What Does it Mean To Be Pro-Life?

Isn't it hypocritical of pro-life Christians to care about unborn babies but not care about the mistreatment of other people? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. We'd love to hear from you. In fact, you can call right now with your question for Pastor Adriel. Here's the phone number. It's 833-The-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. And you can email us with your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. Well, Adriel, let's go ahead.

I'm sorry. Oh, Bill, sorry to cut you off there. I was just going to say, you know, I was thinking about the questions that we get the other day. Years ago, when we were first planting our church, I was leading a Bible study. And it was a good group of people in my living room, and I was talking, we were talking about one of these deeper doctrines of the Christian faith, you know, kind of going back and forth. And there was a woman there who had been visiting our Bible study, ended up becoming a member of the church, but she was new to the Christian faith. And in the middle of this sort of deep theological discussion, she raised her hand and she asked the question, why are some of the words in my Bible read? And we kind of all smiled and, you know, explained, well, you know, some Bibles are red letter Bibles that make the words of Jesus read and whatnot. But it reminded me of how really every question is a good question. We're all in different places in our walk with the Lord.

Some people have been walking with Jesus for five minutes, other people for 50 years. But there are so many questions that we have. And so I just wanted to encourage those listening.

Give us a call with your question. Doesn't matter how long you've known the Lord and been walking with Jesus. We want to hear from you. That's a great reminder for all of us that we're all in different places on our spiritual journey. And there's no dumb questions. There's no bad questions.

And you know what? We'd also encourage people who are exploring Christianity or maybe have doubts about Christianity. Maybe you consider yourself an atheist or an agnostic and you just happen to stumble across this radio station today.

We'd encourage you to call as well with your questions about the faith, because, man, that's one of our goals is to clarify the gospel, the core truths of Christianity for you. Let's go to Laura, who is calling in from Downers Grove, Illinois. Hi, Laura. Welcome to Core Christianity.

Hi. My question is, Jesus proclaimed that he was the Son of God, and yet in Mark 1 25, Jesus rebuked the demons and told them not to say who he was. I was wondering why he did that.

Laura, thank you for your question. A really good question, because this isn't the only time in Mark's gospel that Jesus tells people, hey, keep it on the down low. You know, don't tell anybody that I've healed you. And this is what some scholars refer to as the messianic secret. It seems like throughout his ministry, Jesus over and over again was trying to keep his identity a secret.

He was telling people, hey, don't go and spread this information. For the demons who were saying, we know who you are, the Holy One of God, the Son of God, Jesus would silence them. Now, why would Jesus do that if he's trying to reveal his identity to the people there? Well, I think that there's a really simple answer, and it's that Jesus knew the people.

He knew the crowds. He didn't want them to come and try to make him king right there, and then Jesus had another plan. Ultimately, Laura, his plan was to go to the cross. That's where he was going to be lifted up and enthroned, if you will. He was going to wear a crown of thorns. See, the people were wanting a king who would deliver them from Roman occupation, who would give them power, political power, conquering their enemies. Jesus came to conquer sin and Satan.

One of the reasons why I think over and over again in Jesus' earthly ministry he was silencing the devils is because he was headed to the cross, and he didn't need the crowds to get in the way of that. Laura, thank you so much for that question. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Here's the phone number to call if you'd like to connect. It's 833-The-Core.

That's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, there are a variety of ways to listen to our program. And whether you listen to our podcast or you check us out on YouTube or on the radio, the time to call is 1130 a.m. Pacific, 1 30 Central, 2 30 Eastern time.

Some stations air this program on a delayed basis, so that's the time that you want to connect with us. Let's go to Jean from St. Louis, Missouri. Jean, welcome to Core Christianity.

Yes, sir. Thank you for taking my call. My question is a two-part question, and it is what does it really mean to be saved, and what does that look like?

Jean, thank you so much. Yeah, thank you for that question. Well, one, what does it mean to be saved? The word throughout the Bible, sometimes in the Old Testament in particular, just referred to temporal salvation. In other words, God saved me from my enemies, saved me from these circumstances, delivered me from those who were trying to harm me.

