How Should the Church Respond to the Josh Duggar Scandal?

How should the church protect its people from sexual predators such as one of the questions will be answering on today's edition 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 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 a voicemail that we received from a Catholic background and had said that Eve led Adam Second Life and it was stated in the comment and Isaiah 3414. Can you explain and why we don't recognize that, and as Christians.

Thank you that question. I don't think that this is traditional Roman Catholic teaching. I don't know where these friends are getting this idea from Isaiah 3414. I'm not sure how that would indicate her work when what's inside indicates that Adam had a wife prior to Eve. It says, and wild animal shall meet with hyenas. The wild shall cry to his fellow indeed there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. So yeah that's is it about Adam having another wife. Really we just have to look at the text of Genesis chapter 2 and I just ask you just preached on this this last Sunday so it's fresh on my mind.

In Genesis chapter 2 verse 18 it says in the Lord God said it is not good that man should be alone I will make him a helper fit for him and then it says now out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them and whatever the man called every living creature that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock into the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So Adam is alone there in the garden is that you really, really interesting that that the language that we see in verse 18 of something not being good should be contrasted with what you hear over and over again back in Genesis chapter 1 where God looked at what he made in Esau, and it was good over and over again. This continual refrain were looking at God's good creation, and so by the time you get the chapter 2 verse 18 you're confronted with this tension in the text where man is alone and it's not good. And so, so, what does God do. He puts Adam into this deep sleep and he takes from Adam's side, and he builds a wife, Eve and Adam says when he when he sees Eve the man said this at last verse 23 is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. He shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. So I think we can rule out this idea that there was another woman that was there with Adam prior to the creation of even one of the things that's really being highlighted in this passage is the fact of the matter that loneliness is not a good thing here.

You know what God called mankind to you prior to the fall was something that Adam could not accomplish on his own. You think of the cultural mandate that was given to him to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth. Adam couldn't accomplish that by himself and so God gave him this this helper. This equal and together they serve the Lord. And so this is the first marriage. The first relationship human relationship in Scripture and it really is this this beautiful picture of what God I think intends for marriage is to be this this loving relationship of equals serving one another, naked and unashamed.

We read in in verse 25. In Genesis chapter 2, there was there was this closeness and so a really wonderful picture but that's where you want to go Genesis chapter 2. If you have any questions about Eve.

Adam and the creation of the first couple. What about the hyenas of your questions about the highness. Yeah, I'm not sure I can answer those questions about hyenas, but it might. Maybe there's another passage in and Isaiah that this individual was thinking about. We can we can have a discussion about that another time, but yet it doesn't seem to be anything in the Texas trip to suggest to us that Adam had a wife prior to Eve. Okay this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Our phone lines are open right now for the next 20 minutes or so and we would love to hear from you.

Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Elias in Hempstead, New York allies what your question for Pastor Israel Meyer shares in the New Testament choose to love your enemies in the Old Testament God says he selected God also love Melissa. Good God headed out for we were saved. When will still work. Or do you always love us a license, an excellent question, and you're picking up on something you go to the Psalms.

For example in the Old Testament. Psalm chapter 5 verse four says, for you are not a God who delights in wickedness, evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all evil doers. This is what we talk about your God loving the sinner and hating the sin. I think that sex is not. Not a bad way of putting it, but then you also have passages like this where it seems to say that God hates evildoers will then we compare that to what we read in other places, like John chapter 316 for God so loved the world who's the world. There is not is not been a people that were following the Lord. It's the world of sinners. It's people who rejected God in and rejected the truth for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life, and so you have this sort of tension in the in the text of Scripture, and there was this medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas.

I like the way he served parsed out this problem.

He said look, God loves and hates the sinner at the same time in one sentence of ours. Sinners have existence from God. He made us wheedling everything that God makes is good.

