How Can I Help My Kids Have Authentic Faith?

How can I help my kids to have an authentic faith best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why 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.

We would love to hear from your peers or phone number. It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter account and you can always email us a question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Alice in Barry 10 Kansas Alice that I say the name of your town correctly. I can for my pandemic that no way cry.

I have a relationship with God without question and I struggle with the Holocaust and all of the Jews that torment and then being the chosen people for Christ to earth did they have a path. I have no Scripture that I can go to that would explain to me Alice, you're not the only one who struggles with this. In fact, after you know the events of the second world war and the Holocaust. A lot of theologians Christian theologians Jewish theologians struggled to make him he had had we talk about this kind of suffering. In light of the God of the Bible how we make sense of this. It is so asking that the same kinds of questions. It sounds like you're asking the for the first thing I'll say this is your right. The Bible makes it absolutely clear that there's salvation. Another name except the name of Jesus name. You see this all over the place. Jesus.

Jesus himself said I'm the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. And there are some people who said who will say something like what well you know Jews because in the Old Testament, the Hebrew people were God's covenant people. Maybe for them there since the start of this special dispensation of unit you have to accept Jesus, and you can still be welcomed into heaven on on the basis of the fact that you know you're part of the chosen line if you will.

Paul makes it clear that that's also not true is pushing Romans chapters 9 through 11 nieces look all of us are united to God. The family of God solely by faith. Faith in Jesus Christ and so is an individual who may be there.

They were of Jewish heritage just because there they have that heritage that background because they're there Jewish doesn't make them automatically saved but will again what we say about the things like the Holocaust will a couple of things.

First, I'll say this, God is good and gracious and just and on the day of judgment when we are standing before the Lord, you know, from our perspective, we see things and we don't understand we can make sense of it, but when were all standing before the Lord on the day of judgment.there is knocking to be any question about what God does in the judgments that he renders on that day working to see everything clearly. And one thing I think that we do know Alice on the basis of Scripture is that while were only saved by Jesus Christ there to be degrees if you will of of even judgment for persevering of the people who knew better who had the truth you know plastered before them day in and day out, and just continually repudiated there to be judged more severely, then those who weren't given those same opportunities and again we don't know what that's going to look like, but I think you can rest assured that God is good that his judgment is just, we see these kinds of terrible things in their reminders for us of how far mankind. Humanity has turned its back on God that we do such wicked and heinous things to each other it.

It's a picture of human depravity and sin and we cling to the God who sent his son to carry our sins and to comfort the afflicted and we say Lord we don't understand you know how these these things could happen would understand what you're doing in and through them and we don't know how exactly the judgment is going to look for individuals who have have never had an opportunity maybe you think of the children who died in the Holocaust, who never had an opportunity to do even hear your gospel, but I can tell you Alice that God again is just and good and gracious and merciful, and so we can trust him. We can trust him to do the right thing.

He's going to do it and get it. We don't have to be afraid that you know there's some sort of injustice it's going to be done on God's part.

The likely injustice is on our part as sinners and it's God's grace that puts the pieces back together and so Alice God bless you and thank you for that call. Such a sad chapter in human history.

Neutra last year we took our kids to Washington DC and one of the things we did what we were there was was at the Holocaust Museum and anyone who tries to deny that there's a sin nature more that human beings can't be sinful and fallen into cruel things you go to the Holocaust Museum you you cannot deny the horrible evil that was done and the terrible suffering so I can empathize with her question. It's just a tough is important that we have these conversations in the week with we see these things clearly because it does, I think, as you say, Bill revealed the nature of sin by just how how how evil we can be to each other and it should cause us to run to to Christ to pursue that which is good and true and beautiful in his law and to receive the forgiveness that we need for food for the evil in our own hearts and so I'm grateful he has had that opportunity.

Love to take my kids there sometimes well this is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Let's go to a voicemail that came in from warmer colors. This is from Jennifer Bible I'll not learning how now I get now how do we make sure that we are truly have a question my authentic relationship with our heavenly father because I feel like I missed out on a lot until recently when I've been doing my own research and my own learning in my own reading. I don't want my kids were here before they get ill and I how to make sure that Chris and your children will Jennifer, thank you for that question and it's a question on a lot of our minds and Mike have five kids oldest is 10, the youngest right now is a little bit over nine weeks and that is the million dollar question if you will that we want our children to know and love Jesus, not just to be able to to inherit information but to have it sink deep down into their hearts so that there shaped by it.

And of course we we know according to the Bible that that's the work of the Holy Spirit that only God can do that. And yet at the same time we have a responsibility as parents to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Anderson version of this but a lot of them were just think about from a human perspective there's been a lot of research done. There's a guiding Christian Smith.

