Is Faithfulness More Important than Faith?

Is there a difference between faith and faithfulness my say by how faithful I am to God or simply by faith in Christ. That 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 core that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can also email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com burst up today would like to share a prayer request with you.

As you may know, pastor and author Tim Keller has been battling pancreatic cancer. This week he posted on Twitter that his health situation has caused him to seek God and depend more on him. Tim said that last week he finished his sixth round of chemotherapy.

Posted while there are indeed some side effects. My doctor says I'm tolerating the treatment very well.

I've not been seriously debilitated and I can still do some work and ministry. So if you would please keep Tim Keller and his family in your prayers. Why don't we just take the opportunity right now to pray for Tim and then also for all of the people who are listening who are going through chemotherapy and in fighting cancer.

Right now, gracious father in heaven. We do want to pray for Tim Keller. We want to pray for his healing. We ask God that you would sustain and thank you for some of the positive report that came back with some of the tests were done, but we do pray for your continued sustaining grace. We asked Lord Jesus, for your mercy to be poured out upon him on his family and we think also Lord of of the person listening right now who who also is going to a battle with cancer, which you comfort them to bring healing in their life and God. Would you draw them closer to you in the season they would seek you like never before as well and so be with us to be with them.

Lord we look to you in Jesus name, amen and amen. Let's get to our first question of the day, David contacted us through her Facebook page.

He lives in Nigeria and he asks this.

How do I enter into a relationship with Christ a thank you for that question, David. You know the first thing I would want to say is that God is the ultimate pursuer, the soul we talk about trying to figure out a way to to enter into a relationship with God, and I think sometimes we we feel like I'm trying to find God, or do something to enter into a relationship with God will God is actually the one who pursued us to have a relationship with us. I remember when I first started walking with the Lord thinking that coming to faith in Jesus Christ was like the best thing ever and that I just sort of stumbled upon it, you know, you think about when you're walking on the street and you find a $20 bill or something like that you think this is awesome that's what I felt that I thought the miserly. I'm so glad that I discovered this that I stumbled upon this and I remember having a conversation with an older wiser woman in the church that I was a part of it that time instead of expressing this sentiment to her. I'm so glad that I discovered this and she just said no atrial may be it's not that you found God, but that God had been pursuing you and brought you to himself and it just struck me because I realized what you know God is the one who is in control and so David, I want you to know God is the one who pursues us, who pursues you know he did that was by sending his son Jesus into the world so that we might have fellowship with him and with the church. I've been meditating on this lately because II just started preaching through first John listen to what John said in first John verses one chapter 1 verses one through four. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes as we have looked upon it have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest, and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. Isn't that so beautiful me deep talks about this great truth.

The one who was from the very beginning, who came and was manifested who we saw and heard and touched. John says he's referring to Jesus Christ were proclaiming him to you in the message that he gave to us what work were proclaiming that to you why so that you might have a relationship with him so that you might have fellowship with him and with the church pieces are our fellowship is with the father and with his sign in with the body of Christ with with the people of God.

Put another way, you can't have a relationship with Christ and not be united to his church as interesting as is the word fellowship there would think about this idea of relationships that were quite India which you might've heard before, and one of the emphasis of of that word. In particular, is that there something shared coin and he has about common fellowship. We share something together to think about this right God wants a relationship with us. He pursued us what we have in common with a holy God. We are sinful creatures, finite God is infinite spirit, holy, pure, how could we possibly have fellowship a relationship coin in the with God will gets it what what John was saying there in first John chapter 1 verses one into it's all about the fact that God the son, Jesus the word of the eternal son of God took on humanity shared in our humanity in the incarnation, so that we might be brought near to God. God again David pursued you as a hottie of a relationship with Christ.

When you embrace that reality that the truth of God's word.

The truth of who Jesus is.

You recognize that he pursued you. You trust in him by faith and you receive that grace, that the adoption that he gives to us. One of the ways that some of the ancient Christians talked about this is is that I love this phrase. They said he who is the son by nature that is Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God by nature made us sons and daughters of God by grace David Weir adopted into the family of God given a relationship with the true and the living God through Jesus Christ.

How you enter into that relationship with its by receiving Christ by believing in Jesus Christ and what a amazing truth it is, as I've already stated that he's the one who pursued us. He's the one who wanted that relationship with us because he is good and loving and he sent his son into the world. Thanks Dave for your question. This is core Christianity. If you have a question for us.

You can call anytime at 833-843-2673 or you cannot send us an email at questions at core, Christianity.com Brian emailed us and he said in the book of Malachi we read that God told the Israelites to test him in regard to offerings.

However, in the books of the law. He told them not to test them. I realize these verses are not part of the same context, but how should we reconcile them. Is there a time when I should test God that real practical question and it terms of reconciling that I really is can he come down to context because the context helps us understand.

