Must Christians Sell Their Possessions to Truly Follow Christ?

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 is so good to be back together here at the take your questions, phone calls, emails about the Christian faith, the daily walk with God. Each of us is in on this pilgrimage journey, seeking the Lord, wanting to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Christ and with Prof. Michael Horton were excited about today's program. If years back. Barna released some statistics on how millennial's view church quote more than one third say their negative perceptions of church are the result of moral failures in church leadership, 35% and substantial majorities of millennial's who don't go to church say they they see Christians as judgmental, 87% hypocritical 85% anti-homosexual 91% and insensitive to others. 70%. We got an email from Kate. And I think she's feeling some of the statistics that Barna is talking about. She says if Christians are supposed to follow Christ and do as he did. Why is it that so many Christians stop short of the full demands of love. I don't more people commit to live humble lives for Christ. We are so materialistic and worldly and we have so much stuff should we be like the early church that had everything in common and give most of what we have to the poor. I would love to hear your thoughts on this yet.

Thank you Kate some really good question, important question today, Jesus interaction with the rich young ruler is often used to advocate for a vow of poverty. But that's not what it teaches. Also, in acts we have the believer sharing everything in common but not because they required that all the houses be sold and all the proceeds be put in the bank for poverty relief but because it was as if they were all part of it. They were not as if they were all one family. The family of Christ takes precedence even over our natural family. I know that sounds crazy but that's the way the Bible teaches that my first family is the church. My children are first of all, and my wife are first of all, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Only secondarily, my children and my wife that's a hard thing to swallow, but that's the point. If anyone has a need in the church.

The deacons should make sure that that need is met. That's absolutely clear but a lot of people have turned to Mark 10.

The story of the rich young ruler Jesus conversation with the rich young ruler to say well we should take about poverty will actually what is Jesus doing there and in Mark chapter 10 we read and as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt the foreman and asked good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life. Will Jesus knew his heart into what was going on here. This is kind of hypocrisies he's really coming to sort of yell get Jesus to affirm him.

And Jesus said to them, why do you call me good, no one is good except God alone.

You calling me God. He said you know the commandments, do not murder.

Do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, and he said to him, teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth and Jesus looking at him, loved him and said to him you lack one thing go sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me.

That's where his treasure was his treasure was all the money the house.

The Maserati everything that was where his treasure was disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions and Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God and his disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them children how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. I think what Jesus is saying here is you have to be willing to deny yourself and all things, and follow me. That's repentance. Repentance is not.

There are some things that I agree with Jesus about, but I need to change in my life. It's basically saying everything I am belongs to you and I been training it as my own and the rich young ruler wouldn't repent of his greed and just as importantly, he wouldn't turn to Jesus in faith.

See the law comes to us first of all, the crush us to tell us know you haven't kept all these from your youth.

If you really love your neighbor then show me go sell everything you have and come, follow me, and he wasn't willing to do that. Will he wasn't really a law keeper. He hadn't really kept the law. So Jesus first has to bring us to the place where we realize I'm not righteous. I haven't kept the law and if we stick around this guy didn't. If we stick around. Jesus tells us the gospel and we find that in the next verse here after Jesus is it so hard for rich man to enter the kingdom not because God doesn't like rich people but because it's very hard for people with a lot of possessions in this life. To say I need to be rescued and this is the most important thing of all the disciples were exceedingly's astonished we read in verse 26 and said to him, then who can be saved. Jesus looked at them and said with man this is impossible, but not with God for with God all things are possible.

That's the point right. That's what Jesus wants to get all of us.

I wish the rich young ruler would've stuck around to hear that part Jesus that is not hard is impossible.

Nobody can be saved by their law keeping.

Nobody keeps the law with man salvation is impossible but with God things possible. He can save whomever he wants. Salvation is of the Lord, you know Kate, I really think that gets to the heart of your question because Mike is highlighting the importance of the free gospel that the grace of God in your wondering how can we look around the church today.

It seems like so few of us are willing to be gracious to our neighbors to be loving to be humble. I think it's because we've lost sight of that gospel right right emanated when we have that pure gospel preached and it's captivating. Our hearts will we become people who want to love and serve our neighbor whom I to be self-righteous toward others when only the righteousness of Christ is what keeps me from the jaws of hell yeah so I think it's easy to look around the church.

Is it what if the people's problem. I think a lot of times and I say this is the pastor we can look to ourselves and say you know what are we preaching the gospel faithfully to people and is that captivating their hearts so that they would they want to go and serve the people around them, not as a way to be justified because they know they are justified absolutely and so that's so important. Let me add one thing to this, Kate. You know the statistics tell us that evangelical Christians are the biggest givers in the United States you look at all of the data on who gives to nonprofit causes the most in its evangelical Christians and then Roman Catholics come in second. People who identify as nuns or as agnostics and atheists are way down at the bottom as far as giving to anything.

