Is Empathy a Sin?

I've recently heard some Christian leaders say that empathy can be a sin.

Do you agree? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. Hi, 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.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. And you can always email us your question at questions at corechristianity.com. First up today, we have a question from Debbie in Lodi, California. Debbie, welcome to Core Christianity. Hi, thanks for taking my call. My question is, is there a difference between Old Covenant law and the law of Christ?

Yeah, thank you for that question, Debbie, and thank you for giving us a call. There are a couple of places in the New Testament where it talks about the law of Christ. And it does seem like, in those contexts, it's often set in contrast to the Old Covenant law. You see, the law of Christ spoken of, in particular, in the book of Galatians, for example, in Galatians chapter 6, verse 2.

What's so interesting about that is, in the context of the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul is talking about all of these ceremonies that were related to the Old Covenant law being under Moses. And so there's this sort of contrast there between Moses and the law of Moses, which we are no longer under as followers of Jesus, and the law of Christ. Now, I think one thing that is so important for us as Christians to understand is, we have this new relationship to the law through our union with Jesus Christ.

We've been justified, we've been saved by grace through faith. We are no longer under the law. That is, the law can't condemn us anymore.

We're dead to the law. And that's actually what the apostle Paul made very clear in books like the book of Romans, in Romans chapter 7. In particular, verses 1 through 6, the apostle Paul talks about that. And then if you go to chapter 8, he says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ from the law of sin and death. And so the difference is, we're no longer under the law as this sort of works covenant, in the sense that the people were under it in the time of the Old Testament. Now we've been freed from the law because we've died to it in Jesus Christ by faith in him, and we're free now by the spirit, and Paul's going to talk about this in Romans chapter 8, to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. And so there's really this beautiful picture of how now, if you're a Christian, the law can't condemn you, you're filled with the spirit, you've been adopted into the family of God, and now by the spirit we fulfill the law of Christ, the law of love, the law of liberty, it's sometimes referred to. And so I think the focus there is that being justified, being saved, doesn't mean we just go and indulge in all sorts of sin, and earlier Paul makes that very clear in Romans chapter 6.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound by no means? How can we who died to sin still live in it? So we're no longer under the law, we're not enslaved to it or to our sins, we're free in Christ, and now we serve by the spirit in the law of Christ. And so I think that's the contrast that you have there, Debbie, and what a beautiful picture that the law can no longer condemn us, now we're free to follow Jesus by the spirit and fulfill the righteous requirements of the law through the grace of Christ. And so thank you so much for that question, really, really helpful to get us started here. Thank you. That's the beauty of the Gospel, isn't it, Adriel?

Just what a great picture you've painted there. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and if you have a question for us, call us in the next 20 minutes. Here is the phone number, it's 833-THE-CORE, that's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Aaron from Boonville, Missouri. Aaron, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yeah, my question is, did Jesus go to hell to conquer hell, or did he conquer hell on the cross?

Yeah, well thank you for that question, Aaron. You know, there's a lot of confusion, there's this phrase in the Apostles' Creed that talks about Jesus' descent, he descended into hell, and that's been interpreted a number of different ways. The church historian, Yeroslav Pelikan, he talked about how in the earliest days of the church it seemed like it was referring to primarily the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross, and so this image that sometimes people get of Jesus going and suffering in hell for three days in between his death and resurrection, I think that's absolutely ruled out, so we say, no, that didn't happen. I mean, you think about the conversation that Jesus had with the thief on the cross in places like Luke chapter 23, where he said, today you're going to be with me in paradise. And so the sufferings of Jesus, we think of them primarily as what, not just his whole life, but the pinnacle of that suffering was what took place on the cross, and in one sense we can really say, Aaron, that he bore hell on the cross for us. Galatians chapter 3, it talks about how he was cursed, he experienced the curse of the law, the wrath of God, really, on the cross for us, and so that's what I would point to, and I think if what people mean by this idea of Jesus going down into hell, if they think that he was sort of further atoning for our sins by going and suffering in Hades or that kind of a thing, no way.

