Should Christians Avoid Theology and Stick to the Bible?

Christians avoid theology and just stick to the Bible. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi, I'm Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. We pray that you had a wonderful Independence Day. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day and you can call us right now with your question. At 833 the court our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so, so feel free to call right now 1-833-843-2673 course you can also post your question on one of our social media sites and you're always welcome to email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to a voicemail from one of her listeners named Patty area and really blessed my life last year when they say you shall not use the Lord's name in vain.

What that really mean I've heard a couple of different take on that is that the language that you the way you referred to him and respectfully are just respectfully, I would really love some clarification on that and thank you for your time. Thank you for your question Patty.

So this gets us right into the 10 Commandments Exodus chapter 20 were talking about the third commandment. Verse seven you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. If you think of the name as the way in which one that communicates who they are reveals themselves. We can broaden this out some to realize that this commitment. Specifically, has to do with God has revealed himself to his people. So taking God's name in vain is the irreverent use of, or thought of even any of the means through which God has made himself known to his people. We can think of, you know how he makes himself known through the word through the ordinances that Jesus gave to the church baptism and the Lord's supper. So the minimizing of those things of those those places where God has revealed himself to his people, so that can also include I think the way in which we speak and in particular how we use God's name, but I think I think often times when people think of of the third commandment they they limit it to just that not taking the Lord's name in vain.

In that way, but I think it's it's got a broader application. The other text of Scripture that I would go to is Jesus a sermon sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 where he talks about oaths that we take and he says in verse 33 again you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn but I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God or by the earth, for it is his footstool or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King and do not take an oath by your by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply yes or no. Anything more than that comes from evil and so here you see this idea of the way in which we use our words. In particular, the way in which we we talk about God. I'm taking oaths specifically and furthers this reverence that we as the people of God should have, for the Lord, for how he's revealed himself to us and we want to be careful that you know it as we think about this because of the text there and in Exodus 20 were seven is very clear. God will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain and so we want to honor the Lord by having a high view of all of those ways that God reveals himself to his people and again I would.

I would just say some of those are the preaching of the word. The ordinances that Jesus gave in always and in our speech communicating in ways that bring glory to the Lord. Thank you for your question Patty, thanks for that intro. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now were taking your calls for the next 20 minutes or so, maybe you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life. Maybe you have some doubts about Christianity or maybe you even belong to a different religious faith and you're wondering about the claims that Jesus made the truth of Christianity would love to hear from you as well are always open to calls from atheists and agnostics here at core Christianity or anyone who's having any kind of doubts are number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can of course the email us at questions at core, Christianity.com want to tell you about a really cool new Bible study that we are making available to you. It's from a book on the book in the Old Testament that teaches us some incredible lesson at the 10 week study on the book of Ruth a book in the Old Testament that I think is often times overlooked in one of the things were trying to emphasize this is the important place that Ruth plays in the history of redemption without Ruth without the book of Ruth. There would be no line of David. There would be no gospel really mean you think of where she fits in the genealogy of our Lord and so this Bible studies can help you understand the book of Ruth as a larger part of the, the unfolding of the history of redemption pointing us to Jesus and the gospel. A great resource for you to go through on your own. If you're interested in studying the book of Ruth by yourself or getting together with a group of people in your church you can get a hold of this resource for donation of $20 or more. By the way, all of our Bible studies are set up to work well for personal use, but also in a group format there available in bulk quantities so they really be great to consider as you plan maybe for a Sunday school class this fall or for a Bible study in your small group, you can receive a copy of our route. Bible study for donation of $20 or more by going to core Christianity.com/studies again.

That's core Christianity.com/studies course you can always call us for any of our resources at 833 the core what's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners in Dallas, Texas I pastor a zero.

My name is Nate. First off I want to say that I love your podcast man it's been such a blessing to me since I became a new believer about a year ago and it's just as help me through so much, just without light, and I'm grateful from knowledgeable you are in the word how you back every every single question was Scripture. And it's just it's just been amazing to listen to you. I just pray you know God continues to bless you in this venture, but as a new believer. What is the danger in trying to ingest too much from too many resources too soon. I started studying the book of John. Not too long after I got saved and find a different resource like in a different types of bogs and everything you try to read between that, you know, go back to my study, and then one is also enough. Another study of another book so I'm just wondering like what is the danger and that if any. Thank you Nate thank you for your encouragement and so delighted to hear that you've been walking with the Lord now for something just over a year and so may God continue to bless you and sanctify you as you grow in Christ. I don't think that that the problem is you know studying too many things I think is making sure that you're getting a hold of the right resources.

There is so much information out there knowing and often times you know people just going to the Internet finding resources on theology in the Bible and not all those resources are very helpful. Same with claim with books and so I think it is important that you have the right resources, but if you have the right resources and ultimately that the main thing that you're gonna want to I think is a newer believer be immersed in is just the Scriptures reading the word of God meditating upon it. But as you do that. I just think you can do it enough, the passage that comes to mind is Paul's encouragement to the Christians who were living in Colossae on Colossians chapter 1 in verse nine.

