How Should Christians Think About the ‘Day of the Dead’?

With Halloween approaching, should Christians refrain from activities that have to do with ideas about the afterlife or ghosts or ghouls? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. This is Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can also email us with your question at questions at corechristianity.com. To start off with today, we have a good news story to share with you. A 14-year-old student from Texas has won first place in a major science contest for her work on a potential treatment for COVID-19. Anika Shabrulu is being called America's top young scientist. As an eighth grader, she won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her work on a potential drug to treat COVID-19. Anika says, I developed this molecule that can bind to a certain protein on the SARS virus.

By binding to it, it will stop the function of the virus. For her work, 3M has awarded Anika $25,000. Wow, good for her. That is just so impressive. You're describing her working with these molecules and whatnot. I'm just like, wow, that's way over my head. And she's in eighth grade.

That's awesome. When I was in eighth grade, all I cared about was girls, not science. Not any other subject. Well, let's get to our first question of the day. Steve posted this on our Facebook page. He says, I'm relatively new in my walk with Christ, and I'm working on figuring out this new belief system. With that said, I'm not too sure what the scriptures say about man-run politics. How do Christians navigate engaging with those aspects of life and understanding the difference between church and state? Hey Steve, thanks for that question. Certainly a very relevant question right now, and I'm just stoked that you're new in your walk with the Lord, that you're taking things seriously, and that you're listening to the core.

I hope that this program blesses you and helps you to continue to grow in your understanding of who Jesus is and your love for the Lord. Again, the question you've asked is just a really important question right now with the election going on. What does it look like for Christians to engage in politics, and what do the scriptures have to say about man-run politics?

I think there are a couple of dangers that we need to avoid when thinking about politics and the governments of this world. The first one is there's this sort of idea of retreat that Christians can have. We look at the world around us and we think, things are just so bad, let's all run to the hills and do our own thing and not engage in the government of this world in any way, so really not love our neighbors. I think that's one problem, and of course you do see that in some places where people, Christians, will completely isolate.

They'll just go off to be on their own because they don't want to engage with the world around them because they feel like it's just so bad. The other issue, and this is frankly the one that concerns me more, it's the one that I think we see more prevalently in the church today, especially around this time of year. It's that Christians can confuse the kingdoms of this world with God's kingdom so that we begin to put our hope and trust in the kingdoms of this world so that we're devastated if things don't go the way we hoped they would have gone in terms of the election or voting for a particular policy. So we have to be careful that we're navigating between not retreating from society and just being unwilling to engage and also not placing our hope in the kingdoms of this world and confusing those kingdoms even with God's kingdom. There are some helpful guiding principles to keep in mind, and I'm getting these from a book that I recently read called Politics After Christendom, written by a professor I had in seminary, David van Droonen. He gives these four things that we want to remember about the systems, the governments of this world as we think about engaging with them.

One, he says they're legitimate. It's important for you to understand, Steve, that the political system around us, the government, earthly governments, are legitimate institutions, and you get that from places like Romans chapter 13. Listen to what Paul said in Romans 13, one through six. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?

Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval. For he is God's servant for your good, but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on wrongdoers. Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing. See, it seems like Paul is making it clear, these earthly governments, and here he's speaking about the Roman government, he's writing to the Roman Christians, they're legitimate institutions.

I mean, this is why you pay taxes. The hope is that they will enforce justice in accordance with what God has revealed just through natural revelation. They're legitimate institutions.

Number two, they're provisional, meaning they're not going to be here forever. The kingdoms of this world are not to be confused with the kingdom of God. Think of Daniel chapter two where it talks about God's kingdom replacing all the kingdoms of this world.

