How Does God Promise to Bless Us?

Does God promise to prosper our health and finances.

That is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity why 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 for the next 25 minutes or so and you can call us with your question.

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You can post your question on Facebook, Instagram, or twitter, you can watch a drill live in the studio on YouTube right now and messages that way through our YouTube channel course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Larry calling in from Roseburg, Oregon.

Larry what your question for Pastor Israel. Her being there for the day of repentance, met Julie Paul Carol why he said in Galatians. Why there be an everlasting curd he repeats it twice or anybody doesn't preach the gospel what he preached most people presume that's what they're preaching, but popped out of acts 28 God very last on the Mac that the gospel he preached the gospel of the kingdom, and the Jesus was via my wonder people are just ignorant are being blinded by the devil to realizing the need for repentance and log truly is to include the kingdom as part of the gospel because God did fulfill Paul's curse with the early church in the seventh century was all the churches in Revelation are all now under Islam, which is in Hebrew the word for Allah is translated as curse like if you don't keep my commandments. All they follow will come upon you. Hey Larry, thank you for question you mention today is the day of atonement, Yom Kippur, and of course we read about that back in the book of Leviticus. It was this day of deep cleansing if you will of the temple and of the people of God. A very important day. That day that foreshadowed it was a picture of the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, something that we celebrate as Christians, it's that message of the cross that is central to that the preaching of the apostles. It was central to the preaching of the apostles that is at the heart of the gospel and if we don't preach that message, then yes we are under a curse, and it's what the apostle Paul talked about. As you said in Galatians chapter 1.

Now it's important that we understand the background of the book of Galatians so that we can we can really grasp what it is that he's referring to when he talks about this curse on us and read beginning in verse six of chapter 1 in the book of Galatians, Paul said to the Galatian church.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another one. But there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. And then as you said PE emphasizes this. He doubles down he goes on in verse nine as we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. The problem Galatia where was it.

There was this group of people. Paul refers to them as agitators who had snuck into the church and they were beginning to preach a message, a gospel quote unquote pulses wasn't a gospel at all. That was contrary to the one that the Galatians had initially received from the mouth of the apostle Paul and what they were being told now by these agitators was that if they really wanted to be a part of the church they needed to basically embrace Judaism. They needed to be circumcised. They need to embrace the ceremonial law.

The law of Moses go back to that and impulses look that that's not the gospel that's not going to save you the law is not of faith. The law is pointing us to leading us to Christ and and emphasizing our need for forgiveness, our need for repentance, but it's not the gospel as I think in so far as there are ministries today that when you asked them you know what is the gospel and they point to the law do this that and the other yeah that leads to a curse that leads to death. The gospel is the proclamation of what God has done for us in Christ to redeem us from our sins and so really I think it's important for us is one of the things we really need to recover today in the church is a clear understanding of what the gospel is in the fact the matter is if people were confused about in the first century people that the apostle Paul himself would preached to will then friends. There's got to be confusion today about the gospel and that's why it's important for us to return to the Scriptures. Places like the book of Galatians, in order to understand what the gospel of the Lord Jesus with the good news of the Lord Jesus really is lest we to be under a curse as the apostle Paul said there in Galatians 1. Thank you for your question.

God bless you. Thanks for calling and Larry and thanks for listening to core Christianity let's go to an email question that came in from one of our listeners named Ken he says does John want and to teach that God will prosper our health and finances. There are different translations that make it seem like this is something that we should expect yet. Third, John and I don't know that we've ever received a question about their jobs and we get a lot of questions about this stuff in the gospel of John, or even in John's first letter first John, but appreciate this this question about their John. It begins in verse one, the elder to the beloved dais, whom I love and truth, beloved verse two.

I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health as it goes well with your soul now does this mean that God wants us to be healthy and wealthy. I think what you're asking is, is this biblical support for what sometimes known today as the prosperity gospel know it isn't. We do know according to the teaching of Scripture you think of even Jesus is is the prayer that he taught his disciples on the sermon on the mount Matthew chapter 6 and were taught to pray about our physical needs. Give us this day our daily bread, and our spiritual needs.

Forgive us our debts, forgives our sins is as we forgive those who sinned against us, but God does care about our bodies and our health, and there's nothing wrong with praying that you know that the Lord would raise us up before sickening. James talks about this in James chapter 5 that God would provide for us. We are the things that we need. Give us this day our daily bread. Help me to have gainfully employed employment. There's nothing wrong with those things with the prosperity gospel teaches and this is what's not been taught here and in the beginning of their John is that if you're you're truly a follower of Jesus that God always wills for you to be blessed and healthy and wealthy. So it's not just this idea that God cares about you and will provide for his people. It's that you should be above and beyond. Bless you. Should be rich.

I member talking to a guy one time in my gym when I was in college training to be in the ministry and I was wearing a Christian T-shirt at the gym and he came up to me start talking to many and he said you're a believer, pastor, and of course, is a is a young guy.

