Is Christianity a Religion or a Relationship?

As a new evangelical Christian. I find myself still practicing some of the tradition I was raised with in the Roman Catholic Church. Is this wrong. 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. You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and of course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com.

Today we have a question via Facebook live from one of our listeners in Lodi, California. This is from James a drill and he wants to know are we required to forgive those who not only don't ask for forgiveness but openly mock us. Should we apply some 109 to them.

James, thank you for that question and I think it's a really good question is something that we all experience in life is is at times, you know, people treating us poorly, persecuting us even for our faith in Jesus Christ.

So do we apply the Psalms, like the Psalms of imprecation knows the Psalms are the psalmist's crying out to God, asking God to curse his enemies to those individuals that start with tapping in Psalm 109 that we have to understand those particular Psalms in their context are not saying that there is no place for them but for believers under the new covenant as is were thinking about how to respond to those who are our enemies. Those who persecute us to think you just have to go to the sermon on the mount.

What Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 verse 43 you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward you have not even the tax collectors do the same if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others do not even the Gentiles do the same.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. We are called as believers under the new covenant to love our enemies. Those who persecute us for our faith in Jesus Christ, not to not to call down curses upon them, but to pray for their salvation. Because God desires all people to be saved both pulses is in first Timothy chapter 2, and so II think that's really important.

Now the question of forgiveness. Am I obligated to forgive someone who hasn't asked for forgiveness. What does that look like well again a little bit later in Matthew Matthew chapter 6, you know what is Jesus say verse 14. If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses. Verse 15, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses and in their what's being emphasized is distances call for us.

Those who have been forgiven so much in Jesus Christ to forgive others to be forgiving and so we are you are called to forgive even the people that are mistreating you know that doesn't mean that you're just supposed to sit down and take it that kind of thing necessary and that's not what I'm talking about. There's a difference between forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration work. All the forgive everyone that the people who sin against us work were saying. I'm not can it treat you the way that you're treating me that's a part of forgiveness, reconciliation, though James does require that other person to say I've sent what I'm doing is not right. I need your forgiveness and seasonally reconcile if the other person.

The other individual understands what they've done in there and they're willing to repent of it and restoration is even a step beyond that it saying look you've repented and now our relationship is restored to what it once was, prior to and so we have to distinguish between those those three things, forgiveness, restoration, forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration but were always called to forgive as Christians and may God give you strength. But I do know what it is that you're going to write number. May the Lord give you strength to love those who aren't loving you and we get that strength from Christ himself from the grace of the Holy Spirit by remembering Jesus our Lord, who endured suffering for righteousness sake, we, as believers, we will have to endure suffering for righteousness sake. As well, in this life and so may the Lord bless you and and strengthen your brother James, thanks so much for listening and for checking in with us some of her Facebook live in rural. I'm so glad you flesh that out because I think a lot of people get tripped up they they really don't understand the forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, art are three different steps and there are people that simply are not going to respond like we might like them to. Yeah I mean it really it was one of the things it's confusing for a lot of people and and so they're stuck because I think I can forgive this person they never said that they were sorry and that they're letting the sort of bitterness and anger continue to fester in their hearts and maybe they want there to be this this sense of peace.

But they just like well I can't forgive, will look whether or not another person says they're sorry we are called to forgive through the grace that we received that link the grace of the gospel. The fact that we've been forgiven so much. We ought to forgive others. Now if they're going to if they're going to refer to restore the relief of whoever you have a good relationship again that they need to recognize where they've sinned against us and Jesus talks about this in the Gospels as well affect here in the. The sermon on the mount, but I was just referencing that and so it ought one of the things I love Bill about the teachings of Jesus is how practical they are just in terms of, you know, the everyday life in our relationships what it looks like to forgive one another to restore relationships were called to pursue that as image bearers, but also as an especially as Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ claimant.

This is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you. Our phone lines will be open for the next 15 minutes or so and here's the number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2670 3B got phone lines open right now. If you'd like to call and ask your question right now.

Let's go to a voicemail we received from Danielle so I am looking for some wisdom.

