Will I Be Removed From the Kingdom of God If I Continue in Fornication?

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 Christianity with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez and we want to answer your questions about the faith were excited to do this again as we dig into the Scriptures. According to Christian post quote popular talkshow host Sean Hannity says that despite leaving the Catholic Church due to institutionalized corruption.

His Christian faith and relationship with God continue to be the source of his peace, security and fulfillment.

But there is no perfect church. But what you make of stories like this right. There is no perfect church. There's corruption everywhere you go, because the church like any other part of this world is made up of center staff now repentant sinners, forgiven sinners, justified sinners were being sanctified, but in this life we still wrestle with sin the world, the flesh of the devil.

There a lot of people who leave church and I'm not saying one shouldn't leave a particular particular church. But there are people who leave churches because they say well it they've had the scandal or that scandal that if they don't handle the scandal.

There's no discipline at all in and people are allowed to hurt each other, and so forth. That's a another issue, but to leave the church because it has problems and because there are offenses that are committed within it is really self-righteous. I mean who am I to think that I'm better than everybody else that wow if I could just get away from this church, everything would be fine yeah now actually if I leave this church, I'm going to take myself with me and entered in your area to be prompted that the next church you go to the almanac and taken me with it. Yeah, right, that will, at the end of the dates it really is with central has to be central is the gospel right is the gospel being preached at the truth I attend, if it isn't old and that's a good reason to leave that is will then guess what, it's a good thing that there sinners there because that's what they need to hear itself actually both get to that question for today here's an email from Samuel. How should we understand Jesus's healing miracles. If Jesus came just to die for our sins. Why does he spend so much time healing how that's great. Really great way of phrasing it Samuel.

It is especially important considering a passage like Mark five where Jesus heals a woman who's been sick for 12 years. Jesus said it was her faith that made her well. Mark five verses 24 to 34 we read and a great crowd followed him and thronged about him and there was a woman a discharge of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and it's been all she had and was no better, but rather worse.

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment, for she said if I touch even as governments, I will be made well and immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. What is that just because the strength of her faith know because she she knew she acknowledged Jesus is God who can do all of this but God himself.

She at least acknowledged that he was a great prophet of the Lord was working through him.

Jesus said daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease Jesus miracles were a demonstration of the kingdom of God breaking into this world that is currently under the ravages of Satan and his minions this world right now is sort of like a junkyard you know with the dogs haunting the place and Jesus brings his kingdom into it and says no this is my world and I want back. I'm taking it back. Already the demons are terrified and saying are you already going to cast us into the lake of fire and there's there's all sorts of commotion. They come out of the woodwork so there a lot of feelings of demon possessed people. Then there are miracles that point to everlasting life, and the ultimate healing were going to have Wilma raised bodily from the dead.

These are signs that this is happening now that that the king who is the resurrection and the life is already present among us. He's here. There are signs of that Jesus miracles were demonstrations that he is the one who has the power to forgive sins and Matthew nine is the obvious passage. There, but Jesus knew verse four but Jesus knew what they were thinking and said why do you harbor evil in your hearts, which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say get up and walk will obviously note the answer is it's easier to say, your sins are forgiven. Who can test that but if I said to you and your paralyzed.

I said, take up your bed and walk then that would prove that I have the authority to forgive your sins, you would know your sins were forgiven because of what I said if I actually could prove to you that I am authorized to do that and that's exactly what Jesus said so that healing is a sign that proves Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins which only God has God did not heal the paralyzed man simply as a random healing. He did it as a sign to prove to everybody he has the power to forgive sins so that everybody there who believes in him, their sins are forgiven. That's the miracle that's the most powerful miracle the healing of the paralyzed man is a sub miracle that points to it. The problem with name it. Claimant health and wealth gospel preachers today is that they focus on the sign instead of the reality.

And that's exactly what was happening with the crowds in John's Gospel throughout John's gospel. You have the crowds looking only at the sign they just want them. The free lunch, but they don't see Jesus is the bread of life.

You look at the heat, the raising of Lazarus, but they don't believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. So yes there are healing signs performed by Jesus and the apostles powerful ones but there always in specific instances with a specific purpose of proving that the gospel there announcing is from God and not man, and having certified that gospel that was given once and for all. Having laid that foundation with all the fireworks that went with it certifying that that foundation was true, we don't have any further need of signs to conferment of God was to perform miracles is great but God no longer performs miracles to certify the truth of the gospel that we really need to recover. I think in the church today, this high view of the most important things in my sins are forgiven.

Everybody wants the coming. A lot of people want to chase after the signs the wonders to miracles. As if that offensive of Christianity and missed the whole point. Yeah, know the essence is, Jesus Christ died to forgive your sins.

And he rose again for your justification. That's what we are celebrating every time we gather together on Sunday, and as you say Mike can God still heal people. Sure he does. But what we need to know is that our sins are forgiven and I got to be reminded that every day that's right. And the real miracle is that he still shows up to regenerate people to the preaching of the gospel. He still gives us his visible, tangible signs and wonders of baptism and the Lord's supper.

