Which Doctrines Are Essential and Which Are Not?

How do we differentiate between the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and church traditions. That is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Pedro Sanchez.

This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Here's the number to call if you have a question you can call us 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts course you can always email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Debbie in Lincoln Nebraska. Debbie, welcome to the program. Hi Debbie, I called last week Monday and was asking for advice on giving money to homeless people and you mentioned giving them like NL gift card to McDonald's or something like that. I doubt that I was.

I wanted to give them something no one especially the ones that really looked Canadian but I didn't want to going to alcohol or cigarettes or anything so I took your advice on Monday I went but 55 dollar gift cards to McDonald's and I got on the inside of low-carb age 52 I wrote you a very special person. But God handed them out and I got really good about that. I knew it was enough they did want to McDonald's. That was their choice. But at least I knew I was helping in a way that made me feel good.

Yeah. Will Debbie I don't know who can say no to McDonald's fries. I know I but that is so wonderful and I might've mentioned this verse wouldn't when you called. Initially, I don't recall if I did, but Proverbs 19 where where we read that he who gives to the poor.

She gives to the poor lends to the Lord and it.

I especially like that you you you said to a very special person. The reality is is were all made in God's image and we ought to not show partiality, you know what James talks about this in James chapter 2 wouldn't when he talks but you know when when a rich person walks into your church and a poor person walks into your church and you spent all the time focusing on the rich person aren't you showing partiality in your heart and that's wicked that's evil.

We really need to uphold the dignity of all people, including our homeless neighbors and many of them are suffering and in a number of different way. Sometimes it's mental illness. Sometimes it's it's a history of drug abuse sometimes is just difficulty in life, losing a job me think about all the things that have happened over the past year with the with the coronavirus pandemic and so I think it's wonderful that you were able to do that to share a meal and in God's love with some homeless neighbors and I would encourage you to to continue to do that.

I think it I think it's good for us and it's honoring to the Lord.

Debbie, thanks so much for taking that action really being the hands and feet of Jesus to those the homeless people in your community. We do agree that's a great way to go about it. Not to risk that the money would be used for destructive means, but give them those gift certificates whether it's for McDonald's or Subway or whatever restaurant you might choose hey Bill, can I can I hear you're right again. I just pray for Debbie to and and really, that the Lord would cultivate in all of our hearts that that kind of generosity and so father thank you for for our sister and I pray for heard that as she looks it ways to serve her neighbors around her. Those who who aren't as fortunate and if she is, she looks to feed them and to come alongside them and to share your love the fact that were all made in in your image guided what it what a wonderful thing. Would you please guide her and give her wisdom would you give her opportunities to share it in a very clear way the gospel that God not only when when Jesus was honored not only did he give physical bread and he did mean do multiplying the lows, but he also said I am the bread of life and would you give Debbie the grace and the wisdom to share the message of the bread of life with with her neighbors with the people you placed around her, which cultivate all of us, Lord, heart that that desires to be generous to give to those who are in the Lord, that we might honor you as is our Lord Jesus said in in the sermon on the mount that the world might see our good works and glorify you, dear father we pray this in Jesus name, amen.

They Debbie, thanks so much for your call to have a follow-up question for Israel.

I did not let you know I really appreciate that fire like you that right now. I really appreciate it.

And may the Lord bless you Debbie thanks to everything will be out of our regular listeners really appreciate you. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and we love getting your questions about the Bible and the Christian life. Let's go to Steve who is in Arkansas, Steve, what's your question for Israel.

I listened to a previous show and pastor said that when a believer dies, they are immediately in the presence of God. So I was curious.

Recall all why does the Catholic Church always talk about purgatory, so much so isn't was always taught that the cleansing blood of Christ was enough to get rid of our sins, just as you are you are taught accurately and I saw this this doctrine of purgatory in the Roman Catholic Church is sort of an outflow of their their understanding of salvation there so to rheology that is that the study of the doctrine of salvation. So as we would say I would say when a believer is justified. We trust in Jesus were justified were counted as righteous in God's sight, not on the basis of anything that we do. You can be more or less justified.

