Can Christians Celebrate the Resurrection and Still Hunt for Easter Eggs?

Can Christians celebrate the resurrection and still hunt for Easter eggs best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity high on 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.

Even the Easter Bunny. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post your question on one of our social media sites and you can email us anytime at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Scott calling in from Fremont Indiana Scott what your question for pastor, atrial, and good afternoon appreciate you guys question actually came up during yesterday's program. When you were dealing with the question minute. How does God respond when believer repents and is baptized one of God doing some is baptized yeah it's a great question Scott.

What I like to see is that in baptism. This is first and foremost, the action of God are invisible to work coming in, but presumably you think it would an adult who repents turns to the Lord, believes in Jesus Christ and comes to be baptized. The opposite will will that's all about. You know, declaring that you're a believer and you know you want to follow Jesus are obeying his command to be baptized, but I would say fundamentally actually, it's something else primarily me for for the believer is baptized, after coming to faith later in life that those things are happening first and foremost, it's God's action.

God is the one who is speaking and what is he speaking in the sacraments. These ordinances that Jesus instituted baptism and the Lord's supper. He's he's speaking the promises of the gospel over his people by their these signs and seals of God's redemptive work in his son Jesus Christ and we can't miss that because I think that when we focus on ourselves and what were doing and then been maybe God is responding to our action with her to flip things around.

It really is God's action. First and foremost, and we are called to lay hold of those beautiful promises that God gives to us when he speaks to us through his word and in these ordinances to lay hold of them up by faith. Now what what is it that's that's being signified in baptism… Picture of our union with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. Paul makes this very clear in places like Romans chapter 6 he says in verse two, verse three. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life. And so this is associating with with Jesus Christ in his death and his resurrection. It's the sign of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is God speaking those promises over his people and the baptized individual is made a part of the visible church omits it's our entrance into the community of faith. Just like under the old covenant they had circumcision in on this assignment signified. They were a part of God's people. The covenant people under the new covenant we have the sign of baptism. And so we are united together as members in the church is the body of Christ through baptism and I think this is a point the ball makes elsewhere in Galatians chapter 3 verse 27 for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There again that the association with Jesus have put on Christ and then he says in verse 28 there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus is that beautiful is it something about about baptism that levels the playing field.

You know what were one in Jesus through holy baptism and it so that that's another thing that's that's pictured there is beautiful promise of God for us for his people and our union with Jesus, but also with the family of faith with with the one body of Christ, and so those are just some of the things that that are spoken if you will, in baptism, some of the promises that are held out to the people of God to the covenant people. We are called to embrace those promises by faith. Thank you for your question.

Great explanation and Scott, thank you so much for being a regular listener to core Christianity. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you were taking calls for the next 20 minutes or so.

So jump on the phone, 833-843-2673.

That's 833 the core and with Easter coming up this weekend.

We actually have a wonderful book that would like to offer you yet today were offering the book captivated beholding the mystery of Jesus's death and resurrection by the Beatty Anya Boulay and it's a just a wonderful resource as you're getting ready for Easter on your own or together with your family to dig into the Scriptures and to really grasp what the apostle Paul meant when he said oh death where is your sting brothers and sisters. That's were celebrating units. We celebrate every Lord's day. When we gather together for worship, but especially no one on this Easter were celebrating that Jesus Christ is conquered death and this is something that each of us really needs to get deep into our bones and this is the central message of the Christian faith. In this book is in a help you do that again. It's called captivated beholding the mystery of Jesus's death and resurrection get a hold of it. For a donation of any amount over at core, Christianity.com love to get that in your hands before Easter, or even after distributor great devotional book and here is the place to go. Core, Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for the book captivated Lester back to the phones we have Michael on the line calling from Illinois. Michael, what's your question for pastor atrial afternoon. I heard a pastor on the radio yesterday say something that went counter to what I've been taught my entire life about how these.

I've always been taught that there different places that someone dies without Christ, they go to their soul goes to Hades and awaits the second resurrection for all to be judged by Christ on Judgment Day course that Christians are really going to be with Christ.

Their souls.

This pastor said without Scripture units any Scripture to back it up that help that hell is not the new name for Hades. I was always taught that the only the only entities is in hell right now were some of the angels that fell with Lucifer and I'm just under some just really confused now about about about reality cooking and Courtney Scriptures and I was hoping to clarify this for me yeah well thank you for this question.

Michael Hades is in a word we see in the New Testament typically associated with the grave and death. The it's the place of destruction.

John my references in the book of Revelation. Jesus also speaks of Hades in places like Matthew chapter 11 I believe it's verse 23. Listen what he says is a warning on those impenitent cities that did not repent when the gospel was preached to them. He says you Are in them. Will you be exalted to heaven, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would've remained until this day. But I tell you it will be more tolerable tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you so you you have a contrast there between heaven and Hades found the place of life in the place of destruction, so I think there's some there some reason to believe that we can associate Hades with the great work or even beyond that with with the place of judgment, and in sounds to me like that's what this pastor was doing in terms of tying it together with Helen.

