Does Putting God First Mean I Shouldn't Pursue Happiness?

If I'm putting God first in my life. What should my life look like that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity well welcome. We pray that you had a wonderful weekend. I'm Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel 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 our phone lines of the open for the next 25 minutes 833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Barbara calling in from Tennessee Barbara what your question for pastor atrial air. I RIGHT at you. People get married there man take the widespread allotment and household and they considered Mary abhorrent. Now my questionnaire and new Plan question and what we why the person who made a piece of paper to to Lake Powell in front of God, thank you for that question. And this is sounds like to me what you're asking is, you know, if two people love each other and to make this promise to each other before God is that good enough. Why do we have to go before a priest or a pastor before the state and get you know this legal piece of paper. This legal document does not have to be a part of it or can we just sort of be married in God's eyes when you think about marriage and what marriage is going way back to the very beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis where God created Eve and he brought Eve the woman to the man and and brought them together such a really beautiful passage of Scripture in Genesis chapter 2 it says in Genesis chapter 2 verse 21 so the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept, took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh and the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man and the man said this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore, verse 24 a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh is the very first marriage ceremony that we see in the Bible and one of the things that a lot of commentators will say about this text of Scripture in particular is you have this sort of covenantal language in the Bible. A covenant is sort of like a legal contract it's it's this binding document, we might say write what were two people enter into this contractual relationship that sounds kind of like a boy will let that seem to take all the love out of it, but in reality it doesn't exist. Pledge your promise that's rooted in love and that is binding and and that's a part of what a marriage is it's not just to people who say will really like each other's… Be married, you know, before God and I think that there also has to be the sort of legal we might say covenantal aspect as well before God before witnesses you think about even our own relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are as the church referred to as the bride of Jesus Christ and we entered into this relationship with Jesus through covenant through what the Bible refers to as the new covenant. Another which is not justice. This sort of free love relationship if you will it's it's and were bound together by the promise is ultimately your first and foremost the promises that God makes to his people, which bind him to us. And so I think that this is this is meant to be a part of what earthly marriage also has is is a part of it to and so that's what I would say that again you know there are some was able to that you take the love out of it that this idea that we know we have to go and get legally married that kind of a thing can't we just be free and we love each other and work were basically functionally married or living like remarried but I think God intends for us to have this other element. This this commitment. This covenant and that's what you see in the Bible you see it in the Old Testament.

You also see it in the New Testament. I saved if two people really love each other and they're committed to one another than they should be willing to enter into that that that sort of legal element as well and that that's a part of what marriage is. So thank you so much for that question.

Barbara look what one of the thing I'll say is you know if we want to think about what marriage ultimately supposed to be a picture of how you go to the book of Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 5, Paul tells us it's a picture of the relationship that Jesus has with his bride, the church. That's what Christian marriage biblical marriage is is is rooted in its rooted in the relationship that God has with his people and so there's another wonderful passage of Scripture to look at. Thank you Barbara, thanks so much for your call. This is core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you. You can call us right now at this number it's 833 the core that's 833-843-2673. Our phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so. We would love to hear from you know question is off-limits. Well that, but I think most questions are fair game for pastor atrial. So give us a call right now 833. The core let's go to voicemail.

We received from Walter, right? As we promote or condone stories of your sorcery or magical or were there in early June. Your suggestion that one should relate the protagonist. After all, the authors are holding these characters up as examples of good character. Thank you very much.

Yeah man, I'm guessing referring to. Maybe some of the more popular books that are out there where you have sort of discussions about wizardry in the length of the fantasy books. A lot of kids are really into an and is it okay for us to to read those books for our children to read those books as as Christians will one. I think that there is a matter of sort of personal liberty. Here, for some it might be a really big issue.