You see this over and over again in the Psalms in particular. But when we oftentimes throw that word around in the Christian church, you know, are you saved? Have you been saved? We're referring to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul talks about this in the book of Ephesians, and so it's really important for us to understand that typically in the New Testament when that word saved is used, that's what it's pointing to.

Listen to what Paul said in Ephesians 2. You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So what does it mean to be saved? It means to be united to Jesus Christ by faith.

And what does that look like? Well, it's a personal relationship with Jesus. We lay hold of Jesus by faith, we're filled with the Holy Spirit, and we begin to walk with Jesus day by day, and he's transforming us, sanctifying us by his grace. And actually, Paul, in just a little bit after that, in Ephesians chapter 2, goes on to talk about this. He says again, verse 8, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And so, Gene, we are saved solely by the grace of Jesus Christ, by grace through faith, and having been saved, what does it look like now that we're saved? Well, we walk with the Lord, and we're saved unto good works to serve him, to follow him, to obey his word. And so, Gene, is that what you were thinking?

In terms of your question, what does it look like? Is that what you were getting at? I think so, because what you just read, those scriptures that you shared, those scriptures are buried in my soul and in my spirit, and that's exactly what happened to me, those scriptures that you quoted. And I talk with a lot of people, and they don't receive that message to their heart, and so they're confused.

Yeah. Well, let me just say, Gene, I praise the Lord that that word is buried in your heart, and we want to see that for the people that we love all around us, and thank you so much for your question, sister. This is Core Christianity. We would love to hear from you. Here's the phone number. It's 833-The-Core.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Danny, who's calling in from Topeka, Kansas. Danny, thanks for connecting with us here at Core Christianity. Danny, are you there?

Hi. Yes. I'm talking about... There's a Romans 13 chapter. It tells us to let everyone be subject to the higher power, the governing authority, and it seems that there is a double standard that bars and clubs, places that sell drinks, they are allowed to be open, but yet our churches are prohibited from having services. And Romans 13 says we ought to be subject to the governing authority, but Acts 5 and 29 says we ought to obey God rather than man. That's right. It seems like there's a double standard here, and it's like this pandemic is being used to strip America of its civil liberties. Could you please explain that?

Yeah. Well, Danny, this is something that's very near and dear to my heart as a pastor, and I can say as a minister that our church has really wrestled with these very questions, especially throughout 2020. For a few months, many churches were just kind of doing the online thing, and then over time, where I'm at here in California, we were told you can do outdoor services, or we even had a drive-in service. I preached on the top of a Jeep, which was pretty exciting and also terrifying. But one of the big questions is, well, why does it seem like some places are allowed to open, but churches aren't being allowed to open? And I get the frustration.

I really do, brother. This has been a strain for many, many churches. I think the question that we need to ask is, can we be faithful to God and obey governing authorities, which is what we're called to do in places like Romans 13, or also 1 Peter 2, verse 13.

Listen to what Peter said. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. So there's this call repeatedly in the New Testament to submit to governing authorities. Insofar as they're not calling us to sin, and you brought up that text in the book of Acts. I think that that's a really good passage to consider as well. But look, there are certain things that we might disagree with.

There are certain things that might put an extra strain on us. But if we're not being called to sin, and if we're still able to worship, which I'm here in California and we've been having outdoor services. There's nothing that says in scripture, if you're going to worship the Lord, you need to worship inside a building. The wonderful thing is we get to continue to worship Jesus and be faithful to him and to be faithful to his word. And so I don't know that there's a contradiction there.

Yes, there's a challenge and it's really hard and I sympathize with you, brother. But I think we're called, I know we're called, you're called, I'm called as followers of Jesus to be faithful to the word in all respects. And at times there are things that we're going to be asked to do by governing authorities that don't contradict scripture, but maybe we don't really appreciate or agree with those laws, with those regulations, whatever they are.

