What Does Jesus Mean When He Says, "Do Not Throw Your Pearls Before Pigs"?

What does Jesus mean when he says do not throw your pearls before pigs. 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 and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call this right now with your question.

At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites. Also, you can watch a drill lot right now live on YouTube and see his very attractive turquoise shirt today and sent him a message. That way you can also email us anytime at questions at core, Christianity.com.

By the way drill. I really do like shirt. Thanks, Bill.

Next time you're out.

I'll give it to you if you'd like. All that is okay. All right.

Well, let's go to an email question that came in from one of our listeners. This is from Ty Ty says I've heard skeptics say that Christianity is completely false. Partly because it creates made up laws that when broken can't be repaid by works, but have to be repaid by believing in a Savior. They say this is very convenient and just create psychological problems for people who struggle with guilt and shame. I'm not sure how to answer these types of challenges.

What do you think it's I some years ago I got a new conversation with a family member who is a therapist and they asked me what would you say to people in your church.

They're coming to you and there are just struggling with guilt because you have all these rules right in Christianity in your religion and and there crushed by the fact that they don't they don't do the things that they want to do. She said I had this this sense of his understanding of the law on the fact that we fall short of keeping God's law and that ended listen to me right like it in what I do, oftentimes you know in in in therapy. I try to help people understand that you know the decisions that they made were were what they were essentially destined to do right that considering all the circumstances they don't feel bad for the things that they've done so sort of minimizing that sense of shame that sense of guilt by justifying it and you know that's one approach, but I don't think that that's the right approach per se. And the reason that's not the right approach. Does it really doesn't doesn't deal with guilt doesn't yield what we call sin, and the beautiful thing about the Christian faith is that we come to the lawgiver. God is not just these subjective rules of me. This is the natural lot rent written on everybody's heart will have the sense of God deep down inside of us and in week but typically what we do both of us in Romans chapter 1 as we suppress that sense of God. We we we sin, we fall short of the glory of God.

And so if there's no gospel will then there is no hope, and people are just crushed by guilt and and shame and they are forced to minimize their failures, their sins, as a way of escaping that sense of shame.

We have something far better.

We have a gracious God in in heaven who when we go to him confessing our sins says you are forgiven through the blood of my son Jesus. So we don't have to justify our sins, or make excuses for our sins. We can't not before a holy God. We go to God and he justifies us sinners. By faith is out. I would you say to this friend tie this this skeptic Christianity offers us the best news on planet Earth that there is hope for failures that we don't have to minimize our sins are downplayed and pretend like they don't exist but those things that that were guilty of those things that you know it bit by bit it frustrates is how can I have done that and we all have those kinds of things in our lives, don't we. What we don't pretend like they don't exist. We go to God who is merciful through his son Jesus, and we receive his grace and mercy.

The objective forgiveness of our sins and so that's what I would focus on focus on the gospel tie in these conversations with skeptics and may the Lord bless you as you do, that's what the good news of the gospel is all about. So thanks for that Israel. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life peers. Our phone number 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Ralph calling in from Long Island, New York. Ralph what your question for a drill hello Ariel hey Ralph how you doing I'm doing question angles chapter 8, 11, 12 bonds read the last part of 12 they will go more like "the Lord, but they will not find it so can we use Scripture to date right. I believe the true believers want to hear the word of God.

I will be getting a birthday present to absorb sharper the question over this. It is the proper application of these words here coming from the minor prophets from from Amos the prophet sent Israel and God is threatening judgment and the good kind of judgment it's threatened here is something that can happen to to I think anyone but specifically here he sees addressing his rebellious people in verse 11, he says, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of red nor thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east, they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find this is something that we see throughout the Bible is in it. People who continually reject the word of God close their ears to it.

Turning away from the Lord. Sometimes there comes a point where where okay you know that the that the doors are shut. If you really this is why the author the Hebrew says you know in a Hebrews chapters 3 and four that we have to be very careful that we don't have an evil, unbelieving heart in departing from the true in the living God, but that we take heed to his word. If we hear the Lord speaking to us through his word, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we receive that word by faith. And so the judgment here is in all on Israel because of their continual rejection of God, of his law of right worship piecing okay fine. Many come in and let you have it your way. Now I just want to say because I know that there are a lot of people who either just terrified with a boy. I disobeyed God's word.

I failed in this area again and again and again is God going to shut the doors on me will know that's that's not what I'm I'm talking about specifically I'm talking about a conscious unbelief rejection of the law of God, of the word of God and then a warning here that's associated with that Godzilla comes in a minute give you over to to what you've chosen, for those of you who are gripped by your sin, you know right. Every day we sin against the Lord and thought, word, and indeed, and you come to him, longing to hear his voice is as you said rough longing to to have his grace know that the Lord receives you when you come to him by faith. When you open up the Scriptures and pray that the Lord would give you understanding that he would buy his spirit speak through his word not to build you up and to build up his church a blessing. Ralph, thanks so much for your call and for listing the core Christianity. We really do appreciate you. By the way, if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can always email us here is her email address its questions at core, Christianity.com that's questions at core, Christianity.com.

