Which Doctrines Should Christians Divide Over?

A pastor a drill here and we want to hear from our podcast audience specifically, it was a call at 1130 Pacific time 833-843-2673.

That's 833 the court with your question about the Christian faith. Are there certain doctrines that Christians should break fellowship over batch 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.

We would love to hear from you, and you can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter account. You can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Kim in Farmington, Illinois. Kim what your question for Pastor Israel and the organization my grandfather in World War II, killing it, thinking that recorded each other for morality and integrity, and MRA looking. I'm not sure what the church's perspective on it and you don't have early name. The cream being a critical organization he had any thoughts on yeah Kim, I have a few thoughts and thank you for your question, it does seem to me like as an organization that the Freemasons are open to this idea of a supreme being and there's talk of that and there also is talk of morality, even Judeo-Christian morality but but my big question is, who do they say that Jesus is who is not just enough to have this just sort of general view of God and morality in doing the right thing. That's not what the Christian faith is all about, and in so far is that's put forward as this is the belief system. If you will of of the Freemasons.

I wonder if there isn't something that that definitely contradicts the teachings of the Christian faith because you think of Jesus himself what he said I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. When he had that discussion with with the Peter in Matthew chapter 16, you know who do men say that I am Jesus said in and Peter responded by giving all sorts of answers and he said who do you say that I am and Peter recognized by the grace of God that he is the Christ, that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God. And so my concern is when when you have organizations that minimize or downplay the importance of the gospel in the identity of Jesus Christ. I think that's where you have some serious issues and so I would say if if people embrace those beliefs of the Freemasons will those are in contradiction to what the Bible teaches, and I would have some significant concerns.

The other thing just personally speaking Kim as a pastor is you know we have a community that God has given to us to be seized put us into. Through baptism and by faith in Jesus Christ called the church and so I think that really is where we has believers need to focus our attention is is membership in the local church growing together with other believers. If we want encouragement to live lives of integrity that are honoring to the true and the living God. We get that from the local church, not from organizations like the Freemasons and so those are just some of the things that I would bring up and in some of the concerns that I have as well appreciate your question and I may the Lord bless you.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez, one of the ways you can ask a question is by leaving us a voicemail and you can call 24 hours a day at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

We do our best to listen to our voicemails. Once each day and there's one we received from one of our listeners last week will and I'll underwear it addresses quinine amount at the later I'll be coming think I'm bringing fellowship with other believers in Christ have very different theological differences, such as when a path at night, primary care center, very tight, regularly priced is considered idolatry title also speak arguing over these last matters that let profound salvation is just one of those cases such as this being about pre-Chandler because Tran has nothing to do with the gospel of salvation is one that would affect salvation. What you believe in that matter. If you can help me with that.

I would appreciate it alien.

Thank you for that question then directed a couple of questions there, but first I want to go to the text that you mentioned will release the one second Timothy chapter 2 beginning in verse 14, because I think it's a really important reminder for all of us. Remind them of these things Paul said to Timothy in charge them before God not to quarrel about words which does no good but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth, but avoid irreverent babble for it. Will's will lead people into more and more ungodliness and then he goes on to say in verse 22 so flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with the foolish ignorant controversies you know that they breed quarrels and the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach paint patiently enduring evil correcting his opponents with gentleness God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth I love. I love this encouragement here. Leanne I think it's it's precise. What we need more of in our day today, as we engage with each other via social media and in and other platforms but but your question is you know when it comes to certain doctrines which which are the doctrines that we ought to make a big deal about where where it is important for us to step in and say hey this needs to be addressed well with regard to the last one that you mention pertaining to eschatology you know pretrip post trip that kind of the thing those those discussions are can determine whether or not someone is in heaven. Someone who embraces one view or the other view there that that that has nothing to do. I think with their eternal security with whether or not they've embraced Jesus Christ by faith and are trusting in him alone for salvation. So I would see those as as secondary issues. That's not to say that they are important that the Bible doesn't speak to them and that we shouldn't have conversation still about those kinds of things. It is one of those things it that we don't need to get into these big quarrels over that that really I think can sometimes draw us away from the Lord even what about other things that you mentioned, praying to Mary viewing her as a co-mediator with Jesus Christ. That kind of thing that gives me more concerned because I don't believe that you see that in the Scripture, and I know one thing that's very clear in Scripture is that God cares about the way that he's worshiped the way that we approach him throughout the Bible.

This is made clear in places like Leviticus chapter 10, where God judged Nate Avina Bible for worshiping him the wrong way you think about Ananias and Sapphire are even Paul's exhortation in first Corinthians chapter 11 with regard to the Lord's supper, how we approach the Lord their God cares about how he's worshiped and in throughout the history of the church. There has been this tendency to corrupt the worship of God in ways that fix our eyes on other things besides Jesus and so I I am uncomfortable with. I'm uncomfortable with me about the people who are focusing on the Virgin Mary, for example, as as a mediator to get to God. We have one mediator already. I his name is Jesus Christ. He's our great high priest and so I think these are things we should talk about and deal with because ultimately want to fix people's eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ that that's what central and if what were doing and worship takes our eyes away from Jesus, or causes us to adore someone besides him. I think that there is a significant problem. You know, we focus on this broadcast on core Christianity. That's were all about and and fundamentally that's the gospel the death, the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is what Paul said as of first importance in first Corinthians chapter 15. So whenever you have anything that compromises the gospel when you call it out. We need to address it and so yeah there are are secondary issues that that we don't necessarily need to divide over what we really need to make sure that we get the gospel right Yankee lien for your question right counselor.

