If Jesus is God, Why Did He Pray to the Father?

Jesus is God, then why did he pray to the father best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity. While Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is a radio program where we answered your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can call us right now with your question. Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can always post your question on one of our social media sites and you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Jacob who is calling in from Kansas City, Missouri Jacob, what your question for Pastor Israel hello Christian how can I decide that church and with my church community. Talk about so that like like Jesus is like the only way I get an how like he's right there like a guess on things like what I see anxious anxiety people like like the answer is him. I guess how how can I pump publicize that and get that out there and how can you encourage the people around you who are in the church maybe don't believe in Jesus, but are struggling with fear and anxiety to look to Christ as our hope. And as the only way and of course after Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. But you know this is one of the things Jake that a lot of people as I'm sure you knew about recognizing them a hard time with this idea of the exclusivity of the gospel by the fact that Jesus is the only way that there is no other name given under heaven by which men must be saved on the table. Guy said that doesn't seem right you know can't always lead to God.

But that's all just not what the Bible teaches.

And so I think part of the way that maybe we can address this or broach the subject when you're having conversations with people just talking about the fact that we need forgiveness for our sins. Everybody agrees we all agree that the world isn't what it should be, at least to me talk to you.even atheists right in Edenton there is agreement here that you know there's there's bad things that happen in the world that there is death and pain and sorrow. Where does that come from.

We think that comes from sin, death entered the world through sin, so I would say one thing you can try to do is get some some common ground on the idea of there's evil in the world were imperfect we do bad things with the Bible calls sins. What we do with that we deal with that and and what you what you don't find anywhere else except in Christianity and in the gospel is a way for our sins to be put away through the blood of Jesus Christ and what this emphasizes is the great love of God for humanity. For sinners, so you're you're focusing on it. We agreed that there something wrong with the world.

Look at what God has done in his love. To solve this problem to deal with our sins. And that's why it's so so wrong, why such a big issue for peoples and other there other ways right know because God has exhibited his love for us, sinful humanity through the cross of his son Jesus Christ into it and to try to find some other way is to reject that is to say not, I actually don't need the forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ I can handle things on my own and that's a great offense and so I think I think focusing on the problem and then highlighting God's love in dealing with that issue is is it a good way. Ford and of course, as I often say brother you want to pray because it's the Holy Spirit that opens the hearts of those who hear the word, so when you're having conversations with with atheists or with friends were skeptical of the Christian faith, pray for them out of the spirit would be at work in their hearts as you communicate the gospel to them that bless you know, Israel, one of the things I often hear or read from atheists and agnostics is that the problem is, is not sin. The problem that we have evil people are evil is because society is evil or because their upbringing was evil, and then I guess that begs the question were that evil come from now yeah I mean and that's that's something that we can ask nor even get this idea of evil. Therefore, just you know the product of of the material world. If you will.

This great accident will then need of the sense of morality.

The sense of right and wrong of evil beauty. All of these things that we we think this is rooted in a world that has God as its source and so I think that's key and then also you know when when people talk I this is one of the big issues. Today's everyone think that the problem is outside of them. It's it's people who think differently than I do about differently than I do. That's the main issue in the world and I think Jesus speaks to this. He says you know it's not what we talking about the religious leaders in the sconces is what is what goes in your mouth that defiles you to compel your heart. Our hearts are idol factories. As one theologian said he would wait we have sin that proceeds just from our hearts and so we need God to work. First and foremost in our hearts to cleanse us because that's that's that's the primary is the first issue to remove the log from our own eyes, so that we might see clearly to help the people around us and to care for them and so Very important stuff. Bill thanks Andrew, this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez in our phone lines are open. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine theology may be doubts about the Christian faith were open to hearing from you as well. Here's the number it's 833 the core and our phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so. So jump on the phone right now.

