Should a Christian Date Someone with a History of Sexual Sin in Their Life?

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 hello and thank you for joining us again here at corporate entity as we dig into the Scriptures together.

I'm with Prof. Michael Horton and I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez, one of the places in the world were religion matters most. According to one source use Global attitudes survey revealed that almost all Ethiopians and Indonesians consider religion very important.

The survey found that religion is generally more important to poor countries than richer ones.

Americans are firmly in the middle of the pack with just over half, 53% considering religion an important aspect of their lives and the fact is that there are a lot of people in the world who are sincere about their particular religious beliefs do sincerely make a belief true. Is there a difference between the world religions and that's what Emma wants to know. She asked us on Instagram. What's the difference between Christianity and other religions. Why can you say we don't all worship the same God, yet a very big question, especially today. You know my kids of asked me that question before.

It's something that you know when you meet people who are really wonderful, sincere, devout, good people you know from our point of view. We wonder how on earth you can we say we all worship the same God will that's subjective. That's how I feel.

The question is objectively is there a difference between Christianity and other religions. Here's the thing most people on the street. If you asked them what is religion for they'll tell you to make you a better person to be a better you to help us love each other. Now that is commanded in Scripture.

Jesus summarize the whole law as love your God and your neighbor but that's the law that's not the gospel. What separates Christianity from all of the religions is the gospel. You can find plenty of people even atheists who have some residual belief that for some reason there's good and evil may not be able to have a rational basis for it, but they believe there's there's good and evil. They believe there is right and wrong. We don't have a corner on that as Christians. But what we find in Christianity that we don't find in any other religion is God became flesh and dwelt among us, and then bore our sins on the cross and three days later rose again and will come again to judge the living and the dead will.

That's just absolutely off the radar of all religions. Mohammed for Islam as much as he is revered and honored. It would be blasphemous to Muslims to say that Mohammed is God incarnate.

Mohammed never claimed that for himself.

In fact, Mohammed never claimed to die for anybody since or be raised again. Buddha is still lying in his grave.

No Buddhists say that he rose again from the dead. Go down the line. All of the world religions.

One of they do they give you a path for being good for being a better person for having more enlightenment, but they don't give you a gospel. What you do with your sins in Buddhism and Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, New Age, what you do with your sins what you do with your guilt. Can you actually be forgiven by a personal God. You've offended they've all your sins washed away. Can you be justified declared righteous before that holy God because the righteousness of Christ is credited to you and your sins are imputed to him.

This is great news. This is this is the news that the world needs to hear. And it's only with the coming of Christ in all the Old Testament prophecies pointing forward to him that we have this announcement of good news.

God's good favor his mercy on sinners.

That is what separates Christianity from everything else. So when it comes to whom we worship the object of our worship. Islam says it's blasphemous to say Jesus is God, but Christians pray to Jesus as God we worship him along with the father and the Holy Spirit as persons of the holy Trinity.

So were not praying to the same God. Buddhists don't believe in God okay because they don't we all worship the same God.

A Buddhist would raise his hand and say sorry, we don't believe in God. If you just know a little bit about the world religions you come very clearly to see they don't agree. Even on the God we worship. So logically we don't all worship the same God x-ray and Mike brought up the wonderful distinction that we love to talk about on this program the distinction between the law and the gospel.

The law is what we have commanded in Scripture what God requires of us love me and love your neighbor and all over the world. It's that's everywhere right I mean that you and that's why I think what a lot of people say don't all religions basically teach the same thing. That's what they're getting at this it will don't they all teach that were supposed to love each other and and be kind to one another will and in one sense, yes, but with the other religions of the world are missing is the good news about how God has made a way for the people who have broken his law to receive his grace and forgiveness. What they don't have is the gospel mercy and that's why we do what we do is want to get that gospel out because we know it's good news for you and for for the rest of the world. And so Emma, thank you so much for that question. We have a call here a real practical question about dating and the right person.

Today's less listening than this: we received hi my name is Carol and I'm from New Jersey. I was just wondering if it would be a bad idea to date guy who has a hat he mentioned that before he became a Christian was having actual girls and he was drinking a lot and that God has delivered him from and I was wondering if that was the bad thing to want to thank God I know has forgiven him. Just wondering and hoping to hear your thoughts on that.