That's all we need, whatever miracles occur. Now they are not certifications of the gospel because there is no new gospel. The gospel is not evolving and therefore there are no miracles that are now certifying any additions as needed.

Go to the next question is a call literacy speaking of the forgiveness of sins, and its importance was listening to this call from Jim hello name is Jim and I'm calling out of Washington where talk about the unpardonable sin and it says God will get to the point where repentance won't work for you.

My question is what about those/myself, who do struggle with fornication being a Christian for the last 10 years and am still struggling with.how does that work like people who go to celebrate recovery and how does that work with those who continue.

There's no repentance.

Anyways, that's just bonkers about X. May we get so many questions from wonderful people who are concerned about the warning passages in Scripture thinking maybe I've done too much.

Maybe I've lost my salvation. Isn't it amazing how important it is that we hear the good news of the gospel all the time so important, Jim.

I just want to start off by praying for you brother Lord, we come before you now want to pray for Jim and asked gracious father that you would indeed comfort him with those words the words of the gospel.

The promise of the forgiveness of sins.

When we trust in your son Jesus I pray the Lord that you administered to him, he would grant him strength by the power of your Holy Spirit to put to death the sinful deeds of the body is the apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 8, would you please work in my brother which Blessing would you strengthen him and would you help them to rest in the good news of what Christ is accomplished on his behalf. We pray these things in Jesus name Amen brother. The unpardonable sin is unbelief. It's a complete rejection of the gospel, and trampling on Christ, the person commits that sin doesn't care that they've committed it. They don't call core Christianity they don't fear God's judgment, their conscience is completely seared and you hear that, because if you think you've committed the unpardonable sin you're going paralyzed by fear in your Christian walk. And that's precisely where Satan wants you I'm not to downplay your sin if you been fornicating or giving into lust unified that with every tool that God is giving you including other believers including other believers. If you don't it will kill you.

Sometimes programs like celebrate recovery can be extremely helpful sometimes even sitting down with a trained counselor can be huge know there are certain sinful inclinations we might have because of our own experience and upbringing.

Statistically, for example, there is a high correlation between childhood abuse, sexual abuse, even in promiscuous sexual behavior later in life that doesn't excuse the behavior it still sin sometimes going to the root of why we behave in certain ways in identifying what it is that were longing for from a particular sexual encounter can be life-changing for many people is a sense of being valuable. Sometimes there are deeper things that drive us to sin and is helpful for us to identify that so that we can fight against a particular temptation.

So the unpardonable sin is something that if you were a first century Pharisee who attributed the miracles of Jesus to Satan and you persist in that day, until you die. You've committed the unpardonable sin, because there were even Pharisees who came to know the Lord. I think one of Satan's tactics today.

Mike is if he can convince a genuine Christian that it's hopeless for them when they trusted in the Lord but but for whatever reason is because I have this sin struggle. Whatever it is, fornication or pride or Greek, whatever it is. While God must be done with me will then we become paralyzed right and is not biblical. That's right, unpardonable sin, Jim is not something that you could have committed. That was my point. You could not have committed the unpardonable sin is right because it was a first century deal with the Pharisees who were attributing Jesus miracles to Satan. Now I guess you could expand it and say well if you do that to the end of your life, you committed the unpardonable sin, but as you say is basically unbelief yeah and it went that I think what's so important for us in growing in grace and having victory, even a little bit of victory that we can experience on this side of heaven by the power the Holy Spirit like Paul talks about in Romans 6 to 8 is understanding our identity in Christ that because of the fact that we are united to Jesus at the old man is dead.

Jim read Romans six through eight over and over committee camp out there because it seems like what Paul is doing is he's writing the people who are struggling with sin anything they look in.

I don't even know if you guys are really Christians. You guys should really try to figure that out yet.

He says don't you know you've been baptized that you can't walk in darkness, and were now you have to walk in newness of life. You have a new identity and you have to recognize that Jim through faith in Jesus Christ. Yeah you struggle but you are united to Christ you have a new identity. Your baptized and it's so important for you to recognize that so that the fight that sure that you're in the battle that you're in that were all in your fighting from the right position. You know you got the high ground got victory in Jesus Christ. Now you can live into who you are who God is declared you to be justified right in his sight. You have been purified by the blood of Christ that I live a pure life. Amen and have tested him.

Are you in a good church. If you are great to stay there and continue to grow together with other believers under God's word. If you want that needs to be priority number one. If you are in a church you have a pastor or elder were you can go and confess you know some of the struggles that you're talking about. I guarantee that you're not the only one that's right. Sin loves the darkness that were gross when we bring our sins into the light. Confess them something really powerful happens. James chapter 5 verse 16 says therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. I was talking to someone years ago told me they struggle with a particular sin for a long time, but that they finally confessed it to a trusted friend. It was as if the back of that sin had been broken in their lives no longer had the power of one state over that person is not everybody's experience. You know, more often we find ourselves confessing over and over again, but that's the Christian life. No repentance is an every day thing brother in the fact that you're repenting every day even doesn't mean that God is done with, you know, it just assigned the spirit of God is working in you and so get that much needed accountability that the church fellowship that you need, and above all recognize in Christ. You are a new creation.

