Can Christians Heal Like the Apostles Did?

Can we heal people today like the apostles did in the New 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 Israel Sanchez and this is a 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.

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Build your atrial regarding persecution of believers.

I know in John life the world before you noticed recently on certain pastors that I respect have made statements that we think the state you are regularly hated, or persecuted, you might belong to the world are to essentially examine yourself. And so my question is, in our daily lives. What might this look like so I understand you're sharing the gospel. Maybe experiencing direct pushback or persecution, but she would constantly be correcting and/or seeking to affair and note regularly correcting and if not, we have reason to think that we are true Christians that we belong to the world through this is really excellent question in just the last part of your question there. I don't think that if you were not getting the type of persecution that we think we should.

We need to say oh I must not really be a believer. That kind of thing. I think practically speaking me you were mentioning what Jesus said to his disciples in place like John chapter 15 with the world is going to hate you for the sake of Christ for the sake of the gospel so that when we are extending the truth of God's word to others. For some people it's the aroma of life.

They hear the gospel and they realize that they are sinners in need of this divine grace and the they receive it as it slid life-giving for others there convicted and they hate the truth of God's word and because were sharing the truth of God's word in ways that are respectful, not trying to you know do our own thing to be offensive just for the sake of being offensive, but were really sharing with the love of Christ and even by loving others and speaking the truth to them sometimes will still be hated, and I think that's exactly what Jesus was saying that I think of what the apostle Paul. Paul is talking about the qualifications for ministers in first Timothy chapter 3. One of the qualifications that he gave Drew. This is really interesting to me.

And in verse seven of chapter 3 says that the lien of the potential elder must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace into a snare of the devil. In other words he's assuming here that outsiders those who aren't believers, not a part of the church.

They think well of this person is not an individual was obnoxious was always trying to be offensive. That kind of a thing.

No, it isn't that a person of integrity who has strong convictions clings to what they believe to the truth of the gospel, but they also love their neighbors, and I think there's something very attractive about that frankly to the world to see Christians loving as we should, while also holding fast to our convictions.

I think there's a balance that we have to strike here another another passage of Scripture that I would say is good to go to is in first Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 13. Here's talking about persecution again, for the sake of Christ, and he says this now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good for Susan to persecute your firm for being zealous for that which is good, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord is holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asked you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect. Having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil and my concern Drew is that when people think, like all men, I'm not. I'm not suffering enough for Christ sake, I better get out there and be a little bit more obnoxious that kind with the what ends up happening is people don't hate you, and persecute you for the gospel.

They actually begin to hate you because you can be obnoxious how you share the gospel and we have to be careful with that. We want to share the truth of God's word with gentleness and respect. Our lives should be exemplary lives of integrity lives of love for our neighbors and that that is attractive to the world in one sense, and there are some people who even though they see that when they hear the gospel, the exclusivity of Christ. The fact that we need to have our sins forgiven their gonna hate us and they're gonna speak ill of us and and that's I think we can say while genuinely being persecuted for the sake of Christ.

But if were being persecuted just because you know we like to be loud and get in arguments on social media that kind of thing that's not honoring to the Lord and so we have to be really careful that that's not what's Taking Pl., May the Lord bless you Drew. Thanks for your question. I'm so glad you brought up that passage in first Peter chapter 3 Israel because I hear a lot of Christians and they will they will quote he'll be ready at all times to answer anyone who ask you to explain the hope you have within you, but do not stop there and they won't mention the next person which says to do it with gentleness and respect, which is the key.

Isn't it that's right. And it seems like here for Peter. He sang the one of the reasons people can ask you about this hope is because in the midst of the suffering you're experiencing your your handling in such a gracious way in such a godly way you aren't, you know, throwing stones back or are responding evil for evil and so and so it raises this question in the minds of people around you hate despite the fact that you're being slandered, you're still loving your neighbor are these people who are treating you this way. Why is that well because we serve Jesus who did that very same thing.

He's art. He's our Lord. He's the one that we follow and so it really opens up the door for us as we model this I think to be able to share Christ with people who desperately need to hear the gospel, I meant this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

If you have a question here's the number to call it 833.

The core box 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Val calling in from Long Island, New York.

Val what your question for pastor a drill will hey brother, thank you for calling what your question while I was always you. She strikes you, and you will we pray by structures. You that's not my brother. It's only right yeah you answered your own question. I think that that is being applied out of context. I have heard pastors, you know, go to Isaiah 53. And you know that they're talking about this atoning work of Jesus Christ begin in verse four.

Surely he has borne our grief, starting with the servant of the Lord here, and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed the wounds of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion on the cross that was about the healing of our souls are merely talking about the forgiveness of sins. First and foremost now one day everything is and to be restored were to be fully healed. You know it at the resurrection of our bodies restore that that as well, but I think we people take this verse and they try to apply it to physical healing today and that there almost of naming it and claiming it and say hey this says by his stripes were healed by virtue of the fact that Jesus died for me. I need to be healed of cancer. Whatever else that that's taking this passage of Scripture out of context brother.