I mean really what were getting at with a particular verse of Scripture is that we do have two different context. The first Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 is with the Lord said bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need to Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 God is saying no, that I will provide for you that I will care for you, give me what's mine and rest in the fact that I will take care of you and doesn't Jesus reiterate the same principle you a text but don't worry about your life what you will eat what you will drink what you're gonna put on this is what the nations of the world are stressed out about an I must be honest, it's what we often times are stressed out about two and Jesus says don't you know that your father is good that he takes care of his children seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. I think here in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 is getting at something very similar.

That's very different from testing the Lord presumptuously or sinfully. For example in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 16 it says you shall not put the Lord your God to the test as you tested him at must saw this is alluding to what happened in Exodus chapter 17, where the people of God tested God by saying is the Lord among us or not they were grumbling against the Lord sinful and discontent. They didn't trust in him to God calls you to trust in him.

Brian did know his word to rest in his promises not to presume that you know better than God, or to think that God owes you this that or the other. And I think that's what I think is so dangerous about movements like the health and wealth movement of those groups.

What they really do is that they test the Lord in wicked ways by making people think that God promises them something that he doesn't prosperity in an earthly riches. Presuming upon God.

God wants you to trust in his word and what he's actual promises are in Scripture. Now let me give you one of them just getting back to this idea of giving for the ties really more focused on giving under the new covenant you have this amazing promise given by the apostle Paul in second Corinthians chapter 9 verses six and following now Christians if you struggle with the idea of giving to the church and I know a lot of people do under the idea of tithes and offerings, giving those kinds of things*is there there been so many abuses, especially in movements like the health and wellness movement that is for the prosperity gospel movement. I want you listen what the apostle Paul says here in second Corinthians chapter 9 verses six and following whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times. You may abound in every good work.

As it is written, he is distributed freely. He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing an increase the harvest of your righteousness. What a promise and it really isn't about earthly riches is not what it's about.

God wants you to abound in every good work.

That's what matters to the Lord. That's what God calls us to is love, charity an abundance of good works of the fruit of the spirit and God loves a cheerful giver. We've said it before, and I've heard many pastors say you cannot out give the Lord God gave us everything. As I said in the first question God sent his son for us is provided for our greatest need the forgiveness of our sins in the gospel through that message we should be a people of generosity to your listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez I Bill Meyer will get back to answering your questions in just a moment, but right now we have a question for you.

How are you doing, what burdens are you carrying right now. What hardships are you facing at this point in your life.

You know the reason Bill, we asked that question is because we know that these last several months have not been easy for many people. These are trying times to say the least. If you find yourself losing sleep, waking up anxious or wondering if God has forgotten you, and we have a resource that can help Christ and calamity by Harold think file is full of the good news of God's faithfulness to us in Christ or doesn't always stop the storms of life, but he does promise to be a shelter in those storms take advantage of this offer. Head over to core Christianity.com/offers.

You can reserve your copy today for donation of any amount just head over to core Christianity.com/offers. You can also call us at 833-843-2673 for help getting any of our offers. That's 833, the court will schedule another question. This one came in for our Instagram account Quinn posted in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The master tells us to faithful servants. Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you overmuch enter into the joy of your master. I've always heard.

Our salvation is through faith.

What trust but when I read these words. It almost sounds like a reward for faithfulness is faith the same as faithfulness is our faithful is more important than our faith. How should we understand this parable of the parable highlights that we do in life matters that God is going to commend us for our faithfulness to him on the last day we talked about this on the program before this idea of reward staff exactly what that's going to look like and be no eye has seen, nor ear heard, it's just I can't really imagine. I know that when we stand before the Lord and the Lord commands us is going to be awesome to be like this great award ceremony, but faith and faithfulness are not the same thing.

The faith is a gift given to us by God.

Paul makes is absolutely clear in Ephesians chapter 2 by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God by faith we trust in Christ resting in his work on our behalf in order to save us the faith causes us to look outside of ourselves and to lay a hold of Jesus.

It's extra perspective, we might say my favorite example of faith in the New Testament is the woman who had the issue of blood in Mark chapter 5 the text tells us in Mark chapter 5 for 12 years she suffered from a hemorrhage we talk about suffering that miseries is years and years and years and while she had gone to doctor after doctor spending all the money that she had until she was completely broke. She'd only grown worse. She's given everything trying to fix this problem and she's really at the end of her rope and she hears that Jesus is in town and she went to see him and she thought to herself, if I can just grab a hold of Jesus's garment. I'll get better. This faith is sort of audacious.

This this woman. She would have been unclean under the Levitical law and outcast. If you will in society. Because of this issue of blood. She would've been able to be no part of that. But the temple worship. The people who touched her. She came into contact with. They too would be considered unclean, you think about with everything that's gone on with coronavirus. You know how cautious people are being washing. Not wanting to be around someone who is infected.

