Where Does Patriotism Fit In the Christian Life?

Where does patriotism fit in the Christian life that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi 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. Would love to hear from you in our phone lines are open right now for the next 25 minutes or so, here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites and we have a YouTube channel.

If you on there right now you can watch a drill live in the studio and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to John in St. Louis, Missouri. John what your question for Israel in the last drug people with obesity by Arabs and in what form the feeling you know like I don't know you will like them all to know what what what forms of birth, like they do not know the product they don't deny marriages and all the other things that are contrary Gabor and one more thing, when Jesus comes returns its faith that he will know he will be riding on a horse and that he will know me though. Whatever the walls of the antichrist differ from when Jesus was laying on the thousand years that after that paid John quite a few questions the Army so we talk about just Revelation 19.

I believe right there. Jesus on on the horse coming in judgment. You also brought up first Timothy four which is in the latter days.

Many will depart from the face, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons and then Paul as he is. He rightly mentions aces to the insincerity of liars, whose consciences are seared who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth, it seems like that the heresy there.

The issue was a low view of creation and of the body. This sort of spirit body dualism and in this was what came to be referred to in time as the heresy of Gnosticism. One of the early heresies that was plaguing the church that Christians addressing in needed to address and so so that that seems to be what Paul is getting at in first Timothy chapter 4, or at least something that was was related to that and then also you you brought up this idea of Satan coming deceptively as is an angel of light that language comes from second Corinthians chapter 11 were Paul speaking of the, the false apostles if you will, he says, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his serve servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Now just getting to your two questions, what is this end times deception going to look like well the spirit of the antichrist is already at work in the world were told very clearly in first John, and the goal of Antichrist is to take our our focus off of Jesus off of his person who he is the eternal son of God, the second person of the holy Trinity. Let's confuse people and is what would be the evil one evil one wants to do… Get back to confuse people about the identity of Jesus is deity in his incarnation, and also confuse people about what he did for us that the sacrifice of Christ for us and for the forgiveness of our sin.

So however, the spirit of the antichrist can do that.

He'll do that today and that's that's the deception it's it's taking our eyes off of Christ.

His person and work and and fixing our attention to anything else really is happy to fix our attention on anything else. It's I think that we have to watch out for in the way we guard against that is by being filled with the spirit letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly to know Jesus as he's revealed himself in his word and then with regard to Christ coming in judgment to judge the world. Specifically, at the time of the second coming, which we read about in places like second Thessalonians. That's after this period of rain. The rain that's described in Revelation chapter 20 which I take to be by the present reign of Christ. We know according to Paul, for example, in first Corinthians 15 that Jesus is right now raining in the midst of his enemies that he's ascended into heaven that is enthroned in a very real sense of thinking at this.

Also, in acts chapter 2, and in other places in the New Testament, so that's clear. And right now Jesus is raining in the midst of his enemies and were looking forward to the day where he returns to judge the whole world and so that that seen in Revelation chapter 20 where it talks about the millennial reign of Christ. I think that's describing the church age if you will that that the time that were currently in is Jesus reigns from heaven for this very long period of time, subduing his enemies it in leading up to the second coming, the final judgment, and so thank you again John for all of those questions and may God bless you as you continue to dig in the word and real, just a follow-up question for you.

You mentioned that passage about the letting of the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you survey the church today, especially as a pastor. Do you think that the average Christian in America right now is letting the word of Christ dwell richly in their hearts. Well – I think I think if you were painting with a broad brush.

I would say no I don't think I don't think on average, many of us are putting the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts and it's a great tragedy and that and I think the evidence of that is that you know there been a number of studies done just pertaining to biblical literacy in the church today and it's really clear that we aren't literate when it comes to the Scriptures when it comes to basic theology which you and I'm glad you asked Bill because it's it's another opportunity for us to plug you know that the work that we're doing here.

We want to help you be you know literate in the Scriptures but do know those core doctrines of the Christian faith that are that are central to what we believe is Christians and yet so often not understood by the majority of people who go to church today and so so know there's a lot of a lot of work to be done and I think we have to we have to continually go back to the Scriptures and back to the gospel so that we can we can let it take deep root into our hearts and into our own lives are so well said by the way, if you believe in what Israel just said that's really the purpose are one of the purposes of this radio program and if you are a regular listener and you believe in what we do and you feel like God might be prompting you to support core Christianity would like to invite you to join a special group of people that we call our inner core. Yeah, this is a group of people that supports us with the monthly gift of $25 or more a huge encouragement to me in an I know to the rest of the team and it's how were able to continue to produce the content that we that we put together here.