They're common, meaning they're not holy institutions. It's not through the governments of this world that we experience the grace of God, the salvation of Jesus Christ, and they're accountable. I mean, that's one of the things we see here in Romans 13. Even secular leaders are going to be judged by God for how they governed. So realizing that they're legitimate and provisional helps us to engage in them humbly and not to place our hope in them. So, Steve, the way we think about these things is they're legitimate, but we also recognize that we're citizens of heaven, like Paul says in Philippians chapter three, verse 20, that our ultimate home is with the Lord Jesus Christ, and that while we seek to engage in the world around us for the good of our neighbors, our hope is not in the transformation of worldly government. Our hope is in the transformation of hearts through the preaching of the gospel, and we know ultimately that Jesus is going to build his church and the gates of hell are never going to prevail against her.

God bless you. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and here's an email that came in from a listener named Bill. He says, I have a few questions about Luke six verses six through 12. This was another set up by the Pharisees who were trying to catch Jesus working on the Sabbath.

Why did the Pharisees consider healing as a work of Jesus and why was that wrong? Okay, you know, I really love this passage and there's some neat things sort of, I think, behind the scenes in this text of scripture, at least at least Old Testament passages that this passage in particular is echoing and I want to get into that because I think it helps to illuminate what this text says for us. So Luke chapter six beginning in verse six. Let me just read it for those who are unfamiliar with the passage on another Sabbath. Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath that is Jesus so that they might find a reason to accuse him, but he knew their thoughts and he said to the man with the withered hand come and stand here and he rose and stood there and Jesus said to them. I ask you is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm to save life or to destroy it and after looking around at them all he said to him stretch out your hand and he did so and his hand was restored, but they were filled with Fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Now to your question, I think that the issue that they have is they just don't really understand what the Sabbath day was all about. They're essentially murdering on the Sabbath in their heart toward Jesus. Jesus is doing a good work this act of mercy and healing this person. There was nothing forbidden about that, but for these Pharisees these self-righteous religious leaders, they took issue. They took offense at what Jesus did even though they shouldn't have. They should have been caring for this man with the withered hand loving him serving him Jesus did. Now here what we have in this passage is a guy who has a withered hand that Jesus heals on the Sabbath.

Now. There's actually a text of scripture in the Old Testament that I think really sort of sets us up for this. It's in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 56. If you have a Bible with you, I just want to encourage you to turn there because I think that this is so cool Isaiah chapter 56 beginning in verse 1 and think about this again the context of the Sabbath. Thus says the Lord keep justice and do righteousness for soon my salvation will come and my righteousness be revealed blessed is the man who does this in the son of man who holds it fast who keeps the Sabbath not profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say the Lord will surely separate me from his people and let not the eunuch say behold. I am a dry tree for thus says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my fabbits who choose the things that please me and hold fast to my covenant. I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.

I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 56 is prophesying of this time of Great Restoration where the peoples are going to flock to the Lord and in the house of the Lord God is going to minister to the eunuch the one who says I am a dry tree that's interesting that word dry that's used there. It's the same word that's used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament at least same word that's used in Luke chapter 6 to describe this man's withered hand and then in verse 5 of Isaiah 56. God says I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name. The Hebrew word for monument there is yad, which means hand. God is saying here in Isaiah 56 I'm going to give to the dried up person in my house a hand and it's almost as if that's exactly what's happening there in Luke chapter 6 as this person desperate withered comes to Jesus and Jesus heals his hand.

He quite literally gives him a hand. So beautiful how the scriptures work together in that way and I think that's one of the things that that's being signaled here in Luke chapter 6. This is the Great Restoration at least the beginning of it that Isaiah 56 prophesied about and the Pharisees missed it because they were blind. And so I mean at the end of the day Bill it is blindness in them but for us who understand the scriptures we get to see how beautifully they work together and how compassionate our Lord Jesus was in healing this man.

Thank you for your question. You know this just is another example Adriel of how we need to understand the Bible in its entirety. You just brought up a great Old Testament passage that many people don't link with that so it behooves us to know both the Old and the New Testament to be reading our Bibles and to get the entire context because if we don't sometimes we really can't get the full picture. 100% I remember as a newer believer focusing primarily on the New Testament because I thought well this is really what's relevant for me and I was really missing out and the more I understood from the Old Testament the more the New Testament was illuminated for me the more I benefited from it.