While this woman has coronavirus, we might say in it. She goes into this crowd because she thinks to herself. My only hope is Jesus. She grabs a hold of Jesus's robe and Jesus says to her at the end of that beautiful passage in Mark five. He says to her daughter, your faith has made you well there it is faith, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease and what a picture of faith. She gives us faith is like an empty hand that clings to Jesus, like the woman we turn away from trying to solve the problem ourselves. Maybe we've tried for years and years and years and and things of only got worse. They haven't gotten any better and were at the end of our rope and we say help Jesus save me and we look to him by faith like this woman, we cling to him. We lay hold of him. Faith is it's an empty hand that lays hold of Jesus is not about what were doing is not. Might my life of faithfulness that causes God to say to be okay I love you.

I accept you your forgiven because you've been faithful enough to member what did this woman do she just grabbed a hold of Jesus.

That's what faith is. Are you clinging to him grab a hold of him by faith, and receive his grace, his mercy is healing. Quinn, thank you so much for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and the Damien posted this on our twitter account. He says why do Christians have an Old Testament in their Bibles.

If were supposed to live according to the New Testament. Yeah, I mean it's the story of redemption. The Bible is not just a list of ways for us to live in the sorting of the Old Testament will that was for them and how they lived back then. Now the New Testament is for us and how we live right now is the focus is not on how we live, even per se, that's not the focus of the Scriptures. There are many people who when they think about Christianity. They assume that that's a Christianity is all about is a list of rules for me to follow. That's the good news of the gospel. I've asked people.

What's the gospel and they responded by saying keep the commandments love God write amazing love God and love your neighbor as yourself is that the good news of Christianity. Well, actually not really that's an implication of the good news of Christianity that is good, loving your neighbor loving God of what we call people that because God calls us to the essence of the Christian faith we did in the old and new Testaments is the story of redemption. What God has accomplished in Christ to redeem us and everything that we have in the Old Testament is leading us to that. It's building up to that it's giving us Damien. These different facets and pictures of the work of Jesus Christ you think of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament under the old covenant in the temple blood sacrifice animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin you think about the priest helping the people to enter into God's presence. You think about the Kings in Israel. Yet some good ones you had some not so good ones. But they were ruling the people of Israel seeking to to provide justice goodness to lead well.

Think about the promises made to Abraham. All of these things are pointing us forward to Jesus, the ultimate profit priest king who rules righteously who's who's bringing about his perfect kingdom of justice in the world today. It really is so amazing, so why do we have the Old Testament will the Old Testament is part of the story of God and we learned so much about who God is and what he's accomplished for humanity through the Old Testament is God's creator, but even God as the Redeemer sending his son into the world. The promises that we have of that great reality of that great hope throughout the Old Testament beginning as early as Genesis 315 God promised that the seed of the woman.

This child that would be born would crush the head of the serpent and over and over again. You have promises like that you think of Isaiah chapter 9, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, everlasting father, mighty God, Prince of peace.

Jesus is this great king. This great ruler who dealt with our sins and whose kingdom is coming now. But above all else will see in the Bible is the story of redemption. God's story and how were folded into it by faith in Jesus Christ. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we have time for one more question. This is for Matthew posted on our website at core, Christianity.com/radio Matthew says I love your podcasts. Thanks so much for the clarity you have on all the questions.

Recently I've been thinking about forgiveness and when it should be implemented. Should we as Christians forgive people before they ask or wait until they ask for it. Sometimes people never ask for forgiveness. I want to know your thoughts on this thank you yeah such an important question in a very practical question.

Matthew as Christians we are called to forgive everyone whether they come to us and ask for forgiveness or not know we want to from the heart.

Forgive, to extend grace and we can only do that through the forgiveness that we've received in Jesus Christ is really hard when we focus on the sins of others what they've done against us for before focusing on it to be really hard to forgive, if you remember that you two are a sinner and that God has been merciful to you, and that the ways in which you sinned against God, holy perfect pure good as he is our worse than more heinous than the way other people sin against us. And yet God is still forgiven us and we can extend forgiveness to others. Now that's not to downplay the horrible things that people do and maybe have done to you, Matthew is not that that their offenses are a small thing. It's just that our sins in the sight of God our great and yet God forgives us now forgiving someone is different than reconciling you can forgive someone, even if they don't ask for your forgiveness but you cannot reconcile with them unless they recognize that they sit in less they pursue forgiveness unless the admit, I have sinned against you. Please forgive me and so were called to forgive everyone were called to pursue reconciliation which are not always good to be able to find reconciliation. There are times where someone will sin against you and you and you done everything that you can to reconcile. They want nothing to do with 12 extend forgiveness. Pray for reconciliation at the heart of all of this is the gospel. The reason we can extend forgiveness is because we have been forgiven in Jesus Christ, 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 bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33 core 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