Should We View Ravi Zacharias Like David?

Reading about the sexual abuse accusations against apologist Ravi Zacharias, shouldn't we view him like Moses, David, and the other figures in the faith who committed major sins. 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 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 also post a question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can check us out on YouTube and of course you can always email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com hey Bill, I wanted to open up today's program picking up on a question that we received it the end of yesterday's broadcast from Sheila she called in really towards the end of the.

The broadcast and wanted to know about dating and and singleness, and you don't when is it right to to pursue that. How do we know were in God's will. Do we wait upon the Lord to bring the right person into our lives and in their few things I want to thanks and have a chance to say number one is it. Singleness isn't a curse from God. You actually some people are called to singleness and I think within the church. We have to recognize that.

I think that actually has been minimized at times in Christian circles, some people are called to this. Not everyone is called to it and how do you know if you're not called to it.

Well, do you want to be in a relationship to desire to be married and it sounded like Sheila didn't and so that's something that we as Christians are free to pursue so long as the person were pursuing is in the Lord.

Paul talks about this in first Corinthians chapter 7, so long as were not unequally yoked. That is pursuing a relationship or in a relationship with someone who who is not a believer disagrees with us about the most important thing who Jesus is and so I think we have some freedom here and a lot of times believers are are confusing. Other sort of waiting for the Lord to just drop someone in front of them in and they're praying for and they don't know if they can pursue relational do I do I do the dating app thing or that kind of a thing.

What were free to pursue someone if we want to be married so long as they're in the Lord read Bill yeah I think that's a really good assessment and you and I could think back to my own life I was married till I was 41 and there were times where I wondered you know is is God withholding this for me. I want to be married. I want to find a life partner and finally I think what happened with me a drill as I had dated quite a bit but when I got my priorities straight on the sort of woman that God would want me to marry and I started putting want to put first. I put the fruit of the spirit first and I said if I can find somebody who manifests the fruit of the spirit in her life. That's the person I want to get serious about and man. All of a sudden, God delivered my wife Lisa and literally if if you look up the fruit of the Spirit in the Bible.

There's a picture of Lisa yeah well that I guess that's great Bill wonderful. So yes, it was really a miraculous thing and I'm so thankful yet you find a wife.

I know Bill yes and that she she accepted me that he took me about that was a big issue say let's go to our phone lines right now if you got a call of a question for Pastor Israel. Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 John is on the line from Iowa John, welcome to core Christianity, morning or afternoon, whatever. Hey John yeah good afternoon with your question. Label legalistic church about Communicated well first you know I'm not entirely sure what what your situation is exactly John a minute to get be helpful to define legalistic here when I think of legalistic, and I think that the book of Galatians. For example, where there were people these agitators were coming in and they were adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were saying, look, if you want to be saved, if you want to truly be considered a Christian.

That's great.

You've accepted Jesus, but now you need to follow these extra rules and regulations and they were going back to the old covenant law and so that's that's legalism Debbie that that's that's I would define its adding to the gospel and if a church is doing that.

That's this absolutely horrible me that that that that ultimately is failing to preach the gospel faithfully and so I would say that we shouldn't be in churches that are that are doing that and the issue then is well if you leave a church like that and they try to put you under some sort of church discipline or they use their authority to to sort of punish you yeah how do you how do you handle at one of that one of the sad things I've seen over and over again heard about even is is people who want to leave some of these cults you think of the Jehovah's Witnesses and others. And then there just completely cut off, ostracized, made to feel terrible because they disagree with the false doctrine that is being proclaimed in these in these groups and and so yeah it's a devastating thing John when when a church uses its authority to abuse members or to coerce them to stick around when they're preaching a false gospel and and if that's taking the place. I don't know if that's what's taking place.

I do know that there is anything that you can do. I think that you bring up that the issues you you talk about the, the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and how that's what you want to hear and if that's not being proclaimed, you're free to leave the edit again it's it's it's a tragedy but I don't think you have to feel bad about getting out of a church that's not faithfully proclaiming the word of God, thank you for your call John, this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez give us a call if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. The numbers 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, there are some radio stations that errors on a delayed basis, so I should mention the time to call us if you want to talk to pastor a drill live is 1130 Pacific time 1230 Mountain 130 Central or 230 Eastern time.

You can call that number and talk to Pastor Israel was go to Lacey from Springfield, Mississippi hi Lacey, welcome to core Christianity had taken my question.

Thanks for calling Lacey what your question so my question is that a godly wife.

