How Should Christians Call Out Sin in the Culture?

How should Christians callout sin in the culture that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi there, I'm Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. 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. Pick up the phone. Here's the phone number it's 833-843-2673 or 833 the core. You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a drill in the studio right now live on YouTube and message us through our YouTube channel course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today.

Here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners named Joshua when the Pharisees question about a woman who is married to seven different men and asked her, whose husband she would be in the resurrection in Jesus told what no one is going to be married or given in marriage, in the resurrection. My question to that is, if that. So why then does God make such a huge issue about marriage spent the time of Adam and Eve, only to then I'm assuming the millennial kingdom say marriage will no longer be a thing my understanding that correctly, or am I missing something. Thanks again, great question. I was actually just this last weekend at a barbecue and then someone brought this up in the content you're talking about Mormons in the Mormon understanding of marriage in this I did it in the Mormon church, you know, people get married in the temple and they have this this idea of eternal marriage. This this marriage in heaven with you and your partner, but that that seems to contradict what Jesus himself said in the passage that you brought up from the Gospel of Mark. Also in Matthew but please let Mark chapter 12 where the Sadducees asked about the resurrection and Jesus says very clearly there you guys are confused, for in marriage. You know when they rise from that bear. When they rise from the dead and the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven, that's Mark chapter 12 verse 25 and so why is it that if that's the case that the Bible does make a really big deal about marriage here on on this world in this world. I think there's a really simple answer.

One. The reason there is no marriage in the new creation is because our marriage is here on earth are a type of if you will, the union that exists between God and his people. The marriage supper of the Lamb. The relationship that Jesus Christ has with his bride.

So in the new creation. We have the reality here on earth we have the type that the figure if you will.

The apostle Paul makes this clear in the book of Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 5 where he talks about the relationship between husbands and wives as his wives submit to your own husbands, husbands, love your wives, so on and so forth, and that he ties that relationship to the relationship that Jesus has with his bride.

In verse 32 of Ephesians 5.

This mystery is profound. I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church is a brothers and sisters are bar marriages here on earth are are important to me that there there there so important. One of the reasons are so important is because there there a picture of the relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and his bride. But in heaven and the new creation working to have the reality and so we should value marriage and an honor it as it ought to be honored. Biblically speaking now during this present time and then we look forward to the new creation, we rejoice in the fact that were experiencing the reality that the substance if you will, of which all of our marriages here on earth were only a type and so thank you for that for that question. May the Lord bless you and if you're married May the Lord bless your marriage Joshua thanks so much for sending that in great question and appreciate being a regular listener tier 2 core Christianity. We know there is a lot of uncertainty in our world today.

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Is it still okay to condemn without reservations like Paul did. Yes it is. I mean, I guess it depends on what were talking about and not it's sort of a blanket statement is that we as Christians don't do this anymore.

I certainly know that there are many Christians out there who do this and probably do it too much. I think one of the dangers as we can. We can be over the top and sort of condemning everything that we just disagree with calling everything heresy even if it isn't necessarily a heresy, or maybe is not one of those doctrines that is that is foundational core if you will, when it comes to the Christian faith. But you're certainly right bit you do see this in Scripture amendment my mind goes to the book of Galatians. For example, where were Paul basically gives the stern rebuke to the church in Galatia because they were being deceived by false teachers is a salt false teachers were were not preaching the gospel at all.

And yes, really, really strong words for them in, and of course you strong words for others as well.

You mentioned Alexander the coppersmith an individual who is mentioned in second Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm.

The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. I think that the. The greatest example of this. Of these, this are strong words, if you will, is our Lord Jesus himself.

In Matthew 23 where he gives a rhetorical lashing to who the religious leaders, the scribes and the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy because they should have known better is I think went up the Bible and Jesus need of the apostles. They do have strong word, strong condemnations, first for certain sins for certain people even but usually those are directed toward hypocritical religious leaders, certainly for you for taking the example of Jesus in Matthew 23. I mean, that was the case right.

We are called as believers to be characterized by a graciousness in our speech. I think that's something that we really need to recover today especially think about how how a lot of these discussions go and broader culture related to things like politics and culture. It seems like there isn't a lot of grace and there isn't a lot of charity this listener what the apostle Paul said in second Timothy chapter 2 verses 24 through 26 the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach patiently enduring evil correcting his opponents with gentleness God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will, and so do we have to have a balance here at what we do callout and condemn those things, especially that undermine the Christian faith false doctrine. False teachers hypocrisy.

So on and so forth.

But even as were speaking against the sins that are out there in the world.

