Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?

This new episode of core Christianity was prerecorded. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez good afternoon, we welcome you on Bill Maher and we love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can call us with your question. At 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 at questions at core, Christianity.com first update. Let's go to Deeann calling in from Oklahoma. The end. What's your question for pastor atrial, more accurately, perhaps I we were divorced a year and 1/2 ago. Although life more than a years doing to be right with the Lord for nearly 17 years. Hey Deeann, thank you for that question. A very practical question and there are few passages of Scripture that my mind goes to obviously the first is in first Corinthians chapter 7 where the apostle Paul is talking about marriage and relationships, and restoration. In particular, in verse 10 of chapter 7 he says to the married I give this charge not I but the Lord, the wife should not separate from her husband.

But if she does, she should remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband, and it sounds to me like there's there's been a reconciliation and I I think the Lord for that. I pray that he's blessing the two of you in in that process. Now, with regard to needing to get married again. I think there if there has been an official divorce if there's been this this breach in the marriage, then I would say legally yes you do. See, I think some evidence for this kind of a thing potentially in Scripture and obviously God had the special relationship with his people under the old covenant where he took Israel to himself as a bride if you will and she she abandoned the Lord, the book of Hosea is all about this there's this basically no spiritual adultery that Takes Pl. in God is pointing out the idolatry of his people.

But then he promises that he would restore the relationship.

He says in Hosea chapter 2 verse 19 I will betroth you to me for ever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and injustice in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know the Lord. In other words, there's this business. Restoration of the relationship of what had been broken back and also in the book of Exodus, where you have the giving of the covenant after the people of Israel sinned and Moses intercedes, you have what what happens. Another two new tables of the covenant are tablets of stone of the covenant that are made and then you have this sort of renewal of the covenant in Exodus chapter 34 is I think it is appropriate if if you guys didn't get legally divorced to come back together. Now what what does that have to look like that mean that you have to have a big old marriage ceremony again and at a reception at all that I don't think necessarily. I just think it's it's not coming back together and being restored as a married couple under the law, and before the Lord and again I give thanks to the Lord for the fact that it sounds to me like God has been working healing in your marriage and I and I pray that the Lord would continue to do that and bless the two of you together. Thank you for your call.

The I think so much for listening to core Christianity. We do appreciate it. Let's go to Nathan calling in from Washington state Nathan, what's your question for pastor atrial all my warranty or why not not observe proper age they Nathan, thank you for that question.

So let me just define some some terms here for our our listeners because that might be a new word for for many of you who are listening to core Christianity paid no communion or infant communion. That is, is it proper to give children the elements of the bread and the wine in the Lord's supper. This is something that that has you know.

There different Christian traditions on this. For example, and in the Eastern churches, Eastern Orthodox churches, they do commune baby small small children typically and in the Western church that has not been the case, it seems to me, and so the Roman Catholic Church and I you have. For example, the confirmation that an individual go through and they click it to a particular age after they've a professed faith in Christ and then they'll begin to take the Lord's supper and this is pretty pretty much the case universally. It seems to me in in the Western tradition of the question is, why or why not. Why shouldn't we give our children the words of it also relates to the question of should we baptize our children often times this question comes up in in the context of that discussion as well, which I won't get into right now but if you're curious about that you can you can give us a call with that question specifically, my position is that we should not give infants the Lord's supper, so no to Pato communion when you think about what the apostle Paul said related to the Lord's supper in first Corinthians chapter 11 it seems as if the person who is communing has to be able to do a number of things. One, examining them themselves of their ability to discern the Lord's body and so there's this understanding about what's taking place there in the context of the church and then also and in this particular meal that that were were taken.

There's even a warning attached to the unworthy partaking of the Lord's supper verse 27 of chapter 11 first Corinthians. Whoever therefore eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord.

Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself and so the question is good and infant do that you may eat and drink and discern the Lord's body or is or is this just you know from some ritual that were going through this.

That's a passage of Scripture that I would go to and then with regard to the second part of your question will how old should our children be before they start commune again your unit. You can get different answers here. Me personally, I'm of the opinion that you know God works in children and can work in children from a very young age. You know that the psalmist David says you caused me to trust in you all at my mother's breast. You have been my God you think about that.

The interaction that Mary and Elizabeth had where you know Elizabeth is greeted by Mary and John the Baptist in a room leaps for for for joy as it were, at the in the presence of Christ's amount recognizing the presence of Jesus while you still in his mother's womb you think of when Jesus cleansed the temple.

