If Jesus Already Saved Us, Why Will We Still Be Judged on the Last Day?

Jesus has saved.

Why will we still be judged on the last day. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. We pray you had a great weekend. 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 you.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so and you can call us with your question. At 833, the court might want to jot that down 833-843-2673, as always, you can post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can send us a message to our YouTube channel and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first step today. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Sarah about the gospel will find out that mom of four years ago passed away at the situation. I do not believe in Jesus or she passed. How about the gospel when their loved one. I appreciate your time. Thanks for the question, of course, right now you know with with everything just having happened.

I think it's important for you to come alongside to offer condolences and prayer, and see if there are ways you can serve and just just the present. I know, especially with with a loss right away.

Probably not the best time to to just jump in and they could be that there there there open and wanting to talk about that but a lot of times and adjusted as an individual or individuals are processing the death of a loved one right away. I think right right now would probably be a good time to just come alongside and and minister to them through through your compassion, your love, your prayers and then it is as time progresses into being able to get into conversations about Jesus and the gospel. Ultimately, whenever whenever were confronted with death, whether person is a Christian and non-Christian Jewish is as you said in this situation here at work where brought face to face with the terrible reality that we that we live with the fact that were all going to die and that death is this this great monster.

I think it's something we can all agree with the other. Sometimes people who try to minimize death and the pain of death and is just a natural part of life. But deep down inside I think each of us knows that there's something very unnatural about death and in fact that's what the Bible teaches that God did not create the world with death in it, but that death came into the world because of sin, and so is as good as people you know taste the bitterness of death. I think it's an opportunity to get into conversations about Jesus, the one who conquered death and of course I don't know took to what extent there practicing Jews. I know that there are many people who are, you know what will people say they're Jewish and it's a very cultural thing for them.

Not so much a religious observance but just let you know kind of a part of their ethnic identity that I I'm not sure where they are there. I know that that you know you can go to plat passages in the Old Testament like Daniel chapter 12 verse two that talks about the resurrection and the hope that even even Jews had related to this idea of resurrection from the dead and and maybe that's a question you asked is not as a Jewish person do you believe that there is a resurrection because you Daniel talked about that and there are there other indications in the Old Testament that there would be life after the grave of a resurrection of the dead, and from there going to Jesus, but the one who rose again from the dead for us. By the way, you might find this interesting. There was a guy named Pincus I think will impede who was a Jewish man who actually believed in the resurrection.

He looked at the evidence, and even wrote a book on discussing. He never embraced Christianity immediately continued to to to practice Judaism, I believe, but he just looked at the evidence.

When you look at the New Testament evidence and things are going on is Jesus probably did rise again from the dead.

He treaded me try to process that on the what that might mean for him and of course he didn't end up embracing the Christian faith, but that the evidence is there that Jesus really did rise from the dead, and so maybe in time me and praying that the Lord give you an opportunity to talk about Jesus, the one who conquered death as you seek to encourage them and and ultimately point them to the hope that they can have that we have in Christ of eternal life. God bless you sir, thanks. And thanks for your care and concern for this Jewish family.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. We got Easter coming up here in just a couple weeks and we want to tell you about a wonderful free resource that we have just for you. Yeah, we have a brand-new Easter devotional that we want to offer our listeners today called meeting the risen Christ. Just I'm just talking right there with the previous question about the resurrection and the centrality of the resurrection to the Christian faith.

The apostle Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 15 that if if Christ is not risen. Our faith is basically worthless.

You might as will doubtless eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. What's the point in following God and going to church all the things that Christians do, but the reality is Jesus did rise from the dead, and because he rose from the dead. We have the hope of eternal life in the resurrection of our own bodies.

As of this. This is so important for us and it's something that a lot of Christians misunderstand the doctrine of the resurrection. So I hope that you'll get a hold of this free resources Easter devotional over it. Core, Christianity.com. This resource really gets at the heart of why we do what we do here core Christianity and again it's absolutely free. You can find it by going to core Christianity.com/Easter again.