We do so patiently enduring evil with gentleness because we have the hope that God is drawing people to himself is bringing people to repentance and so really important that we get this right and and in that we we don't go over the top and just of condemning everything and everyone who disagrees with us. Just because we don't like the way they approach things maybe but also that were not afraid to speak the truth firmly especially when when Christians are being harmed by some false teaching and so thank you for that question. May God bless you and that may God give you wisdom as you seek to speak the truth in love, your listing to core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez and if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you.

Here is the phone number. It is 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 the core and to get our voicemail. Feel free to leave a message.

We do our best to check our voicemails once each day. You can also email us your question and if you got a question about maybe about doctrine or theology or how your Christian life is going or how Christianity intersects with today's culture. Would love to hear that as well. In our email address is questions at core, Christianity.com here's a question we received from one of our listeners named Mel Mel says I'm doing the Romans Bible study and really enjoying it.

On page 73 it states when God justified us.

We were declared innocent of all our sins once and for all. Are we declared innocent as and never having committed the sins or are we declared for given in that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins.

Yes, why don't have the Roman study right in front of me as I get look at page 73, but your your question is a very clear clear question and are in a really good one. So what does it mean that were justified.

This is a really important biblical term friends.

What will first.

Sometimes you hear people say justification means just as if I've never sinned. That's, that's, you know, essentially the first part of your question is that is that what justification is. It's as if God is treating us like we've never sinned, or is it that our sins were forgiven.

While justification does involve the forgiveness of sins. I think of Romans chapter 4 in particular verse six. Listen to what Paul said.

Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin, but here Paul is talking about the doctrine of justification. He began in earlier actually in in Romans and that in chapter 4, he says, what shall we say, was gained by Abraham, our forefather according the flesh for Abraham was justified by works. Yes something to boast about, but not before God will hear it's clear that justification is the forgiveness of our sins, but it's also more than that. And so it's not just that that it's you know are all of our sins are forgiven and that's it. That's one part of justification, but he includes in this this idea of God counting righteousness apart from works and then later in Romans chapter 5, Paul is can it talk about this gift of righteousness that God gives to us and in we sometimes refer to this is the imputation of Christ's righteousness.

So you have these two parts of justification if you will, the forgiveness of sins, but also the free gift. The crediting of righteousness if you will, whose righteousness it it's the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the perfect life that he lived that's given to us credited to our account so that we could stand before a holy God. Even though we've broken God's law and be safe be justified. Be at peace with this God.

And so that's that really that that the best way to understand justification we see there in Romans chapter 4 verses five and following it and because of that we are declared innocent were justified. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Paul goes on to say in the book of Romans and so thank you so much for for that question. Glad to hear that you're reading are our Romans, Bible study, and I hope it it's blessing you your listing to core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez's just a reminder we have a wonderful group of people that support this program on a regular basis. We call them our inner core and if you listen you believe this program is helpful. We would encourage you to consider joining that inner core. These are folks that make a monthly contribution of $25 or more to keep the show on the air because we don't receive money from a particular church or denomination or the government week we depend on people just like you to keep this show going. So if you want to learn more about the inner core just got our website core, Christianity.com/inner core will. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners. This is from Carlos Mayo 35 100 available to speak to Israel. We ate my bed will be open we will become like one of the goal. 320 God.

I will leak us better a God not like God but it is oh being a God Carlos excellent question.

I I love it and I think you're onto something here. So part of this is what does it mean to be made in the image of God but we are called to reflect the. The Lord himself. The divine ruler, the King of Kings. If you will, as he is depicted in the early chapters of Genesis. This is something that's made made absolutely clear. And so in one sense, yes, the people of God, made in God's image were always to reflect God who he was to the world around them in in the way in which they exercise dominion over the initial creation in the way in which they ruled.

If you will. The problem was sin entered the world, and so the image of God was broken. If you will not not taken away, but broken, so that we don't reflect God the way we should today and we see this all over the place, don't we. People don't reflect God in loving one another in his light, his truth, his goodness, and so the image of God needed to be restored in mankind. That's what Jesus did for us in the incarnation by coming to earth to restore the image of God in humanity that what is it mean were working of God places the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there in the garden, and you have this language of mankind becoming like God. After eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that that tree hits her like this judgment tree on this list language in the Old Testament of good and evil of discerning between good and evil was something that rulers in particular. Kings were called to do so again you have this idea of man exercising this sort of kingly rule. As gods we could say vice regents on earth, reflecting his rule over creation in a good way in a loving way.