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Let's go to an email that came in from one of our listeners. This one is from Cheryl a drill and she says this, Jesus says don't throw pearls to the swine. What does this mean exactly.

And what does it look like in the Christian's life. Yeah, thank you for that for that question minute diversity referring to comes from Jesus's sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7 verse six. Do not give dogs what is holy and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you were thinking about that which is holy, especially in in the context here the world that Jesus lived and you know that the that that time.

Specifically look the holy things were the things that belong to the worship of God, you think about the holy food. The bread they are in the temple or that the the sacrificial offerings.

These holy meals that the people of God participated in what could you imagine taking the food from the altar or the bread of the presence you know there on the table in the sanctuary. Could you imagine taking that holy thing that had been consecrated, set apart for the worship of God and throwing it to the dogs outside, treating it as as scraps will know that would be crazy. Similarly boy, what would you do you know think about having precious pearls you know jewelry.

The most precious thing that you could have if you will and and casting it to the swine casting into the picture that it doesn't make any sense.

That's foolish will. Similarly, I think we think about that the teaching of the holy gospel and and that's what I would say that the treasurer here is that which is holy. It's the teaching of the gospel.

It's God's word. Jesus is saying don't just cast that out to anyone right there some people who were in a rejected Horgan a trample it and turn to attack you and so I think there needs to be some wisdom, some some discernment when we think about the dope. The word of God. This gift that God is given to us this great treasure these great pearls if you will, the pearl of the gospel, and not just casting it out to to those who are going to ridicule it and and market and rejected and I think all of us have been in conversations with people I were trying to share the faith and and you sometimes will will will have conversations with people that are better open. Maybe not hostile but willing at least to listen and and Lord willing, you know, God opens their their hearts to receive the grace of the gospel with her other times and in maybe this is happening in a conversation with somebody and you realize who this person just is not interested in in talking at all and hearing anything that I have to say they just want to argue with me. They just want to fight and ridicule in mock Christ and his gospel well there comes a time or was okay.

This is the system I'm wasting my time here and God is not being honored. Pray for that person. But don't continue to cast your pearls before swine. And so I think that's that's the application here and appreciate your question, getting into Jesus's sermon on the mount there gutless you know you talked about this before federal maybe one were dealing with someone who's maybe a really vociferous atheist or you know of Mormon or Jehovah's Witness and they just don't want to hear the truth. It's like how much time do you spend how much effort you put into it or do you just move on.

Yeah yeah what you and I think the tough thing is that we we really do believe that God by the grace of his spirit can open anyone's heart and we pray for that and so I would say equally know that you spend your time praying, maybe more than anything else, that the Lord would soften the hearts of the people that you get to it to share with and boy.

We should also be praying that the Lord give us opportunities open doors for the gospel. What a wonderful thing that is but again we want to be discerning if if it's a situation where it is just were met by nothing but hostility and God is being mocked in his word is being mocked and that it's very clear that this person actually doesn't want anything to do with the great pearl of the gospel that I think was okay. You started dust wipe the dust off your feet like Jesus says in the gospel so I'm about to take a step back.

That's what you want. Pray for that person. But continue to share and enter pursue opportunities to get the word of God out and so be discerning that this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are still open. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life will be taking calls from the Nexus seven minutes or so, so you can jump on the phone right now with your question 833.

The core is our number that's 1-833-843-2673 go to Susan calling in from Tennessee. Susan what your question for pastor. Israel really enjoyed all well in handling the Scripture. My question is when Jesus met the money back and then he sent however many they were at Legion into the herd of swine died when a workaround happened to all the demons that were sent to what would happen to them. That's a great question. So the account I'm looking at is in Matthew chapter 8 to begin reading in verse 28 we came to the other side to the country of the Gadarenes to demon possessed men met him coming out of the tomb, so fierce that no one could pass that way, and behold, they cried out, what have you to do with us, O son of God. Have you come here to torment us before the time now heard of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them and the demons begged Jesus saying if you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs and he said to them, go to they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsman fled and going into the city. They told everything, especially what it happened to the demon possessed men, and behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region really powerful story here about conversion about the, the power of our Lord Jesus here in delivering this. This demon possessed person. These these people about what happened to the demons. First, it's interesting that he cast them into these these pigs pigs of course are unclean animals there and in the Old Testament of the old covenant as it is almost, it's almost fitting that they that they go into these pigs and then they are drowned in the sea. Now, does that mean that they were eliminated that they cease to exist.