Listen to what what he says there he says so.

From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the father who is qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light in them and that that's what I want for you as well you know what Paul is bringing together there is growing daily increasing and in the knowledge of Christ. But with that increasing in fruitfulness.

It's not just information that were that were taking in the word of God as it settling in our minds and hearts should be producing the fruit of the spirit as is the word of Christ dwells in us richly which were filled with the spirit on exhibiting that fruit that the apostle Paul talks about in Galatians 5, love, joy, peace, patience so that we might walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him and so not I would just say you know it as the Lord gives you time in the season. If you have the time, yet immersed yourself in the word of God in solid Christian resources. Of course we have a lot of resources that we offer here. If you haven't gotten a hold of the book core Christianity.

It's one of the books at wheat we think new believer should read because it introduces you to the lot of those those important core Christian doctrines like the doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the word of God, the incarnation, most of that stuff that I think this is so key for you at this stage to to growing and as I said is you have time.

Just continue to dig in and in as you do, man.

May the Lord bless you. Thank you Nate for your question. They would love to send you a complimentary copy of the book core Christianity and got your contact information so will send that off to you in the mail. Thank you so much for being a listener.

We appreciate your kind words. Let's go back to the phones we have a Jacob on the line from Kansas City, Missouri what your question for Pastor Israel Jacob like Jacob all of a sudden was a street race at the engine noise for what's right about Jacob. Do you realize are you there brother. Sorry I worked landscaping thought I would with you always looking for you on the mower you go. Knowing what you discern my question so I good. How are you doing I thought you were in it in a drag race or something like that on the Freeman is what this is not the time to call my friend like that, why would you go about finding what I love everything the word you about about God was his calling, and what the question was hoping to talk to go through but yeah, what's your question again some huge person I go to church every weekend. I guess I one of the big things I always ask God is what what to do. Like any society, like right now like this gallery gather our attention on God all the time and that you like is a community all of that. I guess I look for things they do. So I guess that my question is how to live aren't� How do I or how do we start gathering like making a bigger community. I love your guy love your question genuinely like how can we as Christians have an impact on on the world and I think it's easy for us to sit as a man we know we want to change the world for Jesus think that's that that's that that's a noble desire.

That's a good thing, where where do we begin well I think I think it starts with being a part of a solid Christian community where were serving each other within the body of Christ. The apostle Paul makes it clear in first Corinthians chapter 12 that you and I are members of this larger body and were connected in local churches in each of us are gifted in unique ways. Jacob God is gifted you in in specific ways that he hasn't gifted me or other people in your church and so you your ear of an asset there in in the local church. God has gifted you for the edification for the building up of the body and for the encouragement of the saints. As I think that's I think that's fundamental.

I think that's key. And as were growing together within the church serving each other under the ministry of of the word faithfully preached. We are called as Christians to extend the love of Christ to the people around us to love not just ourselves and not just the people within the church, but even the people outside the walls of the church and that's where I think it's important for believers to come together and to think how can how can we do that faithfully in in honoring the Lord in extending his grace and hospitality to the people who are around us and and that's just a part of fight.

I think living the Christian life is growing in the word in your understanding of who God is and is the word as it mean of talking to the previous caller is is settling in your heart. It's bearing fruit going back to that that passage and in Colossians chapter 1II read beginning in verse nine with the previous caller but I want you just here earlier. What Paul says in Colossians chapter 1 in verse three we always thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel which is come to you as indeed in the whole world is bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, how do we grow as a community Willits through the gospel and that message of the gospel, the forgiveness of sins for people to who to turn to Christ continues to grow and bear fruit in us and in the world so that other people are drawn to Jesus to if I would say I would say focus on those things brother and continue to grow in those things and appreciate your encouragement to us. Love hearing that your regular listening listener to the core and I just hope that we continue to encourage you in your walk with the Lord and want to send Jacob a core Christianity copy as well. So let's do that all of our listeners who are really excited about learning about God's word and learning more about his truth that is such a wonderful book would highly recommend that to you can find core Christianity by going to our website which is core Christianity.com and we have a call from a Betty in St. Louis who has this question for you a drill.

She says I hear people saying oh my God, what can I say to them to let them know that it's not right and it's hurtful to me in bitumen this this happens right in the workplace, or when you're out and about and you hear people taking the Lord's name in vain, and it can really really bothersome and it should right because we think about who the Lord is his greatness, his goodness, his mercy, we we don't want to treat the Lord's name lightly mean this is the first question that we got related to the third commandment. What does it mean to not take that the Lord's name in vain. So when you hear people misusing God's name. What's what's the best approach. I think it could be an open, dormant, depending on who it is. In the circumstances. It could be an open door for you to talk about why you value God's name while you treasure it meant so often. I think the people in the world who would do that.

