Is There a Difference Between Lust and Normal Sexual Desire?

What's the difference between lost and normal sexual desire. 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 make a note of that 833. The core or 1-833-843-2673 to talk to Pastor Israel live you can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts or email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com. First up, today we have a voicemail question we received from one of our international listeners in the United Kingdom. How does my name is Alex on the ball will not social show keeps me company normal life. My family, I went on down roots in our country is really my site strong challenge at times that's cool question, but possibly a field in question. The wages of sin is death and Christ was without sin. How do you not been killed when the event died. I wondered if you have announced what I've read in the Bible. I am thanks so much and God bless you so much and God bless you as well Alexander, what a joy it is for Fermina for the whole team to hear from you and to hear that you're encouraged by the broadcast I pray that the Lord continues to encourage you through our to our work really interesting question. It is important for us to understand that Jesus, the eternal word of the father assumed everything that it is to be human, including the and of the frailty of the human body which came as a result of sin, but he was sinless he came, Jesus came as the second Adam we sometimes use that kind of language and its its language that we see in Scripture and places like Romans chapter 5 and in first Corinthians chapter 15 didn't inherit the guilt of Adam sin, but he came into a sin torn world. We might sandlot. I think that his body and in your right me this is speculative but the body with experienced death as a result of that, we have to also remember that Jesus wasn't just murdered and it wasn't as if he was forced EL it prematurely to die with him.

The cross was the pinnacle of his earthly ministry.

Would we might say, and then passages like Romans five that the text that I just mentioned that says it very clearly there another passage of Scripture work with. This is made absolutely clear is in the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 and following. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people and so me and the cross, Jesus is his crucifixion.

This is the pinnacle of his his ministry is what he was destined to go to see the syntax to in acts chapter 4 as well, and so we have to keep that in mind is as we think about his suffering and his passion and and again thank you so much brother for listening all the way and in the UK and I so I take a moment to pray for Alexander as he as he continues to grow in his faith. Father, thank you for Alexander. I pray that you would bless him that you would bless his family also Lord that they would grow continually in the grace and the knowledge of your son Jesus, that they would be built up in your word day by day sanctified by your spirit and we asked these things in Jesus name, amen, amen, amen.

You're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Christian life or the Bible. Here's the phone number to call its 833, the court's go to Diana in Garden City, Kansas Diana, what's your question for Pastor Israel 8 to 21 only got to be leaving out addicted to light the will of the one and how to create BAT decay and glory and the BVD yes it is an excellent question. One of the things that I love about your question Diane about this text. The Scriptures often times we think about salvation. We think about it very individualistically and I is just me and my personal relationship with God I'm safe so that I can go to heaven and all those things are true and we do go to heaven work eagerly waiting for the resurrection of the dead. And that's part of what's being alluded here alluded to here in Romans chapter 8, but the other thing that we see here is just the sort of cosmic nature of the redemptive work of Christ that ultimately setting the whole world right and and that's something that we long for that. We hope for you and we look around us today and there's a lot of brokenness there's a lot of pain there's a lot of sin we see and feel the decay that sin creates and die, and we have this promise in God's word is this promise that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Now how how is that going to happen.

Well it it's ultimately built the work of God himself.

And it's not that this world that were in is just good to be completely eradicated working at received just like working received in a new glorified bodies is in a be a new glorified world that we get to be a part of as as those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as those who believe in him and so that's what the apostle Paul is is getting at here and again all of it, it's rooted in what Jesus has done for us. You think back even to the garden of Eden that into the very beginning, God making all things good and then the effect that sin had on the world. Thorns and thistles now in a labor has been transformed into this this thing that we don't like or love Ito working at the work unit with the sweat of our brow. That kind of thing will everything is being transformed by Jesus. And ultimately that's gonna happen at the new creation and the final judgment and so Diana, thank you for your question now is that specifically we are getting at in terms of you know is this world going to be re-created or is it can just be destroyed and then we can have a new one. Okay well well, thank you for calling in and that may the Lord richly bless your day you're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you.