That doesn't mean it's okay for us to disobey them. And so that's the approach that I've taken. And as I've said, we've been able to continue worshiping the Lord faithfully and it's been a wonderful thing. And so thank you, Danny, for your question. And our prayer is that the Lord would continue to work in you and in your church, brother. It certainly is a delicate balance during this time of coronavirus.

How do churches respond, especially in some states where the authorities have really made it tough to worship? That's right, Bill. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and we have something special we want to offer you, especially if you are a new listener. It's called our Core Kit.

Yes, we are excited about this. If you're curious and you want to learn more about Core Christianity, the Core Kit is basically an introduction to all of the best resources that we have here at Core Christianity, or just a handful of them that we've gathered together in one place. And one of the things that you'll receive if you sign up to get this Core Kit is a DVD called Finding Yourself in God's Story. Four teachings, lectures given by Nancy Guthrie, who is a Bible teacher, and Dr. Michael Horton, professor of theology. Really practical stuff, helping you to see how you fit into the story of God.

Really, the scripture is God's story, and he's central to the story, but he's invited us to be a part of the story as well, and he brings us in through his son Jesus. And so get a hold of this resource, the Core Kit, and Bill, how do they get a hold of this? All you have to do is go to corechristianity.com forward slash kit to sign up. That's corechristianity.com forward slash kit. You can also call us at 833-843-2673 for getting help on any one of our offers.

Again, that number is 833, the Core. Now, one of the ways you can connect with us and ask your question is by leaving a voicemail or going to our website and recording a voicemail. And here's a call that came in from one of our listeners yesterday.

Hi. I am a 50-year-old registered nurse, and I was just wondering why it is that a man has any right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. I don't believe in abortion. It is not something I would choose to have, but it's not my right to put my beliefs onto other people. So, I mean, there's lots of people dying in the nursing homes every day that are being mistreated, not fed, where you should possibly go to to help out. You're pro-life, you're pro-life for everybody.

That last part right there is true. If you're pro-life, you are pro-life for everybody. And the Christian Church historically has been called by Jesus to be compassionate to defenders of those who are vulnerable, of those who are in need, of those who suffer. And I would just say that right now one of the most vulnerable places to be in the United States is the womb. And it's not about telling someone else what they can or can't do with their body. It's about telling others what they can and can't do to another person's body. And I think that really gets to the heart of the matter.

There are two individuals, we would say two persons, that need to be taken into account here. I remember, I have four children, and I remember when our first was born, or about to be born, the first time we got to hear his heartbeat, going to the hospital and listening to the heartbeat. I'll never forget that. That was the moment where I realized, wow, this is a human life.

My son is in my wife's womb. Like I said, I'll never forget that I knew that this was another person. I didn't just know because I had these feelings, I knew also because of what the Word of God says. The psalmist says in Psalm 139 verses 13 and 14, I think of in the Gospels, there's that scene where Mary and Elizabeth meet up. Do you remember what happened when Elizabeth sees Mary and the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps? This is from Luke chapter 1.

Listen to what it says here. Luke chapter 1 beginning in verse 39. In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to the town of Judah. And she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she exclaimed with a loud cry, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy.

Now, I just think that this is so amazing. The youngest person, we might say, to ever recognize the presence of Jesus Christ was this baby in the womb, John the Baptist, there leaping for joy, we might say, when Elizabeth hears the greeting of Mary. The Bible treats children in the womb as real persons. And so that's the question.

Is this a real person? The answer is yes. It's not just the Bible that teaches that, but the more we learn about biology, the more we realize that this is the case as well, that this is a human life. And so it has nothing to do with trying to force people to do one thing or another to their own bodies. It's all about protecting another person's life. And that's what God calls us to, not just for the unborn, but for all those who are vulnerable, because God cares about life, because we're made in the image of God, we're told in Genesis chapter one. And so we, as Christians, value life and believe that it should be protected and defended.

