What Issues Should Christians Divide Over?

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. Welcome back to another episode of the entity with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor Israel sent is so good of you to join us. Thank you for listening and is just a good time lethal door to this the Scriptures answering your questions and I know Mike I speak for you as well and I said we love reading these questions and hearing these phone calls a minute just so need to see people thinking through the Scriptures you have you been baptized.

One of the questions I often gives the pastors what's the significance of baptism was my baptism legitimate and I don't know that I really felt like I was truly converted. After I was baptized. Or maybe you were baptized as a baby and you.O should I get baptized later on.

A lot of people are confused about the question of baptism and a lot of people are curious about why Jesus was baptized. Joanne wants to know I'm confused by what Jesus meant when he said that he came before John the Baptist for baptism is that it was to fulfill all righteousness. What did that mean if Jesus was sinless, while what a great question yeah yeah yeah this can be confusing Joanna.

After all, John the Baptist himself was caught offguard by it, I baptize you. It's you who should baptize me but it must be done. Jesus told him to fulfill all righteousness will Jesus saved us not only by his death and resurrection. Joanna but by his incarnation and life in obedience to God's law that's important we think well he just had to become human and live a perfect life in order to be the. The sinless sacrifice will know he was actually winning our salvation. The moment he was conceived in the virgin's womb.

He fulfilled all righteousness.

That means he positively kept all of his father's commands. He said I came not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. So he fulfills circumcision.

He fulfills the temple rituals. He fulfills the sacrificial system and he fulfills John's baptism, John's ministry involved calling people to repentance. He was preparing the way for Jesus not of course Jesus had nothing to turn from, but here he turns toward the mission that his father had given him and that's why as these baptized tears for the first time the benediction from heaven. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Listen to him that marvelous yeah well that the point that you bring up their Mike is so important because a lot of times people today think I'm saved because Jesus died for me on the cross and paid for my sins, but they don't include in that that positive life of righteousness that Jesus lived so that it would not all of the active obedience yeah Christ yeah and any of that might be a new term for you, but it's so important for you to understand because it what it means is, when you were forgiven. We were justified by God. It it it's not just that you received the cleans a clean slate because it is in life you never sent. That's right, you actually get the life of Christ.

Gift of righteousness. Paul calls in Romans chapter 5 you as if you had perfectly obeyed the law in Christ. Boy what a gift absolutely what God requires of humanity not only is that we haven't transgressed is law, but that we have fulfilled what he's given us to do is not just negative but positive.

What we failed on both counts, but justification is just as if I'd never sinned, it's better than that is just as if I'd never sinned and had fully kept the law myself a man got an email from Patricia who asked I just heard episode 282 were you talked about the three levels of forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration. I thought that was an excellent way to talk about how to handle offenses and especially abuse from a loved one. My follow-up question is this. When the abusive person is apparent. And, you know, reconciliation or restoration is unwise or not possible.

How do you still show honor to your parent while one of practical quest yeah and thank you for listening to the program. Trish I'm glad that you found that helpful. I want to just give a brief summary of those three categories. For those who maybe didn't have the opportunity to listen to episode 282. So forgiveness is something that were all called to as followers of Jesus you think about how Jesus taught us to pray, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. It's something that we can give out unconditionally so we can sin against you do something to harm you, and you forgive them freely because of grace because of the gospel because of how God forgives you you don't hold a grudge. That's right, that's really, really important trusted to get reconciliation though is a step further seeking forgive someone who hasn't repented, but you can't reconcile with someone who is unwilling to repent reconciliation requires two parties to go to the tango, that's right. Both have to come together person needs to be willing to admit I've sinned against you. I've I've created a breach in this relationship, and restoration.

I think goes even further than that because restoration what it does. It restores the relationship to what it was originally. And there are times Trish is as we mentioned before, where you can forgive someone reconcile with that person or with that group and it's still not the wisest thing to actually restore the relationship in its entirety. You think of for example one practical example that after bring up as you think about someone who works as a cash register attendant.

For example, I used to work at Panera when I was in college and I handled the cash register and and there was someone there who I worked with who actually fired for stealing money out of the register. Well, you know there was forgiveness and there was even reconciliation person admitted that that there was a handshake but they weren't restored to that position.

That would not a wise thing to do and that is how it is sometimes and in abusive relationships as well, sometimes there can be forgiveness there can even be reconciliation but restoration is not always the wisest thing and so you bring up Tricia some really practical instance in, and how this is played out for many people, and in terms of the family relationship. What you do with the parent who was abusive or harmful and in the relationship.

