What Do I Say When My Family Members Reject Their Faith?

The following is a prerecorded version of core Christianity will be back alive again on how to why deal with a family member who has rejected the Lord best is 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. You can call us with your question. At 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com.

Let's go to Rebecca in Wichita Falls, Texas. Rebecca what your question for pastor in real injury on Dale my question has to do with the new storage reports about the unidentified aerial phenomena at the new term for UFOs. You know the government doesn't know what they are and maybe didn't know what they are and I like to get your perspective from a from I would like to get a Christian perspective on this.

Do you think the yeah what we're hearing about what people are seen as demonic in nature. Or could it be related to and time's events that Jesus talked about in the Bible. Rebecca, thank you for that question.

I know that this is something that has concerned many people and even shaken the faith of some. Here's what I think I can say with confidence, one we know that everything that exists in the universe was created by the true and the living God.

So there is nothing out there that was not created by the Lord God made everything from nothing and that should be a comfort to us whatever is going on. Other God knows what it is and God is the one who created all things now are these you know demonic manifestations, is this the technology of some other country. Are these alien creatures. I I don't know. We do know according to the Bible that there is an unseen realm that the realm of the Angels win when Genesis I says in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth, the heavens, there is just a reference to the stars and the planets it's it's also a reference. I believe that the angels and of course, in Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 and following talks about the fact that the Angels, the rulers and authorities were made through Christ and for Christ. And so that's where where we can confidently say this is where we have clear teaching from from God in his word and his revelation he made everything there is an unseen realm. Whether or not these these you know unidentified flying objects are part of the demonic world or that kind of the thing this this alternate unit dimension. If you will that's that's I think we we had to be careful that we don't get lost in that because a lot of it is just speculation.

What we need to stay rooted Rebecca, especially in times like these is in the Scriptures in the local church growing together in the word of God, comforting one another with the truth of Scripture that God made all things that there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ that we have the hope of the resurrection. Whatever is going on out there, God knows, and the God who knows about what it is is the God we can call father and who we can trust in and rest in. And so thank you for for your question that's that's from a leave it because I think that's we can clearly say, according to the Scriptures everything else would just be speculating this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez's let's go to Tyler calling in from Salina, Kansas.

Tyler what your question will will will were a lot of little when Ursula I was wondering why you ask? The God regarding the tragedy brought up brought on and log destruction. So about three times over the yeah that's a very interesting scene. Of course this would offer for a period of time was was feeding the prophet is a way of God providing for him and then her son dies and you know she says that the mistress of the house. This is a son becomes ill.

His illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him and she said to Elisha, what have you against meal man of God, you have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son and he said to her, give me your son when he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he lodged and laid him on his own bed and he cried to the Lord, O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow, with whom I so Jordan by killing her son and then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again and the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah in the life of the child came into him again and he revived. Why does a lie ship, what, why does it happen in in this way.

I mean, obviously this is a moment of desperation both for this, the widow, but also for Elijah, it seems Tyler is he's crying out to the Lord he sees wondering what's going on here. It seems godlike like this poor widow that you've taken her son from her. It it became. I think the testimony of the power of God. Obviously, being able to see her son who was once dead now raised again from the dead, and that the stretching himself out on on the child three times you know there there are all sorts of people who might say well this is seen as some sort of symbolic right like three times. Maybe the three days that Jesus was in the tomb that that kind of thing but I don't want to read too much into that. It just seems to me Tyler like like Elijah is crying out to the Lord and pleading with God. And then there's this this desperation here it to the extent that he he's basically face-to-face with this with this child crying out to God that but the breath of life would fill the child again and God heard his prayer and and it was a sign of this whole sit the scene is a sign of God's sovereign grace and mercy to this widow if if you remember later in the New Testament in the Gospels, Jesus actually brings up the situation in the gospel of Luke in Luke chapter 4 verse 25 or he's talking about God sending his grace to people leases but in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months and a great famine came over all the land.

There were all sorts of widows out there, Jesus says, and yet Elisha was sent to.

