Does A Political Candidate’s Religious Beliefs Determine If I Should Vote For Them?

Does a political candidate's religious beliefs determine whether or not I should vote for them. 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 Adrian 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 and you can also email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com walls hard to believe that summer is now history were officially in fall and we know for many of our listers you may be starting to see some beautiful fall colors in your area. Not so much in San Diego about a room where you are. You can't even tell the difference at the leaves on the palm trees don't ever change colors the same bad day at essentially one of the things that I wish we had was a little bit different when I lived up in the mountains for couple years and I was in high school and that was one of the most damage just shocking things to experience the fall for the first time is a wow this is so beautiful, so you have envious of those of you out there who get to experience that fall is my favorite time of year and we just love getting out and experiencing the colors were and are part of the country. Let's get to our good news story of the day and this is really beautiful story, an 18-year-old from Connecticut is being praised for his heroic actions to save a family of four from a car fire. Justin Gavin was walking down the street in Waterbury Connecticut when he spotted an SUV on fire.

Gavin ran to the vehicle he saw woman inside and helped her to escape. He then noticed there were three kids inside the car, which was quickly becoming enveloped in flames.

Capt. Michael DiSalvo of the Waterbury Police Department said as the flames grew larger. Justin pulled all three kids from the car, including a one-year-old baby in her car seat while way to go Justin yeah way to go.

I mean that. Talk about bravery and is praise God for being in the right place at the right time. Such an Easter love hearing about these young people who are making a difference in their communities and he's one of them. Let's get to our first question of the day, and Jack posted this on our website. He says I've noticed a lot of books in the Bible are named after people who supposedly wrote them. Even if the books never claim that like in the Gospels, or sometimes they have parts that couldn't have been written by the traditional author like Moses writing about his own death. I'm wondering why wouldn't this affect our trust in biblical inerrancy. Dana sometimes you do have in the ancient manuscripts. The books attributed to a particular person say no marker or Matthew a lot of this also comes from the ancient church and the understanding these particular books were written by an apostle or someone who was a part of the apostolic company. One of the criteria that we use for what we call canonicity. How do we know what what were the inspired books of the Bible part of the canon of Scripture. Now we don't typically use that word can in today meaningless. Were talking about the thing that goes boom but Canon really refers to, and in this context a rule. The rule of faith, the rule whereby we as Christians live and that's what the Scriptures are so hot at. We get the canon of Scripture, well the church receives certain books is divinely inspired on the basis of the fact that they were written by an apostle or someone associated with an apostle. You also had this idea of the fact that these particular books Jack were were universally embraced by the church, so it wasn't like you know and in the first couple of centuries there was one church over here. That said, oh I like this book and another one over there that said no I what we don't receive that book is holy Scripture know all of these books these letters. In particular, I'm thinking about the New Testament. Here were received as inspired by God's you had apostolate city universality are sometimes called catholicity also just antiquity with where these books written around the time of the apostles, or did they come much later. There are some books where we don't know who wrote them 100%. We think about the book of Hebrews that doesn't call into question biblical inerrancy one bit. It's not the person that made the book inspired it's God the inspiration of the Holy Spirit you referenced the end of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 34 where you have the description of Moses's death and in burial and we believe Moses was the one that authored the first five books of the Old Testament. So how can you have Moses writing about his own death.

Probably someone else to help compile the writing added that piece and we don't know who it was. Personally, I think it was Joshua. Others have suggested Eleazar the priest, or Ezra the scribe, but nevertheless all of this happened under the guidance and preservation of the Holy Spirit so that we don't know some of the authors of particular books of the Bible doesn't call into question inerrancy because that's not what makes the Bible inerrant or not inerrant, we can trust the fact that God by his spirit preserved his word for us to receive and I think that's what you need to know you can be confident that the words you read in your Bible are God's word to you and so we should read it.

We should study it and grow because of it and threw it a few questions. Jack, you know, Israel. I'm wondering if you can recommend a resource for our listers. A lot of people when they're faced with a hard question from an atheist or agnostic the claim.

All there's all these contradictions in Scripture and the hope that we bring some up and I think a lot of times, as believers, we started to like were backed into a corner.

