Whom Did Jesus Die For?

What exactly is Christian discipleship and how I practice it best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Adm. 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 and we have an Instagram account, a Facebook page you can post your question there as well to start off with today we have another one of our good news stories to share with you a terrifying moment has turned into a lifelong bond between a woman her baby and a South Carolina deputy sheriff.

Here's what happened last summer deputy William Kimbrough pulled over a car for speeding and found a frantic mother inside the woman's 12-day-old baby had stopped breathing. Well deputy Kimbrough performed lifesaving CPR on the baby and the entire thing was captured on his body cam.

The baby named Riley went on to make a full recovery. And one year later deputy Kimbrough was invited to her very first birthday party at the party got a special surprise, he received a card asking him to be Riley's godfather medical that's really cool. Yeah I love the stories management talk about saving a life and being in the right place at the right time.

How how praise God providentially that he was there to be able to help in that moment of need God's providence, so that's beautiful. Let's get to our first question of the day.

This is an email that came in from Gerald and Gerald says is it possible to have sins unpaid for. In other words, when Jesus said from the cross, father forgive them for they know not what they do. Were those people for given or did Jesus die for those sins.

Should we assume that all the people in the crowd were eventually saved because Jesus forgave their sins. I guess I have a similar question about Stephen when he was being stoned while I don't think Gerald that we need to assume that they were that they weren't saved.

One of the things that Christ secured by his death on the cross immediately who we talking about here were talking about the eternal word of the father, Jesus the son, assuming humanity taking on flesh so that he might in that humanity suffer and die for our sins. It's what Paul said in acts chapter 20 verse 28 pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood is the blood of Jesus is of infinite value because it was offered up by the eternal son of God and so we could say that the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to atone for the sins of the entire world that we just can't put a limitation on it and yet only those who are united to Christ by faith receive the power the efficacy of that blood.

What that blood was intended for. It was intended for the church is what it's what Paul again if he speaking to the Ephesian elders there next 2028.

What he says you Christ obtained the church with his blood, so only those who trust in Jesus Christ receive the application of Christ's redemptive work and as I said I'd even go a step further. I said that God in his sovereignty, sent his son specifically to us atone for the sins of the church Christ bride, but in terms of the sufficiency of Jesus's blood were talking about the blood of God. It's of infinite value and so I think you when we preach the gospel when we talk to people about the redemptive work of Jesus.

We just we just preach it is the free offer of the gospel. It goes to all people indiscriminately and we preach. It is good news for you Christ loves the world because he died for the world but only those who are united to him by faith experience the benefits of that redemption.

And that's that's an important distinction you see it all over the place received in Romans chapter 5 as Paul is talking about the first Adam and the last Adam and in the work of the last Adam. Jesus Christ on our behalf in the free gift of righteousness that is received by faith alone, but it's really important for us to understand that distinction. I think in terms of Jesus's prayer on the cross and then even Stevens prayer as he's being stoned to death in a world where he prays for the forgiveness of the people around him were all of those people forgiven it. I don't know. I think that's that's speculative. I do know that one of the people that was there when Stephen was being stoned was Saul of Tarsus and he's praying for the people who were there, and it seems like the Lord that he and I think that this is just so neat. You know in the book of acts you have Stephen praying for the people who were persecuting him Saul of Tarsus is there and Saul of Tarsus later on his unit come to faith and he becomes right.

Paul the apostle, and so some of them certainly were, but we can speculate about about everyone there and I don't think that we need to because I think that Jesus could make those kinds of statements. Stephen could say those kinds of things just on the basis of the fact that the blood of Jesus is of infinite value sufficient for the sins of all but efficient only for the sins of those who trust in Jesus, Gerald, thanks so much for your email for your question. We appreciate hearing from you. You can call us with your question here at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, you can also record your question at the core Christianity website. Here's what you do go to court, Christianity.com/radio look for the little microphone on the right-hand side of the pages. Click on that and you can record your question anytime 24 hours a day. Here's a question we had come in from Linda 320 Christ going to quote and speaking to.

That way there and I'm wondering if that still attend our game and people who have severely innovate God's law is a Corsair if it's my purgatory temporary holding place.

I am confused. I was likely a term think you yeah Linda will you bring up one of those text of Scripture that is that this is one of the ones were there all sorts of different interpretations. I think what you actually mean is first Peter chapter 3 verse 20 but there are things in second Peter that kind of alluded to what it sounds like you're talking about. For example, in second Peter chapter 2 verse four Peter said if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness, to be kept until the judgment if he did not spare the ancient world preserved no herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly, and then he goes on to describe you know the fact that God judges those who said no. In second Peter in the context there.