Thank you. Thank you Carol for that question. Sounds like she's really using a lot of wisdom and prudence here. What what would you say to Carol, will Carol II don't believe that is sinful past needs to keep you from pursuing someone my mom and my heart melts when I read the story of Jesus with the woman at the well in John four here's a woman with quite the past several different lovers, Jesus goes out of his way to minister to her to pursue her, and he pursued us where we are all sinners and I think where it gets tricky, though, is when a sin struggle hasn't been put to death of someone who Christ is delivered from a particular habilis a drinking too much is different than someone who is still enslaved. Alcohol if this person you're interested in is still engaging in behavior that is an honoring to Jesus that it's not the right decision to try and date them itself like that's not the case here, though, and and so I don't think there's anything keeping you from being with this person so long as he is a Christian, that's me, there's not a lot when Scripture talks about who to date or who to marry and, more particularly of the that the key requirement is, are they in the Lord, are they a believer now that looks like something, but I don't think that we can say well you can't pursue that person because prior to their faith in Jesus Christ. They had a history or maybe even for for believers who have fallen into sin, that doesn't necessarily disqualify them from being eligible candidates for marriage and so Paul was writing to people who had a past in Roman gallantry.

Yeah right you know Carol, we all, but as Mike said we all bring baggage into our relationships may not be passed in sexual sin with their other issues.

It's important for us to be honest about think it's good that this individual is honest with you. And repentant and repentant. We say this enough, but I think we can sometimes have rose-colored glasses when we talk about marriage marriage is one of the most difficult things you'll do.

It's also one of the most wonderful things but we need to be honest about the fact that loving someone else unselfishly doesn't always come natural to us is that it was sinners marrying each other. Yeah it has the upcoming marriage has the ability to reveal areas of sin in your own heart that you didn't even know you did and that's the hard part. But the beautiful thing is the gospel is big enough to forgive your past and whatever it is that you encounter in the future. I remember when my wife and I sat down for premarital counseling before we got married, our pastor, the time till the something I'll never forget.

I use it whenever I do premarital counseling. Now he looked at us both soberly and said, look, this is exciting, wonderful.

I can't wait to do the wedding life is that though you guys curveballs you can encounter things like sickness and sin that you just can't anticipate right now but there's always hope, because God is for your marriage and the ship of the gospel is strong enough to see you through any waters, no matter how difficult Carol that's the main question you asked yourself about this guy is he 100% committed to Jesus and his gospel. If he is, no matter what. The past is what the future holds is a lot to be excited about.

It was in the core Christianity were answering your questions about the faith.

Give us a call if you have a question. The numbers 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com.

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You can also get hold that by calling us at 833-843-2673. That's 833 the court go to the next question now what one pastor said go by the question. Great and unsearchable things in Jeremiah 33 three well that's a good that's a great question. I think of her mass that Nancy well let's look at the passage. Jeremiah 33 verses three through nine call to me and I will answer you and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel concerning the houses of the city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mountain against the sword, they are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hid my face from the city because of all their evil, behold, I will bring to it. Health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them. Abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and rebuild them as they were at first, I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me and this city shall be to me a name of Joy of praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them.

They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all prosperity I provide for it.

Well, you know, Israel was taken into captivity. The northern nation into Assyria, and Judah was taken into captivity in Babylon.

So this prophecy came true and is in context, the great and hidden things refer to God's work of restoration of Israel after its exile will bring health and healing and cleansing from the guilt of sin and that imagery forces us to see that Jeremiah is really talking about can only be talking about the kingdom of God, that Jesus the Messiah inaugurated through his death and resurrection and will consummate at his second coming. Just look at the prophecy I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me remind mom reminds you of the just a couple chapters earlier. Jeremiah 31 the prophecy of a new covenant, that won't be like the covenant that the people swore at Mount Sinai saying in response to the law.

All this we will do know God is swearing in this new covenant.

All this I will do and it's that new covenant that Jesus inaugurated in the upper room when he instituted the Lord's supper and said this is the blood of the new covenant, shed for you. So instead of the blood being splattered on the people at Mount Sinai in accordance with all their swearing. All this we will do you have Jesus in the upper room saying I'm shedding my blood for you. This is the basis of the new covenant, not your oath. All this I will do but my oath all this I will do and it's all based on that promise there in Jeremiah 31 and then here again in Jeremiah 33 so is not a wonderful promise that we have from the Old Testament, pointing to Jesus and his might be a good opportunity to just talk for a moment about that word. Covenant kids everywhere in Scripture and acing the Old Testament seed in the New Testament, but it's one of those words that a lot of Christians don't really understand and don't really know how to define what is that covenant could you maybe just in a few words talk about that.

Sure it it's basically a illegal oath between parties, you know, we have the marriage covenants we have covenants between nations and the only thing a contract like a contract. What's interesting is at Mount Sinai.

The people are making a contract with God or their receiving a covenant where God, the great King who was delivered them now sets the terms for their relationship to them and they swear all this we will do, certainly not of the people for the people by the people. It's it's from God. He's the one who created the covenant and he gives it to his people, whereas in the new covenant, which already is based on the promise in Genesis 315 that God will crush Satan's head and bring his Messiah, the Abraham make covenant where God makes all the promises and keeps them the Davidic covenant where God swears in second Samuel seven to David that there will be an offspring of his who will rule on his throne for ever again.