We don't know what to say is her particular resource that you'd recommend that would help people to answer some of those questions yeah there are a couple and there's some that are to be a little bit more technical like it. Often times people bring up the contradictions in the Gospels or are they historically reliable. There's a professor named Craig Blomberg he has a I think the book is called the historical reliability of the Gospels height right there in the in the title.

Another guy was written a lot about the canon of Scripture and and the sort of criteria for canonicity and how we got our Bible is a guy named Michael Kruger and so I would recommend looking at this stuff as well. Great suggestions.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez if you got a question here's our number 833 the court.

That's 1-833-843-2673 good morning Walter.

My question is about global doing new movies that are promoted Rosicrucian biblical and things that are not biblical just about wrote Victor according to the Scriptures, thank you very much appreciate your show member hey Walter, thanks for giving us a call me that's like they say the book is always better is 66. In the case of the holy Scriptures.

That's especially true a while back there was that movie with Russell Crowe on Noah and I'll admit, I never saw it but I remember afterwards people saying that there was quite a bit of creative freedom that was taken in the making of the movie and I think it's entertainment and I don't get your theology from movies get it from God's word and good theology books. This is a reminder for all of us that we always need to be discerning is in it with the things we fill our minds with the things we put before our eyes. Media is really catechizing, our children and rewiring them today is requiring us rankly. That's why we want to be discerning one.

Be wise with the things we fill our minds with. I don't think that means we need to boycott the movies or even these movies that are supposed to be quote unquote Christian movies or arrays. A big stink about them you that the movie wasn't biblically 100% accurate. What can we expect our response should be.

This know what you believe and why it is that you believe it, devour the scriptures every day so that when you see something that's not faithful to them. You'll be able to call it out you be able to hate that wasn't in the original thing about today. You know what I go see a movie with friends of mine and it's based off of the book and I haven't seen the book yet. I just wanted the thing and think about. Well I guess this is how was with my friends know who read the book.

That scene wasn't a part of the original and actually they cut this out.

They cut that out and I'm sure it's the same with these movies the claim to be depicting the stories in the Bible it can be misleading and sometimes I think it's it's harmless and it can just be entertainment but at the end of the day.

What we need to do is know the word know the word read the original study it and fall in love with God as we do so thanks for your question and I was thinking back about classic film of the greatest story ever told, which is often shown at Easter no on a network run cable and John Wayne played the centurion at the cross early this was the son of God is accurate. That's right, roughly accurate, but the John Wayne is this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and if you or somebody you love has been struggling during this whole covert 19 pandemic we have a very helpful resource want to tell you about today. Thanks, Bill and me were offering once again Harold St. Biles, Christ and calamity and I think it's a really important resource, especially right now with everything going on covert, 19 loss of jobs. The stuff that's weighing really heavily on many of our hearts. This is one of those resources that point you to Jesus and it's gonna remind you all the reasons why you can continue to trust and hope in God in the midst of everything that's happening so they can manage this offer. Head over to core Christianity.com/offers to get your hands on Harold St. Biles, Christ and calamity. You can reserve your copy of this book today for a donation of any amount just head over to core Christianity.com/offers or you can call us for this or any one of our offers at 833-843-2673. That's 833 core art.

Israel has a question that came in through our Facebook page from Erica and she says in Genesis 11 were told that God confused the language of the peoples who were trying to build the tower of Babel up to heaven and then disperse them. Does this mean that cultural and ethnic diversity resulted from God's curse.

What would this mean for heaven.

When God sets everything right again.

Now let me start with heaven and the new creation.

You know sometimes people point to Paul statements that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.

In order to make the point that as Christians are ethnicities and cultural backgrounds don't matter, but that's not what Paul is trying to say there actually he's quite aware of the fact that in the new church, the Jew and Gentile church that one body that he describes in places like the book of Ephesians. There were some significant cultural differences that made worshiping together challenge and he encourages the Christians in those churches not just you know abolish their cultural differences, but to be charitable and gracious with each other as they had those differences and those differences are a bad thing. One of the beautiful things about heaven is that it is depicted as the place for all of us with our backgrounds or worshiping together are ethnicities are erased there actually a part of what makes heaven so beautiful.