They teach us become a habit they they don't know the Lord. They don't know his goodness they don't know his grace, so you might be able to say if you knew who Jesus was and the depth of God's love for people and and and and what he's done in my life may be raised as you have this conversation. I don't think that you would treat God's name so lightly but of course you have to pray for wisdom and guidance that the Lord would would give you those opportunities and ultimately that it would just turn into an argument, but that but that individual individuals would see in real estate wow yeah I hadn't thought about it that way you're looking for gospel opportunities. Betty and so I would I would save, pray, and if there is an open door for you to be able to talk about why the name of God should be treasured ultimately because of his great love for us in Christ and in the gospel that I would say I would say go for it and hopefully you shed some light on on why why the name of the Lord should be exalted by us and not trampled in the mud and so thank you for your for your question sister got bless you some good counsel. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez, a reminder we have that brand-new Bible study on the book of Ruth available such a cool story and it really helps us understand the larger story of Scripture as we study the Old Testament and that special love story between Ruth and Boaz and what it teaches us about God and how he can redeem terrible situations, so feel free to look for that Bible study by going to core Christianity.com forward/studies again. Core, Christianity.com/studies.

Let's go back to the phones. Lori is on the line from Nashville, Tennessee Lori what your question for pastor. Israel will do it, 14 and 15 and 14 talk about forgive man who sin against God will forgive you. 15%. If you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive you your sent a question he is get back mean that God is God is not forgive your sins.

In essence, a judgment that will keep that person from spending eternal life with God.

Lori, thank you for that question. So this is comes right after Jesus gave the Lord's prayer in the context of the sermon on the Mount mystery Jesus's words verse 14 of Matthew six for if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. There was a study that was recently done. I think they might've been the Barna group, but they they took a poll of Christians on on forgiveness and I think it was something like one and 42, and four believers. Christians say that there somebody in their life with eight who they just can't forgive they're not willing to forgive and so you know, it highlights just that. The challenge here in the fact that for for many people. I think of CS Lewis who said no forgiveness is is a great thing until you have somebody to forgive and and then it becomes something that so difficult for us but one of the things we see over and over again in the Gospels Lori is that our forgiveness of others should flow from the forgiveness that we have received from Jesus and so if if were not forgiving if were hardhearted and unwilling to extend mercy and one since the sign of the fact that there is there something about the gospel. That's not come computing and are in our minds that you think of the parable that's given in Matthew chapter 18 the parable of the unforgiving servant tech starts off in verse 21 Peter came up to Jesus and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him as many as seven times and Jesus said to him I do not say to you seven times, but 77 times and other which you just keep on forgiving and then he tells a parable which highlights the reality of the fact that God has forgiven us this immense debt of sin. We go to God asking for forgiveness and he washes away all of our sins and then brother sister sins against us. It could be a very grievous sin. But still, in comparison to our offenses toward a holy God. Right. But we've been forgiven. Therefore, we should be a people who forgive and insult the way I understand that text and in Matthew chapter 6 is is not to say that you know you're forgiven you're saved and that if you don't forgive somebody you're not saved anymore. I know that forgiveness is a struggle that many of us have, but what it's highlighting is the fact that the person who doesn't forgive who isn't ultimately forgiven doesn't understand the very basics of the gospel because if we did. If we grasp the mercy of God to us in his son Jesus. And if we meditate upon meditated upon that and knew it then we would be a people willing to extend that mercy and grace that forgiveness to others. Note note again this this opens a door for a lot, you know that a more complex I think conversation related to forgiveness, reconciliation, because there's a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Lori, as Christians, we always are called to forgive from the heart. Based on the forgiveness that we've received. But we can't reconcile with the people who sinned against us unless they recognize that they've sinned, unless there is repentance and that even beyond that, there is the step of restoration, restoring the relationship, which is, and always even possible, but for our part, we are always called, I believe, to forgive and so if that's something that you're struggling with and I knows him as I'm saying this that there are many listening right now who they do straightening or someone may be that they're thinking about right now they just ignite them and I have such a hard time with that person. I would you say instead of focusing on that person on the offense meditate upon the love of Jesus for sinners.

The love of Jesus for you and how he has forgiven you, and pray and say Lord help me to extend that same grace that you have shown to me to those who have sinned against me. Forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors as well and and and one since it's his beautiful reminder of look if if we sinful human beings can extend mercy and grace to each other, how much more can we be sure of the fact that the God who who is abundant in mercy and steadfast love is going to extend his forgiveness to us. We who forgive those who have sinned against. As you can rest assured that because God is more gracious than we than we can ever be. He's slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and so may the Lord fill your heart with the knowledge of that love and forgiveness so that you might show it to others as well.

This is core Christianity, we have time for one quick email question before we go, and whenever listers wants to know this. A drill is it sinful to buy or sell on Sunday.

This this gets into the application of the seven certainly in in the Old Testament you weren't supposed to engage in commerce on the Sabbath day. It was a day of rest for you, for your household for the for the land and so is or was a real issue that limit the question of you know application under the new covenant we have to remember that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath and the ultimate reality that were supposed to experience in the Sabbath is the rest that we have in Jesus Christ.

He is our Sabbath rest into worship and resting in Jesus is the key.

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