Peter is really talking about the false teachers who have crept into the church and are leading people astray and there going to be judged there going to be condemned by God because of their sin and eye and unbelief, but I think you know in terms of originally you know that the verse that you're referring to.

I think you're talking about. First Peter chapter 3 to begin in verse 18 it says for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison because they formerly did not obey when God's patients waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water and so this idea of Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. Now there are all sorts of questions that this race is that is Jesus preaching to who you know is this the time in between Jesus's death and resurrection, which is what many people will say that the question related to the spirits. Are you there some who said that the spirits refer to fallen Angels and the ideas Jesus is proclaiming his victory over the principalities and powers some of said that it refers to the Old Testament saints who were kept in this sort of purgatory. If you will that are other than subsequently released by Jesus through the preaching of the gospel. Others have said it's it's the unbelieving in the days of Noah that Jesus is gone, to preach to them and give them a second chance to tell him there's just so many different ways to take this text. I think a lot of the ones that I just mentioned are not the most helpful because there's nothing wanting Scripture that would indicate that after we die we get a second chance. So I think that interpretation could be ruled out immediately. I think one way that we could look at this in terms of Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. Some people have taken this to me, not necessarily Christ himself was preaching, but that through Noah. Christ was being preached back in first Peter chapter 1 in verse 11, Peter says this author. In verse 10 concerning the salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory since the summer said you know what is filled with the spirit of Christ as he's preaching in second Peter chapter 2 verse five does call Noah herald of righteousness.

So the idea might be that no one is actually the one who's preaching here to the people in his day, in the spirit of Christ with Christ living in him that's that's one way of taking this text I think it sort of makes sense in the context another way I think is just the idea that Christ is after his death and resurrection proclaiming victory over the spirits in prison those or at least the two that I I lean toward in terms of interpretation, but I think with these kinds of tax. This is a really important principle of interpretation we always want to let the clear passages of Scripture interpret the less clear ones, and this certainly seems like a less clear passage of Scripture to me, as I think those two interpretations are probably the safest and they fit the context and they are in line with the other things that we find throughout the Bible. Thanks for your question federal I'm so glad you mentioned one of the key principles of good hermeneutics. Basically, how do we interpret these passages that are that are unclear to us and I would encourage every believer to really study up on how to interpret God's word in the most effective way your listing the core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and you one of the things we do here is we strive to help you understand the core truths of the Christian faith.

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The core someone posted this on her Instagram account. I'm really confused about discipleship. What is it and what does it look like practically the I'm really glad that we received this question Bill such an important one. What is discipleship look like and what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus I meet. He P stated very clearly right before he ascended into heaven, he told his disciples go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the signing of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the eighth and the end of Matthew's gospel very in Matthew's Gospel.

Matthew 28.

Beginning in verse 19.

Disciple is a learner discipling is training people up in Jesus's word so that we might grow up into the image of Jesus. I love the way Paul describes it in Ephesians chapter 4 in Ephesians chapter 4 he talks about how God has given us these different gifts these blessings as the church that he talks about pastors and teachers training us up and in God's word and then he continues in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to mature manhood. Super talk about maturity here.

Growing up in the faith, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness, and in deceitful schemes, rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ, for whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. You see how important their the truth is, knowing the truth of God's word wise so that were not led astray by these winds of doctrine. False teaching that so easily captivates people. Those who are susceptible to it because they're not grounded in the gospel rooted in the teaching of holy Scripture. Now there's a lot of confusion I think today about discipleship. A disciple is a learner were growing up into the image of Jesus. But how does that happen. I remember being in a church. Years ago, and serving at that church.

I was involved in in ministry there. I was in a pastor yet, but we had this big push for discipleship and basically the way we just define discipleship, and in this is how I think a lot of churches today will define his recently said look you find someone that you're going to disciple an individual in the church and you you meet up with this person and you go to a Starbucks or to a copy shop and you read a book together to help you grow in your understanding of the faith and and maybe you feel like you're a little bit further along spiritually. This than this person so you can help them mature and and you should even be discipled by someone else. Someone else in the church was more spiritually mature than you are so discipleship very much felt like this one on one meeting with someone else in the church going through some sort of Christian education material, a book perhaps or even just reading through a book of the Bible together and I think that's wonderful. I'm not knocking that I don't think that that's that's a bad thing to do. I think it's those kinds of you know, let's get together and talk about the word and grow in our understanding of Scripture that's great. I got a conversation with with the brother in that church. An older brother who expressed to me his frustration because he said you know I'm not really good at this kind of thing. I don't feel like I can teach others that stitches not my my gift. I don't feel like like I can do this.

