If Jesus is Loving, Why Is His Judgment So Severe?

If Jesus is loving, why is His judgment so severe? 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. We would love to hear from you. Here's our phone number.

It's 833-THE-CORE. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. You can watch us on YouTube, and you can always email us your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com.

First up today, let's go to Paul from Johnston, Rhode Island. Paul, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? God hears our prayers. When we address Satan, does he hear us? Well, we have to remember that Satan is not omniscient like the true and the living God is. Satan, I don't think, can read our minds. He doesn't have that kind of insight into our lives, although when you think about the spiritual battle that we're in, the evil one does know us well.

He wants to know his enemy well, and he wants to do whatever he can to get us to turn away from following Christ. But I would say don't talk to Satan. In the Gospels, you have Jesus rebuking demons and casting demons out, that kind of a thing.

I think as we think about spiritual warfare today, we ought to be committed to prayer and to praying that God would keep us, that God would protect us. We can say, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. I think about what Jude says, Jude 1.9, where it talks about the archangel there, Michael, Jude 1.9. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment but said, the Lord rebuke you. That's the hope that we have.

It's Christ's victory and what Jesus accomplished on the cross. That's what gives us confidence against the evil one. I would just not focus on talking to or trying to address the evil one or being concerned about whether or not he hears you. There's only one devil and he's not omniscient. He has minions who are all over the place, but I wouldn't say that the devil is listening into every conversation that Christians are having. So Paul, thanks for your question. Well, I'm glad to hear that, that he's not listening into every conversation that we're having, Adriel. That gives me a little peace there.

Yes. Scary stuff. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We'd love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, give us a call right now at 833-THE-CORE. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners earlier this week. Hi, this is Carrie and our prayer is to protect our Father while he's going through his journey. He was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer and we're just praying for his safe travels to heaven.

And we know we've preached the gospel to him and he is a believer and just want to make sure that his journey is a peaceful one and just welcome him home safely. Well, let me say a quick prayer for your father, Carrie. Lord, we ask for your hand to be on Carrie's father, that Lord, you would bring healing in his life, that during this time his faith would grow stronger even as his body grows weaker, Lord. That more and more he would draw near to you, that he would have a sense of your presence and the peace that you give, Lord, the peace that passes all understanding, would you be with him, strengthen his faith and set his eyes upon you and bless and be with the whole family as they go through this difficult season. In Christ's name, amen.

Well, I'm obviously so sorry to hear about this situation, sister. The hope that we have is that the souls of believers at their death are made perfect in holiness. They immediately pass into glory and our bodies go down into the ground awaiting the resurrection of the dead when our bodies and souls are reunited again in this glorified state. But we do as Christians, and you said your dad is a believer, we have that great hope because of what Jesus has done for us.

And so as you are caring for him and loving him and talking to him about the truth of scripture, I think having those discussions is something we see in various places in the New Testament. It's very clear that believers enter into the presence of the Lord at their death. And of course, that doesn't make death something that we rejoice in.

No, we mourn. Death is the great enemy that Jesus came to conquer and destroy. That's why he rose again from the dead.

On the last day, death is going to be fully and finally conquered. The apostle Paul talked about that in 1 Corinthians 15. And so as you and your family meditate on the scriptures and on the hope that we have in the resurrection of the dead, I pray that the Lord would give you his peace and I pray that there would also be comfort and the presence of God's Spirit for you and for your father.

Thanks for giving us a call. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adrian Sanchez. How often do you pray for your mother and father? Well, today we are offering a great book that reminds us of the importance of praying for our parents. Sometimes when we think about the fifth commandment to honor your father and your mother, we sort of just assume that that applies specifically to kids, little children, but it doesn't apply to adults.

But it does apply to each and every one of us. And that's why we're offering this book by Chelsea Stanley, Five Things to Pray for Your Parents. We often see our parents as those with all the answers, but they're people just like us in need of prayer. And so this guide will help you to pray in 21 different areas and situations for your mother or father, be they biological or adoptive, working or retired.

This is a great resource. So get ahold of this resource to help you honor your parents. Once again, it's called Five Things to Pray for Your Parents. We'll send that to you for a donation of any amount at corechristianity.com forward slash offers. Again, corechristianity.com forward slash offers to get Chelsea Stanley's book, Five Things to Pray for Your Parents. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673.

Again, that's 833, the core. Let's go to Rachel in West Hartford, Connecticut. Rachel, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Hi, Pastor Adriel.

Thank you for taking the call. So it's in reference to the Trinity and trying to, the question has been raised many times that where Jesus has throughout said that the Father is higher than me. And so many question the Trinity because if they're all God, how, why would He, is that an omission that He is less, lesser than, than the Father? And so I was hoping that you can, you know, maybe give some clarity on the Trinity and how it all works.

