How to be a Fearless Witness in a Fearful Time

How can Christians be a positive witness during this time of fear and social distancing. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Christian life every day that you get in touch with us by calling 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can always email us with your questions.

Here's email address questions@corechristianity.com you know was so much negativity in the news during this coronavirus crisis we been doing our best to share some positive stories with you each day. And here's one of those Carol solea is a photographer from Needham, Massachusetts. She normally makes her living taking baby and family portraits in her town but now with the coronavirus. Her work has come to a halt. So Karen and a friend have started hashtag the front steps project she's been traveling around her town, photographing families on their front porches practicing social distancing by staying more than 6 feet away, and Karis says where in this unique time in history where there are so many people home in their houses.

People are working from home. Their kids are home and were all just together under a roof. It's such a unique time in our history. And it feels like it needs to be documented – doesn't charge for the photos but the families are encouraged to make a contribution to the Needham community Council, which provides food and other essentials to people in need in their town and she says people are loving the photos and is also an excuse to get outside and get a little fresh air while also giving back to the community's medical story or that is a really cool story. I love that she's recognizing that this is a unique time in history.

I was just talking to my wife Isabel the other day and we are saying.

Boy you were to look back on these days and think you member the coronavirus lockdown. It is a unique time in history and and so is so important for us to I think redeem the time, as Paul told the Ephesians you just an opportunity for us as believers to continue to present to God's word and to draw near to the Lord. Some excited do that with you today and we should mention that the atrial and I are practicing really good social distancing because I'm yeah my home in Minneapolis and tell us where you are. I am at home in San Diego in my office right now you know so funny Bill is I typically am not here usually pictures that I bypassed were renting from the Lutheran Church. I'm trying to use the building throughout the week. Will this morning when I went to go to the building so that I can record I was locked out. I could get into the outside gate come to realize that the reason was because this one of the sort of electric gates that you have the punch in a code to get in though there's no power at the church so I texted the pastor who runs basically the show there and I ended up hopping the fence getting and realizing there's no power than coming home and that now here I am in my office after having the fence to the church and realized I can't record their kids are locked outside so the noise and hopefully we can get through this. Let's get into our first question and Jeff Santos this email and ask is this is the idea of glorification biblical. I've heard people talk about this, but I thought that we are supposed to give all glory to God. How is it that we would somehow share in that glory or obtain glory while hey Jeff, the word is certainly biblical and it refers to a future aspect of our salvation that coincides with what we refer to as the resurrection of the body is so interesting. We often use the word save today primarily in the past tense right like someone will ask you when were you saved and you think back to that time were you made a decision for Christ. You know you you answer to prayer card or something like that. But in the Bible there is the past tense aspect of our salvation. We call that justification a present tense aspect of our salvation sanctification in the future aspect glorification effectively speaking when the New Testament writers use the word saved their typically talking about the future hope we have as believers. This kind of an interesting discrepancy between how we use the word today and how it's often used in the Bible and I would think Jeff less in terms of God giving us glory and the sense of praise and more in terms of the glory of God, transforming you think of a passage like second Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 were talks about being transformed from 1° of glory to another. Typically, the verse that I go to the verses that I go to what I'm thinking about glorification is in Romans chapter 8 verses 18 to 25 if you want to train or listen to what the apostle Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time.

Think about this in light of our current context. By the way, the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected in the hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. The hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. That's glorification is talking about this future reality that were anticipating as the people of God and were not the only ones anticipating it the whole creation is longing for this such a beautiful doctor to when my children do well. Jeff, I'm a proud father. They might be praised, but it reflects back on me or probably more on my wife for being honest but it doesn't take away something from the ads praise in glorification, God's children are put on display, but it's God's work that is being magnified and so I think that should help in terms of distinguishing between glorification like God is praising us and were receiving all the glory know it's through the work of God in us, God is being glorified and were being transformed by his glory Israel. I'm wondering if what's behind Jeff's question is, there are some Christian leaders are some churches that talk about glorification in a different way, as in we can be glorified. Now, how would you respond to that.

I think what I would want to say is typically in the New Testament. This idea of glorification because it's associated with the resurrection of the body, the sort of what we we sometimes referred to as the consummation of our salvation in the finishing of what God has begun in us through his son Jesus Christ that we really can't say that has not happened yet.

In fact Paul, when he's writing in the New Testament is look at what you guys to be deceived thinking that the resurrection of the body has already happened is that was something an idea that was floating around and in places like Corinth and in Thessalonica and so Paul has to address this, we still have something to look forward to as believers. Yes, we have been saved. I'm justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

But God is going to complete what he started in me in glorification in the resurrection of the body.

All right Israel let's go to one of our callers and by the way, if you'd like to call us with your question.

Here's the phone number it's 833. The core 833-843-2673 because 24 hours a day, and let's get one of those questions right now.

Hi my name is Larry and my question for core. Christianity is, how do I be a witness in this time of social distance and isolation and with such traumatic fear about the coronavirus that people might think. There is no God.

