. The fruit that they bear Matthew chapter 7 verse 15 beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the deceased tree bears bad fruit.

Healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a deceased tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.

Now I know Cedric that I mean that that's not always apparent immediately that there are some people who teach things that are that are not true. Not in accordance with God's word and we can't really see the fruit of their ministry right away. I mean, over time, that does become more evident.

That's one of the things that Jesus assesses this.

Don't just look at what they're saying look at the fruit of the ministry.

Is it love, joy, peace, patient is it a confidence in the gospel or is it something else. Legalism may Peter also gave us a warning in second Peter chapter 2, he said, but false prophets also arose among the people. Just as there will be false teachers among you, what a sobering warning the wing to sit back and just let that sink in for a second. Just as there will be false teachers among you, and then he says who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them bring upon themselves swift destruction, and many will follow their sensuality and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed and in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep in no right there in that passage that Peter talks about these false teachers denying the Lord Jesus the master John brings this up and in first John is well when he talks about the spirit of the antichrist and testing the spirits is every spirit that denies that Jesus came in the flesh. In other words, every spirit that doesn't rightly recognize who Jesus is the spirit of the antichrist.

Here's a question for you Cedric's who does your pastor say Jesus is unity portray Jesus to be is Jesus a life coach, a social reformer, a spiritual guru for us to emulate this or to follow in his footsteps or is he the eternal son of God who made atonement for our sins and then rose again from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the father. Let me just add add this as well.

Just because a pastor says something that rubs you the wrong way doesn't mean he's preaching false doctrine, because God's word is going to rub us the wrong way. Sometimes, especially when it convicts us of sin. So you have to ask yourself the question is what bothers me about this that it's convicting or is it that it doesn't line up with Scripture and to know whether or not it lines up with Scripture. You have to know the Bible well enough to be able to discern what you're hearing and so there is another encouragement for each and every one of us know God's word study it so that you can be per incident when you hear something coming from the pulpit that contradicts what God is said something that's that's beneath Jesus you know that people who were teaching things in Jesus is just some great teacher or moral leader something like that, you can say no that's not what the Bible teaches that just recently at our church. I was so encouraged because someone was in our new members class and Ben they were sharing what it was that brought them to our terseness of the red another read another church where they began to hear things that contradicted what the Bible very clearly teaches in the Leno humbly they went to the leadership at that church and began to have a discussion and they just said you know we got to the point we realized we were going to have to be sifting through everything we hear, because the leadership in the church is not concerned with the documents being taught at the church.

It was a really big church so there were a lot of teachers on staff and pastors. So this week we want to be somewhere we know working to hear God's word taught and taught faithfully, and that's a good thing a minute that something we should all pursue and so Cedric humbly be per region search the Scriptures and weigh everything that you hear against what the Bible teaches and do that for this program as well. That's what were doing here is were searching the Scriptures were answering questions about the faith. But even with with us tonight know God's word want to study it want to be able to ask questions so that if you feel like hey what was Israel talking about there you can call us in and were happy to talk about it so keep digging into the word and I hope that wherever you're interested, you're hearing the gospel preached faithfully that you're growing in your walk with the Lord and our Israel. Sometimes it can be so subtle and unfortunately, as you pointed out, if you don't know God's word. If you don't really know how to interpret God's word in the appropriate way. It's easy to be led astray because you can get a very powerful pastor whose own excellent communicator and yet if you start to listen closely and rebind the logic go wait a minute, this person is not teaching the authentic word of God. You know Bill, that's so true, and it reminds me of this this wonderful story in the book of acts and Skinner read it because I think it's so encouraging and and it should encourage all of our listeners to have that deep knowledge and love for God's words in acts chapter 18 beginning in verse 24 we read now a Jew named Apollo's. A native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus and he was an eloquent man competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Tukwila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately and when he wished to cross to Acadia.

The brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him when he arrived he greatly help those who, through grace, had believed for. He powerfully refuted the Jews in public showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus so you have this this gifted preacher named Apollo's knee skilled and in teaching.

