How Do I Calm My Anxiety Amidst the Coronavirus?

This is core Christianity were answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday.

Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez it's time to get your questions about the faith answered were here together and with foster Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez that we want to bring you comfort from God's word in the midst of this difficult time where we place our hope is in Jesus Christ is our hope is the one we that we cling to.

And you know I'm so encouraged right now is the pastor because people are open to that message of hope that the message of the gospel, who ordinarily you know wouldn't give it dear. I I've been encouraged because several people have been turning into at least our churches live stream videos on Sunday morning who never would've come to church and I've been able to have a lot of good conversations with people in a in a time like this. And so God is at work right now and he's growing the church still through the preaching of the gospel, even though were stuck at home. Many of us and I want to encourage you with that and I want to remind you to reach out to your neighbors.

People around you who may be at this time are going to be a little bit more open to hearing about what Scripture says in the encouragement, the comfort that we can receive from God's word. Mike Avenue you also been encouraged by yelling's around this time, I have it. I think this is the you're never going to get a better opportunity. I think to talk about what Christians hope for after death and that we really do have an answer given to us in Scripture about what lies beyond death and how to avoid the wrath of God come.

That's our ultimate fear. Our ultimate fear shouldn't be of of a virus, or even of dying, but really of facing the judgment and to face the judgment in Christ is life and salvation. That's what we have to communicate to people right now. I know I've I've had conversations my own older brother.

Very hard to have any conversations with him about the Lord and he's actually asked me questions during this time what you think about this. What you think about that. So I think we have opportunities that but maybe we didn't have before to talk to. Even our loved ones don't know the Lord.

Amen. Let's go to the first question for the day such a difficult passage of Scripture Genesis chapter 6 and the sons of God lets listening to Dave's question. Brothers Mike Nader� Dave and my question for y'all is what you think of the idea that the sons of God mentioned in Genesis 6 and in Joe are angels in light of what you can see in Hebrews chapters 1 to is more coherent to think of them as the sons of Seth, thanks. Thanks Dave what you're referring to is Genesis 6, verse four, then the nestle Lim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. I grew up hearing all sorts of different speculations that the old is this UFOs is this angels intermarrying with human beings and and so forth. No, I think you're exactly right. It's more coherent to think of the most as descendents of Seth Rimmer the promise in Genesis 316 is that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head so the story behind all the stories is the genealogy leading to our Savior here what we have is this tragic thing that happens at various points in the history of God's people, intermarriage, intermarriage, not between races, but intermarriage between faiths. You basically have the sons of God marrying non-Christians or unbelievers and bearing children know what happens in a marriage were Christian deliberately marries a non-Christian will hurry to raise those children. What influences your spouse going to have on your beliefs and practices.

Charles Spurgeon, the evangelist and pastor in London in the 19th century said you know a woman came into his study and said that she was in love with this man. He's not a believer but she thinks that he'll become a believer if she witnesses to amend.

She can marry him anyway. Spurgeon said Doug get on top of this chair and suspicions. I don't know what you're doing here, but she got on top of the chairs and I cannot get on top of the table. What you stand on top of the table and Spurgeon was a big man he reached up his hand as to not pull me up his vivid illustration was to show we don't have any power to raise the dead. We don't have any power to regenerate human hearts only the Holy Spirit does. If we think that that we can marry an unbeliever and that doesn't affect our own walk with the Lord. Then we actually think more of ourselves than we ought to. We are weak.

Our faith is easily distracted. We need to marry another believer, a fellow sinner trusting in Christ, who is making that pilgrimage with us towards that heavenly city and so when we have children they are children of the Lord.

They are part of the household of faith.

This is the problem in Israel's history.

If Satan can't actually intercept the messianic seed who will crush his head. Then he will try to cause intermarriage between believers and unbelievers because then he can dilute the line leading to the Messiah. If he can turn the whole of God's people into a race of unbelievers. Then he will have achieved victory.

So that's really what the story is behind the story of the net feeling they were simply renowned fighters, a warlike race and they were feared by the descendents of Seth, so that the descendents of Seth married their daughters and that intermarriage diluted the covenant community so I don't think that he's talking about Angels.

I don't think he's talking about certain I taught you for aliens he's talking about the intermarriage between a great race of unbelieving nestle Lim great ones, mighty ones than the sons of God. In other words, the children of the promise. Dave, thank you for that question. Fabrice asked us on Instagram I Mike atrial. My name is Fabrice you guys recently answer the question of mine.

So I don't know if I'm hogging the airtime is. My question is: 19 virus started with the Chinese eating bats in Wuhan, China. How does that fit with the Lord told Peter and asked tenant 9 to 16 that all animals are clinging to eat. Thanks. Love you both brothers so Fabrice a couple of things one there was the sort of speculation early on that the virus originated from eating bats in China, but I don't actually think that that's true. I think that was debunked entirely sure how it started.