How do you show grace without tolerance to a husband who continues to struggle with sexual addictions including photography. Yeah Lacey for semi I know that you're not alone with this question and that there are many who have this this same question. What I would do is I would point to a couple of passages in Scripture. One. Galatians chapter 6 verse one says brothers. If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. And so in our approach to others when they fall into sin when they given to sin should be one of humility. One of gentleness, considering ourselves because we recognize that we too are sinners and I think another passage that I would go to is it in Ephesians chapter 4 beginning in verse 29. The apostle Paul said, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you as a how do we show grace to the people that we love Hussein in ways that hurt us that grace comes from the gospel from the forgiveness that we've received in Christ and it's channeling that that grace that we've received from the Lord to our loved ones to to your husband and that does not mean Lacey minimizing the sin. I think it's really important that there is accountability that there is transparency that there is repentance, confession, and so but specifically to your question the grace it has to come from the Holy Spirit because so often when were sinned against him were hurt our natural reaction is going to want to be to hurt the other person to make them feel is as we've been made to feel and so we have to look to Jesus, we have to remember that we too are sinners and to extend that grace and forgiveness to the people who have sinned against us, while not minimizing their sins and in a situation like this. I think it's really important to get as I said, accountability oversight may be to get the church involved in an other brothers faithful brothers who could come alongside of your husband and hold him accountable and encourage him and I in the process encourage you as well sister Lacey. Thank you so much for your call will be praying for you. We know that's a very difficult situation.

Let's go to glory who's calling in from Modesto California glory. Welcome to core Christianity. Thanks again for taking another call for me.

I welcome back to the to the program glory with a question. So the new Christian right former Catholic, I I'm curious and I really don't know how to Christian churches.

You went the Lenten season and Lenten sacrifices know that kind of thing that's predominant in the Catholic Church I'm I'm just curious yeah and and you know for Roman Catholics and and other you know some some other Christian traditions are just entering into that season of Lent and by the way if if you don't know what Lent is all about. Maybe you weren't brought up in the Catholic Church as you're listening to this broadcast… A period of fasting of contrition leading up to Easter and it wasn't something that Jesus instituted or that the apostles instituted. I think it's really important for us to to recognize that glory. So this is it like a biblical commandment. It was something that developed over several centuries in in the ancient church, probably about the fourth century the fifth century by then you had basically this period of 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter and what a lot of people think is that it came out of.

Essentially, the practice of people who were going to be baptized on Easter.

Typically, they were encouraged to fast and to prepare themselves for baptism in the ancient church and so let people think it was out of that practice that that Lent develops what I would say is more free as as Christians under the new covenant too fast occasionally in a win win. There's a need for that and typically in the Bible, fasting was associated with times of calamity, times of repentance is a period of just setting our our eyes upon the Lord, setting aside distractions and saying God I want to draw near to you because I need you, but it's not the church's job to impose fast as commandments on the people within the church in order to in order to set up with these burdens on them aside. I think were free to think about these things.

Certainly, to think about fasting when Jesus himself talked about fasting in the sermon on the mount, but for example the church that I pastor.

We don't you know tell people how you need to observe Lent and answer to put it out there as if it was this commandment given to us by God because it wasn't. It is a good thing to humble ourselves to repent of our sins, not just for 40 days out of the year but really every day of the year and so I think that that's how how I approach and that's how a lot of other Protestant Christians. Approach it as well and I would say you're free to to use. This is a time of drawing near to the Lord and in in fasting and prayer.

If you want, and if not that's that's also okay one last thing, I think it's really important for us to to remember the words of Jesus when he said it's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you. But what comes from your heart. And of these the sort of traditions and rituals that are all about.

You know how I eat and what IE and and there's a sense I think sometimes people can have. Oh boy this is really making me right before God. The fact that I'm doing these things when in reality, Jesus said, look, it's not what goes in that defiles you. It's what comes out it's you out of the heart proceed all sorts of evil thoughts and and adulteries and murder and so on and so forth and so it's a hard issue that that Jesus came to deal with and that he has dealt with. Ultimately, through the cross and so glory.

Thank you again for calling us so good to hear from you. Thanks for a great reminder of a drill about the truth of the gospel and that it's not our efforts is not our work since Christ's finished work on the cross. And that's the thing we always need to fall back on. This is core Christianity and we have this really cool resource would like to tell you about today.

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The core let's go to the voicemail that we received from Miguel on her own about Robert and I have no allegation of sexual misconduct on him, that is why David King to Saul Solomon, Abraham, the greatest Bible we preach on them and Bijan. The Lord gives them but we seem to burn our people as soon as they do something in the public funds season. We don't hold them up like were supposed to give them low on so my question is why don't we have removed him from the radio teachings are accurate and true. We all have fallen short of the northernmost social not want not even John the Baptist, not Enoch is nobody. But Jesus was part so I'm just warm the heart from wooden pro to remind people that I'm a forgiving person.

I appreciate you Miguel and I hear your question.

Obviously, the situation is absolutely devastating it's it's maddening.

