Does God Keep Unbelievers From Seeing the Truth of the Gospel?

Does God keep unbelievers from seeing the truth of the gospel that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Would love to hear from your peers. Our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Our phone lines of the open for the next 25 minutes or so. So now is the time to call and also post your question on one of our social media sites. In fact, we have a YouTube channel and you can go on YouTube right now. Watch Israel live in the studio drinking his coffee and you can send him a question that way through our YouTube channel and feel free to email us anytime at questions at core, Christianity.com will first up today. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our callers earlier this week after a drill really appreciate your program and have a question here from Luke chapter 11 verse 11 through 13. It starts out which of you fathers if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead. At the end of verse 13 how much more will your father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him to look at Matthew chapter 7 starts out kind the same. Which of you. If your son hath for bread, will give him a stone of the aspirate.

This will give him a snake. But then the next verse, verse 10 talks about God will give all good things to those who ask him something like that.

The verses in Luke 11 being slightly different than Matthew seven is wondering what your opinion on that. Appreciate it. I love both of these passages that you brought to our attention. Now, of course, these sermons which Jesus preached him, and often he was repeating himself and in many of these teachings is no contradiction there in Matthew's account where Jesus is emphasizing the father's goodness. The fact that he gives good gifts to those who ask. And then in Luke 11, the, the emphasis is on the greatest gift of all gift of all that God gives to us, which is the Holy Spirit, namely himself God giving us himself and so note no contradiction.

I think that the focus in both of those passages is on the goodness of our heavenly father if we being evil. Jesus says that is sinful, know how to give good gifts to our children enough if my son comes to me and says hey can I have a that a piece of bread. I'm hungry and I don't give him a scorpion or a snake. I don't I don't I don't try to harm him know I can give him food. If we being sinful know how to give good gifts to our children how much more will God give good gifts to those who ask God, who is that the heavenly father and so each of us should be encouraged on the basis of Jesus's words to pray, asking God that he would bless us with those good gifts. Now what is the greatest gift that God gives to us again. It's himself and that's what Jesus emphasizes and in Luke's account, where he says that the Holy Spirit how much more will will God give to those who ask the Holy Spirit. And so, what an encouragement for us to approach God and a lot of people I think it may be listening right now. When you approach God you view him as stingy as you know just enough he's got that heavenly hammering he sees is waiting for you to mess up so he can crush you Jesus. No, that's not the father that we worship. He's good and he gives good gifts to us and so we should approach him and say fill me father with your Holy Spirit so well said this is core Christianity with pastor a drill Sanchez. We'd love to hear from you if you got a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Maybe there's a passage in the Bible. That's confusing to you, where you see what you think is an apparent contradiction were always open to those questions. Maybe you have some doubts about the Christian faith. They would love to talk to you if you consider yourself to be an agnostic or an atheist and have some questions or maybe you practice a different religion and you like to talk to a drill about that. Feel free to give us a call 833.

The core is the number that's 1-833-843-2673 we do receive emails here at the Corinth.

Here's one for Melissa.

