How Do I Rebuke My Friend Without Being a Jerk?

The following is a prerecorded version of core Christianity will be back alive again, why rebuke my friend without being a jerk. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Would love to hear from you. And here is our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

Now, as always, you can post a question on one of our social media sites and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to John in Waco, Texas.

John what your question for pastor. Israel will advise someone brothers old Victor diminishes substitutionary John, thank you for that question.

I wanted just to find some of those terms for our audience right now so were talking about the atonement of Jesus and sometimes you will will discuss what they refer to as different atonement theories.

That is what did the atonement accomplish what was it primarily about an and different people highlight our focus on different things.

Some people say will is primarily about Christ's victory over death over Satan overseen it was this triumph that the cross was this triumph over those things that would be that the Christus Victor position something you certainly see in in Scripture John is. I'm sure that you know others might highlight or emphasize Christ's sacrifice the atonement as this as a substitutionary act where he is suffering for our sins. Taking the curse, the penalty that we deserve sometimes is referred to as penal substitutionary atonement and that's what people will focus on.

I think what what what it's helpful to to say or it's helpful to know that we really see these both in Scripture and he is the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ is accomplishing so much we can't minimize any of these things so you do have no Christ's victory over over evil over Satan.

I think of Colossians chapter 2 for example, in verse 13, Paul said you were dead in your trespasses and the on circumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross that you you have this sort of penal language, but you also have the substitutionary language legal language canceling our debt and then goes on to say in verse 15 he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in in him there. You have this the sort of Christus Victor. Think you have these these different quote unquote atonement theories woven together in the Scriptures, and I think the trick is not just not just seeing one and not the others.

Jesus's atoning sacrifice was a substitutionary act. We cannot deny that it absolutely clear in Scripture he's taking our place. He who knew no sin became sin if you will a sin offering for that we might be the righteousness of God. Paul told the Corinthians. There's that's that's substitution it's it's absolutely clear and he's he's bearing for us the wrath of God.

It's his pro pitching a Tory sacrifice that that too is language that we see in Scripture. In particular, in the early chapters of the book of Romans, that is at the sacrifice of Jesus is a wrath removing sacrifice and in Romans chapter 1, Paul talks about the problem that mankind faces in verse 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth is, that's our problem as humanity's were under God's judgment were under his wrath, but then he goes on to say in in Romans chapter 3 verse 21 but now the righteousness of God is been manifested apart from the law of the law and the prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith as I would say look at if somebody's emphasizing one above the other.

If their sale is all about Christus Victor. That triumph over over the evil forces in the world about their minimizing that that the substitutionary nature of the Propecia Tory nature of the atonement of Christ. I would just thinking of continuing to open up the Scriptures together and and pointing to these passages which I think are absolutely clear and think you have to pick one or the other.

That's the beautiful thing about the atonement is Jesus through the cross is doing a ton of different things. He's forgiving our sins, he is conquering Satan that he's conquering death that he's restoring humanity and so I would say just just continue to open up the Scriptures with with this friend going to some of these passages and say what you don't have to choose one of the other bed that that's minimizing in one sense that the wonder of the glory. The beauty of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Thanks, John well said in John, thanks for listing the core Christianity and for delving into God's word. We always appreciate that will here's an email question that came in from Timothy. He says I've heard that when helping to hold believers accountable or helping others walk through personal struggle struggles we should be quote calling in as opposed to calling out what are some biblical examples for us to model this type of approach.

Also, do you have any practical advice for this in the life of the church calling in. Instead of calling us assume what you mean there's, you know, not just were not just me, or you can the Bible is a hammer to call people out. And yet at the same time we do need to speak the truth in love to each other as the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4, to exhort one another, day by day as the author of the Hebrew said in Hebrews chapter 3 while it is called today, lest we be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin brothers and sisters. It is so important for us in our walk with the Lord with others with other Christians in the life of the local church were honest with one another that were willing to speak the truth in love it when we see a brother or sister engaging in in sinful behavior and and just very clearly you know against you know what the Lord teaches in his word I just dictate kinda turn a blind eye to it, but to lovingly call in and as you say, to come alongside of a brother or sister, and to encourage them to exhort them to warn even to me that's part of what the body of Christ is, therefore, is is were supporting one another and encouraging each other in our walk with the Lord. We need that we need that because we can have blind spots in our own lives are things that that we can't see the log in our own eye which another person might be able to help us see better better than we can see and so we ought to be encouraged to to do that and in how should we do that will so often in the New Testament. Paul says Paul in particular says we ought to do with grace in our OR our speech needs to be gracious. We need to consider ourselves lest we also are tempted to think about with the apostle Paul says you know if anyone is caught in in any trespass, you are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness unit, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. So there's a humility that we should have were not just as as I said were not just try to call people out and expose people and industry one up them. God doesn't call us to that were called to lovingly admonish one another and encourage one another and and also not to be. I think you know how you put it in fruit inspectors were is like oh yeah I haven't seen you really bear much fruit lately at that kind of video. I think there's also a way to to mess this up. I know it's just as as we grow together in the body of Christ lovingly encouraging each other with the Scriptures and and helping one another. Be faithful to the Lord walk with Jesus and so back to that question brother God bless. Where is the day after Thanksgiving, December kicking off next week and we actually have a wonderful Christmas devotional that starts on the first day of December, it's absolutely free and federal tells little bit about it. It's called the promised seed and he averages traces the story of redemption yet but the promise that the seed of the woman is in a crush the head of the serpent way back in. In the beginning of the Bible in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 and in the devotional starts with that and traces that promise throughout the Scriptures bring us to Jesus. And that's where our focus needs to be around this time of of the year. Jesus's incarnation.