He made his creation. Good were just talking about that back in Genesis chapter 1 insofar as that's the case, God loves us, but in so far as we have sin and have fallen away from existence right in that sense we are sinners are you know the objects of God's judgment the objects of God's wrath, and yet even with that we have of the continual reminder in Scripture that God pursued us, even while we were still his enemies while we were despised and and worthy of divine judgment.

I think about a passage like Romans chapter 5 where were the apostle Paul talks about how God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us was the love of God for sinners that caused him to send his son into the world so that we might be redeemed for that meat we might have a relationship with the true and the living God. And I think this is really important because a lot of times we we struggle with sin.

We struggle with our passing remembering you to where we were prior to the Lord bring us to himself. And we think may how could God ever love me. I just don't feel worthy of his love, and the fact the matter is friends.

None of us were ever worthy of the love of God and yet he showered it upon us in his son Jesus. He loves us even though we've sinned, and the proof of that is Jesus, his son, thank you for that question lies in a really good question. I meant this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. By the way, if you've been helped by an answer that you heard on core, Christianity, and you want to share a previous episode with a friend or family member you can send them a video of our episodes from our YouTube channel and be sure to click on the subscribe button while you're there so you can follow along. For extra videos from core Christianity let's go to Carolyn from Memphis, Tennessee. Carolyn what your question for Pastor Gabriel and Matt now and I and all the animals that went into the ark, and not mention any of the water animals and I wonder if there's a place are aching have information about that I guess was morning like you know dolphin sharks and all those animals.

They Carolyn will yet there's no it doesn't seem like there's any big pool on the ark that God commanded Noah to build a think the assumption is that those animals remained in the waters that they were not destroyed.

So it's all the land animals that are that are brought onto the ark and rescued essentially, and this was really an active of God's providence and power and God is the one is orchestrating all of this and we read about, you know, Noah's flood, and in Genesis chapter 6 and in chapter 7 and so that's what I say but I think it essentially what most people believe most scholars biblical scholars would say is no. Those those sea animals. The sea creatures were not brought onto the ark.

Thank you for your question. Your listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and we would love to hear from you if you want to call us live and talk to Pastor Israel in the studio. Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way can also leave us a voicemail anytime 24 hours a day on those phone numbers, and here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners in Pennsylvania. There, I'm just wondering why a lot of people think that by doing the work they're saying and I'll want to know why a lot of people think that by being baptized in a church or and the sinners prayer are saved in Union Chapel Army really appreciate it.

Thank you. I is it's interesting because even though we talk about the fact that salvation is by grace through faith. There's nothing that we can do to save ourselves. It's it's a gift from God. The gift of salvation. Oftentimes, we do slip back into the sort of mentality living as if we have to earn our salvation before the Lord and so were were sort of you know caught on the on the hamster wheel, trying to do these good works, feeling like if I if I do enough. I have God's favor and when I fail. Maybe I fallen out of God's favor. Maybe I've even lost my salvation.

I think it even though we emphasize the grace of God over and over again. It's really easy for us does this to have this mindset.

I think part of the reason is because we live in a world where you know the ideas. If you do good, you'll be rewarded and if you don't do good you're knocking to be rewarded and and you don't get anything free of charge that nothing is free so it's really hard. I think for us to really lay hold of the free grace of God, especially when we realize that we don't deserve it. It's a week we find things to do and sometimes it's as simple as saying a prayer you just give me the formula. What do I have to do in order to be saved. Okay, I gotta say these words okay I'll pray that prayer and and maybe it worked it stick. Or maybe it's more than that, I gotta keep these rules. These commandments, these laws and that's that's why we have to distinguish between the law and the gospel.

The law is a good thing we see it everywhere in the Scriptures is what God calls us to do. Ultimately, it summarized in this love God perfectly and love your neighbor as yourself. The fact of the matter is, no one is saved by doing that we can't do that.

We've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We need grace and that's where the gospel comes in.