She says sees me. Do you have any advice for people like myself who have autism and really struggle with the social aspect of fellowship. I've recently started attending church. After many years of not doing so reason I stopped going. Was because I have so much difficulty socializing with others in person. I'm finding it difficult to connect with anybody, and I often feel worried that I making the other members uncomfortable by my lack of communication skills or that they just my me plain rude. I will keep going because I know I need to be disciplined in my church attendance and not let my feelings overcome my obedience to God's word but I feel like I'm falling short of what real fellowship should be you have any advice for this kind of situation. Alyssa God bless you and your desire to be a part of the worshiping community. Even though it's very difficult for you with with autism, so I know I'm definitely want to pray for you on the broadcast and encourage you first whether we feel like it or not, here's the beautiful thing about the gospel through Christ, you are a part of the body of Christ. You are a part of the fellowship. We are one church one body through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you been baptized into the body of Christ. So you said you fit in your part of the family and God has gifted you in unique ways for the edification of the body of Christ is not, you know, do I fit into I not fit in Jesus has made you apart is made each of us apart by faith in his name and so were called to live in light of that and into that so hopefully you received that is a comfort. Just knowing that look your in your in through Christ and through his mercy through his goodness, that would be my first encouragement for you to view yourself not, as someone who doesn't fit in, but as someone who is been welcomed into the family through what Jesus has done and as those who have been welcomed into the family were we are growing in up in into Christ. More and more as we exercise the got the God-given gifts that we have for the edification of the body as we benefit from the gifts of others in the context of the local church. I think primarily of the preached word that the sacraments of grace, that we receive a me first and foremost we don't go to churches is that you sort of a social club or you know this, the social woman there. There is a part of that we go to church to receive the gospel the body and blood of Jesus Christ of the promises that God gives to us and so I would put the pressure on yourself to feel like I have to I have to build all of these relationships and and you know, focusing on the social element. I think that that's a good thing but know that you can just go is one of Christ, little lambs to receive his good word for you.

That's why we gather together and and I would just say praying that in time is as you continue to participate in and beat of seeing it as a priority that you should have that the Lord would bless you with with friendships with relationships with others in the body of Christ that are mutually edifying relationships help you grow in your faith and where you can encourage others as well as I want to pray that for you. Alyssa gracious heavenly father, thank you for our sister Alyssa, thank you that you have welcomed her into your family and that she is a part of the body of Christ because of the work of Jesus Christ and Lord, what would a great thing that is we are one church united together in one body and called to live in light of that great reality and so I pray that you would help each of us, and in particular, my sister Alyssa to do that, would you bless her in the church that she's at with fruitful edifying relationships and friendships, Lord, and more and more I pray that it as she attends worship that she would be encouraged in her walk with you. In Jesus name, amen and amen.

Just a follow-up for you a drill. I think this also speaks to those of us in the church who may be uncomfortable with someone who has special needs or some kind of social deficit. We are called as well to reach out in love and to be able to know bear burdens and to encourage one another and and that includes those who might have autism 100%. Bill and I think that's a great reminder for each of us in the body of Christ you know and as I said, it's not a social club. It's not an affinity group God is choosing our brothers and sisters for us and so when we go to church a mean that that's the beautiful thing about the body of Christ. The church should be a diverse place or people are coming from all different walks of life.

But what we share is a hunger for the grace of God, and that's what unites us. It's what Christ has done for us in the longing to grow in Jesus. And so we have the main thing the most important thing in common and that's what gives fellowship well said this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Our phone lines are open. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Give us a call right now 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, we are really excited to share a new book with you today. It's by a friend of Cora Christianity Pastor David Cassidy yeah this book is called indispensable. It's over on our website can access at their core, Christianity.comics want to read a little section of this book.

This is on on page 31. Pastor Cassidy rights don't dismiss Jesus with faint praise, calling him a great teacher, reducing him to a messenger who is no more divine than any other religious leader those whose hearts have been captured by Jesus would sacrifice everything in order to pursue what Paul called the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord as from Philippians chapter 3 verse eight.

Even if you choose to reject Jesus.

It's important that you recognize the truth about him and reject that rather than rejecting a mythical Jesus who bears no resemblance to reality so important for us to understand this today to understand who Jesus is and Pastor Cassidy helps you to do that through this book indispensable. So again, I hope you get a hold this resource over core, Christianity.com. While that passage you read there where there is so powerful a drill bit if that's any indication of what this book is about. I would highly recommend that our listeners take advantage of it. By the way, you can find out more about this book and ordered from us by going to core Christianity.com/offers that's core Christianity.com/offers and look for the book indispensable by David Cassidy. We do receive voicemails here at the core.

