Can I Date a Non-believer If I’m Sharing the Gospel with Them?

Thank you for great first year of core Christianity live this week will be featuring our best shows of the year. We hope you had a Merry Christmas. Is it okay to date someone who's interested in Christianity, but isn't a Christian, yet that is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity 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. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Jolene in Kansas City, Missouri Jolene what your question for pastor atrial and shared that is related to those that may not be able to really fully understand the gospel but yet to be able to accept Christ as their Savior. But you know they don't have that will mental activity to really understand the gospel. Like other people do those with mental challenges. Okay well thank you for the question Jolene the first text of Scripture that my mind goes to is is one that we find in Luke the beginning of Luke's gospel where Mary and Elizabeth are are together and neatly greet one another and Jesus, who is in Mary's womb unit is is growing, Harry.

He's a part of the story as well. But in Elizabeth's womb. You have John the Baptist and were told that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that John in her womb left Bates as if he was he was jumping for joy. I why will because he was in the presence of Jesus Christ. Since this is somehow by the grace of the Holy Spirit. This baby in utero was able to recognize the that the God man. The word made flesh there in the womb of the Virgin Mary as artist O.

It was by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the only way anyone ever accepts Jesus embraces the gospel. It's by work of the Holy Spirit, and so I think that we can have confidence that the Lord is at work and can work in the minds and the hearts of those who have mental handicaps. It is ultimately my salvation is a work of the spirit. And so we can pray that the spirit of God would work now. An individual may have a difficult time articulating the gospel, but that doesn't mean that that they may not necessarily understand or be able to grasp it.

I think of what Jesus also prayed in Matthew chapter 11 verse 25 we read at that time Jesus declared, I thank you father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding it was it wasn't it wasn't there. Their cognitive abilities that that made it so that they could just embrace the gospel and fully understand, just as you've hidden hidden these things. The truth of your gospel, your kingdom from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes father, for such was your gracious will Jolene when when when Peter just a few chapters later confesses Jesus is the Christ in Matthew chapter 16 when he says you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus says to Peter. Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And so II think we can have confidence that that the Lord is able to work and does indeed work in our brothers and sisters who have, you know, mental handicaps, we ought to pray to that, and that the Lord would would truly work because ultimately salvation is a work of the Spirit by the grace of God and and you know that we built the wise and the prudent don't always get it that you might have these great cognitive abilities but at the other day that the question is, is the spirit of God worked in your heart. Have you received that revelation from the Lord himself of the gospel and so there's open and I think that's that's good news for for all of us and appreciate your question.

God bless and we talked before about that story from the first chapter of Luke and when when you read that Israel I'm just struck what a powerful pro-life message.

That is, you know, for John the Baptist in the womb to be jumping at the fact that Jesus is in the room right next to them. Yet the youngest person ever in the history of humanity to recognize Jesus right in the presence of Jesus. You're totally right.

A very powerful passage. I think that that supports the pro-life movement. But also I think one that testifies to the fact that God wants to work in our children and is able to work in our children by the grace of his spirit, no matter how young they are and sometimes we think about will you know what one was there older they can really understand.

That's when the Lord is really in a work in their lives now from from from infancy. David says you you caused me to trust you from I'm from my mother's breast. Nina, since I was a baby, you know, for my childhood. You've been my God is so also just as beautiful picture how the Lord wants to work in the in the youngest among us. I meant you're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life about theology or doctrine and would love to hear from you will even take questions about how our faith intersects with our daily lives and with our culture right now. Here's the phone number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 will be taking calls for another 15 minutes or so. So give us a call at 833, the court, here's a question we received from one of our listeners named Anna question about current two 614 to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness on the my question is before I came to the state. I was with somebody obviously living in sin which we have stopped although we are still together planning to be married, but he is a nonbeliever, but at the same time he is open to last me share my faith with him and in the Lord Jesus Christ and he comes to church and he even asked me to go to church. Malware can be part of the battle group together. Do you think that this is okay like this is somebody I should be with. I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing and if there's hope that maybe help you return to Christ thank you wow hey thank you so much for that question. Anna a couple of things while I am just grateful to hear that he's supportive in in your own pursuit of the Lord in walking with Jesus and going to church even willing himself. It sounds like to attend church and in Bible study or Bible groups. I think I think that's wonderful. We are commanded in Scripture at think of a place like first printing chapter 7 you know it when it comes to marriage and being in covenant with someone as a child of the true and living God.