Core, Christianity.com/Easter to get this wonderful resource meeting the risen Christ.

Our phone lines are open and were taking your calls about the gospel about the Christian life about to doctrine and theology, you name it we would love to hear from you.

Here's our phone number to call is 833 the core, you can spell that out on your phone or 1-833-843-2673 will be taking calls for the next 15 minutes or so. So jump on the phone right now you want to get in with your question. Let's go to Johnny in St. Louis, Missouri Johnny, what's your question for a drill, doing well thank you thank you so bad you bothering me for getting you can say it again and be forgiven if you send against the Holy Spirit can't be forgiven and I'm trying to figure out why not if they're all wanting the same excellent question, and of course we would say that the father the son and the Holy Spirit are one in that they are one in essence, equal in power and in glory God we believe in one God, the holy Trinity.

Now there there distinct as to their personal properties.

We might say that the father is unbegotten, the son, Jesus is eternally begotten of the father and the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the father and the son three distinct persons so that there in terms of personhood. They're not one and the same but as far as as God one in essence an undivided we would say that they are one now with regard to this question pertaining to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. We read about that in Matthew chapter 12 or in Mark chapter 3, read Mark's account now in Mark chapter 3. To give you some of the context and then take to answer your question. Verse 22 of Mark three in the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying he is possessed by be eligible nursing Jesus is possessed by Beelzebub and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons called them to them and said to them in parables.

How can Satan cast out Satan. If the kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided cannot stand but is coming to an end no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man then indeed he may plunder his house. Truly I say to you all sins will be forgiven. The children of man and whatever blasphemies they utter.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin for they were saying. He has an unclean spirit of the blessed me, the Holy Spirit of the religious leaders were were on the verge of committing had to do with what what they were saying about you is that they're saying he's casting out demons, not by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is how Jesus did it by the power of Satan. In other words they were calling the Holy Spirit and even Jesus himself in in in in another sense of the evil one, satanic, and in the emphasis here is upon denying the work of God, really a denial.

Also, the gospel just rejection of Christ. It's this hardhearted unbelief. It doesn't just at night.

I don't believe in Jesus, it even goes a step further. It says Jesus is evil.

He's demonic and in Jesus look if an individual has that idea if there if that's if that's what they're concluding the rejecting the truth in the work of God spirit the sea right in front of them at and they said you Christians are just drinking bathwater. That's not real. There demonic there. You know well.

Be careful right the rear on dangerous ground. If you reject the gospel you don't believe in it and it ended and associated with evil with with Satan himself.

There is no hope of forgiveness for you in that condition. Now we do know sister that many of the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders did believe in Jesus. I don't think that this is referring to and eight you say something on one occasion, you think something for. I'm just a jerk there lost because of that on this. Is this continual persistent unbelief that goes as far as to associate the work of Jesus with the work of Satan in an individual that set that confuse that hardhearted in this situation in Jesus is God's can give you over that, Paul. Paul talks about something similar.

I think in Romans chapter 1 and so it's not that that you know there's there's confusion here about the persons of of the Trinity that the. The idea is just rejecting the work of Jesus and associating it with evil.

If a person does that, will they they're not saving. They can't be saved unless they repent God bless you don't want to go there or do you a drill. That's no place you want to go. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and we'd love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life maybe about how your Christian walk intersects with what's going on in today's culture. There are some some pretension points there so give us a call 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. There's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Greg they why would you buy a thank you brother. And of course are a number of passages in the New Testament to talk about believers experiencing the judgment being judged.

Now why is that and and when I say there a number of passages in the New Testament to refer to something thinking of places like the book of Revelation, where in Revelation chapter 20 in verses 11 and following.

John says I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them and they were judged, each one of them according to what they had done.

This is the judgment it's all-inclusive. This is clear again throughout the New Testament acts chapter 17 verse 31 second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 those are passages that bring this up.

