What Does It Mean for the Meek to Inherit the Earth?

What is the Bible mean when it says the meek will inherit the earth. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity wider.

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.

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At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a drill in the studio right now on YouTube and you can message him that way. Course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to a voicemail received from one of our listeners earlier this week I when it said that you have to be baptized in water but also baptized. My question to this is you have to have the Holy Ghost in order to get in bed having I've been going to a charge and a green light praying that I get the Holy Ghost not been baptized.

I just recently got baptized a couple years ago, having trained to receive the Holy Ghost, but I'm not able to speak in tongues or anything in that major priority as the Holy Ghost was thinking bad guys are.

How does that happen is I hope that I can clear this up for you. First, yes. Apart from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives were not even born again the spirit of God is, is the one who regenerates us and makes us the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ and so no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So we can't we can even see if you will with the eyes of faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. So we desperately need the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. But if you believe in Jesus Christ. If you do confess that Jesus is Lord in sincerity and truth will that's that's a sign affect the spirit of God is at work in your life and it sounds to me like this church is telling you you need an extra work of grace you need extra work of the Holy Spirit you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and you know you'll be back. You know you are baptized in the Holy Spirit when you speak in tongues or when you demonstrate you know these these miraculous sign gifts that kind of that kind of thing.

Well, I just think that that's not not true at all. People take this idea from the book of acts which records the early history of the Christian church take his descriptions of these amazing events like the description of what took place on the day of Pentecost in acts chapter 2, but oftentimes Christians read those and think this needs to be the normative Christian experience for us today and so they read it as prescriptive instead of simply descriptive and in the book of acts, Luke was describing for us what what the Spirit of God was doing in the first century church. In particular, when Jesus sent the Spirit on the whole church on the day of Pentecost and Jesus working in and through the apostles at that time and so no you don't need an extra work of God's grace.

You are already saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

And that means that you have the Holy Spirit. Ephesians chapter once his word were sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul in first Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13 says, for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one Spirit, and so sister by faith in Jesus Christ. You have the Holy Spirit.

Now we are called continually to be filled with the spirit and that happens, according to Paul in the book of Colossians is the word of Christ dwells in you richly as you meditate on Scripture as you pray as you draw near to the Lord were filled with the spirit, but just because you're filled with the spirit, doesn't mean that your goodness speak with tongues that we that's a whole other question. But Paul makes it absolutely clear later in first Corinthians chapter 12 that not every Christian has the same spiritual gift, not every Christian speaks in tongues, and so ministries and pastors that say hey you're not filled with the spirit. Unless you speak in tongues are just wrong and and that's that that's a burden that you don't need to carry on yourself again. If you believe in Jesus you have the Holy Spirit and and now you're called to walk in the spirit and that looks like the fruit of the spirit which Paul describes in Galatians chapter 5. May the Lord bless you. Okay drillers a tough question for you.

If a person is going to a church where they are told if you don't speak in tongues you don't have the Holy Spirit do you stay at the church.

Yeah, what I mean obvious that they find there is, I think some serious misunderstandings of Scripture. And if there are there. If there is serious misunderstood understandings in Scripture there then I wonder you know what of the other misunderstandings were the other things that that or maybe not properly being parsed in this church in terms of theology and what the Bible teaches, and so yeah I would say look if you're in a church where where they're telling you you're probably not a Christian because you don't speak in tongues. I would save your you're there confusing. What the gospel is the gospel is not you have the Holy Spirit when you speak in tongues.

The gospel is by faith in Jesus Christ. We are the children of God and the Spirit of God lives in us and so I would say yeah probably time to find a new church or counsel. This is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life hop on your phone right now.

You can reach us for the next 15 minutes or so at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Dan in Wichita, Kansas. Dan what your question for pastor. Israel. Thanks for doing this. Question start her people pray to Jesus and I've heard people pray the father God when I pray.

Sometimes I do both, but it still feels weird, always supposed prayer to father God like Jesus, you know what he was an example with the Lord's prayer always was to pray to Jesus who coos to be the in between for us.