We ought to pursue marriage with those who are in the Lord.

That is someone who doesn't just say like a I'm I'm okay with the fact that you're doing this I want to support you shall come to church. Someone who also has apprehended for themselves the grace of God offered to them in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul talks about this in first Corinthians chapter 7. One of the encouragements I oftentimes have is is using don't don't put the relationship before related with with this person that you're with before your relationship with the Lord and don't let it progress beyond you know what God would would have in his word is I think that that in terms of marriage that that has to be a dealbreaker. It has to be something where this person wasn't just saying hey I'm I'm fine with you going to church and I'll even show up sometimes you would want you would want this person also to to know and love Jesus and have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Now the challenge. In situations like this is you don't want this person to make a commitment to Christ simply because they want to be with you and this is where things get get really really sticky. And so it is you want to make sure that you're having honest conversations just I look up.

I the most important thing to me in my life is my relationship with God. My relationship with Jesus Christ and I want to be the most important thing for you.

As well as this, is this person that I'm interested in, but I don't want that to be the thing for you because you want to be with me. It really has to be a decision that you make for yourself as someone who wants the grace of God, who knows that they need the grace of God's I think continuing to have those conversations and maybe maybe putting a hold on the relationship progressing further in terms of marriage and and and whatnot.

Until this issue. This bigger issue is settled.

You want to be with someone like I said who to listen just to say hey that's great you go to church all come with you to her every once in a while and he was only says that II want to follow Jesus with you and I want to. I why want us to walk together in in following the Lord, and so again the passage of Scripture.

Where were Paul says you know were free to be married only to those who are in the Lord is in first Corinthians chapter 7 and I think he realizes you know that the challenge when he was right in the Corinthians. There there were a number of people who had already been married and then got converted and now they were there in these marriages where their spouse was not a believer and and really talk to friends who are in that same situation. The say look this is it's not easy that there's a challenger there's there's there's some division there and so I think this is an issue that needs to be resolved first and May the Lord bless you Anna and may the Lord open the heart of this this guy that you're with Dan and cause him as you read that text into the end of Matthew chapter 11 cause him by the grace of the Holy Spirit to see Jesus and his his glory and his need for the forgiveness of sins Less know Israel is a pastor.

I'm assuming that this is not the first time you've heard a question like this from someone in your own congregation or someone you know where they say there's this person I'm dating there wonderful. I love them and sometimes I'm even living with them, but they're not a believer. What should I do it just seems like that's more and more common these days and a hard situation for a lot of young people and not it not so young people.

Yeah, absolutely. And it it is. I think many statistics are showing that it is becoming more and more common just cohabitation not getting married that kind of thing, but it further and it sounds like it.

Marriage is something that she's really seriously considering so grateful to hear that the Lord has really got a hold of her heart and we had be praying for this.

This individual that she's in a relationship with it that the Lord would do the very same thing for him as well and so yeah the situation this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life will be taking calls for another 10 minutes or so. So pick up your phone or call us at 833 the core and we know it can be difficult to begin reading the Bible for the very first time, and some Bible reading plans can be somewhat complex and daunting. So we are excited to offer you a special Bible reading plan from core Christianity.

That's right bill for the reasons you mentioned at core Christianity. We wanted to create a Bible reading plan that would do two things. One help someone new to the Bible cultivated joy for reading Scripture and to help someone who may have lost that joy to find it again. The core Christianity Bible reading plan is a free resource and only take about 10 minutes per day to complete at last through the whole year. This plan won't take you through the entire Bible in a year, but it will introduce you to the big narrative and grand themes of the Bible. This plan is designed to help you develop the habit of reading without requiring a large time commitment in our prayers at this new habit would carry on through the years. Over time, helping you to continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus and his word to download the core Christianity Bible reading plan just head over to core Christianity.com/reading plan.

