If Jesus Conquered Sin, Why Am I Not Free of It?

Writer asks Jesus conquered sin and why am I not free of it. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez.

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 jump on the phone right now and call us in the studio. Here's our phone number it's 833 the cord to spell but on your phone, 833 the core or 1-833-843-2673 that you can also watch a drill right now live in the studio on YouTube and you can message us through our YouTube channel. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites or you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to voicemail from one of our listeners. This is Brandon. I wanted to figure out a way to talk to my loved one to my friends about going directly to God and the Bible about their troubles and not going outsourcing like getting everything from terror card getting things from supposedly magic crystal that give off good energy and no safaris go as far as horoscopes are they know correlate with godlike things and that's okay. Not where should we go like you do know the answer to that. In terms of those things not being okay me. Certainly in Scripture we are commanded not to consult mediums not to go into all of that certain New Age spirituality terror cars, whatever you want to with whatever it is there's a lot of that stuff out there.

Part of the problem in a lot of people are attracted to this.

We really are as a society very spiritual. We like this idea of being spiritual but not religious mom, I'm not really fond of organized religion. The thinking goes, but I wanted to sort of invent my own spirituality, and so people will go to crystals and tarot cards and and those kinds of things and there really are spiritual forces at work there. There are spiritual powers. They are, but we are called to be discerning. John said in first John chapter 4. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. It is this is what what people need to understand so many people and in society today just assume hate spirituality so long as is you like what you're doing great. Go for it you know it. As long as your sincere whatever spirituality you embrace, that's wonderful. But the Bible says something different. The Bible says that there are spiritualities there are spiritual practices that you can engage in that actually are going to do harm you that are bad for your soul.

The spirit of the antichrist that that work in the world today and so we have to be discerning. I think one of the things you can do and having conversations with friends and family members is to just warning them and say what is it that you're actually getting into even Satan.

Paul tells us in second Corinthians disguises himself as an angel of light. And so there can be. These these practices that seem good and and peaceful and nice, but which lead us away from Jesus and his word.

We have the initial promise in Scripture and in the authority of God's word that we need to go. Paul says in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work and so we should go to the Lord to the Scriptures to Christ and there find comfort there find true spirituality. If you will, and I that's I think what you need to to emphasize to friends and family members were getting coming up with some of these things for advice in real. This is core Christianity and our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life. If you're having doubts about the Christian faith. Or maybe you're an atheist or agnostic just a stumbled on this program. We're open to your questions as well.

Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 833-843-2673 in a course are website is core Christianity.com now something kinda cool all this week we've been featuring questions from the eighth graders at Mr. Almeida's class at Faith Christian Academy in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. They actually listen to the program every day in their classroom which is pretty amazing. And this question is from one of the students named Evan hi my name is Christian Academy. My question is why did not give us free will, and we keep on making sin and we sent all the time when Christ died for us on the cross to present the Evan so grateful that you're listening to the.

The program, and I thank you for that question sound like direction.

A couple questions. Are you why.

Why did God give us free will. Knowing that it mankind was innocent of course Adam and Eve were given free will.

There in the garden, God called them to obey him to love him, but they chose sin, they turned away from the Lord and in Adam we we felt we sin.

Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 5 verses 12 and following, and because of that we are were still willing creatures, you know, we were moral agents if you will, but our wills have been affected by the fall and we continue to sin, we we fell in at about we continue to sin and the reason we continue to is because we want to send and assess the reality is we have these disorder desires these these inclinations because of indwelling sin and is something that everyone everyone struggles with now.

God sent his son Jesus into the world to restore us to restore our wills even did it to bring us back to him so that instead of turning away from God, living in sin, we might live for him and follow him, obeying him and obeying his law and the apostle Paul. He he I think it gets to the heart of your question in Romans chapter 6 US you know Jesus came to take away sin, but we still struggle with sin even as as Christians every single day.

What you listen to what Paul said in Romans chapter 6 beginning in verse 20 says, what shall we say then are we to continue in sin that grace may abound by no means how can we who died to sin still live in it.