Training for ministry about this is this is great. I want to learn from this guy and in the middle of our conversation is that I'm rich, you know, and I just thought rich in Christ. Yet we do that kind of a thing and he said no I'm rich, rich, and he pointed to a number of passages, he appealed to Abraham in the Old Testament would try to make this case that God intends for us to be rich but that stitch is not the case in the riches aren't a bad thing. Putting our hope in riches is a bad thing and I think what the prosperity gospel does is it leads people to to chase after these things that God does not call us to chase after and so you know it's good for us to pray for one another that we would be healthy, that we would be pastrami think it even times like this in the middle of a pandemic.

The Lord raise people up but we don't have a promised in Scripture that God's intention will is always to heal, and that if he doesn't, it's our fault because we don't have enough faith.

Those kinds of things at the prosperity gospel teaches that that are completely false and and that's certainly not with their John verse two is saying. So I think that question has he said false and also very destructive because they set a lot of people up for spiritual disillusionment and feeling like my didn't have enough faith.

That's why I'm Bob got cancer. Yeah. Talk about a just destructive theology that leaves people feeling worse than before.

And that's that's one of the ways we know the just heresies is not taught in the word of God, but it also drives people away from God. Frankly, your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life or something about the theology or doctrine, or even what's happening in our culture right now as it applies to our Christian life. Here's a phone number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to George calling in from Sabine Texas George what your question for pastor. Israel is a good afternoon brother all the black in a beautiful day here and check the name of their I did have a quick question for you.

Lately I've been studying in particular where I announced that before and similar situations, but where it references here.

The me the front of God when they saw the daughter and you they picked up the mess wives for themselves whatever they chose and the question is here. You know what exactly are we. Another their debate kind of work within January. It felt when it comes down the particular set of birth to know that we have that we have kind of similar situation going on a go of them have birth along in employment and Mark Mark 12/25 where reference is something similar you know is in a binary work in verse McIvor Mark 12 on the right from the dead neither. They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are looking George, this is a question if he does he say that we have received before and it's it's it's a common one.

I think because people read the text of Genesis chapter 6 and it just seems so strange there. There are a few different I think interpretations that that faithful Bible teachers, scholars have gone to that I think I think each of them.

You know it has strengths and weaknesses for summary read Genesis 6 is a little bit of Genesis 6 and then I'll give those interpretation than I give my thoughts out. Genesis 6 verse one begins when man began to multiply on the face of the land and the daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive and they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, my spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh his day shall be 120 years though the Neff limit were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of man and they bore children to them.

These were the mighty men of these were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. Now in the Bible oftentimes sons of God is a reference to angels.

You see this, I think you mentioned the book of Job.

He said in Job chapter 2 verse one you see it. Also in the Psalms, and so one. One argument that people make is these are angelic beings that it did you know rebelled and they're taking these these human wives if you will. And there are actually passages in the New Testament that seem to perhaps indicate this, of course, it's a controversial view, and that there are some people who point to the text you point to and Margaret were regarding the Angels how they are. They're not married or given in marriage in order to to contradict this treatment is one of the views that historically Christians of held the other views are essentially that this is a picture of the evil line marrying or intermarrying with the good line, and so this is sort of mixed marriages, polygamy, those kinds of things that are that are taking place. Another view is that that this is picture of these divine rulers if you will not not truly divine but kings sometimes in no Kings can be referred to as the sons of God. If you will, so that these people with with status with power who are taking these harems to themselves and their sitting there there acting wickedly now look like I said there's a lot of debate about that. The best way to understand who specifically are the sons of God here. What's helpful to me in terms of interpreting this passage is just really taking a step back in and asking the question what is Moses really trying to communicate here at at this point in the book of Genesis. Well, the main point is whatever was going on, mankind was continuing to plunge headlong into sin. Things are getting worse and worse and worse leading up to the time of the flood and so that the point of this passage is not for us to focus primarily on the identity of the sons of God. The point is for us to realize it was bad and it was getting worse and worse and that you know you go from the fall. Earlier in Genesis to this point.

It just goes to show how prone we are to evil to sin how we did generate more and more and more and that's what was happening in these chapters of the book of Genesis leading up to the flood and that's what Moses is really trying to communicate.

So really what it what it is. It is a study on the sinfulness of humanity on on human depravity on how left to ourselves apart from the grace of God.

Apart from that, the goodness of God's law. We will continue to plunge headlong into sin, destroying ourselves and the people around us and that's what you see in Genesis chapter 6.

Thanks for your question George, thanks George appreciate you listening to core Christianity. One of the ways you can ask the question is by calling our voicemail 24 hours a day. It's open and you can leave your question there.

Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Here's a boy's mother came in from Jason in St., St. Joseph, Missouri. There doesn't quite sure if he believed God or not, it lost two daughters years ago so he seven some part-time gripping weather is real, how I help. Thank you. Have a good day, but Jason just a very touchy situation mean obviously losing someone that we love and and then thinking about how to comfort someone who's gone through that weather was it was something recent or something long ago you want to choose your words very carefully, at least at first. I think it's so important for us just to to come alongside of individuals to lament with them are really in.