I mean, that's just ruled out, and I think, like I said, that passage I mentioned in Luke 23, where he has that conversation with the thief on the cross, confirms that, and so thank you for your question, brother. You're listening to Core Christianity. If you have a question for us, we would love to hear from you. By the way, one of the ways you can ask a question is by recording it on our voicemail at 833-THE-CORE, or by going to our website at corechristianity.com. There's a little microphone icon there. You click on that, and you can leave your message. We actually hear from people all over the world through our website, so if you're listening internationally, that's a great way to leave your message. Just go to corechristianity.com and click on Record Your Question.

We'd love to have you do that sometime today. Let's go to a voicemail that came in from Kevin in North Carolina. I've got a family member who professes to be a Christian. I recently got engaged to a non-believer, despite my meetings with this family member, explaining just what the Bible says about an equally yoked being married in the Lord, which the Bible says, you know, in 1 John 3, that we are not to continue in sin, that those who are children of God cannot continue in sin.

There's kids involved. So my question is, how do we navigate being around them, being so in a loving way to where we're not openly supporting the relationship, but we're also not being good Christians who want to love and want to embrace someone, because our ultimate goal would be for this person to find the Lord. And same for my family member if they truly don't know the Lord. How do we navigate this if they do have a wedding in the next year or so? Is it okay to attend it, even though we don't support the relationship and don't believe it's biblical?

Just looking for some guidance here. Thank you guys for all that you do. Hey Kev, that's a complex question. First thing I would do is just encourage you to pray. Pray for this family member and also pray for wisdom. It sounds like just the guidance from the Holy Spirit that you need in terms of the conversations that you've been having that you're going to continue to have with this family member. And it sounds like you've gone to the right passages of scripture. I think I sort of heard you alluding to 1 Corinthians 7 where it talks about being married in the Lord.

That's the focus that Paul gives there. And then 2 Corinthians 6 where Paul said, beginning in verse 14, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

And so those are the right passages to go to. And of course when Paul makes that statement in 2 Corinthians, I think it really fits with what you're talking about. Somebody who wants to be married to a non-Christian, that would be an example of being unequally yoked. We know based upon what he said earlier that it doesn't mean we don't have friendships with that kind of relationship with non-Christians.

He says we'd have to go out of the world in order for that to be the case. And he talked about that in 1 Corinthians 5. But in terms of pursuing marriage with someone who isn't a believer, that is something that the Bible says Christians are not to do. Now one thing I would say in your discussions is one thing perhaps that you can focus on is the fact that God wants the best for your family member.

He's not withholding good things from his children. And I think a lot of times when we're thinking about relationships, we can begin to grow impatient. We feel like God hasn't brought that special person into my life and so I just need to take things into my own hands.

And we begin to settle. We begin to pursue people who are outside of God's will for us in the sense that God doesn't call us to be married to non-Christians. But I think focusing on the goodness of God, that God is not trying to withhold something good from his people. And as difficult as it might be that pulling back from something like this is really for the good of your family member if your family member truly wants to follow Jesus and have a marriage that is honoring to Christ. Because it's really difficult to have a Christ-centered, sort of gospel-centered marriage if the person that you're married to doesn't believe in Jesus, doesn't embrace Christ.

You just can't do it. And so I think that you've been honest, it sounds like, and I think you want to continue to do that, to speak the truth in love, not to burn the bridge. Because there could be a time where, say your family member follows through with this wedding, there could be a time where they really need you and you want them to know that you're someone who's going to speak the truth to them, but also be loving and extend grace and mercy. And so I would say continue to speak the truth, to share how you feel, to share that you're not on board with the two of them getting married, especially if your family member is professing to be a believer, that you're not okay with that. But that doesn't mean that you don't love her.

In fact, you're being honest precisely because you love her and because you want what's best for her and for her marriage. And so may the Lord give you wisdom and fill you with grace as you continue to have these conversations, and may He soften the heart of your family member. Amen. Kevin, we'll be praying for you in that situation. We know that's difficult when it's somebody you love in your family that you want them to be following the Lord.

And Adriel made some great points there. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Easter coming up in just a couple of weeks. And we want to tell you about an exciting new offer that we have for you today.