The little children saying hosanna you know singing praises to the Lord as it were, welcoming this king that the son of David coming in so God I think works in and through our children. When you look at the Passover meal in the in the Old Testament, you know, what was the idea there is us as children would see this this meal that the people of God were participating in. They would ask questions and why do we do this and that the people of God were to respond by single we were slaves in the land of Egypt, and God delivered us is this is this a family thing but there needs to be some understanding and I would say is, as children are asking those questions about the gospel as they see what were doing in in the local church and are taking the Lord's supper in the so Akamai can have the bread and the wine that parents ought to talk to their kids about what's happening about the gospel about the fact that Jesus calls us to himself that he welcomes even the little children, and that he invites us to embrace him by faith, and I think I think that it children who are able to give a profession of faith, even one that's, that's, you know, the kind you would expect from a young child. I think that's okay we don't want to. We don't want to keep people away from the means of grace. And so we want to trust that the Lord is working and this requires wisdom as I would just give you nice I would cut off in ages. It will that's 222 young you know that that kid can't really believe in Jesus that can be have to be at least eight years older at least seven years old. No we we have to trust the Lord and trust that the Lord is working in our children as he promised to do, and then his parents in a work with them as well. Encourage them and teach them the faith so that they might lay hold of the truths of Scripture and make those truths their own, they can think of your question some great counsel. Thank you for that federal Nathan. Thanks for listening to core Christianity. One of the things we want to do here today is say thank you to a wonderful group of people who support this program on a regular basis.

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Here's our email address its questions at core, Christianity.com and here's one from Aaron he says is this saying biblical God helps those who help themselves.

My wife likes to use this quote a lot when facing life's decisions and well you know that a lot of people think that that's actually a quote. The mean that's what you're asking this, it is a saying biblical people think that that's in the Scriptures that that phrase specifically but it's not that that that sentence you God helps those who help themselves is knocking to be something fun about the idea here is that God will help you but that you need to do your part to you know so you do a little bit then God does some and then you do a little bit more and and only as you do right, but when it comes to salvation is especially initially in the Christian life.

We have to realize that we come before God completely helpless. In fact, the way the apostle Paul would put it in Ephesians chapter 2 is we come before God dead or maybe it's better that is, we don't even come before God were just dead in trespasses and sins. Chapter 2 verse one of the book of Ephesians, you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind is the picture that Paul paints here is not like hey you. Ephesians were really you are you are doing everything that you had in you and God saw that he thought boy there trying so hard on us and to give them some grace know. He says the opposite you, you were actually the walking dead. You were enslaved to Satan you were following the prince of the power of the air.

It wasn't that you were striving after God and so as a result, God came to you and me think of the example of bit the conversion of the apostle Paul writes all of Tarsus who's on his way to persecute Christians the book of acts tells us we just has this this hatred in his heart for the children of God, and as he's in the, the, the act, if you will, as he's on the way to do this, Jesus comes to him confronts him says to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me in the light of the gospel shines upon him we would say right with this was this was exactly what we see happening in Ephesians is why Paul can say this because he knows what it's like to be dead in trespasses and sins, and have the light of God. Just break in and and transform everything and of course that's what he goes on to say in verse four of Ephesians 2 but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And so what we need to recover is is this this radical view of the matchless grace of God toward sinners.

Too many people think of but you know the relationship with God as again. This sort of dancing. I'm doing a little bit than he is doing some of them were sort of working together to to save me know it's all of grace we come contributing our sin, our brokenness and that's what we bring to the table in justification God declares us righteous in his son Jesus solely by faith. And then he begins to work in us by the by the power of the Holy Spirit but but again it it said I think it is that that phrase can be really confusing to many people that that's how they view the Christian life, and I think if we had a higher view of the grace of God and also a higher view of human sinfulness, recognizing just how how lost we were apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit right if we if we if we have that will then God gets all the glory minutes should produce humility in us and also just abundant Thanksgiving because we realize wasn't that I was helping got out giving them a hand in saving myself. It was I was a rebel dead in trespasses and sins in Jesus in love came to me and pursued me to his gospel princess. That's the good news. And so that's we need to recover.

Thank you for the question.

Thank you and Earl painted a beautiful picture for us of God's grace. By the way, we have our core question on this topic. Its why do you talk about the difference between law and the gospel and you can find out our website. Just go to core Christianity.com/free downloads look for the question on law and gospel. Let's get back to the phones and go to Robert calling in from Illinois. Robert, thanks so much for hanging on what your question for pastor. Israel and Bible all all are graded and gone back the greatest among all men follow after him. The Lord be greater than John power that you great question, Robert, and so your you're talking about Matthew chapter 11 verse 11. Truly I say to you among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist, yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he that we need understand you know that the role that John the Baptist played.