Do not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order. The body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin for the one who is died has been set free from sin. Evan did this you believe in Jesus, we receive Jesus by faith, having been baptized as Paul says there in in Romans six, there's this this break between you and send your no longer a slave to sin, called to be a slave to sin actually are dead to sin your dentist into Jesus. So for us for the believer because Jesus is taken, the penalty of sin were no longer under the curse of sin, but there there still the power of sin that we experience in our lives in indwelling sin. And day by day. We are called to by the grace of the Holy Spirit is what Paul says later in Romans chapter 8 to put to death the sinful deeds of the body work in a struggle you're going to start work in a struggle for our entire life. As Christians I'm drawing near to the Lord seeking to honor him. Paul talks about that struggle in the very next chapter in Romans chapter 7. But here's what you can know you can know that through Jesus's death on the cross. You're no longer under sin you've been set free in a very real sense you are justified by faith, so that those that you are pure in God's sight. And now you're called to live in light of that reality, we all are as Christians to live in light of that reality. And that's where the struggle comes in and then as I said it to be a lifelong struggle, but when were in the presence of the Lord. That struggle will be over will be made perfect in holiness and will always obey if you will let you know and that's what Christ has accomplished for us one for us and were already beginning to experience that now by the power of the Spirit and through faith in him and so may God bless you as you continue to walk with Jesus, thank you so much for that question and I would say meditate on those chapters of the book of Romans Romans chapters 6 through eight because it gets those passages in particular get to a lot of what your question was about God bless Evan thank you and to all the students there at Faith Christian Academy in Pennsylvania. We appreciate you listening to the program while were look him up on Thanksgiving, just about a week away, and shortly after that were all gearing up for Christmas and starting on 1 December.

We have a special devotional but you can go through leading up to Christmas. That will really help you focus on what Christmas is all about – it is so important that we direct our gaze on Christ and his work for us, not just during the month of December but really you know every every month of the year, but we want to help you do that during the month of December and so that this devotional is called the promised seed and it's it's 25 day devotional starting on December 1 that focuses on that promise, that we have in Scripture that the seed of the woman is gonna crush the head of the serpent friends. We need that reality to be plastered before us to dig go deep into our hearts that Christ many images of those talking to the previous about the previous question it. Christ is conquered sin for us, once and for all. And so we can rest in him and rejoice in him. This this devotional can help you do just that and so get a hold of it.

The promised seed and get it core, Christianity.com for free.

This was actually put together by our own Dir. of content Kendra Dall who we appreciate so much your record Christianity.

She did an excellent job and you can get this free download of the Christmas devotional by going to court, Christianity.com/Christmas that's core Christianity.com/Christmas or call us at 833-843-2673 for help getting any one of our offers and of course you can call us if you have a question today for pastor a drill about the Bible or the Christian life were to be taking calls for another 10 minutes or so. So get on the phone right now and call us at 833.

The core let's go to Tony in Tulsa, Oklahoma Tony, what's your question for Pastor Israel. Okay so I have a question I have listened to a deal that would on my let's say that a Roman gentlemen back name Romeo had a conflict with a state whose name was Lucifer and what he was transcribing the Isaiah 1412 he actually called the devil, who actually like a man.

I did the son of the DayStar are on the MorningStar but yet when he translated it he translated it into Lucifer because that's the only time the lives of her, but Adele has ever been called both of her and that it was because it was a argument between scribe name aromas erroneous and is enemy name of bank Lucifer that hey, Tony thinks that question now regarding that history. I'm not entirely sure if that's totally accurate but I don't think it makes much of a difference in terms of, you know, identifying the evil when I Isaiah chapter 14 is a text referring to in in in the context there's this there's this rebuke on the hottie king of Babylon was sinning against the people of God against God himself and in it was exalted, but fell had this great fall so Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12 this is the ESV how you are fallen from heaven oh DayStar, son of the dawn, and in in the Latin Vulgate the Latin translation of the Bible that is translated as Lucifer how you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the most high.

Another what you have here that the great fall of Satan and in illustration of what we read in Proverbs. If you will. Pride comes before a fall.

There's this great hygienist. There's this great arrogance in this.

This individual had this high position that that the DayStar in antiquity. The DayStar referred to Venus the that the brightest of the, the, the morning stars or planets if you will that heralded the coming day you can see it early in the morning is this position of prominence and yet here you have this terrible terrible fall rooted in pride and I think that's the point of the text really, as I said in illustration of what Proverbs tells us pride comes before a fall in the sin of pride being the sin of Satan.

If you will, and so that that that's the that the main focus whether or not we refer to the evil one as Lucifer or the devil or Satan, but I don't think it makes much of a difference. The other thing that were called to see here is the danger of pride how demonic pride is and so appreciate your question brother and God bless your listening to core Christianity and if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine, theology, or how your faith intersects with your daily life in today's culture. Would love to hear from you.

Our number is 833 the core. You can also email us anytime with your question. Here's the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com here's an email from Mary a drill.

She says I need help with God's providence and sovereignty as a family. We've experienced a great deal of grief five years ago our young adult niece died in an accident and a few days ago. Her brother died. All of us are brokenhearted. I'm wrestling, particularly for my niece and nephews mother. Please share any thoughts that might help us, I'm so sorry to hear about these these tragedies. Mary let me just pray first for your gracious father in heaven. I prefer for Mary and for her family and everything that that they've been going through Lord. The pain that they're experiencing.