To overcome this dilemma, which I have struggled with for a while now. I want to see more to help me grow in praying for others and humility. But I struggle to my dear sister in the Lord often talks about her Baptist and citing jealousy and wondering why can't tie or even worse guilt of not fasting. Thank you. Hey, thank you so much for that question sister and I want to encourage you one. I think the Lord that you just desired up to pray for others and that you want to have this this intimate relationship work with the Lord where you're pressing into everything that the Lord would have for you.

You want to pray you want to fast you want to study the scriptures. I think that's absolutely beautiful.

And of course know what were weak were sinful we fall short. Many times of the things that we hope to do and there can be those feelings of guilt and shame. As a result of our failures or or even just not doing as much as we would like to do and work experience that our entire lives were never to be perfect. Not this side of heaven. And so you don't need to be weighed down by that guilt, and by that shame. Throughout the Bible, fasting was something that was really done it occasionally. I think in terms of it was the response of the people of God to difficulties, challenges that were that were coming against them. It may might've been war, it might've been famine but but some sort of cataclysmic event that would drive the people to their knees to say, look, we need to proclaim a fast to seek the face of the Lord, that is appropriate.

Sometimes today you know it in certain situations for churches to call a faster proclaim a faster individual sissy look there. Is there something in my life right now or in the life of a brother or sister that is just so urgent I need to devote some time to this I want to stop and set aside this this meal.

Or maybe, maybe this kind of food for a period of time and just to seek the face of the Lord. It is not you know a magic sort of thing. It's not like were bartering with God. That sort of a thing, it it's is an opportunity for us to humble ourselves before the Lord and to cry out to him and to pray.

Jesus said would been in the sermon on the mount a couple of times already. Now Matthew chapter 6, verse 16.

When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that there fasting may be seen by others. Truly, truly, I say to you they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your father who is in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you to the intimacy. There this is this something between you and God let me tell you kind of a funny story, little bit of embarrassed of the story the first time I ever fast.

I think I felt maybe some that same guilt and and shame or just that the desire to do this with you. Like you, not very good at it. I felt that early on in my walk with the Lord as a teenager and I just I need to fast. I am going to fast so I said, I'm just gonna drink water for 24 hours now. I had no idea what I was doing or you know whether you should start smaller that kind of it that is that I'm to fast and so didn't have any food for 24 hours.

What would that night was a friend's birthday party which I decided to go to add to everyone's having pizza and cake and it just a good old time and I was sitting there at the table with everyone else kind with a frown on my face and my friends mother came up to me, offered me a couple slices of pizza with a big smile on her face and I should've barked at her. I'm fasting in this yeah really in a holy place. As you can tell there I went, but it was just that I think that's what happens a lot of time. We were driven by guilt by distance of all I have to do this, you know, a lot of times we sort of approach it that way and that's what I was doing in that moment and it really wasn't about prayer or drawing near to the Lord is like I am vaginally to do this because I think it's the right thing to do.

Now if you feel like the Lord is is calling you to set aside some time to pray and to fast about a particular situation well will do that.

That's okay your you're free to do that, but don't bite off more than you can chew. No pun intended. You maybe start start small. Maybe say look, I'm in a minute set set aside this meal and I'm in a focus on the Lord in this time in praying for this other person and know that as you do that cash sister. The Lord loves you. He receives your prayers as you come to him in faith. That's the key.

Not not setting aside from coming before the Lord in faith and insincerity and so may the Lord fill you with grace in order to do that and bless you whether you faster. Whether you don't fast. Thanks for question love the way you make flint friends and influence people there with your barking. Yeah that's right so drastic yeah yeah yeah I said it sounded just like that. In fact, will that method of morale right there. My friends hit his his mom's face you to sit is seen and she was startled. She was scared you were angry you were very angry in that situation. That's right yes this is Cora Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's the member to call if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 you can call us right now. Let's go to Ashley in Baltimore, Maryland Ashley what your question for pastor a drill know what you think about how we think about sharing the gospel in different cultural contexts – he thinks that question a really really important question you know is been all this talk about your do we contextualize the gospel and what does that look like and there's some concern thereto because people are afraid enough of them trying to sort of appeal to a particular culture MI watering down the message of the gospel and if that's happening will that that's a big problem to the gospel message doesn't change, it's the faith once for all delivered to the saints. What we need to recognize that the message of the forgiveness of our sins for for our salvation, and so super important that we understand that but as were preaching the gospel sharing the gospel with particular cultures.