Of course Jesus talks about hell earlier in the gospel of Matthew, but also throughout the Gospels. In Matthew chapter 5 where he's giving a warning specifically with regard to anger. He says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 22 I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says you fool will be liable to the hell of fire.

There is it's it's a different word in the New Testament held that that the word Gehenna referred to the well in the Old Testament was that the Valley of Hindemith was that this place where basically pagan idolatry was practiced where the Israelites even sacrificed some of their children. So as a sort of notorious place of wickedness, evil, and burning and Jesus uses it as this picture this image of the judgment of destruction is. I think Michael that there there is evidence for what this what this pastor was saying progress were looking at these two different words and sometimes again I Hades when it's used in Scripture it it it's emphasizing what's being emphasized. There is just that the picture of death. The picture of the grave. Revelation chapter 6 verse eight.

For example, I looked, and behold a pale green horse and the one seated on it. Was named death and Hades followed after him. And authority was granted to them over 1/4 of the earth, to kill by the sword by famine by pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth is against his picture of death, destruction, the grave hope that that clears it up for you a little bit Michael in terms of some of the ties between Hades, hell, death, and may the Lord bless you know regardless of what they call it. I'm just glad I'm not going there.

Yeah me to let me know if that's the hope that we have as as Christians what were celebrating as I was saying earlier this this upcoming Easter is the fact that that grave Hades death's been conquered by Jesus. And this is one of the great hopes that we have the ultimate hope that we have as Christians.

The resurrection of the dead in the life of the world to come score Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine, theology, or your Christian life committee intersects with what's going on in today's world.

In today's culture. Feel free to give us a call 833-843-2673. That's 833 the core by the way, you can also email us any questions you have questions at core, Christianity.com here's an email from one of our listeners named Jim she says dear pastor, atrial I've been married for just two years and my husband and I strongly disagree on how to participate in the cultural traditions of Christmas and Easter as a family. For example, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. My question is, how should I address this with my husband because we want to be on the same page, especially since we are new parents, but neither of us can convince the other that there point of view is correct. Hey well congratulations as as new parents and may God bless your family, you know, in situations like this.

Obviously you want to come together and be charitable with each other. Gracious obviously means that the that one of the biggest issues I think that a lot of times we have as couples. This is communication and and communicating well, it's a talking about your each coming together with maybe you know different traditions that you were raised with in your own family things that you would want to pass along to your own children. I don't think that this needs to be seen, as it is an issue of of sin or ill will it be wrong for us to know. Have a Christmas feast, or have a Christmas tree even sometimes people ask that question and the site is that is that pagan is that idolatrous and is this is the that's, that's going too far right of that's that's overthinking it really Paul says in Romans chapter 14 verse 13 therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer but rather decided never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean for if your brother is greeted by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love is so here I think encouragement for for you and for your spouse, you need to walk in love, you need to communicate with each other clearly about this is what were were hoping to do.

Obviously, like I said is not it's not an issue of sin, but your thinking about how to raise your children. I would say with regard to you know thinking about these these celebrations that are happening in and broader culture. And of course others nothing in Scripture that prescribes that we need to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on a particular one particular day out of the year, we the treat that day is special is we don't have these religious holidays under the new covenant, but Paul says that it don't don't judge one another with regard to these these days and under one person wants to steam one day another person wants to steam every day alike. I think we can be charitable. Here we can be loving, and so so That continue to have that that conversation and try to get to the root of maybe what the concerns are. But ultimately, I would say in whatever you do, and in whatever way you quote" observe the day I would see you do it, to the glory of God.

That's you want for yourself or your for your families focusing on that on glorifying the Lord on loving each other and fixing your eyes on Christ and his his birth or his resurrection from the dead. God bless great answer of Israel.

What about those little candy chicks what what about those okay for extremists.

You know that there's a lot of debate among biblical scholars about whether or not peeps are okay and I am of the I am a part of the group that says definitely. I like peeps but I know many people waiting to be scandalized when they hear them is a distinct sugar covered marshmallow. How can that be God my daughter put one in the microwave last year and it did not turn out loud since you let a chef on your hands, Bill. That's what good is this the score Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez were so glad that you're with us today. Let's go back to the phones and we have D on the line from Nashville, Tennessee hi Dee how are you doing great thank you don't been studying a lot about assurance lately and what's frustrating to me is how many authors and preachers will say that neither Lordship salvation nor antinomianism are accurate but they don't define what that middle area is and so I find it every Christian I've ever known. Sort of falls in between where we do care about obedience, but there may be some problem areas of life that are harder to rid yourself of those sense than others and some of us may never fully conquer every sin in our life but I think most of us would say that no one ever will.

But then it we are to believe that a person salvation can be determined by their actions, then someone needs to define where that line is and how does a Christian does have some trouble spots in their life that they're working on and sometimes they're more victorious than others. How can that person know within themselves whether they are just struggling with that area of sanctification or whether they're fooling themselves about the state of personal D excellent questions and and because you threw out a lot of big words there. I want to I want to provide some definitions of the one mentioned Lordship salvation. There is a debate among some seminaries actually at the was around the 1980s related to this question.

