Will My Lust Keep Me Out of the Kingdom of God?

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When 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 another episode of corporate entity with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez here at the core. We want to help you grow in your walk with the Lord. By grounding you in biblical truth.

We know the word is so practical and that it has the power to encourage and transform you as a pastor that you might have issues in your life that you feel like or just insurmountable. Let me tell you, there's hope in Mike we received an email from a man who is having a hard time in his walk with the Lord right now and is looking for Hope William asked. I'm really struggling with lust and feel that I might be one of the people of the Bible says will not inherit the kingdom of God and try to remain celibate and bury my feelings and hope they go away. They haven't can we give William home from absolutely we can.

First William you need to hear the gospel, I don't. That sounds counterintuitive simply listening might say Horton that's a terrible answer first thing you need to say to Michael is that is hanging by a thread. If he is a true Christian at all because that's probably what you're thinking right if you're not actually engaging in the act of fornication and you still have to remember Jesus words that even the look upon a woman with lust is already to commit the act. Matthew 528 God's law has caught up with you.

You are under the law condemned, but that's not the gospel.

That's the law really hear God's command. Take it to heart. You are condemned by your lust, but take your condemnation to the foot of Christ's cross and leave it there. Go free from both the guilt and the tyranny of this sin, which are free from condemnation for the sin as all other sins it breaks the tyranny of this idolatry doesn't mean that you're never gonna struggle with it again were objectively freed from the condemnation justified declared righteous in all who are justified are also freed once and for all from the tyranny of sin, but were never free in this present life of temptation and even actual sin.

It's going to be a constant struggle. Think of Paul in Romans seven, Paul says that what I don't want to do I keep on doing and what I what I want to do.

I don't do.

I find myself in this mess, who will deliver me from this evil. And then he looks to crisis is thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ got to do what Paul did there. If you're looking at yourself. You can find all sorts of evidence enough to convict you and make you experience your guilt. But if you look to Christ. He has justified you, and as Paul says in Romans eight. Who is to condemn those whom God has justified in Jesus Christ. Now we shouldn't send that grace may abound.

Romans six tells us that we are new creatures in Christ, but you have to take your stand on the gospel and take your direction from that high calling that you're given in Scripture a calling to godly self-control and love, but don't judge your justification before God. Based on your godly self-control and love. Rather, base your godly self-control and love on the fact that you are declared righteous in Jesus Christ and you have been made a new creature in Christ already is not something you're struggling toward it's a gift that you've been given. But you're going to struggle. Just as I struggle. Atrial struggles we all struggle were going to struggle until we die. And that's why Paul calls as the body of death, not because the body is evil of the body is the cause of our sins. It's her heart, but because until we die and our bodies are laid in the grave.

Will we be done finally with sin because the next page. As it turns is the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. And then we will be living forever before God not only justified but perfectly and completely sanctified and glorified as much like God is.

It's possible for a creature to be. Look forward to that.

Look back to the hope that you have because you been justified and look forward to the glorification to come look away from yourself and look to the precious promises of who you are in Jesus Christ. God likes to forgive.

I like to send this is a perfect relationship. I don't get any of that from your question, but struggle absolutely struggle to fight it.

Say no to it, but you can only do that when you take your stand on the objective promises of the gospel say to Satan I'm baptized. I belong to Christ.

I'm forgiven, I'm justified. I'm adopted.

I am chosen by the Lord. I have been forgiven. I will be glorified. One day I am already on this track that God has put me on. I am saved Satan all of your accusations fall to the ground. Sin, particularly the sin of lust. I look you in the face and I tell you you are defeated your back is broken over my life and I'm not going to choose to serve you anymore. Amen William thank you for your email that Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible. We had a question hear from Carol about the book of Job. Let's listen in and around Dr. Carroll County first chapter in child birth stack like a minor and major question that I want to post on minor being," and that God transferring cannot filing Angel and Marcel I have heard it said that they can or that they can show that not referring to Lucifer that got casket out of heaven but rather in very I'm sorry I'm in my head. I changed and behold reasoning for Job's childish regulation and by the way, your contract denigrates both of you provided some very difficult questions continued to gain a good work.had given you have a good day. Yeah, thank you so much Carol, the sons of God. Here is a reference to the angelic beings that are in God's court. You imagine the heavenly temple filled with angels that execute God's commands throughout the world. Now among them according to that verse was Satan, whose very name means adversary to that second part your question, I would say it was talking about the devil Satan. The chief fallen Angel. If you will. And this is how the scriptures describe them. Peterson first Peter 58 be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

It actually seems like Peter is alluding to the scene in Job one, because in Job 17. The very next verse we read the Lord said to Satan, from where have you come and Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it so it seems like Peter's Ashley picking up on what we have in Job chapter 1, so Job's adversary and your adversary today is first and foremost a spiritual enemy. My wife and I live pretty close to the San Diego zoo and at the zoo.