Because of these these sudden losses.

I ask God that you would comfort them with the comfort that only you can give by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

I pray Lord that you would set their eyes, their hope on you on your love on the fact that you know all things Lord God that nothing surprises you on the hope that they can have through Jesus, the one who is conquered death and sin. And so I pray that you would be again with Mary, with her family and asked that you would comfort them now in Jesus name, amen.

Providence and sovereignty, and of course Mary is is you know there are strange and difficult providences that we experience in life as Christians. Anyone who thinks that Christians, because you know we follow Jesus were knocking to suffer were not can experience the kinds of pain that are out there. Knowledge is not not true.

And yet we can have hope. I think you can have hope your family can have hope. God is is very clear in his word. Jesus is very clear in his word about the love of God for his creation. The fact that God rules over all things providentially when we talk about Providence were talking about how God sustains all things in the world how we cares for them.

How he governs all things Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10 verse 29 are not two sparrows sold for a penny, not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. That is, God knows everything he knew these circumstances before they happened. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Jesus said if you're not therefore you are of more value than many sparrows. I think also of what what the psalmist said in Psalm 139 input. In particular, in verse 16. David said your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written every one of them. The days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them was with with these children got new every day. Every single hair on their head. Now we ask the question why God why why did this happen. Why was this allowed to happen so often we don't have that that answer not decided heaven we don't understand why certain things take place. We cling to is what God is revealed to us in his word that he is good that he cares for us that is able to make all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. We cling to that we cling to the gospel.

He said God sometimes I look at the circumstances around me and I wonder how is it that you you love me do you love me why why did this happen we have to go back to where God is demonstrated his love to us most clearly. And that is at the cross in Jesus his son is also go to the Lord lament from that's what we do it in in times like this, we lament we say Lord have mercy. We cry out to him. We support one another.

I think I think supporting your family at this time and just being present is really really important. Continuing to pray but but clinging to what God is revealed in his word. These things didn't surprise the Lord and they don't mean that God doesn't love you and that he didn't love these children. No, not at all. We don't understand the that the circumstances here why God allowed certain things, but we can trust what is revealed to us in his word and I would encourage you to do that and and will continue to pray for you and for your family. Mary some great advice and some great comfort drill. Thank you for that you're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

Let's go to Malachi was calling in from Kansas. Malachi what your question about role of the religion for trouble.

Think and I noticed what dedication I show whether it be Ludlum or Eric Goodison disciplines by practicing this thing out dedicated they are the same way. Christianity, I am now. Are all those people you know Christ is the only way is through him. So what about all the other people to spend light duty there where they were born, or other group. Malachi thinks that question yet.

What is God do with with sincere people in other religions, you think all the religions of the world and and folks were practicing those religions sincerely trying to do the right thing. Sincerity is not what saves us right and neither is the amount that we work the amount that we do.

That's also not what saves us. Malachi now that doesn't mean that we, you know, just sort of diminish or or look down upon others, but is just the reality right it. The reality is we can only be saved through Christ Jesus himself said in John chapter 14 verse six I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me of the book of acts right there is no other name given under heaven by which men must be saved is the name of Jesus Christ and so that the good news is, Christ calls all people everywhere, regardless of what they're doing what religion are part of to himself. He extends his grace to them as I was listening to your question there. Remind me what the apostle Paul said about that the Jews in his day, who he loved. He wanted to see them come to Jesus in Romans chapter 10 he says brothers my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. That should be your your heart's desire and prayer for others to friends and in other religions that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge for being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness, for Christ is the end of the law for everyone and the law for righteousness to everyone who believes there a lot of people out there who are sincerely trying to establish their own righteousness.

They are building their way to God through works of charity good deeds in a whatever the spirituality it might be whatever the religion might be the gospel. Jesus reveals to us something totally different. We can establish our own righteousness. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Doesn't matter how many of the pillars of Islam that we keep or how many acts of charity that we do that, that's not what makes us right before God. What God has done for us is the only thing that can make us right in his sight. And that is the justification that we receive the righteousness that we receive solely through Jesus.

And so I would say here we have the situations as we do. We trust that God is good, but he's drawing people to himself that he's calling all people to faith and repentance and we pray like the apostle Paul prayed here for them that they may be saved.

That is, that they might come to the knowledge of the truth so that instead of trying to establish their own righteousness isn't as sincere as they may be, they may come to receive the gift of righteousness that God gives to all those who call upon his name.

The free forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of his son Jesus, so that they might be justified and know the one true in the living God father son and Holy Spirit. We pray for for for them and for all people, Douglas. 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 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