He sortable at at at the brink of this dawn of a new era if you will. He's coming is the last in line of those old covenant prophets, you know, heralding the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact that's that's exactly what Isaiah said he would be way back in Isaiah chapter 40 is preparing the way for Jesus, preparing the way for the Lord so you have this this transitional period from the time of the old covenant with the types in the shadows and the sacrifices to now, the new wine of the new covenant that that the kingdom of heaven breaking in on earth if you will. And so what Jesus is highlighting by that statement is the fact that what's coming is far greater than anything that has been in the prophets dreamed about what's coming, what we under the new covenant get to experience through that the giving of the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, and is what Joel talked about this is what Ezekiel talked about and in so far as we get to participate in that and receive that from the words of Jesus are just are just true.

By that, the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven it gets. This is in a better position greater if you will. Then John the Baptist there.

You know, prophesying under the old economy.

The old dispensation of the old covenant if you will, and so that that's what is highlighting is is not saying that you know where you know wiser than John the Baptist per se, or even more holy pitches it in in terms of what we experience in the flow of redemptive history. We are on this side of the inauguration of the new covenant through the work of Jesus Christ. The life that he lived the death that he died in his resurrection from the dead. We are the recipients of the gifts of God through Christ work. The giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that that the kingdom of heaven, now is breaking into this present evil age and in so far as that's the case we are in a better position. We have we have better seats if you will. Then John the Baptist did and so answer that question Robert, thanks for the question. Thanks for listening to core Christianity by the way, if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life we'd love to hear from you. We had good voicemails and we try to review them each day so you want to call us 24 hours a day. You can leave your voicemail at 833-843-2673.

That's 833 the core. If you want to learn more about becoming a member of our inner core.

Just go to our website. Core, Christianity.com/inner core. We would love to have you prayerfully consider joining that wonderful group of people who support this program on a regular basis. Let's go back to a voicemail we received earlier this week.

This one is from Mara why for open Excel Holy Spirit revealed how geology Bible and find treatment and I had pain in my back and catch the eye, not enough and no later a silicate blacked out for a couple seconds in the outback and when I open my eyes and out on the floor when I got up and make painless, there is an answer to what could it happen, speculation and sorcery selection under Aymara. Thank you for that question. Of course you one of the things it's it's a challenge and people call in with personal experiences. He knew this is an experience that you had and so it sounds to me like you're looking for an interpretation of that experience. I would just say if if you no longer have the pain that you did before. Give thanks to the Lord say God I don't know what that was not enough, that was just that, but thank you Lord for for the fact that I you and I don't I don't have that pain that I buy I've been healed now. I am generally pretty suspicious of those those ministries that you know that they have these big revivals. We have one guy up there and he's easy you know barking things out in an inviting people to come up and did you legislate a lot of abuses in those kinds of situations and and sadly you know there's been researched on some of these things and a lot of it can be fraudulent.

You know, just just sort of the making things up, or even staging people, which is just absolutely devastating and really at the end of the day. A lot of these things do more to detract from the advancement of the gospel and and good theology been than anything else. But all that makes it a minute if that's your experience if if if that happened then I would just say hey say, Lord. Thank you. And the reality is, is God can use whoever he wants to do whatever he wants and ordinarily God works through means like doctors and medicine and surgery and those kinds of things. But God because he is the Lord is free to do whatever he wants. He could work. You know, apart from means above means besides means if if you want.

Ordinarily, though you just we just say no that you know. Typically this is how God works is the same thing in the Christian life where I got uses means to build us up in our walk with the Lord. What are those means. The means are you know you know that understanding of God's word being a part of solid churches were going to receive encouragement to be under faithful Bible teaching were to be able to pray together and worship together. These are the means that God uses Mark to build you up in your faith and it sounds to me like that's been happening like you're growing in your understanding of the word of God.

And that's part of the reason why you're wondering about this experience in a what what what happened there and thought I would you say continue to grow in your understanding of Scripture and as you think back on this experience, but would overthink it. I would just say Lord I'm not entirely sure what happened there but I'm thankful to you that I don't have the pain that I once had their and God please continue to keep that pain away. And so it is simple as that.

Turn it into an opportunity to give thanks to the Lord. I don't think that means it we should know by into all these healing ministries that are out there, certainly not men and we know according to the Bible that God can use anybody as I federally think of you know God speaking to Belo's donkey God. If you want to do something, whether it's healed or get a message of acrostic people can use can use even sinners. Even people who don't have the best theology to do it and the fact that matters him I'm a pastor who recognizes this because I know my own limitations and weaknesses oh so God uses broken people and that could have been what was happening there with you at this at this event, I'm sure that at least if if you were genuinely heal that that's exactly what was God using a broken people to communicate his love and grace and even healing to you and so God bless you Mara thank you for forgiving us a calling and you know one of the things that we want to do here core Christianity is just help you grow in your ability to discern.

You know those things that are there good and right and true that we should be pursuing as Christians and those things that we want to be cautious of.

And certainly you've heard it on the broadcast before property cautious of the prosperity gospel type stuff out there, and so we need it stick to the Scriptures and embrace them. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us.

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