Yeah, that's right, Bill. You know, Easter can be just another holiday on the calendar, a day when we go back to church and make sure we wear our best clothes. But Easter is so much more than that. Easter is the story of how God made a way for sinners like us to know and love Him. And so we're excited about sharing this new Easter devotional resource with you that we have here at corechristianity.com. It's called Sayings from the Cross. This is a special devotional with seven lessons that will help you and your family just grow more in your understanding of what Jesus has accomplished for us, especially as we think about Easter.

It helps us to reflect on everything Jesus said on the cross, how He pleaded for the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him, and what it meant when He said, It is finished, and how He rose on the third day. Get your hands on this resource. It's free for you on our website, and so make sure you check that out. This truly gets at the heart of what we do here at Core Christianity. And if you'd like to get this free resource, all you have to do is go to our website corechristianity.com forward slash Easter. Again, corechristianity.com forward slash Easter. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673.

That's 833, the core. Let's go to Shannon calling in from Omaha, Nebraska. Shannon, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?

Yes. Can you help a family member who is demonically possessed and or how would you know when to know it's too late to be able to help them? Well, I guess the first thing I would want to know is, is this family member a Christian? Because in the Bible, in the book of 1 John, it talks about how the evil one does not touch those who belong to Jesus Christ. Now, that doesn't mean that we can't be oppressed by spiritual warfare and demonic forces. But the fact of the matter is, is if an individual is united to Jesus Christ by faith, Shannon, that is if they believe in Jesus and the Spirit of God is living in them, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, well, the evil one has no place there. And so Christians can't be demon possessed. And one thing that you see in the Gospels is that Jesus, through his earthly ministry and in particular through his death on the cross, bound Satan. There was this definitive blow that was dealt to the kingdom of darkness through the ministry of our Lord Jesus. That really gives us hope for the advancement of the Gospel throughout the world. Now, when people are experiencing spiritual warfare, the way in which we can help and what we're called to do, Shannon, is to pray. I mean, it's what Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew 17.

This kind doesn't come out except by prayer. In the context of spiritual warfare, in the book of Ephesians, when Paul talked about putting on the armor of God, one of the big focuses in that section of Scripture is the importance of praying, of always being vigilant. And so I would say if you're concerned that you know someone or have a family member or a friend who's being oppressed or even possessed by demonic forces, you should pray. But sometimes I think, and this is why I started the answer the way that I did, Christians can be confused about this. You cannot be possessed by the evil one, by demons, if you are a Christian, if you are united to Jesus by faith.

And so that's a really important thing to understand. And ultimately what you want to continue to do then, Shannon, is point this person to Christ, to his grace, to his mercy, to the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the one who conquered the evil one. We don't do that.

We don't stand any match against him. We point to Jesus, we point to the Gospel, and we pray for those who are in need because they're oppressed by spiritual forces. So I would say pray and share the love of Jesus with this person, Shannon.

God bless you. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. By the way, if you want to ask a question to Pastor Adriel, we should let you know that some of the radio stations that the program airs on run the program at a later hour. So if you'd like to call and talk to Pastor Adriel personally live, here's the time to call 11 30 a.m. Pacific, 12 30 Mountain, 1 30 Central or 2 30 Eastern Time. That's when the phone lines connect directly to the studio and you can ask a question. Well, we receive a lot of voicemails through our website at corechristianity.com.

And here's one that came in yesterday. Hi, I was wondering, I recently heard some Christian leaders and writers warning that if we empathize with other people or if we feel other people's pain that we're open to being manipulated emotionally. And I don't really understand that. Is it really a sin to be empathetic? And do you think Christians should be concerned about this?

Yeah. Well, thank you for that question, sister. You know, some people are concerned with a kind of empathizing that is essentially or can fall into essentially being emotionally manipulated. That is, we just we just sort of feel with another person, but we don't ever render any judgments. We don't share the truth with them.

And so I think that's one of the concerns that some people might have, do have. But the problem with statements like empathy is a sin is that in my opinion, those statements are way too simplistic and can be really unhelpful. Actually, I think the problem with a lot of Christian leadership today and just leadership in general in the world is that there isn't very much empathy.

