If God is All Powerful, Why Did His Son Have to Die?

Hey this is battery drill welcome to core Christianity were excited to be together again waiting for our friend Dr. Bill Meyer and I were answering your questions about the Christian faith today were to be looking at one question in particular.

If God is all-powerful, why did his son have to die did God the father kill his son really on an important question is what gives a call the numbers 1-833-843-2673.

That's 1833 the core and I why do we kick off the episode today by going to a voicemail that we received earlier this week, I mean really think you love getting calls from younger listeners.

Psalm 139 a Psalm of David really focusing on the goodness of God in creation. As David meditates upon the the way in which the Lord made me begins in verse one, oh Lord you have searched me and known me, you know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar you search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways and goes on to say in verse 13, you formed my inward parts you needed me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made and and you know that that phrase right there.

In particular, what does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made.

Just recently, my family and I went camping out in Utah got to just hike around some of the beautiful national parks there. In particular, went to Zion national Park and it's amazing you enter into the park. You're just overwhelmed by these great big just just rock faces and that there is a sense of boy I'm so small looking at the beauty of God's creation.

But there's also the sort of strange. Fear can come upon you the same fear. I think we when you see some sort of magnificent looking up at the stars. For example, that that sense of smallness that you get that sense of their something someone greater than me, who made all of this and I think that's what David is getting at here is is busy, meditates on the fact that God made him as he meditates on the way in which the Lord intricately woven together in his mother's womb. He's overwhelmed by the wonder of God, the splendor of God in that sense there is this great this great fear we might say, as he thinks about what God has done it so really I meet what we think about God's creation even even him making us knitting us together in our mother's womb, there is this this sense of awe, and I think that's what David is expressing and that's really the idea here with with what said there in verse 14. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made IQ for that question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Matthew calling in from Arkansas. Matthew what your question for Israel will. While our compatible concrete and not they Matthew thank you for that question. Well, I'm just thinking back to the very beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis.

I think it really is important that we affirm that God created created Adam as a real person right from nothing really oval from the dust of the ground that he created from nothing met and I think this is key, especially when you get into the New Testament. We start thinking about this first Adam last Adam comparison that that we have in places like verse 20 and 15. In Romans chapter 5 where where it's it's very clear that Jesus Christ came as the second Adam, the last Adam to reverse the though the work done by the first Adam, all of us were born in Adam as this representative of of mankind. Sometimes we refer to him as the federal head of the covenant head of humanity that is the first Adam and Adam, all of us died. Paul talks about this very clearly in Romans chapter 5 we sinned in Adam and so I think any any sort of idea that rejects the idea of that the biblical teaching of a real person. Adam, I think. I think we would have to reject that as well and so they'll all leave it there and just if if people want to follow up. They can ask they can ask further but I would say that that's one part of the evolutionary theory that is incompatible with Christianity, you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez school has started up for a lot of kids and but hasn't started up for your kids it will be very, very soon, and in some areas of the country.

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Six ways to help your kids as they go back to school free at core, Christianity.com. Just go to our website and then click on offers again core Christianity.com/offers look for six ways to help your kids as they go back to school. Let's go to a voicemail received from one of our listeners. This this gentleman's name is Josh. Why would God hold on God all-powerful, why would he kill zone phone I don't understand that. That's my question packs hey Josh, thank you for that question seems to me like maybe there's a little bit of of a misunderstanding here in terms of how your thinking about the atonement of Jesus Christ. The first thing I would want to say is the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ was something that was done out of love. Think about what what John says. And in the Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life ever to have eternal life, so that that that right there is key we have to be careful that you guys were talking about the atonement of Jesus Christ we don't view it as a guide, angrily killing his son or subletting that there are caricatures I think of the atonement of Jesus Christ that are not faithful to the text of Scripture wasn't help, how Peter described in in a discussion he was having while he was preaching actually in acts chapter 2 beginning in verse 22.

He says men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it, Heather. There's an interesting distinction.

It's made there by the apostle Peter as he's preaching a single everything that happened with regard to the atoning work of Jesus Christ happened according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, this, this didn't catch God by surprise, God sent his son into the world for this very purpose, and yet he says Peter was over, Peter lays the blame. He says you crucified and killed him with by the hands of lawless men and God was the one who raised him up, and so I don't know that it's helpful to talk in terms of God the father killed his son. That kind of a thing of God the father sent his son in love to the world so that he might offer himself up in love for the forgiveness of our sins. And that's precisely you know what we have in the gospel is the love of God, demonstrated toward sinners through the sacrifice of the son of God, and in that's good news that we receive. Thank you for your question. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's the number.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Tony who is calling in from Auburn Nebraska Tony what your question for Israel. Thank you started all partake of Michael, my wife and I were divorced last year were still 11 together to love each other and plan on getting remarried but were wondering, are we living in sin. Hey, Tony will thank you for for that question and I'm glad to hear it sounds like there's there's been some some healing some restoration in your marriage, and that reconciliation is taking place.