God making all the promises leading to the new covenant, which is finally the, the fulfillment of all of that. So he fulfills the law then dispenses the spoils of that victory to us. It's God. God alone doing all the work in Jesus Christ. For sinners, not sinners doing their work for him when it what Ellen and Grace have covenant of grace, so beautiful, there is an email we got from Joey. I'm not sure what my spiritual gift is tend to be the kind of Christian, who can be seen more as a burden to the church than a gift, and recovering from addiction. I guess how can I discover my spiritual gift and become more of a blessing of the church who is love me so much through this hard time. Okay Joy, first of all you are a burden to the church. It's true as all my I have a lot of us are yeah I have a lot of sin for example have a lot of back pain but at the same time if I didn't have those discs. I wouldn't be able to stand so I need him regardless of how weak they may be at times there a lot stronger than not having them in the first place. The rest of my body needs those discs to look there is no part of the body of Christ in its present condition that consists of a perfect strong member were all being sanctified were a mess. So join the club the whole body needs every part and yet every part is weak and sinful. So the head is perfect. The head is strong enough to hold the whole body together that you seem to think that there's one part of the body that somehow escaped all of this that's not fallen it's not weak, not sinful, not hurting but that's just not true. You can't recover from your addiction without the rest of Christ's body, and the rest of the body can't be healthy without you. So the bottom line joy is that you and I both need the gospel. We need Christ our head every day. We need to know that her identity isn't found in our sins, including our addictions, but in whom God says we are in. His son chosen, redeemed and justified adopted and being sanctified one day being glorified you look at your sanctification right now. You say that's your tendency in mind to say well how my doing right now. Of course are to see weakness. Of course you're gonna see from your addiction. Patterns of sinful behavior. But that's not what the gospel says you are. It promises us that even though we're still sinful. We are being conformed to the image of Christ even when we feel like we aren't in.

It promises us that we will be glorified. Why because we have been chosen, redeemed, justified and adopted and that can never be changed. You need to hear this is from Romans eight and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things.

If God is for us who can be against us. He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things, who shall bring any charge against God's elect is God who justifies. Who is to condemn Christ Jesus as the one who died more than that was raised who is at the right hand of God interceding for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword insert addiction. There no as it is written, for your sake were being killed all day long we regarded as sheep to be slaughtered, but in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, you know, we tend to view our weaknesses as things you should keep us from the body of Christ to make us ineffective for God, but that one of the things I want essays, God capitalizes on our weaknesses. It's in our weaknesses that he's made strong for the Scripture says exactly that and so you know I glory in my weakness right were you where you're at right now. When you recognize Joey that you need the gospel. You need the grace of Jesus Christ daily for the struggle strolling and sand the struggle against addiction and God can use you right there because his strength is perfected in your weakness. And so, and any of your week. Sometimes you need people to carry you. Amen Joy, thanks for reaching out is an email we got from Kristin I met people who have deep experiences with God and a strong sense of his love how important you think it is to have powerful experiences of God working in our lives. You know, Chris, and I think it's actually really important and what the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians in Ephesians chapter 3. If you have a Bible, you can open there in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning in verse 14 he says. For this reason I bow my knees before the father, for whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according the riches of his glory. He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

It seems to me like the apostle Paul wanted Christians to know that God love them it. John is no different. He says in this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. But here's right, I think we go wrong Kristin. I think a lot of us are looking for God's love in the wrong places. A lot of times we assume God loves us because things are going well in our lives.

And then when things stop working out. We begin to question God's love as if our sense of God's love changes depending on our circumstances. God wants you to have a powerful experience of his love. He wanted to come from the right place in the right places his word and the deeper God's word takes root in your life the more firmly you lay hold of the promises Jesus offers to you. In Scripture, the more I think that you can have powerful experiences of God working in your life when I was dating my wife Isabel. There were moments where I question whether or not she was into me as I was into her what I go back to assure my heart that things were okay look at our previous text messages messages that you sent me with signs of her interest in a party mode she's in and stuff like that.

It was something objectify could cling to when I was feeling insecure and God is giving you objectify things to cling to when you're questioning his love when were insecure because of sin or something else. We have tokens of God's love for us in his word and the ordinances that Jesus left the church think of things like communion and baptism their continual reminders. There is Jesus saying to us to you by faith. I love you as you don't, you have to hope that God might give you a powerful experience of his love.

He's given you his love in Jesus and you can experience that love every time you open the word of God.

Every time you hear God's word preached in church or witness a baptism or taste communion. Our job is to lay hold of it and so I'm just like the apostle Paul prayed there and in Ephesians 3 that's that's our prayer for you and for everyone who listens that they would grow in the knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ. That's right, Israel.

You have experiences not because you're looking for the experiences because your hearing, your was evening's work. 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 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