1-833-843-2673. That's 833. The core you can also leave us a voicemail any time at that number and here's a voicemail that came in from one of our listeners named Mark develop message couple weeks ago it was July 14 on my son and Jehovah witnesses approaching him and I got to listen to the podcast portion. Just yesterday with Mike arrived in the car and on the podcast so I got a little boring to listen, which he hadn't paid any attention to not doing his comeback was hers? I got a feeling this might be one of the ankle was that when Jesus prayed to God. How could he be praying to himself if he's God. Anyway, I was just hoping you could help me with that explanation to him that would be great. Listening to you guys. I really do appreciate and love you all show. Thank you for that. Markham glad to hear that you guys been having these conversations and it does sound to me like is probably something that just the Jehovah's Witnesses did say they kinda have a script on that they go off of.

Often times when they're talking about the deity of Christ to the doctrine of the tree now spoken to many Jehovah's Witnesses and that's one thing that they'll bring up is they'll say well how can he be God if he's praying to the father is any praying to himself then that is another couple of issues here. One is just not really understanding the doctrine of the Trinity were not saying that the sun is the father that they're the same person that the holy Trinity is that there's father son and Holy Spirit and that these three are one person know were saying that God is one in essence, power and glory, but that this one God has revealed himself is three distinct persons, father, son and Holy Spirit, and so the son Jesus prays to the father whom you think of his earthly ministry as well. In his humiliation, the incarnation coming to earth on praying to the father doing his works dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit the spirit working in and through him doesn't take away from his glory or his deity in any sense. He's he's God true God and true man, but he's distinct from the father. And so we have to be very careful.

There was an ancient heresy, known as emotionalism. It was his idea that God was was just as one person who revealed himself throughout history in different ways. You know from the father that the son the spirited the same person. I just insert different masks that the one God is wearing and if that was the case in the objection that these Jehovah's Witnesses are are raising might be legitimate but that's not the case and that's not the doctrine of the Trinity that the church embraces. In fact they they condemned that is heresy. That idea that good God is. This is this one person that's wearing these different masks if you will, father, son and Holy Spirit. Nope God is one in essence an undivided the holy Trinity, father, son and Holy Spirit of Scripture teaches and these are three distinct persons and so it's no contradiction or issue that Jesus the son prays to the father, God bless Lexmark appreciate your hanging in there dialoguing with your son about this and hopefully that will help answer his question.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you are a parent or grandparent. We want to tell you about a great free resource that we have available for you today. Yeah, Bill is fall is now fast approaching, and our kids are getting ready to go back to school. We want to help parents bolster the faith of their children.

That's why we've made this free resource as you say build out six ways to help your kids as they go back to school.

This resource helps parents think through how to give our kids courage as they face peer pressure how to remind them of their standing before God when they're tempted to measure their worth by their performance and there's a lot of other helpful things in this resource.

And so now more than ever we need to be teaching our kids both what we believe and why we believe it so that they can stand firm amidst the shifting sands of our culture get hold of this resource. Again, it's called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school for free core, Christianity.com.

This is really such a helpful and practical resource for our families.

So if you have children and grandchildren. We encourage you to go to our website and get this go to court, Christianity.com look for six ways to help your kids as they go back to school. You can find it@corechristianity.com/offers. Let's go back to the phones.

Denise is on the line from Iowa Denise what your question for atrial document.

Someone told me that Mary Jesus is not. It was sinless and that she is still alive, so they talk to her and ask her to pray for family members and things like that and ideas that Jesus is only spent sinless person ever and I know that is an honor to be Mary Mary B. Anyhow, Jesus is mother but I never thought of SMS and this one to let you… Yeah, my view is that Mary was in need of a Savior just like we are thinking go to Luke's Gospel of Luke chapter 1 verse 46 that Mary song oftentimes called the Magnificat.

She said my soul magnifies the Lord in my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humblest date of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name and his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation us to beautiful song. This song of praise that she sings we should sing it to.