Father God in us. Yeah Dan thank you for for that question.

So is it okay for us to pray directly to Jesus or do we pray to the father only and not to Jesus. Well, one that the holy Trinity, God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit that it is okay for us to pray to the nonmembers of the holy Trinity.

Nothing wrong with praying to Jesus specifically or praying to the Holy Spirit. Even are praying to the father ordinarily in Scripture prayer is offered to the father in the sign in Jesus Christ, and through the through the power of the Holy Spirit as we approach God the father, with Jesus as our mediator about, but again that doesn't mean that we can't pray directly to Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself speaking to his disciples in John chapter 14 verse 14 he said, if you ask me anything in my name I will do it. And of course there he is about to go and ascend and believe in it. Go to the cross first and and resin rise again, and ascend into heaven. He's talking to-us in the Holy Spirit to the disciples and yet there's still this communion that they're going to have directly with him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, and so there's nothing wrong with praying directly to Jesus and in fact you said you see this throughout the New Testament. I think of it in the book of acts in acts chapter 1, you know you have the record of of the society, the disciples there leading up to the day of Pentecost. And there they are seeking the Lord there there praying about who should take Judas's place among the apostles and and they say in chapter 1 verse 2024. They prayed and said you Lord who know the hearts of all show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and the apostleship from which Judas turned aside to his own place I'm there again, praying directly to the Lord Jesus and so but I don't think you need to feel weird about praying to Jesus or praying to the father. I think I think the key is know that when you go to God the father you come through Jesus the son that's that's why we can come boldly to the throne of grace is the author.

The Hebrew says, and so keep that in mind every time you come before God in prayer. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez school is starting up for a lot of kids very soon.

In fact, in some areas of the country. It's already started up, and to coincide with that.

We have a free resource would like to offer parents and grandparents today. Yeah, it's a resource that really we been offering now for some time were offering earlier in the summer and they just sort of flew off the shelf at people really are enjoying this resource is called how do we know that Christianity is really true and I think one of the reasons this is one of our more popular resources is because a lot of parents and grand grandparents are concerned to encourage their children their grandchildren in the faith, especially in the world that we live in today it it so important that were helping our children understand what they believe and why they believe in.

That's what this book will do. How do we know that Christianity is really true. It's written for ages 9 to 13 and I we hope that you get a hold of this resource and share it with someone you know that's available to you for a gift of any amount at our website. Just go to core Christianity.com/offers that's core Christianity.com/offers to find that particular book will at some go to a voicemail received from one of our colors. This is actually from Alexis who called in from Oklahoma City and heaven shall inherit the earth, and shall delight and count help me understand what you mean thinking, hey thank you for that question will, in the context of Psalm 37 some 37, a Psalm of David begins in verse one, fret not yourself because of evildoers, be not envious of wrongdoers is the contrast between the righteous and the wicked, and of course the wicked. Often times it seems like everything is going well for them like they are blessed like they are the ones who are really taking over the world.

In fact, later in the Psalms. Psalm 73. The psalmist Asaph.

He had this very question. He was wrestling with God, trying to figure this out and it seems like that the wicked prosper while the righteous struggle. And yet, here again you have this reminder reminder to the people of God that it is not the wicked who are going to take over and inherit the world and of course you know it. At a time like this you think of the that the takeover that Recently Just Took Pl. in Afghanistan, you know, people can get really discouraged but listen to what the word of God says it is the meek, the children of God, that is, who shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace, as is the hope of the world that God is bringing about that the new creation ultimately but but it's a hope that God's people have always had what I think is so wonderful about this sister is Jesus himself refers to this in the sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew in Matthew chapter 5 the Beatitudes member what our Lord Jesus said he opened his mouth and taught them.

