Is the Kingdom for Addicts and Alcoholics?

My son died from a drug overdose and are worried that he won't have a chance to see the Lord in heaven. Is there any comfort for me that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity 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.

Here's the number to call if you have a question it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, if you don't get through. You can always leave a voicemail for us at those numbers and you can post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts or email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com.

Today let's go to Greg in St. Louis, Missouri Greg what your question for pastor. Israel will know in my life and trying to take me out all you know from teenager is where I know now that guy talk and like every time when I joined the church and try to seek God all all and always coming in and marriage, and his last time will just need to get back my God back into the church so now the last 20 is to be taken away. So my question is because I've been on spot indelible ground. They Greg well I can definitely say to you that when we draw near to the Lord. That's something that the evil one does not like Peter said in first Peter chapter 5 verse eight be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Peter says look the devils going about like a lion and he's searching for people to pray on.

In particular, Christians, and especially I would say when we remove ourselves from the fellowship of the church when were off on our own trying to do the Christian life without accountability without what we referred to sometimes as the means of grace that the faithful preaching of God's word being a part of of the church. We put ourselves in a really dangerous situation was the devil looking for is looking for stragglers for people who are out there not surrounded by the people of God on their own, susceptible to deception and so I would say you need to be.

We all need to be in good solid healthy churches were the word of God is being faithfully preached and if or not we make ourselves targets easy targets for the evil one is I would encourage you to do that and then the reality is is anytime.

As I mentioned earlier we were drawing near to the Lord when we were trying to do the right thing right there are going to be these temptations that come that doesn't always mean that if the devil is tempting as something tempting us, sometimes it's our own in a sort of sinful inclinations. But again, that's why we so desperately need fellowship. The people of God the author the keepers made it absolutely clear in Hebrews chapter 3 said encourage one another, day by day. While it is called today lest you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. How much encouragement do we need daily encouragement. Later in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 10 EE for PE warned the that Hebrew Christians not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. He said stop, you know, forsaking the fellowship. We need this and Greg you needed now. How is the Lord to use. I'm not. I'm not sure but I do know that if you believe in Christ and you're walking with the Lord God is gifted you in particular ways. Paul talks about this and cannot root for strength in chapter 12 and also in Romans chapter 12 a for the good of his body. God will and does use his people for the building up of the church and so again that's what you need to be a part of the book, the body of Christ is there that the gifts of the Holy Spirit of God is given to us get worked out for the good of the rest of the body so that I so I get encourage you to get plugged in and I to continue to draw near to the Lord even when it gets difficult to continue to press and and draw near. Answer question Greg so thanks much for your call and thank you for being one of our regular listeners that they're in St. Louis. We really do appreciate it fine for the credit you do find a wonderful church to plug into us as a drill set of church that is preaching God's word on a daily basis.

Let's go to Tina from Benton, Kansas Tina what your question for pastor Gabriel. And I'm thankful for you guys. Radio for over 10 years and and your program is so welcome I can hear both your heart at pastor Sanchez. I know your pastor's heart, people are calling and and are hurting in an your ear helping so many people so first off, thank you.

Thank you Tina appreciate your encouragement and so I have been guiding into the book of Revelation and was growing up in the Christian faith in my whole life is as you know we are to live out our lives as best we can with the fruit of the Spirit in the great commission Jesus gave us an end course. Looking forward to it to heaven where there's no more sadness no more sorrow and no more pain, etc. and I'm try to wrap my mind around the millennial kingdom and the thousand years and Satan is released and one for money understand those there there there will be some believers in the millennial kingdom that joint pain still obviously acting out with Frank in the whole my lifetime. As you know, once you get to heaven you've got a home run so to speak. And so I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the millennial kingdom of a thousand years reign in an how it unless I'm misunderstanding the Bible where there will be some who turn away from from Christ thank you for that question. And there are several different ways in which Bible teachers and scholars will parse out the millennial reign of Christ. There are some who believe that this millennial reign. This can happen after after the second coming of Jesus and its to be a literal 1000 year reign of the Lord on earth. And you're going to have no believers, glorified believers, there you have nonbelievers going to be the sort of mixed bag, then that's one view in the church. There are many faithful Bible believing Christians who hold to that view. People who want to honor the word of God.

And that's just how they how they understand that text. There are others who take a different interpretation of the millennial reign of Christ course in the book of Revelation. One of the things we see is is symbolism all over the place. Even with numbers no earlier, you have the seven spirits of God that are referred to, or even the mark of the beast 666 you know that the number of man numbers throughout the book of Revelation are often used symbolically and that's that's typical in prophetic literature, apocalyptic literature in the Bible. That's why it's so important for us to understand the genre that were looking and so another view is that the millennial reign of Christ that the reign of Christ is actually happening right now that though thousand years encompass what we might refer to is this this period that were in where Jesus is currently reigning from heaven until his second coming would when he finally conquers that last enemy that is death and Paul talks about that. In particular, and in the book of first Corinthians in first Corinthians chapter 15 he talks about Christ raining until he is subdued all his enemies in the last enemy to be subdued is death fully conquered at the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come out. I like that interpretation because I think it does justice to the fact that were reading apocalyptic literature and and that the numbers often times are are you symbolic. Let's not.