You know your conscience doesn't allow you to do that for others. If you realize that you know like like Paul says in in first Corinthians were related to meat offered to idols there in the time of the New Testament church and for some people really it really plagues their conscience when they think about this issue for others to realize that an idol is nothing in the world that this isn't real. And so they're able to enjoy the meet and I was say with with something like this you know there there is Christian liberty. There's freedom now that doesn't mean that we should promote or be in favor of anything that's contrary to God's word, and so things like witchcraft, sorcery, those kinds of things that we know that that goes against what the Bible tells us, and teaches in fact in the book of acts in acts chapter 19 you have this great big conversion of a number of people who used to practice the sort of magical arts in the burn essentially hold all their all their magical books and they turn to the Lord releases this wonderful nature of conversion of turning to God then so I thing we have to keep those things in mind as well. But if if if believers benefit of reading things like the Lord of the rings or the Chronicles of Narnia.

We have a least is the fantasy involved in and sometimes magic that can there's anything wrong with that and so appreciate your question. Thank you and may the Lord bless you some interesting questions today here on core, Christianity, and by the way, you can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day. If you have a question you can get them during the live program.

Feel free to call us and leave your message. That way, 833 the core or you can go to our website@corechristianity.com look for the little microphone icon there. Click that and you can actually record your message. That's really great for our international listeners.

So if you are listening somewhere overseas right now. Feel free to use the website to leave your question. That way let's go to another voicemail we received this one from one of our callers named Nate is more of a practical question more than anything else but him. Why, how do the original translators of the Bible in its entirety. Separate the verses in the chapters on what was the other purpose and the process behind that thanks hey will I mean if I I don't think that was done until much later. Me so you have all these New Testament manuscripts. Even Old Testament scripts that have been discovered from from the first handful of centuries but it wasn't until I think the 12th or 13th century that they began to add verse numbers and chapter numbers and really that was just for convenience sake, so there is anything inspired about the chapter divisions in the Bible or the verse numbers in the Bible sometimes. I've heard I've heard pastors and preacher say things like all this is the middle verse of the entire Bible. And so it's got the sort of special significance with with the verse numbers that they're not inspired by God and that the chapter divisions are not inspired by God but they weren't a part of the original but they are helpful. I think for us is if we think about things like Scripture memorization, or even just being able to point to passages which are fairly helpful for me as I'm answering questions here on the broadcasting able to sale go to Dino Jeremiah chapter 8 or go to Luke chapter 4 that kind of thing in and it's a way in which were enabled to really study the Scriptures and memorize Scripture and refer back to Scripture and and so I'm grateful for the chapter divisions that we have to recognize that they're not part of the inspired text thanks that question you're listening to core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez.

Let's go to Catherine in Denver Colorado.

Catherine what your question for pastor atrial Christian's little girl with me throughout my whole life hard time with this always been here. He he he never started, never ended when he made Adam and Eve, Annie, and he knew that what they were going to do is eat from the tree and all the thin entered the world and all why didn't God just knowing the future and how come he didn't. He just didn't put it back to it AND I appreciate the fact you recognize that God is omniscient and that he sovereign right it.

He didn't need anything. He created all things from nothing. Going back to Genesis the very beginning of the Bible and he knew what would happen. He knew that Adam and Eve would sin, and so you know something your question is and is not the only one with this question we receive this question before many times and many people throughout the history of the church of asses question why did God allow this. Why did God allow sin to enter into the world of these omniscient if he is all-powerful.

He uses all knowing what was his purpose behind it. We know that God left our our first parents, Adam and Eve to the freedom of their own will. I part of that is just God giving them the opportunity to know him to turn to him in love and in faith. And Adam was the representative of humanity, and he was he was sort of our our representative head in Adam Paul says in the book of Romans. In Romans chapter 5 all of us have sinned to, but God gave Adam and Eve freedom, and I think one of the things it's illustrated here, Catherine, is that God desires our love.

He calls us to love him and he gave us give Adam and Eve there in the garden that that choice to follow him to know him and and again like I said, left to the freedom of their wills, they did.

They didn't follow him and and we been suffering the consequences.