And of course the apostle Paul. He talks about this in first Corinthians chapter 7, to some extent at least in verse 10 he says to the married I give this charge not I but the Lord.

In other words, is God speaking here. The wife should not separate from her husband.

But if she does, she should remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband and the husband should not divorce his wife.

It sounds like it sounds like there was a divorce as you said, and now you guys are working to reconcile to be back together and so I'm grateful to hear that and I think it's a complex question because one of the issues. As you know what what was it that led to the initial divorce in the eyes of God in terms what God's word says did the was a divorce incident that you know the right was a marriage really dissolved actually is is there is the real question, but regardless of all that, I would say right now based on your situation.

You ought to be married and so I guess I guess the question that I have in ours are you guys going to church together. Tony is this is this something where you guys have a pastor and you get ready to to to say your vows again at work where you guys that with all that we are not actively in the church. We do want the dirt on the radio together almost every day alike because of the plan is to get remarried. We've been together for seven months okay well well I would say one thing that you guys ought to prioritize is getting into a good church a solid Bible believing church where you guys can be encouraged to face to face me. We need this as believers. The apostle Paul talked about this in numerous places I think of first grade. In chapter 12 where he says each of us are individually members of the body of Christ. And so you as a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus need to be plugged into a local church and that's something that you should want for your family think it's a part of a healthy marriage and and so so I would say prioritize that and move forward with toward full restoration of the relationship, which it seems I can in this situation would be getting back together legally back together and I would say that something that should be prioritized and and so I would say keep moving in that direction with regard to your question. You know it were not technically married right now but were living together, are we living in sin, will I guess I would say in not knowing the entire situation may be the wise thing to do would would be to abstain from the marital relations of the right thing would be to to abstain from the marital relations that that are a part of what it means to be in covenant together as a married couple, until you guys are actually married back together and so that the obvious is this a big hug, a big thing here, but this is where you have to exercise wisdom and and if it's if it's not the best situation for you guys to be under the same roof right now will then perhaps you you have to figure something else out in terms of wanting to honor the Lord, wanting to be faithful to the marriage covenant as it's described in Scripture.

And then I would say prioritizing. I don't see any reason for you to wait.

I was a prioritizing getting getting married and and fully restoring that relationship and getting into a good church so hey, thanks for your question brother and may the Lord bless you and and bring everything back together again. Tony, thanks so much for your call for being a regular listener here to core Christianity let's go to John from Butler, Missouri John what your question for pastor. Israel and the I don't like that man wanting to go on the time going from one to the other at the birth of Christ that at the resurrection. Hey John, thank you for that question. Alarming obviously to businesses you know a way in which people have historically divided up human history if you will, but of course this is not necessarily something that that the Bible talks about or that Scripture speaks of.

I think that the interesting thing for us to know is you and maybe this is just something we can we can marvel at is how essentially Christ and his coming was a shifting point in humanity in the world if you will, and that something that even even I guess that the secular world around us notes that there was this definitive shift that took place with the coming of Christ, so that history even human history, you might white. We might say, has never been the same since. Now of course you know there are a lot of people today who will say well you know that was a sort of religious way of looking at about that we don't have to think of that anymore.

And before you know people would talk about BC and A.D. and sometimes local figure before Christ, or after death of the really taken from from the Latin, which means in the year of our Lord and and so but again that the Scriptures don't necessarily talk about that.

In particular, but they do emphasize the fact that it was through the coming of Christ that there was this seismic shift in human history.

Why because the eternal son of God assumed humanity because the work of the first Adam that the sin that he had done in breaking God's covenant God's law. God's word was restored through the work of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, who came in perfectly obeyed the law of God, suffered, died and rose again for us and so I take it that's that that's the thing to focus on some people have, you know these kinds of discussions we talk about these things and think there's actually kind of a cool segue into talking about the gospel is sort of an evangelistic tool as well to be able to say hey we use this language in arson of everyday everyday talk everyday speak, but what we getting up or getting at the fact that God has done something monumental that is forever changed human history and and so I think insofar as it is that's the focus it's fine to talk like this.

So I got bless brother thanks John, this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez by the way we want to say thank you to a very special group of people who make this program possible. There called our inner core and they are people who say you know what we really believe in what core Christianity does and we want to make a monthly contribution to keep you on the air. If you're one of those folks. Thank you so much and if you like to find out more about joining the inner core. Just go to core Christianity.com/inner core there some real special benefits that go along with being a member of the inner core. Let's go to Austin calling in from Kentucky Austin what your question for atrial what the Bible say about profanity and particular I know a lot of Christians what he sort of alternative profanity words no, but an outdoor use today backbend so I would imagine that using alternative profanity would be any better morality or scripturally than easily.

The real one, so I guess what say about that. Hey Austin well. Thank you for that question.