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Go to core Christianity.com/inner core, we do receive emails and you can email us anytime with your question about the doctrine, theology, Christian life, you name it. If you have doubts about the Christian faith would be open to your questions as well. Here's our email is questions at core, Christianity.com there's an email from David Averill. He says I've heard you say that Christians should first and foremost remember their status as belonging to God's kingdom rather than to their nation. Most Christians I know agree with this. What does this mean Christians can't be patriotic or care about the status of their country.

If you only think about yourself as a citizen of God's kingdom, you might become what some say is to heavenly minded for any earthly good yet appreciate the question. Thanks for the opportunity to to clarify a little bit.

No I mean I think we should totally be, you know, grateful for the many blessings that God gives to us. I think if you live in United states like I do. Being grateful for the blessings of the Lord is given to us here and and justice wherever you are missile it in terms of being patriotic know there's there's nothing wrong with that me just like anything good. It can go bad places and I think that's where you know I were there been warnings in the past, or we we've sought to address issues I think.

I think it's it's when you take the sort of patriotism you make it ultimate when you begin to sort of deify if you will, of a particular nation of the world, a combination of the world is only one holy nation, according to the New Testament message church of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the Christian nation on earth today scattered abroad throughout the whole world, but were also part of the kingdoms of this world and that's a reality that were were told about in the New Testament, and we should seek the good of the places where the Lord has us in participating in society and seek to do good to our neighbors and in seek to engage with that broader society in a way that is honoring to the Lord and respectful and ultimately as as I said, full of Thanksgiving for the blessings of the Lord has given us wherever wherever we are, that the reality of our heavenly citizenship is something that we see throughout the New Testament. I mean that the text I often go to is Paul's words in Philippians chapter 3 I where he says in verse 20 is in the context of of warning against false false teachers.

He says in verse 20.

Our citizenship is in heaven and he is talking about the heavenly Jerusalem. There, that's that's home for us as believers, our citizenship is in heaven and from heaven. From it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself know there's a lot of there's a lot of debate unhelpful. I think debate sometimes what we do we get into discussions about patriotism about in our heavenly citizenship and in people just assume what what does that mean you're saying that I can't be proud. You know, on 4 July.

Like many, was again to be like to be celebrating here coming up will no not at all not at all in it that we can have you know, like I said a high view of our heavenly citizenship that that's primary and as you said in your in your email you. You know the that you agree with that. Well also. You know celebrating that the good things that God gives us here and and certainly we we should it want one thing I'll say you said well if we were so focused on our heavenly citizenship. Doesn't that we were to be neglecting this world around us. I mean, I think. I think it could mean that that's a danger, but not before doing it the right way. I think the more heavenly minded. We are actually the better we engage with society. Civil civil society even CS Lewis has this wonderful line in the book mere Christianity that if you section this is what he says is when a reader is a continually a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not as some modern people think a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next the apostles themselves who set on foot. The conversion of the Roman Empire. The great men who built up the middle ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with have been. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in payment earth and you will get neither. Lewis said again. That's a quote from his book mere Christianity and so and so I think the more were focused on our heavenly citizenship and the more we understand it, the more will be better citizens of the United States or wherever it is that we live, and so thank you again for that question. God bless your Fourth of July celebration and other quote just reminds me again to commend all of our listeners to read core Christian to read the mere Christianity by CS Lewis.

It can be a little bit daunting at times because of his British language, but man is such a powerful book.

I'm so glad you shared that passage, so please go to library get a copy of mere Christianity and him and tackle it. Maybe the summer.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life maybe how your Christian walk intersects with what's happening in today's culture were open to any questions 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 will be taking calls for the next eight minutes or so.

So jump on the phone right now let's go to Brandon in Nashville Tennessee. Brandon what your question for pastor atrial. Again, thank you for Marco so I know Matthew Mark Luke and John are all very similar in a similar book so I have a comic challenge if you can give movie title names to differentiate or validity. I love challenges on the air. Brandon and I love movies to so this is that this is a fun one. So movie movie title names for the four Gospels. I guess if before thinking about the gospel of Matthew and Matthew you know you giving us a picture of Israel's Messiah and maybe maybe maybe that that the gospel of Matthew could be titled, you know, Jesus the Messiah. Something like that meet the K-1 has come, the king is come there, you may bill your way better with the movie title Sago bills and help me out with this.

The king is come right that the that the Messiah has come in throughout the gospel of Matthew have so many references to the Old Testament, proving that Jesus is indeed the anointed one, the Messiah, Mark's gospel is so interesting about Mark's gospel as it is the shortest of the gospel is also very fast-paced things are happening immediately one after the other and and so it seems like it's action-packed, maybe we could sit.

