Does Jesus Contradict the Old Testament?

Does Jesus contradict the laws given to Israel in the Old Testament that is 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 to ask your question live on the air at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question are Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us with your question at questions@4christianity.com on yesterday show a real talked about some misconceptions particular verse its first Corinthians 1013 and then after the show ended neck, left this voicemail for us. I like what you said in today's episode that people often misquote first Corinthians 1013 that God will give us anything more than we can handle. He said there are verses in the Bible that suggest otherwise. And I certainly would like to have those when I talk to people about the misuse of that first.

Thank you very much. Hey Nick, thank you for following up. After that answer yesterday and I think that this is a really really important thing for Christians to understand because my my sense is that the majority of believers that I talked to them and they quote that almost as if it's it's a verse in the Bible, God is not going to give you more than you can handle and there they are misunderstanding what Paul said there in first Corinthians 1012 and 13 and so where do I go typically to to to correct this false assumption. I go to something else that both side of the Corinthians in second Corinthians chapter 1 I think that this is the best first to go to her for thinking through this this question in particular San Quentin chapter 1 beginning in verse eight Paul said we do not want you to be unaware, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again, and brother. One of the reasons I think it's important for us to to understand this, that, actually, there are times in our lives for God does give us more than we can handle is because if we assume I can handle this. Whatever it is that I'm going through working to be crushed are member talking to.

I dear woman years ago whose child was ill, very sick and she was crying and she just said I know that God will never give me more than I can handle inside I'm trying to muster up the strength that I have in order to to walk through this very difficult situation here was a woman whose child was very very ill and she's trying to cope transit try to deal with the situation. I decide to look sister. God does give us more than we can handle were not supposed to rely upon our own strength is what Paul says there very clearly in second Corinthians 1. We we were burdened beyond our strengths. Indeed, we felt that we received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead, and so when we're going through things in our lives and we will circumstances that are just beyond our own strength. What will God is calling us to is to trust in him to rely upon him, and the strength that he gives to us and so really important that we understand that those verses in their context and so I appreciate you following up with the snake and I know that a lot of people can find that to be very helpful as love it when folks dig into God's word on a regular basis. It reminds me of what you'll Paul said about the blueprints you note daily, searching the Scriptures and when we have callers that do that while that's that's really encouraging is not absolutely a man and that's we want. We want people to search the Scriptures and at the calling with their questions so reach out. Here's Kyle from Salem, Oregon Kyle, welcome to core Christianity hey Kyle, what's your question, I am looking for a shirt.

I a lot of difficulty a lot of churches, but I find better. Don't align with my understanding of what marks you would want to check off starting her home. Question question is very near and dear to my heart as a as a pastor, Kyle, and so I want to point you in the right direction. I like the word to use their you know what are the marks that we want to look for when were thinking about what what a true church is and I think we could summarize those marks with just three things in a true church is the church you want to look for is a church that preaches the word of God faithfully where the gospel is being proclaimed, that worships Jesus in in in accordance with how he's he's called us to worship him. You and the ordinances there that he instituted baptism and the Lord's supper.

I will you have things like church discipline taking place. Jesus talked about this in Matthew chapter 18 church that takes sin seriously. They're not sugarcoating things or preaching the word of God faithfully and loving sinners, but but taking sin seriously as well and one passage of Scripture that I would go to in order to defend those those sort of marks of the church if you will is in acts chapter 2. Immediately after the day of Pentecost.

The believers are gathered together their fellow shipping their worshiping and we read in acts chapter 2, verse 42. Listen what the early disciples devoted themselves to, they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common. So here we have is a wonderful picture of the early church community and what are they devoting themselves to the apostles teaching sound doctrine the word of God. The gospel right the first mark of the church.