The celebration of love worshiping God. Listen to what John said in Revelation chapter 7 verses nine and 10 after this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. I can just picture that absolutely beautiful. Ms. one of the things that that John notices that his vision that heaven is where you have the spectacular unity and diversity. Diversity of the nations, and languages united around God's throne worshiping the king, Jesus is one of the things that makes heaven such a beautiful place today.

Churches should give us a taste of heaven.

I've heard it said before, this Sunday is the most segregated hour and 1/2 of our week and I think for many churches. That's true. The gospel is for everyone, not just for Jews, not just for Gentiles. It's for sinners.

That means it is for everyone. All of us.

So no, I don't think that God's curse is what created ethnic diversity. The curse came as a result of human pride, and it separated the peoples in Genesis 11, but in Christ. We've been regathered and in that regathering are ethnicities in our cultural backgrounds are abolished or destroyed.

Another part of what the end is going to make the new creation, such as for such a Beautiful Pl. in God is what makes it ultimately the most beautiful place, being able to be there with him in his presence, but it's a wonder to see as John saw there. In Revelation 7, every tribe and tongue and nation every language around the throne of God celebrating him and singing his praises. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question you can actually post your question.

Our Facebook page or Instagram account or our twitter account and Jorge posted this on Instagram should my vote change depending on what a candidate's religious beliefs are yeah pretty relevant question right now, here's what I'll say vote according to God's word in your conscience and politics and I mean frankly and just life, I've noticed that this is especially true during campaign seasons politicians will claim to believe all sorts of things about God. Why to get your vote, so we have to be discerning here Jorge and wise and ultimately and I know this is hard for us to do around this season put our hope not.

In man, not in these get elected official someone hundred 18 says it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man I source as November approaches. I want you to ask yourself where is my confidence, my trust that that doesn't mean you can't be and should be involved in these discussions, and through this pursue the good of your neighbor right but but don't for a minute think that God's kingdom depends on who the next president is the kingdom of God isn't that fragile.

Jesus said it himself.

The gates of hell are never going to prevail against the church that I am building. There really are two dangers. I think that we have to avoid Jorge one is becoming so pessimistic. We just sort of shut off completely from engaging with the outside world and from engaging in our civic duties is are saying yeah it's all going to burn. Anyway, let's run for the hills and hideaway until Jesus comes back no God calls us to love our neighbors. The second danger is becoming so enthralled in all of this so that our joy and hope is tied to who is in office. In that scenario work were assuming that God's kingdom advances through the adoption of Christian morals in society or something like that and that's also wrong no matter who is in office, Jesus Christ is on the throne and his kingdom is to keep taking ground through the proclamation of the gospel is a here's my encouragement to you. Be committed to that in these days.

Make sure that your hope is firmly rooted in Jesus be engaged in a with your civic duty with the stuff that's going on around us and let the scriptures guide you your conscience. The other desire to do good for your neighbor for all people as the apostle Paul says make sure your hope is in heaven. In Jesus at and that you're recognizing that your primary identity isn't rooted in your political affiliation, it's rooted in your heavenly citizenship in the fact that you have been baptized and that your washed by the blood of the Lamb you are in Christ. That's the most important thing about us affected Jesus to save this and so keep our eyes fixed on that during this time we met some great counsel.

No a drill. What we do when there is a particular politician or party that seems to want to marginalize the church or do things that would cause us to not be able to worship freely as we've done in the past what what should our response be then, well, you know, I think we we way back to and in our decision. That's is a part of what were thinking through us. We determine who it is that were going to vote for you know one thing I will say though Bill is I think of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are facing real serious persecution. May I hear stories from organizations like voice of the martyrs and think of brothers in China and in the Middle East and you know that North Korea and boy, my heart just breaks.

