Is It a Sin to Disobey Your Parents If It Means Following God?

If my parents don't want me to follow God.

Is it a sin to disobey them. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. We pray that you had a wonderful weekend. This is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day and you can call us right now with your question.

At 8334. Our phone lines are open for the next 25 minutes or so if you'd like to talk to Pastor Israel 1-833-843-2673. Of course you can also post a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch us on YouTube and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Michael into lock while Oklahoma hi Michael, what your question for pastor atrial. My question is concerning. Judges 1131, in contrast to Jeremiah 31 in Judges 11 Jephthah is going to battle with the Ammonite and bad. God gives the three operated sacrifice.

The first three. Lord Brandon Jeremiah 731 God rebukes Israel for sacrificing their children in the fire in the value of being so I'd I was just curious that you take with Jephthah.

I don't know right by fulfilling his vow to the Lord or I I know pretty much the lesson.

Be very careful what you yeah they Michael is a great question.

What a tragic passage of Scripture for those who are unfamiliar with judges Chapter 11 Jeff that is someone who's who's fighting on behalf of the people of God against the ammonites and he makes this vow to the Lord. He says look if you if you deliver the ammonites into my hands and when I go home whatever comes at my house 1st.I'm willing to sacrifice to you and you're absolutely right. I think one of the big key takeaways here is be careful with the vows that you make with how you use your words and certainly in Scripture that something that we we see warned over and over again and so Jeff to goes home after the Lord had delivered the ammonites into his hand and and his daughter, his only daughter comes out of his house and and he's devastated. Now there are some people who have said, well maybe he didn't kill her. Maybe the way in which he offered her up to the Lord. Was he you know he offered her up the sisters of perpetual servant of the Lord, a perpetual virgin to just be dedicated to the Lord, but it really does seem like in the text of judges Chapter 11 that that's not the case that actually after a period of two months of morning. She basically request hey give me some time to be by myself that he did fulfill this vow now.

Should he have done that goodness my view. And then there are differences of opinion on this is is know that you know clearly in Scripture. God forbids his people from sacrificing their children. This was something that you know that passage in Jeremiah 31 that you highlighted brings us out.

It was something that that the pagan nations would do.

They would sacrifice their children to bail over and over again throughout the book of Jeremiah and and elsewhere in the Scripture is God's guts is you that never even came in my mind.

I've never required that of my people and so what you have here is an an individual taking a rash vow to the Lord and then fulfilling that vow and then in the whole thing ends up just being absolutely tragic and throughout the book of Judges, you do see a lot of tragedies like this that the book of Judges and basically with this sort of summary statement of the entire book and it says in those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes were getting a picture of here in the book of Judges is just that that reality.

Everyone doing what was right in their own eyes doesn't make it right. There was a lot of wrong in the book of Judges and I think that this is one of the things that was wrong of me, a real tragedy here and so I think that's the best way for us to to approach it. Michael thank you for that question and for beginning of the word.

There's some tough stuff in the Old Testament, and a lot of times as you said, we have to really know the context and low what God's laws were, and that some were tempted to make bows. They certainly shouldn't have. Let's go to rave in Independence, Missouri, rebel, what is your question for pastor atrial and Eric. After the rapture so well they live, but Christ, but as in years and I would like for him to explain what happens to that thing here. Hey Raven, thank you so much for that question. You referring to Revelation chapter 20 verse one then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding his hand. The key to the bottomless pit and a great chain and he sees the Dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and threw them into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God and those who would not worship the beast or its image. Now there are different ways rave a that that Christians have understood these thousand years. Some people believe that the thousand years is is is is something in the future.

Jesus is going to return at the rapture and then he can establish his millennial kingdom on earth. There's to be a literal 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem on the earth. And then after that thousand years. According to this view, that's when you have essentially that the the final judgment, the final judgment of evil that the final resurrection of the dead. All of those things and so that's that's one way that people understand the thousand year reign and so for those who take that view. What happens after the thousand years is basically the final judgment. Now there are other. I think ways in which believers, faithful Christians have understood these thousand year*say look throughout the book of Revelation and let me just be honest with you, River. This is this is my take.