There's a variety ways to ask a question you can call live and we should let you know that some of the radio stations that air the program aired on a delayed basis. So here are the times to call if you want to talk to pastor in real life you call at 11:30 AM Pacific time. 1230 mountain time 130 Central or 230 Eastern time. If you'd like to get through and talk to Pastor Israel live there's a voicemail we received from Moses about calling out. I doubted share. I don't know I mean I know are called to share the top all but someone who once was a but as what I called back, but in her. I would then have a conversation with their about the lot to get an idea and appreciate that, but I'll get sure one would go about reaching out to try to advise that Eric come back right thank you six demo seminar. I think it's wonderful that you're willing to encourage sensitive sister or someone who was once in the church to get back into the fellowship was walked away. Are you not immediately was thinking about what James said in James chapter 5, my brothers, verse 19, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone brings them back let them know that over brings back a sinner from his wondering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. And so this is something that even in the earliest days of the church. What was happening of people wandering from the truth. Leaving the the church turn their backs on Jesus and so how how do we as Christians and his good friends really reach out to them well I think one their there is the call to be gentle in one sense, I mean II think also of Galatians chapter 6 verse one brothers. If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness is like it when you approach this friend you're going to want to to really try to get to the bottom of you know what happened out, you know, a lot of people have turned away from the church from walking with Jesus because they been hurt by the church and in one way or another, and they've they've tried to wrestle through those things I just feel like I can't be there anymore, so I would say you don't have a conversation about what took place and I think that's that's a really fair question to affect like the two of your friends, just that you know why, why have you turned your back on the Lord and then focusing on who Jesus is. At his mercy, his goodness, his grace, even for those who wander even for those who you know, flee from him II think of and of the parable of the prodigal son of the prodigal son, how he just basically left the father's house went and indulged in sin in in in terrible behavior and when he came back you know he was loaded down with guilt and I think that's another thing that sometimes people don't come back because they just are carrying this this shame this guilt and a lot of times if if churches don't do a good job at clearly communicating the grace of the gospel in the heart of God. The heart of the father. I think I think they can add to that shame and guilt and just crush people and that keeps them away so I would say you know understand your friends story when a what what what's going on and then point your friend to the beauty of Jesus to who he is to his grace to his mercy, and with that I think you can also give warnings in one week. When we turn away from the Lord.

When we turn our backs on the truth and that's why James said what he said there in James chapter 5.

Let them know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wondering will save his soul from death were talking about eternal souls here and so I think that there is a sense of urgency that you want to have with your friend while at the same time being gracious and an opening up this discussion and and certainly I would also say Moses, pray, pray that the Lord would soften her heart and open her eyes to see what she's missing what she's missing from the fellowship of the church and ultimately from walking with Christ who loves us and is good and so thank you for your for your question and may the Lord may the Lord really guide you as you have this discussion with your friend. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life would love to hear from you right now, here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Richard was calling from Pennsylvania, Richard, what's your question for Pastor Israel Pastor my question is, what is your opinion of the new living translation Bible regards to accuracy and reliability. Yeah well you know I don't I don't personally use the new living translation of the Bible. I think that there there are some me.

Obviously you have a specter might have some translations of the Bible that are going to be more wooden answer a stick closer to the Hebrew and Greek texts, the originals and then you have others that essentially are our paraphrases mean they're not really trying to communicate with the original was communicating in the same way. Maybe there there trying to update the language so much so that the it really for the loss that the word for word kind of translation and so I think that in terms of translations. The new living translation is probably good to be closer to kind of the paraphrase and so in my preaching and teaching and just in my own personal devotions. I tend to use other translations like the ESV or the new American Standard Bible or even the NIV, I don't really have an issue with the NIV and in different translations have have strengthened and and weaknesses as well as I think it's it's helpful to use a variety of translations if if if they're available to you, and that's one of the sweet things about you know there's really an abundance of other translations that we can get a hold of just just on our phone right now and so I would say you know if if it's something that you want to look at from time to time to just kinda get a different perspective that that's okay.

But in terms of real serious Bible study. I would stick with something else like the ESV this is core Christianity would love to hear from you.

If you have a question for Pastor Israel.

By the way, if you aren't particularly comfortable talking about the Christian faith when you're discussing the issues of faith, with maybe save friends or relatives or even somebody who might be an atheist or agnostic. There is a wonderful book that we'd like to offer you today and it will help you do just that. It's called more than a carpenter, yet written by Josh McDowell over 15 million imprint you think about that that question, we just received earlier from Moses's wanting to have conversations with with this friend who is straying from the church and from the Lord will, at the end of the day and the reason we have these kinds of conversations. The reason we pursue one another is because Jesus really rose from the dead. Because the promise of eternal life is is for us and for all those who place their trust in him and and it's really important for us to understand those promises and why we can be confident that their true and that's what a book like this will will help you to understand and and go deeper in your own sort of ability to defend the Christian faith, which we think is this really important here at the core and so want to get this resource in your hands again. More than a carpenter, written by Josh McDowell with Easter coming up. This is really a fantastic time to read this book and prepare yourself for some of the conversations you may be having with friends and family members who don't believe in Jesus or who have questions about the Christian faith you can get your copy of more than a carpenter today for donation of any amount@corechristianity.com/offers that's core Christianity.com/offers or you can call us at 833-843-2673 for help getting any one of our offers one of the ways you cannot ask a question is by leaving us a voicemail on our line or you can go to our website and record a voicemail there.