We need to recognize it. For believers, the judgment is going to be very different.

We are not going to be condemned. In fact, in Christ you have already been justified. And that's why Jesus can say in John chapter 5 verse 24 truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Now when Jesus is.

He doesn't come into judgment think that what he means by that is that were not to be at the judgment in those other passages make it clear if that were not going to be condemned, that we in Christ don't have to be afraid because we have been justified.

In fact, in the book of first John chapter 4 verse 17 and in what follows.

John says that we can have confidence in the day of judgment. Why, because of the love of God. They let me just ask you a question.

As you listen to this. Do you have confidence before God on judgment day. The if you do let me just say that it's it's not a confidence that you have or can have because of how good you are in and of yourself if if you have confidence you got a pretty good well there's a problem because when we stand before God before his perfect law, we realize how short we fall the confidence we have on the day of of judgment is not first and foremost found in us. It's found in Jesus and that's why again we go back to his word, the one who believes in me has eternal life, you will not enter into judgment. You've already been justified in me. And so for us, for believers that judgment is a vindication, the, the revealing of the sons of God is the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 8, not a time for us to be condemned and cast away time for our vindication and are our sell of me was celebrating the goodness of God and the glory of Christ in his people. Thank you for that question.

God bless your listing to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Just a reminder we have that free Easter devotional available to you.

It's called meeting the risen Christ. It contains five Scripture readings and reflections surrounding Christ's post-resurrection appearances just want a great devotional. This would be leading up to Easter in the next couple weeks and you can get that by going to core Christianity.com/Easter again. It's absolutely free. It's called meeting the risen Christ go to core Christianity.com/Easter. Well, let's go back to the phones and Joanne is on the line from Kansas City. Joanne, what's your question for pastor. Israel now Joanne, thank you so much for that thoughtful question let me just read the verse that you bring up Luke 1142 where Jesus is is really laying into the. The Pharisees here. He says woe to you Pharisees for you tithe mint and rue and every herb and neglect justice and the love of God, these you ought to have done without neglecting the others, and so he doesn't and it sounds like your your singlet. Jesus doesn't condemn tithing visas you guys. You should've done that but you shouldn't of neglected love and justice now is certainly the what's interesting about that.

The ministry of Jesus. Here is is he is establishing the new covenant in his body and blood, instituting it in in one sense when when he gives his disciples the Lord's supper and and of course you know ratifying it there on the cross as he sheds his own blood, and so were the sort of unique crossover phase of redemptive history where the temple is still there and there are number of things associated with the temple and in the. The festivals and in the worship of the people under the old covenant, the Passover, and so on and so forth, then the Pharisees and end mint people were called to observe those things now for us as believers under the new covenant. The reason I say and and other pastors will will sometimes say this as well that you know there's no real prescription in the New Testament for us to you know give it, and 1/10 of everything under the old covenant was also it wasn't just you know your your you know what you brought home from your job. It was you. If you see here and there there there tithing on all sorts of different things, so even in terms of following it. The tithe as it was followed under the ultimate it's something that that even people who believe that the tithe is for today in there that don't follow the exact same way they couldn't. There's no is no Templeton to to type II but I don't discourage and I don't think you know in saying that we should never discourage generosity and giving. I think I think it tithe. This is a wonderful thing. I think I think Christians should give to their local churches and it can be a tithing to be more than a typhoon of the site in a 10% is what everybody has to give. I think under the new covenant, and we consider God's goodness to us in his son Jesus of the forgiveness of all of our sins.

His generosity to his people. We should be a people who give generously out of that great goodness that we've received from the Lord and that's what's encouraged in the New Testament, in particular in places like second Corinthians chapter 8 on second Corinthians chapter 9 as well and so yes sometimes supply that can hear you say as a pastor.