We want to make sure that were were doing it in a way that's helpful. Understandable that were able to relate to them.

Specifically, I think there's an excellent example of this in the book of acts in the book of acts acts chapter 15, you have what's called the Jerusalem Council in one of the things it was decided at that counsel is if people wanted to join the church, the Christian church be a part of the family of God when what they didn't have to go and be circumcised like that. Me, that was a case under the Old Testament for people that wanted to join Israel from the outside and the disciples they look they don't have to become Jewish people enough to become Jewish or become circumcised, in order to be a part of the church God is saving the Gentiles solely by faith in the name of Jesus. And so what they need is faith. What we need is faith. And yet, in the very next chapter in acts chapter 16 it so interesting because Timothy is circumcised now just seems odd that the Council had just decided people don't have to do is we have to do this if we want to follow Jesus is not a religious ritual for us anymore. And yet, in the very next chapter. Timothy is circumcised. Why because he's going to preach the gospel to share the gospel with Jewish people, and he knew that for them.

That was a stumbling block. This was something that was going to make it hard for them to hear his words now how they knew whether or not he was circumcised.

I don't know but don't ask me that question, but the fact of the matter is, he underwent this this ritual, not because he had to ask 15 made it absolutely clear because he wanted to share the gospel with this particular group of people, and he knew that that would have been a stumbling block friends is that there is a really good question we can ask ourselves as we think about sharing the faith with our neighbors in the water that the stumbling blocks that we put up the things that keep us from sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors.

Maybe some of that is cultural think that get in the way.

Frankly, I think sometimes it is a lack of relationship, not knowing our neighbors having them over for dinner, getting to know them opening up the Dorset to share Jesus and his love with the people around us and so we are called to contextualize that what Paul says is to the Corinthians. He says that I become all things to all people that I might win some that I might save some leasing look the gospel message doesn't change, but we want to share in ways that are understandable and relate specifically to individuals and whatever culture there. They're coming from and so I think we have to be sensitive to this brothers and sisters, and it's something. As I said that the apostles themselves were sensitive to otherwise Timothy would never gotten circumcised the next chapter 16. It really was about wanting to share the gospel with with the particular group of people and so thank you for that for that question.

May God give each of us wisdom in our own lives to know what is look like for me to be bold with the gospel to share the gospel and it's in its purity with the people around me.

But in a way that's also sensitive to their their cultural backgrounds and and is can it help them understand what Jesus did for them. I meant this is Cora Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez by the way, we are very excited to announce we have a brand-new Bible study to offer you and it's on one of those books that are just a lot of Christians find very mysterious. The book of Revelation. Yes, we are continuing to offer our brand-new revelation study guide Bible study me this is an excellent resource. If you want to go deep in the book of Revelation and and you can do it on your own. You can do with a group of friends up Sunday school classmate, really.

The options are endless, and so get a hold of this revelation, Bible study exploring questions about the end times.

The mark of the beast. You know the rapture, those kinds of things questions. We oftentimes get on this broadcast get a hold of this resource. It's yours for gift of $20 or more and really help you understand one of the most challenging books of the Bible and to request a copy of the revelation study. Just go to Cora Christianity.com/Revelation that's Cora Christianity.com/Revelation. You can also call us for that offer, or in any one of our offers. Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, you can also use that phone number to leave a voicemail question if you can call during the program but want to call some other time during the day or night. Our phone lines are always open, you can record your voicemail. There is a voicemail we received from José. I was raised Catholic. Been doing what depression and anxiety which caused a lot of friction with my belief that I understand the relationship with God. I'm trying to have a relationship with God was me away from my family. The choices I made myself bowing down on my knee in front of a Jesus Christ portrait in my mitten a thin because were not of the idolizing, what would you recommend a person who's gonna start with answers. José, thank you for that question brother we know in God's law. God calls not to make images and not to bow down before those images and so I don't think that to me understand especially coming from a Roman Catholic back on that that may have been very much a part of your piety and and something that you were doing so will so it would be a good way to approach this question is unlike I can tell José from your from your question that you long for God for his grace for his mercy for his help in God hears your prayers when you cry out, and when you bow down before him and also there's nothing wrong with bowing minutes is one of the postures in prayer, kneeling before the Lord. You see this everywhere in the Bible that we don't see Jesus. We can't see them right now because of the right hand of the father in heaven, and yet Peter could say in the book of first Peter chapter 1 verse eight.

