Did God Become More Loving in the New Testament?

Did God become more loving in the New Testament is just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. We hope you had a wonderful weekend. This is a 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.

Here's the phone number it's 833 the core and we answer a wide variety of questions on this program theological biblical doctrine, cultural, you name it. So give us a call 833-843-2673 also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a drill right now live in the studio on our YouTube channel and send him a message that way course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com burst up today let's go to voicemail.

We received from one of our callers last week. There my name is Ralph in holiness and an old saying and actually learn the truth. There is no longer any sacrifice firsthand. There is nothing but fear enlightenment of the judgment and the terrible fire that will go well. Those who live against God when OJ looked at me. I know God will not let go of the deli's hands. Can you not let go.

That may need to be let go. You have your way in your lot six row thinks that question the book of Hebrews are there two chapters in the book of Hebrews. It cause a lot of concern for believers. Hebrews chapter 6 in Hebrews chapter 10, and often times people who believe that you can lose your salvation will point to these two chapters in the Bible and the point of verse 26 if is is you reference. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and that he's in a go on the other the Hebrews to to describe what that judgment is like and why that judgment is so severe, or if if people who sinned against God's covenant under the old covenant were judged under Moses said how much worse punishment, do you suppose will will the one who was insulted the Spirit of grace. The audit of the key reasons he trampled the son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, damage.

A much worse punishment, do you suppose that that person is going to deserve the key here is understanding the background of the book of Hebrews the context of this book is just talking about struggling with sin. Generally what the people in this church were were tempted to do is go back to the old covenant sacrificial system put their confidence in that instead of placing their confidence in Jesus so they were they were essentially turning away from the faith, committing apostasy, we might say that they they were denying the gospel itself by saying, look at Jesus's blood is not sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins we need to go back to the animal sacrifices over the optically Hebrews says if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth after you know the gospel that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world you go back to these Old Testament old covenant sacrifices will there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins there. There is no other sacrifice. Besides, Jesus is over trusting in something other than Christ, we come under the judgment of God because there there's no sacrifice made none no sectors. We can make individually.

Either that can atone for sins. It's only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus. And so that's that the sin in particular that's being spoken of here. It's a denial of the gospel and you're right. You quoted from John's gospel.

You know that that no one nothing can snatch us out of God's hand that you belong to the Lord by faith. If you if you believe in Jesus Christ you're not can lose your born-again status. You can't. And God is going to keep you those were truly Christ persevere in the Christian life in faith, but there are some within the church who hear the promises of God. They've received the knowledge of the truth if the author the Hebrews talks about here and yet they never rested in it. They never they never embraced it for themselves. And I think that's the problem here in this church. In particular, and so that the big warning for all of us today is look you can hear the promises of God every single day, day in and day I can go to church hear the gospel proclaimed, but it's one thing to be able to recite those promises.

It's another thing to be resting in the promises of God and the promise of the gospel. The promise of the forgiveness of sins, we have to ask ourselves MI resting in the gospel I received it. Truly, by faith, or is it just just something I I sort of recite. I know about and that was the problem in the book of Hebrews.

Thank you for that question in a way drill we often use the word trust on this program. Trusting in Christ, which I love because it really does. I think flesh that out you know we talk about accepting Jesus or inviting them into our hearts, but trusting in him trusting in that his sacrifice is perfect and that's all we need. That's the key is absolutely and it's it's helpful to define faith.

I think your fate. This is a saving grace.

It's a gift that God gives to us, but there are three components of faith if you will that knowledge. So there has to be, you know, a knowledge of what it is that were were putting our faith in it and so you think of the proclamation of the gospel. The truth of the forgiveness of sins. There's an ascent you know your embracing this truth, but then you're also trusting in that's that's I think that the key part, when were thinking about faith. It's it's receiving resting trusting in Jesus for your self not just being able to say yet Jesus existed my I have this sort of historical faith, and I know that he lived that kind of a thing know it's resting in Christ and what he's done for you. That's the trust piece that you just brought up their billing it so important. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. We love to get your question if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Something going on in your church. Here is the phone number to call. It's 833, the court will be taking calls for the next 15 minutes or so, so hop on your phone right now.

833.core four 833-843-2673. You can also email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com here's a question from Kristin.

She says I'm still struggling to believe the Old Testament I'm rocksolid on the New Testament because of all the eyewitness accounts of Jesus. But as I get into the Old Testament feels hokey like in Exodus 20 where God is telling Moses to make an altar, and burn animals for him and built an altar, but not walk up the steps because you could expose yourself. I'm just struggling with the parts where it said that God is talking directly to someone and there were no eyewitnesses. God tells us not to be jealous, but then he tells Moses. He's a jealous God will punish the children for four generations down for someone sin. Jesus is so loving, but God seems so harsh, I still believe in God and Jesus. But I need to figure out a way to reconcile my faith in the Old Testament Scriptures. Any advice would be appreciated that that's a great question. Well, I guess the first thing I would want to say is you know Jesus in the New Testament is the one who who affirms what we find in the Old Testament and and reinforces the fact that this is indeed God's revelation of many talks about stories that sometimes people to go that was kind of hokey know Jonah and the whale that kind of thing that the Exodus Moses, all of those things. And yet Jesus is the one is is and this is God's very word, and so one of the reasons we believe in the Old Testament is God's inspired word is because Jesus and himself. The eternal son of God testified to that fact. But but your question of you know is is God in the Old Testament. Harsher, meaner than he is in the in the New Testament has Izzy changed in some way significantly is a question that a lot of people have, and actually was a really early individual and in the church named Marcy and he was actually a heretic and he basically came up with this idea that the other God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament and there been people who have who said that same thing for the last 2000 years but really I think what that demonstrates.