Again, that's core Christianity.com/reading plan. Let's get back to the phone. Since Lauren is on the line from Pekin, Illinois. Lauren what your question for pastor.

Israel triggers lady to call the school about mental mental person with mental. My feeling is, a person is to the point that can't understand they would be considered the same as a baby and in that case they would just naturally go to heaven is at right now. Thank you, thank you for that comment and I personally do believe that you know children who die in infancy miscarried nano babies that they are in the presence of the Lord that there in heaven by by the grace of Christ, is it what you mentioned you that that's one way that people look at it.

What I was focusing on. Though there, Lauren was was primarily the fact that we sometimes think you know who we have to be able to have all this. This cognitive ability to to fully understand the gospel, but it what it really is for the little children and it's only by the miracle of the Holy Spirit that anyone is able to lay hold of Jesus and so if John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth could leap for joy in the presence of Jesus. Somehow by the grace of the Spirit, he recognized that Jesus was there.

Me again it it it's a miracle and God can do that miracle in anyone. And so that that was my focus. But I do appreciate you know you're here, we do in in Scripture see this sort of principle that were judged more severely on the basis of of what we know and so Jesus you know he talked about this very thing about even that the judgment of God being more severe for some city, some places I will you tire inside on if if what was preached. You know, do you have been preached in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would've repented in sackcloth and ashes and so there there is that principle there, but I don't of the way to go there that we just a look.

Salvation is of the Lord. It's by the power of the Holy Spirit. So regardless of how old someone is, or even they know their their cognitive abilities. Wheat we believe that the Lord can work in that person's mind and heart to reveal the glory of Christ Bless you brother your listing to core Christianity let's go to Janice is calling in from Kansas just what your question for pastor.

Israel rather long and get really short. I have a really great Christian friend to four years ago had little children we write them and what we felt like was the nation Spirit of the Lord and tried to live as Christians, our life is taken down different paths, she's now divorced and she's now living with Lauren and our friendship has suffered sonnet I've I'm trying not to get involved and try not to be judgmental that she finally asked me about our friendship and I just it wrong of me to be judgmental. Is it wrong of me to be honest and tell her that I feel like she is just totally against God's will. I go back to you know is I think first Corinthians 5.

When Paul is talking about, you know it's okay to judge our Christian brothers and eyes. I really don't know what I want to do. I want to be a Christian. I'm really torn Janice, thank you for that to that question you when the great passage to go to for strength in chapter 5 somebody will say will. Jesus said don't don't judge and they one read that a context in Jesus's words there in the sermon on the mount he sees there really rebuking the Pharisees and the sort of hypocritical judging but the apostle Paul in first contains five makes it clear that within the church. We do, we do make judgments in that. That's part of how we love each other. It's not judging in this hypocritical way.

It's coming alongside of a brother sister who confesses Christ, and yet there living in ways that are contrary to what they claim to believe in. In those situations, it's not loving for us to be silent just to brush it under the rug as if there's nothing wrong because we know that there is there's a rift in in an individual's fellowship relationship with the Lord when their living in open sin. And I think of what wisdom tells us in the book of Proverbs in Proverbs chapter 27 verses five and six better is open rebuke and hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend profuse of the kisses of an enemy. Another would sometimes good friend will wound us quote "you know not not because they're rude or arrogant or judging hypocritically. But just because they're honest with us, and so I think you want to be honest with your friend and say hey I'm concerned about this relationship that you're in a because most of all I'm concerned about your relationship with Jesus and you honoring him and walking with him and loving him because of his great love for us and so I would just encourage you sister to prayerfully humbly and have that conversation and an autopsy baptized that Camino before you do baptize the whole thing in prayer. Pray that the Lord would way to open the heart of your friend and I would would cause a conversation to be fruitful. Bless you sister. I appreciate so much Janice's hearts and concern for her friend in courses or difficult conversations, but she's willing to have that and that a lot of Christians that times won't have those difficult conversations will just kind go well it's it's harder and scarier. I just want to do it and then things often go downhill from there.