Though you have not seen him, you love him, though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory and so you might not be able to see Jesus Lena in a picture that kind of thing. But you know there is a way that you can lay hold of them by faith, and it's through his word. Paul said in Galatians chapter 3 verse one that Jesus was placarded before the Galatians on his billboard before the Galatians how to the preaching of the word Jesus said that he reveals himself through the Scriptures he be rebuked that religious leaders in John chapter find five saying that they search the Scriptures thinking that and then they have eternal life because those very scriptures testify of me. If you want to quote "see Jesus brother open up the Scriptures and learn about a more and more learn about the love and the grace and the mercy that he has for you, and I think that's the best encouragement for us in prayer. Now again there's nothing wrong with kneeling in prayer and an end when it comes to prayer and think again. I mentioned this earlier on the broadcast praying with sincerity and praying with faith. Those are the keys Jesus gives us two warnings about prayer in Matthew chapter 6 is don't be like the hypocrites when they pray you just to be seen by others and don't be like the Gentiles superstitious when you pray, you can come before the Lord by faith in the name of Jesus and trust that he hears your prayer and in the cries when you cry out to him and that he loves you, brother. Thank you for your question and and may the Lord strengthen you and give you grace to relate well to your family and to continue to walk with Jesus.

Thanks, José would also love to send you our resource nine things to know about depression you mentioned you're struggling with depression and anxiety. If you give us a call at 833 the core we'd love to send you that again it's nine things to know about depression maybe also enjoy are a little booklet called seeing Jesus be very helpful to you. Let's go to another call, this one from Kim in Rogers, Arkansas can watch her question for pastor. Israel, not all item 7 I'll be 70 in December of Vietnam veteran and I have a 35-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old granddaughter and my daughter got mad at me.

Christmas will be six years ago and she hadn't spoke to me soon and it's just I feel my feel like a moment. I'm gonna die without reconciling my family. Also in the two years younger than her and I have a good relationship, but this is the way it made electric cancer cannot pray for you.

This kind of brokenness and relationship guy I can hear how heavily it weighs upon you, and I know that you're not alone. Though there a lot of families that struggle with this kind of thing I would encourage you.

I don't know all of the details about the situation. Why why it is that six years ago your daughter stopped speaking with you, I think we search our hearts and we say Lord, have I sinned in this area. What have I done what is it that is created. This breach and then we go to this person in humility and we ask for mercy me. Jesus says this can in in Matthew chapter 5 again in the sermon on the Mount, he says. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift and really just emphasizing the importance of us being reconciled with one another in and in the church, especially with also in our families and so going to your daughter and again I don't know what the situation is I don't know who sinned against two in this particular situation. I know that oftentimes it did to parties are involved.

The and so what what I would say is you humble yourself, you go to her you pursue her and you tell her what you just told me that this is eating you up and that you want there to be peace and pray brother. Ultimately we know we also need the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord to soften hearts we know that when there's been hurt when there's been pain. People feel betrayed and you know that that we start to build those walls because we don't want that to happen again and sometimes can only Jesus can take those walls down and so pray. Let's remedy for you right now. Father I pray for Ken and I pray for this wall that exists between he and he and his daughter and his grandchildren. Lord, would you take those bricks down, would you bring forgiveness, would you bring healing, would you bring reconciliation and would you give can I pray wisdom to know how to speak to his daughter, and I pray Lord Jesus that he would bring peace in their relationship.

Thank you for your mercy to us, Lord God in Jesus name, amen. Can may the Lord bless you and give you wisdom and be with you brother.

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