I mean giving to poverty relief giving to environmental concerns giving to campaigns or churches or anything that tells you something. It tells you that even though Kate, our words may be shrill when you turn on the news and you watch Fox or CNN. The evangelicals who appear there sound mean and hostile. There are many Christians in America and around the world who are generous givers to the needs of others and we all need to be more generous in that respect. Paul said it to the Galatians, do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith begins with loving our brothers and sisters and then also reaching out to help those in need. All around us in our neighborhoods amen are really important voicemail from our website and by the way, you can give us a voicemail question directly on our website have any feature of our website and this from Steve, who has a question about baptism was listening. Hi my name is Steve another question regarding baptism in Matthew, Jesus says, to be baptized in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. When I was baptized 20 years ago I was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ I wondering if that was the wrong way to be baptized, or if I need to be rebaptized in the father-son Holy Spirit, and how this has an impact on my Christian life like you yeah thank you Steve yes you do need to be baptized in the name of the father the son and Holy Spirit. I don't say rebaptized because if the minister only used the name of Jesus. It wasn't a valid baptism.

Now, why do I say that, well of course we don't worship God in general or one person of the Godhead we worship the triune God father son and Holy Spirit, one in essence and three in persons and in the great commission Jesus said, go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. That's Jesus commissioned the great commission. The institution of baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4, five, that there is one baptism. So what makes a valid baptism will Paul tells us in Ephesians 526 that Jesus cleanses the church quote by the washing of water with the word so you need two things for a valid baptism. According to poll the water in the word. The word promises us God's favor and the water confirms that promise visibly essential to that word is Jesus command to baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. So I'm really glad Steve that the Lord is brought you the place for even asking this question and I would encourage you to feel find a good solid Bible believing church that wholeheartedly embraces the Trinity and traditional Christian baptism and be baptized, don't worry.

You know you're not forgiven until your baptized. This is a sign and seal of God's promise that he's already given you in the gospel that you've embraced. Now it sounds like you, you've embraced the Trinity.

You've embraced the true God now be baptized in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit into one of the things that were seeing more and more today. I'm seeing it, Mike. I'm sure that you're singing as well as people who have been confessing Christ for a long period of time who just never got around to being baptized or like Steve you're saying may be rebaptized in a way that is not in accordance with God's word and I think part of the reason is because we just have such a low view of baptism of the means of grace that God is given to us to just we don't see that as these are these are the ways that God wants to work in our lives today and one of the things I wanted to say to you. Steve is my feel a little awkward for you know me you found that you been walking with the Lord for a long time 20 years and now it to come up and say well I'm going to get baptize and probably everyone in your church knows you really will. They might even know you as a leader in your church December we've seen that microcomputer who are serving in leading churches would just never been baptized but you still want to do this and one of the things that communicate is this is significant. This is in accordance with Jesus's warn I want to be faithful to God and to his word and so you don't need to be embarrassed or ashamed.

No, here's what you're testifying to is that there's other baptism was based on heresy mean that really actually is your ear proclaiming you were misled. Yeah, now you can you see the truth and you want to proclaim to everybody the triune God and be baptized in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit is a wonderful witness to the church and to your friends and relatives and anyone who might be within earshot of those words is your is your baptized eliciting a core Christianity and we are answering your questions about the faith.

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So head on over to court, Christianity.com/offers to download seven things you need to know about marriage and sex. You can also get a hold of that by calling us at 833-843-2673 is an email from Lisa who asked in acts eight it says and when they came out of the water. The spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at hazardous and as he passed through. He preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea when he says that the spirit of the Lord carried him away. What does that mean was, he teleported or just directed to leave to question this release. In the Old Testament the idea of being carried away somewhere by the Holy Spirit was often associated with the prophets. We see it with Elijah and first Kings 1812 and second Kings 216 in Ezekiel chapter 3 verse 14 we read the spirit of the Lord lifted me up and took me away and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.

So, more than anything. I think this language is associated with the prophets of the Old Testament. What did the prophets do. They brought forth the word of the Lord, which is exactly what Philip was doing in acts chapter 8 what he continued to do is the Lord carried him away his preaching in Caesarea and other places. I don't have much more to say about it and that means that have affected you have to remember that the prophetic spirit described by Joel in Joel chapter 2 was poured out on the day of Pentecost in acts two and during this time you did have a lot of extraordinary miraculous things happening in the life of the church in order to confirm the message of the apostles the gospel Mike I know you do a lot of flying around the world. It would be nice if one of these days Steve and probably cheaper to the spirit just carried away and you yeah you know you we talk about the spiritual gifts and what happened in the book of acts and and so forth before you talk about.

Are they still for today.

