Is Samson a Hero or Villain in the Bible?

With the hero or villain in the Bible. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

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833. The core first up today let's go to read calling in from Minnesota.

Read what your question for pastor atrial Bible verses Everett everywhere and I can never find why were were God you right hand right hand (right hand thanks reach that question well.

God must be right-handed GPs. I'm just joking.

That is the symbol that we have in Scripture.

You see this language all over the place in the Old Testament and in the New Testament the right hand of power you think about God's deliverance in the book of Exodus.

For example, the song of Moses in Exodus chapter 15 verse six, you're right handle Lord glorious in power. You're right handle Lord shatters the enemy Jesus talks about seeing the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.

So this is symbol this this image of power, authority, God's strength to save to redeem the judge and that's I would understand. We have to be careful when we read these things in the Bible without the okay God is right-handed amino.

He has I had no God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth God. God doesn't have a a body like is not the son of God, the eternal word of the father, the second person of the holy Trinity assumed humanity so that he was born of a virgin and in Jesus as a body glorified body but but the language of God's right hand is not talking literally here it's it's a symbol of God's power and so that's what we see throughout the Bible, read thanks for the question. Thanks much we appreciate you.

This is core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez would love to hear from you if you got a question about the Bible or the Christian life is a voicemail that came in from one of our listeners earlier this week.

Pastor atrial. My question is how as Christians are we to balance ambition and contentment.

You know their call to be content and all in Philippians talks about being content good or bad, yet is curious can ambition and contentment coexist because I'm of the opinion society doesn't advance this ambitious people don't exist so just curious to hear your thoughts on thank you yeah I mean definitely I think ambition and contentment can and should coexist nothing. I think we were called.

I guess it just depends on how your defining and because of that, there's a good kind of ambition and then there's a demonic kind of ambition which I'll talk about right now. But the good kind of ambition I think is is being diligent working hard seeking to to to pursue the Lord and in all things and to serve the Lord and to serve the people around us and the letters that that Protestant work ethic. You might've of heard about you. Just this. This drive bit that is a good thing honoring to the Lord. The Bible says if we don't work.

We don't eat and so and so this is important you know that Scripture says a lot of things about laziness as as a sin, something we have to be cautious of, but there is an evil kind of ambition, a demonic kind of ambition in this what James talks about in James chapter 3, who is wise and understanding among you, as verse 13. By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false. The truth, this is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly and spiritual demonic for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Never.

It's that you know this selfish ambition looks like that that that jealousy that deep jealousy that drives us to be better than others to to be superior to others. In James testing.

This is not the wisdom that comes from above, this is not how God calls us to live. This is the something very sensual and very demonic about this and he goes on in verse 17, but the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere in a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. There's a diligence there. Sewing harvesting working but but being led by the spirit of the Lord and and in that, being content men and contentment. Again, doesn't mean that we just sit back and and don't work hard. It means that we accept. You know what. Whatever the situation that were in that we don't have that that sort of covetous desire that that is sinful, but instead were trusting the Lord in whatever situation were and what were also pursuing him and and and were working hard and so I may God help us to do that. May God help us to steer clear of that demonic ambition that James spoke about in James chapter 3 good counsel.

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John Fulwider said the agency that I read about Samson. Judges 14 used lofty disobedience in wanting Y know you want a life from among the Philistines and Annie is his parents. I know he's English and Hebrews in the hollow height is dreamlike around his spirit is in alignment with God.

No worse is that the spirit of alignment came upon him, and he ate some of these things out. Please explain the lessons you learn Samson.

Thank you Initiate thank you for that. That questioning Samson is as a judge called by the Lord filled with the Holy Spirit in a powerful way so that he brought judgment against the enemies of God's people, and yet his life was a real tragedy was in it and then we read about it in and there are times where you and the I think this is what you were struck by you in your reading the story of Samson. You think is this guy just a total fool I meet.