We just don't have a deep enough understanding of the old and the new Testaments because we look at the Old Testament.

What we see is God's covenant love and faithfulness, his promise to redeem his people over and over again. His long-suffering coming. I am preaching right now through the book of Genesis. The story of Abraham and Sarah and God, you know, pledging himself unconditionally to this couple Genesis chapter 15, despite the fact that over and over and over again. They have lapses in faith. They make foolish, sinful decisions, and yet God is committed to them. He's kind to them. He's merciful to them and that's that's the God of the Bible and in ultimately wheat we see that commitment manifested most clearly in the fact that God sent his son Jesus into the world which was prophesied all throughout the Old Testament and Jesus is going to come back and judge the world.

There is can it be this this judgment for sin. And so you know we just need I think did a little bit deeper into the Scriptures we realize.

Note that in this is one God revealing himself through the Old Testament and the New Testament at the last thing I'll say is you brought up you know that the the language of God being jealous. Janet Exodus chapter 20 verse five, where where the Lord said, you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, that the jealousy right there. There's a good kind of jealousy and there's a bad kind of jealousy there is that the jealousy that's born out of selfish ambition, covetousness, and that's were called not to have coveting is a sin, but then there is the kind of jealousy that let's say a husband has for his wife because he loves her because she's his one and only and in the Bible.

Idolatry is like spiritual adultery. So when God talks about being jealous for his people. He's talking about that that special unique covenant love that he has for his people. And that's the jealousy that that he has for his people that he has for his church today so it's really a good thing.

It's a sign of God's love his special love for his people. I thank you for that for that question and may the Lord bless you know a lot of people do struggle with a drill.

In fact there even are some pastors nowadays that are saying well you know what maybe we just shouldn't get into the Old Testament. We should just focus on the New Testament Jesus as our our loving Savior and just kind of forget all that stuff there because it could turn some non-Christians off. What are your thoughts on that. Yeah I mean it. What a tragedy that would be to neglect the teaching of the Old Testament because it it really it's God's revelation to us and there's so much for us throughout the Old Testament that helps us understand our our place in redemptive history.

The work of Jesus Christ me think of all of those shadowy types you know that the sacrificial system, the temple, all of those things, the worship of Israel under the old covenant.

All of these things give us a deeper understanding of the gospel today for us and so I think it's just really unfortunate when people have that kind of you. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the number to call its 833. The core 833.core four 833-843-2673, one of the key principles of Christianity is repentance. But what does true repentance look like we actually have wonderful resource for you on that topic, you have built you on the program. We get a lot of questions about what it looks like the turn away from sin and to cling to Christ at Whitehead like mortify or kill my sin is the apostle Paul talks about in places like Romans chapter 8 what is true repentance look like so yeah this resource. Seven things everyone should know about repent. It's a free download over it.

Core, Christianity.com it describes what it actually means to repent and so get a hold of this resource. It's a perfect resource to help ground you in your faith in the work and love of Jesus Christ. Once again, it's absolutely free.

It's a download.

You can find it on our website. Core, Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for seven things everyone should know about repentance, let's go to Betty who is calling in from Battle Creek, Nebraska Betty what your question for pastor a drill and demand anything that kind of laugh, and then everything in the elevator and went up to me living in the US mind that they know my pain and Zion thing and get slammed a little lucky people from going back to the old lady standing like when dad created the layout of Adam and Eve right away. Standing a and and amen Satan, one of his main guests dad and now they say that and he doesn't want relevant that people need to make the right to howl and they keep people from standing after everything without welfare if they make their own sites. This is a great questioning him.

How tragic would that be right like the stories overall in the new Jerusalem, and although no all of a sudden it happens again, this is no computer disaster. But that's that's not going to happen because the reality is somewhere in the new Jerusalem glorified bodies if you will, in the state of confirmed righteousness and holiness were not going to be able to sin were going to be made perfect in holiness, perfect in love. That's what's going to make heaven so wonderful being in the presence of God. No more sin and able to worship him to love him as we want to, but are unable to do now because of that the presence of indwelling sin that struggle that we still have an right now we are making choices and we do make choices Betty were called the trust in Jesus Christ to receive him by faith and and so there there is that that choice, and God is at work in us by the grace of his Holy Spirit, drawing us to himself but but worry when, where, and then the new Jerusalem that the new creation. All sin, all evil is can it be done away, eradicated, and so there there is and can it be the threat. The danger of that creeping back in. The evil one Satan is and to be cast into the lake of fire is the book of Revelation says.