I think you forgive but I think honoring your parent doesn't necessarily certainly does not mean enduring more abuse or subjecting yourself to more abuse. I think one of the ways you can love your parent in this situation is by being very honest with them about the breach about the sin calling them to to restore to reconcile instead of just cutting them off, which I think is what happens a lot of times. So I think I think pursuing reconciliation is a way in which you can love and honor your parent bites that does agreement honoring them by requiring that they face what they did. That's right yeah this further good exactly because when we harm others. When we sin against our neighbor or our children. It's bad for us it's destructive to our own souls, and so would you say a drill that a way to answer her question concretely is if it's something let's say your mom your mom did to you in the past and you know she's sort of a disease that kind of different person. Today you can look at the circumstances and you don't. That doesn't excuse it. She still sinned against you, but you you guys of talked about that she's faced that then you can restore yes but if you're talking about ongoing negative behavior, sinful behavior that is destructive both for her and for you the way to honor her is basically to keep her at arms length and just to tell her I'm sorry, until you repent of this.

This is how I feel.

Still today, when you do this and I think that that's really helpful way to break it down.

Mike, your you're right, there are instances where where someone will say, I see that I my my my heart is broken that I treated you and Allie. I was wrong and we do pursue reconciliation and even restoration in this situation, but there are also times were were someone just says what he talking about my didn't do anything. That's where their red flags you have to be careful and you can be loving by calling that person in love to to see what they've done, especially when children are involved. Yeah, yeah, thank you for your question. You're listening to the core and we are talking about the Bible and some really practical things for your everyday life that we deal with someone who sinned against us if you have a question give us a call at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com want let you know about a special offer we have for you today yet. Thanks a drill today were excited to assure resource that we have offered before encore Christianly.com and eight railroad. It is called seven things you need to know about marriage and sex. It's everything a drill nose and more. Actually anyway, it's free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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You know we all want to have better marriages andit is hard work. So this is a helpful resource that outlines a solid foundation for what the Bible teaches about marriage. I don't can be a helpful resource for you. So head on over to core Christianity.com/offers to download for free seven things you need to know about marriage and sex and you can also call us at 1-833-843-2673 for help receiving any of our offers little phone call now California divide with this agreement about doctrine in which between what is the central and what is not, or should we treat all medical doctrines the same. Yeah, thanks Ruth, you know, very important. We often hear well is not a gospel issue as if just because it's not central to the Christian faith or a cortical gospel issue. It's not important. Jesus said in his great commission go into all the world preach the gospel, he that's the core of Christianity, baptizing them in the name of the father in the sun and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you. So on one hand, what were taking to the world. Primarily is the gospel. On the other hand, what were we doing them or making disciples not making converts were making disciples. Lifelong learners, what are they learning everything God wouldn't of revealed in Scripture.

If it were an important lot of stuff was left out. John tells us that he could have filled volumes with reminiscences of Jesus and his teaching, but these things are written so that you may know that Jesus is the Christ and believing in him have life in his name.

So there's a specific purpose for Scripture. There's a lot of things that lie outside of it, but everything that we find in Scripture God has determined we need to know, and we need to believe and we need to follow. You know, here's what Paul says in first Corinthians 15 Ruth beginning at verse three. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter than the 12 and then to me. So this is what the apostle Paul identifies and he says he got this creed from others. The apostles identified as the main thing Jesus was crucified, buried and raised on the third day you mess with those three things, and basically the game is over, you're not, Christianity anymore.

People might say, well, you know, I'm not sure what I believe about the atonement. I don't believe the Jesus really died for our sins. I think he just tried to show us how much God loves us. I think Jesus was a great prophet. I'm not sure he was God or I think that maybe Jesus "rose from the dead in our hearts, but I'm not sure the rose bodily on the third day. If you're going to tinker with these three things are tinkering with Christianity, don't mount, don't mess with that but then you know you believe in a literal 1000 year millennium or do you believe it's just symbolic.

In Revelation 20. Do you believe that Jesus is going to come before the tribulation or after or that this whole. Right now, is the tribulation. Do you think that we should immerse in baptism or sprinkle. These are questions that are important, but they're not of first importance, they're not the central message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Yeah, you know thinking about some of the debates that Christians it had throughout the centuries and divided over me think in the early church there were debates about 30 the post-apostolic church. So after the book of acts debates about what day are we to celebrate Easter on.

We agree that Jesus rose from the dead, but working at divide over you know you can do it on this day or that day for should we have 11 in our communion bread are not lanterns.

They didn't have 11 and in the East. They did use lemon when my favorites was in ocean clergy have beards or not knowingly handle their threaded tradition over overtime in the West as the lands are clean-shaven in the East. They have these great big beards, which would be terrible for me because I can't grow. I read even that in the 11th century, Gregory the seventh actually threatened some of the Italian clergy with the confiscation of their property.

If they didn't shave, which I thought all pretty was a just think about me this question, it may make sense because it seems like we've divided over so many crazy things not focusing on that which is of chief importance as you quoted Paul there also important for us to to really cling to core Christianity. The core doctrines that we embrace that are at the heart of what it is that we believe as Christians is an email from Lucy in first John 4123. What does John mean by the spirit of the antichrist. I always thought that the Antichrist would be a person.