It's something that we lack. Now, if empathy is is defined as assuming the emotions of another person, being willing to embrace those those feelings, in particular, those who are suffering, the sufferings of another person that I believe actually that the son of God, the word, the eternal word of the father is the ultimate empathizer. In the incarnation, Jesus, the word assumed everything it is to be human except sin.

And that included our emotions, pain, even. This is one of the things that we see in the book of Hebrews in particular. Now, this is highlighted in Hebrews chapter two, verses 17 and 18. Listen to what the author of the Hebrews said. Therefore, he that is Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people, for because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Just a couple chapters later, in chapter four, verse 15, the author to the Hebrews said this. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. Now, can empathetic people be emotionally manipulated and just sort of sink into the pain of another person without helping or providing counsel, providing truth, rendering true judgments? I would say, yeah, I mean, that's a problem, but the problem there isn't empathy, it's the fear of man, maybe cowardice even, being unwilling to speak the truth in love. Empathy, I would say, helps us better understand another so that we can render true and compassionate judgments when we're seeking to help someone. We empathize with them so that we can come alongside of them and render judgments that are compassionate and true. Now, let me give another concern that I have when thinking about this question of is empathy wrong, is empathy a sin?

One of the hallmarks of narcissistic personality disorder is an inability to show empathy. I think this is something that all of us have to be aware of, especially those in leadership, in positions of leadership, and especially those in positions of Christian leadership. There's research out there that highlights how power and positions of leadership tend to make us less empathetic. Power actually has the ability to sort of change our brain chemistry. It affects our ability to mirror those who we feel like we can't identify with anymore.

There's been a lot of research done about this, and that's why it's so special, so beautiful when you have leaders, people who are in positions of quote-unquote power, who are also filled with empathy. You think about what the Apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 12 verse 15. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. See, as Christians, we are called to share in the joy and the pain of each other because especially within the body of Christ, we're united by Jesus. In one sense, this reflects Jesus, his very heart, his love for humanity in the incarnation and through the incarnation. I think statements like empathy is a sin, I think that that's just way too blanket and unhelpful. We need more empathy, frankly, in leaders, not less empathy, and we need empathy with the truth. By the way, a couple years back, I wrote an article over at corechristianity.com emphasizing how Jesus has both of those. He has empathy, but he's also all powerful, and that's one of the most beautiful things about him. It's called Power with Empathy, the Beauty of Jesus, an article over at corechristianity.com.

Check that out. Such a great balance that our Lord represents for us, and he experienced every emotion that we do as human beings. If you go through the Gospel of Mark, you can actually find many times where Jesus expresses feelings, and we can learn from that. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Let's go to Gracia from St. Louis, Missouri. What is your question for Pastor Adriel? My question is, can a liar be blessed by God? I was reading the story of Jacob and Esau. I noticed that Jacob lied to get a blessing, and he was blessed eventually. So how come? That's an excellent question. When you're reading Genesis and the story of Jacob and Esau, they're both sinners.

They're both messed up. The fact of the matter is, every single person who we encounter throughout the pages of the Scripture, save Jesus Christ, was a sinner. Yet, God still used them, and God still blessed them in various ways. What's highlighted there in the story of Jacob and Esau is God's sovereign prerogative to extend his grace to whoever he wants, however he wants. This is something that the apostle Paul talked about in Romans chapter 9. He talked about the promise and how essentially it played out throughout the history of redemption. He says in verse 6, This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of promise, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. This is what the promise said about this time next year I will return, and Sarah will have a son, and not only so, but also Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing, either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls, she was told, The older will serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. What's being focused on there is God's sovereign grace, God's choice of Jacob, not on the basis of anything that he had done, and certainly not on the basis of the fact that he didn't lie or was always faithful. He was quite the deceptive individual, and yet the Lord somehow still turned everything around and used him for his purposes, and brother, that gives me comfort because the fact of the matter is we all come to the Lord with our brokenness, with our sin, and it isn't our perfect obedience that causes God to use us, it's the fact that we come to him as broken sinners who receive the mercy that he extends to us through his son Jesus, and so yes God can and did use him. 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.