Because of the suffering of the world's going through.

How do I be a good witness for Christ.

During this time. Hey David, got bless you and I really appreciate your questioning on a time when a lot of people for many of us it's easy to be selfish and think you know how can I protect myself right now you know what, how can I stay away from people. Your you're wondering how can I serve the Lord in this time and I think that's how all of us us as Christian should be thinking in the midst of the circumstances. What does that look like for me to continue to be a witness of Jesus and of his goodness and so I really appreciate your question, I would say a couple of things. One, what's as believers abide by the sort of requests that our local governments are giving to us. I think that that's so important right now, as part of just being a good neighbor. There was a church in California not too long ago that had some 70 positive coronavirus cases and people obviously in the community were really upset about that. They were really upset at this church. I think it's a bad witness because what essentially were doing is were putting people in danger when were not willing to practice social distancing, and abide by some of these things that really are put in place so that we might take care of each other and especially care for the most vulnerable to people that are really susceptible to this disease and so we will listen and we want to make sure that were being sensitive to the needs of the people around us. So that's the first thing I would say is abide by some of these requests that we been getting. I know that they're hard.

I know that you know it's not fun staying at home and practicing social distancing would much rather be together as the people of God. But it's really important at this time that that we help to flatten the curve as is been said and so I think that's one way you can do is is consider the needs of others.

The people in your church, the people in your community could be something as simple as food, bringing a meal, household items, even a phone call I found especially in times like this where people feel isolated and think about the people David in your church who maybe don't have families who are older and single or maybe younger singles people who don't have that kind of community this disorder. They are built into their home and reach out to them and see how they're doing. I think that's one way that you can share and show the love of Christ. One of our elders was sharing how the stay-at-home orders really have opened the doors for him to get to know some of his neighbors a little bit better because there no outside on the front patio talking to each other and whatnot.

I thought that that was wonderful and so we will also think about how we can continue to meet the needs of the people around us brother. It sounds like that's your heart's desire and I would say keep praying for the people around you and Dave let me just add this into one of the things that we said many times on this program is that we don't do the gospel we don't lead people to Jesus by just doing nice things people need to hear the gospel the message of the forgiveness of sins. But what I found is that as you love your neighbors as you go out of your way to minister to them to care for their needs to live in such a way that people realize they see.

While this person really cares about me. What it does. It is, it opens doors for you to be able to share that message in a way that is compelling and so keep doing what you're doing and I pray that the Lord gives you opportunities brother while I really appreciate David so much that you can just hear his heart and his question he wants to be a good witness. He wants to be the sort of person that represents Christ and is that beautiful fragrance that beautiful aroma to the culture around him through his actions and through his words.

So David, thank you so much for that. We have an email from Janet and this is a difficult one.

She says my brother grew up in the Christian church but married a Jehovah's Witness 15 years ago, and although he did not convert.

He allows her to raise their three kids as Jehovah's Witnesses. He did not renounce his beliefs but he fell away from going to church. He is now going to the Jehovah's Witness meetings with his family and references God as Jehovah.

I'm very close to my brother and his family loving them dearly by the strong Christian faith, which they all know but I struggle with how to witness to them.

My heart breaks for them and I pray for them all the time. I would love and appreciate a little biblical insight and advice. Thanks for all you do Janet. My heart breaks for your brother as well and I'm sure that this is just something that's been so difficult for you. You know when I see someone caught up in a system of false doctrine that leads them away from Jesus instead of giving them the true Christ and the true gospel it leaves them into a system of works righteousness to a false Jesus.

Another Jesus is the apostle Paul said, always just it breaks my heart sister and so I want to encourage you. I think that your desires are good. I would say maintain the relationship you spend time with your brother share meals, laugh, cry, be a good sister is as you're already doing. I think that that's so important because the Lord gives us opportunities is that as I was just thing in the previous question you asked were building those relationships would we get these opportunities to be able to speak to each other and I think that that's something that the Lord will give you and don't shy away from speaking the truth when the Lord does give you that opportunity. Ask good questions. Try to determine know what he believes about God and can share Jesus with them. It sounds like he might be embracing some of the views of the Jehovah's Witnesses, just to be certain to call God Jehovah. I would focus on the gospel with him, though the identity of Jesus. That's what's missing in the watchtower organization they don't have the gospel there caught in this system of legalism of. Here's the things that we have to do in order to enter into heaven to be potentially may be one of the 144,000. They don't understand who Jesus is a belief. He's a created being that he's divine, but that he is equal with the father so they reject one of the core doctrines of the Christian faith, the doctrine of the Trinity. This is such a really a big question is what I want to do. Janet is maybe point you to some resources if you go over to core Christianity.com, there are few articles and even a Bible study that can be really helpful one. There's an article is Jesus God is really short and really put it to the point. That's one article you can look up, but there's also a four-week Bible study old Jesus is God. What encourage you to search for that and and maybe download that because it's going to give you a lot of the scriptures that support this cardinal truth. This court doctrine that we embrace as believers versus like John 11 and in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. Now, Jehovah's Witnesses will take that person the bill twisted they misinterpreted and so it's really important that we understand these passages in their context.