He is competent in the word of God and yet there is an area where he still is a little bit off and Priscilla and Aquila, who sat at the feet of the apostle Paul who know a little bit more, at least related to the baptism of Jesus are able to come alongside of him and encourage him in the word and and help to guide him some and I think that's so important. What a wonderful picture of how the church should operate any of people in the church. Men and women who are able to say no actually, let's open up the Scriptures a little bit here and provide some help in STC there in acts chapter 18 or so. Again, it's just your you're totally right Bill, we need to know the word of God so we can encourage each other and when it's necessary. Correct one another. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and would love to receive your call if you have a question 468-338-4326 73. That's 833 the core. We also have an Instagram Facebook account where you can post your questions and Tony posted this on Instagram, he said, should our children call God father in the Lord's prayer if they're not baptized. Are they part of the visible church or the covenant community who wow Tony, there's a lot to that question the privilege of calling God father is something that we should never take for granted. In one sense we could say that God is the father of all humanity and in the sense that Paul speaks of in acts chapter 17 verse 29. We talked about us being God's offspring via wheat we all receive life existence from God, but in the saving sense when it comes to the adoption received through Jesus Christ. Only those who are born-again have that special relationship with God. So then what about our children should they be taught to pray our father and I think that the answer is yes. According to Paul, the children of believers are to be considered as a part of the worshiping community and this is always how it was even in the Old Testament and you think about the Passover meal. For example, this was a family thing that the worshiping community consists not just of of the adults, but of their children would received the men in particular boys would receive the sign of circumcision are part of the worshiping community.

And Paul says in first Corinthians 714 that the children of believers. Even one believing parent are to be considered holy.

Now that doesn't mean that that just because you're a believer that your children are saved, quote unquote, but it does mean to me that language of holy unholy clean, unclean. It referred to what you called Tony the covenant community. The worshiping community. Just think of what we might call that the visible church, the visible community of faith, the holy where those who are part of the unclean. The unholy were those who were on the outside would not been welcomed in yet and yet Paul says that our children first Corinthians 7 are to be considered holy. Otherwise, he says, they would be unclean. So they belong to the visible church and are the recipients of God's promises in Scripture and God promises his people throughout the Bible to be a God to them and to their children. If the sign of his goodwill, his love for us. I just started preaching through the book of first John and in your question reminds me of something that John says in first John chapter 2 beginning in verse 12 John wrote, I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his namesake.

I'm writing to fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you young men because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you children get this because you know the father and that's the question that you're asking. Should we teach our children to pray our father will John says here that he's writing to the church.

This worshiping community side, I'm writing to you children because you know the father that you're taking take it a step further. You're asking should we teach our kids to pray our father if they haven't been baptized. That is, if they haven't received the sign of salvation in baptism. Should we teach them to address God as father and I think you're picking up on an inconsistency in many of our churches, and I heard someone describe a Christian child of Christian children as Vipers and diapers units that are funny and I think all of us were parents. It's a sometimes and I feel like our kids can kinda be like vipers but the Bible doesn't call us to have such a pessimistic view of our children. There a part of the worshiping community yes were all born instead. And yes, we all need to be saved by Jesus but you can have to grapple with the fact that the New Testament also teaches that there set apart in some sense by God as a part of the visible church that the promises of the gospel belong in a special way to us and to our children and even their extended now Peter says this on the day of Pentecost to the Gentile world to all who are far off, and so yeah I mean I teach my children to pray our father because were including them in the worshiping community just like Israel did of old and so I appreciate your question, I think it's important for us to do this is were discipling our kids's work is rethinking the train them up in the faith to help them to know who God is, his goodness and and to call them to call upon the Lord by faith so that they might walk with him to thanks Tony for your question. Your listing the core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and one of the questions we are often asked, here is how does God talk to us. Well, we have an excellent resource for you that answers that very question yet and that's the name of the resource. How does God talk to us. It's really one of the most popular Bible studies, we have over a core, Christianity.com and you can download it for a donation of any amount is the grace they go through with a group of friends or by yourself if you've ever wondered if God told you to do something you really need to go through this that we oftentimes your people say things like that right well I think God told me this. I think I told me that will how does God talk to us today at over the core, Christianity.com/offers to find out by downloading how does God talk to us. You can also call us for that resource or any of her other resources at 833-843-2673 that's a 33. The core federal here's a question that came in from Eric. He emailed us@questionsthatcorechristianity.com and he says this Christians believe in the doctrine of sin that we are wretched and beyond helpless.

I profess this doctrine but what if I don't really feel that bad.

What if I don't feel this wretchedness, or if I don't have feelings of joy and happiness overflowing because of the forgiveness in Jesus Christ like what I hear described in hymns is my salvation at stake here. I do feel bad about sending and feel happiness in having a relationship with God. But I'm just don't have those strong feelings that are talked about in hymns and sermons Erica a really important and impractical question because I think a lot of Christians are concerned that they don't feel something enough in the Christian life. The feelings they come and go, brother of what we need to cultivate is a faithfulness to God that is not dependent upon feelings that again a little bit differently. Christian maturity looks like continuing to be faithful to God regardless of the feelings that you have too many people only follow Jesus when they feel like it there, led by their feelings, their passions, and as a result their spiritual life is up and down. You're not always going to have a strong sense of joy and you're not ever going to be grieved enough over your sins and were not saved by how sorry we are or how grateful we are.