I mean, how is he. How is he falling into some of the things that he's funny. Diseases gotta be just gotta be totally clueless and you think about that in the here's here's what I think that that the big takeaways because as you said he is in the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 he is he is treated as this example are this this this witness to the goodness of God into the promises of God, as I think that what we see, and what we can take comfort from it in our own lives is when one we see the deceptive nature of sin right that that we can we can look at a guy like him as a man, how can you make the same mistakes over and over again and and be so blind and yet brothers and sisters. Isn't that the case with us so often and just doing things sitting in ways that we know that this is this is not right and yet still amended. This is this great contradiction. There and and of course were humbled by the Lord were always called to repent and confess and yet for many of us, we still find ourselves in those same situations. I think in one sense, Samson is this picture of of the struggle that many believers do experience and the fact that God works in and even through that. But there is there is a warning here for us about the deceptive nature of sin about the consequences of sin and and Samson definitely experienced many of those commonly the that the way in which he died was tragic, totally just blinded and mocked, and there you know, and it is sort of strange irony rep bring the house down on the enemies of the Lord, and he calls upon God, and God fills him again with with his spirit it in in in some respects they're not not as a sinner, but as as this one. Who is tortured and brings judgment against the enemies of the Lord is this picture of this type of Christ meant so that there are so many different things to see but but I think one of the things that I'm I'm comforted by when it when I read the strip Samson and this is just true of the stories of every person in the Bible that we believe we treat is a quote on quote here. As you look at their lives in you say man, that person was pretty messed up. And yet God still used them. They still experience the grace of God, and it doesn't justify her's muniment ascended the way in which he lived in the things that he did that they were okay to guide us return the blind. I know no, not at all and doesn't with our sin. We take it very seriously got chastises us when when we sin, but there is a comfort in in seeing the Lord's hand on his life in God's mercy toward Samson and and I think it gives hope to people who mess up people who make the same mistakes over and over again and so I think we were meant to see the stars and glorify the grace of God, while also be warned about the again the deceptive nature of sin.

Thank you for forgiven us a call in and out for your encouragement as well and there are so many characters in the Bible who are fallible in so many ways and gives me hope because I'm just as fallible to make mistakes into sin as they are so thanks for that and really appreciated this is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Brittany called in from Oregon and has this question. She says April. Thanks so much for your show. I've grown so much listening to it.

If I was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness and I'm now a Christian, do I need to get re-baptized Brittany thank you for your encouragement. So glad that you that you're listening and my my advice for you as a pastor would be yes you do need to get baptized truly baptized for the first time because the Jehovah's Witness cultist, not a true church and so they don't they don't have the ordinances of Jesus Christ. Baptism and the Lord's supper because they don't have the pure gospel of Christ. In fact, they deny Christ they don't believe that he's God date they teach that he's a created being. This is this is one of the earliest heresies in the church known as Arianism and and it was condemned and so Jehovah's Witnesses you know, even though they they might do good things in the community and have a zeal for spreading their doctrine, their religion, you see them going door-to-door and and so on. So what you say man that there such nice people.

Same thing with the Mormons, but they don't have the true faith they don't have the gospel and so if if you were baptized as a Jehovah's Witness and say they baptize you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit wasn't a true baptism because the sun in their estimation is a created being baptized in into the name of of a creature is one who is created.

This is why actually evenly think about baptism being baptized in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit. It's it's it's further evidence that Christ isn't a creature but that he is the Lord that he is the source of grace and life for his people were baptized into the divine life of the holy Trinity. If you will, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and so I would say to you, it's and it's not that you need to get rebaptized. It's that you need to be truly baptized for the first time in a church that does preach the truth and does embrace who God is father, son and Holy Spirit, one in essence an undivided what were where you can experience that the true ordinance sacrament as it was meant to be experienced and and I pray that and I pray that you do do that and that you do that soon.

The you're in a good church where you're encouraged and growing together with believers are so glad that your you're no longer you know with the Jehovah's Witnesses and may the Lord bless you and draw you closer to him and and bless you, even as you pursue baptism. This is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life and that you can call us for the next eight minutes or so will be taking your calls at 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Jason's calling in from Missouri. Based what your question for atrial will and he will die. God his past career sound.

God what I will help them realize that not sure hey Jason, thank you so much for for giving us a call and boy I'm so sorry to hear about about your friend in this this terrible tragedy. And you know often when when terrible things like this happen.

What were looking for some sort of reason we want to blame someone sometimes and infrequently people will blame themselves. And it sounds just like that's that's what your friend is doing now what can you say it is there one Bible verse that you can give to a person to to change his mind.

