Is God’s Spirit in Us Greater than His Written Word?

If God's Spirit speaks to us is that word more authoritative than the Bible is 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 rope radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now for the next 25 minutes with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. We would love to hear from you. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Don in Topeka, Kansas Don, welcome to the program. Good afternoon. I enjoy program Matthew 2413 when I read this particular versus a little scary so I thought I'd call and find out what that verse means hey Don, thank you for giving us a call at that question brother and I let me just read the verse for those who are not familiar with it.

These are the words of our Lord Jesus. But the one who endures to the end will be saved and he's talking here to his disciples. The context is that the persecution that they're going to experience for having followed him for confessing faith in him you see similar language earlier in Matthew's gospel in Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus sends his disciples out to preach and to to do miracles. And again you have this language of enduring to the end. This is what some people have referred to as the perseverance of the saints, that is all those who truly belong to the Lord who are justified to have faith in Jesus Christ do indeed persevere to the very end. They don't abandon the faith they don't turn away from the Lord or commit apostasy. That kind of thing you read passages like this and just think boy that that is kind of scary.

You know, am I gonna persevere to the end.

We know that there are these repeated calls throughout Scripture for believers to hold fast to their faith. You see this by Don, especially in the book of Hebrews over and over again. The book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 3 in Hebrews chapter 6 in Hebrews chapter 10 nurses call to hold fast to the faith. Let me to say this to you when we were confronted with these passages and and were asking ourselves the question. You know, am I going to persevere.

What does perseverance look like. I think there's a really helpful discussion on this in the book of first John chapter 5 verses one through five.

Listen to what John said there everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God in everyone who loves the father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God and obey his commandments, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome for everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world forget that again everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that is overcome the world. Our faith, who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God. In other words, how do we overcome out how are we overcomes will, it's through faith in Jesus Christ. It's it's faith were saved by faith were not saved on by our perfect obedience or abide by the fact that you know we we do this that and the other even our obedience to the law of God is not what saves us it's it's an evidence of the fact that we've been born again.

That's what John says there in first John 5125 but if you believe in Jesus.

If you've trusted in him for your salvation.

If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you've been sealed and you're going to persevere even more than that you're going to be preserved.

God himself by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The work of Jesus Christ in your life. He's going to preserve you and that's a promise that we have asked the children of God that he keeps us. Jesus talks about this in John 10.

No one can snatch the children of God out of the father's hand. And so we come across those passages that the question is do I belong to Jesus and my trusting in him.

And if you do trust in him. Then you don't have to be afraid thank you for that question done some great verses of assurance and real. Thanks so much for that. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Christian in Los Angeles, California. Christian what your question for Pastor Israel. I know it happening that week or so to what extent did Satan know God's redemptive plan for humanity and regularly like when did Satan know that he was defeated with the cross: he will direct you think that's a great question Christian and that the thing is, we know that Satan is not omniscient he is a creature created by God. The Lord himself knows all things.

But the evil one and his minions. They don't know everything. Now they do have knowledge that that we don't have but they're not omniscient like the Lord and in the first passage of Scripture that comes to my mind when I think about your question is what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 2 beginning in verse six he says it among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away, but we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this for if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor the heart of man.

Imagine what God has prepared for those who love them. In other words, this this work. This redemptive work of God in his son Jesus was decreed from before the ages for our glory. Now did did Satan know that. Did he understand that while he knew that promise that was made way back in Genesis chapter 3 that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent made that that declaration was made to the serpent, so he knew that his fate was sealed.

How exactly that was going to happen I were not sure entirely. You know if he understood all of the ins and outs. Many of the church fathers talked about God at the cross, tricking the evil one. Sort of like you know that the cross, the crucifixion was this date were Satan thought that he had had conquered the Lord, when in reality he was being conquered Jesus by death was trampling on death and so were not entirely sure to what extent Satan knew but we do know that he had some sort of idea that he was going to be defeated by the Lord and, ultimately, I think that the cross was the ultimate rep revelation of that together with the resurrection of Jesus.

Me Paul. He talks about in in the book of Colossians. How at the cross Jesus disarmed all principalities and powers who is there essentially that they were exposed that they were conquered that they were bound by the work of Jesus and so appreciate your question brother and I thank you for giving us a call. Thank so much Christian interesting question. We appreciate you be one of our regular listeners. By the way here core Christianity.

We aren't supported by a particular church or denomination. We count on people just like you to make donations to keep us on the air and if you find this program helpful. We would 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 Val in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Val what your question for Pastor Israel. Real low denomination will actually required to wash all motions away and be certain that I will pay Val. I like that you said regardless of my denomination because it's not being a part of a particular denomination that saves us, and I think that you know. Sadly there are people out in the world today think I'm a part of this church. This particular church and so that must mean that that God really likes me because you know this church we get everything right and and that kind of thing but were not saved by joining a particular church per se.

That's not what justifies you before God, and you can't. I can't, we can't wash away our sins.

That's not that's not something that we have the ability to do what's required from us is faith and what is faith.