Thank you for that Israel. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and we have a resource would like to tell you about today.

No Halloween coming up here in just a couple of weeks and it always brings up interesting questions about demons and the devil Satanism. We often get questions about that here at the core. We also get questions about angels. So we've created a free resource that would like to offer you today � thanks Bill were sharing a frequently requested resource on core, Christianity.com. It's called nine frequently asked questions about angels and demons. Unfortunately, there is a lot of strange teaching out there when when people start talking about angels and demons. The topic of spiritual warfare and so we want to make sure that we get this right. So he made this free resource get a hold of it again. It's called nine frequently asked questions about angels and demons. It's a free PDF download.

You can find it by going to core Christianity.com/offers that's core Christianity.com/offers just look for nine frequently asked questions about angels and demons. Let's go back to the phones we have Wayne on the line from Oakland, California, and when what your question for pastor. Israel to question one of my worship I spoke to elderly Jewish people with our father and leading to a conversation and then the word. The question came up. Why is why was Jesus chosen, why, why was the Jews chose none I know that we will meet Christian, I will dance and I told them that the reason why the Jews were chosen was because God our father used the Jews during his son into this world okay and used by way of Abraham, Isaac Melchor sees Jacob and this Judah by way so I guess a big question that I have been asked regarding that this first issue here is not taught you these are Jewish people asking me that. Let's not taught in the churches is on the videos or whatever � the first hey, I do not think we only have time for just that that one first question which I think is a really good question an important question with regard to why people don't teach this. That's a hard one to answer initially when I was hearing your question my mind a meal, he went to Deuteronomy chapter 7. Listen with the text says there because I think is a very clear biblical answer to your question, why did God choose these these Hebrew people for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. This is verse six of Deuteronomy 7 the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples were on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all the people's but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery in the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

So here's here's one thing we just need to say right off the bat is God's choice of the day the Israelites was not because they were mighty or righteous or perfect or better than the other nations. On the contrary, God says you are the least of all the peoples. Why did God choose them to display his greatness and glory throughout the world so that they might be a light that would bring essentially that the the entire world into the worship of the true and the living God, that when you study the Bible, one of the things you find is Israel under the old covenant didn't do her job. She she rebelled against the Lord actually is that of being a light to the nations she engaged in the idolatry of the nations, and so you have the be exile. You have all these things that take place there there be a note removed from their land experience that the curses of Deuteronomy chapter 8, the covenant curses and yet God did not fully abandon his people.

He sent his son Jesus into the world. The true Israelite, the faithful one, who perfectly fulfill the righteous requirements of the law so that in him we might find eternal salvation that gets to do what you were saying brother with regard to you know God's promises that that's also it's mentioned there in Deuteronomy chapter 7 the promises that God made to the patriarchs that go all the way back actually to Genesis chapter 3 verse 15, where God says that the seed of the woman is gonna crush the head of the serpent.

So God use them and through them came the Christ. Paul says this in Romans chapter 9 as well. And now we have a relationship with the true and living God.

We are a part of the true Israel if you will, by faith in Jesus Christ. The church is God's chosen people on earth today and we rejoice in that I think again part of the reason. Maybe people don't teachers just because they're there unfamiliar with the word of God. We know that the biblical illiteracy is rampant.

Today, people just don't study the Scriptures like they once did. And so it's so important for us to dig into the word. Thank you for that question hi Wayne, thanks so much for your question text listing the core Christianity. Let's get back to the phones.

Here's the number. If you have a question for us 833 the core and you can leave us a voicemail that number as well 833.core go to Dan in Wichita, Kansas, then what your question for Israel.

All your talk to. He believes he was devoted to Christ.

But you don't believe the Scriptures are inspired by God and so he basically believed what God was divinely inspired.

Everything else is not so I asked him no wanted Chris to save us from hell me where does Jesus say that when the students say that all I could think of was John 17 specifically say that if you do happen to me you're going to hell. So I was my question. Is there a Scripture somewhere where Jesus specifically if you go to hell hey Dan, think that that question in a number of passes come up from from the Gospels, Jesus said very clearly in Matthew chapter 10 verse 32. Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my father who is in heaven you think of that other passage that I referenced earlier, John chapter 14 verse six, where Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me and then just a little bit earlier in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 5 Jesus having a discussion with these religious leaders who reject him. We don't want anything to do with him and he says beginning in verse 37 John chapter 5, verse 37 the father who sent me has himself borne witness about me, his voice you have never heard his form. You have never seen and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. Will there is right there, very, very clear. Jesus is saying to these religious leaders you reject me. You're unwilling to come to me and because you are unwilling to come to me you don't have life in life there is not just you know you know a happy life here on earth its eternal life, it's that spiritual life that Jesus Christ gives and again in the very next chapter of John's Gospel in John chapter 6 verse 47 truly, truly, I say to you, Jesus says to a crowd of people.