It makes me angry. Not that not that you know people have responded the way that they have a me I think that the response taking him off the air if if he was on the air those kind of thing that I was a right course of action. What's heartbreaking is the fact that there was a Christian leader who was praying on the sheet and Jesus has talked about this and he talked about this, he warned, he warned about this in the Gospels and so this is this is something that justice is terrible situations, not just allegations either. There was a whole investigation that came out about Ravi and it was it was pretty yummy. It was it was pretty bad worse than bad. And so the question is why don't we just say will what about David and what about Moses and some of these other people who you know they were believers and they send in grievous ways and and they were forgiven of the problem here brothers.

It was a pattern of abuse and manipulation. Spiritual manipulation using Jesus the gospel ministry ministry funds in order to abuse people now that is terrifying and frankly I'm it we can't make a judgment on on an individual so I'm not going to do that but we do know what Jesus said beware of wolves who come to you in sheep's clothing. And when somebody is using ministry, Jesus the gospel in order to prey on others on Jesus's little sheep man that that that should that should cause us to be filled with fear and tremble enough course, all of us. As you said that you everyone is sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But we cannot minimize the sin of Christian leaders because the world sees that and in it, it really I think discredits in one since the message that the church is seeking to proclaim because we talk about the free grace of God, the gospel, the forgiveness of sins, and yet Christian leaders turn around and live contrary to data gives the church a black eye and so we have to address it and we have to address it seriously and let me just say this. Typically, in cases of abuse. The sad thing is, a lot of times an individual get caught and there is all this talk about forgiveness and and and of course there is forgiveness for repentant sinners, but a lot of times in this process, you know who gets overlooked are the victims. The people who were abused right now, the church should focus on caring for the victims.

Those who have been abused and coming alongside of them and that that's what needs to happen and then in August there's nothing that can be done with with Robbie's he's died. He's he at least stood before the Lord God is God's gonna handle that God is going to deal with that.

But our job as a church, but we cannot minimize those kinds of things because they're very serious.

Jesus takes them seriously.

We had to sell was just like David just like Moses know that frankly what you had with David to his is someone who repented was confronted who didn't conceal his sin, but confessed it and so that there is a big difference there as well.

I do appreciate your question, but let me just again say we cannot minimize these kinds of things we would take him seriously as a church and as Christians and we need to care for those who have been of you have been abused, especially that's where our focus needs to be such a tough situation because a guy that all of us respected his teaching his apologetics is his brilliance. But man oh man, we read these allegations and many of which have now been confirmed and its boy. It's heartbreaking is meant. It's heartbreaking and it's sobering and it should remind every single one of us of just how deceptive sin is take heed brothers and sisters take heed sin it destroys, it will destroy you and it will it will harm the people that you love most and that it reflects so negatively.

But for the rest of the body of Christ is so weak we have to consider own cells. Humble ourselves before the Lord and say God protect us, keep us and protect the you know that that the Christian leaders who are out there who are are vulnerable and who also I would just need accountability and the grace of the Holy Spirit. So pray for your pastors pray for Christian leaders and pray for yourself. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez R number is 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way we want to say a huge thank you to our listeners who have joined what we call our inner core.

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Now he record Christianity, we aren't supported by a particular church or denomination. We rely on people just like you to make donations to keep us on the air and if you find this program helpful. We ask you to prayerfully consider making a gift of any amount you can do that on our website at core, Christianity.com just click donate at the top of the page go to Esther who is calling in from Kansas City, Missouri. I asked her hello Esther, welcome to core Christianity with your question, let me say I'm so glad I found you on my own Christian my all of the Christian radio station here in Kansas City Missouri not find so intelligent and so scholarly about the Bible and let me add the word why well thank thank you very much Esther. That's very kind of you, and I'm glad you found us to what's what's your question, maybe two questions.

I don't know what comes first but get a bit taken in a kind of thing. But the question is, that may be the main question is did the income in the world when available with cake that I haven't sent that are all when Adam and Eve ate the fruit and and that's saying in the world are in in a person separate from the devil is a great question. I think there's one passage of Scripture that that really clearly answers that question. And so I would point you to the book of Romans. In the New Testament Romans chapter 5, beginning in verse 12. Listen to what the apostle Paul said, therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

For indeed, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted. Where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. And then he goes on to say, but the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through the one man's trespass again. Speaking of Adam there. Esther much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And so here you know it's is so wonderful. Paul is setting Adam and Jesus side-by-side.

He sang sin came into the world through Adam. There's the answer to your question that sin spread to all mankind. Why because Adam was he was a representative he was that the team captain. We might say to him, we can inherit what theologians have called Original Sin that is that guilt and corruption of sin. We are in Adam were born Adam and that's why the second Adam had to come Jesus Christ and when Jesus came through his one sacrifice he forgave our sins and the good news of the gospel spread from him to the rest of humanity to mankind through to his faithful actions, and so go to Jesus.

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