Ever since that one of the thing I'll say and this is something that many many great theologians in the history of the church have said is that God doesn't allow anything that he hasn't already purposed how to solve me as a God knew that this would happen, but he also knew what he would dude to solve the problem in way back in Genesis.

In Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 you have this promise that's given to humanity that one day the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent was that the sin in the world that the evil in the world that exists that the brokenness that we see all around us on this rebellion against God that would be crushed and God was innocent. His son into the world as promised way back there and in Genesis chapter 3 God sent his son into the world so that we might be redeemed so that in him we might have life that we might be restored. Our wills even be restored to follow God and to love him so God had a purpose and in all of this that we may not fully understand everything.

Now this side of heaven. If you will, but when were with the Lord in the presence of the Lord. I think will see things with a lot more clarity is what Paul says in in first Corinthians chapter 13 and now we see through a mirror dimly, but then face to face, then working to no justice. As we also have been known but in the meantime, trust that God is good.

Trust that God loves you.

The Lord had a purpose and that God was able to do that.

The sinfulness of humanity bring about his redemption, which is precisely what he did in Jesus, thank you for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez. Here's a question follow question for you a drill. We know that God is not limited by space and time. We know that he is somber and he knows the future in Revelation 13. Eight. The Bible says that Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that there's a high gas, theological, philosophical question for you. Did God know that Jesus was going to be slain and pay the penalty for our sin, even from the foundation of the world. Oh yeah oh yeah I mean it was a part of this sort of plan within the Trinity.

If you will, from eternity past that that the father would send his son into the world to redeem his people, and so there again.

It's not that God is caught off guard by our failures. He's he's always one step ahead of us, even when we think were one step ahead of him and he has made a way of plan provision for guilty sinners to know him to love him to experience his grace. A man what a great promise payment will the summer time is just around the corner and many kids will be out of school.

Many families will be planning road trips and we want to offer you a wonderful CD that families can listen to in the car or at home as maybe as part of a family devotional time. I love that you mentioned road trips. Their bill because when our family does road trips.

That's one of the things we like to do. We like to put together a playlist of music to listen to with the kids and have four kids 974, or five. I'm forget sometimes and then let N2 it was a we like to get together and and just listen to music and especially music that it's edifying and uplifting and so were excited about offering this. This resource is called evensong by Keith and Kristin Gaddy think the Getty's are wonderful musicians and hymn writers. And if you're familiar with that him in Christ alone. They're the ones who who are responsible for that wonderful him and so get a hold of this resource for a donation of any amount even song and I know to bless your family, it is really beautiful, both musically and spiritually will encourage you to get it and go to core Christianity.com/offers to learn more about the evensong CD or you can call us for that offer or any one of our offers at 833-843-2673. Again, that number is 833. The core let's go to voicemail received from one of our listers named Brooke how far you are not stringy grass from wondering what should my life look like a daily basis and putting God first, as it says in Matthew 633. Is it okay to buy something. I don't mean like coffee or should I take in writing and extend and help others. Thank you so much. I hey Brooke, thank you for giving us a call with that question and I know that there are a lot of Christians really wrestle with this.

You know, is it okay for me to spend my money on things that I enjoy binder so much suffering in the world there so many people that are more needy than I am. I just feel bad even going to Starbucks and and buy myself a coffee that kind with insensate maybe that's where you're at, you referring to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.

And in the context of Matthew's gospel here were in the sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is been talking quite a bit actually in the section about about money, how we think about money and possessions. He says don't lay up treasures in heaven, beginning in verse 19 of chapter 6 is, don't idolize money. Verse 24 no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. So don't be a worshiper of money you can't.

You can have distorted dual allegiance to money and to the true and the living God.