Numbers are oftentimes used symbolically. That's not to say that you know it's all just this great allegory and we can't really understand it.

But throughout the book of Revelation were looking at apocalyptic literature here. You have so many symbols so many images and so this idea of this thousand year reign of Christ. There are some who understand that to be what Jesus is doing right now first print in chapter 15 says that he's he's raining right now until he basically that defeats his last enemy the final enemy to be defeated is death, and so according to this view, there is this understanding that Jesus is currently raining, he's going to return at the second coming. And that's when you're going to have the final judgment and so in in both views. Essentially, after that the quote unquote thousand years, you have the final judgment. Thank you for your question and may the Lord bless you. Let me just say this, practically speaking, as we think about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that it's a reality that he's gonna come back bodily and that we as Christians are called to be ready recalled to be walking with the Lord, are our lamps filled with oil. Jesus gave a parable in the Gospels and and that's what really we should be focused on is living our lives in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking forward to that.

That blessed hope that we have the appearing of Jesus Christ and may the Lord give you grace rave to walk with him and to look to him as we look forward to his coming man. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez you know here at the core.

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We actually rely 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. Let's go to Ralph calling in from Long Island, New York. Ralph what your question for pastor atrial hello hello hey Ralph you I yeah I got a question concerning Romans chapter 8 verse one okay so I use my NAS Bible and it says now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And King James translate that goes on right says for those who walk not according to the flesh are going to see. So what is the correct translation me.

I'm a believer in Christ there is Gardy saving gospel gyri to use the Bloomsday enough in that right yeah grout, no none of this is a great question. It gets us into what sometimes called textual criticism so the New Testament we have what we have thousands of New Testament manuscripts, Greek manuscripts, it didn't really day back from pretty early on the first several centuries of the church and excellent we doing it in the. The world of textual Christmas.

We have all these manuscript and were looking at them and determining understanding. You know what the what the originals said what, what's closest to the original so there's this whole study of how to go about doing that and there are different sort of bodies of manuscripts you know different translations of the Bible oftentimes rely on different bodies of main trips to the King James version is can rely on a different group of manuscripts, oftentimes manuscript for a little bit later than what the new American Standard Bible or the ESV is relying on it. So I use the ESV there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and and some manuscript do add who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Now we do know that that idea of walking according to the spirit is is something that we were seeing. Also here in Romans six through eight.

But here, in particular, the question is, well, am I gonna be condemned.

If I don't perfectly faithfully walk according to the spirit. I think that might be your concern. It seems to me like Paul is making it absolutely clear here that now in Christ, ready to talk about that battle that we had in chapter 7.

Does this not wanting to do good, but then not doing the good that I want to do the O wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death and another was very clear that we don't perfectly fulfill the law of God. We sit, we sin we still struggle. It's our hope, our confidence is not in ourselves but thanks be to God.

Chapter 7 verse 25 through Jesus Christ our Lord, so that I myself serve the law of God with my mind with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Now that word condemnation.

It's a legal term it's it's the opposite of being justified in Christ. Now Paul says earlier in Romans chapter 5 verse one we have been justified. We have peace with God now II prefer the way in which the NASB has it that ESV has it.

I guess that these are to be using earlier New Testament manuscripts. As I get that that's a more faithful rendering of the be original there, but that doesn't mean were not called the walk according to the spirit we are.

Paul goes on to say in Romans eight you know it by the spirit we put to death the sinful deeds of the body. Is that something that all of us as believers are called to but our confidence is in and how perfectly we do that because nobody does that person will relying on the Holy Spirit day by day walking with the Lord our confidence is in the fact that we are in Christ by faith and having been justified in him now. We aren't condemned we are the justified and so we have.

You have Ralph peace with God through Jesus. Thanks for your question rather just love adverse Romans, a one-man of something to for all of us when we're feeling discouraged when were feeling guilty about something to just turn back to it. Remember that great promise.

