Can Non-believers Bear Fruit?

Can nonbelievers bear the fruit of the spirit. That's just 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. Our phone lines are open right now. Would love to take your question at 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673 always post a question on one of our social media sites and you can watch Pastor Israel right now live in the studio on YouTube and message us that way course you can always submit an email question. Here's the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com burst up today let's go to Joseph who is calling in from Northern California just support your question for Pastor Israel question on the timing of the rapture arrived always been taught that there would be a pre-tribulation rapture. But the more I came to study it, the more it seems to come to the conclusion it is going to be more of a tribulation pre-wrath time of the rapture versus this trip, but I am still very clear on no which one is really the best or that the most scriptural. Joseph thinks of that? You know, we actually got a couple of voicemails this week about about the rapture and people wondering about the rapture we answered some of those yesterday and so were keeping with this this theme of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which I love.

And one of the things I said yesterday on the broadcast was there a number of differences of opinion with regard to this idea of the rapture and actually the idea that there are two separate comings of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is one that we might refer to as the rapture where he comes to deliver the saints not to rescue them if you will, and then a later second coming. That's that's a new review in the history of the church. Historically, the majority of of Christians understood there to be one coming the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. After a period of great trial and after period of great difficulty that happens to be my view, as is well and I think that you see this in places like first and second Thessalonians. Of course that's really where you want to focus on your thinking about the coming of the Lord and Paul in first Thessalonians chapter 5 says concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the in the night is the day of the Lord right that the second coming, the final judgment, the resurrection of the dead, the life of the world to come. All of those things that I believe are contemporaneous events mean they happen at the same time and the coming of the Lord is going to be a great deliverance for the church after a period of persecution.

I think you see this also. In second Thessalonians chapter 1 where it talks about the judgment that is coming when when Christ returns. Second Thessalonians chapter 1 verse five. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also are suffering since indeed God considered considers it, just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well is to us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels that is that is coming and so that's that's my view. That's how I understand the church is going to experience.

Of great trial of great tribulation and actually she's been experience that experiencing that trial that tribulation for for a long period of time. Now that the church is been persecuted and if you want more information.

Joseph on this site. I'd recommend our 10 week study through the book of Revelation that might help illuminate this a little bit more for you, but that that that's my view and appreciate your question rather Lesson Joseph.

You can find that the revelation Bible study by going to our website.

Core, Christianity.com/Revelation a great study that will help clear up some of the questions about that somewhat mysterious book of the Bible. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question for us about the Bible or the Christian life.

Here is the phone number to call its 833. The core our phone lines will be open for the next 15 minutes or so. So call us right now. If you have a question again 833, the court hears a voicemail that came in earlier this week and I don't divorced couple, but there's something that little bag in the New Testament. Jesus said that divorce and remarriage of adultery, which of course the sexual thing yet with Bible based Christian church communities and remarried people are embraced as a part of the Christian community without judgment or reproach which I don't have a problem with that from Luke 1618 and first Corinthians 710 through 11. So my question is why our divorced couples accepted in this way. While homosexual couples are not billable are sexual thing, according to the Bible so I just wanted to understand that, and particularly you know is there a place for people who are gay within church community because one of my best friends is gay and I am a believer but I'm not certain that he would ever be welcomed into a Christian community truly welcome. So thank you for your answer my question. While Lisa is a lot their first let me just commend you in in the fact that you have friendships when your best friend is someone who is not in the church is not is not a wouldn't maybe identify as a believer and I think that's on printing the church can can learn from this because you look at Jesus in the Gospels and who is he spending time with you know that the religious people were often accusing him of of you know me you know being a drunkard, a wind be ever eating with tax collectors and sinners and and you know that they separated themselves from the world with the New Testament church really never did that.

It will always called to live on mission. If you will, extending the love of Christ to the people around us. And so I think it's wonderful that you have this friendship and I want to encourage you in that and into the latter part of your question, I think it is important that our churches are places where sinners of all stripes have a sense of of work were welcomed here in that you know were not looked at funny what we can come and we can hear about the grace of Jesus the grace of this God who loves us and hasn't made a way for us to experience his love and grace.