Well, you know tithing is an old covenant concept something okay good I'm I'm off the hook. But the reality is we are called as Christians to to be generous not to be controlled by by money and I think especially you know, kind of in in the United States is one of the biggest idols for a lot of people's are controlled by money and possessions and Jesus had no problem talking about these kinds of things to look where your money is, there will your heart be also.

And so we should be encouraged to give generously to our churches to the work of missions and if if people want to want to do that is a tithe. I think that that's great, it's helpful to date sort of commit to something and then stick with it just is as a way of being persistent and faithful in that and in cultivating generosity in your own life but doesn't it doesn't stop there. Just just giving generously to to the church to the work of ministry missions to the needs in in the lump in among that the body of Christ around us, and so yeah that's no say but but just going back to your your question. Initially, we have to recognize that even there. In that context in Luke chapter 11.

This is a unique moment in redemptive history were about to cross over from essentially the weight worship was been conducted under the Old Testament times with the types in the shadows and the sacrifices to the time of the new covenant, which were living right now. Joanne God bless you sister and Joanne, thanks for your call.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity and for digging into God's word. We always appreciate that where listeners act in a Boolean way and really search the Scriptures. This is core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez. Let's go to Ed from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Ed what is your question for Israel law where bottles are about marriage. No man or going after French/golden stranger because he was a homosexual relationship or difficult it was outside the parameters of minerals areas of the body hey Ed, well, thank you for for that question, brother, and you know the Scripture does look weak in the church.

We want to be. Be careful that we don't when we talk about marital intimacy that we don't treat it as taboo work per gross or icky or something like that. I think that can happen sometimes brothers and sisters within the church know God gave us in the Old Testament the book of the song of Solomon and the song of songs, which is up poetic depiction if you will of of marital intimacy, among other things of me. Ultimately I think it points us to Christ and in his relationship to the church but you you have this I mean it was erotic love poetry you know in in in the Hebrew Bible now it's it's not over the top here. Sometimes I think pastors talking about this on the songs and in ways that are that are not good and in ways that are there crude error or crass and to an end. That's not what the song of songs is it. It's this picture of marital love of marital intimacy, and so I think I preface you know might my comments with that. Just to say we need to be able to have these conversations within the body of Christ in a healthy way so that we don't communicate to people that know this is just a bad thing. It is messy that we talk about it, you know, in terms of families.

I think sometimes parents can communicate to their truly all that. That's bad.

Don't talk about don't talk about intimacy or marital intimacy and and you just can get yourself in a lot of trouble. This is really a negative emphasis instead of viewing viewing it as as a gift that God gives to his people in the context of marriage and even within marriage.

I think it can be abused. We often talk about about intimacy is abused outside of marriage. But even within marriage if it become something that selfish if it if it's a way in which were just using another person and not thinking about their needs are there. There are ways in which I think it can be a knock at thing and I and I would just say this is really a conversation that you have to have with your spouse and be sensitive to your spouse's needs and and also you know, certainly not not ever doing something that would would make another person uncomfortable and I think there needs to be a lot of communication here and so it is not something that I would say you know you you would ever want to try to force someone there or to to to do something that they were uncomfortable with. And so we have to think about that. You know how are we caring for loving each other within marriage or spouse.

Specifically, and down and I think I'll leave it at that. So God bless you Ed and thank you for giving us a call know Israel is a follow-up, I was just thinking about the importance of talking to our kids about God's design for sexuality and starting early because I think there's so much confusion in our culture these days really behooves us as moms and dads to talk about how God has designed sex. What how beautiful it is and why he has designed for marriage.

You're absolutely right, Bill, and that's one of one of my concerns is if we just treated as a sort of taboo subject as we talk to our kids and just give all these warnings, they can have a skewed understanding of marital intimacy, and so we don't want to do that we want to give them the truth and make sure were helping them understand it, as opposed to the culture trying to teach them what it's all about and we want to help them understand is a gift that God gives to his people and it's a good thing.

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 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