So as as Christians we want to study all the scripture and it's only as we study all the scripture that we really begin to understand the individual parts you know different books different stories like this one in Luke chapter 6. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. How can you know if you are really a Christian?

We actually have an excellent resource that answers that very question. Yeah Bill I mean this is obviously I mean for those of you who listen to Core Christianity frequently you know that one of the primary questions that we get has to do with assurance of salvation. How can I know I'm a believer?

You might have that question for yourself. And so that's why we've created this resource Nine Ways to Know You're Truly a Christian and it's yours for free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter over at corechristianity.com. Again many people even genuine believers struggle with assurance and so get a hold of this resource Nine Ways to Know You're Really a Christian over at corechristianity.com by signing up for the weekly newsletter. You can find that corechristianity.com forward slash offers or you can call us at 833-843-2673 for help getting that offer or any one of our offers that's 833 the core. Yeah my name is Donna I'm from Torrey, Missouri and I would like to know how we get our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Thank you.

Hey Donna what an important question and thank you for calling in with it. Throughout the Bible the Old Testament and the New Testament you find various passages that suggest to us that God keeps a record in heaven of those who belong to him by faith. Let me just give you a few of the the passages that I'm thinking of. Exodus 32 verses 31 through 33. Moses returned to the Lord and said alas this people has sinned a great sin they have made for themselves gods of gold but now if you will forgive their sin but if not please blot me out of your book that you have written. But the Lord said to Moses whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.

Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of Luke to bring up Luke's Gospel again chapter 10 verses 19 and 20. Behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you nevertheless do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Again Jesus speaking in the book of Revelation in Revelation chapter 3 verse 5 said the one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments and I will never blot his name out of the book of life I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. See the sinner is blotted out we're told that's what God said to Moses. We also see from these verses that it's a great honor to be in the book of life.

I mean Jesus tells his disciples don't rejoice that the spirits are subjected to you that you can cast out devils. No rejoice that your names are written in heaven what a privilege. You also need to conquer apparently we're told you need to conquer and be clothed in white for your name to be written in the book of life and maybe your concern Donna is well I don't feel like a conquering Christian. I think a lot of us wrestle with this how can I know my name is in the book of life when in reality I still struggle with sin every day as a believer will listen to what we hear in Revelation 12 verses 10 and 11. I heard a loud voice in heaven saying now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before our God and they have conquered him how by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony for they loved not their lives even unto death. How do we get our names written in the book of life clothed in white through the blood of Jesus Christ by faith in him by turning to him and trusting in him turning away from our sins repenting of them trusting in him. Receiving the grace that he gives to us freely that he's purchased for us Donna with his very blood that's the good news of the gospel and that's the hope that we have that our names as Christians as those who are in Christ are written in the book of life through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thanks for your question.

Amen. This is core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez and Adriel here's a question that came in through our Facebook page from Caleb. He says hello Pastor Adriel and Bill with Halloween approaching. I'm specifically wondering about the Hispanic celebration of the day of the dead. I can see why some Christians would be upset by some of the rituals associated with this but on the other hand, it seems like special remembrance of family members who have died is actually a good practice. I'm not Hispanic myself, but I almost wish my culture had a way to continue to remember deceased family members.

I'm curious what you think about this celebration. I think that you're right that there is something beneficial about remembering our loved ones our family members. I mean my my wife's grandfather recently died a wonderful man.

I had the privilege of getting to know him for several years prior to his death and he was a sheriff for many years had all the greatest stories, you know, he would talk about being a sheriff back in the day when when you would still ride horses even and he had this Sheriff's dog that would follow him around just a really wonderful wonderful man and my wife. And I will get in a conversation still about him and it's encouraging thinking about the life that he lived and now I'm Mexican but growing up. We really didn't do via de los Muertos. The only thing I can remember about it were those decorated sugar candy skulls and I liked those but in terms of all the ritual and all the other stuff associated with it was really unfamiliar to me as far as God's Word is concerned. I don't think there's anything wrong with honoring the dead. This is why you know, you had the practice of burial in the Old Testament and while it's one thing to sit around the dinner table and tell stories about those who have died that might encourage us and and honor their name. It's another thing to turn our remembrances into a kind of religious ritual where we're attempting to invoke their presence call them back to us. That's concerning to me now, like I said, well, my family never practiced, you know, the other Los Muertos. I know one ritual on that day has to do with creating and decorating an altar for your deceased loved ones and often the altar will be decorated with things offerings for the person who has died.