This is written quite a bit about surpassing the faith down to the next generation in and one of the things that that he highlights and a lot of his studies is that the primary influence in the lives of our children is going to be us as parents. It's not their youth pastor or their Sunday school teacher.

It's not there. You know teacher it at school or or whatnot. It really is part of his example that were setting in the home in a modeling. I think what it looks like to love and follow Jesus for them as we can say all sorts of things about what they need to believe but if they see the exact opposite in us. I think that that in 1/5 were were you know cutting cutting the branch off, on which were seated and so I think that's really really important that I think also just giving them the sort of grammar of the faith, and praying that the Holy Spirit you know uses that illuminates that what I mean by the grammar.

The physics teacher, your children, the Bible study Scripture read those stories together. I think of what what Paul says to Timothy in second Timothy chapter 1 he says I think God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience. As I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

As I remember your tears. I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith that you want to see in your children. That's what we want to see in our children a sincere faith and uses a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother, you Nice and now I am sure dwells in you as well.

You have the sort of succession. The sincere faith now and how did that faith get handed down will if you go forward just a couple chapters in chapter 3 verse 15 he says this to Timothy Howe from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. So here's here's what we can do here. This is a part of our responsibility as parents, are we making our children acquainted with if you will the sacred writings are we helping them to be rooted in the word are we having conversations around the dinner table about Scripture about the Bible. Years ago when I was in college we visited. I visited at one of my professors homes and I was I was friends with his daughter at the time we had a bunch of your group of us and call girlfriends and him and he invited us all over for dinner. We had this great meal sitting around the table, enjoying fellowship, talking with each other and then all of a sudden he pulled out this little box of of note cards and on each note card was a Bible verse had a Bible verse written on it that he passed each of us a note card.

They were all sitting around the table and he is and he said I'll never forget. He said now it's time for the real feast it. We just had this great meal that his wife cooked up but he said now it's time for the real feast in each of us around the table. We just read are in need of the verse that was handed to us and we talked about it for a little bit but I thought it was so just need to get our work sitting around the table, enjoying fellowship, talking about God's word becoming more and more acquainted with the sacred writings we can't transform the hearts of our children. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. But God uses his word to transform hearts and so we need to be saturated in the word and what we want to help our children to be saturated in the word as well and in prayer and so be praying that the Lord would do that work, you know, surround your family with his grace route you guys in the Scriptures, be sure that your you know you're you're taking were taking our children to church to be a part of the worshiping community. All those things and we depend upon the Lord, and so God bless you and that may God grant our children is as you say that sincere faith Douglas Jennifer we actually have a free core guide on this topic which you might find helpful for neighbor listeners who have kids or grandkids. You might want to go to our website and check this out. It's called five ways to help your kids keep the faith. You can find that by going to core Christianity.com/free downloads again.

Look for the core guide five ways to help your kids keep the faith.

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Let's go back to another question we we do receive questions through our Facebook page and here's one from Matt. Matt says my church is moving to a closed communion and some are opposed to it because they think it is discriminatory and divisive.

What are your thoughts yeah thank you Matt for that question.

I guess if I was forced to choose between a closed communion that is only those who are who are members there in the church are allowed to. To receive the sacrament the Lord's supper, part of the worshiping community in communion with the church there. If I was to choose between that and just the sort of idea of totally open, it doesn't matter what you believe what you profess, you know, you just come it as you feel led to come, which is frankly what a lot of churches, dusting churches, it will just the way they do. They just sort of set out some some grape juice and and crackers out there and that you know that the worship team is playing music and anybody can just come up and take command. As a matter really what you believe or even if you understand what you're doing.

That would be an example of just sort of wide open communion if you will. I think I would choose the more closed option on the basis of what the apostle Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 11 now in our church. What we do is a unit we call it fencing the table and when I when I administer the Lord's supper on a Sunday morning. I say this is a meal for Christians or those who have been baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit who believe in Jesus Christ have received his grace by faith. If that's you, even if they're not, you know, member of my church, and maybe that they don't agree with everything but they they agree with the gospel and they've embraced that gospel they been baptized. We welcome them to the table so it's it's it's closed in in some way, but not not to the extent that I think you're you're referring to, but Paul in verse 20. In chapter 11. He basically makes it clear that it's required of those would worthily partake of the Lord supper that they need to examine themselves. First of their ability to discern the Lord's body of their faith to feed upon him of their repentance love their new obedience to the Lord less coming in worthily. They should eat and drink judgment to themselves and that's what the apostle Paul says in first Corinthians 11 verse 27 whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup and so II think it's important that we take these things seriously any policy to go on to say, this is why many of you there in Corinth. This is why many of you are weak and sick and some of you have even died because of the way you're handling the holy things of the Lord because of how you're approaching God in commission reminds me of you to Leviticus chapter 10 with Nate Avina by who approaching God flippantly offering strange fire to the Lord there in Leviticus 10 one through three and God judged them. He consumed them with fire and you have in the New Testament of the new company. Our God is still consuming fire is with the author. The Hebrew says in Hebrews chapter 12 we know we need to worship God with reverence and awe because our God is a consuming fire.

