Can a True Christian Struggle with Addiction?

This is core Christianity, where 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 hi and welcome back to the core were answering your questions about the faith time pastor a drill Sanchez together with Prof. Dr. Michael Horton theology professor and were talking to the Scriptures together.

Did you ever rely on Christian resources such as these, instead of attending church. You think about media telephone video more and more Christians are in fact when polled by Barna, 32% of Christians say that they watch Christian television and programming 38% for the use social media that helps them grow in their faith.

39. Read books on Christian or faith-based topics, 46% say they listen to a radio station that plays Christian music or listen to the core and playwright answer your questions about the fate it really is neat like how technology has helped the spread of the gospel in many ways it really house in leucine and over the years. How many people, especially in you know the Muslim world and in China all sorts of places where you can't really get people into those settings and physical books and Bibles and and other literature into those countries. But you can take the gospel we know people who are taking episodes of these programs into places I can't mention is really exciting to see how that can happen, but on the other hand, technology also presents all sorts of disruptions in our social fabric, yet does it seems like it's one of the things it is sort of a blessing and a curse now so you know, depending on how we use it.

Are we using it to fill our minds with that which is good and true and beautiful.

Are we using in the way that simple. Since we always have to be careful will go to the first question are fed by the program for today, let's go to our first question enlarging. My question is about cremation body will be restored. But I do know cremation would cause a problem.

That's my question about cremation. Thank you. Thank you Margie yeah this is a question that comes up quite a bit actually. These days, it's interesting. There were early critics of Christianity who said how can there be a resurrection. What happens if somebody's buried at sea. There devoured in the arena by lions and wild dogs torn to pieces.

What happens if they're burned in a fire, and so forth.

It is interesting. The Christian fathers came back at that saying anything is possible with God. The pagans hated hearing that over and over again. But that's true. However, the God who said, let there be light and there was light. The God who created everything by the word of his mouth is not good. Have any trouble resurrecting the bodies of his faithful these kinds of threats being buried at sea fire being mangled by an animal, or what have you. These are no more of a threat than being buried in the ground with the body decomposing. That's how we have to think about this.

Either way the body is going to be disintegrating. God will raise us immortal, not just as we were as if were just picking up life where we left off. But as glorified saints same body but in a completely new condition. So cremation poses no problem with God whether our bodies turn to dust or ash. The same thing for God. Our bodies will put on immortality and incorrect ability.

So what Paul says in verse 20 and 15 for this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death where is your victory of death, where is your sting. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen think that question Margie. Let's go to email from Daniel hey guys could a true Christian fall into a period of substance abuse or is addiction a sign that they're not a Christian. Thanks Dale a very practical question in a very relevant question I would say yes true Christian can.

There are true Christians who are ravaged by all different kinds of addictions.

There are alcohol addictions, pornography, addictions, drug addictions, they hate their sin and long to be delivered of it, and yet they still battle and are battling and are seeking help accountability, confessing their sin. There are also false believers who profess faith who live in these ways, who have these addictions and there's no struggle. They really don't care. I remember when I was years ago in college I was in RA. One of my jobs at this Christian college that I went to was to make sure this student's Curfew that they were not doing things they should be doing another one occasion right to confront the guy who came back to the dorm after curfew late at night and he was high and he had been doing drugs and I had a conversation I confronted him. Is that what you do when you know that this is this is wrong and I remember he laughed and he said well once saved always saved and he said you elected you know it's not that big of a deal and he sort of fell back on the fact that you know he had said a prayer at some point in his life, asking Jesus into his heart or something like that.

But there was no sense of sin, no sense of of and I'm not when you only have eyes for him yet will that's scary well but I think we can deceive ourselves, but that doesn't mean that there aren't true believers who really wrestle with these things and maybe your struggling with an addiction and what you need to get help.

You need accountability you need to have transparency, confession, counseling, even I think that can be really really helpful. We talked about enough of these programs that really do and can provide some of that accountability.

Some of that oversight.

It's one of those things that we we can't do alone and so one. You need the church.

You need brothers in Christ who are going to encourage you and speak the truth of the gospel in your life. A place where you can be honest transparent about using one of things I found is that when someone is struggling with some addiction, some habitual sin.

I think one of the first steps is just being willing to confess it and bring it into the light. Someone else yet when when we conceal it when we hide will that's where sin grows and festers and where we begin to be more and more self deceived with the goal of this is what the devil would have this week we tell ourselves. It's not that big of a deal is not a problem.

I have this under control. It's not that bad when in reality it's bound us and it's growing better send it states it's like a debt you know you think of Jesus when he taught us to pray, forgive us our debts, he sees making an analogy between sin and death and debts. Don't just stay to grow, they collect interest. That's what sin does. It grows in the darkness.

And so I think I think one beginning with confession and being in it in a good church. We are hearing the gospel and then beyond that, you know, like we said before it can be really helpful to see a counselor, someone who specializes in addictions can be really helpful in a lot of this at times can be rooted in our own experiences trauma things that we've things have happened to us growing up. And so there are different ways to explore this and Daniel. I just want to encourage you in and say if this is something you're wrestling with get help or listen to core Christianity were answering your questions about the faith. Give us a call at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core email us at questions."