We should join her in in singing it, really. But what is she doing here. She's pointing us to Christ, her son, the Savior, the word, who took flesh from her womb as the savior of mankind is the deliverer of humanity and so I think you know that the focus needs to be on Jesus and as you said, Denise. It's not that we want to minimize Mary's role or set it aside, and in the history of redemption. If you will, that God used her mightily and that he through her that you know that the Jesus of the sun. Taking flesh from her womb is accomplishing redemption for all people, but we join her as worshipers and as as those were praying to God and thanking him for his great mercy. Now of course you know there's there's is a theology that the Roman Catholic Church has another other traditions as well that we can ask that the saints who have died to intercede for us to pray for us and so that's why many of them will say I go to Mary and ask her to to pray for me, but I just don't believe that that's something that you find evidence for in Scripture and my concern is that people can lose sight of the fact that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man and he's the one who's given us access to the father, wouldn't we need others who have gone before us to be our our primary mediators. We come to the father with confidence through Jesus our great high priest and and there's nothing I think. And in the New Testament that would would lead us to believe her or give assistance to God is commanding us to pray to the deceased saints who are right now in the presence of the Lord worshiping him.

I think that's what they're what they're doing there there alive in Christ if he will and in God's presence but nowhere.

We told there. I'm receiving our prayers and praying for us.

That site I think something that the that the Scripture just doesn't give to us and so God bless you and hope that you can continue to have some good conversations with with your Roman Catholic friend and I thank you for the call Denise. Thanks so much for being a regular listener to core Christianity appreciate you if you have a question for atrial about the Bible or the Christian life. Our phone lines are open right now. In fact, were to be recording a second episode of core Christianity after this one ends it will be a record show, but if you still have a question were unable to get through.

You can actually call us for the next 40 minutes or so at this number it's 833.core that's 1-833-843-2673.

Again, our phone lines will be open for the next 40 minutes if you want to call in with your question. Will you receive emails here at the core and this one came into our email address which is questions at core, Christianity.com it's from Doug and Doug says I suffer from a psychotic, delusional disorder called schizoaffective disorder.

I do believe in Jesus Christ but I also suffer from all kinds of delusions that keep me from believing that I'm saved and that God is for me. I keep telling myself to saturate my mind in God's word so the truth will eventually sink in. But I have to question why it's been so difficult to believe something so simple and basic when I was in the hospital with this disorder. The nurse told my parents that even though you can have factual evidence about something in front of you. People with this disorder will still lean toward believing the delusions. I can't understand why God allows me to suffer from unbelief when I really want to believe. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with this problem. Doug, I want to pray for you first and then bill. I also want to get your insight here, just from the from the perspective of as of the therapist bill of let's pray for our brother Doug who is longing for assurance not to be able to rest in the gospel but has not been able to to get that. So father Lord, we thank you for your word and for the promises that we see in Scripture the promise that you give us of eternal life through your son Jesus Christ God. We know that that's a promise. It's repeated throughout the Bible. I think of first John chapter 2 of the promise of eternal life, and Lord for for so many of our brother Doug it's it's hard for us to really grasp to really believe that that promise is for us. We think of the times we fail the things that we struggle with our sins and it's hard to imagine Lord God that you love us, even though your word says that you do so clearly and then for Doug, our brother who struggles with this with this disability as well.

Lord and in and that creating more issues for him.

I asked, gracious father in heaven that by the power of your Holy Spirit, you would help Doug to rest in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus your son that he would cling to your word and that he would just understand it cognitively.

Lord, but that deep in his heart he might know that he belongs to you. As Romans eight says that the spirit would bear witness with his spirit that he is a child of God and so Lord be with him and through your word and through your gospel give him comfort and assurance. I pray in Jesus name, amen Doug.