There are some really cool animals, including lions and I get to see them earlier this year with with our kids and we went were always walking around the neighborhood grabbing coffee or a bite to eat and suppose one day were walking as a family and I get an emergency text message alert on my iPhone warning line escape from San Diego zoo be on alert that I know the zoo is just a few blocks away so I think I respond. How would you respond you want to make sure that you got somewhere safe you be extra vigilant. You hold your kids tightly get inside the house will that's were at spiritually speaking, there's a lien on the loose and we have to be watchful but here's the good news.

Jesus has conquered and bound to Satan the devil can't act apart from God's permission and that's exactly what we see in Job chapter 1 and so the sons of God. Those are the angelic beings in God's court and the adversary here is Satan and we have been adversary still. Today we have the hope that Jesus is conquered him listening to the core and were answering your questions about the fate give us a call with your question at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core. You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com want let you know about a really important resource that were sharing with you today. Yeah excited to share helpful resource on core, Christianity.com, a lot of them there.

If you have any questions man ask us we would love to talk to you about him. We also have a lot of good content. Good resources on core, Christianity.com. This one's called nine things everyone needs to know about depression. Good grief. One thing every pastor says if he could snap his fingers and put an end to it would be depression. Face it all the time and this is free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter nine things everyone needs to know about depression. We created this resource not to give you know of a full study of depression, much less complete answers on everything about depression but to give foundational and biblical advice or counsel on what depression is and how Christians can best help someone who suffers from it. So head on over to core Christianity.com/offers the download nine things everyone needs to know about brush you can also get a hold of it by calling us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core go to another question now. Luke 16 talks about the rich man and Lazarus and mentioned a rims bosom place where Old Testament saints went after they die, how should we understand rims bosom.

Well first of all let me summarize this in Luke 16, verses 19 to 31.

There was a rich man. Jesus says who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day and at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores who desire to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.

Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried in and Hades being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side and he called out father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue Fryman anguish in this flame. But Abraham said child. Remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner, bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able and none may cross from there to us and he said then I beg you, father to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets them hear them. And he said no father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. Said to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead to keep things to bear in mind here first. It's a common rule of biblical interpretation that we don't draw our doctrines from parables, numbers, parables are just that, their parables, they are explosive devices you might call them just as Jesus gives one of his parables. The action revealed in the parable is actually happening. So for example he gives the parable of the wicked tenants and the religious leaders realize always talk about us and that's the way parables work. They're not meant to offer a literal description of things, but to worm their way into the hearers so that those with ears to hear, will believe and the stubborn opponents will become more stubborn. Still, that Jesus says in Matthew 13 one through 16 that that's exactly the purpose of parables. They're not really stories. We often hear you know Jesus spoke in parables to make things clearer to people. That's not the case at all. He spoke in parables precisely to offend the religious elites so they would become more hardened and they would arrest and finally crucify him. Whereas those who were given faith. The ears to hear, understood what the parables meant typically the end of the parable is sort of like a punchline to a joke it tells us the point in this parable, Jesus pictures the rich man, probably a Pharisee in Hades begging that Lazarus probably his friend, whom he raised from the dead bring them just a little bit of water to quench his thirst, but there's this unbridgeable chasm between heaven and hell, then at least send Lazarus to tell my brothers what's in store for them. So though repent. The assumption here is that they just lack information if they knew what was up ahead.

Surely they repent. But Jesus says that this underestimates the depravity of the human heart. He says Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said no father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But Jesus said if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead, which of course would be Jesus and the religious leaders didn't believe that he rose from the dead. So we've all probably wondered why God doesn't send some word from departed unbelievers to warn the world of the coming judgment that awaits them what God only appeared in a vision to the whole world. But Jesus main point here is that the human heart is so hardened that even if the religious leaders here were gathered at Jesus tomb on Easter morning, they wouldn't have repented, they would not have believed that Jesus is the Christ. Not only did Christ resurrection require a miracle. It takes a miracle of God's grace for us even to believe that miracle and that's Jesus point, it's not God's failure to provide enough information. The Pharisees had plenty in the writings of Moses and the prophets to lead them to Jesus and they still rejected him.

The tragedy is the resurrection is sufficient evidence that Jesus is who he said he is is not that we don't have enough evidence we have only ourselves to blame for rejecting them and only God to thank for receiving him.