Christianity.com will let you know about a great resource to take advantage of. If you've ever had a Jehovah's Witness come to your door. Had a discussion with the Mormon.

This is something that will really help you drill were sharing one of our popular Bible studies on core, Christianity.com. It's called Jesus is God and you can download it for donation of any amount folks.

If Jesus isn't God were not saved him mere human being can't save us. God alone can save the sinful human beings and so you pick up this resource. Head on over to core Christianity.com/offers to download this Bible study Jesus is God to be really helpful for you and you get a hold of it by calling us at 833-843-2673 let's go to the next question now is an email we got my name is Cristiano I'm Brazilian but I'm living in Frankfurt Germany. Nowadays we see lots of self-proclaimed apostles and this is a problem, particularly in my home country, Brazil, the court of the Bible and if I have understood it correctly. The apostles belong to the inner circle of Jesus's disciples after the death of Judas a new one was chosen, acts 112 and 26. However, Paul himself said that he also was an apostle, Galatians 11. Isn't this self proclamation as well. Why was Paul, a real apostle should the number of the apostles, always be 12. Thank you, Cristiano Lila Brazil I get down there about once a year absolutely love what the Lord is doing in Brazil. Not that your question here. The other a lot of people saying that there apostles and it's not just in Brazil. It's in the United States everywhere. Here's the argument in a nutshell for why there are no apostles today Canon were not talking about a gun here were talking about a rule in Greek.

It just means a rule or a norm.

For example, US Constitution is the canon of the US Republic.

The old covenant was the canon the norm for Israel as the kingdom of God on earth. Now the new covenant what we call the New Testament is the canon.

In that sense course, all the Bibles are Canon, but in this narrow sense, and that's what you find in the Old Testament when we read whoever adds to or takes away anything from the Scriptures. He will be removed from the book of life, and then we have exactly the same warning at the end of the book of Revelation. So you cannot add to or subtract from the canon. The Constitution now what courts do today will the Supreme Court that interprets the Constitution. We have churches today that interpret the canon of Scripture, the interpretation may be wrong but the interpretation isn't the rule.

The canon of Scripture is you might have court cases that have incredible precedent and you'd be an unwise judge if you ignored landmark cases in the same way we don't ignore tradition we take tradition very seriously. But at the end of the day, we have to decide what the Constitution what Scripture itself says that is the norm and rule of our faith.

So here's the thing in first Corinthian 311, Paul says no other foundation can be laid than the one that has been laid, namely Christ. Others now are coming along and building on it, so his picture there is of building a house you lay the foundation that work is done who lays the foundation of the apostles. The foundation is Christ. He's the subject he's the focus is the content and he's the ultimate builder, but the apostles are laying the foundation and if I were told in Ephesians 220 that the church is built on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles in first Corinthian's 46 even while the apostles were living.

Paul could say do not go beyond what is written because they were arguing over who's the boss here Paul or Apollo's Paul said look, don't go beyond what is written, whatever is Scripture now that's part of the foundation don't go beyond the foundation now build on the foundation don't keep adding to the foundation. Peter, in fact calls Paul's letters Scripture and second Peter 316 so the apostles are already referring to each other's letters of Scripture. No why Paul was he proclaiming himself an apostle. No, the key test of an apostle was that they were with Jesus directly and immediately and he called them he called them he commissioned them directly and immediately. Will Paul as he refers to himself in first contents 15 as one untimely born was obviously not there. Walking with Jesus around the Sea of Galilee. But when he was converted.

It was because Jesus Christ the ascended Christ appeared to him on the Damascus Road. Just as surely as he had walked with the other disciples around the Sea of Galilee. And he commissioned him there.

He called him then and there, but it's interesting heat defenses calling in a in Galatians. The defense is calling as from the Lord Jesus himself. I didn't receive it from any man I'd even go to Jerusalem and get from Peter and James go directly from the Lord. But then he encourages Timothy his associate to hold onto what he Paul and the other apostles have handed on to him and remember the gift that Timothy was given when the Presbytery or council of elders laid their hands on them. First Timothy 414 other words, the transition the apostles appeal to their authority. They have received directly from Christ, but then they referred to a secondary authority a ministerial authority that the Timothy's of the church are now given ever since Timothy there are no apostles, but ordinary ministers and is through the church, as Paul mentions that to Timothy, the laying on of hands, the church testing and approving the church officially raising people in the church to the level of leaders in the church is through that medium that people are called by Jesus Christ. The apostles are called call directly by Jesus. The rest of us are called indirectly through the church by Jesus to listen to core Christianity want to say thank you for calling us with your questions about the Bible, God's word gives us a call at 1833. The core is another call received from Portland and I'm wondering what biblical community electronic I have friends who have tried to get problematic church and be part of that community betterment and not leaving because they didn't feel like there is a genuine community that thanks yeah yeah great question and it really is something that a lot of people are looking for when they're looking for a church and a hug is the community do they have midweek groups and youth fellowship or whatnot. The really important thing I think to start off with is that biblical community is formed by the word of God the Word of God, the preaching of the gospel is what creates the church and the community that it has the ability to create is a supernatural community so maybe I guess one of the first things I want to say is biblical community's supernatural effort some pal Latter Day Saints have really good fellowship. And that's right" community. The audits not formed by the word no and a lot of times.