And so I think that that's that's really important now with regard to this this question on divorce and remarriage and is there. This double standard here will the first thing I want to say is you know you look at Matthew 19, and not all divorce and remarriage is sin, it's, it's clear that there are some legitimate reasons for divorce.

Given according to Jesus you think of the case of adultery. You also think of abandonment, which is what the apostle Paul, I think, highlights in a place like first Corinthians chapter 7 is on those situations, you remarriage would not be sin if if you were the offended party there.

But then there are also instances were people just get out of a marriage, for not good reasons or for any reason they think is is okay and that's really what Jesus is getting at. Matthew 19 is is questioned by the Pharisees and they go off into another relationship. And then there is sin involved there and they think of you know the many people where were that's happened they go into the church and there welcomed by the church like that can see why why you have this question. It really is a good question. The first thing I'd say is, while there there may very well have been sin there. There can still be repentance and if this this couple. This married couple man and woman have repented and are now in the church. I don't think the right answer for them is to you know break off that the marriage that would be, I think, again, a minimizing of the marriage covenant and that's we don't want to do and so I think that that's really important unit marriage is is this gift that God is given to us and sadly in the church. It's often minimized. It's it's not treated for for what it is an and you know we often times I think in evangelical circles talk about you know the redefinition of marriage and gay marriage, and so on and so forth. But there there were things that were happening even in the 1970s you think of the, the, the rise of no-fault divorce will that would be a redefinition of marriage as well. This minimizing of the marriage covenant.

So the church as it has a lot to to sort of reflect on as we think about marriage and divorce and the sin there that needs to be repented of them.

With regard to maybe it is you set a homosexual couple well one of the one of the differences there. I would say is it if a person is continuing to live in this kind of relationship will why would so that's indicative of of the fact that there there isn't genuine repentance and if there is a genuine repentance and a person can't be welcomed into the church in the sense of being made a communing member of the church, received by the church into what we might refer to us that the sacramental life of the church know were called to repentance and faith to turn from our sins and to lay hold of the grace that is for us. Think what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthian chapter 6 is right of the Corinthians thesis.

Some of you were in these homosexual relationships work were gay and lesbian but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. So there is grace there is mercy there is the gospel for sinners insofar as that's the case, our churches should be places where were people all different kinds of people are coming in hearing about that grace because it's for them, but that doesn't mean just embracing the that the sinful behavior and condoning and sadly I think sister a lot of churches have gone that route and that's unhelpful because it doesn't call anyone to do genuine faith or a genuine relationship with Jesus insofar as it keeps them in their sin, and so yeah it is very very complex complex question but that that's how I did I differentiate between those two things, of course not to not to try to have a double standard there not to not to minimize how serious it is, how how serious the sin of divorce can be at times but was just realizing that there's repentance there can be repentance there and so so a heterosexual couple can continue in the life of the church. I don't think that they should not be married anymore. They should dissolve the marriage and there's a difference there a fundamental difference with with a homosexual couple coming into the church. Thank you for your question complicated as you said, but great! A lot of questions and that one question but I'm glad she reached out for sure. You're listening to core Christianity.

What can we learn from the life of Jonah in the Old Testament. Well, Israel has written an excellent new Bible study on the book of Jonah and would love to offer that to you today that we are excited to offer this study on the book of Jonah.

Many people know the story of Jonah and the big fish I don't know if you remember Bill a couple of months ago.