Verse three Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

The earth and then the new creation belongs to the children of God when it's gonna die and go to heaven working to die go to heaven if were in Christ and then the whole world is going to be restored on the last day at the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come is the meek who are going to inherit that world that new creation. And when we think about that word meek. I think that that the best way to define it is by looking at Jesus himself because actually that word that I just quoted from in Matthew chapter 5 in in verse five is used to describe Jesus himself on a couple of occasions in the Gospel of Matthew. So for example in Matthew chapter 11 verse 29 to member what Jesus said there it's in the context of a prayer.

He says take my yoke upon you, will you do you just pray to the father in any says this. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Use that word meek again.

It's this this gentleness. This humility, and that actually later in the.

The Gospel of Matthew, quoting the prophecy in Matthew chapter 21 of verse five. Listen again to what it says about Jesus the Messiah say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your King is coming to you humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt the full of a beast of burden, so I know that I would say were thinking in particular of submission were thinking here of godly humility of meekness in in that prophecy there that that's quoted in Matthew 21 you think of one who brings peace and of course that's a part also of the Beatitudes. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God and so these are the that the characteristics of God's kingdom people if you will, what he calls his people to and ultimately Jesus himself is the one who fulfills these things. He is the meek one who says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And so this is a great hope that we have as believers in Jesus Christ the world that we look at around us, which is oftentimes plagued by war and sickness is going to be restored by God himself and that the righteous, the meek are going to inherit that restored world.

What a great promise to look forward to. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, just a reminder that some of the radio stations that air our program actually errored on a tape delayed basis of your show later in the afternoon or in the evening we want to let you know. Here's the time to call into the studio live, you want to do that at 11:30 AM Pacific time or 1230 Mountain 130 Central 230 Eastern time. That's the time we actually answer the calls in the studio live or you can always leave us a voicemail anytime 24 hours a day on our phone number and that is 833 the court let's go to you calling in from New York City asked what your question for pastor.

Israel hello there, my question is how are we to know that you very last book in the Bible book of revelations is actually is actually divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and out about this question, and out comes from the fact that we understand what John of Patmos have the she went into a cave by himself whole lot like Joseph Smith bound to rocks by himself and came out with a message about the end of the world and there's a lot of speculation about the book Jesus himself in the Bible, straight out of about the dog's mouth so that she will when he comes at the end of two things. One, the world will be as if it will be in the absolute antediluvian times and she will come as a bolt of lightning from the west of the used and so when Jesus speaks about little Billy and it's almost like a flashlight connote a quick M's put in the book of Revelation. She is on earth for a thousand years and hold on to note events that take place comes in Outlook. So why can you note how can we make these two seemingly different ends meet. Hey it sounds like you thought a lot about that question. I really appreciate it. By the way, let me just take this opportunity to plug our Bible study on the book of Revelation that we recently printed, written by a friend of mine who was a professor. Actually I had in seminary. Dr. Dennis Johnson and out that's in a go real deep into the book of Revelation its 10 week study are really helpful resource and this is an an important question. And of course there there have been debates about the canonical books of the New Testament. You know which which ones are truly canonical and there's a number of things that we look at you ask in terms of determining whether or not a book was inspired by the Holy Spirit. One of the big question is, did the church receive it as such. Early on that I didn't have that antiquity was it receive. It's not that the church decided which books were canonical. It's at the spirit of God inspired these individuals who believe John wrote the book of Revelation and actually thought there is so much correlation between the book of Revelation. And John's Gospel just in terms of the language the Greek language the way in which John writes that there's a lot of similarity there but then you know the book of Revelation is also pulling from a lot of other places. In particular, the book of Daniel is so it's not just like it. It started dropped out of thin air and and it was produced in this cave and it's not related at all to the rest of the Bible of the same John who wrote the gospel of John wrote the book of Revelation and Revelation is steeped in the language of the Old Testament as well in terms of these prophetic visions and that's exactly what the book of Revelation is its visionary prophecy its apocalyptic literature and so you do have a lot of imagery.

