I Believe the Gospel, So Why Do I Still Struggle with Codependency?

If God is all I need, then why am I so reliance on other people.

This is 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 is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Our phone lines are open right now and will be taking your calls for the next 25 minutes or so, here's the number you might want to jot this down. It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on one of our social media sites you can watch a drill live in the studio right now on YouTube we have YouTube channel and you can message him that way with your question course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first step today. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Gregory? Those around 16 verse one through 13 in the boulders explained to me what that means.

I really appreciate it or suggest sex integrity. Thank you for that question.

So Luke 16 unit. This is this is notoriously one of the most difficult parables in the gospel of Luke to them to interpret. It's the parable of the dishonest manager to read the entire parable, but basically the gist is you have an individual is being accused of mishandling his see his master's resources and so he's about to lose his job is these this thesis manager's household manager was about to be fired because he's been is handling the finances and so he comes up with a plan.

He doesn't want to beg. He's he's embarrassed to bag so he says what homages me to go to the people.

It oh my master money and I'm in a reduce what they owe in and collect on that and as a result, Jesus says something will. In the parable that the master something really interesting. He says in verse eight, the member we read in verse eight, the master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness is some confusion there and if you think I would where the master commended this dishonest person is not he's not commending the dishonesty is commending the shrewdness documented for his shrewdness for the sons of this world and I think that's word were Jesus begins to provide interpretation if you will, the parable, the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation and the Sons of light. This comparison here between the sums this world, the sons of this age and the Sons of light. The children of dicing the symptoms. We can have his naivety as God's people and I tell you, Jesus says, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal dwellings and you scratch or anything what what is Jesus talking about their well in the context this this shrewd household manager who is handling the finances he's making friends how he's he's lowering what they owe. He said looking okay this is what you owe. Just pay me this his shrewdness is is commended in here and especially as the parable is that the I think interpretation continues in verses 10 through 13 what's being focused on.

Here is one being wise with the way we think about money and handle money. Specifically, shrewd and here I think there's there's this reality that when we handle it well. Especially when were when were generous to make friends for yourselves by means of unread unrighteous. Well that is it what were giving generously and I think that it indicates something or sheds light on what we believe about the world in the gospel Jesus and where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. How we think about money and possessions tells the world something about how we think about eternity as well and in Jesus goes on in verse 10, one who is faithful in very little is also faithful and much and one who is dishonest and very little is also dishonest in much if then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth if you can handle it again handle money who will entrust to you the true riches and if you've not been faithful in that which is another's who will give you that which is your own. No servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and money so that the thrust here is one being wise with the way we handle our resources not putting our hope in them. They fail us, and that's actually something that Jesus makes very clear here but using them for God's kingdom purposes brothers and sisters that you don't have a conversation with somebody yesterday. There are so many people right now were concerned about the economy about, you know, inflation about we going into a recession.

Maybe you have that that great fear that great concern right now. Vanessa realizes his money is is fleeting it it it's here it's gone were never called to put our trust in riches were called to invest in heaven, where moth and rust don't destroy I think of James and his expectation. James chapter 1 verse nine let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away for the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass its flower falls in its beauty perishes, so also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. We don't put our hope in riches were called to be in an earthly riches were called to be good stewards of what God has given to us and to invest in the kingdom of God. And I think that's at the heart of this parable Gregory thank you for your question. Great explanation. Thanks for that intro. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine, theology, or maybe some doubts about the Christian faith were open to your calls. Whatever your question might be, here's the phone number it's 833 the cordial spell that on your phone, 833.

The core 1-833-843-2673 that we have a brand-new Bible study here at the quarry want to tell you about. It's on an Old Testament book that teaches us some really incredible lessons yet. If you're looking for a 10 week Bible study resource to go through on your own or maybe with a small group at your church or group of Christian friends.

I really want to encourage you to get a hold of this resource. It's a Bible study on the book of Ruth that digs into.