It was the sort of Lordship salvation free grace, debate, and the idea was right there were some people were saying you know it you're not saving us you really make Jesus the Lord of your life. 100% and and you've repented and you committed yourself to God.

And of course Nina, like you said he wouldn't do that perfectly we we we continue to sin against God and thought, word and deed, but there was I think a big emphasis upon the fruit of salvation. So if you're saved, you're really going to bear fruit, you're going to make Jesus the Lord of your life and that fruit is the evidence of grace in your life and there were others. Maybe you know the sort of pendulum shift. On the other side that that the free grace.

Theology was sometimes referred to as other times people called antinomianism and you drop that word is a word it just means lawlessness and it was the idea that no person believes in Jesus but their life may not be changed very much and they can still be saved and they're going to be saved and end the extreme of that view was of no person can say a prayer, believe in Jesus and maybe not experience any real significant change outwardly and live for you know the majority of their life in rebellion to God and once is that you know that they really believed at some point and they are going to go to heaven and there does not have a lot of rewards in heaven, so that this was a debate that was happening. Now how do we help an individual is impractical because the question is how do we help an individual and I know that there people listening right now who have this question who they look at their life and they think am I really a Christian, do I really believe in Jesus.

There are sometimes right. I feel like I am safe. I am a believer in their other times, especially in those moments where I'm really struggling with sin or with doubts about the fate that I think maybe I'm not a Christian at all. Maybe I don't belong to the Lord.

Where can we get assurance will the Lordship salvation folks think what they what they focused on is what you get assurance from your obedience from the things that you do. And of course there are places in the New Testament to talk about examining yourself and I and the fact that the spirit of God is at work in us to put to death the sinful deeds of the body Paul in Romans chapter 6 through eight. Raise the doctrine of sanctification, and so there is some of that but but here's the thing that I want to say is that cannot be the, the, the, the, the main thing when it comes to assurance because the reality is for those who have a sensitive conscience for those who struggle to to grasp onto assurance the assurance that that I think they should have as Christians. Oftentimes they look at and they still see that indwelling sin that we all see inside was that the guy boy you know I mean I do do some good things, but I know that I continually fall short.

So where else can we look for assurance wealth, but some people will point to Romans chapter 8 what we sometimes referred to as the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit that the spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, is the subjective right that the fact that we belong to Jesus's Spirit lives in us and we have this sense that we belong to God, but that we are his children adopted into the family and so we cry out again. As Paul says there in Romans chapter 8 Abba father. That's also somewhat subjective. Just like sort of looking at our works is I think fundamentally, and this is where I think that the Lordship camp was was off fundamentally when it comes to assurance what we need to go to is the promise of the gospel. Something outside of us, not not within us. But something outside of us, God's holy word where he has spoken to us in his word and also immediately ordinances that I was talking about earlier baptism and the Lord's supper. These these tokens of God's grace of his goodwill towards us, even as sinners and we cling to those we cling ultimately to the promise of God, and that's what angers us. Now if you want some Scripture on this and I know I'm going a little bit long but I just think that this is really really important as I know a lot of people have this question. If you want some Scripture on this Hebrews chapter 6.

Towards the end of of the passage. The author, the Hebrews talks about the promise of God that anchors our soul absent or read this text for when God made a promise to Abraham verse 13 of Hebrews 6. Since he had no one greater by whom to swear. He swore by himself saying, surely I will bless you and multiply you, and thus Abraham having patiently waited obtain the promise for people swear by something greater than themselves in all their disputes and oath is final for confirmation so when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we that's us. We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this hope we have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus is gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek friends. If you're struggling with assurance and you look in.

You think you know I've seen some change, but I know it's not perfect. I still struggle with sin and in you think a will or will there are days where I feel like I am a child of God. I pray to God, I cried. I will Abba father but but you know there other times I really wonder here's here's a they will guy would say to you, look away from yourself. Look up to the objective promise of the gospel in Jesus Christ.

The anchor of your soul is not your own obedience to God your own faithfulness and nothing will snap quickly and will will be adrift at sea, the anchor of your soul is Jesus Christ your great high priest ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of the father who ever lives to make intercession for you and who has promised to forgive all of your sins by faith, so that when you come to him, saying, Lord, forgive me. I've done it again. I'm struggling you know, not on the basis of how you feel. Your feelings will come and go, you know, on the basis of the word of the king, who cannot lie, that your sins are forgiven you belong to Jesus and in that you can have assurance and so II would say you know those are the things Scripture gives us week we can write, think about how the Lord is changed our lives, our works, but that's not the primary thing we do have the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit. Yes Romans chapter 8 and that's another evidence, but the main thing we flee to is to the cross of Jesus Christ for sinners and you cling to that cross brothers and sisters, and it's there beneath the cross of Jesus for sinners that we begin to experience. I believe assurance and comfort in the gospel and get friends, I am so I went out longer on that question. In particular, but I know so many of you wrestle with this question I did in my own life is as a newer believer and boy what a comfort we have in the gospel. The object of word of God to sinners, your sins are forgiven. Thank you for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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