These numbers these these these signs these pictures that are given to us and I think that's why a lot of people are intimidated by the book and that's why people have questions. is this is this really scripture but we have to understand it, according to its genre, and when we do, we realize that it's not just a bunch of speculation about things that would be happening a long time in the future. The book of Revelation nukes was written for the suffering church in that day, to comfort them and to encourage them to persevere in Jesus Christ and one of the reasons that Christians throughout history have received this book as a part of the inspired word of God is because of its close relationship to the apostle John has that apostolate city, we might say, which is one of the other factors in determining which books were received.

I think by the church catholicity that is near that were Catholic just means universal was embraced on a larger scale united by one group of people in one place, but by many Christians in many places I antiquity is it's an ancient book, one of the one of the old books of the one of the old Brookfield and there did their debate about when exactly the book of Revelation was was written. But if people are giving it a later dating even that it still written very very early and so it has all of those things have all the markers if you will of a book that is inspired. And of course I would use it when we read it we think of what what's what's sedative at the very beginning in verse three Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near. There's this blessing that's associated with it.

And then there's even a curse.

It's given at the end of the book of Revelation in terms not taking away from what was written and so yeah these are some of the reasons why we we say with confidence. This is God's word to us and let me just say it again, we need to read the book of Revelation and meditate on it because it was written for suffering believers to comfort them and I think it can be a huge comfort for believers today as they as they need comfort. I'm especially think of persecuted Christians in different parts of the world like India and Africa and even Afghanistan out the books like the book of Revelation are for the suffering church and so we needed we need. We need this book and I appreciate your question and I just again want to encourage you to maybe pick up that Bible study on the book of Revelation. If you want to go deeper. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez earlier in the program. We mentioned a resource for parents and grandparents.

As kids go back to school. We have another one that's absolutely free. You can find on our website is called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school really helps parents think through how to give their kids courage as they face peer pressure how to remind them of their standing before God when they're tempted to measure their worth by their LeSabre performance or their looks. This is a great resource.

Six ways to help your kids as they go back to school it's free on our website.

Just go to our core, Christianity.com/offers to look for that will let's take another call. Let's go to Danielle and Silas Missouri Daniel what your question for pastor. Israel and I are are basically BLACK, where the only one in the family pretty much this identifier are I guess my question they really I marry a lot Like, and so they know they talk about that wrote the ramp ran around a lot so my question is what are your thoughts on the road.

I wrote the Bible and really cannot find anywhere in the Bible that it ever talks about the rosary rang the raspberry or anything about yeah well you're not can find anything about the rosary in the Bible are praying the rosary and of course this is one of the one of the things it's distinct or that it distinguishes. I think Roman Catholics from many Protestants is just this idea that Protestant Christians don't pray to the saints, or don't ask for the saints to intercede on their behalf know we talk to one another and we pray for each other. Here is the church militant on earth and say hey would you pray for me for the things that are going on in my life, and so on so forth. But you don't have examples in the Bible and God's inspired word of believers of God's people and asking for the church triumphant. We might say for those who have gone before us to intercede on our behalf. I don't think we have that you were talking about prayer earlier in the broadcast and prayers directed to God. I we go directly to God and we can do that through Jesus we go to the Father through the son, and so you know, one of the maybe maybe one of the concerns that I have is if we create all of these mediators that we need to go to in order to reach God. I wonder if we minimize the role that Jesus, the eternal son of God has as our perfect mediator mean that that's that's part of the year. His role for the believer in the world today.

He's our advocate. He's our mediator. We go to the Father through the son, and that's what you see all over the place in the Scriptures.

In the in the New Testament particular I mentioned earlier, the author, the Hebrews as we can come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need. How come how can we do that we can do that because we have a great high priest in heaven, Jesus and so that's not to knock Mary or to minimize her role in the history of redemption, but you just don't see in Scripture where Christians are are you know calling on the name of Mary to get some goodwill with God know we go directly to God.

You can Danielle go directly to God through Jesus and what he's done for you and that's that's one of the great hopes that we have as believers that access that we have the work of Jesus Christ. 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 or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

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