Why Did Jesus Allow Demons to Possess Pigs?

Why did Jesus sent demons into pigs 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. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 might want to make a note of that number you can call is actually any time you leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day at 833 the core. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can check us out on YouTube and always email us your question here is the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com. Today let's go to John in St. Louis, Missouri. John what your question for Pastor Israel hey Johnny, there I think we lost John Nora go to an email question that we received from one of our listeners.

This is from Linda and she says how do you know if you're struggling because God is testing you, or because he's telling you not to go down a certain path as it is a great question.

So one well what if God said in his word.

What is his revealed will, according to his law. Sometimes we do struggle because we break God's law were disciplined when when we sin, and this is one of the wonderful things about the Lord. Just let us go down the wrong path in disobedience to his law without disciplining us as his children is something you see in the Old Testament and New Testament as as well.

But then sometimes we experience hardships in life and were not sure we know why we're experiencing them to seem like we've we've done anything wrong. You know what what is what's going on here is it that the Lord is trying to teach us something.

I think one passage of Scripture that we can go to is the encouragement that James gives early on in in the book of James in James chapter 1 he says in verse two, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing about what an encouragement there a difficult encouragement therefrom. James counted all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds are going to come you think what Jesus said in in John chapter 16 in this world you will have tribulation. So for expecting life in the Christian life to be a life without trials, without tribulation were were just wrong that's not true, according to Jesus, not according to James, the question is how do we respond to these things and that's where were called the perseverance to to faithfulness to even joy. James says because it is the testing of our faith that produces steadfastness in other words, do the trial, God is working in you he's shaping you more and more into the image of his son Jesus as we draw near to him and so really a difficult encouragement there, but something work were called to an end. Like I guess I would just differentiate between the those sort of trials that we experience throughout life.

As Christians, walking with the Lord and the discipline of the Lord that comes when were disobedient to his word and and so I think if you if you keep those two things in mind that'll help to clarify for you what it is that you're experiencing in any given moment. Your listing to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to a voicemail that came in from one of our callers. This is Amy. And as you when Peter went at that man and that one that had many and demanded okay. I was wondering why you would entertain them at all and then want Ayn Rand to pay and the pig died where that they got such a strange story in the Gospels right. I remember preaching through this text.

Years ago when I was preaching to the gospel of Mark. Mark chapter 5 really verses one through 20 men and this is a guy who beat he really is in bad shape. We read early on in in chapter 5, verse one. They came the other side of the seed. The count country of the garrisons and when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain for it, often been bound with shackles and chains but he retched he wrenched the chains apart and he broke the shackles in pieces.

No one had the strength to subdue them night and day among the tombs and on the mountains.

He was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him and crying out with a loud voice he said, what have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the most high God, I'd sure you by God. Do not torment me what he was saying to him come out of the man you unclean spirit, and Jesus asked him, what is your name and replied, my name is Legion for we are many, and he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside and they begged him, saying, send us to the pigs. Let us enter them.

So we gave them permission and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs in the herd, numbering about 2000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

Okay, I wanted to read that text one because it's it's kind of scary. You think about the description of this guy, but boy, just the compassion of our Lord Jesus here. Here's a guy who seems like he's totally beyond salvation he's lost his mind. He lives in the graveyard in the tombs he howls at the moon.

He cuts himself with stones. People have tried to lock him up that did chain him up, and yet he keeps breaks the chains he has this superhuman strength and yet when he sees Jesus he falls down before him while in you think of Jesus, the eternal son of God with power, with authority casting the demons out and sending them into the pigs. Now why pigs will. Here's a guy with an unclean spirit. Pigs were this unclean animal.

He sends him into the pigs and they go into the sea and in often in Scripture. The sea is immune.

This is a story, a historical account of the sea throughout the Bible, and in particular in a sort of poetic books of Scripture, even in the prophets, as well as is this place of turmoil.

This place of you know that the sea is where the monsters live so it's almost as if what's being depicted here is Jesus sending these these demons into these unclean pigs and down into the sea back from whence they came up the place of turmoil. The place of destruction at exotic that's that some of the imagery that we are that we are getting here and end up. The point is that Jesus delivers this man that he redeems him that he saves him that there is hope for people no matter how far gone, and that hope is Jesus Christ. And so a really I think it an amazing story there, and one which should encourage us to pray for the people around us with a man that person is so far gone there there never to come to the Lord will look at look at the story look at what Jesus is able to do and pray with that kind of confidence. Lord you are able.

We look to you.

I've never looked at a ham sandwich.

The same ever since I read that you have a more right that actually is not true. I give up bacon so blurted out, this is Corker's yet they were faster Israel Sanchez.

Here's our phone number if you want to leave us a voicemail with your question.

It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 would also like to invite you to join what we call our inner core. This is a very special group of people who believe strongly in what we do here core Christianity and they support this program on a monthly basis and would like to invite you to be part of that group. Yeah if you been blessed by core, Christianity, and if you want to support us and help us to continue to get the word out.