Mark's gospel was the action. The action movie first and and if the focus there being Jesus as the son of God and so I do know Bill what you think son of God, fast-paced some action what he what you say keeping up with the sun. I don't know.

Sorry Brandon, your own ethics Luke let's say Lucas is the only historical record sort of a one of things I love about Luke's gospel just how it begins because Luke starts off by basically saying it. Look, here's what I'm here's what I'm doing. Verse one. Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us. Just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us. It seemed good to me. Also, having followed all things closely for some time past to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Sort of like a an investigative documentary.

Maybe that's that the movie that Luke has for us.

I mean that's what he says rail and I'm laying this out for you.

This orderly account of what we've thinks I want you to be certain of the gospel of who Jesus is and what he's done and so let's say let's say you know certainty in Christ could be the title and then for the gospel of John.

John is really you get to the end of the gospel and and he says very clearly in writing these things so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ. It's it's it's this argument if you will throughout the gospel in the evangelistic argument throughout the gospel that that wants you, the individual reading the book to believe and so it's it's very persuasive it's giving evidence signs, various signs of throughout the ministry of Jesus. Other compelling to believe in who he is and so a gig again. I think I would say Jesus the Lord or something like that is because especially in the gospel of John, you have that that focus on the deity of Christ on him being the uncreated one, the one who made all things I in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And so that gives you a snapshot of some of the differences sorry because those movie titles aren't that good. Bill is your fault.

I didn't think that he suggested that great but I only suggested the Matthew you want asked the LSI kite.

I did have one for for Luke, because never he was a doctor okay to call the doctor's diary like a narrative not built on with it. The doctor's diary so that I do know how many people watch that movie I'm okay with. I'm okay with that was a Brandon. Hopefully you can come up with some with some better titles than we did, and that information will help you with those titles appreciate your your challenge in your question.

God bless Craig this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go back to the phones. Karina is on the line from St. Louis, Missouri career.

What your question for atrial ideas, good afternoon and thank you for taking my call. I am a Bible believing Christian and I believe it to be the true word of God in all 10 and my children have been raised. Likewise, and I have a conflict and I don't know how to interpret it.

And worst of all, I don't know how to think like children when they asked me about it. We drive around town. You see all these different churches with gay banners and display colors, and you know all that stuff with. I think all we believe were all God's children and everybody's welcome hearing on all this without my kids because I'm teaching them love the sinner, hate sin and I tell them we should not hate gay people. We should let them break and prayed about them how to cling to them what churches are doing. Thank you for that. For that question that it is important one and I love that you're wanting to talk to kids about this. I think it's really important that from a young age were able to help our kids discern between good churches. The other kinds of churches that are faithful to the word of God and churches that you know might have might have buildings and call themselves churches but reject mean of the teaching of the Christian faith. The ethics of the Christian faith, and there are many churches that have done that and you know what Karina that's that's that's something that's been happening since the days of the apostles this Sunday. I'm preaching on Jesus's letter to the church in Thyatira and he says the mine. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your ladder works exceed the first, but I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and his teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols that would you you have somebody in the church. Jesus says who saying it's okay to practice sexual immorality whose leading the, the, the ideologies of the broader pagan culture take over and infiltrate the church so that the church is beginning to do things that are our compromise compromising the truth and so and so I think one thing that we can say to our kids look this is a real issue. That is, that is been around since the days of the apostles and Jesus calls churches to repent, to be faithful to his word onto what he says in his law about that which is good and right and to reject those things that that the Bible says you know what were not to celebrate we know it. Anything that that leads people astray that holds them captive to sin. Bondage. But those are things that we rejoice in or celebrate or put banners on our our churches for having that just that she is so in one sense, right.

Like I think that that there there waving a flag to say hey were okay with this, were inviting you to come here and were knocking to call you to repentance were knocking to call you to, you know, repent of your sin won't permit probably not refer to these things as sin, and in that sense I think what they're doing just what what the false prophetess. Jezebel did that Jesus is speaking about here teaching the servants of God to commit sexual immorality and and again this is something that Christ rejects. I think it's something that we should reject, and I think it's so important for us as Christians in the world today in in in in the church today to hold fast to the truth of God's word, but I really also appreciate Karina that you that you recognize that were called to love all people loving all people, and this is the other part of the conversation doesn't mean affirming everything that they do or just get whatever you want to do is find me as you raise your kids, you know this, there are things that our children want that we say no you can't just have this right now. This is not the best thing for you loving all people means been honest and truthful and ultimately speaking the truth in love and so and so I would say it's having those two things together is a firm conviction in the truth of God's word and loving those people that God calls us to love so that they might experience the grace and forgiveness of Jesus just as we have. Thank you so much for your question. 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.

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