Have you been hearing pastors yummy. I'm guessing you're using this on the television or the church are part of or something like that prayer group at our church and heard you people pray like that. I'm not on the literature and correct them and you are now article yeah well and that's the thing we can be presumptuous with with God's healing with divine healing. I mean, the apostle Paul told Timothy that he had these frequent ailments and so he should take a little bit of wine had to settle his stomach. He didn't just say hate you knew that you needed go to Isaiah 53 and naming claimant and you should be healed. If you're really following the Lord, that kind of thing a little bit later in Isaiah chapter 53 it says out of the anguish of his soul, he shall see and be satisfied by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous as justification.

That's the healing that were talking about we talk about the healing of sinners through the atoning work of Jesus Christ know that doesn't mean that we can't pray for healing that we can ask God for divine healing.

But we gotta be careful that were not taking Bible verses and then trying to demand something from the Lord. Woodward taking those verses out of context and and work were not using them the way they were intended to be used in so sad to me like you understand this, and I think you know in a situation a local church. We are hearing this, you don't need to you know beat someone over the head with the right interpretation of the does go to them and so you know what that verse is really that passage is really about.

It's really about the forgiveness of sins that we've already received from Jesus and what what a wonderful thing that is that's that's we should be should rest in and put our hope in while at the same time being able to pray and say Lord please give me your healing mercies. I'm asking you to take to heal me in this particular area of my life is nothing wrong with that is just the wrong application of Isaiah 53 verse five. Thanks for your question rather great advice there. Israel, thanks so much. Always so key that we take every Scripture and look at it in the whole context of the Bible as you often say, not just know take a little proof text and try to build something out of it. While at one of the things we want to mention here about core Christianity is that we have a podcast and if you are helped by what you hear on this program and you listen to our podcast.

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Let's go to Anna from Kansas City, Missouri Anna what your question for pastor. Israel chapter 1 verse 4.0 foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him hello and I was told to make him when I track that sounds like that is because it was God's plan to accuse Jesus to Rackham Thailand to God through wealth. Jesus so I just want to know what you think about Jesus is central in the book of Ephesians and we are chosen in Christ, but the but the ones who are chosen hear me Paul is writing the Ephesians. He's talking about the fact that God chose them. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

He said Jesus is central here amended this predestination.

This choice is happening in Christ, through Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved is a ball is is he's talking about God's sovereign choice of his people. Even before the foundation of the world, and it's connected to Jesus in a were only saved by faith in Jesus Christ but but even that is something a gift that the Lord gives to us and so I'm not sure sounds to me and like you were saying that that this friend of yours are saying will really the one who's chosen here is Jesus, not us. Is that accurate yeah well that that is one way in which this passage of Scripture has been in a number of other passages as they relate to this doctrine.

The doctrine of election have been interpreted.

The idea being that God chose Jesus he sorted the team captain and when we choose Jesus were in Jesus. And so in that sense were chosen in Jesus, but I think we could even go further than that because it seems to me like with the apostle Paul is saying here is, is actually that God chose you before the foundation of the world before you ever done anything good or bad that God set his love on you in this particular way and this is something that we see not just here in Ephesians 1, but in other places of the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. I think of Romans chapter 9, for example, we just really all all all over the place. But what's being emphasized here is God's sovereign love again you know verse five. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

Now the big question comes in well if if that's the case, will what about my choice does my choice even matter how how does know all of that. Get parts that what about free will. What about human responsibility and we have and I think attention here in the Scriptures from from God's perspective he's he's chosen. He's done it all.

He does the entire work.

I remember when I first started walking with the Lord thinking and a boy. I'm so glad I discovered Jesus in the gospel and and man.

It would've been terrible if I would've you know, just missed this in my life and and a friend of mine told me what if, what if it wasn't so much that you discovered all this you know what you found $100 bill on the ground just stumbled across it. That kind of thing. What if God was the one who pursued you, who brought you into the fold who rescued you. What if he's the one who's been at work and in a really just struck me then and there and I think again that's what the apostle Paul is saying here is, God has been at work from before the foundation of the world, accomplishing redemption and drawing his people to himself in time and at the same time as a city of this tension because the Bible is absolutely clear that you and I are responsible for it for the decisions we make the were called to believe and to trust in Jesus Christ. Those kinds of things so you do have this tension but I think what Paul is saying here is not that God chose Jesus and then we choose Jesus we are where we know what were part of the team that kind of thing is this sort of idea, sometimes referred to as corporate election.