Whoever believes in me has eternal life, there it is again is a Jesus is absently clear if we don't believe in him. If we reject him.

If we don't trust in him. We do not have eternal life. He said to the religious leaders. He said to the crowds. Sometimes today I think Dan people people have not read Jesus closely enough, they just ago.

He was a great teacher. I accept him as this. This will be an open moral authority, maybe even as as God in some sense, but I know you didn't really say that you have to believe in me. In order to get to heaven well. We just need to read the text a lot closer. I think because Jesus does say those things. And the question is whose word are we going to take all we can believe what Jesus says about himself or we just couldn't make it up on our on our own to me that this is a real big issue today. I would encourage all of you who wrestle with with this question in particular to sit down and read the Gospels to read the Gospels to listen to what Jesus himself said, and to submit it to what he says he is the true and the living God in him there is life eternal life and he calls us to him. Man read the Gospels, Jesus makes it very clear there Dan, those are a few the passages that that I would encourage you to to share with your friend and God bless you for having these conversations make May God open his heart and his eyes to hear the voice of Christ speaking in the Scriptures bless Dan thanks so much for your call and for your concern for the saw this friend of yours.

And while there are some great passage of Scripture that Israel brought up that you could share with him that are pretty irrefutable when it comes to our eternal life. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez want to say thank you to a very special group of people who make this program possible. We call them our inner core.

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Core, Christianity.com/inner core go to Tony and Memphis Tennessee Tony watcher question for pastor a drill. You think that I hey Tony, thank you for your question and may the Lord bless you as I have indicated on the program before I do believe that there was such a thing is the gift of tongues and meats described in the book of acts it's described in the book of first Corinthians. My concern is that.I wonder if a lot of what we see in the church today is the same as what we see in first Corinthians, and in the book of acts, and, in particular when I study the Scriptures you know IIII come to the conclusion that those gifts, in particular, the sign gifts that were associated with the apostles Tony were used for a very particular purpose. In the history of redemption as the gospel was going out initially.

Now I recognize that there are people who disagree with me on this, and I think that there are Christians who love Jesus Christ sounds like like you yourself Tony who disagree with with maybe my position on this and I would not say that that means that you are not a Christian or not a part of the body of Christ. We talked about this a little bit earlier on the broadcast we are talking about the differences that we can have the real question is do we do you believe in Jesus Christ. Have you received him by faith is the spirit of God living you through through the work of the gospel that that that's how were united to the body of Christ, not on the basis of we know what we believe about spiritual gifts or even what spiritual gifts that we have.

Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 12 towards the end that not everyone is gifted in the same way and it would be foolish to say, well, one person is gifted in this way, that person is not gifted in this way. Therefore there not a part of the body of Christ. Paul's point in first grade. Install was no were all part of the same body. Now, of course. Again, I have a difference of opinion on this issue. In particular, but that would not lead me to conclude that someone who believed in the gift of tongues was not a part of the body of Christ the gift of tongues for today. That is, and so I hope that clears it up for you Tony and thank you for your question.

This is core Christianity.

One of the ways you can ask general question is by emailing us our email address is questions at core, Christianity.com here's a question from Carl.

He says, in a government of the people by the people for the people does God hold citizens responsible for the sins of the government. I think people of all political persuasions will agree the government does evil, even if they disagree on what that evil is. For example, differences on abortion, criminal justice, poverty, or war. How do we deal with that yet.

This is a really complex question. Well, we are called to relate to broader society to civil government in the way we relate to her is something that God holds us individually as Christians accountable for it. So I think that yes this is something that is important. We we have to think through how to apply the truth of God's word is God guides us through the Scriptures and by the grace of the Holy Spirit for the good of our neighbor and broader society, and in part of that looks like participating in these these broader processes related to the civil government, whether that's voting or or any number of other things and so we are going to be accountable now again I said this is this is really complex and we don't have all the information. All of the details were wrestling with the information that we have and seeking to apply the Scriptures to the best of our knowledge the best of our ability to seek to be faithful to the Lord.

What were here on earth you know what we know that the governments of this world are temporal. They're not going to be here forever.

And that's something that scares people sometimes but but but the hope that we have is that Christ government the kingdom that he's building right now here on earth which is manifested in the local church throughout the world. This this universal Christian church all over the place is going to endure forever. And that's precisely what the Lord Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against her. So what were here on earth relating to these temporal governments that are around for a time and were seeking to honor Christ in all that we do. Whether that's how we vote, how we think about that the needs of society the needs of the poor, the needs of the vulnerable. The needs of the unborn. All of that is really important. So we we need to pray and ask that the Lord would give us wisdom. We need to have a lot of humility and we need to continue to dig into the Scriptures so that we might be faithful to the Lord and loving to one another as we relate to broader society.bless 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 bar 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.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of core Christianity a drill and I love our podcast audience, and we'd love to take your questions, give us a call Monday through Friday at 11:30 AM Pacific time at 833-843-2673. That's 833. The core