I don't think I don't think that there's one verse to go to. We know that we live Chase in a world that is full of sin and death, and that we, individually, as sinners participate in that. But to to conclude from this that you know this this terrible thing that your friend experiences that's that's just God punishing him, judging him II don't think that that's that's the right approach. He needs to be comforted and reminded of the glory of God.

The fact that God is sovereign even over these kinds of tragic things in a sense, I know that sounds strange Jace but but but but I think recognizing six Psalm 139 says God has written each and every one of our days in his book, when is yet there was none of them.

And so I think I think one thing you could do it. In talking to your friend is praying for him and reminding him of the fact that these things are terrible. They are part of the fallen world in which we live, but that God is not taken by surprise and that he knows each and every one of our days and and so this situation is something that the Lord knew about and and what was not.

That I wouldn't say you know punishing this this this person that we have to be careful also when we think about that.

The chastisement of the Lord when we sin, God does discipline us as Christians.

And it's always out of love. It's it's it's something that he does not because he's trying to condemn us or ruin us quite the opposite.

And so Jace maybe your friend also has just a bad understanding of the discipline of the Lord because if he thinks of God. God just wants to crush me and destroy me because I was such a bad person think that I did in my past that and that's not the God of the Bible and so I think continually also giving a clear picture of the love of God in Jesus Christ.

What God did for him in sending his son into the world to experience the weight of our sin, even even you know what I don't know what his his you know particular situation was, in terms of what he feels guilty about. But those sins. Jesus took Jesus took those sins so that we are not condemned and God is not just Nina waiting to crush us like this, like this cruel dictator know he is merciful and kind. And when he does discipline us again it's it's out of love and thought that that doesn't seem like what what was taking place there, but I would just encourage you brother to to be continually in prayer for your friend to pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit to comment and maybe having those conversations about the nature of God's discipline specifically for his people not to crush them or to condemn them but to sanctify them in out of love and it doesn't sound to me like like that's what this is. This is sounds like a tragic event that God knew about all our days written in his book, but but not punishment for this.

This individual's in Christ took our punishment on the cross and so he comforts us in the midst of our affliction and Jace, our prayer would be that you can help your friend get plugged into a church, if he's not already where you can be surrounded by believers who will love him and comfort him and help them through this process and will be praying for this gentleman and his situation. So, thanks so much for your caring heart. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Gail who's calling in from Springfield are not from Missouri. I guess Gail where exactly do you live all right what your question for atrial well while I was teaching children's church. Another teacher mentioned to me that she didn't think that leading a gay lifestyle, was against God's word that she felt like it was biblical that she thought acquaintance on Hebrew and Greek That it was okay and that he said that the only kind, it would be against the Bible of the Ray and I can even believe I was hearing because I wouldn't want her guiding child in her class to believing that it was okay I get that cause me to doubt my own late and I went home and did research and I can find one place in the Bible where okay to leading a life you Gail. I also would be concerned if this person was, was teaching in the church and teaching the children of the church because you're right that the Bible is very clear when it comes to gay and lesbian practicing meal, homosexuality, and so there are people today who try to make the case and say well when you look at the Greek word here or the the historical context they are. You know it's not really talking about gay and lesbian relationships with the but that's just it.

It's it's not the camming that arguments are not strong. I really is a twisting of Scripture and Internet twisting of Scripture in order to accommodate kind of the modern very progressive view on sexuality that we see all around us in in our culture and so and so what what do you say to someone like this.

I think I think if you want asked him what what is your view really coming from Scripture, is this is is rooted in what God has said or are you being shaped more by the world and the culture and the cultures view of sexuality than you are. The Bible for you what's what's the priority and sadly too often we see today is this for many people. The priority is not the word of God were looking to shape the word of God or twist the word of God around whatever that the sort of cultural climate is and and that's that's a shame that's that's that's terrible, and ultimately it leads people to to destruction the moon we twist Scripture and were unwilling to call sin sin and we confirm people in their sin. It's it's devastating and so one.

I would say an individual who believes like this and teaches it should not be teaching in the church because it's it's dangerous theology. It's dangerous spiritually and to José pray for this person, but would have that conversations it will look what's that what's the priority for you and we have some resources on homosexuality with a guide 10 things you need to know about the Bible and homosexuality over core, Christianity.com/downloads try to get a hold of that. I think it will help.

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