The word of God is what creates and sustains the church in the New Testament says that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of Christ. We been born again were told not of a perishable seed, but of an imperishable seed to the living and abiding word of God and so the word Kyle has to be central and I think a lot of people today when they're looking for church there and they're asking I think a lot of times the wrong question or sale. What kind of programs as a church have does the style the musical styles to fit with what I like and those are important things but we want to prioritize with the word of God itself prioritizes what Jesus prioritizes and that's is the gospel being faithfully taught. Here's the word of God being proclaimed. Are we worshiping Jesus in line with how he's called us to worship him and is is a church that that fellowship you know, church discipline, that kind of thing. Those those things are happening you find a church like that. I would say get plugged in and become a part of the body and and invest it really is important for our own spiritual well-being and growth in grace. And so, I hope that you do find something very soon. Nearby to where you live. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and if you would like to talk to pastor Israel live here is the number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Curtis from blue Y Missouri hi Curtis hi how are you doing well. How are you doing good. We love them in your town. We love blue I Missouri what I write on the Arkansas Missouri border just south of Branson is very beautiful place by table rock like all right what's your question, Curtis my life within believers of the long time only recently been watching the cable program called the days of Noah.

We watched.

The four-part series but as it goes through, it goes in depth Bible verses and a timeline that steer towards what we believe is just turn us toward the Seventh-day Adventist movement is very clearly in this program that we cannot observe Saturday Sabbath that we will not be eligible for salvation. Any like it was that in the roundabout way to the mark of the beast that will will Curtis I think one thing we have to be really careful with is adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ. What is it that God requires of us to be saved will.

It's not so much. Something that we do. It's a gift that we receive by faith and from the very beginning that you know way after the apostles Mia began preaching the gospel what you had, as you had people who were trying to add to that, once for all. Finished work of Jesus Christ. I think in particular of the book of Galatians. For example, were you had these people these agitators who entered into the church and they were telling people if you want to be saved, if you really want to be a Christian. That's great that you've accepted Jesus, but now you need to follow the law of Moses as well. You need to you need to adhere to some of the ceremonial practices that we see there in the old covenant, and one thing that really concerns me about those who say well if you really want to be saved, you're going to have to make sure you're observing the Saturday Sabbath to that kind of thing is it sounds to me very much like adding to the finished work of Jesus Christ. And one thing that's absolutely clear from the New Testament is the early church gathered together on the first day of the week. I just was reading from acts chapter 2 could turn several chapters later in acts chapter 20 verse seven it says on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul, talk with them intending to depart on the next day and he prolonged his speech until midnight there gathered together for the breaking of bread, probably a reference to communion. The Lord's supper and to hear preaching this is that the church gathering you see this this idea of the church gathering on the first day of the week in first Corinthians chapter 16 verses one into the book of Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 of and it seems very clear that the early Christian community gathered together on Sunday. Why, because that was the day that Jesus rose again from the dead on the first day of the week and so II get really nervous when people start to say what looked that's great that you've accepted Jesus by faith that you've received his grace, the forgiveness of your sins, but if you really want to be saved, you need to follow these other rules and in particular going back to the Old Testament and appealing to some of these laws that were really primarily associated with Israel as his political body. The ceremonial worship of the old covenant we have to be so careful. The gospel is not in. This is something we've we've said over and over again on this program the gospel is not. Here's what you need to do so that God will accept.

That's the law. The gospel is, here's what God has done for sinners so that they might be received into his family not on the basis of our own merits. What we do, but on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for us. He died for our sins, was raised again for our justification and we worship him. We gather together as the people of God on the first day of the week to celebrate that great reality and so that that was the practice of the early church of the apostles themselves, and I think you want to follow their example, brother.

Thank you so much for for your call. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and if you are a regular listener to this program. We want you to know that we are listener supported. That means that we count on people just like you to make donations to keep the show on the air now one of the ways you can do that is by joining what we call our inner core yeah Bill, thank you for for mentioning that the inner core is at will.

One we want to say thank you to all of you who have joined the inner core is such a wonderful thing for us to be able to partner together to share the truth of the gospel to open up God's word and encourage people who really need this encouragement this truth and so if you've been blessed by core Christianity.