You either are or you aren't.

And by faith when you're justified. Your sins are forgiven there there wiped away washed away and you are given credited with the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself so that we can stand before God on the day of judgment, confident, not so much in our own perfection not not in the amount of good works that we did what we were on earth nor confidence is Jesus Christ. And so because of that, I think we teach and and and can say look when a believer dies there immediately in the presence of the Lord, but in the Catholic Church there's there's a different understanding of the doctrine of justification you. You are maybe initially justified when you're baptized according to the Catholic Church but then as you cooperate with God's grace. You're becoming more justified, and that if you sin you can put a fall out of your state of justification and then you have to do access of penance in order to get back into a state of justification is so that there's there's up a big difference in terms of how we understand the doctrine of salvation and purgatory in in the Catholic system is a place of cleansing because is the innovate they recognize it when you die, you still have these sins, even if they're not quote unquote mortal sins according to the Catholic Church because these individuals still have these these sins these struggles they are not fit to enter into the presence of God immediately and so they need to go through a time of purgation at time of cleansing and that's what purgatory is where as we would say yes I want. I don't see that in the Bible into it seems very clear that a person is justified and when there justified by faith in Jesus Christ are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ so that they can stand before God on the day of judgment. So it's really an excellent question that you you ask because it help us to get into some of the differences. They are related to how we understand salvation and the implications of those differences for our eternal state and for what happens when we die and so Steve is cleared up for you. Are you yeah will feel free to. If you have a follow-up feel free to do it to ask. I want to make sure that that this is clear for you. I just yeah I understand what you're saying.

I understand I yeah so that's that. That's why you have that emphasis within within the Roman Catholic Church. It's because they would say you know of an individual dies and they still might have these these these lesser sins. These venial sins that they need to be cleansed of prior to entering into the presence of of God in blessedness and so and so it really know it's it's it's a question of how we understand the doctrine of salvation really like the comfort for us as believers has to be in Jesus because the reality is when we look at our own lives and we compare ourselves to the people around us, we might feel good on some days I'm doing better than this person or that person, but at the judgment seat. It's God's law standing before the holy judge himself, before whom the entire earth trembles and shakes in the mountains melting items that we can't come in our own righteousness and expects anything we come in and through Jesus our mediator and because of that we have confidence know we should mention to Martin Luther had a major issue with the purgatory, and the fact that the Catholic Church was encouraging more demanding that people pay penance or alms to get their relatives out of purgatory so they wouldn't be uncle Bob wouldn't be being barbecued for a long period of time there and and that was a major reason for the patient well yeah I mean there were a lot of corrupt practices in the medieval church and abuses men just flat out false teaching heresy and so that was that was a part of the catalyst that did lead to the Reformation, which was a call to get back to the Scriptures, and that that's the call that we always wanted want to give as well. We need to go to the text of Scripture because it's there that God speaks to us clearly I meant this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to an email question that we received from Steven.

He says how did Jesus take our punishment onto himself. If our punishment is eternal separation from God.

Also, how could Jesus be eternally separated from God when he in fact is God, or the second person of God's triune nature. Yeah this is an excellent question gets us into Christology. It gets us into the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The first thing that all say is Anna. How is Jesus's death sufficient for us if if the punishment is as you say you know eternity in hell.