Yeah. Rachel, thank you so much for that question. And of course, you know, you're bringing up the passages like what Jesus says in John chapter 14, verse 28. You heard me say to you, I am going away and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I'm going to the Father for the Father is greater than I. And there are some who will look at this verse and they'll say, well, you see, this is obviously not the doctrine of the Trinity. How can Jesus say that the Father is greater than Him? When, you know, the Orthodox understanding of the Trinity, the belief that I hold, is that the Father and the Son are equal in power and glory, that when it comes to their being worthy of worship, you know, the Father is not worthy of more worship than the Son. You know, they're one in essence, undivided, and so they're the proper recipients of our praise and worship. So then it's really trying to understand, well, what do we, how do we make sense of these statements from our Lord Jesus as we see here in the Gospel of John, John chapter 14?

Here's how this is best understood. In the incarnation, the eternal Son of God assumed our humanity. He came as a servant. And when he came as a servant, in that sense, in the sort of history of salvation, as Jesus came to earth to accomplish redemption by suffering and dying, he was taking on himself this low position. And this is what the apostle Paul talks about in the book of Philippians, in Philippians chapter two.

He says something really interesting there, and this is one of the places I'd point to to help you understand this, Rachel. Paul says in Philippians chapter two, beginning in verse five, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. Now how did he do that? By taking the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And so right there you sort of have this explanation here, and Jesus can say, I think, in John chapter 14, The Father is greater than I, because in the economy of salvation, in the history of redemption, Jesus took the form of a servant. That doesn't mean that he's less than the Father as to their divinity, that divine nature. No, Jesus is the second person, divine person of the Holy Trinity. And that's why earlier in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 5, Rachel, Jesus said that all should honor me just as they honor the Father. And so I would say that's the best way of understanding those passages of scripture where Jesus says things like the Father is greater than I. He's not talking about his essence in terms of the divine essence.

He's talking about his relationship to the Father in the history of redemption, in the economy of salvation. Thank you for that call, and may God bless you. Thanks so much, Rachel. We appreciate you having you as a regular listener here at CORE Christianity. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, you can call us 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail at this number, 833-THE-CORE. That's 833-843-2673. And of course, you can call us live in the studio every day at 1130 a.m. Pacific Time, or 1230 Mountain, 130 Central, 230 Eastern Time.

That's the time you can actually call right into the studio. Al is on the line from Chesterfield, Missouri. Al, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? My question is regarding, I guess you would call them secret societies. A friend goes to a church that has many members of the Masons in it, and the pastor spoke against them and others like that. And I was just wondering if you could give me some scriptures that would back up the pastor's position.

Hey, Al, thank you for that question. You know, we've gotten calls before about the Masons. And I guess the big question is, you know, are there things that these kinds of societies embrace and believe that contradict the Word of God? And of course, you know, I've talked to people who have said, well, you know, the Masons, you know, they believe in God and a higher power and these sort of principles of morality.

They're very embracing as far as that's concerned. But the Christian faith is much more specific than that. We're not just called to believe in morality or in some sort of higher power. We're called to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, the exclusive message of salvation. Jesus said in John chapter 14 verse 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me. And so whatever society we're a part of, whatever political affiliation we have, if there are things in that group that contradict the clear teaching of scripture, that contradict what Jesus says, then I think it's the job of pastors and faithful ministers to call that out. Now, of course, you know, some people might say, well, that's not what we believe or that's not what we think. And that's why I think we have to examine what is being said and what is being taught in these groups and what is it that people are embracing as a part of these, as you said, secret societies.

And I'll just also add this. One thing I would say is the society that we should be most united to and committed to as Christians is the local church. You know, be committed to the people in the body of Christ, the family that God is building around you through the preaching of Holy Scripture. I think if we were committed to one another and to the local churches, God calls us to be. I don't know that we have as much time for, you know, secret societies and meetings like that. You know, I thought I would just encourage people to be committed first and foremost to the local church and then certainly above all else to be committed to the scriptures.

And if there are things that contradict the scriptures in these groups, then I would say they need to be called out. Thanks, Al, for your question. Thanks, Adriel. This is CORE Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our number, if you have a question, is 833-843-2673, 833 the CORE. Let's go to Sarah calling in from Missouri. Sarah, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yeah, thanks for taking my call.

I enjoy your show a lot. This might seem like a silly question. I don't believe the Bible teaches us that it's wrong to take a human life, that that's against God's will. But does the Bible have anything to say about putting an animal to sleep, knowing they get old and are sick? I'm struggling. We have a 19-year-old calf who's very ill and yet she's still kind of with us. So, you know, I'm just struggling. Is there anything that God would have us not to do that to an animal like we don't to humans?

Yeah. Well, I'm really sorry to hear about your cat, Sarah. I imagine that this is a very difficult decision for you. The Bible doesn't, I would say, speak to this specifically, although one thing I think is clear in Scripture is that cruelty to animals is wrong. We think about God's creation and the blessing that God's creation is, including the animals that God has made. And I would say that we give thanks to the Lord for those things, and we want to make sure that we're not being cruel to God's creation, including our pets. And so I think that if this is the decision that you think is the right decision for your cat, I don't think that you have to worry about, you know, am I breaking God's law by doing this?