Thank you for that question. I'm so glad you mentioned that story about Elizabeth and Mary, because every time I read that at Christmas time to my kids, we discuss that whole issue of, wow, John the Baptist recognized Jesus even when he was in the womb. And that's only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. But it just says so much. And frankly, I think oftentimes we downplay the significant work that God is doing in our children, even our young children.

The Spirit of God is at work in our children, and we shouldn't minimize that. And so it really is a beautiful picture there, Bill. You're listening to CORE Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you have a question, here is the number you can call. It's 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833, the CORE. Let's go to Opal from St. Louis, Missouri. Hi, Opal, welcome to CORE Christianity. Hi. Opal, welcome to the program.

What's your question? I listened to your program yesterday about communion, and I take communion every morning before I have breakfast. And the reason I take it is for my mind, body, and soul, and for my family and friends. And I want to know, am I bringing damnation on myself for taking communion? And I feel so much better. I've been doing it for a year. And I feel so much better since I've been doing it.

Well, Opal, thank you for your question. You're referring to a passage we were looking at yesterday in 1 Corinthians 11, where the apostle Paul talked about examining ourselves and discerning the Lord's body whenever it is that we take the Lord's Supper. And I can tell, sister, that your desire is just to have communion with Jesus, to draw near to Jesus every morning, to be in His presence.

And I think that that's a wonderful thing. But you need to understand that the Lord's Supper, communion, is something that should be done in the context of the Church with the rest of the body of Christ, so that they are also experiencing that grace, because ultimately it comes to us from the Lord. And that's something that the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11. He makes it clear that this really is something that should be taking place in the context of the worship service, in the context of the Church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 17, because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

That is, we all together, when we're gathered together, we also see this in the book of Acts, in Acts 2, verse 42. It talks about the early disciples devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the breaking of the bread, to the fellowship, to the prayers. And so this is something that's to be done in the context of the local Church, not on our own. Now, again, I understand that your desire is to draw near to Jesus and to be in His presence. My encouragement to you would be, one, make sure you're in a good Church, where you are taking the Lord's Supper, communion, frequently. But day by day, what I would say is, open up the Word.

Read the Word. Pray for your friends and for your family. That's what you can do for them. And that's ultimately what's going to be the most beneficial for them. Not taking communion on their behalf, but praying for them and studying the Word of God so that you can encourage them with the Word of God.

And so that's how I would respond to you. I do think it is so important for us. There are many believers who I think are confused about this issue in particular. We sort of think the Lord's Supper is more of an individual thing, just me by myself with Jesus. It's great to have me by myself with Jesus' time, opening up the Word and praying. But the Lord's Supper is a community event. It's the Church gathering together, and that's where we do it, sister. This is CORE Christianity.

We have time for one more call. This is Sheila from Des Moines, Iowa. Sheila, welcome to CORE Christianity.

Hello, Adrian. Thank you for taking my call. Can you hear me? I can hear you, Sheila.

What's your question? Well, I'm a traveling nurse. I'm a single woman. I've never been married.

I'm going to be 58 in March, and I'm going to try and make this very quick. I've dated all of my dating career, if you will. I didn't have a sexual relationship until I was 28. And from that time until about five years ago, I was sexually active and was never very comfortable with it because I knew it was wrong.

Now I want to not have that anymore. I want to date and be celibate until I get married. And I still have always wanted to be married. I obviously can't have any children anymore.

Sheila, we're running out of time here, but I think your question, should you think of me or just wait on the Lord to see what he does, let me just say this. One, your being single doesn't make you insufficient before God. And I just say that really quickly because I know that there are a lot of people who are single who feel like they're missing something. They're not truly human yet because they haven't found that kind of a thing.

Well, that's not the case. But at the end of the day, we're free to pursue marriage. You're free to pursue marriage so long as the person is in the Lord. That's what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7. And so I would say if you want to be married, find someone who's in the Lord, date that person.

And ultimately, marriage is a picture of the gospel, of the mercy of Jesus to us, his bride. Thanks for listening to CORE Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833, the CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.