You know my mind first goes to Paul's exhortation in Ephesians chapter 4 in verse 29.

He said let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And of course Jesus himself said that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks can read that in Luke chapter 6 verse 45 and so were were called not to use corrupting speech.

Now the real question is what does that mean there is some really harsh language in the Bible you see it out of the mouth of John the Baptist.

You see it out of the mouth of the apostle Paul when he's writing to the Galatians immediately. Basically, you know you he curses them and when one says is you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you now.

I wouldn't say that that's that's potty talk that you know that's that's profanity that's being used but but there is a place I would say for hot strong language for further language. It's in the get an individual's attention and that's what you see in the New Testament, there is no place for the Christian for corrupting talk and that's not I don't think that what what Paul has in mind. There is another sort of four letter curse words. I think he's talking about the kind of speech that brings other people down. It could be gossip. And sometimes there are there are really pious ways that people go about gossiping but nevertheless it is corrupting speech and so I think it's important for us to ask ourselves Austin as we think about our our words and how were using our words are we speaking in such a way that is going to build the people around us. Are we as Paul says again and in the book of Ephesians a little bit earlier, there are we speaking the truth in love to each other or we just talking in a way to get to get attention to. Do you know to to cause people to look at us and do and sometimes I think, what with the way in which people use profanity that might be that might be part of the reason and so we have to be careful. Again, the Bible doesn't doesn't speak specifically to you know how do we deal with these four letter words that kind of a thing, but I think each of us. We need ask ourselves is this speech that I use corrupting or is it life-giving is it encouraging and as you examine your own heart.

With that I think you know.

May the Lord encourage you and bless you and be with you to speak in a way that's gonna build up the people around you as you speak the truth in love and know it really was just thinking about proverb that says that bad company corrupts good character and when we start hanging around people who have speech that is corrupting or laced with profanity, you know, a lot of times we start to fall into that ourselves.

In the end.

That's why it's so important to choose the company we keep wisely. Yeah, the apostle Paul quotes that in first Corinthians 15 yet we were in that's dad and just another good piece of encouragement. Bill is we want to make sure that we are surrounding ourselves with people who are also going to speak the truth in love to us and working to build us up with with their speech and of this is this is really important. It's one of the ways that we encourage one another within the body of Christ to surround yourselves with people who are going to encourage you in the word of God. I noticed as Paul says in in again in Ephesians, just a little bit later in verse 19 of chapter 5 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I know in talking to friends and even people in the church you know like when you surround yourself with people who it is always negative, who are upset ungrateful that that begins to wear off, and so again Paul saying there. You know, surround yourself and be the kinds of people who are singing and praising the Lord thanking God for all things point is that just build you up, doesn't that just encourage you in your faith that we should pursue. And so, so, yeah, thanks for the encouragement Bill Clement will here's an email we received core Christianity by the way, if you have a question you'd like to email us. You can email us anytime at question core, Christianity.com that's questions at core, Christianity.com. Nancy wants to know it has the church replaced Israel as God's chosen people. Thank you for that question. And this is one that we've done before.

There is, you know, sometimes you people talk about a theology out there that the call replacement theology the idea that the church is just sort of replaced Israel. God is done with with Israel and there are there are number of ways in which people have certain parts this out. One thing that that is clear, I think it in Scripture is that Israel and in the Old Testament of the old covenant is a type of the church if you will the people of God. Now the way in which God governed the Israelites under the old covenant and the way in which he governs his church today are distinct, there are these different, we might say, covenant administrations, but there is one people of God throughout human history. There are two distinct people of God's not like Israel and the Jews are God's people, and then you know the church is God's people and got these two different peoples with these two different plans for them.

Though there is one people of God, and we we know God and have a relationship with God through the true Israelite Jesus Christ bite by being grafted in to that one people of God and this is what the apostle Paul talks about in spirit, in particular in the book of Romans.

In Romans chapters 9 through 11, has I do know that the best way of looking at it would be to say that the church has placed Israel in the sense that God is you know doesn't care about Israel that kind of thing effect in Romans chapter 11 seems like the apostle Paul talks about this great revival among the Hebrew people among the Israelites that they're going to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and and be restored.

If you will, but there is no salvation apart from Jesus and there aren't two peoples of God. There is one people of God throughout the history of humanity, and we even Gentiles are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, in particular Paul in Galatians calls the children of Abraham in Galatians chapter 3 by faith. And so when we read the Old Testament stories about that the Hebrews the Jews that's our family history through faith in Jesus Christ and so we can say look what we've been grafted into the divine. If you will, through Jesus by faith in his name, and we are a part of that one people of God were no longer strangers and aliens. Paul says in the book of Ephesians, but we are. We are a part now of the family of God grafted in, and what a wonderful, wonderful thing.

That is what one will promise for us to be a part of that forever family. Jesus, 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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