In the midst of that kind of intense suffering there. There aren't a lot of words that you can say that someone is in a receive in that moment a minute. It's prayer it's crying out to the Lord. It's it's lamenting but but the Scriptures do speak to the problem of death, I mean that when Christ came into the world to defeat death and so there is hope there is a word of hope that we have for those who are crushed by pain by suffering by death and we have to we have to recognize that and I think there is there's a place for us to to to have that conversation and that's where you need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as you as you speak to this friend I I really love the scene in John chapter 11 where you know Mary and Martha are going to Jesus there brother Lazarus has died there devastated their they're concerned they're upset. Even because because Jesus wasn't there when he died and they just know Jesus. If you would've been here. Things could have been different things would have been different in Jesus continually is pointing to himself.

He said look I am the resurrection and the life there is hope. When you believe in me, your brother is going to rise again and they were thinking will yeah on the last day he's going to rise again. We do believe that. But then Jesus brought them back from the dead right there in John chapter 11 leading up to that we read in John chapter 11 verse 32, when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

And when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping. He was deeply moved that with that word right there deeply moved the can be translated a number of ways, and often times in the New Testament. It communicates anger and expresses anger.

It's a strong feeling of indignation, so it seems like there there's this anger here at and who is Jesus angry at will. He's not angry at Mary and Martha and the people that are morning there. I think it's an anger towards death, and death. Death is this, according to the Bible. This enemy it it's it's the last enemy to be destroyed. Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 15 and all of us through those of us who've experienced the pangs of death that the terribleness of death, and in someone we love either there is this this sorrow, there is this anger because we know this is not right. Jesus knows that it's not right.

The text continues in his spirit was greatly troubled and he said, where have you laid him and they said to him, Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. You have here. I think both anger towards death and compassion towards mourners and Christ has compassion on your friend Jason, the Lord Jesus is compassionate to the downcast to the brokenhearted and he also had anger towards death and sin, and he dealt with it. That's why he went to the cross and rose again from the dead, and so for all those who are broken hearted, who are crushed to her way down because of the reality of death. We have something to say.

As Christians when we point to Jesus and what we point to his resurrection from the dead. There is hope, there is great hope and that hope is found in the gospel and and I pray for you Jason that God would give you wisdom as you talk to this friend. It sounds like he's he's hurting. It sounds like maybe he's angry as well is as sometimes that can be the case when when we lose someone we love angry at God.

It may be even and so may the Lord soften his heart and may the Lord give you wisdom in sharing the hope that we have is Christians with your friend.

God bless you appreciate so much Jason's heart and trying to assure the truth, the gospel with this this hurting friend metrics. That's what it's all about right living out our faith and in practical ways like that. So thank you for that.

Jason, this is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our callers. One of our listeners named Keith. I know that you will not eat any thing anyone needs or have any foods that have been sacrificed to idols. So my question is, is knowing that these vaccines that are being pushed on the market today are actually sealed with aborted children themselves are put into the actual vaccines and these are being injected into people how do the Christian world feel about knowing that this is taking place. I think that the Christian world is leaning more towards the thoughts of man been leaning towards the healing power of God orders the church will stand in all of this is a really complex question. I am not an expert on vaccines, but I sync my net every vaccine is different but but I'm certain that that with a lot of the vaccines that have come out the Pfizer vaccine that the modernity vaccine the dead. They're not filled with the stem cells of aborted babies think that is factually not true.

I think that's inaccurate and there has been a lot of misinformation, a lot of confusion out there via social media. That's not to say that that other vaccines might not be different. I think you just have to do your research. Do the research and and really figure out you know what what is it neat how was his produce and what is it that this is bumping into you and so I think maybe getting the information a little bit a little bit more clear. It would be helpful.

Let me just say this as followers of Jesus Christ. As Christians we can have a high view of the world of science of medicine because God's world and in the good that comes from the world just via God's common grace is something that we should receive with thanksgiving praising God for his kindness toward us. I know that everything right now in our culture in our country is so politicized. Everything is so politicized and it makes it really hard to see clearly. I think that and if we can just take a step back and and one just affirm the goodness of God's common grace. Give thanks for things like medical advances. It does mean that everything is good and that we we shouldn't be wise in terms of making decisions for ourselves medical decisions that are in effect us but but the reality is the fact of the matter is there's a lot of good also that we can we can glean from this, as Christians, and I think part of the issue and and what the apprehension is for so many people is is just a highly politicized environment in which we live. It's very much us versus them, that sort of mentality and in the other side is oftentimes demonized and we don't want to listen to one another and so I think as Christians we ought to take a step back exercise charity really think through things with with an open mind. Being guided by God's word but but also the best of just common grace that the wisdom of this world science, medical advancements and that we can receive that as I said, with thanksgiving, because it's it's God's world and historically the church is as always sort of embrace that that idea and so is it the case that there are some people who are focusing too much on sort of man's values and not God's will sure that happens all over the place but I think we can be confident that as Christians we can look at some of these things exercise wisdom and and ultimately entrust ourselves to the Lord.

We need to we need to focus on that as well and in the midst of everything going on and trusting ourselves to the Lord and and then making the wisest decision with with the information we have available to 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 and 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