A man from that verse. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and we are excited to announce our brand-new Bible study we have to offer you. It's on the book of Revelation. Yes, a beautiful Bible study on the book of Revelation. We've already been in the book of Revelation.

Some on today's broadcast were looking at Revelation chapter 20, just to show we get so many questions about the book of Revelation, which is why we put together this Bible study questions about the rapture questions about the thousand year reign. The millennial reign what happens after that persecution the Christians experience. We know there's a lot of questions about that right now. Get your hands on this resource Bible study on the book of Revelation can go through on your own or with a group of friends, and it's yours for gift of $20 or more. All you have to do is go to our website. Core, Christianity.com/Revelation that's core Christianity.com/Revelation or you can call us at 833-843-2670 3833 the court let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our younger listeners. My name on tenure.

So if you hear for obeying God. Are you committing hey thank you for that question.

I guess I would want to know you like what is it that your parents are asking you to do if if you're busy reading your Bible and your parents are saying how you need to clean your room now and you say I am serving God I can do that. Why would say that's not a good example of a time where you ought to disobey your parents, but I do know that that there are instances where people in authority. Even our parents can call us or ask us to do something that is wrong are sinful and I hope that that's not the case for you, little brother but but were always called a God gives us is authorities and we are called minutes the fifth commandment that that the Lord God gave to his people to honor our father and our mother to respect them. You have really in that sort of embedded in that commands the call to to respect and honor authority to submit to authority insofar as their calling us not to sin against the Lord, the ultimate authority hating is God himself.

And so when when other people, even people who are in positions of authority ask us to do something that is contrary to God's word, ask us to sin will then we obey God rather than man, but it if they're just asking us to do something that we don't want to do, or maybe aren't that interested in well we we submit to them and honor to the Lord and in in ultimately and in respect to authorities that God is placed over us. We also have to be careful so on the one hand, right if someone in authority is asking us to do something sinful we obey God rather than man, but we also have to be careful. You see this in the New Testament that we aren't making excuses for why we don't have to obey those in authority over us, including our parents and sometimes those excuses can kind of sound holy. I'm thinking of what Jesus said in Mark chapter 7, about the religious leaders.

He said that to them. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men, Mark seven verse eight and in verse 90 said to them, you have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition for Moses said. Honor your father and your mother, and whoever reviles father or mother must surely die. But you say if man tells his father or his mother.

Whatever you would have gained from me is core button that is given to God than you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making him avoid the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down and many such things you do and so there's two dangers here, my friend. One is right. We always are called to obey God rather than man. When man is asking us to sin, but to we have to be careful that we don't use our quote unquote obedience to God as a way for not really obeying God when he calls us to honor our parents that kind of thing and so you have to hold those two things together and may God give you wisdom.

My young friend as you seek to honor your parents and to love and serve God and I'm so glad you can have this question so wonderful to see young men, young boys wanting to grow in the Lord and may God fill you with the spirit and and bless you as you continue to study the Scriptures, my friend. Hey thank you Hayden for listening will be praying for you that you will follow the Lord. It sounds like you're already doing that and that we were just so excited about that to Derek from St. Louis, Missouri, Derek, and what your question for pastor. Israel fairly verbally about two years ago I rely on the Scripture global warming or for knowledge of God, but am also a member in our church and I hear all the time these debates about the worship wars are there some that you shouldn't be listening to nurse Harris reemerged and my concern is that I truly enjoy modern Christian music and I think that it brings my spirit during the day but I want to make sure that I'm not putting myself in danger listening to all future first Derek.

Praise God I'm just so so overjoyed to hear that the Lord has brought you to himself. I have several friends who who came to Christ while they were incarcerated and I know that the Lord is at work that you know in the prisons and and in the lives of people who need the gospel so glad to hear that the Lord has brought you to himself and in and the question you have is a really good one to say first right, it's not you know older songs in a meeting of the hymns or that kind of a thing aren't more holy just because they're older and newer songs.