And then he goes on to talk about nothing anxious about our possessions about what we have organa put on what we can eat what work in a drinking of this is what the nations of the world are anxious about what they seek after Jesus's encouragement here is is don't let that consume your life so that you don't see can serve God as you should seek first. Jesus says the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and God is in a be the one who provides you with everything else I doesn't always give us everything we want, but he says him and him and to be there for you, to provide for my people and so the call. Here is a call to be comforted to trust in the Lord and certainly in the context of Matthew chapter 6 to think about how it is that were investing our money you nothing selfish with our money being willing to to share to invest ultimately in heaven we think about what a good investment is right at a good investment is and is an investment that safe in his can advocate a great big return. Jesus is look. Let me tell you the best place to invest, invest in my kingdom.

You know where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be also.

That's I think a really good word for each and every one of us. Where are we investing our money, our time, our thoughts is that in this world primarily that's that's you know, slowly passing away or is it in the world to come in in God's kingdom and that's what would Jesus is calling us to and then you know just in terms of the day-to-day living as you referring to the needs of those seeking to live our lives in a way where we are investing in that kingdom where our eyes are fixed upon our heavenly citizenship and as a result of that were seeking to love and serve the people around us to make this world a better place. Not not because you know were trying to usher in God's kingdom because we can bring it about, because God calls us to. He calls us to love our neighbors as those who are receiving a kingdom from him now, does that mean as you think about investing in heaven and and serving the Lord and using your resources to advance the gospel if you will.

Does that mean that we can't also enjoy this world and you know some of the pleasures in this world, a good cup of coffee. You know a nice steak dinner that kind of thing. I don't think so. I think the exit God wants us to enjoy those things and and one other passage of Scripture that I would point you to. I think that this is a really wonderful text thinking about your your question is what Timothy said in first Timothy chapter 6, verse 17, listen to what he says.

As for the rich in this present age. Charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good to be rich in good works to be generous and ready to share. Thus, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is truly life is that there's nothing wrong with with you know earthly riches if you will is not evil in and of themselves. This is don't let your heart worship those things for the rich in this present world. Don't be haughty. Don't be arrogant. God gives you these things to enjoy. Make sure you share you, do good to the people around you and so I would say just enjoy that great cup of coffee or that nice dinner whatever it is that you're thinking about and as you enjoy it.

Give thanks to the Lord for his kindness for his provision and and pray and ask how God might use you in the ways he's blessed you to bless others as well.

Amen thank you so much for that. A drill in the Brooke thanks for your question be appreciated. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Bruce from Rand Road, grand Island, Nebraska. Bruce welcome the program what your question all response to the marriage courses for going to city to get a license why you couldn't have the family have a ceremony make a document and have them sign it. Would that be the same.

Yeah hey thank you for that question Bruce in one of the things about marriage in the Bible elicits it is the sort of common institution.

What I mean by that is you think of for example the ordinance that Jesus is the ordinances that Jesus gave to the church baptism and the Lord's supper. Those relate, particularly in primarily to the people of God on their nothing to people outside of the church participated not everybody just goes and gets baptized or goes and takes lots of it are not supposed to do. This is, you know, a part of the church in the life of the church with marriage in particular sort of common institution where an individual doesn't have to be a Christian to get married, and so on. In that sense and in that regard. I think that that the state plays a part in marriage. Now God is the one who defines marriage right so that the states civil authorities are accountable to God and his word and there called to to it in the in so far as you know, God reveals his lot to us naturally to be in line with that, and oftentimes that's not the case. We know that there are many laws out there that are totally contrary to God's word, and so we we lament that fact we lament that reality, there is a role that the state plays here in this insight.

I think it is not right. Ordinarily speaking for for two people if they want to get married Bruce to make it a family occasion make it make it something it's done the context of the church is best because we know that marriage is a picture of the relationship that Jesus Christ has with his bride, but I think there is that legal element also that the state brings about helps to bring about that is important when when two people come together and so that that that's what I encourage and I know that there are extraordinary circumstances in the world where that's not always possible me think of maybe two people stranded on a desert island of that kind of thing.

But as far as its ordinarily possible. I think it is important for us to go about it via the status well.

Thank you so much for your question and may the Lord bless you today. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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