Unfortunately, I think this is also true of many of our own churches. We have what I call sometimes just affinity group churches where everybody comes together and they're not really gathering together around the word of the gospel. Maybe that's part of what's bring them together. But what's really bringing them together as they're all a part of the same stage of life are in the same stage of life, for they all like the same music music Corp. of the same political persuasion, but one of the things you see in Scripture is that the church that was created in the first century consisted of people who typically would never be in the same room you think about the Gentile inclusion in this there was a lot of tension there.

Early on in the church that we could also say the biblical community at times feels messy and is an easy because God is choosing your brothers and sisters for you.

He's bringing them into the family, and frankly, a lot of times of that people that he brings in are not normally the people that you might spend time with now would pick, yet you wouldn't take and so we have to strive to allow the gospel to shape our community and when it does, it becomes this the community becomes this powerful reflection of the word of God and what the word of God can accomplish our member when my wife and I were first married, were living kind of a rundown area of San Diego and one of our neighbors, he would always be out front and I didn't really ever stop to talk to him I should've in one day he stopped to talk to me was outside smoking a cigarette and is he smoking a cigarette. He says young man you need Jesus in your life and I told about you and I'm actually in the middle of going to seminary struck up a conversation. Come to find an older gentleman has no family doesn't go to any church had heard the gospel years ago, in a sort of still believed it, but didn't have any community behind us. We start talking and we invited them to church started bringing the church with us. This is a guy who was in his 60s, not in very good help someone who normally my wife and I just wouldn't of chosen to hang out with but someone got put in our life and he starts coming to church and he starts being folded into the body as he's hearing the word of God preached as other people are investing in him and he ends up having something he never had his entire life a family. He died a few years ago and I got a phone call when he was in the hospital. The pastor of the church told me I wasn't going to the church that church anymore and he told me hey Robert is basically on his deathbed.

If you want to come see him before he dies.

And as I went with my wife and it was amazing to see.

Here's a guy who didn't have any family, no friends there in his hospital room surrounded by Christians in tears, praying with him holding his hand biblical community a brings people together who normally wouldn't be in the same room and it makes them a family that when he died surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. That's right. And so you know, I would say biblical community is something that supernatural something that sometimes uncomfortable but it's formed by the word of God, something we should strive to have in all of our churches.

Let's go to the next question now Marilyn Bradley and my is what is the kingdom of heaven that Jesus preached about how would you grab it and explain it to a new Christian or to a seeker. And where does the church fit in with this teaching, thanks Marilyn you know this is a huge topic because the kingdom of God is a motif that runs also think from Genesis to Revelation. It's one of those really really big important themes that Jesus did not come merely to improve this kingdom, the kingdoms of this world America, the Roman Empire, and so forth. He came to bring the heavenly kingdom. This is the prayer of God's people. In Isaiah, for example. Oh, that you might rend the heavens and come down.

There is a realization that only God coming down nothing short of God coming down in intervening in history is going to turn things around. That's all over the profits. We can't build a kingdom that is good enough. That is just enough that is righteous enough that is peaceful enough to rise to the heavens.

That was the Tower of Babel and so what God does is in the fullness of time, he becomes flesh, the king comes to earth and establishes his kingdom. Christ established he inaugurated his kingdom on earth.

He's building it right now but he will finally complete.

It perfected for all time.

When he returns again and hands that kingdom over to his father. His father, I have perfected that kingdom that you gave me.

So the kingdom of heaven. Really, when you see that phrase is not different from the kingdom of God when it says kingdom of heaven is underscoring the fact that it it's not from Earth. The of John 18 of verses 33 to 38 this is that Jesus trial and Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, are you the king of the Jews, Jesus answered do you say this of your own accord or did others say it to you about me. Pilate answered am I a Jew your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

But my kingdom is not from the world and Pilate said to him, so you are a king Jesus answered you say that I am a king.

For this purpose. I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.

Pilate said to him, what is truth. After he said all this, he went back outside to the Jews and told him I find no guilt in him.

And so Jesus here is saying that my kingdom is not a worldly reality, it's in this world but not of this world and you can just insert church there for kingdom and that's what Jesus is talking about my church is not an organization that you could just found as a religious leader. My church is a heavenly bride coming down from heaven adorned for her husband.

My church is not something man can build because faith doesn't come from us. It is the gift of God's salvation, redemption, all the blessings we have in Christ come down from him as gifts. We don't rise up to him. He descends to us. His kingdom is peace, righteousness, justice, faithfulness, fellowship, genuine communion forever. It's not exactly what were expecting.

Yet when we go to church and not just the church now, but the church will fill the earth and the whole earth will be full of the glory of God.

Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at court, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33. The core when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together