If you been encouraged by this program on invite you to consider joining the inner courts a monthly donation of $25 or more and right now the team is really working hard to get it to create some new resources some exclusive material for the inner core members were exit just working on that yesterday and some excited to announce that you can find out more information about this by going over to our website. Head over to core Christianity.com/inner core. To learn more or give us a call at 833 the core and again I just want to say thank you so much for your support and your partnership. We have some great folks who have joined the inner core. Would love to have you join as well so do not go to work, website core, Christianity.com/inner core. Let's get to a call that came in us is the voicemail we received. By the way, one of the ways you can leave us a voicemail is by going to our website at core, Christianity.com/radio and just click on the little microphone icon and leave your message there. Hi my name is Chris Benedetti. My question to you is in order to estimate the God image is different and I New Testament they made up God is different in order to segment the Lipo is untouchable. Let us to just touch us and he said I Lipo skip lessening mucus Clement could you please extend beyond that. Thank you Chris, thank you for that question. So this sounds like you know what's what's the deal. In the Old Testament you weren't supposed to touch lepers and then Jesus shows up in during his earthly ministry he is laying his hands on lepers and cleansing them. In fact just yesterday for our family.

The morning we are doing our our family Bible reading and I read Matthew chapter 8 to our kids, and the very beginning of that chapter has Jesus cleansing a leper and I asked my children kids you know a leper isn't one of my one of my boys said it's animal and I said no, not a leopard letter size of the cleansing of the leper and Jesus cleansed multiple lepers throughout his ministry. Is he contradicting the teaching of the Old Testament will one thing you need to know brother is that lepers and and others that those who were considered unclean under the old covenant and what what that refer to as they were in the sort of state of death is sickness, loss of life, loss of blood. They were there were views on kink unclean. They couldn't enter into the temple worship of God's people in this in this particular state will typically they were handled by the priests in the Old Testament that was one of the jobs of the priest throughout the book of Leviticus as they worked with the lepers, with the unclean to help get them back into a state of cleanliness if you will, of purity, so that they could enter back into the worshiping community and Jesus is the ultimate priest of God's people that one thing that I think is so awesome when you look at the New Testament is over and over again.

This is highlighted especially in places like the gospel of Mark. If you go to to Mark's gospel it the getting of the gospel of Mark back in Mark chapter 1 verses 40 and following Jesus cleansed a leper and then in Mark chapter 5 Jesus healed a woman with that with an issue of blood with the flow of blood and then at the end of that section in Mark chapter 5, Jesus touched a little girl who was dead and brought her back to to life.

You have Jesus cleansing a leper Jesus healing the woman with the flow of blood and Jesus touching a corpse will these are all things that would've put someone in this state of uncleanness under the old covenant. But Jesus is showing us he's revealing to us that he is the ultimate priest of the people of God who deals with our uncleanness, who puts us in a state where were able to approach the father and his throne of grace with boldness and so there's no contradiction here because Jesus is the ultimate high priest of God's people in one book that you can go to in the New Testament that really highlights this is the book of Hebrews and so what were being shown there.

Do the ministry of Jesus is, is the fact that he's he's the ultimate priest of the people of God and what did he do is the ultimate priest of God's people. He offered his own body as a sacrifice for our sins and even now were told in the New Testament he ever lives to make intercession for us to pray for us as our great high priest from heaven.

Thank you for your question brother thanks Chris. We appreciate your let's go to another call that came in. Ricky is on the line from Nashville, Tennessee hi Ricky how are you spirit filled Christian be oppressed by a demonic spirit. Thank you for that question Ricky so mean, I've often been asked in a Connecticut, a true believer be possessed by demons and enter that I would say no on the basis of what John says in first John chapter 5. He says there beginning in verse 18, we know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he was been born of God protects him and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

The words of John there I think are really important and they should be very comforting for us as Christians that the evil one.

In one sense, can't touch us and I did what that means is is were not under the control of the evil one. We can't be possessed. As you said as spirit filled believers, but can we experience spiritual oppression demonic attack will I would say yes.