You can join the inner core. We send every inner core member. A copy of the book core Christianity by Dr. Michael Horton wonderful theologian it's geeks get into the deep core doctrines of the Christian faith that are going to help you in your walk with the Lord grow closer to Jesus and so with that what you set up that a number of other resources to our inner core members. I do a monthly devotional video devotional that we send out to inner core members. It's a monthly donation of $25 or more. It really helps us continue to get the word out and so if you want to partner with us to that end, join inner core. Check it out@corechristianity.com/inner core and you know what we could really use some additional inner core members yourself if that something you feel God might be leading you to do, go to our website. Core, Christianity.com/inner core. To learn more, let's go to Crystal in Biggs Oklahoma hi Crystal, what your question for pastor atrial shave gel 26 said and added teaching a child in a way that he shall go, he shall not depart from it. And you know the reading first Samuel chapter 8, the Israelites came up to profit and lawn at Hayden when it came the rain over because you spend do not walk in your way and I know that Daniel was a praying man for shares fell kind of wondering when things happen back without Crystal business phone number quickly. Do you mean you know like is is a contradiction here because Proverbs 22 says if you train up a child the way you should go. He's knocking to depart from it. And yet you seem it is seems like their examples throughout the Bible in places like first Samuel where where just the opposite happens were people receive godly instruction, but then they go astray is that we are asking you now and I really do believe that each child up in the way of the Lord with my daughter. I know I really have think that they will not depart from it. That you now and contradiction answered, wondering how did you handle actually not walk in his lazy because I know Daniel is definitely a praying man. Yeah, great question and God bless you as you as you seek to the love your your daughter and teacher about Jesus.

So first when were looking at the book of Proverbs are looking at that wisdom literature and you have these general principles that are true, and often times you have these these sort of short one-liners. You know, if you do this.

This will happen if you don't do this. This will happen good and bad, right but you also have other Proverbs and you also have other books of the wisdom literature, which was sort of, I think, are meant to be read together so you have like the general principles in the book of Proverbs, do good, and good happens but then you also have other books in the wisdom literature, like the book of Ecclesiastes in the book of Job where you have a guy seem like a lot of really good things, and yet really bad stuff happened to mom. Thinking of of Job, for example.

And so the Proverbs and Proverbs like Proverbs 22 verse six don't mean that. It's just sort of lift this easy formula. If you just do this, then this is going to happen 100% of the time all the time now is general wisdom principles were called to we do train our children in the in the nurture and admonition of the Lord we take in the church we we share the gospel with them. We live lives as followers of Christ. There can be good examples good models and that really is the main thing in terms of helping pass the faith on to our children. We know it's it's primarily and ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit and God uses us in that process, but that it really really is a work of of the Holy Spirit. There is a sociologist named Christian Smith. He just recently wrote a book on passing the faith down to our children. He said, look them.

The main thing the law all the research is showing parents, we have the primary influence on our children in terms of them being religious, that is them embracing these truth and you know we don't want to again view it as a sort of formula. We know that it's it's the Holy Spirit, but I think that's with me emphasizing Proverbs chapter 22 verse six is do your job as as a parent, but I know a lot of parents who really know serve their children. None of us are perfect took them to church and later in life there their children are walking with the Lord are really struggling in their faith is God a liar know because again, this is just general principle, wisdom literature, and so I think we need to continue to do is be faithful to the word of God.

Be faithful to teach our children to call our children back to the truth that they maybe once professed if they've if they turned away, but to continue to set that example for them and and to share the love of Jesus with them over and over again and so no contradiction their sister and just I think all the more we see those stories, it should drive us to our knees to pray to say Lord I've done my best but I know I'm not a perfect parent, you need to intervene, you need to working in the heart of my signer in the heart of my daughter so that they might love and know your truth and that's that's what we do we go to prayer and we set our eyes upon the Lord and ask him to do the work that only he can do. Thanks Christopher your question.

Thank you, Crystal.

We appreciate you and the fact that you are really trying to do your best to be a godly mother and raise your children in the Lord. That's wonderful. In this day and age we really admire you for that. This is core Christianity let's go to John and St. Louis Missouri. John what your question for pastor atrial for doing Babylon. Babylon old harlot that all the nations that are precluded through the Antichrist coming into the worried all personal vanity) and I'm sick of all involved. When Jesus returns back to strengthen and cast all the Antichrist into the lake of fire and under.

It them then Satan is released about two years after Christ's return line for about marital Denny's bennies to be relation again to call you against Israel are against the kingdom of Israel it is that is bad already. When Christ is already established his kingdom. They got a few questions there.

So first, with regard to Babylon the harlot that you're referring to Revelation chapter 17 below.

Just read that that tax in one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, and I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters might just talk about waters and how they're sometimes used in Scriptures as this picture of turmoil or nations people's that's what's being referred to here in verse one with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality and with the wine of who sexual morality. The dwellers on earth have become drunk and he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns.

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality and on her forehead was written the name of mystery, Babylon the great mother of prostitutes and of the earth's abominations and I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

Note Babylon here is being used symbolically.

Of course many years prior to this. Babylon was the nation that came against God's people that that led them into exile in captivity for a period of time you think of you think of that the captivity that God's prophets even experienced there in Babylon you think of King Nebuchadnezzar raises this picture of this world wide power.