You have been purified. Now, as Mike said, live into that walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, not in your own strength but with the strength that Christ applies thank you for that question or listen to core Christianity give us a call at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com Mike we have a helpful resource for our listeners to get a hold of today think they drill yeah were excited today to assure a helpful resource on core, Christianity.com. It's called nine things everyone needs to know about the Bible and homosexuality and is free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter we created this resource not to be exhaustive.

Of course, but to give some foundational biblical principles on homosexuality and how Christians can view it and also help brothers and sisters who were struggling with it. So head on over to core Christianity.com/offers to download nine things everyone needs to know about homosexuality. He was call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core got another email question here, and this was from Bob hello Dr. Michael Horton. I really struggle with certain sins that I am terribly ashamed of.

I can't seem to stop doing them again and again.

Am I a Christian, how can I stop sitting I believe all the right things and I go to church every Sunday and hear about Jesus, but I am addicted to my sin. What can I do well first of all know that they drill and I understand what you're going through. We all have besetting sins. That is a real ongoing struggle in our lives as Christians first understand that that you through faith in Christ, receive forgiveness of all of your sins and that doesn't seem to be your problem. You're not saying that you're not sure that Christ's merits are sufficient to cover all of your sins, but why do you keep struggling with the same sin will heal the apostle Paul and in Romans seven said much the same thing. He lamented the fact that though he loves God's law. He finds himself again and again doing the same things over and over that he he didn't want to do and not doing the things that he wants to do that he wasn't saying that he's never obedient is just that I I find that there is these ruts in my life and it's so hard to get out of those ruts and its true. We have habits, and especially if we became a believer late in life. Sometimes those habits die really hard but it's hard to replace those habits with new ones.

But we have to promise not only that were forgiven, but that the Holy Spirit who indwells us is constantly conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. And he does this through various means. He does this through the preaching of his word, both the law and the gospel. He does this through baptism, constantly taking us back to the fact that he made a promise to us in our baptism and he's going to complete what he began in the Lord's supper, which was his constant testimony to us that Christ's death is not just for others but for us, and that that death is sufficient even to propel our sanctification.

Now, first John one verses five through 10 reminds us this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. So one position John excludes is the idea that there is a carnal Christian. In other words, there is a person whose completely still dead in trespasses and sins, has no love for God or his word and nevertheless he saved you know he got his fire insurance he saved know that's not true. Anybody God justifies he also sanctifies and yet he says but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, that the other party so one group is saying you can be a Christian and yet not have any love for the things of the Lord just walking in darkness.

The other group is saying we live above all known sin. John is saying know it. Neither of those positions is correct.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. If I could just also encourage Bob and probably many others who are feeling like he is there listening right now. God forgives us. We confess to him, but he gives us this grace, we can go to brothers.

In particular, the spiritual leaders in the church and bring our sin into the light and I think there's something about that that helps us in putting to death though say so yeah I think enteral. Sometimes we overreact against certain practices. Especially if we grew up with going to the priest and confessing your sins. If you don't remember every sin, and confess that the near that sin is an forgiven, that is such an abuse of what we find here in first John, but sometimes we overreact and we forget, as you say drill God is given the ministry of the word, especially to his ministers and we hear God's ministers proclaim his gospel to us publicly in the sermon, but sometimes we wonder, is it really for me.

Is he talking about me and there is a place for going to the pastor and saying you know what I need personal assurance from you not because you you know are a priest who has a power that other Christians don't have. But because you know the Scriptures and because God has given you the authority to act on Christ's behalf. I need to know am I absolved them. I forgiven and the minister can say in the name of Christ and on the authority of his word. I declare to you that your sins are forgiven. Let's go to our next caller and I have a question for Mike athletically asked whatever we want the house of the understanding of the work.

I think Brooke you're referring to John 1414 if you ask me anything in my name I will do it. That's part of what's called Jesus upper room discourse. A sermon that he gave in the upper room just before he instituted communion and went to the cross. He's preparing his disciples for his departure. I will not leave you as orphans, he says, but I will send my Holy Spirit. And again, context matters here when he says if you ask me anything in my name I will do it. What he's saying here is the apostles, to whom he's directly speaking, the apostles are given his authority to act in his name. In Matthew 16 verse 18 we read that the power of the keys. That is, to unlock heavens doors is given to the apostles then also again and in chapter 18 to chapters later same point so the apostles specifically are referred to here as being given this authority to speak in God's name and to ask Christ anything and he will do it for them. But it doesn't mean obviously hey Jesus I need a new chariot what it means is that they will now act in his name and whatever he asks them to do in this matter of being able to pronounce the absolution.

This is going to be given them whenever they asked 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, the court when you contact us.

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