Faith is resting in and receiving the work of Jesus for us. Faith is like an empty hand it's it's looking to handout that we extend to God laying hold of the promise of the gospel which he is given to us so clearly in his son. It's there that we receive the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ is not something that we do right and you can't assure yourself of your salvation by jumping through the certain hoops that kind of thing.

This is one of the that the things that makes Christianity distinct among the religions of the world.

It's not a list of things that you have to do, so that God will accept you into heaven, it's how God has reached down to sinners who didn't deserve his grace, who didn't deserve his salvation, and has through his son accomplished salvation accomplish redemption so that we might lay hold of it and receiving is a free gift is a what you have to do believe believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That's what the apostle Paul said to the Philippian jailer in the book of acts went when the jailer asked what must I do to be saved. The response was believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's by faith that were saved and our sins are washed away. Don't let anyone ever tell you that if if you want to be forgiven yet believe in Jesus but make sure you do this that and the other as well. That is, adding to the gospel. That's not good news is not good news.

If you want to be saved and to do all of these things are ill of the fact the matter since that's the weight of the law. If you want to be saved. Believe in Jesus Christ.

And when you believe in Jesus Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

He takes up residence in you and begins to renew you day by day so that you love God and and follow the Lord. And so that I would save you brother thank you for for that question and I appreciate again that that you recognize is not about that.

The denomination that you're in. It's about whether or not you are in Christ by faith.

Let's not go adding things to a Christ death on the cross that somehow we need the post to get us saved right yeah and the reality is brothers and sisters. That's our natural inclination are temptation we live in a world where you know if you do good. You know then then you'll be rewarded typically and if you don't do good, you won't be rewarded that kind of thing we sort of think that's how it is with God. If I really do good on then God will love me then he'll allow me into heaven if I fail, well I don't know if God loves me as much as he did yesterday become struggling today. That kind of thing God demonstrated his love for you in that while you were still a sinner. Paul said in Romans chapter 5 Christ died for you.

God's love for you is sure you are called we are called to lay hold of it by faith to embrace it and then took to rejoice in the salvation that we are freely given.

And as those who are freely saved by the blood of Jesus boy we turn I was a Lord I want to serve you. I want to follow you. I want to obey you. I meant this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

We have a free booklet.

We would love to send you with something that Israel actually wrote himself. It's called seeing Jesus. Yes, I'm talking again about who Jesus is. It is so important for us to understand brothers and sisters, the identity of Christ and not as we imagine him ourselves is to make up in our own minds who we think Jesus is or who we want him to be oftentimes creating him in our own image to let Jesus introduce himself to us through holy Scripture. And that's one of the things that seeing Jesus aims to do what I wrote this book is a brief devotional resource for you to see Jesus through the pages of Scripture to understand who he was and what he came to do so. Get hold of this resource.

All you have to do is go to our website which is core Christianity.com/Jesus to get that, or you can call us for that resource or any one of our resources.

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Here's a message we received from one of our international listeners. I find Edgar from being always using their program almost every day and I am very blessed.

The answers are not my questions and encouraged immutably to the Lord reasonably since we have now is a good discussion on insoles and media are mandatory. If the Bible can you provide the examination regarding the info you delete the authority of the Bible and is trying to say that the Bible extort thank you, thank you so much for giving us a call and I am so encouraged to hear that you are encouraged by this broadcast that that it's helping you to grow in your understanding of the word of God. That's that's our desire. That's why we do what we do here at core Christianity and so may the Lord continue to bless you and build you up in your faith through the word and the word of God is indeed the word of God. It's right to say that the Bible is the word of God and throughout Scripture is referred to as the word of God. Oftentimes in in the New Testament when the New Testament quotes the Old Testament just quotes it as the word of God. Peter referred to Paul's writings, as the word of God. You think especially of that passage and in second Timothy chapter 3 where it talks about Scripture being breathed out by God. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work. This is how we have to receive the word of God and the gospel, not as the word of man, but as the word of God himself to us. That's what gives us confidence and assurance that when will we hold fast to it that that what we've been promised, we will actually receive because it's God himself was promised as these things and God cannot lie.

He makes it absolutely clear in his word now there are some people today who will say what you know the Bible isn't the word of God, but it contains the word of God.

That kind of a thing and you sort of have to sift through and determine what's the word of God and what isn't, but that makes me a judge of the word of God as opposed to letting the word of God stand over me and determine what's right and wrong, what God calls me to that's really dangerous place to be God for bid that any of us should should try to place ourselves above the word of God to determine whether or not it should be followed or not, that as I said that that's a real dangerous place. There are some people who will sort of make this distinction between the external word, something like the Bible where God is revealed himself so clearly and and what they might call the internal word you know these these feelings that I have inside of me.

Other others have gone to places like second Corinthians chapter 3 to to make this distinction were Paul says in a second rent is three verse four, such as the confidence that we have to Christ toward God.

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life there some people who misinterpret that verse and say look the letter the Bible you know the words on the page. That's not where the powers it's and in the spirit in my my being personally guided by the Spirit, who lives in me.

That kind of a thing, let me just say this to you, brothers and sisters.