In Revelation 17 it's it's depicted as rich luxurious, you know, maybe on the outside it looks really really beautiful, really powerful, decked out in the best closed arrayed in purple and scarlet, and yet there is immorality of adultery idolatry. That's what characterizes Babylon here is what is being used symbolically for this system. This government if you will that persecutes the saints that persecutes the church then comes against them is really exit quite interesting Peter when he writes in in first Peter chapter 5 he talks about Rome as a sort of new Babylon in first Peter chapter 5 when he sang his in his farewell at the end of the book he says is she who is it Babylon, verse 30 work verse 13, who is likewise chosen sends you greetings and so does Mark.

My son greet one another with the kiss of love, peace to all who are in Christ Jesus. She who is at Babylon there is is probably a reference to the Roman Empire as the sort of new Babylon persecuting the Saints as a wheel.

I said that Babylon and Scripture stands for these these great and powerful governments that are characterized by sexual immorality, by wealth, by riches, but they make a stand against the people of God, then so throughout the history of the church you had Babylon -like kingdoms rise up and yet they all crumble as as you say, and ultimately will be done away with. At the last day. Now, in terms of the chronology you mentioned on the binding of Satan were thinking then of Revelation chapter 20 just a few chapters later, and there are a few different ways of looking at this the way I take it.

Revelation 20 that if you look at places like me and in the Gospel of John, where Jesus says essentially that he come to bind the evil one and that happens through his cross through what he did what he accomplished there on Calvary, so I would see Revelation 20. The binding of Satan. Is this the symbolic act that keeps Satan from deceiving the nations that the gospel can go out to the Gentile world, which is what essentially happened immediately after Jesus ascension you know that the gospel is spreading from Jerusalem to Judeo to the uttermost parts of the earth is what you see in in the book of acts, other other ways of taking the, the binding of same. That's how I take it and so if you want to follow-up. Feel free to give us another call. Thank you for for your question. A lot of these questions on end times in the book of Revelation. So we love hearing from you. Thanks, John. Just a reminder we have a great Bible study on the book of Revelation. You can find that out our website core, Christianity.com/Revelation just a great study that will be really helpful to you again.

Core, Christianity.com/Revelation also reminder that you can leave us a voicemail with your question 24 hours a day.

Our phone lines are open. Call us at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 is a voicemail from Ethan in Minnesota. My question is from Paul Manning chapter 2 verse 14 but whenever Gentiles, who do not a lot you instinctively what the law required.

They are a lot to themselves or unto themselves even though they do not have law. I'm just curious what her speed.

Thank you very much. Yeah. So in these early chapters of the book of Romans, Paul is highlighting basically the fact that the entire world is under God's condemnation Jews because they rejected his law of the law that was given to them they don't live in line with the law.

This is something that that Paul highlights but also Gentiles because they sin against the very law that's written on their hearts. You think of just just conscience the sort of natural law that everyone has this this, the knowledge of right and wrong. If you will just talking to my neighbor last night we were able to have a conversation about the gospel and about this very thing I was still look, I don't have to teach my kids that there is something right in that there something wrong. They know when when my brother or sister take something from me or hits me. I want to to enforce justice. I want him back or or take something from them. You know, sort of an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth Rome to go to mom or dad and tell on them because I've been hurt something wrong is happening tell my kids that's wrong. They had to sort of sense of justice, even from birth and I and that's part of what Paul is is getting at here in Romans with regard to the Gentile so that you sin with the law that God is given to them is revealed it to them very clearly. Gentiles sin against the law that's in their own hearts, their conscience and all have sinned then and fallen short of the glory of God. It were all justly condemned is what the apostle Paul is is highlighting there in Romans chapters 1 and two, even going as far as they look.

Everyone even if they never hear the gospel we get this question sometimes you know what a people who never heard the gospel hardly to be justly judge what he says in Romans chapter 1. Even people who haven't heard the gospel right think they can see enough about who God is, from creation unit is divine attributes is power. The fact that he is the creator that that that that knowledge and of itself. That sense of God that they have through creation is enough to hold them accountable because we take that knowledge and what we do with it we suppress it. Paul says in in unrighteousness. We would rather instead of seeking the true God and worshiping the true God would rather turn to creation and worship this world, money, success, power relationships, you know trees that the stars those kinds of anything. The pagan nations, and so this is is universal condemnation that Paul is highlighting here, why so that he can lead us to the cross. Send look all of us have sinned all of us a fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone Jew and Gentile alike is under God's just judgment and condemnation. That's why we need the gospel of Jesus Christ. And there's a transition point in chapter 3 in verse 21 he says, but now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

For there is no distinction.

He says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jews and Gentiles, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that this is you can foresee the argument as he's been making look that the gospel is central but all of us have rejected God's word, his revelation through creation.

We've sinned so God sent his son into the world to redeem lawbreakers to save people who didn't deserve it and that's the point that the apostle Paul is making there in the early chapters of Genesis. We although that there is a God. We have this sense of God, just through creation called the turn to the true and living God through his son Jesus Christ.

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