That's not you know treating the Bible allegorically or that kind of it that we just want to read it as it was intended to be read and of course Jesus through his first coming down the strongman he tells us in the Gospels that is bound Satan through preaching to the miracles that he accomplished so that the gospel might advance powerfully throughout the world and one of the things we see Tina, is it ever since Jesus came the nations which were once in darkness have begun to turn to the Lord through the preaching of the gospel. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is advancing. That's what Jesus himself said when he was when he was speaking to the beer he said I would build my church and the gates of hell are not going to prevail against the church and so there are different ways, sister of both reading Revelation chapter 28. It is kind of a controversial tax but those are not well it is a controversial text, as are all these different interpretations on it, but those I would say that the two primary ones and I tend toward the second view that articulated there, but there are some who as you as you mention who believe this to be a literal thousand year reign on the earth with believers and nonbelievers glorified saints, and non-glorified nonbelievers and I think that that gets kind of confusing. That's why I don't hold to that view. In particular, but thank you. I want to encourage you to continue to dig into the word of God, and remember we have a resource of free resource you can get a hold of the book of Revelation is called five things you should know about the Bible's final book and I want to make sure you get a hold of that resource.

Thanks much Tina will send you that resource and would love to invite you go to our website get that resource as well. If you have any questions about the end times of the book of Revelation. Again, it's called five things you should know about the Bible's final book. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Let's go to LaDonna in Wichita, Kansas hi LaDonna, welcome to the program.

Hello pastor Sanchez hello, thank you for calling us what your question yes or my question is made perfect and never have sand.

I was Satan thrown out of heaven well because he did sin eventually. Now, of course, we do believe that everything that God made he made good, including Adam and Eve you know all things that God made you from you read about this in Genesis chapter 1, over and over.

You have the sort of refrain and God saw what he made and it was good you think of it of an artist, for example finishing, you know, a masterpiece painting and then being able to step back and look at it and just saying yes I'm satisfied with. This is good. It came out good will. Everything that God made.

He made good, but he gave to mankind and also to the Angels free will and being left to the freedom of their will. They fell from that that good estate we might say where it wherein they were created in the Angels as well and and what's very clear is though the angels in particular, Satan had this sinful pride that caused them to be cast out of out of heaven Satan Satan because this party read about this in Isaiah chapter 14 also in the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel talks about this as well call when Paul was writing to Timothy in first Timothy chapter 3 he said that pastors have to be careful not to be prideful, arrogant, lest they fall into the condemnation of the devil so that the sin of Satan was pride. God made them good, but left to the freedom of his will. He wanted to ascend and become greater than God. And so the Lord cast him down and that's that's how and why he fell next to that question that you would owner this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez Christmas just around the corner and we have a brand-new free resource to help you prepare for the Christmas season. Yeah, it's a 25 day Christmas devotional called the promised seed. Make sure you get a hold of this and before we get the Decembers that you can start going through this devotional with your family on December 1 that the devotional starts with the fall in Genesis 3 and that is asserted traces. These promises of God throughout the Bible bring us to to the promised seed.

Jesus, who came to to crush the serpent's head. This is what Christmas is all about, and our new devotional highlights God's faithfulness in the Bible's faithfulness to us now even in the midst of the difficulties and uncertainties. We we face in life and so is a free resource for you over it. Core, Christianity.com you can find that at our website is a real mention core, Christianity.com/Christmas that's core Christianity.com/Christmas. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833, the court, let's go to a voicemail that we received yesterday taking my call and my question though I and he was never baptized and I was not a believer as another raising this child me i.e. he was raised in a family with both parents around. Both parents loved him dearly and he was an alcoholic and addict and died at 28. My fear has always been that salvation is not her hand and what reassurances are there is a good boy that he was an addict and alcoholic in those things killed him at the young age of 28 I still worry about and think I owe sister. I'm so sorry and I I understand the. The pain that you must be feeling the concern that the fear and we can't, I can't peer into heaven to see who is there midweek. We don't know it's it's not. I think appropriate for pastors and theologians to say oh yes, for sure, your son is here. Your son is there.

We know that people are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. We we know that there are, you know fruits of faith, but we also know that there are people who struggle with serious addictions and mental illness in another kinds of addictions to like alcoholism, you mentioned that you one thing I know I would say is just because someone meets a tragic and through addiction doesn't mean that that they can't have been saved. I think for example of a Sampson in the book of Judges talk about someone who in one sense, we might say was, was just completely foolish throughout his life continually turning his back on the Lord and going back to the things that he knew would cause him harm. He had the very clear command of God which he rejected in an is what was so shocking about the story of Samson throughout the book of Judges is just how how thick this gold. He was a me just over and over again and yet when you get to the New Testament, you know, it's amazing. A Sampson is placed in the hall of faith in me. He was someone who it didn't seem like he he was, you know, faithfully walking with the Lord throughout his whole life and at the end of his life. At the very end of his life.