Maybe their favorite food or drink they happen to love while alive and the idea is that the family is welcoming their spirit from the grave. Well, invoking the spirits of the dead is forbidden in Scripture. Saul did this, if you recall, in 1 Samuel chapter 28 with the witch of Endor and it didn't go well with him.

It wasn't a good idea. The Bible teaches that when we die, our spirits are separated from our bodies and our bodies go into the ground, into the grave, and our spirits enter into what's called the intermediate state. Now for believers, that's heaven with the Lord in joy, in bliss, paradise.

You think about what Jesus said to the thief on the cross. For those who don't belong to Christ, they go to this state of judgment, perdition. They're not experiencing the joy of the Lord, if you will, and everyone in that intermediate state is awaiting the resurrection of the body, the life of the world to come. Some are going to be raised to judgment, some to everlasting life. Those who have believed in Jesus Christ, who have faith in his name. And so I agree with you that it's good to remember our loved ones and to encourage each other with their memory.

There's nothing wrong with that. And the church has even done this with some of the martyrs who have lived before us, who faithfully followed and served Jesus. We recently started reading the Foxes Book of Martyrs to our kids at night before bed. Not every night, but here and there we'll read a story about someone who faithfully followed Jesus, who gave their life for Jesus. And I think it's a good practice to remember our family in Christ and what it is that they did in serving the Lord. But there's a difference between remembering them and idolizing them, making offerings for them, so on and so forth. No, I think our loved ones who have gone to be with the Lord, you know where they want us to focus? Fixing our eyes upon Jesus this time of the year and every time of the year.

Thanks for your question. You know, something else that we can remember is that November 1st is All Saints Day, which is a day when we actually remember those martyrs, those saints that have gone before us. And what a great opportunity for us to talk to our kids about those, as you said in Foxes Book of Martyrs, those who have gone before, who have died in serving and standing up for what was right and true, their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yeah, amen.

And that's exactly how their memory can be an encouragement to us. They point to Jesus, and that's where our eyes need to be. Let's get to one more question here on core Christianity.

This one comes through our website. Does Hebrews 4 through 6 teach that someone who's committed apostasy cannot come back to the faith? Yeah, thank you for this question. You know, there was a early debate in the life of the Christian church and after the days of the apostles, because there were some people that were saying, you know, if you've turned away, say under persecution, if you denied the name of Jesus, and then wanted to get back into the church, there was no hope for you. And they appealed to this passage to the people who were saying this. Now, the challenge with that is you look at so many passages of Scripture where people have denied the Lord and the Lord welcomed them back.

Peter, for example. I mean, talk about denying Jesus. He did it three times right there while Jesus was being crucified.

Talk about a worse time, moment to deny the Lord as He's accomplishing this great act of love for you, as He's serving you, as He's paying for your sins to deny Him. Boy, if anyone didn't, quote unquote, deserve grace, wasn't it Peter? And yet, what did Jesus do for Peter when He had risen from the dead? He made him breakfast. Peter, the one who had denied Him, the one who had committed apostasy, if you will.

It doesn't matter who you are. I don't know how far you've fallen from Jesus. The good news is when you turn to Him by faith, He welcomes you. Now, what then are we to make of Hebrews chapter six, verses four through six, where it seems to talk about the impossibility of repentance? Well, here it's speaking about people who deny the very gospel, who reject Jesus altogether. This is made clear by Hebrews chapter 10, where it talks about them trampling the Son of God underfoot and counting the blood of the covenant as an unholy, a common thing. For them, there's nothing but judgment, but for those who turn to Jesus in faith, there's hope. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's Word together.