Lucy is a great question that you're asking, you're not alone in thinking this is well. Many people assume that there's just one antichrist is a person some end times figure who is gonna signal the end of the age and they get this from Paul's words in second Thessalonians chapter 2 is what Paul said concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask your brothers not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by a spirit or a spoken word or letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

But here's the thing. You have a passage like that and then you have what John said in John made it very clear that the spirit of the antichrist was already in the world today, and that many antichrists have come to take both of these passages into account.

In my view is that there have been antichrist since the days of the apostles, but there will be one man of lawlessness is associated with the time of the final judgment. Now the question everyone has is how do we spot the antichrist and often there thinking about that one end times figure who is it going to be in people of yet changing throughout the 80. Yeah. Will there have been entire book series written about this are real question needs to be. How can we discern the spirit of the antichrist that has been at work and is still at work around us right now and we know that because John said there are present tense. Many antichrists going out in the world exactly and that's precisely what John tells us to do in first John chapter 4. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you know the spirit of God as the years that nears the test every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming and now is in the world already and so how do you spot the spirit of the antichrist.

It's really simple. What are people saying about Jesus. This is so different from what you're going to hear folks out there looking for the antichrist in political systems, looking for the antichrist. In the evening news. No, John says if you want to be on guard for the spirit of antichrist. Here it is heresy. It's this is about doctrine focuses specifically about as you say drill the person and work of Christ.

The doctrine concerning Christ And you think this was what Paul, in particular, warned the church is about over and over and over again. I think about his words in second Corinthians, where he talks about how Satan disguises himself as an angel of light him. He was concerned for the Corinthians 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 he talks about how help they might receive another Christ or another gospel or another spirit and put up with it if they're not firm in the truth of the gospel and so it's so important for us to be grounded in these truths in that the doctrine that we embrace from Scripture because the spirit of the antichrist is already at work and so again to your question, Lucy.

When John is talking about spirit of the attic to talk about that spirit that's at work in the world today seeking to deceive the world about who Jesus is.

He wants to deceive us and he's at work in the church and outside of the church to and we have to be firm on what the Bible tells us about who Jesus is. He's not just a great spiritual leader or teacher. He's not just a mere human, like the Jehovah's Witnesses will say or some divine figure that wasn't human know he is the God man who came to pay for our sins so that we could be saved and rose again from the dead for our justification that the Scripture teaches that we need to hold fast to and that's with the spirit of the antichrist is trying to undermine yeah the great church father of the second century, Irenaeus said he believed that the antichrist many antichrist as John says, by the way he was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John. So he's pretty close. This what situation does make them right, but he was close. There many antichrists around today, but he also thought just as Christ recapitulates all that was lost in Adam and becomes the recapitulation of righteousness.

There is a figure at the end of this age, the antichrist who will recapitulate evil and apostasy all of the antichrist figures all of the apostasy that is happened down through the ages will kind of be to the 10th power in this man or woman. I think a great book to recommend folks to on this is Kimberly Berger's man of sin is a really terrific study of this whole question. All right, let's go to another phone call that we received from Lane my characterless morning from Irvine. I had a question about your parents is a work that you do true that you initiate to earn salvation or the more like a change of mind and a trust in Christ because God is already giving you the grace to do so and, beside about two is repentance meritorious for us in anyway thanks for what you guys do really appreciate it. Thank you Lane what a great question so important. It's funny if you ask a question the right way you get the right answer. If you ask in a different way you can get the wrong answer. Here's what I mean a lot of Christians. If you asked him are we saved by going to church or we saved by saying so many prayers are we saved by performing so many works. People will say no. A lot of people at least a lot of Protestants will say no. If you ask are we saved because we believed in our we saved because we repent a lot a lot of Bible believing Christians will say well yeah I hope so will. Here's the thing. If if you say that were saved because of anything we do. Then he denied the gospel, the gospel, as it were saved because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Were saved on the basis of Christ were not saved because we believe or repent. We are saved because of Christ through faith. And it's not because of our repentance as if repentance were the ground of God's acceptance. It's that in order to embrace Christ you have saying no to all the other gods that you're hanging on to so is repentance something we do be careful here that we don't see God's action and our action. Sort of like a seesaw. The more God goes up, the more we go down the more we go up, the more God goes down. The more active God is the less active we are, no, no, no, the more active we are is because God is active. We gotta change our thinking about this is repentance something we do absolutely is something we do is repentance something that God gives absolutely it is it something that God gives us, and it's something that we do we do because he gives it to us and that's what we read in Philippians 129 Christ gives us repentance. He has given to you to believe and repent. Paul tells us work.

Romans 24. Don't you realize it's the kindness of God that leads you to repentance is that by grace or is it something we do. Yes, both its by grace that we do it, but it's not because we do it is not because we repent that were saved.

Repentance is changing her mind about what we believe and why we believe it and turning to Jesus Christ in faith. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33.

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