If you think that way if you're a Christian, the spirit of God inspired the word of God. If the spirit in you contradicts what the word of God says will then there is a problem.

The spirit in you is not the spirit of God who inspired the word of God the spirit for us today. What he does is he illuminates the word of God. So as were reading it.

This is God's word were able to grasp it and receive it as we were meant to. So I always encourage people look when you open up the Bible, pray, pray that the Spirit would grant you illumination, pray that you would be able to lay hold of the truth of God for you, as God's very word for you because that's what it is and that's what we ought to embrace and so we hold fast to the authority of the Scriptures, knowing that it's there that God speaks to us and we let the scriptures do their work in us and through us because we know that that's where the power of God is the word of God. Does the work of God, thank you for your question along those lines, a drill, how do we respond if we have a fellow Christian somewhat say from our church who says what the Holy Spirit told me this and yet it appears that's contrary to what God would say in his word. Yeah, that is just really concerning thing and I think that when we encounter that when when somebody comes to and says will God told me, I think we should go to them and say it, especially if we know it's clear that it's not in line with the word of God says we quicken at we can honestly say very clearly there.

God has not told you that because this is what God's word says and God is spoken definitively in his word. Now that doesn't mean we need to be rude or harsh.

I think that we go to them in love and say look you you you may be are confused here. Maybe you're just going with your feelings or what you really want, but at the end of it the day God is spoken so clearly in his word, and so this in his word is what you were called to. Oftentimes I think when when we want to pursue center, something that we know God hasn't hasn't called us to, you know will will will try to justify it by so I think the Lord is leading me in this direction. I think having God said this is okay.

No, we have to trust what God has definitively said in his word, not our feelings because her feelings oftentimes can be deceptive and and and sometimes we really are just sort of it out trying to justify something that we know is wrong but were were not willing to admit it, and so I think lovingly we go to that person. We we say no God has spoken clearly in his word, and here's what the word of God says we come alongside of that individual event. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez so nice to have some of our inner international listeners checking in today from both India and the United Kingdom are watching us on YouTube. Thanks so much for making us part of your day. Let's go to Jerry in Fort Wayne Indiana with the question jury what would you like to ask Pastor Israel, I like to ask on first John five says something about all that does not there. All sin is bad, but some leads to death and some don't. Can you explain to me that you yeah let's let's read that passage Jerry first John chapter 5, beginning in verse 13, John said I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and this is the confidence that we have toward him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

If we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask in God will give him life to those who commit sins that do not lead to death.

There is a sin that leads to death. I do not say that he should pray for that all wrongdoing is sin that there is sin that does not lead to death.

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 now. First let me just say this.

A lot of people Jerry read this.

This section of Scripture and their terrified.

They think okay what is the sin unto death.

I believe in Jesus, but I'm afraid that maybe I can or have committed that soon I'm I'm terrified no. Did I lose my salvation or will I one day in the future, lose my salvation if I do this you know what is that landmine that sin unto death, that I just want to avoid at all costs. So this passage of Scripture.

It really causes a lot of concern for believers.

Believers with with a sensitive conscience who want to honor the Lord and don't want to sin against God. But the reality is first John chapter 5 is meant to give us confidence in our standing in Christ. Note that that built the discussion about the sin unto death is sandwiched between these two encouragements. The first one in verse 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. So he begins with this assurance for for those who are reading this if you believe in Jesus you have eternal life, and then the other assurance he gives is in verse 18, we know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God and I take that as as a reference to Jesus there.

The eternal son of the father you eternally begotten of the father.

He was born of God protects him in the evil one does not touch him. In other words, Jerry. If you believe in Jesus you trust in him for your salvation you have eternal life, and not only do you have eternal life. But you know protects you from the evil one. Jesus himself, he is the great guardian of the sheep. That is what gives us confidence that one day we will stand in the presence of God without fear of condemnation.

It's because of Christ. Our confidence is in in ourselves and our performance in our own faithfulness. It's in the faithfulness of Jesus what he accomplished perfectly for us and in info. John gives us that here in first John chapter 5 will then what is this sin unto death. I think in the context of first John. John is referring to those who do not have faith. Those who were a part of the church earlier. Essentially what happened in first John, if there were people who were in the church who had basically rejected the gospel eventually turned away from Christ didn't have faith and walked away. That's the scented in the center that is not believing in Jesus Christ rejecting the gospel. If somebody does that within their their lost for believers who struggle day by day, with sin fighting against the lust of the flesh, and you feel weak you feel like man, I'm not. I'm not measuring up. Like I would like to will will there is hope for you because ultimately it's faith in Jesus that saves and even when your faith feels weak a week faith. We often say lays hold of a strong Savior. John said in first John chapter 2 verse 19 of those who turned away from the church they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would've continued with us, but they went out that it might be complain that they all are not of us.

I think that's this sin unto death.

This this apostasy which demonstrated that these people who were in the church never truly laid hold of the gospel by faith.

And that's a question for all of us what you can be in the church you can hear the message of the gospel, but have you laid hold it by faith for yourself. Have you embrace Jesus and his blood for you. If you have, you can rest. 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. As we explore the truth of God's word together