Paul makes it absolutely clear that we are in a spiritual battle that we need to put on the armor of God, and the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness that we need to be committed to prayer to standing against the evil one and so we are brother in a battle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers rulers and authorities and there are times I think in the midst of the battle. We can be discouraged when we can feel oppressed and that's when we flee to the word of God and prayer and to the, the confident reality. The hope that the evil one. While he can attack us and what we can be discouraged. While we can fail in and fall even as Christians. The Lord himself is the one who keeps us in because we've been born again I quoted this verse earlier and not of the parish perishable seed but an imperishable see through the word of God. God is going to sustain us and keep us and protect us ultimately from Satan.

And so we have a great hope there but we do need to recognize that were in in a very real spiritual battle. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we can receive your call anytime. Here's the phone number it's 833-843-2673 Jessica joins us from Nesbitt Mississippi hi Jessica how are you great thing here biblical to say that the Holy Spirit makes one let God is a great question Jessica. He gets it. The us of a broader question of what's the role of the Holy Spirit in the world today.

What is the what is he doing, how is he working in our midst. And a lot of times I think Christians focus on the miraculous signs and wonders and that kind of a thing and enforcing that in the spirit is really at work but if we don't see that then were not really a part of the spirit filled church or that kind of thing but what you're touching on here is the fact that the spirit of God is a lot more than just that. The signs and the wonders, actually he unites us to God to Jesus. It's by the spirit that you and I are united to Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Everything that belongs to Jesus everything that he's done for us in accomplishing his redemption becomes ours.

It really is this beautiful thing now.

In one sense I think the ever fortifying in that way we can say yes the spirit of God makes us one with God. That is, he unites us to God the son to Jesus were adopted into the family of God through the work of Jesus Christ for us, but if what people mean by that. And you know this is where I think it you can get kind of weird is when people talk about becoming one with God in it were sort of merging with God. Essentially, were even becoming gods if you will that. That's sort of out there and that's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that the spirit of God makes Jesus and his work for us, present and available to us now. What would Jesus accomplish 2000 years ago is yours, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. He applies it to your life by working faith in you and uniting you to Jesus when he called you to Christ.

And so it really is this this wonderful thing. Now Jessica, were you thinking in terms of Medo becoming one with God re-thinking of it in terms of you merging with God. Essentially, if you will or or more, and in the idea of becoming one with Christ in our in our union with Jesus and a about page of the church that I'm looking okay and when I read it in kind of fishy though sent/question you know that that's an excellent question.

I love that you are digging deep to find out what the church that you're visiting in what they believe. I think that's really important in this is this is one of the most important. So what is this church teaching and usually I have that language of becoming one with God that that does kinda sound fishy to me over the spirit of God unites us to Jesus Christ and and we are one with each other. One body. Paul says to the Corinthians by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body as of the spirit gives us union with with each other as a church union with Jesus himself as the head of the church and we are adopted into the family of God through the Spirit of adoption, so I prefer that language. And maybe that's what this church means you might want to reach out and and follow-up and see if you can get some more clarity there but again sister thank you so much for your call and for doing the hard work of really digging into what this church believes.

I pray that the Lord will bless you and all that brings up a good point federal there are some churches, even some denominations who have kind of strayed into Eastern religion and would say yes we are one with God and almost we we become gods and man oh man that is a huge danger when churches move in that direction. Yeah, and again it's it's why we emphasize the things that we do on this program bill. We want people to understand the Scriptures in their context, and while it might sound wonderful. We become one with God. That kind of a thing. I made there. There's this distinction between the creator and the creatures there were totally different. While we have communion with God fellowship with him, by the grace of the Holy Spirit were always going to be creatures and he's always going to be God and that's why we worship him because he's great.

He's glorious.

He's different than we are and up but I did. I do love the idea bill of us being united to Jesus Christ by faith is there that our sins are forgiven and and that's what gives us fellowship with each other and with God. That's we want fellowship with the Lord.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together