Let me just say that that's that's the key for all of us were struggling with assurance is going to the promises of God going to the promises of his word, reminding ourselves that it's not because we are righteous that God loved us right. Romans chapter 5, God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us and so it wasn't something that we did something that you did is the promise of the gospel for sinners and and it's for you it's for us as sinners to cling to buy to embrace to say, God, I'm taking you at your word and believing my sins are forgiven. Not for anything that I've done, but solely for the sake of Jesus Christ and his work for me in and praying you know that that the Lord by his spirit gives you that that comfort and that assurance but go back to those promises again and again and again as you've been doing and may the Lord grant you peace and then bill with with something like this. Are there other practical things just from the medical perspective that Doug might benefit from. I think Doug is doing the right thing and we schizoaffective disorder. It's basically a combination of a psychotic disorder in a mood disorder so people are familiar with schizophrenia. There may become familiar with bipolar disorder someone who was a manic phase or depressive phase will unfortunately were schizoaffective disorder. Those two things seem to be combined and the delusions and hallucinations can be really hard to deal with and that the way that is typically treated as Doug probably knows, and hopefully he's pursuing this one is medication and the other is called call cognitive behavioral therapy, and that's challenging those delusions and hallucinations when they occur, and I love what you said about just he said himself, saturating himself in those promises in the assurance of salvation and Doug, I would say to you, and I'd say to any listener who is trying to base their their faith on feelings that it soon. We talked about this many times on the show Israel that it's not based on how you feel on a given day is not based on your circumstances is based on the finished work of Jesus on the cross so Doug write those things down. Maybe even record your own voice saying those things on your phone and then when a delusion pops up play it back to yourself saying, I know this is an illusion right now. I know that Christ died for me and I'm secure in him, and that no dilution can overcome that can defeat it. Amen. Thanks a drill and thank you Doug will continue to pray for you here at core Christianity, we do receive voicemails and if you have a voicemail that you like to leave us here is the phone number to call.

It's 833 the core that's 833-843-2673. You can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day.

Let's go voicemail that came in from one of our listeners named Sam how you what you and Brad and I wait… But what not, but one thing that troubled me with all.bullet.pot you what I would believe about hell not really real.

Real bang and a big part of the gospel. The rate that may like a year ago.

There through alcohol. You went made it up. It is by thinking okay Mike that there be that he didn't have all how it may be that God how what I comfort them on it yet. They come to the realization that they Lord and then Ian that believing and how how what I know how to comfort him, but am knowing now that it thanks super practical question the love to hear soon that you're having these conversations with your friend, but of course and we talk about heaven, hell, then all these other questions are raised like what about my deceased loved ones.

He told me the God God just rejecting them look. Here's the thing we know God is perfectly just and good that you and on the day of judgment. We stand before the Lord and you know the books are open is not to be what he says got is this is unfair. This is it right. This is in good I think everybody is going to realize that God is is is right here in in what he does and and the other thing is you know we we know that with regard to the judgment were judged more severely on the basis of of what we know and have the knowledge that God gives to us so I know exactly what that's gonna look like we don't we don't know entirely what that's gonna look like on on the last day and I don't know also that this needs to be the focus of your conversations right now and you said you know that I know hell is a big part of the gospel. Well it's it's a part of the bad news right effectively falling short of the glory of God, but focusing on the gospel looks like focusing on the fact that Christ has conquered sin and death and hell for those who trust in him and we don't know you not on the last day what what what it's gonna look like entirely. We know that there is in the Bible speak very clearly about hell of this place of perdition.

This place of judgment. We know that the Bible makes it clear that there are varying degrees of judgment based upon.

You know what what an individual knows, and we know the Bible makes it clear that God is perfectly just and good, and so we might struggle with that as finite creatures, in part because were finite creatures and because we don't know every one of full knowledge, we don't understand God and his greatness in his holiness and his justice. But that doesn't make God evil and so I think if you get into that conversation. It it's it's going in that direction, but for now really focusing on you as you're having conversations with your friend that the promises of the gospel, the hope of the forgiveness of sins.

The fact that sin brings death in your friend knows this immediate situation with with his sister, tragic situation.

Your heartbreaking situation when were we were confronted with death and sin.

Things like addiction, alcoholism, we've tasted the bitterness will Jesus came into the world to drink that cup for us that bitterness of death and sin if you will, by bearing it on the cross and the judgment that he received in our place so there's hope, there's hope for the those who are in Christ and those who trust in him and I would encourage her brother to focus on that. May the Lord bless you and your conversations with your friend. Appreciate the work that you're doing Sam Douglas 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.

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