Is Israel Still God’s Chosen People?

Are the Jews still God's chosen people. Best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is 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 court, that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media accounts you can watch us right now on YouTube and send us a message.

That way, and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Sally who is in Fort Wayne Indiana selling what your question for Pastor Israel Meyer hello believe that belong to the church is better that being politically correct and embracing all kinds of culture and letting are going to have a difficult time getting into heaven and many dear friends who belong to such churches and I'd like to know your take on your stance take on their pastors take on Sally, thank you for that question is simple. The simple response would be. Do these individuals believe the gospel met. I guess we also have to define what we mean by politically correct or liberal or progressive you sometimes in the church we throw those words around there is such a thing is liberal theology if you will. And historically, that kind of theology has rejected the gospel. Dear was born out of the sort of 20th century Protestant liberalism and a rejection of the miraculous.

The rejection of the resurrection of Jesus, or the way of trying to make Christianity accessible and acceptable to the modern man well that kind of Christianity with that kind of a gospel is not saving because if you reject the the death the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ reject his resurrection from the dead. We have no hope, and that's what the apostle Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 15 but if you're talking about Christians who maybe think about political issues a little bit differently than then maybe you do, or an individual might I think we have to be really careful that we don't say well you're probably knocking to make it to heaven because of the way you voted there. That kind of thing. The question is do you know Jesus Christ and have you received them by faith that now of course you know it. Again, it really you know if when you mentioned the sort of politically correct churches are we talking about churches adjuster afraid to preach the gospel, they're not preaching the truth of God's word.

Maybe they're getting too much into politics. In fact, dad and sort of shying away from calling, since in that kind of a thing even there. You know what we have to look at an individual and whether or not they genuinely believe in Jesus Christ. When you first began giving your question, Sally.

I was thinking about discussion we had yesterday on the broadcast of the assets about the rich young ruler where Jesus says how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God is he was clinging to his riches in the disciples are thinking while who then can be saved and Jesus or his responses in a with God all things are possible with man it's impossible but with God all things are are possible. I think that's all we have to think about salvation for everybody. All of us apart from the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, regardless of our political affiliation, regardless of of anything else like that. We wouldn't be saved. Apart from the work of the Lord.

And so again I would I would be really cautious. As a minister of the gospel just painting with a broad brush and saying because you you think different leave and I do on political issues.

You probably can have a hard time getting into heaven, I think that's not a very really that that's not a very helpful approach. Thank you for your question.

Hope the Lord blesses your day.

Thanks for calling us back so much Sally. We appreciate you being a regular listener of core Christianity. If you have a question for Pastor Israel, now is the time to call our phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so and would love to get your questions on the Bible or the Christian life life within the church. Whatever you want to ask, here's the number 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, you can also leave a voicemail at that number 24 hours a day and we go through those voicemails each day and choose some of them for the broadcasters. One that we received from one of our listeners named James on your you you know about day chart and we are sure that they claim to be our church body avoid waiver or do you actually call.

Thank you and thanks for for that question. Why just sweet. We should just really get to the heart of the matter and ask what is a church and what makes a church, a church because there are all sorts of churches out there and institutions that claim that title you know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the, you know that that kind of a thing. But does that make you a church just as you say were a church know the answer is no.

The church is everywhere where the word of God is faithfully taught, that is, the gospel is being clearly proclaimed where the ordinances in the worship that Jesus left for the church is being observed as Jesus commanded and thinking of things like baptism and the Lord's supper or are those things taking place is what constitutes the visible covenant community if you will the visible church, the family of God here on earth is there discipline that kind of structure that you see in the New Testament encouragement even church discipline is his Jesus describes in the gospel of Matthew. If you don't have those things. Namely, if you don't have the pure preaching of God's word, then you're not a church, you might be a social club. People might get dressed up in fancy robes and you know toss incense around and do all sorts of spiritual looking things. But if the gospel is not there and if the gospel is not being proclaimed.

It's a dead church and that's just the reality.

Now when it comes to something like the Seventh-day Adventist church. It let me just let me just say this even though I think we can distinction between true churches and false churches.

You also have a mom true church is a spectrum that is there are some churches that do preach the gospel but maybe don't order worship and in a biblical way that may be there there confused on some other issues, peripheral issues, and so that date, they have some work to do. But the gospel is still there, and Jesus is still working and I know that among the Seventh-day Adventist.

There is there is a spectrum of belief. There was this idea that they had bit you know that they were the remnant.