You can call us anytime 24 hours a day and leave your voicemail at 833-843-2673. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Viola something I want to about 44 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the mind of man which believe not let the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto and in John chapter 12 verse 40 lead. He has blinded their eyes and hiding their hot, that they should not see what there was no understand with their hot and be converted, and I should heal in second Corinthians. Speaking of Satan, blinding eyes, and in John chapter 12. This is God behind blue eyes. So could you know that Satan wants keep us from the true lack God behind thanking the question and you're absolutely right there in sync with these chapter 4 it's the cortical God of this world. The evil one Satan who has blinded the minds of those don't don't believe unless they see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And then in John chapter 11 where it speaks of the unbelief of the people God is the one who has blinded the eyes of the people are being described as read some of that text is is John chapter 11 beginning in verse 36 when Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them, though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, and so this is in fulfillment of prophecy. Lord, who has believed what he heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed.

Therefore, Isaiah says that they could not believe saying verse 40. He has blinded their eyes and heart in their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them now. It speaking in particular of the religious leaders know not everyone was unbelieving because the text goes on to say verse 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him for fear of the Pharisees.

They did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue, for they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

For the religious leaders who had been blinded. If you know in fulfillment of that prophecy that we see in Isaiah.

There was this hypocrisy. This sense of we see we get it we know when in reality they didn't, they were continuing and in sinful unbelief unwilling to embrace Christ and so I think what you have there is. God is giving them over to essentially what they had chosen for themselves. God hardening their hearts. This is something that you also see with Pharaoh for example I described by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 9 I think that the warning for us all throughout Scripture. You see, in particular, also in the wisdom literature Lycan in the book of Proverbs is not to reject the word of God not to harden our hearts against what the Lord has said is what the author of the Hebrews says to the Hebrew generation. Don't harden your hearts in unbelief, turning away from the living God. And that's precisely what so many of the religious leaders did during Jesus's earthly ministry, and for that reason we can read and in this is what God did.

He has blinded their eyes and harden their heart disease.

He let them have essentially what they wanted. He's confirmed them in that unbelief because of their sinful rejection and so we are called not to turn away from the word of God, but to embrace it to believe it to fall on our knees before Christ and say I believe help my unbelief because that's the struggle that we all have and so two different texts obviously of Scripture, but I think focusing on two different things specifically and that's what John chapter 11 is honing in on. Thank you Viola for your question.

Some great clarification. Thanks for a lot of times you know I think it's so important for us to understand the context of what we read in Scripture and people will often pull things out of context or be confused because they don't understand the full context and I know that something that you really encourages is no make sure that he used to study Bible to but fully understand what you are reading, especially when it comes to the words of Jesus. Yeah and I appreciate that bill because of so far at least it with a couple of the questions we received on the broadcast.

It's it's about comparing two texts of Scripture that seem to be saying something different. We had that question earlier with regard to prayer. Comparing Matthew and Luke were Jesus says you, how much more will your heavenly father good give good gifts to those who ask in Matthew's gospel that in Luke's gospel we read how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and then hear comparing second Corinthians chapter 4 it talks about Satan blinding the minds of of those who reject the gospel and then John chapter 11 where it talks about God.

You know blinding the eyes of these these individuals that these religious leaders were rejecting the gussets again. It's as you say so important for us to look at the context of each passage and then to dig in deeper. In order to come to a proper understanding of the text of Scripture, and that we should all do as we approach the Bible. That's we want to help you are audience to do as well. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Our phone lines will be open for the next five minutes or so, here's the number to call.

It's 833 the core that's 833-843-2673 let's go to Rochelle who's calling in from Lincoln Nebraska.