There's that wonderful verse in John 111 to 13 he came to his own and his own people did not receive him, but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. While Mike, I think that that's can it be really helpful for someone. We got a Facebook question. What did Paul mean about head coverings in first Corinthians 11. Does this apply to us today.

Yeah well here's the passage now. I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I deliver them to you but I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the wife is her husband and that of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered, dishonors his head but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.

Since it is the same as if her head were shaven for full wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut her hair or shave her head letter cover her head for man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God. But woman is the glory of man for man was not made from woman, but woman for man, neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the Angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman and all things are from God judge for yourselves.

Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered, does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears longhair is a disgrace for him. But if a woman has long hair. It is her glory.

Now we have to ask what head covering meant in this particular social context. In some societies, men wear long hair, then we need to ask whether there is a universal principle that transcends the specifics of time and place.

So here's first of all, the historical context.

Traditionally, women covered their heads. While men didn't. Some scholars point out that there was a strong goddess cult in Corinth as in other places where women were sometimes inclined to imitate her long flowing hair. Then, if men covered their heads. There would be confusion between men and women will whatever the explanation, Paul's point is that there is an intentional blurring of the lines between men and women so the two extremes here really I think are the Jewish and the Greek world, according to a synagogue prayer Paul's day, people prayed Lord I thank you that I was not born a Gentile or a woman over against that perspective. Paul says in Galatians, there is neither Jew nor Greek, free nor slave, male or female, for all are one in Christ but the Greeks were into gender bending here in first Corinthians.

I think Paul's challenging that extreme. On the other side. Everyone is an equal share in Christ, but that doesn't do away with the good differences that God established in creation at twice as doesn't nature tell you men need women to be women, women need men to be men and it's that difference that actually draws us toward each other. But let's not swing back to the other extreme, and conclude that Paul's making women second-rate members of the church, nor is Paul saying that women need to wear head coverings today or that they even need to show by their outward appearance. Some sign of subjection to men.

He simply saying that the gender lines shouldn't be blurred just as the Corinthian Christians shouldn't follow pagan practices in this regard, a drill we have to resist our own pagan cultures incessant demands to erase the good differences that God has written into the very fabric of creation. It's amazing you know you think about this passage in its obscure to so many people, but in terms of its application today. It really is relevant. We think about was happening in broader society. The transgender movement.

A lot of the stuff that we see going on today absolutely. There are so many similarities between the paganism of the Greco-Roman world and our own day.

It was in a car. Christianity give us a call if your question about the faith.

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Dr. Orton, Brian question is what is Paul mean exactly at first Corinthians. Once you serve the one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but one who prophesies the church. How exactly does speaking in tongues buildup the person.

Thanks Brian passage she referred to his first contents 14 for Paul's making the point here that prophecy is superior to tongues because the one who speaks in an unknown language isn't understood without an interpreter. Prophecies preaching so it might take on this is that Paul's assuming that the person is speaking a language that they understand but the rest of the congregation doesn't necessarily unless there people in there who speak that language prophecy in this context is referring to a language that both the speaker and the congregation share be like me walking into a church in the United States and preaching in Swahili.

If I did have an interpreter, then that wouldn't edify anybody, and a lot of Christians today believe that tongues referred to here aren't actual human languages. Unknown to the speaker, but our heavenly languages. I don't think that's what Paul's talking about, but there evidently were people in Corinth who did and they prided themselves in being spiritual because they spoke in tongues that people couldn't understand but Paul says that might benefit you, but it doesn't benefit the body of Christ. And when you come into the church assembly don't be a spiritual narcissist. You note American Idol performing the in front of everybody. Whatever tongues refers to in first contents 14 speaking unintelligible utterances was certainly not what happened at Pentecost were told there that the reason the hearers were astonished was that even though they were from far-flung regions. They understood the gospel each in his own language. So these folks, some of whom believed and even others who didn't all understood what was being said the Spirit gave the apostles the gift of being UN translators so that the gospel could spread rapidly as those gathered for the feast of Pentecost return to their countries with the good news. But here's Paul's main point. If you speak in tongues without someone translating the church won't be edified, and visitors will think you're out of your mind and the public gathering of the church.

Therefore, Paul says that this just mustn't happen.

Let everything be intelligible. Let everything be done in order and decency is us and I love these two chapters 1st Corinthians 13 and 14 and I think for a lot of Christians today is the sort of sense that you know you're filled with the Holy Spirit when you're participating these miraculous extraordinary things, but earlier in first Corinthians 13 the apostle Paul made the point that the real sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit is love yeah so really, above all that we should be pursuing this followers of the Lord Jesus is charity, love that's what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu for 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