We know it's it's really bad right now and I don't think it Peter in acts chapter 10 is really addressing this question in particular actually in acts chapter 10 when Peter received that vision from the Lord where you have all these unclean animals that descend upon a sheet and anything he hears from the Lord three times rise, Peter kill and eat the main focus of that vision. Was it actually wasn't on the changing of the dietary laws, although that that's a part of it and that's one of the reasons why we don't have those dietary restrictions that you see under the old covenant. It's really about what we call the Gentile inclusion. Now God has cleansed the nations if you will admit that the people of God aren't to be separated from them at least as they were under the old covenant and the reason we know this is because that Peter's vision leads immediately to going and preaching to a guy named Cornelius and him hearing the gospel and embracing into what is really about is the advancement of the gospel to the ends of the earth that God is accomplishing that's what's being pictured there in that vision that that Peter received and so is there a relationship between you know hate all that we can eat creepy crawlies and in the you know blizzards and and pigs and all those things under the old covenant works were not okay.

That's actually not the focus and so the focus is the advancement of the gospel. Yep, that's always the focus is in a dado. It really is, and it's is so interesting how you know we can look at these passages of Scripture and miss the main thing at times in a way to edit.

You know what were all guilty of it it it's it's actually Jesus that even the religious leaders and the people who were the scholars of the Bible in the Old Testament in his days know they missed it.

He said in John chapter 5, you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and these that the very same Scriptures that testify of me. The Scriptures everywhere old and New Testament are leading us to Jesus are bringing us to the message of the gospel and that's certainly what's happening in acts chapter 10, 9 to 16 is the gospel advancing to the ends of the earth. But thanks for your question. You're listening to core Christianity were were answering your questions about the word of God, give us a call. The number is 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core and you can also email us your question, it questions at core, Christianity.com. The next question. Now we have an Instagram message from Anna Dr. Horton Pastor Sanchez I'm from the UK and listen regularly to your podcast on spot.

If I you for your insight and help to understand the Scriptures. In this time of fear and anxiety as the coronavirus continues to ravage so many countries. What can Christians take from Psalm 91 would be spared from this plague. I am a front-line worker in the health service. Thank you for your thoughts. Thank you Jennifer serving. Let's pray for an a and and health workers right now. Father, thank you that you've given an a this noble calling of tending to the wounds of people and especially during this time of distress. We pray that you would give N/A your comfort and skill and patience and endurance and we pray this for all the health workers, especially those relisting right now that you would encourage them. Let them know that they are so loved and appreciated by all of us in Jesus name, amen, amen. Psalm 91 beautiful Psalm he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the Fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness as a shield and buckler you will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand, but will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the most high. It was my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you know plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the outer young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot because he holds fast to me and love. I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name when he calls to me I will answer them. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him with long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. Okay, so there two ways to read this and eight. One is to read it. Let's just say as a prosperity evangelist, health, wealth and happiness.

We could read this and say he saying this to you and a he saying that he will deliver you from all pestilence you you won't get the coronavirus or you can read this the way Jesus did.

We know how Jesus read it because Satan came to them. Remember during the temptation recorded for us in Matthew three and Satan used this verse wanted Satan tell them he said, for he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. So jump off the pinnacle of the temple. Jesus show me that your God. In other words, what Satan was trying to do was to get Jesus to go around the cross immediately to glory see Jesus knew he had to come to the cross and after the cross, glory he had to first endure the pain-and-suffering he had to bear our sin and guilt before he could be raised on the third day in glory but he could get glory.

Now if he would just bow down and and worship Satan. Satan would give them all the kingdoms of this world and Jesus is responding with the word of God.

What is he say in response. When when Satan quotes that passage. He says you shall not put the Lord your God to the test right so even Satan thought Psalm 91 was about Jesus. We talk a lot. We were just talking about a moment ago all of Scripture being up about Christ. Isn't it interesting that even the devil knows that Psalm 91 is about Christ. He quoted it, knowing that Jesus is the one spoken of here in this Psalm, and so Jesus did go to the cross. He embraced the cross is not something that befell him something that happened to them. He caught a virus or pestilence on Good Friday. The pestilence of God's wrath came down upon him, and then this Psalm is also for us in him see you always interpret the Scriptures not directly referring to us not directly applicable to us, but only applicable to us through Jesus thread that needle is through Christ that these become promises for us will how to they become promises for us in Christ. Well, we have the promise that we dwell in the shelter of the most high, that regardless of what happens to us even if we we do go through the valley of the shadow of death. He is with us and we hold fast to Christ knowing that we will be delivered. We will be protected were all going to die, but that's not the second death. That's not the ultimate death that we face.

We know that one day when we are raised from the dead. All of this in Psalm 91 will be true of us. He will wipe away every tear. There will be no disease, there will be no pestilence, no plague will come near our tent and with long life will be satisfied and be shown his salvation.

In my case these passages as you mentioned, there are so often twisted, especially by people you know, kind of in the prosperity gospel movement, which I think is being devastated by the coronavirus because people were just able to see right through it right. People are not having their best life now.