And I think a lot of times in worship we just sort of miss that. You know we we got this so it is like I call it a domesticated view of God and of worship with like we just want people to feel comfortable is for a happy clap be in a come together and very lighthearted. There really isn't that reverence that oftentimes you do see in the New Testament that fear that godly fear even that use the you see here in first Corinthian's 11 surrounding the Lord's supper and so I think I think we went when we begin to see that in the New Testament, we consider worship is its meeting of heaven and earth were coming to the presence of the holy God who is a consuming fire by who invites us to come boldly to his throne of grace because of what he's done for us in his son Jesus, and there is this this holy weightiness to it. This joy certainly this joy as well. But this holy weightiness that we want to have in our worship, and so I think I think that's we want to look at it in and for that reason there are many Christian traditions that have done close to me for a number of other reasons as well site I don't know that they need to see it is divisive or your church a fetus as divisive necessarily as it is a wisdom thing that that you guys are gonna have to think through. But I am for recovering a high view of the Lord's supper in a high view of the wonder of what takes place when we gather around God's throne in worship here on earth today and so may the Lord bless you and give your church wisdom is they think about these things and thank you for that question. Some great counsel. Thank you for that intro you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez by the way, you can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day. We do try to review her voicemails once a day and if you leave a voicemail is a good chance we use it on the air. Here's the number to call if you got a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine or theology. You can leave a voicemail at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 voicemail from one of our callers named destiny always at difference between Christianity and so my question for you and I'll just wanted to say thank you somewhat much for doing this helped me and help build my relationship. Thank you page essay think that question first thing I want to do is to speak to your boyfriend and say, hey, it's not just getting into the religion. It's knowing Christ by faith in God calls you to himself, to know him to walk with him to to understand who he is. Through his word, and so I want to encourage you to dig into the Scriptures to open up the Bible.

Maybe start in a place like the gospel of John.

If you want to get into the religion if you will.

I what it's about. Learn about who Jesus is and when what he's done for you and what he calls you to and so digging into the gospel of John, but it is a good question that you ask and that you're asking destiny and what's the difference between the Roman Catholics and maybe Protestant Christians would be a more specific way of of asking the question. Those who don't identify with the Roman Catholic Church will will thereto traditions if you will, and that among Protestants another offer to different churches kinds of churches that that different in a number of ways they differ with regard to things like the sacraments, how we understand the. The sacraments baptism and the Lord supper. The McAllister check actually it wasn't in my tradition. We believe that there are two sacrament's baptism and the Lord supper that the Roman Catholic Church believes that there are seven that there are number of things that are, we might say sacramental him so that would be a difference the way we understand church government.

You know that the head of the Catholic Church, we might say is the Pope in Rome and there there's a sort of hierarchy of authority there that that ends with the Pope, whereas you know we would say I would say that that the only head of the church is Jesus Christ and the Vicar of Christ presence on earth is not the Pope but the Holy Spirit who Jesus said he would send to the church to communicate his presence to us here and now a so so the questions of the way in which the church should be governed know one of the big things and and this is maybe the main thing is the way in which we understand the doctrine of salvation. In particular, the doctrine of justification, and it's there that you have significant differences between the Roman Catholic Church and historically help how Protestants have viewed this doctrine.

Protestants like they are Martin Luther and John Calvin in the Roman Catholic Church.

Justification is a process of inward renewal that begins at your baptism. You have a sort of initial justification at baptism and as you cooperate with the grace of God.

It's given to your you're more and more justified if you will. Your becoming more and more righteous. And so it's this process of transformation of internal transformation will others and this is my view would have said no that's not what justification is in the Bible actually what it is is it's the declaration of God upon a sinner that you are righteous, not on the basis of anything you've done not on the basis of your your internal transformation but on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for you were saved by grace through faith alone. That's what saves us that that's one of the big differences I think that you're going to find as you thinking about this question and so digging in the word open of the gospel of John. It may the Lord bless you.

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