I think it sounds to me like you really care for your cat and you don't want her to continue to suffer. And so I would say you don't need to be concerned that you're breaking some sort of law in doing this, one of God's laws in particular. And I pray that the Lord just comforts you and gives you a clear conscience about whatever decision it is that you do make. This is Core Christianity. You can email us your question at this address. It's questions at corechristianity.com.

Robert emailed us and here's what he asked. He says, I know that the Bible says there's only one sin that's unforgivable, but Jesus seems to be pretty stern and direct about causing someone to stumble in their faith. How would you explain Matthew 18 6?

What comfort does someone have if they have caused a teenager to walk away from the church and act as though they want nothing to do with God anymore? Yeah, let's just go to Matthew and read the text that you refer to beginning in verse 5, Matthew 18 5. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin, for it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. Very strong language from the lips of our Lord Jesus. You know, Jesus didn't play games when it came to sin. Oftentimes people today do. Oftentimes today we minimize sin, the things that we do that hurt others.

We say it's not that big of a deal, it's not that bad. Jesus did not do that. He said sin deserves hell fire. It is sin against a holy God, the eternal one, the king of heaven and earth. And all sin deserves God's wrath and punishment. And here in particular, Jesus is warning against those who not only sin themselves, but lead others, the vulnerable, down the path of unrighteousness. Lead them astray. This is one of the reasons why God is so against false teachers in the Bible. Because not only do they sin, but they lead others astray.

Peter talks about this as well. And it sounds to me like you've done something that has caused someone to be led astray. And that is a grievous thing. Now the hope that we have is that as long as there is breath in our lungs, we can repent by the grace of God. The hope, you said, what hope does someone have who has done something terrible? It's the same hope that David had after he killed Bathsheba's husband and took her in an adulterous affair. It's the same hope that Peter had when he denied the Lord and afterwards was restored by the Lord.

It's the same hope that Saul had after a period of really causing Christians to stumble, going against the church and dragging people to prison, and Jesus knocking him off of his horse and saying, repent. For repentant sinners, there is always hope. Now there are consequences to our sins. And we can choose our sin, but we can't always choose our consequences. And sometimes those consequences are the devastating effects that the sin that we've committed has on other people. And so that's just the reality.

And it's tragic. It doesn't mean that we cannot go to the Lord and confess those sins and seek to make things right as much as is possible. And in a situation like this, it sounds to me like the right thing to do is not to go back to this person. It would be to face the consequences.

Depending on what the issue is, you could turn yourself into the authorities, or maybe that's already happened. Maybe those consequences have already been dealt out. But when we go to the Lord, broken over our sin, contrite of heart, recognizing the gravity of it, and Jesus, again, he doesn't pull any punches when he talks about how serious sin is. When we understand that, this is a heavy thing, then we cast ourselves upon the Gospel and we say, God, the only hope I have is in the blood of your Son.

And were it not for the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, I know that I would be lost forever. You have to focus on the sufficiency of Christ's blood, the purity of Christ's blood, the hope that the Gospel gives as you turn toward God in repentance. And that's something that each and every one of us needs to do because we all sin in different ways and we all experience the different consequences of sin.

And we can wallow in our failure in the things that we've done. But repentance is more than just wallowing, it's looking up and laying hold of Christ and of the forgiveness that he offers and then living in light of that reality. And so may the Lord give you the grace to do that. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Just a reminder that we have that offer today, Chelsea Stanley's book, Five Things to Pray for Your Parents. It'll teach you how to pray for your mom and dad.

You can get that for a donation of any amount by going to corechristianity.com forward slash offers. We have time for one more question. Todd from Iowa is on the line.

Todd, we just got about a minute left. What's your question? I was reading in Jeremiah and Ezekiel how the millennial kingdom is going to be Davidic, Leviticus. How is Jesus going to rule on earth in a kingdom that has separation of the kingship and the priesthood when he's in the Mechelethic order, king and high priest?

Wow. That's a very complex question and it sort of assumes that the millennial kingdom is going to be a literal thousand year reign on the earth in the future. And just to say really quickly, Todd, there are different views on this. There is one view that Christ is actually presently reigning right now. In fact, that's what 1 Corinthians 15 says is he's reigning right now in the midst of his enemies subduing them. He is, as you know, Hebrews chapter seven, the ultimate king, priest, and he has fully and finally at the cross conquered his enemies. But we're in this sort of already not yet period where we're experiencing the benefits of Jesus's work. We're already tasting of the kingdom and yet we're looking forward to the consummation of the kingdom, which we're not going to experience until the very last day, until the final judgment. But Jesus is that great king and priest that we put our hope in, that we trust in, and our confidence. I hope 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.