He called on the Lord and God rescued him. Now he he did me a tragic end but but he's described in the hall of faith and in Hebrews chapter 11 is II can't say with or give you the assurance 100% one way or another regarding your son. But what I can say is that just because someone struggles throughout their life like Samson did, and even has a tragic ending to their life like Sampson doesn't mean that they weren't necessarily not a believer that they weren't saved they could call upon the Lord right in that moment at the very end of their life in God is merciful and forgiving it so I think what you have to do is cast yourself on the mercy of God. I know you just with with the way you asked your questions and you know II wasn't a believer back then. I think that a lot of times we can experience guilt. Also, like I wish I wish things would've been different, which I would've done things differently and sister out. I would just say you need to cast yourself on the mercy of God on the God who knows all things. Who is an absolute control on the God who loves us and our children more than we ever could. And and and that's where you have to rest and so you rest in the fact that the Lord knows all that, he's good and that you can trust in him. And so thank you for for giving us a call and I may the Lord bless you. So glad you pointed out, out, I draw think is apparent.

It's often time off difficult for us to grasp the fact that God loves our kids even more than we do is as much as we love them as passionately as we care for them and love them. Our heavenly father loves him even more and cares for them. Yeah, and Jesus makes that so clear throughout the gospel's many think about that that what what he said you know are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will you God knows are you not 1/4 far more value than many sparrows. God knows the very hairs on your head. This is the guy were talking about. And so that that's I think where we can go to find comfort is knowing that the Lord knows these things. And again, we can't we can't make the judge. I'm not the divine judge. I do know that were saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

But I also know the people at the end of their lives. Yet even after being a lifetime of sin you think about the thief on the cross that if they call upon the name of the Lord God is gracious to them and that he receives them and that he forgives them and so that's another comfort that we can we can have this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, just a reminder that we are a listener supported ministry.

We don't receive government funds or donation from particular church or denomination.

We, people just like you to keep this program on the air.

If you believe in what we do you like to support the ministry just got our website and find out more@corechristianity.com. Let's go to Susanna from San Diego, California hi Susanna, welcome to the program and can kill me he'll lead questioning. For that reason for something like confession and insert her question is why should a Christian calculating confessional and art when we have the Bible to read and discover answers back hi Susanna, thank you so much for calling and this really is an important question because everyone says we believe the Bible we talk to Mormons and they'll say what we just believe the Scriptures you talk to Jehovah's Witnesses and the site.

We believe what the Bible teaches were just simply Bible teachers that kind of thing and the fact of the matter is they all are interpreting the Scriptures differently is not enough just to say we believe the Bible you know that I just have the Bible. What do you mean when you say that and throughout the history of the church. The church has a use things like can fashions or creed you think of the apostles Creed you think of the Nicene Creed. For example, to help clearly articulate the teaching of the Bible for the sake of the purity and peace of the church was also interesting is you. You have examples. Even in the New Testament of the sort of creedal formulas.

Jesus is Lord is itself a sort of creed or confession.

Many people think that need of the section in Philippians chapter 2 where it talks about Jesus's is humbling himself, his humiliation, as it were, and that exaltation is an early Christian creed or him you have these kinds of things in the New Testament so's it's as if even in the in the days of the apostles. They were using these kinds of articulations for the sake of guarding the peace in the purity of the church. It's not these these creeds are not to replace the Bible because we know that ultimately the Bible alone is God's word. Our our creeds, our confessions, the Nicene Creed. Those kinds of things they're not infallible in the same way that the Bible is but were saying is this is what the Bible means when it says I believe in one God.

This is what the Bible means we talk about the redemption of Jesus because the fact of the matter is Mormons say they believe in one God. They say they believe that Jesus is God. That kind of thing, but they mean something totally different than the church means then we mean when we say that and I would say than than the Bible means when it talks about some of these things and so it really is. These these these confessions.

These creeds are meant to help people. I'm, I'm, you know pastor a church where we use these creeds and confessions and one of the other things I love about it is, it did give some accountability to me as a pastor I can just tell people why just preach the Bible and then I get to interpret it however I want I'm saying, no, this is what I mean when I say I preach the Bible so that if I ever you know when off the deep end and started preaching. Things were false, that were not true about Jesus or about his gospel other people in the church gets a heavy, you're no longer teaching the Bible as you once did your no longer faithful to what it is that you said you confessed see it's a safeguard for the church. It really is and it helps us to clearly articulate the gospel to those who desperately need to hear and so I would view creeds and confessions is a positive thing and and I think it's important for us to know what churches believe and why they believe it because we want to know Jesus first and foremost. Thanks for listening core Christianity to 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