None of them, but only to Zada Foss in the land of Sidon to the woman who was a widow and so God was extending his kindness to to this woman in particular, giving her an encounter of his grace through the prophet Elijah and then also raising her son from the dead and so sorry can't say more about I get I don't want to speculate but a really amazing scene. Of course Elisha as as a prophet, was this this type of the, the true prophet, priest and king who would becoming the Messiah Jesus would raise the dead and who would himself be raised from the dead. Thanks for your call. Interesting. I was just thinking about when people are suffering hypothermia like a camping situation or whatever whatever you do, you pressure body against them to bring the warmth back into their body can so you know you don't know what was going on. That's right. Maybe it was cold. We are not and I Elijah I don't know Bill but that that's that's just the thing, the text doesn't say we do know that it will was a miracle. It was a miracle. This this child was brought back from the dead and so was a testament to the power of God. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and you can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day on our voicemail line which is 833 the court let's go to Gaylene in Topeka Kansas scaling what your question for pastor Adrian hello hello Gaylene what your question, I meant a movie like something like I have been a lot of chat Monday and I'm also have this spirit is a saying that you get me you get to see your mind can we see you say the prayers and salvation prayer but you you can. Not having a heart but you get lonely you have the Holy Spirit with the new, more are all that you still you still ain't say so I don't know what the you know you have the spirit in you like is the a communal disease in your body will Gaylene I think what you bring up here is a really important problem frankly means this idea that people can have a knowledge about God, knowledge about the Bible and knowledge about Jesus a knowledge even about salvation.

And yet if that if that knowledge doesn't penetrate into our hearts if if were not truly embracing the mercy of God, the gospel of God for ourselves, we can be lost and so seem to be like. That's the sort of what you're getting at this this sort of issue and you do see this in the Bible. There's this instance in the book of acts and ask chapter 8 where you have this man. He was called Simon the magician and he was sort of odd by the apostles bite by what they were doing by the fact they would lay hands on people in the gift of the Holy Spirit would fill them and he wanted that he sort of went through the motions he got baptized at one point even told the disciples I can I pay you and you could give me money are you could give me. I can give you money you could give me the ability to impart the Holy Spirit on anyone you know that I that I lay my hands on it and and they respond to him this I wait a minute you are still in the gall of iniquity you're still lost. Maybe you've gone through the motions.

Maybe you've gone baptized but it seems like what you really need to do is repent and then that's just the thing is, people can have a knowledge about religion, about Jesus about Christianity people brought up in the church and then spend a lot of time there. And yet, if we don't repent and believe the gospel. We will be lost. Know what is it mean when the Holy Spirit fills a setting.

A lot of people Gaylene are looking for this you know charismatic experience it on my minute to speak in tongues and prophesied her feel this just sort of tingly sensation from the you know that the tip of my head to the bottom of my feet. That kind of a thing. No. Do you want to you.

One of the primary sign of being filled with the spirit. It's the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.

That is what the spirit does he produces that in us by his grace and if you believe in Jesus Christ, Gaylene will you have the Holy Spirit because it's only by the spirit that anyone can say that Jesus is Lord. Truly this is what Paul said to the to the Corinthians, and so that this sort of nominal religion where we just sort of know about Christ in the gospel but we don't really embrace it for ourselves. I think that's a huge problem. There a lot of people who who that's that's what Christianity is for them.

You know II go to church sort of doesn't really have a huge impact on my life where I think about the world the way I make decisions day-to-day. That kind of a thing, but I would call myself a Christian. Know what we need is not just a certain knowledge about Jesus. We need to trust in Jesus and that faith is knowledge is a part of faith sent to the truth, embracing it, but also trust. That's the key component saying I'm trusting in Christ leaning on him for my salvation. He is my hope of not trusting myself and and I'm following him (for my sins and following him and so Gaylene that appreciate appreciate your question and it's something that we do need to be on guard against this sort of nominal you know head had knowledge religion kind of a thing but but the hope is the reality is we have the grace of the Holy Spirit and trusting in Jesus in an and what he gives to us in the gospel is so much better than than just the sort of had knowledge we want to embrace it for ourselves and so I trust that that you've done that and thank you for your call. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. We want to say a special thank you to a group of people who regularly support this program.

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So go to our website at core, Christianity.com/inner core. To learn more, let's go to a voicemail received from one of our callers.

This is so gentleman named Ben. I love your so weekly, but I have a question we all know how. But how should we handle all we know better friends and family that only going to hell in this lifetime story filled with anxiety and discombobulated order is more to it, just spray on them when them till they get a are we just going to go to heaven and not really care about family members going there because I have been going great blast, good day.