I think one of the one of the less studied books of the Old Testament, and so I want to help illuminate it for you, encourage you and ultimately help you to see how the book of Ruth points us to Christ into his gospel and Emily really situating in the history of redemption so we can understand roots relationship to the entire story of the Bible and so get a hold of that Bible study. It's yours for donation of $20 or more. By the way, many of our Bible studies are set up for both personal use and for group. So maybe if you're thinking about something for your small group from church or a Sunday school curriculum for this fall. This would be a great choice for you. You can learn more about this by going to core Christianity.com/studies again core Christianity/studies look for a new Bible study on the book of Ruth wears a question from one of our listeners named Jean. She says I grew up thinking I had to be good to go to heaven but now I hear kids say they don't believe in hell, who got rid of the teaching on Hell as a couple difficulties I want to address their first a lot of people. I think Jean grew up thinking that in order to get to heaven. They have to be good and they imagine that on the day of of judgment therein to be these balances in on our good works are to be on one side and you know maybe the things we did wrong the sins we commit, or be on the other side and so long as our good works outweigh the bad ones well working to get you know that ticket to heaven. That's not what the Bible teaches, though the Bible does not teach that heaven is for people who do enough good works.

The Bible teaches that heaven is for those who place their trust in Jesus Christ because we can't do enough works, we can't you can't. I can't perfectly keep the law of God in order to be justified before a holy God. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Paul says in the book of Romans and so it's not it's not to the one who works as he goes on to say in Romans chapter 4, but to the one who is forgiving God justifies the sinner and so heaven you know is for those who have trusted in Jesus Christ receive the forgiveness of their sins by faith Einar united to Jesus that the only hope that we have of heaven is in Christ and his perfect righteousness and and as those who trust in Jesus we live lives of good works were called to in the spirit of God works in us both to will and to work for it for the good pleasure of the Lord as I just want to badge one of provide some clarification there. Now, with regard to what the kids nowadays are saying about how and how they don't believe in hell, and who got rid of that teaching. Well, it's always been there in the Bible you know throughout the history of the church. There is been people of interpreted interpreted in different ways but by and large you know universally the Christian church is understood that there's this place of judgment. This place of prediction or torment that is everlasting for those who reject Christ and his gospel.

Now of course I think part of the issue is with so minimize the holiness of God in our society today in our culture the way we think about God that that hell doesn't make any sense to us because we don't believe in him a doctrine of sin as I think that that's part of the problem.

That's why many have jettisoned this idea of hell is because they've also gotten rid of the doctrine of God's holiness.

They've gotten rid of the doctrine of sin is when you start stripping away those important doctrines that we see in Scripture so clearly will vignette things like Helen judgment don't make any sense.

And so that's why it's so important for us and for all people to get their understanding from the Scriptures from God's revelation. What he says in his word, and so we do well to go back to the word in order to understand the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of of judgment as well. Thank you Jean for your question. And of course I'm guessing you would say when were sharing of the gospel with people we want to make sure that we include the whole gospel. It's not all hearts and butterflies and that you accept Jesus. Then all of a sudden things go great in your life, but there's there are two eternal ramifications to that decision yeah yeah will of the gospel itself is good news, but it comes to us as those who deserve the judgment of God. Grace is God's good gifts to people who have demerit in those guesstimate what we deserve his death.

The wages of sin is death, judgment, and yet God gives to those who deserve this judgment and grace and mercy and forgiveness in his son Jesus.

And so we breached the law pointing people to to the Lord and saying, look, we fall short of this, and then you know you preach the good news of the gospel. See you happy. You have to have both.