And so there's not can it be any more deception anymore lie and working to live in in perfect holiness and love for all eternity. And so you don't have to worry about that sister and may the Lord bless you as you look forward to that, that glorious new creation that the Bible talks about Betty thanks much for your call and thank you for listening to core Christianity there in Nebraska. Let's go to Scott who's calling in from Western Iowa Scott what your question for a drill I what would be included in the Bible about when all that happened a Scott, thank you for that question.

So you be of the Old Testament of the New Testament. You had a basically Jewish Hebrew canon of Scripture under the in of the Old Testament leading up to the time of Jesus. Jesus received the teaching of the Old Testament as inspired as authoritative unit of the New Testament quotes from the Old Testament over and over again as God's inspired word of any of the question of of the New Testament. How did had these particular letters and Gospels out of these books get chosen and sometimes people will suggest or or hint at this idea that will maybe it was a just a group of Christian leaders who you know sat down together one day and said let's pick this book we don't really like that book that kind of thing. But the reality is a couple of things one the church received God's inspired word.

She didn't decide which books were inspired that you know Paul in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 says all Scripture is God breathed into the church as she was receiving these books from the apostles received them as the very words of God, and there were a number of of factors that helped, and in realizing this and recognizing this and and receiving them as such. So one thing that that the early church was looking at is were these books were these writings written by an apostle or someone associated with one of the apostles. Eyewitnesses, even of the Lord Jesus Christ. This idea of apostolate city so that was one of the criteria.

Another one was the idea of catholicity. Now the word Catholic just means universal.

So were these books.

These New Testament books universally received by the church in in all sorts of different places or were they only received by some churches in some places, and that the books that we have in the New Testament were generally speaking, received by all of the early Christians embraced by them as the very word of God.

So there was a sort of universal acceptance because they realize that these books were written by the apostles or someone closely associated with the apostles.

There also old there.

There was that antiquity so that they came very early on. They were written, you know shortly after BP events had taken place and another one is just there for theological coherence. They fit together.

They're not contradicting each other. This is another thing that you see with the books of the New Testament. And so when we think about God's inspired word his revelation. It was something that was received by the church on the basis of some of these things but but the church was able to say this is God's word and that's what helped it in terms of formulating what we now call the canon of Scripture and so you do have. You know in in early church history. Some people, the word muta putting together various cannons if you will let you think these are the books that we think should be in in God's Bible in in in the text of Scripture, and generally speaking, what we find is a lot of similarity and and coherence.

Even there as well and so there's a lot of good reason for us to embrace and believe in the authority of Scripture. There even thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament that were copied over an organ which helps the testified effect. These are the books of the early Christians really valued as the word of God. So thank you for that question.

Scott may God bless you great historical lesson for all of us. Thank you so much for her for clarifying that drew great great question. Great answer. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, we do receive voicemails here and if you ever call us and can't get through. You can always leave a voicemail that you can call 24 hours a day and leave your question at 833. The core there's a voicemail we received a couple of days ago right now in my family line.

Of the people is very clinical and they express their views a lot concerning these things and make concerning to me think In the intensity of the steering they take tenant listening to the news and reading lots of articles and whenever they do that they always come back and seemed really upset that really afraid about all this, they continued to be irritable and mean and say hurtful things to myself and others in the family.

I know that I will send you now, again, that I just is there any way. Besides prayer because I have been praying for this person that I can help or highlight distance myself in a way that you know helps protect me, help me tear you now keep my family loving this person table because it's not easy. Yeah, you're definitely not alone.

I know that a lot of people are are wrestling with this.

I know there's so much tension in society. Political tension so much division and oftentimes wheat we can, so focus on that that we begin to treat each other in an ungodly ways in ways that are not are not very Christian and we become overwhelmed with you know that the media cycle with the news is saying gripped by fear right to think that we shouldn't be gripped by as followers of Jesus. I think of Paul's exhortation to Titus in Titus chapter 3 says remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities to be obedient to be ready for every good work to speak evil of no one to avoid quarreling to be gentle and to show perfect courtesy toward all people, for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient lead astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit that he goes on to say in verse 10 as for a person who stirs up division after warning him once and then twice have nothing more to do with with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful. He is self condemned. It was interesting to me here is that pulses look we used to hate each other that that's how we lived in sin. We were hateful, hating one another but when God's goodness and kindness appeared through Jesus to the forgiveness that we sin we were taught something totally different is not how are called to be present when were engaging in that kind of hateful rhetoric when were not showing perfect courtesy as he says there toward all people were being foolish and so I think that there's place for warning here and calling people in particular Christians back to how we ought to live. Let's not. Let's not be like everyone else around us right now were so caught up in that the new cycle in in in frustration and anger and hate towards the other side, whatever that side is that's not how we've learned from Christ know he was merciful to us, he redeemed us and so I would say there is a place for warning here and for having a stern conversation with this individual, if indeed there engaging in this this kind of quarrelsome, divisive behavior. I think it's so important that we center back on what what Paul is focusing on here the kindness of God our Savior, who saved us, not because of what we had done what he had accomplished for us in the gospel were focused on that. It allows us.

It helps us love the people who think differently from us. 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. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together