That's what they were called to do to tip to render just judgments to cast the serpent out of the garden wouldn't when he came in but they didn't. And so we do let me Peter says we are partakers of the divine nature in Christ and one since we really do reflect who God is, were not God hate there's a there's a sharp distinction between God the creator and us creatures we get to participate in the life of God week we get to experience his grace, his mercy in his salvation, and especially when he glorifies us on the last day, by the power of the Holy Spirit is so in our lives today. We should be reflecting God's goodness. His light, his love. Jesus, the one who restored the image of God and humanity before in him by faith. Thank you Carlos. That question may the Lord bless you. Thanks, Carlos present you being a regular lister and digging into God's word.

We always appreciate our listeners to take time to really explore the Bible and then ask of those tough questions. There's a question we have from Joel in Terre Haute, Indiana Joel, what's your question for pastor Averill reading and revelation on bond and I headed different take on it that you have given me greatly and I wanted what you thought. But it does the revelation of the right which God gave him to show him on service now. I don't believe that revelation God gave it giving John the revelation of who Jesus was, but depending on translation that I look at some of them have him and his and Referencing Jesus. So is it God giving Jesus the revelation or am I missing something, and if it is that how does the playing of the Trinity. I always thought that you, or that he did not know what the day that he was coming back.

Yeah hey thanks for that question Joel Revelation chapter 1 verse one of very important verse in terms of interpreting properly interpreting the book of Revelation so couple of things we just read the the ESV and II put the NASB up here as well so I can see what what you were looking at a very similar, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him.

Jesus is the one who is receiving this revelation, which is not to say that he doesn't know something Keith he's here acting as as this profit if you will, for the people of God. God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place at an unseen problem here with regard to our doctrine of the Trinity.

Of course we know that the persons of the holy Trinity are distinct and that Christ in his threefold office use these prophet priest and king. And so he he does receive and give revelation as the great prophet of God's people.

Now it's interesting here is Revelation 11 is actually in the ward were thinking about this and in its context. What John is picking up on its echoing the words of Daniel chapter 2 verse 28.

This was this was that the revelation was given with regard to Nebuchadnezzar in in these visions. These these dreams the King Oaks universe. 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he is made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the vision of your head as you lay in bed.

Are these and so there's this revelation it's that's given here related to the latter days and John here in Revelation chapter 1 verse one picks this up and he refers to the things which are going to take place very soon. The things that must soon take place. This idea of what's coming at this of world history and God's work in the midst of these these various nations that are rising up and falling that's I think that it contextually. What John is is doing is setting us up for these visionary prophecies that are coming in the one who received this revelation was Jesus for the good of his people for the good of the church and so if the question is does this contradict or pose a problem for understanding the doctrine, the trio I would just say no. This is part of Christ exercising that office. The office of the prophet on behalf of the church and he does that today by revealing to us by his word, in spirit, the will of God for our salvation. Christ is still working in this way today by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for that question you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez. So we have a listener named Caleb who called in this question federal she says in 2015, I lost my son in a motorcycle accident. How do I move on from this grief because I think about him every day Kayla I am so sorry to hear about that tragic accident. I wouldn't want to say you know well you should you should be no moving on. By now, that kind of theme in these these kinds of tragedies. I think stay with us for the rest of our lives. It does mean that there isn't healing and comfort that we can receive from the Lord. In the end. This is one of the things that I think we see in Scripture think of Paul's words in second Corinthians chapter 1 verse fingering the instructor one verse three listener what what he says about our God, he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God is and what my prayer for you Kayla is that you would experience the comfort of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit in this affliction and we do grief.

When loved ones die, but with the apostle Paul said we don't have to grievance those who have no hope.

Why because Jesus Christ has conquered death because wheat we have the hope in Jesus of the resurrection of the dead in the life of the world to come. That doesn't mean that it's not painful. That doesn't mean that we just forget about it. No, not at all, and there will be grief.

I think for the rest of your life. But it doesn't have to be hopeless grief because of what Jesus Christ has done and may the Lord give you his comfort by the grace of his spirit and Bill, I just want to loop you in here because I know you've worked with this subject in particular with grief. Do you have any added thoughts as well. For someone who is wrestling through by those feelings of grief after a tragedy like this, you know, one of the best things that can really be helpful to a person is to be involved in some kind of a grief group. There is something so healing and drill about being with others who have been in the same boat of experience the same kind of pain that you haven't.

There's actually a Christian grief support group that many churches run around the country and I've known people that have been in those groups and they tell you, man. This was probably the best thing to help me on your sword move past, but took to help them do a deal with that grief.

So Gary Faucher is that name of that group.

Yeah, look at Kayla.

May the Lord be with you and bless you and comfort you in the midst of this time and may he give all of us a firm hope in what Jesus has done the resurrection of Christ for our good and the good of our loved ones. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in 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