We couldn't be sorrowful enough for our sins and we couldn't be grateful enough for our salvation, what saves us, what saves you. Eric is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now what you'll find is that as you persist in faithfulness regardless of how you feel as you keep seeking the Lord, going to church even when you don't want to buy the weight limit does encourage you to do that all of you to do that. I know you get up on a Sunday morning and it's like I'm feeling extra tired or it's been a busy week.

I don't really want to, or there are other things that I can do that take priority. No prioritize being faithful to God. Following him heeding his call to worship, even when you don't feel like it, even when it isn't easy.

Pray pray when you don't feel like it. With Clarice Scripture.

Even when it feels dry. What happens when you do when you cultivate those habits is actually quite remarkable.

The word begins to work in you and produce the affections you were searching for it may not always be like you expected, but I found that the feelings sometimes will follow that faithfulness. But what they do or don't our life of faith should not be determined by our feelings, and I think this is something that many people today get wrong when it comes to spirituality, even when it comes to truth. What we think in terms of religion as whatever I I feel I was talking to someone not too long ago and they said you know what when I would go to Catholic Church. Growing up I just didn't feel anything feel right and then I I one time visited a Buddhist temple and I had all of these feelings. It just felt so so amazing it felt so wonderful and I just thought to myself there so many things that can factor into that we shouldn't determine truth what we believe on the basis of how something makes me feel because there are things that can make us feel really good that actually aren't very good for us to the Christian life is determined by or dependent upon feelings with the objective truth.

The reality that Jesus Christ came died for my sins, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father whether I feel like that's true or not. It is the reality.

My sins are forgiven to him by faith in his name that's my hope. That's what I cling to not my feelings because my feelings there up and down and again, Eric. This is something that many Christians struggle with their there are believers who are stock stuck in fear stuck in this position of not being able to move forward because they're there asking themselves a note in my really saved. I don't have these feelings that I think I should have that accompany salvation well again. Sometimes the feelings come in their spectacular and then they come through growing in our knowledge of who God is and then you wake up the next day and wonder where those feelings go will keep seeking the Lord keep pursuing the Lord, whether they're there or not.

Cultivate that steadfastness that faithfulness and no even when we aren't faithful is faithfulness. We should be. God remains faithful to us through his promises, through Jesus literally also have another question related to God's faithfulness and it comes from. Lukey went to our website at core, Christianity.com/radio. Here's what he says in second Timothy Paul writes, if we disown him. He will also disown us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself when Paul writes of the faithfulness of Christ. Does this mean his faithfulness to forgive us even when we fail or his faithfulness to judge justly if we disown him. Quoting from second Timothy chapter 2 verses 11 through 13, and Paul begins there in verse 11, he says, the saying is trustworthy, so this is this is a saying that was floating around there in the apostolic church. Many people think that this is the words of an ancient Christian him that was being sung in the church is there that the apostles were ministering to. If we have died with him. We will also live with him.

If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us if we are faithless, he remains faithful sort of interesting to compare that with a lot of the songs we sing today in our churches that mean just got this deep doctrine there this theology. This hope of living with Christ of following him and of his faithfulness even when were not faithful to God's being faithful isn't determined by how good or bad. I am his faithfulness is rooted in his promises, and for him to be unfaithful would be to deny himself. So our hope is that God isn't fickle or that his love and faithfulness is dependent upon our faithfulness is that his faithfulness is rooted in something way more stable than you and I it's in his word that this includes faithfulness to forgive us when we fail at as you say you knows this is faithfulness to forgive us when we fill II think yes and a one passage that I would go to his first John chapter 1 he says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness is a look when you confess your sins to the Lord. When you go to God sincerely music God, I've sinned against you. You have this hope that God forgives you has nothing to do with my feelings that has everything to do with God's word and promise God ties together his forgiveness of his people when they confessed him to his very own character. He cannot be unfaithful or deny himself, and this could also include the idea that God is faithful to judge us. As you assess part of his justice. But I think this primarily to be a word of hope for us to think that that's what Paul is doing here is this writing to Timothy, there are parallel ideas of this in places like Romans chapter 3 verses three and four.

What if some were unfaithful. He wrote does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God by no means let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written that you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are a judge. So here's this wonderful promise that we have here that the faithfulness of God is not dependent upon the sinlessness of his his own word and promise that when you are faithless, Jesus remains faithful cling to him. Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at court, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us.

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