Contemporary Christian music isn't less holy because it's newer that kind of the thing we have to do is look at the content. What are we singing are we singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, things edify us things that cause the word of Christ dwell in our hearts ritually or are we singing things that are leading us into into heresy and the fact of the matter is there are songs out there that sometimes have issues doctrinal issues or maybe they're just not setting our eyes on worshiping God make their setting rise more on ourselves and so it's good to be discerning. I'm grateful to hear Derek that you are wanting to be discerning.

I think that's wise, I think with whatever were singing or hearing or praying especially in the context of the church in corporate worship we just compared to what the Scriptures teach. We ask ourselves questions like is the word of Christ being made to dwell in my heart more and more through the prayers that I'm hearing and the songs that I'm singing.

Is this the word of God that were singing back to the Lord.

I think that's a really good meet if it if it a song that your singing is based on Scripture. That's that's as good as it gets and so I think that those are good questions to ask and I think that you don't have to just rule out all of the contemporary stuff just because it's newer again right.

Something is not just because it's an older song doesn't mean it's perfect. Doctrinally there are older songs that have doctrinal issues as well. That's what's important for us to know the word of God not to study it so that when we hear these things because I hate that doesn't seem entirely right and and so that's what I would encourage you do is keep digging into the Scriptures and as you you think about the songs that your singing. Ask yourself the question, it is this biblical is this in line with what God's word says and if it if it is then singer Hardaway rather than may God bless you, thank you for for giving us a call. Thank you Derek really appreciate you. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to an email that came in from Janet. She says one praying with a group of believers.

I often feel forced to pray out loud I'm not against this, but it often seems like it's either praying on command or it's for show. I cannot and will not do this. But then I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I think we should prayers were moved by the Holy Spirit and not just from our own minds. Am I off-base here yeah well Hermina I get it, you know, some people are more or less comfortable print praying in a group and of course Jesus when he encouraged us to pray.

He said when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites they love to pray on street corners and and for them it's all for show. They're making a big show of everything and so I appreciate that you you want to be sensitive to that. We are called as Christians to pray together though me think about what happens when we gather together for church. We are corporately coming together to pray or maybe in a smaller group. It sounds like that's what you're what you're referring to, you know with other believers. I would say you know if it's not something that you're comfortable with doing don't don't pray just because you're pressured into doing it, really search your heart and say Lord even in those situations help me when I'm praying with other Christians to fix my eyes on you not to be so so concerned about what other people are thinking what their opinions might be put to focus on you and to pray together with my brothers and sisters in a way that would be edifying and encouraging and ultimately honoring to you and so there's nothing wrong with individual prayer going to your prayer closet and there's nothing wrong with praying in a group's so long as were doing it, just like Jesus called us to an and I would say go to Matthew chapter 6.

In particular, were Jesus gives some of that instruction on prayer. Thanks for your question. And of course for all of us.

The importance is that we are communicating with God on a regular basis right me throughout the day. I think rather than say well this is my one prayer time. You know, this is my 10 minutes or 20 minutes in the morning.

I think throughout the day. We just make our requests known to the Lord.

Amen.

Absolutely. You know that that is something that were were called to me. Think about what Paul said pray without ceasing, and so you know from from the moment that we wake up in the morning to the time that we lay our head down on the pillow. Our our whole life. Our whole day should be an offering to the Lord and I love the fact that through Jesus Christ bill. We can have that constant communion with God. We can come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help in our time of need. It really is such a such a wonderful thing and one of the benefits that we receive as Christians under the new covenant. You know, in the Old Testament Bill if if people wanted to approach God in worship. Typically they did it to the priesthood through the sacrifices they could just waltz into the temple, certainly not into the holy of holies that's where only the high priest went and once a year when Jesus Christ died on the cross the veil that separated the holy of holies, from the holy place, and from the rest of the world was torn into signifying that you if you have faith in Jesus.

You have direct access to God because you are one of his children. You are a holy priesthood, through Christ, and we can go to the Lord anytime of the day and so what an encouragement for us to do just that.

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