So what you know they are you know what you do with all these passages people say, well, God promised me a rose garden and I'm sitting in the midst of burn bushes. It was in accord Christianity with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor Adria Sanchez and Mike we have a great offer for our listeners today don't we yeah we do a drill were excited to share helpful resource on core, Christianity.com, especially for parents is called five ways to help your kids keep the faith and it's free. When you sign up for weekly newsletter, a drill, you and I are parents ourselves and we often hear from parents asking for advice on how to help their children grow their Christian faith.

This is a helpful resource with practical down-to-earth tools to help you help your kids grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Don't miss this one. So head on over to court, Christianity.com/offers to download five ways to help your kids keep the faith, so that a record Christianity.com's Mike said or call us at 833-843-2673 for help receiving any of our offers us go to the next question Obama called all we use our salvation is not really downloading a lot more that all that's awesome Charles, thank you. Yeah.

Praise God in Charles. I mean I get why your wrestling through this text are member the first time I read Hebrews chapter 6, I mean, terrified, you know, as a newer believer, wondering what is the Scripture teaching here, so let me read Hebrews 64 through six for it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened with tasted the heavenly gift if shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt boy right okay so what in the world is being talked about here. I think the first thing that you have to realize is the context of the book of Hebrews Hebrews is written to Jewish converts to Christianity. People who were brought up in the Hebrew faith not necessarily intrusive and there's some debate, are they in Jerusalem. Are they scattered abroad throughout the world. I think that there Greek or Hellenized Jews who have come to faith in Jesus and now they're being tempted to go back to the old covenant religion and the author of the Hebrews is this telling them look if you go back to animal sacrifices and burning incense and all these Temple rituals. Essentially what you're doing functionally what you're doing is you're abandoning Jesus is the sending Hebrews chapter 6 and in throughout the book of Hebrews is not a these people are struggling with pride or there struggling with greed or their struggling with lust there being tempted to apostatized to leave Jesus behind altogether by putting their trust in their own works in their own religious ceremonies that the author of the Hebrews says they're gone those signs. They were types and shadows that were meant to lead you to Jesus and you guys are going back to the signs to the types and shadows. And that's devastating.

So the first and we have to understand that is is this is referring to Christians were struggling with some habitual sin or something like that and and they fall away.

And then there are eternally damned and they lost their salvation. No referring to people who are in the church who have experienced the preaching of the word, the ordinances or the sacraments getting of the been baptized enlightened there in that passage is probably a reference to baptisms how the early church spoke of baptism as an illumination in the lightning tasting of the heavenly gift to what you think that is probably a reference to holy Communion the Lord's supper.

So there around the stuff of faith experiencing the powers of the age to come through the preaching of the word through the. The ordinances that Jesus gave any yet.

It's right there in front of them and yet Charles you know what the problem is they haven't laid hold of that gospel by faith. In fact, earlier in the book of Hebrews the author.

The Hebrew does you guys are like the wilderness generation. They had good news gospel preached to them just like you did. But that word didn't benefit them because it wasn't mixed with faith. The promise faith, do they have faith there around the stuff the gospel but have you clung to that gospel by faith in just a little bit later. I think this is confirmed by what the author the Hebrew says just a little bit later when he says in verse nine so important though we speak. In this way. Yet, in your case. Beloved, we feel sure of better things to get this things that belong to salvation. In other words, he's hopeful. He's positive he's hopeful but they're gonna lay hold of these promises that are theirs, by faith, the same look, I'm convinced of better things for you. Things that belong to salvation. So the question is not did these people lose their salvation.

It's are we trusting in Jesus and in here's Charles. I think the warning for for everyone here in a passage like this for you and for me for for you listening, you can be in the church.

You can be around this stuff the furniture if you will of Christianity and of the preaching of the gospel you can you can receive the Lord's supper. You could have been baptized in others the great gospel promises that are put right there in front of us. But if you don't lay hold of those promises that are right there in front of you, by faith, will then they don't benefit you, it is not magic right if you don't receive Jesus, despite being around you know that the bottommost list yeah exactly, you know know were called each and every one of us to repentance and faith and we have faith born-again regenerated you're never going to be abandoned by the Lord and in your not gonna fall away in the sense that you lose your salvation. Why, because God himself. Jesus is the one who keeps you so brother this is a passage that really strikes fear in the hearts of many believers, we have to understand in its context. Realizing that this isn't you know struggling with sin and and I just allocate them. He throws up his hands and he says I'm done with you you you failed just one too many times it's not that it's these are people who have heard the gospel but instead of laying hold of it by faith turn away from it and put their trust in their own religious ceremonies and for people who do that. There is no hope because they're not trusting in Jesus is what I call for us to trust in Jesus alone absolutely and I think that the clincher there is that they crucify the son of God afresh. That's what's happening when you go back to the sacrificial types those pointed to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now, if you go back basically to the trailer when the climax of the movie has come.

There's no hope in in the sacrifices that the sacrifices themselves always led faith to the coming Savior. And so now if you're rejecting the whole point of the sacrifice, but your trusting in the sacrifices rather than the sacrifice they pointed to. There is no longer any salvation for you. Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer.

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