Right. So good for her for having that willingness. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez just reminder in addition to our live radio program. We also have a podcast you can listen to the podcast anytime on the podcast app and if you do listen to the podcast. Would you consider giving us a five star review. What happens then is other people here about the podcast and I'll check it out and be able to really grow in their faith and perhaps even some nonbelievers will discover core Christianity and start listening and become to a trust in Christ.

Through this program, so check it out on the podcast app and if you would give us that five-star review. That's a big help. Go back to the phones and we have José on the line from Nashville, Tennessee José what your question for pastor.

Israel okay thank you for the question.

I was driving up to minutes ago and I bought the church in the front of the George building huge Flatley get all the rainbow colors message log log plot like modern changes will no human being is illegal all all all holy and will have the right to alter bodies. You know that they can decide what to do with her body might question it is not the message we supposed to be preaching to the world is not the way we are going to unite people by preaching that message I just like to hear your point of view is a uniting us in the same sign in front of us in front of some churches and obviously they're trying to to communicate something with that in your question is, is that what the church should be communicating first and foremost is that we should be focusing on. Well let me just say a couple of things brother one Israel in the Old Testament and one of the big problems was the false prophets that were going around saying peace peace where there was no peace.

They were afraid to call out the sin of the people of God, the sin of Israel.

So there's an peace. Peace is the everything you're doing is fine. Live however you want, do whatever you want and and that's the message essentially that God is communicating to you. And in Jeremiah the prophet came against that and ended basically said look what was happening got a sing through Jeremiah what's happening here is my people aren't really being healed, restored or not been called to rip repentance. Actually, with these false prophets are doing is confirming the people in the sin that they've chosen for themselves and what my concerns with with you know those kinds of messages were just like you know woman should have the right to do with bail but really that's it for a reference to abortion right to do whatever she wants with with her body or unit of stuff related to the LGBT movement does this kinds of things. One of my concerns brother is that instead of preaching the truth of God's word and calling people to faith and repentance and offering the grace of Jesus to sinners.

People who desperately needed and that's all of us were just I hate do whatever you want live however you want, think whatever you want and it seems to me very much like that. The problem that was happening in Jeremiah's day you were saying peace peace when in reality there was no peace it if working to understand the gospel. The work of Jesus Christ.

When you first understand the law. The fact we've sinned against God. The fact were out of fellowship out of communion with the true and living God because of our sins, and that God is done something radical to bridge the gap he sent his son into the world to pay the penalty for our sins. And that's the message that we need to be proclaiming to the world. The redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and from that message of being justified freely by the grace of God we should go out into the world and offer that grace to all people. But offering that grace does not look like a live however you want. And God doesn't care. It looks like God committing all people everywhere to repent and turn to himself and to his son because of the love.

These demonstrate for us in in the gospel and so is my concerns as a guess that your concern as well and often times you know that the sad reality is there are there are quote unquote churches that have rejected that message that are no longer preaching that gospel message quote unquote because were not preaching that message. We have no right to call ourselves a church was a God bless you, thank you for that question in a couple years ago we were having a discussion like this around the dinner table with our kids were younger at the time and they actually had heard church preaching that message as well and there there hope my question to us as parents was why would they call themselves Christians.

I'm here basically saying that and it's it's a big concern in today's well yeah and I mean there are a lot of issues there that were mentioned in in that signed it that José brought up to me have the issue of racism. You have the issue of how we treat strangers. Immigrants assume those are important things are important things descriptor talks about the Bible is very clear in its condemnation of of racism we we we believe according to God's word that all people are made in the image of God, worthy of dignity, regardless of the color of their skin and even regards of how they identify but that doesn't mean what with some of these other issues that that we just sort of say oh you know LGBT stuff.

Do whatever you want think everyone live however you want. We need to be faithful to the Scriptures in in preaching the truth in loving our neighbor as God calls us.

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