Richelle what your question for Israel. My question you take your own life, which I think nobody has a right to do now and I can surmise you go to heaven to have a chance to talk. I say I'm sorry. Please forgive me for what I'm about to do size down Laurel I wanted that I couldn't because of Jesus surrendering to the people that do succeed where they going faster. Shall I have a question, but one that is so important I think to to get right and there are so many people who wrestle with depression and suicidal ideation state that I you know I think I think that this is just it's an important one for us to address know the first thing I'll say is that were saved solely through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us our sins. So the question of our internal destiny. If you will, whether or not were in heaven has to do primarily with the question of what are we united to Jesus Christ by faith. Am I trusting in Christ. Now, even those who trust in Jesus Christ can struggle with depression, dark depression. It did you see this often times in the Psalms. Certainly the history of the Christian church bears the site you think of many of the mighty men and women of God that were used, who really wrestled with dark bouts of depression who wrote about it and talked about it and so so that the. The key question is does an individual have Christ are they are they believing in him and as I said even believers can struggle with depression and and and succumb to it.

I've I've seen it you know in in in my own life now suicide as you said is is a sin right we don't have the right to take any life including our own life. It is a sin against God.

But I wouldn't say that it's the unpardonable sin the unpardonable sin described in in the Gospels, you know, Jesus speaking to the religious leaders who had rejected the truth of the gospel and rejected his grace were hardening their hearts against him and and and and and Jesus expresses their immediate refers to as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and unpardonable sin and and and so upbeat I died I would say there are some people have said this and of the suicide is important was and I don't think that that's the case now. If you are struggling with suicidal ideation. You need to get help immediately and Bill, I know, I know we shared the suicide hotline on on the broadcast before.

I think this would probably be another good time to do it because I know that this is a serious thing but let me just say for those of you who are struggling man Christ is there. He is our hope, he is your hope and it's in those deep and dark valleys that he hasn't abandoned us even there he meets us and here's here's the other thing is such that he meets us there, it's that Jesus knows the valley of the shadow of death better than anyone else when he's he's been there. I think of the Psalm is Psalm 88, for example, is the darkest Psalm actually ends with the word darkness. The people of God throughout their history, have experienced these seasons of deep deep darkness and pain so innocent times a day when an individual's wrist wrestling with struggling with depression if that can be a sense of shame feeling. How could. How could this be the guy I can't believe that I'm going to do this or why why my feeling like this. I just want you know that you're not alone and that your Savior Jesus can and does sympathize with you in your weakness. Clean to him and to his grace. Amen Bill Amen so well said by the way for new listeners who might be struggling with the depression and maybe even suicidal ideation. There's that new suicide hotline number which is 988.

You can call 988 and talk to someone there counselor who will help you. And we also have a wonderful resource at so-called three biblical ways to fight depression. You can find that by going to core Christianity.com/downloads and look for three biblical ways to fight depression. By the way, October is mental health awareness month and so it's I'm glad that this caller brought this to our attention, and it is such a huge issue right now in our culture is something we need to address regularly. Yeah, absolutely Bill and one other resource I was going to. I was going to mention is seen over our website core, Christianity.com. We have a ton of articles on all sorts of different subjects, even some articles related to this. There's one article in particular title. Can people who die by suicide be saved is just just me. Basically I II gave a summary of of the answer there, but if you want it on paper something that maybe you could share with somebody else you could check out that that article core, Christianity.com.

This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Here's an email we received from one of our listeners named Jason and he says how do we receive the Holy Spirit. Yeah, great, great question, Jason will him and there are a few passages of Scripture one that we arty cover you think of what Jesus said in and Luke chapter 11 if if you being evil, know how to give good gifts.

How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. And I think as followers of Jesus Christ. Daily we need to be asking God fill me with your spirit guide me by your Holy Spirit is. It's not rocket science is just coming to God is our good father and asking him to fill us with his spirit.

Now if if you're not a Christian you don't know if you are a Christian. If you've never been baptized to think of what we read in acts chapter 2, verse 38 Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost is called people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and East. He says his acts 238 repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you don't know Jesus Christ today is the day turned to him. He died on the cross to forgive all of your sins turned to him and get plugged into the church. Beep.

Beep baptized in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

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As we explore the truth of God's word together