Let's hear a voicemail that came in last week that he lied to get your thoughts on the difference between lust and normal sexual desire. Is there a difference in those two because it seems like if God created wouldn't necessarily be classified as lust judgment to get your thoughts on the potential differences between the two don't touch that, I really appreciate that that question to lust in the New Testament. Oftentimes, it translates the Greek word at this new media that used in to describe a strong desire not always sexual desire, but often times that that can be the sort of connotation and end it's it's not really used positively when we talk about lust in Scripture and so I think we want to be careful to differentiate between those two ideas. First, you know, I think of what Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter 5, beginning in verse 27. You've heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery but I said you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. You see their pursuit of this sense of covetous desire or longing for passionately desiring something that you should not have now. I want to also say that the Bible does celebrate sexual desire and that there's there's a way in which we ought to talk about this positively to. So it's not all negative lust lust. We might think of that negatively as longing for passionately desiring something that you shouldn't have, but but the natural sexual desire is actually something that the Bible celebrates within the context of marriage you think of that the entire book of the song of songs. For example, which is essentially a celebration of marital intimacy coming together, husband and wife.

I also think of this passage in the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 5 unit.

This exhortation, beginning in verse 15 it says drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets. Let them be for yourself alone and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. A lovely dear a graceful go, let her breasts satisfy letterpress and fill you at all times with delight be intoxicated always in her love me what it what it really is a beautiful description of intimacy in the context of marriage and so that something that is celebrated by the Bible and I think it's important for us to distinguish there because I think sometimes people can have this just sort of taboo view of sex in the Christian life, which is it's bad, it's icky that kind of thing that the Bible doesn't do that know this is this a gift that God gave to his people to be enjoyed in a particular context and so lust what it does. That takes those natural desires those good desires and it twists them and and it drives us to reach for things and pursue things that that we shouldn't have. Again, it's a sort of covetous desire so that I would distinguish between those two things, and I appreciate the question rather your listing the core Christianity let's go to Rick who is calling in from Santa Clarita, California Rick, what's your question for Pastor Israel. Sorry are gentlemen. Thank you for your so I really appreciate it on the blessing of my question is myself. I take a complementary stance and goes to women in ministry.

However, all my in-laws, who are very close with guilt in a church where it's an egalitarian church under the women pastor and I know there may be time soon that they may wish to invite me to spend this a Sunday service with them at their church. So in regards to my strength of the complement intern would be sinful for me. In a sense to go and sit under that church on a Sunday morning would be in a sense also supporting a simple thing or a biblical disobedience situation under question hey Rick, yeah, well, so might my take is that you know, it sounds to me like you are in a good church and you're settled where you are and and again, let me just define these terms because not everybody understands complementarity and egalitarian society ghetto can women serve as pastors in the local church. That's a lot more than that, but it's not like that's what you're getting at here. In particular, and I would say if you know you got invited on a Sunday and you're invested in your local church.

Only one thing you could just say this a and I have a church that I'm already attending that would be a sin for you to go to this other church to visit with your in-laws that I would say you know that it that it's a sin no.

But the reality is, as if you've shared your own opinion, and you know it. It they understand kind of your you have any could open up a discussion with them not just to talk about this issue but the talk about the things of the Lord. Not that I don't want to minimize this issue because it's an important thing in the Bible speaks to this but but the most important thing is what is being preached right is the gospel being faithfully preached and maybe that's the question that you can bring up with your in-laws in terms of of what you hear.

If you go there and why it's so important for us to be under the. The ministry of the word to hear the law of God proclaimed to be convicted of our sins, and then to be pointed to what Christ has done for us to redeem us and so you know I like I said it's a sounds to me like you're in a good church you're committed there.

That's a wonderful thing if you know one Sunday you get invited. I don't think you you need to view it as a sin issue. It's it's a personal decision, but it could open up a conversation with your in-laws.

It might lead to something fruitful and so that's how you have to Inc. that I would think about it, at least brother and I appreciate your reaching out to us.

Thanks, Rick.

We appreciate your call.

Thanks so much for listing the core Christianity. You have a question for Pastor Israel. Here's the phone number to call. It's 833-843-2673 let's go to John is calling in from North Sioux City, South Dakota John, welcome to core Christianity be a lot of child be a good example arboreal.

I do not know father doesn't really quite understand what's going on you know you know I know what your church is that I'll really doesn't know I've heard it all by Earl Christ died to go to hell yeah, and I would like your back that a well John, thank you for that question.

You have a ton of time because were coming close to the end of the broadcast. But I mean I've I have four young children as well as of this question that that I've thought about me. Certainly as a child continues to grow in their understanding that I think there's a higher level of accountability there anyone who says you know that that a four-year-old or five-year-old can't be saved. And I think they're dismissing so much of what what the New Testament actually reveals to us means were told in Luke chapter 1 that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he was in his mother's womb, and so there's evidence of the fact that God saves even babies. Ms. it's it's a work of his spirit, the spirit of God is is sovereign. Now were called to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as they grow, they become more and more accountable.

Thank you for your question rather thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar 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.

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