No Susan because because their spirit, so we don't know from from this place, specifically where they went. We know that they left this individual that that is these these men there described here in Matthew chapter 8 verse 28 that they were delivered by Jesus, so that they've been healed but we don't know the Scripture doesn't tell us exactly where these unclean spirits went except that I think to emphasize here that the focus is not now they're out terrorizing other people to Jesus is dealt with them in this definitive way so there's this I think is judgment that's brought upon them here. Of course they you know when they see him.

They cry out, you know, what have you to do with us, a son of God.

If you come here to torment us before the time so they know who Jesus is. They know his authority. They know that he has the ability to torment them and yet he cast them out, and then into the sea. I've heard some people say I, like this it's it's this picture of cleansing even through baptism we as believers in Jesus Christ would come to him were redeemed, delivered by faith go through the waters of baptism where our sins are uncleanness is drowned. If you will, and removed by faith in Jesus Christ that I've heard some people make that application which again I think is is kind of a neat application but were not told, specifically Susan where the demons went to only the that the man was delivered gutless. Are you saying the bacon is demonic know Jesus is cleansed, the pigs is where we live under the new covenant bill and so when you're very thin really matter earlier. Many of the gifts that God gives us mainly the forgiveness of sins and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

But there are other great gifts to like BLTs and so we thank you for this as well.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go back to the phones and let's say we've got the bill on the line from Missouri Bill, what's your question for Israel, and all I know is used by pastors almost interchangeably, those terms are conscience, heart, spirit, soul, question, will you help me sort through these stelae me that some people really distinguish sharply between the soul and the spirit. I think in the New Testament. Those words are used in interchangeably we are. It is as human persons created in the image of God, made up of body and soul and sometimes an individual the whole person is referred to as a soul or spirit. You see this especially in places like the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12, for example, you know, the author, the Hebrews sees the spirits of the righteous made perfect. You have the souls of the martyrs underneath the altar in the book of Revelation. So I think that the word soul and spirit are and can be used interchangeably selling other people will distinguish more sharply between those two would come, but I don't necessarily in that in terms of conscience. That is something that we see in a word that we do find in Scripture that I think I think it's related to the idea of heart or spirit.

Oftentimes in its use its use with the sense of understanding between our discerning between right and wrong. A sense of conviction you Paul early on in the book of Romans talks about the fact that even though even the Gentiles don't have the law of God have the sort of natural law that's that's written on their hearts and their conscience accuses them or excuses them based on how they respond to that natural law that that general revelation. That sense of God that we all have his eye. As I mentioned earlier and so I think there's some overlap between these words. But we wouldn't want to use them all interchangeably except for maybe heart and spirit and and maybe that the big takeaways that there's there's more to us than meets the eye. Right were not just a big bag of bones right in and flesh know we have souls and in the sense of God.

There's a spiritual component to man if you will and and so that's something that we see throughout the Scripture and and so were not is these these material beings if you will, but spiritual beings as well.

Thanks for your question.

God bless. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, we do receive voicemails here and you can call us anytime 24 hours a day with your question. At 833 the core there's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Jerry and or I am going when I come back so my question is sleep or right now you are appreciated if you would answer that. Thank you, thank you for that question. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and they immediately pass into glory.

Their bodies go down into the ground waiting for the resurrection of the dead the final day, but there with the Lord in the spirit, if you will work work work were gathered together with the Lord to be absent from the body. Paul said in second Corinthians is to be present with the Lord and I love another passage that that makes us actually clear. It's what the apostle Paul says in the book of Philippians in Philippians chapter 1 where he's talking about his desire to depart and be with Christ it is is is referring to his death he he sees his death coming soon. He's writing the Philippians he knows he's going to die soon but but he's he's going back and forth between what would be better to depart and be with Jesus, or to stay in to help the church in particular that the Philippian church. He says if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me yet which I shall choose I cannot tell I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better and he's talking about, you know, just a soul sleep.

There are not being conscious and and waiting for the resurrection of the dead for thousands of years as he takes us really long nap know he sees in the presence of the Lord and is exactly what we see in places like Hebrews chapter 12 where the author the Hebrews paints his picture of what's happening in heaven and you know who's there the departed saints that the spirits of the righteous made perfect gathered around the throne of God worshiping God and friends. That's and that's the great hope that we have through Jesus Christ through his life, death and resurrection from the dead that we are united to him by faith so that we have the hope of the resurrection it at at at the future or in the future. On the last day when God judges the whole world, but we know also the moment we die.

The moment our our souls leave our bodies if you will that they enter into the presence of the Lord and that they are perfected in holiness and we worship the Lord together with our loved ones in Christ who have gone to be with him what I hope we haven't. Again we have that hope solely through what Jesus has done for us.

His blood on the cross to forgive our sins.

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