How is it that Christ's death on the cross, you know you is enough to pay for that punishment for for one person knew nonetheless that you have the entire church. What will the answer that question is who is it that died when I talk about it. Just a mere human being like me or you were talking about and you mentioned this, the eternal son of God, who assumed humanity. That is, he took on human flesh to and from the womb of the Virgin Mary. Luke talks about this in Luke chapter 1 verse 35 and because we have God himself who is offering up this payment for sin. It is of infinite value sufficient to purge the sin on a thousand worlds of this is God's very blood that was shed and that's precisely what the apostle Paul said in the book of acts in acts chapter 20 when he is writing to her when he speaking to group of elders. He says to them. Shepherd the flock of God which he purchased with his own blood think that what Peter said in first Peter chapter 1 verse 18. Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot when we talk about hidden the payment of just wasn't silver or gold. This was the precious blood of Jesus, the eternal son of God now so that's how we can say that it was sufficient to cleanse our sins and to ensure that we are going to be in the presence of God and enjoy and in paradise for all eternity because of what God is done for us in the gospel of us another.

The second part of your question.

You seem to be. There was well you know can Jesus be eternally separated from the father. It is that part of the payment will. Here's what we have to be very very careful. Sometimes I think when people talk about the atoning work of Christ. They can say things that actually compromise the doctrine of the holy Trinity, God the father sent his son to the cross in loving Jesus is bearing our punishment.

The punishment due to us for sin ultimately and and primarily death.

The curse that was mentioned way back at the beginning of Genesis. But Jesus is always one with the father in communion with the father. In one sense he experienced this sort of forsaken this in his humanity by taking our place vicariously on the cross but his father was always with him still. And isn't that exactly what Jesus says and in the gospel. He says look all of you, or can it abandon me. At one point Jesus talking to his disciples but the father is with me, so it's really important that we were walking the fine line here. We have to affirm that Christ bore our punishment on the cross, the punishment due to us for sin while also affirming the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity that the father the son and the Holy Spirit exist in perfect communion, a communion of love and even though the father sent Jesus to the cross to bear our punishment. Jesus went willingly in love for you, for your salvation, and so that's all we have to understand is is so much have a rich stuff there and you're getting into some some pretty deep theology but appreciate your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

If you have a question for us.

You can always leave a voicemail 24 hours a day at our number which is 833 the core. You can also record your question through our website@corechristianity.com is especially helpful for international listeners. If you listen somewhere globally and you want to ask a question, just go to core Christianity.com and look for that microphone link on how to record a question right there. Today we want to offer you a wonderful book. It's by a hero and martyr of World War II pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Yes, we are excited to offer Bonhoeffer's classic work life together. The classic exploration of Christian community. You will find this book to be edifying if if you're wondering about you and what does it mean for Christians to live in community with one another in the local church.

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So life together get hope get a hold of it really will help you live out your faith in the context of Christian community life together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. You cannot get that book for a donation of any amount by going to core Christianity.com/offers or give us a call at 833 the core right now. Let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners named Sandy after question your thought God made whole earth where there is no evil at all just perfect.

The why you think that is okay.

Thank you God bless bye-bye you're not the first person to have asked that question. Now of course when when we open up the Scriptures the very beginning of the Bible and the book of Genesis, God reveals himself to his people.

He is the great Creator King who made all things good and very good. Over and over again.

You have this refrain in the first chapters of Genesis God looks at the world that he created the things that he made from nothing and he says it's it's good it's good when God makes man. He said it's very good. And God puts man in the garden and blesses man and gives him this this role. This very high calling to to be the sort of Royal representatives on earth.

It's really interesting. Actually said when you read some of the other ancient music near Eastern accounts of quote unquote the creation of the world.

Some of the other religions that were floating around around the Israelites.

Actually, they talked about the creation of the world typically that the quote unquote God's created man humanity as servants as slaves to do the work that the gods didn't want to do is really kind about the bleak existence. But we look at the text of Scripture, the inspired word of God reveals to us that God made everything good and that he gave man this very high calling kings and queens of creation if you will call to to rule and subdue and to expand God's glory across the whole world by cultivating the garden of Eden so that it would spread and yet God also gave man freedom of choice and left to the freedom of their own wills. Our first parents seemed by eating of the forbidden fruit.

Now your question is why did God, why did God make a world that was even possible.