The gospel is for sinners and and even as those who have received grace, who confessed our sins to the Lord and experience his mercy, his love, as I said we we just sort of our natural inclination is to to believe in salvation by works, and so we really to set that aside in a couple of places in the Bible where I think you can go that will help clear this up for you are the book of Galatians that you know. Galatians was a New Testament letter that was written by the apostle Paul to a church to a group of Christians were really struggling with this very question who are wanting to go back to the law and to these immuno religious rituals in order to be right with God in order to be justified, and Paul in the book of Galatians is look to do that. Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 for all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written curse to be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the lot to do them. Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith and what is faith.

It's an empty hand it's it's it's receiving that gift of salvation laying hold of Jesus were not saved by what we do, were saved by Christ himself, and he saves us by faith. And again it is that that's hard for us to to grasp because were just wired to think that it's by works, and so we humble ourselves before the Lord and we receive that gift of salvation. Thank you for your question. By the way, we have a core question on this topic. It's called why do you talk about the difference between law and gospel. You can find that by going to core Christianity.com/questions. Just look at the question on law and the gospel. Well, if you are new to core Christianity, we have something really special.

We would love to send you it's our free core kit absolutely built the court kid that offers listeners who are wondering what core Christianity is all about, or a really helpful sort of compilation of some of our best resources jampacked with items like our DVD find yourself in God story answers to the top three questions we get asked on this broadcast a printed copy of our most read article core, Christianity.com our Bible reading plan and in a bunch of other really helpful resources for you so get a hold of this core kit. As I said it's it's a collection of of all the best stuff that we have to offer and to receive the core kit.

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You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 go to a voicemail question that we received from one of our listeners named Karen.

I want to know how to Christians lead, coworkers and family members to Christ. Thank you. What what it what an excellent question it. I know of a family. It can be difficult as your family knows you better than anybody else you think about what Jesus said in the Gospels, you know. But a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown his own household and and I think that that's that's true when Jesus went back to his hometown to Nazareth to share the gospel to preach the good news were were told that not many people there believed in him. They had this sort of this. This understanding of Jesus that wasn't entirely accurate.

They viewed him as just that you know that the hometown kid. The carpenter's son, you know, Mary son, that kind of a thing and so they were cause to stumble when he began to proclaim the truth of the gospel. The truth of forgiveness of sins, and I think sometimes you were talking to family members that can happen as well because you know it's like what you think you are. I know I know I know all your your dirt on your family member how you talk to me about forgiveness and grace and all of those things I think that there we have to be sensitive to that. We also have to recognize that ultimately it's the spirit of God that leads people into the truth. We can't force someone into the faith. What we do is we we ought to live lives that are in line with what we believe, you know, so we don't want to we want to contradict the truth of God's word by how we live and how we treat one another and then we share those truths with the people that we love the truth of the gospel in its day, or as we share the truth of the gospel with the people that we love that the spirit of God is at work opening the hearts of of our family members of our friends opening their eyes. I think of you know what Luke recorded in acts 16 about Lydia this this seems like a single mother. She was she was really doing well for herself.

She had this business selling purple fabrics and as the disciples were preaching the Holy Spirit, the Lord opened her heart to receive the things that were being said by the disciples as a pray for your family. Braided printed the spirit of God would do that in your family members and and share the truth of Jesus of the gospel with them. We just talked about that the difference between law and gospel.

So many people are confused about this. They think Christianity is about what you do and being a good person. We get the share we get to share the good news Christianity that you better than that is not what you do. It's not about you being a good person there implications to the gospel. But that's not the gospel, the good news of the Christian faith is that none of us are good.

We failed. We fallen short of God's glory, to be honest about that and you know what God welcomes us into his family through faith in his son. He washes away our sins not on the basis of what you do of works done in righteousness because of what he's done. That's good news to share that message with with your family members and you pray that the spirit of God works in and through that message. I meant you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Here's an email we received from one of our listeners, they say, with the recent news regarding the arrest of Josh Dugger.