I think there was a guy who was actually swallowed by a whale and and came out those on the news and I was so bummed that didn't happen when I was preaching to Jonah because that would just been the greatest but nevertheless we have this 10 week study on the book of John. It's yours for donation of $20 or more really wonderful book of the Bible for us to dig into and study especially as we think about God's grace and his his mercy towards even his followers who are knuckleheads and that's the technical that's really what I had with with Jonah and yet the Lord is so merciful, merciful to him in and using him still and so I think there's a lot we can learn from this book to find that just go to core Christianity/offers a look for our new Bible study on the book of Jonah or you can call us for that offer or any one of our offers. Here's a phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 by way of your call and get our voicemail. Feel free to leave your message right there earlier question we try to go to war look at my voicemails and review them once per day and get your question. Here's a question that came in earlier this week in Galatians 522 about. But like we see that there are even unbelievers.

People who ate they displayed these kinds of fruit in some way.

So my question is what separates the spirit to what may seem like that even unbelievers demonstrate a great question just as well the first thing I would say is in the book of Galatians rightly thinking about the fruit of the spirit. This is this is the fruit that's wrought by the Holy Spirit. An individual's life. I think back to Galatians chapter 3 where were Paul, he's rebuking the Galatians is foolish Galatians was bewitched you it was before your eyes, that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this, did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith. Are you so foolish. Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh and upwards by faith.

These Galatians had received the gift of the Holy Spirit in its as they walk in the spirit as there led by the spirit that this fruit of the spirit is produced the fruit that the apostle Paul is going to talk about in Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against against such things there is no law in those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

And then he adds this in verse 25 if we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit and so one of the big differences here is yes, but by virtue of God's common grace is goodness. There are there are people in the world. Many people in the world who do good things citing noble things who exemplify love and peace and joy. Though those kinds of things but the fruit of the spirit is the fruit that is wrought specifically by the spirit at work in an individual's life in the spirit lives in us by faith in Jesus, so someone who is not a Christian and is not filled with the Holy Spirit is not bearing the fruit of the the Holy Spirit. While they might also just like I said, by virtue of God's common grace. The fact they were all made in the image of God, have some of these things like gentleness, like like self-control, ultimately all good works that they come from the Lord himself and there is no such thing as a good work apart from faith truly good work before the Lord. And so in that sense right there. There is this this big differences distinction between the fruit of the spirit. The good good things wrought by the spirit in a Christian's life and the other good things we see in the world but aren't necessarily the fruit of the spirit and so appreciate your question brought great question.

And thanks for the mystical. Glad you explain common grace God's common grace it rains on the just and the unjust right and the sun shines on both so something we have to remember when we don't want to be judging unbelievers for their behavior. This is core Christianity for the pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to stand in Lawrence, Kansas Dan, what's your question.

Thank you for being our Lord words alive at all times and most of the question is, why had a pastor prayed over me and I have heard of speaking in tongues and praying in tongues to have an event coming up this letter for September Kansas and so there is obviously some of good prayers and good messages in my gathering of 17 states and maybe more of this revival, and so we know will be critical and judgmental ghost girl goes down from the Lord at one time and he is the one to judge, so I don't want to be judging anybody. Speaking of times. I'm somebody, prayers of praise over me or the great nation of ours or this universe of the Lord.

Father guides there so I hope you can go to the people out there saying thank you for your question grateful to hear that you're pursuing the Lord and that you're wanting to gather with other believers to pursue the Lord and to pray.

Now of course it right you like like you said we don't want to. We don't want to be overly critical, overly judgmental, but of course, as believers, we are called to to make judgments in particular for those within the body of Christ. Paul talks about this and for in first Corinthians. A lot of times people quote Jesus's words in the sermon on the Mount not to judge and I'll take those out of context. Jesus is released there rebuking that the religious leaders. The Pharisees and the scribes and is talking about hypocritical judgment, but we ought to make judgments. As Christians, on the basis of God's holy word because there's a lot of strange things that that happen in the church. Frankly, a lot of things that don't lead to the edification of the body of Christ I think is important for Christians to appeal to the Scriptures to point to the Scriptures, and to be guided by the Scriptures for everything that we do. Whether that's in it and a small gathering of believers, a local church gathering on it on a Sunday morning or some some Christian event or conference.