Sometimes, you know, pointing to places like Revelation chapter 7 where it talks about the hundred and 44,000. They also have some interesting views that I would reject that I think are scriptural related to Jesus's identity related to the law of God and how it applies today, so I I think that these are serious issues if I was choosing a church in in a city I probably personally would not choose that the Seventh-day Adventist church but that's not to say that people who are Seventh-day Adventist can't be truly Christians believers, but there are other issues as I said, related to the law of God related to the identity of Jesus Christ. The really important for us to understand and to have a biblical perspective on but the marks of the church how you can identify the true church is the other thing that I mentioned the pure preaching of the gospel. The right administration of the sacraments are ordinances that Jesus gave to the church and church discipline. And so if you have those things happening even imperfectly, you have a church. Thanks for your question. By the way, we have a great core question available called how do I choose a church and it really outlines some of the things that a drill just mention when you're looking for a church that is indeed biblical, that is indeed know doing those things that we talked about their this little question core question would be really helpful to you can find it by going to core Christianity.com/questions just look for how do I choose a church. Let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our callers earlier this week. No money. I know he would practicing the Jewish faith now and 2021, and after Jesus was crucified. You converted to community women in the world never even met them in later became daily basic children generation open up synagogue that is still practicing today and I got to come to this know he does not take them to heaven if they don't have faith in Jesus Christ. There is one way to God. Jesus said in John 14 verse six I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. And so what.

Whatever your your sort of ethnicity is whatever your background is, however, you were raised that kind of thing that's not what gets you into heaven, you don't have a special status before God simply because you were born a Jew, per se, and I think that's really important because there are there are some people who seem to suggest that you know you have that the Gentiles were saved by faith, and the Jews are just God's chosen people, regardless of whether or not they reject Christ.

I know that's kind of extreme but I've heard I've heard people suggest this, Paul gets into this discussion in the book of Romans, chapters 9 through 11.

One of the things he focuses on their in Romans 9 to 11 is is this great tragedy that the Messiah had come and yet his own people rejected him and so he's reflecting on what can we say about the promises of God have have. God promises as God promises fail because it seems like his own people. Jesus some people rejected him and and Paul's argument there. In Romans 9 to 11 is easy still is no action, God's promises and purposes have not failed. This is mysteriously the way in which God was bringing about salvation to the whole world to Jews and Gentiles alike, that the Jews rejected Christ and salvation came to the Gentiles, that you have. I think a helpful text in Romans chapter 11, where Paul begins and he says I asked then has God rejected his people. In other words, he totally done with them because they rejected him. He says by no means, for I myself am an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham number two's look. I'm a believer in Jesus.

I'm evidence that God is not rejected, the Jews, that is not done with us a descendent of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew and then he goes on to it to share a number of stories about the remnant and so look, we can only find salvation in and through Jesus. Whether you're a Jew or Gentile.

Don't bank on that don't bank on your your nationality or ethnicity bank on Jesus on what he's done for you on his crucifixion, his death on the cross, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead.

If we don't have that if we don't have faith in Jesus that we can't properly call ourselves the children of God, thank you for your question. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez. If you are a parent or grandparents. We have a new free resource that we might like to make available to you today through our website. Yeah seven things children teach us a neat new resource that would just produce as is. Bill said it's free for you and it explores essentially the things that we can learn from our children in and have mentioned this before, as we been offering this but in the New Testament. In particular, you see children so often set forth as examples. Examples of faith.

Jesus points to them and says hey you can learn from them and we want to say the same thing. So get a hold of this resource. Seven things children teach us. It's a PDF download. You can find it by going to core Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for seven things children teach us.

You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833 the court let's go to Rudy who's calling in from Watts California really what your question for pastor. Israel show. I have a question for you.

Many Christians nowadays don't appreciate the historic creeds and confessions you still think or do you think that there still important and relevant to us today and why they really answer that question brother absolutely I do and you and is one of things we talk about from time to time here core Christianity. You know what is core Christianity. What are the fundamentals of the faith that determine whether or not someone is actually a Christian or not we believe and I think those those those creeds, you know, creeds like the Nicene Creed creeds like the apostles Creed help to summarize for us core Christianity so that if an individual were to reject what was articulated in those creeds a sense, would they be rejecting is core Christianity the fundamentals of the faith, we can't reject those things and still call ourselves Christians now.

Sometimes people have an issue with creeds because they say will that's just not in the Bible give me the Bible alone. That kind of a thing.

That's that's all I need and inference. It's a great will we rest on Scripture alone sold the Scripture as the reformer said, but we have to understand what we mean when we talk about the teaching of the Bible. He did it. Everyone says I believe in the Bible.

My teaching comes from the Bible, the Jehovah's Witnesses say that the Mormons say that everyone says that and so we have to be more specific. What do we mean when we say we believe in the Bible and that's with these creeds help us to do in the fact of the matter is, is from the very earliest days of Christianity, you had this sort of creedal language that was used in the context of the worship of the church even thinking back to the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse four hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one that was a sort of creedal confession that that the Hebrews fatal Hebrews would confess every single day. It was up a part of their piety, a part of their worship reaffirming before God that right confession. The confession of the truth that again you see this and in the New Testament. The apostle Paul said in first Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 great indeed. We confess, is the mystery of godliness that gives a sort of creedal language. This this formula. He says he was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world taken up in glory. This kind of creedal language. These kinds of of statements. These authoritative statements were even used in the worship of the New Testament church. I would say that's there's examples of this all over the place. You have that that bratwurst I just read there from first Timothy three.

Even the passage in Philippians 2 that talks about Jesus emptying himself. Many people think that was an early Christian hymn or creed. Even the church is always been very clear about articulating their faith and await the faith in a way that that was helpful and that explained what we mean when we say we believe God's word. We believe the Bible and it's a huge safeguard of the last thing I'll say is to safeguard for us it's a safeguard for me as a minister of the gospel, because it holds me accountable to what it is that I say I believe is a pastor teaching people.