I think what what's being emphasized is actually that God shows us the individual for salvation before the foundation of the world in Christ and it's is great. This great mystery that ultimately it should be a great comfort to us, knowing that our salvation rest entirely in God's hands, and I thank you for your question, Linda appreciate you digging in the Scriptures, really big, important topics, you know predestination in these doctrines related to God's sovereignty so important for us to dig into the word of God to see what the Scriptures say your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and just a note, we aren't supported by a particular church or denomination. We rely on people just like you to make donations to keep this program on the air and if you find are so helpful, we would ask you to prayerfully consider making a gift of any amount. One of the things you can do is join our inner core.

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This is such a big thing you know them and people I want to be sensitive to the fact that that people wrestling through this you, how do we understand the relationship between God's sovereignty. My call to believe and and God's electing grace I think of a passage in the book of acts acts chapter 13 verse 48 the disciples are preaching the gospel and when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed were told there is the ages of the gospel is preached, but it's the spirit of God working behind the scenes is God's grace appointing to eternal life if you will a little bit later in the book of acts and X 16 verse 14.

I weep one who heard us. A woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira seller of purple goods was a worshiper of God, the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul and after she was baptized and her household as well.

She urged Assange if you judge me to be faithful to the Lord common and stay at my house.

But you see how God is working here through the preaching of the gospel granting faith help pointing to eternal life. Opening it in acts 16 there Lydia's heart. It's something that should give us confidence brothers and sisters when were praying for our loved ones who aren't in the faith to know that God by his spirit opens the heart what the Lord did to Lydia there and X 16. It's what the Lord did for each of us.

He really is all-powerful and so we give them the praise and the glory nights want to bring those two passages into playbill. Sorry to cut in their no no that's okay and I love the fact that your brothers up Israel. Let's go to Marcy who was calling from Morton, Illinois Marcy, what's your question for pastor. Israel I have been trying to get through for like a couple months anyway I Christian. Most of my life. However, I want to know. I do not see in the Scripture where there's any thing that talks about a prayer language and there are people who say they have a prayer language and I just don't see anything in Scripture that support that I want to know what you think Marcy will one. I'm sorry it's taken you a while to get through, but I'm so glad I get to talk to you right now and I it's a very important question because there are there are, you know some who say today that there is the spiritual prayer language that you can have another referring to the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues described in the New Testament in various places. Think of first Corinthian's 12 to 14, for example, where the apostle Paul talks about praying in tongues any sort of outlines what that looks like in first Corinthians chapter 14 and that also you think of the book of acts in acts chapter 2, and so it was a what some people say is those gifts.

Those miraculous sign gifts that were really associated with those apostolic times with no Pentecost. The book of acts, Paul says the grant is at those gifts are still around for today and that you can have this prayer language and a lot of times they defined that prayer language. I think differently than it was defined in the Bible is in the Bible. These were real languages that God used. To help advance the gospel in the book of acts and asked chapter to win on the day of Pentecost and of the disciples are speaking in tongues. The people that are there said were hearing them speak in our own native tongues and their declaring that the wonderful works of God was an opportunity for Peter to stand up and preach the gospel. There are other passages in the New Testament to talk about praying in the spirit in Judah talks about this idea. Praying in the spirit. I don't think that it's a reference to speaking in tongues there and also Paul in the book of Ephesians calls us to be filled with the spirit, praying in the spirit that kind of a thing. So if we define praying in the spirit as being led by the spirit of God shaped by the word of God in our prayers.

I think were right and I think that something were all called to do. We want our prayers to be formed by Scripture and guided by the Holy Spirit. But if we mean you need to have the gift of tongues. Well, I think that that's that's actually not a right interpretation.

In fact, Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 12 that that not everyone has the same gift Marcy so you don't have to worry if if you think I just don't have this this gift because Paul says not everyone has the same gift and so I appreciate your question sister and your concern.

I think that your your your fine I think you're right in and personally.

My view is that those miraculous sign gifts were for that. In the history of the church, God still works miraculous to erect miraculously today, many can, but not in the same way that he was doing during the days of the apostles or listen to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to voicemail. It came in from one of our listeners are good morning. So much for taking my question. God bless your brothers on bit confused so I grew up a nondenominational Christian but I did go to Catholic school from kindergarten to eighth grade are one from my future board and on rosary beads that she said were touched by the Pope and should customer onset of gold would be healed from any sickness or have a kid, I didn't really believe that without reading the book of acts. In chapter 19 verses will burst your verse 11 and 12.

They say that aprons or handkerchiefs up all work. A web-based yield of six little bit confused because I don't know if that's still true or not Douglas Rosenblum yesterday like I just said was that with the previous caller II think that a lot of these sign Jesse's miracles were a way in which the gospel early on was being sort of sort of launched into orbit if you will, and even there in acts chapter 19 with the miraculous things were happening at the hands of the apostle Paul.

You need that section ends by saying in verse 20.

So the word of the Lord continue to increase and prevail up mightily I don't think that you know having a holy Rosary be second thing is is really going to do and that is something that can be superstition. The focus has to be the advancement of the word of God to the preaching of the gospel that the miracles were therefore to advance the word. 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 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