One of the approaches that I've taken, though, when I'm opening up the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses and the come to my door as I like to do so in their Bible. I like to open up to Psalm 102 and read it and it really is this glorious Psalm it talks about God, Jehovah, the Lord, the creator who has made all things, who in Psalm one or two it it it talks about him stretching out the heavens and then in Hebrews chapter 1 the author to the Hebrews takes Psalm 102 he quotes it and then he says it's about Jesus. As I was to ask the question of who Psalm 102 about after we've read it and then I like going to Hebrews chapter 1 and showing them will look inspired by the Holy Spirit, the author of the Hebrew says, Psalm 102. You know that the psalmist is writing about. He's writing about Jesus. I think that that's just compelling that we have to realize that Jesus is Jehovah. Another great verse that you can go to beginning Joel chapter 2 verse 32 it says whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jehovah will be saved. Will Paul in Romans chapter 10 verse 13 he takes that verse.

He applies it to Jesus, and whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved.

And so, in the minds of the writers of the New Testament, the apostles of Jesus. Jesus is Jehovah and that's with the Jehovah's Witnesses don't understand the sister I hope it a couple of those verses will be helpful for you but keep on praying for your brother keep on being a good sister and asked the Lord to open the doors and to open his heart as well.

Federal thanks so much for that response, and in general we do appreciate your question in your love for your brother, your listing to core Christianity.

This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Christian life every day.

You can always email us with your questions.

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Bill is you were saying to get a hold of our new study on the book of Romans later. Let's go to another call that came in on our voicemail. Carolina great. Thank you. Hey Katie, I love that question.

You know it's one of those words that we throw around all the time in the Christian church that we don't often define and so I think it's really good that you you've asked this question. I've heard people use the acronym graces God's riches at Christ's expense actually think that's kind of busy. You know it's it's God's good will.

His favor toward his people that comes to us through Jesus Christ. Now, more assertive technical definition. If we want to be real specific about the biblical definition of grace is something like this. It's God's responsive favor and blessing in the face of human sin. In other words of grace than just something that we don't deserve. It's God giving us the opposite of what we do deserve. I used to know a guy named John that we were members of the same church together uses real hefty guy with huge hands is sort of towered over you and he had the joy of the Lord uses big I always had a smile on his face when they came up to me after church with with that big smile that was so characteristic of any said atrial house, the Lord been treating you lately and I I gave him the sort of stock Christian answer better than I deserve and not thinking much of it in the smile left his face and his voice got a little deeper and he followed up his question with how have you been treating the Lord sort of gulped it out and and we both laughed afterwards because we both knew yet we fall short, don't we, you know, God treats us so good and yet we often don't love him as we should thank God for grace and think of grace not so much as is the thing when a person God and how he is acted for you on your behalf. That's what graces is a you you know it's a word we throw around all the time but it's God's good will. His favor toward his people that we don't deserve it. Not only do we not deserve it. We deserve the opposite and yet God lavishes us with his grace all great question, Katie, and by the way, Daniel posted a similar question on her Instagram page. He says if God doesn't saving really love everyone, then how can I know he loves me.

Do I gauge it by my performance and I'm really glad that this is kind of a follow-up question.

The case question Daniel, let me introduce this idea here is the idea of what we call the means of grace, of grace is God's goodwill. His favor toward us in Christ, not on the basis of anything that we've done the means of grace are the ways that we experience that love in our lives now.

Practically speaking, what are those means it's the preaching of God's word.

We hear the gospel and those ordinances that Jesus gave to the church baptism and the Lord supper. These are ways that God communicates his love, his goodness's goodwill toward us.

So when you asked this question Daniel.

Not everyone is saved. How can I know he loves me.

Do I gauge it by my performance.

I think it's a great time for us to think about this idea of these means of grace that the way you gauge God's love for you is not by looking in the primary thing you need to look at when you're questioning God's love for you is the cross, not your performance. I think pastors that encourage people to look within to determine whether or not God loves them, or to look without to their circumstances are actually doing a disservice to the sheep when I look within. Daniel, I am not sure how God could love me. Sometimes when I look at my physical circumstances sometimes also attempted to question the love of God when I look up to Jesus. I am assured of God's love and that's with the means of grace.

The preaching of God's word baptism taking communion week by week is the church they're meant to show us Jesus and his work for us to assure us of the love of God and we started this program by quoting Romans eight this is another passage to go back to us. We as we close out the program. Romans eight now little bit later than the text we quoted earlier versus 31 to 39.

Listen to this. Daniel four. I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Daniel, when you are wondering, does God love don't look inside look to the cross of Jesus.

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