I think that sometimes as believers in the United States we can have this sort of persecution complex and really think that everyone is out out to get us as we think of following Jesus means everybody like us were totally confusing and are the people who are against the church, yes, but at the same time I think we should one be thankful for the fact that God has blessed us in so many ways here in the United States and to remember our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are really experiencing serious persecution and then pray for them. It's really easy for us really easy for me to think that were at the center of the world and that we have it worse than everyone else. We don't know, and in many ways were were still very blessed. Now that doesn't mean that we should just sort of video forgo whatever freedoms we do have that were thankful for the Lord for like us that we want the Scriptures to guide us when our conscience is to guide us and that's a part of what should way in our minds as we think about these decisions that were making but I just want to encourage people one to hope in the Lord to not be so despairing and in terms of thinking. Boy, this is the worst it's what we have it worse than anyone else. You know, I know that's not the case. Throughout the history of the church we think about that.

The days of the apostles first two centuries meant. The church has been through some really really hard times.

But Jesus is been with her the whole time and he's continued to advance his gospel and he's going to keep doing that so man what an encouragement that we have the cling to him and to cling to the truth and to continue to pursue loving our neighbors. Even the neighbors that we disagree with and who frustrate us that are seeking to harm us. God calls us to love those people Bill Petra Jesus calls us to. And that's what he did love his enemies and that was who we were.

Paul says in Romans five and so what it hope we have through Christ and what example he gave to us men. Let's get one more question here on core Christianity.

This one comes from Maria, who posted this on our twitter account. She says I've heard a lot about salvation by grace that excludes our good works. But if God didn't want our good works and why did he give us the law. In Leviticus 18. Five. We read. I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and rules. If a person does them, he shall live by them. I am the Lord.

Doesn't this mean that life comes through fulfilling the law. Yet here you're onto something that Maria and you do have that repeated phrase when it comes to the law. Do this and the live minnow is really what God told Adam in the garden enough. If you obey if you don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Your you're going to be blessed and do this and limits what you heard again when God gave the 10 Commandments. There were all these blessings for obedience to the law and curses for disobedience, and the ultimate blessing for obedience to the law was life you get.

But the problem is, none of us keeps the law perfectly for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul said in the book of Romans. So the issue with the old covenant was not that it was imperfectly the covenant was good. The problem with the old company know it was me and you is that we broke it that we failed to keep it so that life cannot come through that and this is one of the points Maria that the apostle Paul makes throughout the book of Galatians over and over and over again so no one can be saved justified by obedience to the law of God, because no one perfectly obeys the law of God, but there was one Jesus born of a woman of virgin born under the law, so that he might fulfill the righteous requirements of the law perfectly in his life.

In his obedience and over and over again throughout the life of Jesus we see in the Gospels is. It's as if he's walking in the very footsteps of Israel obeying perfectly everywhere were Israel failed to obey.

He came as the second Adam to cast out the serpent.

He came as the perfect, the true Israel to endure the temptation in the wilderness to obey the voice of his father Jesus Maria perfectly obeyed the law of God, and you know he received not life, but the curse Paul tells us in Galatians. Quoting from the book of Leviticus cursed is everyone who is hanged upon a tree. Jesus, the one who perfectly fulfilled the law, received the curse that comes from the law death we deserve the curse of the law. But Jesus would been perfectly obedient took the curse of the law in himself in his body on the tree so that he might polish that curse and grant us eternal life, so life for us does not come through obedience to the law. It comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe in Jesus, Maria, his life flows into us. We are credited with his perfect righteous life lived so that we can be what the Bible calls justified all of our sins forgiven counted is righteous before the eyes of a holy God. Even though we haven't The law because were in Jesus the one who perfectly kept the law and let me to say to you, listening right now. When you grasp this, it will transform your Christian life.

Because if you're if you're on the this sort of rat wheel of trying to earn your salvation by obedience to the law. There are days where you wake up you feel real good because you think I've done really good and there are other days when you can feel terrible because you feel like man I just know that I don't keep God's law. It's good to be up and down, up and down this roller coaster of trying to earn God's approval that will exhaust you. It will exhaust you when you come to Jesus broken able to say Lord I haven't perfectly Your law you can receive an arrest in his perfect life.

His salvific work for you.

His death on the cross. You can breathe easy and safe thanks for your work for me. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer.

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