I do not understand how and why churches are able to have these kinds of predators in their midst. Why do these kinds of stories and scandals keep coming out. Shouldn't churches be difficult places for these kinds of figures to hide instead of easy ones, such an important question and I mean I saw this this information that came out all over the news about Josh Dugger as well. For those who are not familiar to the doctors or that this family, this Christian family that had a television basically reality TV show program about about their lives as a whole. A wholesome Christian television show.

I guess you could say meant and the oldest son in this family that the Dugger family unit came out that he had abused some of his family members, and that you cheated on a spouse in a number of other things and so they were there. All these problems that were beginning to surface and most recently, I did just came out that he had essentially this this horrible things on on his computer images videos depicting the sexual assault of children of young children so absolutely horrifying, and the question is how how can this happen in Christian families and Christian communities help out. How come it seems like predators are in our church is how I know shouldn't be more difficult for them to be there than in other places mean this is the church of the living God. And I think that there are a few reasons for this one. Churches tend to be communities of trust that we wanted we wanted show charity to one another, goodwill to one another and predators. They know that they take advantage of the trust and can manipulate any Jesus talked about wolves in the church. And that's precisely what we have here and one of the things that you see in situations like this in with with this entire con with this entire conflict with with the. The Dugger family is that oftentimes I did. We sort of assume that abusers are people that we can really easily spot units the person off the street who just her looks funny and doesn't have any teeth in and we know it. I just kinda creeps people out know a lot of the research what it's showing is that typically in cases of abuse, even within the church. It's it's individuals who never would've expected its people who are close to us. People who are even involved in positions of leadership in the church and so if we don't have safety protocol as congregations.

This kind of thing will happen and will will continue to happen.

It's really important for us as as Christian leaders that we are talking about the. The reality of abuse in the world today, and even in the church as well. I think the statistics are something like one in five girls are the victims of sexual abuse and something like one and one and 15 or 20 boys and and probably the numbers are a lot higher than that because there's a lot of this.

A lot of times were people don't report the abuse because of fear because of shame. And so it's really important for us as church leaders to talk about this to have transparency and to build structures into our church that help to train people to be able to identify special are our leaders and volunteers in places like Sunday school and nursery tip to be able to to identify the markers of abuse and and one really helpful resource on this is an organization called grace. Grace stands for godly response to abuse in a Christian environment may have a website. Net net grace.org that I I freakishly recommend Grace helped our church to create a child safety policy to begin having a discussion about this and I did some training for us just talking about the reality of abuse and how important it is for us as churches to take this seriously and and until we do sadly need of these kinds of things are going to continue to happen and so we we have to be wise as serpents.

As Jesus said, and harmless as doves.

And if you may I realize even when I talk about this at church when talking about here now on on this broadcast. If you're listening and in you've been the victim of abuse and you haven't spoken about it. You haven't been able to to talk about it getting the help that you need professional help the care that you need to think is really really important man at check out that that resource website that I mentioned net grace.org.

There's a lot of things therefore abuse survivors even even just in terms of navigating some of the more difficult questions related to faith in abuse and so really a tragic story with with the Dugger family, but we have to adjust a warning Fresno we really have to take this seriously and and and in the past. The church hasn't always done that, you know, it really been involved in the children's ministry for several years, and one of the keys is really to train your people and I'm sure your church safety program stresses that as well. Everybody needs to understand what the signs are and how to screen people and really what to watch for and if you don't train your staff, they don't know and bad things can happen that you are absolutely right Bill. Yeah, that's one of the steps you have to take there's training there.

There needs to be transparency there has to be an open discussion about the fact that it is something we talk about something were aware of work were screening people who are volunteers in our church doing background checks that kind of thing. Those are those things and help to keep abusers away because they want to be in places where where those questions those difficult questions are going to be asked and the reason we do it is because we want to protect the church. This is the bride of Jesus who he loves.

So we guard her. 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