In a sense like that's that's what you're talking about now. With regard to the speaking in tongues that really mean when you look at that the New Testament that the gift of tongues was was used in a number of ways.

One, it was a sign on the day of Pentecost at the spirit of God was now filling the church. In other words, that that the spirit of God, who dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem in the tabernacle under the old covenant has now changed residences. If you will, is in the spirit is moved from the temple.

They are the holy of holies.

And now that the people of God that the new covenant people.

The church is the temple of God and that that's one of the reasons why he had these tongues of fire. It was a sign that the spirit of God had taken up this new residence in in the church and of course the gift of tongues there opened the door for Peter to preach the gospel on the day of Pentecost and thousands of people were saved tongues in the New Testament were actual languages real languages that were interpreted for the edification of the body. Now there's about a broader question of are those gifts those sign gifts. In particular, oftentimes associated with the apostles in the New Testament still around today and I think when you look at look at the Scriptures. Ordinarily, it seems to me like that.

The focus is not on these miraculous signs continuing throughout the life of the church but but but really focusing on. We sometimes referred to as the ordinary means of grace that faithful preaching of the word of God. Worship is Jesus is commanded, it real discipline, real church fellowship, and in that's really what we need to focus on if we want to have revival quote on quote what it's not something that you can schedule because the Holy Spirit it is not under our control, God himself brings revival to Spirit himself brings revival through the faithful preaching of the word of God and so I would say that has to be the focus, preaching the gospel is not so much about signs and manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

When you look at the New Testament. Those signs those manifestations were always pointing to the greater miracle of the salvation of sinners. Forgiveness of sinners and so we have to keep the main thing the main thing that needs to be be the focus of the gospel the message of the forgiveness of sins being built up in that reality and and I think it's it's fair to judge, quote unquote when you see other ministries that are focusing on something other than the gospel even if even if they're focusing on you know the miraculous signs and wonders. I would say I would say look, if that becomes an end in and of itself. We've missed it. We've missed the teaching of the New Testament and we to go back to the Gospels. I pray stand for this event that that it's to be focused on the gospel focused on the forgiveness of sins, and that people are to be built up in that helpless you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, just a programming note for you were planning to record a second program after today's live show. So if you have a question you still have time to: and I asked her question here is the phone number to call is 833 the core, you can call us for the next 30 minutes or so 833. The core would love to hear from you. There's a question from Sandy, who is one of our YouTube listeners or viewers I should say she says, what does Jesus mean in John six, when he says that we have to eat his body and drink his blood. A lot of people got upset when Jesus said that right came this this this whole scene comes on the heels of Jesus had just fed a great multitude of people 5000 people and now the crowds are following him again because they're looking for more bread. They want Jesus to do another miracle disorder fits with that with the question I just answered right there focused on the miraculous do another sign Jesus do another trick you know. Multiply more bread for us and Jesus is trying to point them to the greater reality what what that miracle pointed to and it was the fact that he himself is the bread of life. What we need is Jesus. He is our our spiritual sustenance art nourishment apart from him. We're spiritually dead.

We have no spiritual food. He is the manna from heaven. If you will and in that's one of the things he appeals to their in John chapter 6, he says in verse 54 whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Another could be an allusion here to the meal that Jesus can institute the last supper ready for this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

This this bread is my body. It's this language of the beast signs these symbols that that really point us to a greater reality. Christ himself in his sacrificial death for us and how do we receive that we receive it by faith. In fact there in John chapter 6 just a few verses prior to what I read in verse 54 in verse 47 Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life and for how you receive the body and the blood of the bread of life if you will. Jesus himself for your self. Here's how.

By believing and embracing the gospel every time we take the Lord's supper.

I hope you're in a good church where you will you take communion frequently every time you take the Lord's supper and you have these signs the signs that God himself gave to his people bread and wine and you eat by faith. You know what you received by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit the body and blood of Jesus is grace his gift his goodness for you friends.

Jesus is our spiritual nourishment.

We need them every day just like we need bread every day. God bless.

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