His is coming for us and for our salvation, so we want to help you draw near to the Lord during this this Christmas season and hope you get a hold of this resource. Again, it's called the promised seed and it's yours for free at core, Christianity.com know this was developed by our very own Dir. of content Kendra Dall. She did an excellent job on it. And again it's free. Would love to have you get this. It's a download. You can find it by going to core Christianity.com/Christmas just core Christianity.com/Christmas. You can also call us for that, or any one of our resources at 833 the court let's go to Deborah calling in from Franklin, Tennessee, Deborah, what your question for a drill OR atrial. First of all you so much for having them broadcast and giving me this opportunity earlier and different facility had personally call and a question about honoring your mother and father. Specifically, her mother had been active in her life and I believe somewhat abusive and my question is this. You'd mentioned, you know, honoring your parents on whether or not they were walking with the Lord in Matthew 12 beginning in verse 48.

Jesus is sitting talking and teaching actually beginning in verse 46.

This is why he was still talking to the multitude.

Behold his mother and brother stood outside seeking to speak with him then once that they can look your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak with you but he answered and said to the one who told him with my mother and who are my brothers stretch out his hand for his disciples and said, here are my mother and my brothers for whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother so it question is with respect to honoring your mother and father in relationship to this scripture would that still be applicable with the mother and/or father who does not do the will of our Father in heaven. Has Jesus ever thank you for that one. The encouragement and also just for that. That very thoughtful question I always appreciate when people call and I wanted to follow up with with another caller something that was said on previous broadcasts and so appreciate your your question here. I would say a couple of things. One, what Jesus is highlighting here is the community of faith right.

We believe that through faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism that we are part of this this new creation family.

It really is this this amazing thing effect in the book of acts. You know what the Christians refer to more than as more than anything else to refer to as the brothers if it is familial language. This family imagery the churches is the household of God, the oi costs of God. And so, in a real sense as as Christians United to Christ were part of of this family and that's what Jesus is getting at that this this new creation family that he came to establish that fact that reality doesn't negate the call of God on our lives. To honor our earthly parents as well. Even if even if they don't know the Lord and maybe maybe in a particular situation. They're not walking with the Lord. Now if if our earthly parents are abusive, or their calling us to do something that's contrary to God's word will then we we honor God over the earthly authority that that's true for for parents as true for civil government as well of me will God's God's word.

God's law is ultimate in our lives as Christians. And yet, even we have disagreements even even if they don't know the Lord were still called to love them to honor them and I think the challenge is for us to understand how to do that will require wisdom in each particular situation and I know every situation is different, aware, you do have an abusive relationship right it's gonna look a lot different I think. And in that situation Ventnor needs to be calls to repentance.

There needs to be distancing. There needs to be you, not an enablement enabling of manipulation.

If that's taking place a so so get we we we we need God's wisdom, but just because our parents may not be Christians may not be the disciples of Jesus Christ.

That doesn't mean that were off the hook when it comes to honoring them were still called to honor them on the basis of the fifth commandment and with the hope that their hearts would be opened to the Lord as they see our holy behavior are respectful behavior and so again thank you for for that question and may the Lord bless you some really helpful advice very real and I know a lot of our listeners have tough situations like that with parents who either have rejected Christ or have views them as you said so be praying for for a Deborah and anyone who's in that particular situation. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question you can always call us and leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day, maybe you can't call today because being the day after Thanksgiving, but maybe sometime this weekend or next week you like to ask a question so maybe write down your question and call us to leave a voicemail at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to stand in Lawrence, Kansas temperature question for a drill pastor. Good afternoon Stan, so hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for this God-given country so my question is Genesis 9 we have a helper email go in a random and journaled, and the young pigeon. The first three animals were divided in half but so certain. The further down he did not cook the birds and half can you bring up forward on some knowledge from you a Stan amen there there there really is a lot to be thankful for and so you're talking about Genesis chapter 15 verse nine God's covenant with Abraham read starting in verse seven and then in them and answer your question, it says, he said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess. But he said, oh Lord God. How might to know that I shall possess it. He said to him, bring me 1/2 or three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, turtledove, and a young pigeon brought him all these cut them in half and laid each half over against the other, that he did not cut the birds in half when the birds of prey came down on the carcasses. Abram drove them away as a sun was going down a deep sleep fell on Abram and behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. The Lord said to Abram know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in the land that is not theirs and will be servants there and they will be afflicted for 400 years, but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve. And afterward, they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age they shall come back here in the fourth generation for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. When the sun had gone down.