We have to understand why we need the gospel so desperately. If we don't recognize Dean of the holiness of the Lord. The holiness of his law that the seriousness of sin will then we won't cherish the gospel like we should remember this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez, we do receive voicemail sale and you can call us 24 hours a day and leave your question on our voicemail system. Here's the number 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners in Minnesota when I've been listening to your podcast out for several years and it's been so helpful, so thank you guys for everything that you do your my question is in regards to my fiancé and I came out of a terrible drug addiction events over an hour for five years. We met in addition, because altogether, but in that we developed a tendency so even work. I'm going to therapy in stock, but I was wondering differently out what your advice would be and how it currently second dependency with reverence of the Lord and got him so thanks again so much, clean, man, thank you for your encouragement and praise God for five years of sobriety. I want to the first cylinder, just pray for you and for your fiancé and just be asked of the Lord continues to sustain you guys and also helps you to depend first and foremost on him, so father II pray for my brother Quinn Lord, thank you God for the work that you've done in his life for the work that you've done in his fiancée's life and I pray that you would continue to sustain them. God, that you would give them many more years of sobriety walking with you pleasing you in all respects being filled with your spirit and the fruit of your spirit.

Lord I pray that you would bless them with solid Christian community that they would continually grow in an understanding of your word in unexperienced Lord of your love in Jesus through the gospel and I and I ask Lord God. Also on that you would help them to rely first and foremost to depend upon you and upon your spirit for the strength that they need for everyday life Lord, but they would bless him also as they as they encourage each other and care for each other as well and so be with Quinn be with his fiancée and thank you for them.

In Jesus name, amen. Okay, so here's what we want to avoid as the people of God want to avoid that this independent spirit that I think many people have today.

The sort of I can do it on my own without any help.

I don't need the church. You know I accepted Jesus in my heart I got my Bible. I can listen to Christian podcasts. You know, but I don't need anybody else I can I can I can do the Christian thing on my own that that's an independent attitude which is which is foreign to the Scriptures as we avoid that that independence and we embrace. I think what what Scripture puts forward as it is a kind of interdependence we are dependent upon each other as the people of God but text that I would go to our first Corinthians chapter 12 for example what Paul says very clearly when the each of us play an important role in the body of Christ, which is one part of the body. One piece of the puzzle if you will. And it's only as the body is coming together and were working together interdependent with with each other that that the body built itself up in love. As Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 no. Of course, over and over again in Scripture, we have these one and others were called to bear each other's burden to care for one another to strengthen the weak and so and so I think in your relationship with your fiancé with the church. You can have that kind of interdependence, but you don't want to have that kind of codependency that can be unhealthy and I see that manifesting itself when when we begin to seek what we we should only seeking God in another person and depend on another person for our ultimate well-being. If you will, is sort of looking to them as a kind of Savior and at the end of the day that's a burden that no human being can bear.

And it ends up crushing. You know, our spouse or whoever it is that were that were you know putting in that position that really really belongs only to the Lord. And so in terms of cultivating a healthy interdependence and rejecting an unhealthy codependency. I think it's realizing more and more that the source of our strength. The source of our life is from the Lord.

The Lord himself and going to him and trusting in him, relying upon him for continued growth and grace from for protection. Lead us not to temptation deliver us from evil, while also welcoming the people that he brings into our lives who are supports for us that we eat on it in a healthy way were we can depend upon each other and so I would just encourage you through prayer, through the study of Scripture, and through healthy interdependence with the body of Christ to grow in in that and to fix your eyes more and more upon the Lord, and depending upon him for those ultimate things that you need in in life and not placing that burden on on your fiancé or on another person. Bill would you add anything. I think he really said that. Well, it really is all about internship this and you know you think about all those illustrations of of the body. Working together and served if were doing things like encouraging one another. Praying for one another, bearing one another's burdens, but not as you said earlier, not counting on someone to be our Savior and to bail us out of our depression or hopelessness. That's God's job and so turning to him.