I can just go off the dependent and all of a sudden reject something like the doctrine of the Trinity and say why I think the Bible teaches something differently because I've already said no.

I confess that this is what the Bible teaches about the holy Trinity. This is the Scriptures teaching and it also protects the people in the church. It keeps them from from wandering off into strange and obscure doctrines related to God related to Jesus's nature, his atoning work and so man the creeds are vitally important I think for the church today and they really need to be recovered.

There's all sorts of studies that are showing that that these basics the fundamentals of the faith. The ABCs have really been lost among many evangelicals and so part of our conviction, even here core Christianity is to help you and help others recover those core doctrines because we know their life-giving and so thank you for your question.

God bless your brother great question Rudy and Andrew about what you said is so true. Especially when you have your attending a church that maybe doesn't have any denominational connection it so you are simply a community church or start up and doesn't have any background. Boy, those creeds and confessions can really be helpful in keeping a church centered on the true gospel. Absolutely, I think, like if if you're a church looking to to figure out your what we can do for new members class what we teach people get a copy of the Nicene Creed and just sort of go through that. Here the ABCs. Here's what we need to know and teach people about God who he is and what he's done for us it's core Christianity so you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's the phone number to call. By the way, if you listen to this program at a later time in the day.

Some radio stations error our show on a tape delayed basis. So if you're hearing a different time. Here's the time we are on library can actually call the studio. It's 11:30 AM Pacific, which translates into 1230 Mountain 130 Central or 230 Eastern time. That's the time you can actually call and if you're listening at a time. Outside of that window, you can always leave us a voicemail and we review our voicemails each day and would love to hear from you again. It's 833. The core let's go to Jean in broken Bow, Nebraska Jean what your question for pastor. Israel will.

My question is 1114 about a woman's head and covered all of man long and great and throughout those verses. We talked about all belong. My question is, painted today and is changed yeah this is what I think many would say one of the most difficult passages of the New Testament were talks about women wearing head coverings in the context I would save worship services specifically related to what's taking place in the worship service. One of the things that I think helps us to to recognize that is in verse 10, Paul says that is why a Wi-Fi to have a symbol of authority on her head so this is what that the head covering was because of the angel's because of the Angels that walked in the context of corporate worship.

There was this sense that even the Angels were present with us or we are present with the Angels the author the Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12 he paints a picture of worship that the gathering of the New Testament assemblies as were coming for a myriad of saints and angels and services.

This gathering of God's kingdom if you will here on earth and in Paul here in particular is talking about doing things decently and in order, which is can it further describe in first Corinthians chapter 14 and I think this was something for it. For that time it was the symbol of authority was a way of being respectful being modest.

In that context. One thing that a lot of people don't know, but this is sort of a historical point was there was there was conflict in Corinth because Corinth was a Roman colony and you had to sort of cultural clash between the sort of Roman culture, if you will end the Corinthian culture and you know some of them would wear hot head coverings, others would not.

And it was the sort of this sort of sign of modesty or immodesty and I think I think Paul is trying to deal with that issue. There, in the context of court corporate worship, so that there wouldn't be a stumbling block set before others is that that's my take on first read the chapter 11 it's it's context of corporate worship, but I think it was specific for that time in that culture. That place thank you for your question. Interesting.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, always important to understand the context of the Scriptures that we read both historical and course. What type of biblical literature does as well. Let's go to Natalie, who's in Newton Connecticut Natalie, what's your question for pastor. Israel hi Carol think the ministry can you hear me saying that I can hear you now very yet. I just wanted to emphasize that your showed up in Great Bend, Chile, Boston, and I really, really thankful for. The question is, I have been presented many times. The question that it is that why why would God place a tree that tempted Adam any before they send and I was hoping I can get your your feedback on really good question in your you're certainly not the only one to have asked that question. First let me say this.

James tells us very clearly that God does not tempt anyone. God is not tempted by sin himself. Neither does he tempt anyone but James says each one is tempted when they're drawn away by their own desires and so that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden isn't like this banana peel that God is putting before Adam and Eve to get them to slip and fall know it was it was this tree of judgment, we might say it was where Adam and Eve were to rent render right judgment. This is, I think why you have the language of knowledge of good and evil that that's often associated with the Kings the monarchs if you will. Under the old covenant in Israel. This idea of judging you think of Solomon, for example, in Adam's job there was to render right judgment when he was confronted by the serpent that was.

It was this this test if you will. This probationary period, but it wasn't God tempting them. It wasn't God trying to get them to fall, God gave them free will of free choice, and God commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to really make the opposite choice and yet they sin, they fell left to the freedom of their own wills and that was not God's fault. Just like it isn't God's fault. When we sin today were responsible for our own actions. What God does is he comes in with grace, the promise of redemption, the promise of forgiveness. What I love is after after the fall. What happens there naked God comes and he clothes them and that's exactly what God does for us in his son Jesus.

He clothes us by faith, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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