Why did God allow that to be the case, and there are some people who will say what God wanted to give us preaching and wants to be robots you want to give us is this the sort of free choice there there there something to that there, but part of it. Sandy is just don't know.

Sometimes it is God does things and and we don't have the answer to the questions we have this side of heaven to me. Think about that some of the sufferings that people experience today. Horrible things and we go to God was a God why why this why me what's going on here and we lament before the Lord and symptoms and so we have is the lamentation the question you see this over and over again in the Psalms, and I think of what God said to the prophet Isaiah. He said my thoughts are not your thoughts, is Isaiah 55 versus a nine. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. And so we go to the Lord in humility and we say God I know that you made all things good.

I know that you did Mr. word says and I know that you that your good and righteous you can't be tempted with evil that you're not evil. James says that in James chapter 1, but I don't understand why the world is such a mess or were why experience the suffering that I do, you can go to God with those honest questions and sometimes we don't have that the specific answer into were in the presence of the Lord, but you can know that God is good that he made all things good and that he's not to blame for why the world is a mess that sin that that's the result of of our own disobedience and the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve in the garden and so thank you for for your question. May the Lord bless you this core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's an email we received from one of our listeners are drill, they say. How does one differentiate between essential doctrines, doctrines of lesser importance and traditions which can be very helpful, but lacked biblical authority. Some seem easy, like who was Jesus or Jesus is God, while others are such as how and when baptism is performed. It seems that tradition grips people or people claim to traditions with the most strength. Do you think this inability to distinguish and discern are part of the reason why so many churches are a mile wide and an inch deep. That really is a huge problem. Our inability to to discern.

We liked it. A lot of times in in churches fight about the silliest thing in the color of the carpet effort heard stories of you know that kind with even this last year with with all of the all of the controversy surrounding the code pandemic and masks in churches and so on so forth. I've seen churches split over this kind of thing and it really is heartbreaking and it shows us how. Essentially, were were totally missing it. We've lost sight of the main thing the gospel and work were dividing over things that we should never ever divide over the most important thing anyway and you said it's it's not as hard to find the stuff to be first Corinthians 15 pulses I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received and that was he going to describe that the death of Christ, the resurrection of Jesus's ascension. The gospel message that that's the that's the. The Col. of the gospel. That's were all about.

And so we have to hold fast to that with the cling to that so that we don't lose sight of what's most important because often times when we do as churches. That's would be ended to bicker and fight and divide over things like masks and it's devastating.

It's it's heartbreaking. I can say this is a pastor and I'm grateful because I feel like God is has blessed us in many regards I've ever I know we fed weathered that the COBIT pandemic and there's been a lot of charity at the church, but I have friends who are pastoring churches were it's been really really difficult because they can't decipher cognition, have a difficult time deciphering between the. The main thing and then some of these other issues, and so the question is know what of those doctrines a strike at the vitals of our Christian faith and in and you said it is the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Jesus. That's not to say that those other doctrines that are out there aren't important everything the Bible teaches really important.

We should hold fast to it but but we can also have a degree of charity for one another and say look, I know that you disagree with me on spiritual gifts or women in ministry that kind of a thing, but I don't think that that's one of those things that keeps us from being able to say you're my brother or you're my sister in Christ, and I can actually learn things from you and be encouraged by you and you can be encouraged by me and so I think we really have to have that that heart of charity and isn't that what the Lord Jesus calls us to again that's not to minimize our differences which we can hold fast to our convictions and ultimately to what the word of God teaches. We need to do that with charity and respect. It seems to me that within the church today. We really lost that that ability and in so many places.

He knows it.

A lot of it is just sort of lobbing bombs at each other and disagreeing in uncharitable ways, and assuming the worst about people who disagree with you, and in imputing bad motives to them.

That kind of a thing friends as I was. Jesus calls us to calls us to love and he calls us to hold fast to the truth and to share it with gentleness and respect. And so want to encourage you with that. And may the Lord bless you and your own conversations with people that you would be filled with charity and love. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together