By a Ben thank you for that question. You know I think each of us as Christians to pray that the Lord would give us a greater heart if you will, for the lost. For those who reject Christ for those who don't know and embrace the gospel he should really grieve us and especially for those who are near to us. Our family members may be close friends. It should be something that is at the forefront of our minds, and it should be something been that we pray about and pray for longing to see the grace of God at work in the lives of the people who are around us who who don't embrace the gospel yet and so I just want to start with that because I think too often in each of us can confess this before the Lord. We just sort of let that slide. We don't we don't have the kind of zeal I think that we ought to have for those who reject Christ and his gospel, and it's the kind of zeal that the apostle Paul had in Romans chapter 9 that's that's actually one of the places I'd go to to answer your question because there in Romans chapter 9 Paul is talking about his family members. His kinsman who who are not saved who had not embrace the gospel is talking about the grief that he has and yet he also mentions the confidence that he has in God's sovereign will and power that he begins in Romans chapter 9 I'm speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers. My kinsman according to the flesh, they are Israelites and to them belong the adoption of the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law the worship the promises to them belong the patriarchs, and from their race. According to the flesh is the Christ, who is God overall blessed forever, then he is, Paul is saying look Jesus came became and preach the gospel to the Jews they rejected him my kinsman, my people rejected him, and I have this unceasing anguish. This grief in my heart because I want them to know Jesus is to believe that Paul was praying and crying out to God for the work of of the spirit in their lives at the veil would be lifted that they would turn to Jesus and yet in that same chapter Ben what's so interesting to me is Paul highlights God's sovereign grace. The fact that the Lord God Almighty is sovereign in salvation so you have this tension of longing for the salvation of the lost and that they would turn to Christ praying for them and also resting in the fact that God is sovereign and in control and that we look to him that that's one of the reasons why we ought to pray for those who don't know Jesus because it's the Lord was at work in their lives, the Lord, who can open the eyes of the blind. If you will, and so I was saved. There is this anguish that we should have as Christians.

And if you don't have that pray pray that the Lord would give you a heart for the lost, the same heart that the apostle Paul has here in Romans chapter 9 but but with that anguish. We also have the great confidence that God is good that God is sovereign, that he hears our prayers and that he is able to work in the lives of those who are near to us and so I think we don't have to be totally despairing.

We shouldn't be.

We believe in God and in his power to save and so we have that anguish and we take that anguish to the Lord in prayer, trusting him to work in the lives of the people around us was a tough one. How so many of us have friends and relatives that have rejected the Lord or Lisa not trusted in him. To this point and we do week. We worry about than we do get concerned. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and one of the ways you can ask us a question is by watching us on YouTube live, and that errors each day at 1130 Pacific time 1230 Mountain 130 Central or 230 Eastern Joel actually sent us a message through our YouTube channel is as I'm looking forward to my profession of faith this Sunday.

Recently I slipped up and didn't keep sexual purity should I stop with my profession of faith hey Joel, I want to I want to pray for you and so let me pray for you first and then all I'll answer your question gracious heavenly father we lift Joel up to right now.

Sounds like he's way down because of sin, and feels guilt feel shame wonders if he should even come forward now.

I pray Lord Jesus that you would draw him near to you. You would give them a sense of your mercy, sense of your forgiveness Lord that he would even now rest in the gospel as he's confessed his sins to you that he would no, your forgiveness and have confidence. Lord, in the gospel. We pray in Jesus name, amen. Well Joel first. No, I don't think that this should keep you from coming forward. Of course, Satan does not want you to come forward to profess your faith in Jesus Christ and there are temptations that you will experience attacks of the evil one distractions to keep you from approaching Christ from walking with Christ and unite. Think of what the author the Hebrews said in a flood. Let's lay aside every weight in the sin that so easily ensnares us and let's look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, so I would encourage you right now to do it to set aside that sin to confess it to the Lord.

Repent of it and then come to him, ready to receive the grace that he gives to you you you should still make that profession of faith that you were planning on unmaking and no, according to the promise of the gospel that when you confess your sins, you are forgiven. You don't have to do penance.

You don't have to. So I can't in this is this is what Satan wants. He wants you to be in this place were you struggle with the city fall into something you just think what I can never come to the Lord now know we come boldly to the throne of grace in our time of need. Because we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ. And Paul says our QB John says, and in first John chapter 1 verse nine if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God is faithful and he's just it's it's a part of his very late of the very revelation of who he is, as the God of the steadfast love and faithfulness and forgiveness for his people who confess their sins and so brother you confess your sins you're forgiven and let me just give you some some other advice with regard to growing in the Christian life dig into the word of God every day. Let let God's word wash over you. If I were you I would begin with the gospel of John and also reading the Psalms. I think those are two great places to start. To help you learn about who Jesus is and how to pray and so may the Lord bless you as you make your your profession of faith and may the Lord be with you. God bless brother.

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