I think that's just so well said so. So thanks this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and by the way were to be recording a second episode of the court today after we finish this live program. So if you weren't able to get through with your question in the last 25 minutes or so you can feel free to call for the next 40 minutes will be taking your calls. There's a phone number.this town it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and again will be taking your calls up until about 230 central time 1230 Pacific time. If you want to give us a call. Let's go to Anna in St. Louis, Missouri Anna what your question for pastor.

Israel will go to Assembly of God church and I gone and gone to several others, but I wanted to enter a particular church and they told me that the baptism that I had at the Assembly of God Church would not be valid. They said that you have to be immersed three times in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit, and so I was worried that my autism wasn't valid and that that might throw everything off for me since quick follow-up question was it were you baptized in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit at the Assemblies of God church. Yes, I what I was immersed and and baptized in the name of the father-son Holy Spirit. It's just that they, the Orthodox Church would want you submerged three times for you know, in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit, and I was not. And they said that wouldn't be valid so I worried that you know this would in effect, you know, my relationship with Jesus and so forth. Thank you for that question.

And of course you know I think it's it's an important one because baptism is a sacrament that Jesus gave to us gave to the church to sign and seal of his gospel grace. It's a gift for the people of God, so it's not something that we should take lightly. And there are. I think churches that do take it lightly. There are churches that reject. For example, the doctrine of the Trinity. And so even though those churches might baptize in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit, like the Mormon church.

For example, I would say that that's not valid because that's not a true church. That's not a valid church there are others who say will you have to do it justice. We can only be baptized in the name of Christ. Or whatnot, but I would say a valid baptism. What makes it valid is the word and promise of God it's done in accordance with what what Christ says in (Matthew 28 baptizing in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit with no belief in the in the true gods of the church rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. And I know you are there different evangelical quote unquote churches are our charismatic church is it that we listen question about that in this of oneness theology out there, and in some of these charismatic churches by the buying large for the most part it seems like they embrace the doctrine of the Trinity as our Savior. If it was done in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit with belief in the holy Trinity then then in when with water as Jesus instituted out of the view had you know be immersed three times then then yes it is a valid baptism of valid sacrament, and so again that the validity comes from the word and promise of God, not from the holiness of the person who's administering the baptism. There was a great controversy in the ancient church about this called the Donatist controversy were a number of people had abandoned the faith under under Roman persecution, so pastors would abandon the faith would perform baptism's people were beginning to wonder what were those baptisms valid because the guy who baptized me is an apostate. He turned away from the faith and essentially the church that Christians said note know they are valid because it's not the holiness of the person, the minister and thank God for that. It makes a baptism valid. It's the word and promise of God, it's that it was done according to the way in which Jesus said it should be done with water in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and it sounds to me like that's that's how it was done and so II wouldn't say that you needed, you know trying going get baptized all over you notice that you just embrace the promise that God gave you in your baptism there even if you have some disagreement now with with the AG church and as you've developed and grown in and had it had a deeper understanding of what the Bible teaches you to hear you're going somewhere else now. It sounds like, but again it's it's the promise of God and that the truth of God's word that makes the baptism valid, not some of the other rituals that kinda go along with in the thing you need to do it three times that kind of the thing and so that's what I would say to you sister's a trust in the word and ultimately let that that picture of baptism .22 Jesus that you should do it would be signs and seals the sacraments that God gives to us. Baptism and the Lord supper are meant to direct our gaze upward to the reality that they that they exhibit for us as the people of God that God has washed away our sins that he nourishes us day by day with the body and blood of Christ, don't. Don't just get caught up in in in the sign in and of itself know it's meant to direct our attention is signs do to the reality to the body and blood of Jesus did to the fact that his blood washes away our sins and so I would say is rest in that and I receive that and walking dad and brothers and sisters.

For those of you who are listening right now and you've been baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit you knows that Martin Luther said you got remember I baptisms every day. The fact that we are the baptized.

We have been washed by faith and asked the baptized friends. God calls us to live as his redeemed people rescued from slavery. Followers of Jesus Christ. God bless you. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar 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