It was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot in a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying to your offspring. I give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates to stop there. What you have here is a very special solemn covenant that God is entering into with this man Abram, whom he called out of her and and he is making Abram promises here and in the ancient near East oftentimes and you had these kinds of ceremonies. These these promises refer to this is a covenant, they would take an animal, and they would slaughter it is what happens here with these. With these three animals cut in half.

He made this sort of alleyway in between the animal carcasses and killed the two birds with one on each side and you would do this as a sign of the judgment of the curse, if you will that would come upon you if you broke the promise in other words, it was as if you were saying, look, if I don't keep my word. May I be cut in half. As these animals that what's shocking about this stand is who is the one who's making the promise and basically walking through the alley way to make Abram he's put into this deep sleep God tranquilizers him if you will he eat. He's he's not walking through the animal carcasses.

Instead, what we read is that you have the sun goes down. It's dark in a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces is these are the symbols indicated indicative of God's presence. God is the one who is passing through these carcasses making this oath, this what's been referred to his self mala Dichter Ryo that God is invoking the curses upon himself if he fails to keep his promise to Abraham of that right there should just to just blow her mind. It is a God who right is is eternal, unchangeable, all powerful and yet he saying look, if I break my my promise. May I be cut in half and of course we know that can have a business God showing us how how serious he is about his promises to his people to Abram here know why these animals in the heifer the lamb the goat. These birds, these are the same kinds of animals that are to be used in the sacrificial system later described in the book of Leviticus and said that this is this is a covenantal act as a sacrificial act and the reason I would say the birds are not split in half is is just because there there smaller creatures. We have one on each side. They were both killed. They were both slaughtered, but they weren't cut in half and so you have this this alleyway of animal corpses through which the Lord passes so that he can he can secure his promise to Abraham is letting Abraham know know for certain know for certain that I'm to fulfill my promise to you and this is the God that we serve brothers and sisters of God, who cannot lie, as the author to the Hebrew said a God who enters into covenant with his people and and ultimately the fulfillment of the promises that were made to Abraham in places like Genesis 12 in here Nina Genesis 15 are are found in Jesus Christ all says in the book of Galatians in Galatians chapter 3 that Jesus is this the seed the offspring of Abraham and by faith. You and I are in Jesus and the children of Abraham that his Abraham is our father by faith believe promises these great glorious beautiful one way promises that God makes our promises that we are the recipients of we are God's new creation.

People are since Jesus says, and we talked about the new covenant.

The prophets when they talk about the covenant as well.

Our our sins are forgiven, washed away were filled with the Holy Spirit that's with what you have here me all of that going on in this in this scene. This covenant that God is entering into its its blood.

He and and it's pointing us forward to that. The God who makes these promises and also you think about that. The way in which everything is gonna play out the God who never lied to God, who kept his promises.

Ended up taking upon himself the curses of the covenant if you will. In Jesus God so loved the world that he sent his son into the world so that we might have eternal life and in Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

The God never broke a promise takes upon them self. The curse for those who do break promises all the time you and me so that we might experience his his grace and eternal life.

That's the good news of the gospel and so Dan, thanks for that. That question getting us into this text. Here in Genesis 15.

May the Lord bless you brother in Israel. Thank you for the delightful image of the animal carcasses as I'm enjoying my leftover turkey today. Yeah I'll be thinking about that. Yeah, I mean just look at all of us right we've been handling animal carcasses now for for some time and so this just is. What a great text to go to that a living good.

Let's go to one more call. This is a voicemail received from one of our listeners named Brian God's spirit were made in the likeness of God's word/how can that be yes. Bring your right to God's spirit in Jesus of whom with the well God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And so we are made of flesh, but were not just flesh that that's another important point when we think about what what were made of as human beings is as persons. God made us, body and spirit.

You are your body and you are your spirit, and that the, the, the cool thing is you know God when he sent Jesus into the world sent him to redeem our bodies even humanity is what you have, but the resurrection of the dead.

Sometimes you will think of of salvation is what really go to heaven when we die.

Our spirits are to be saved, our bodies, which you know their junk.

Anyway there to go down to the ground and and then got him to be released from it.

One day, no more weighed down by my body, but even your body is going to be restored.

Healed. I saved, if you will, on the last day through the resurrection of Jesus. And so we aren't just bodies were also we is spirits body and spirit that that's what it is to be a human person and so we are made in the image of Almighty God were told in the early chapters of Genesis, and that entails a number of things, not just as a fact that were were in no worthy of dignity that God is made as of the will that we can reflect him and is in his glory in so many ways, but also to what God is called us to recall to reflect the glory, the beauty, the wonder of our creator in the way that we live now sin has tainted the image of God. But Jesus has restored it and we have that resort image in him. 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