It was really hard for him to sit down with somebody else and try to disciple them when discipleship was defined by you to sit down and read a book in a minute teach you this book is theology, yet hard time. That just was not his gift. Do you know what his gift was.

I knew it was because I knew him pretty well.

His gift was barbecue. He just was that amazing cook and he and his his wife. They would throw these big barbecues and everybody would be there in the church. They had the gift of hospitality and you know what a lot of ministry happened there in their house a lot of discipleship not because they were teaching, but because they were hosting and other people were talking in teaching and I think that's the kind of you will discipleship that we need to have each one of you has been gifted by the Lord, uniquely first Corinthians chapter 12 makes this very clear were not all gifted in the same way they are gifts of administration. There are gifts of help. There are gifts of hospitality. There are gifts of faith, but there are different ways that God has gifted us and each of us as were using our unique gifts for the building up of the body leads to and contributes to the building up of the whole. So discipleship is the point I'm making is in a one on one thing.

It involves the whole church. It says were gathered together under the word, hearing the gospel preached being taught the Scriptures, growing in our understanding of the Scriptures using our gifts for the benefit of the whole and others using their gifts for the benefit of the whole and all of us coming together so that the body as Paul said there in Ephesians 4 the text that I just read is built up in love and we grow up into that mature man that Paul speaks of their spiritual maturity. It's it's a group effort. I try to remind the people in my church of this from time to time as the pastor innovate.

It's not all about me. I can't train up the whole church on my own if if it's just my gift of if it's the pastor by himself trying to do everything. Well, that's not going to be a very healthy church know I have a part to play and so does every single other person in the church a unique part to play. I teach and preach the word of God right now me. That's it. That's a pretty cheap part there.

But guess what, so are the gifts of hospitality � so important, so are the gifts of help. So are the gifts of administration that is not my gift, and it's only as were using all of our gifts together with the church is built up.

So what does discipleship look like, how do we grow up into the image of Christ.

Looks like being a part of a local church growing together with other believers using your gifts and benefiting from the gifts of others under the ministry of the word so that together with what each joint supplies. As Paul said in Ephesians 4 were built up in love federal that guy that you mention who have the gift of barbecue.

Can we invite him over here and Mitac is one of my favorite gifts of the spirit. So just this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and if you have a question for us. You can call us anytime at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673, Grayson called us, he 17 years old and lives in Houston and he had this question when ever okay to lie and alter everything elderly help out so many Christians around the world.

Thank you Grayson.

It is good to hear from you again and we have to start Bill having like a frequent flyer card for people who call in more than once while in his quest a great I know I know Chris and I mean praise the Lord encouraged always to to get your calls. Well-stocked body lying is a violation of the ninth commandment, you know, don't bear false witness against your neighbor.

So you know that the question of like when is it okay to break the ninth commandment. I want to say it's it's never okay I like you like.

Sin is sin, but then you do have these examples in Scripture where it seems like the other was a little bit of deception involved there that maybe was later praised her views viewed as a positive thing. I'm thinking specifically of the example that we have in Joshua chapter 2 with Rahab and the spies essentially that she conceals and so you know like that. That's I think one instance where potentially you have someone for the sake of saving a life not telling the whole truth per se. I think we have to be really careful because were often looking Grayson for justifications to disobey God's like Jeremiah said that they are the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.

Who can know it. We will look we will search for loopholes for ways that that the law of God doesn't apply to me.

I have a free pass here and we have to be careful with that. Now it's one thing to imagine you know if if out.

This is World War II and I was hiding Jews and the Nazis came, what I hand them over, like the right thing to do in that situation would be to pull Rahab, but most of us own experience that I think it's it's best for sale we just shouldn't lie or deceive in the thing is, were tempted to deceive in the recent work so often tempted to deceive is because we want to make ourselves look better than we actually are.

The beautiful thing about the gospel. Grayson is that because we have a place we can go with our sins because Jesus paid the price for my sin for your sin. I can be honest about the fact that I'm a sinner. We all can we don't have to pretend we don't have to have what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called in his book life together the fellowship of the pious work where you know in the church and I'm sure you seen this so many people have talked about this out. It seems so artificial sometimes when I go to church. Everybody has the smile on everybody's putting forward their their best front while we don't have to. We can be honest about the fact that were broken that we need to grace why because we have the gospel we can have fellowship with each other in all honesty, we don't have to conceal. We don't have to lie we can be honest with each other because of what Jesus is done. And boy that is so freeing to be able to know like I know the people in my church, and they know me and were united not by the fact were perfect by the fact that were redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We should strive for transparency in the church because of what Christ is done for us. Instead of saying when is it okay to lie. Thanks for your question. 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, 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