We need to ask what were they then and what they were they for these miraculous things are happening miraculous things are happening and it's only to confirm that's a big part of it to confirm the gospel that is being preached to the foundation that's being late say this is the only foundation only to confirm that, but it's also to spread that to spread the the wet cement out for this foundation. That's what you have in acts two people thinking it Pentecost. The apostles were drunk, not because they were speaking gibberish but because they were speaking the gospel in languages they had never learned why is it they's asked that each of us hears the gospel in our own tongue. So, speaking in tongues there, at least Pentecost. He was speaking a rational actual living language, but that the apostle preaching.

It himself did not know this is in that category is it's basically why did we have tongues there so that at Pentecost real people from all over the Jewish diaspora. They would take the germ as it were of the gospel they heard back with them and spread it. That's the same thing here with Philip and why is that, yet it's the guy going out I'm in a do something strange here I'm I can do this forever, but I'm in a get these apostles and removal them around like chess pieces so that they can preach the gospel as far and wide as possible.

Thank you for your question Lisa, here's an Instagram message from Kim loving the show.

You guys are awesome.

Can you share with us your favorite parables and tell us what you like about them. Thanks Kim. I love the parables. The amazing thing is that they catch you by surprise for me, the paradigm of a parable is what you get with David and Nathan in second Samuel 12 there sort of sitting on the stone fence and talking away.

This is after David had sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah the Hittite adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed, so he's guilty of adultery and murder.

Both capital crimes each. He should be put to death. We know the rest of the story, God had mercy on them. He confessed the sin in the Lord forgave him, but before he confessed his crime areas talking the Nathan, and Nathan tells this parable about a man what we do in this situation. A man once had a thousand sheep he had all the sheep that he could ever want or ever need what he was wealthy and then there was a guy just you sort of down the road who lived in a shack and had is one little ewe lamb that he loved like a daughter and he was tender to this limit was a pet he wasn't going eat it was. It is this pet he he loved her and the. The rich man who had all these cheap set. Why want that one. I want that sheep and so he took that sheet and ate it to some light. Why would you do in a situation like what would you do that guy is all I string him up by his thumbs and Nathan says you are the man boom out. You are the method that's what the parables do every parable Jesus tells is basically a form of you are the man.

And that's why like for example when he talks about the people working in the vineyard.

He says that you know they killed each of the messengers that the owner of the vineyard sent and then when the owner of the vineyard sent his sizable listen to him. He is my son.

They actually said oh he's the owner of the whole thing. We can kill him and just take over the whole vineyard and other Pharisees are looking at each other saying I think he's talking about us and now they start plotting how can we kill them. This is subversive.

The parables are subversive talk. Each parable explodes right in front of the crowd and what Jesus is telling of the parables.

The point of the parable is actually being fulfilled right in front of everybody by what the Pharisees are doing so all the parables are really about the Pharisees there, aimed at the Pharisees.

Jesus said this in Matthew 22 Jesus explained why he speaks in parables is so that those who here may be deaf and those who see may be blind, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah, everybody, and generally think those Pharisees, whose hearts are hard, who stubbornly refused to even consider my claims there even now plotting to kill me.

My parables will be understood by you when they explode still be understood by you, but the Pharisees will just become even angrier because I'm basically looking at them when I'm telling the parable and saying you are the man you are the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. You are the stewards who killed the son when he came to you that I was thinking about it Mike, if I had to pick my favorite parable. It's an easy one is the one. And in Luke chapter 15 the parable of the lost sheep because I think it so beautifully illustrates how God pursues us. Yeah, even when we wander away in our sins, and how how how merciful Christ his home to us wondering sheep in the parable of the wedding feast. I would say Matthew 22 is just extraordinary.

I think that one's my favorite protocol now from Cheryl about Deuteronomy, my name is Cheryl 26 where it talks about welcoming the stranger siding with today and passed away with the old covenant. Thanks Cheryl, we read Deuteronomy 2612 through 13 says when you finish paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, then you shall say before the Lord your God.

I have removed the sacred portion out of my house and moreover I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. Cheryl this is such an important question because sometimes we see Old Testament commands that were for Israel as a theocracy is up Meza body politic, and then we try to transfer those commands to other civil governments today like the United States, for example, we have to remember that in the flow of redemptive history Israel as a nation was a type of the church God's kingdom on earth right now so I think that there is a way to apply commands like the ones we see in the Old Testament to us as believers under the new covenant. We can't just carry them over without taking into consideration the flow of redemptive history, we certainly can't supply them to whatever government that were under you and are in our earthly citizenship often in the Old Testament is really interesting.

God wanted his people to give special attention and care to the less fortunate and to the vulnerable to the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the fatherless, the Lord Almighty identified with the week and he called his people to be generous toward them effect God use the example of the stranger specifically to remind his people that they too were once strangers in Egypt that God was kind to them.

Therefore, they should do the same. So under the new covenant, God still cares for the poor and afflicted in the church is the place where the widow and the orphan are to be ministered to James that in James chapter 1 verse 27 religion that is pure and undefiled before God the father is this visit orphans and widows in their affliction and keep oneself unstained from the world. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court 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