How Do We Know When God Answers Our Prayers For Spiritual Growth?

How do we know when God answers our prayers for spiritual growth? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. You can always call at 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can always post your question on one of our social media accounts. In fact, you can watch Adriel right now live on YouTube, and you can send us a message through the YouTube channel as well. And you can always email us with your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. First up today, let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners named Sarah. A famous Christian author asks a question where he basically says, If you could have all the good things in heaven without Jesus actually being there, could you still be satisfied with heaven? Some people use this question as a test for whether or not a person is a Christian. Sometimes I'm afraid that I could be satisfied with this, since I don't love Jesus as well as I should. Should this make me question my salvation?

Well, Sarah, no, I don't think that it should make you question your salvation. Now, I'm assuming that this point is a point that's being made from Psalm 73. And in Psalm 73, the psalmist Asaph is reflecting on his life and on the lives of the wicked around him, and he sees the wicked people around him and how they seem to be blessed. It seems like there's no trouble in life for them.

They're rich, they're healthy, they have enough to eat, that kind of a thing. And then he looks at his own life and he feels chastised by God, even though he's devoted himself to God. It really is, just a side point, it really is, I think, a psalm that completely demolishes the idea of a prosperity gospel, that the godly are always supposed to be healthy, wealthy, and so on and so forth, and that that's what God intends. That's not what that says there, but at the very end of the psalm, Asaph says, Whom have I in heaven but you and on earth?

There is none that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail me, but God is the strength of my heart, the strength of my life and my portion forever. He realizes that he's right with God, that he has a relationship with the Lord, and that God is his ultimate treasure. Now, all of us, as followers of Christ, those of us who have devoted our lives to Jesus, not a single one of us loves God as perfectly as we ought to. Our love for God pales in comparison to his love for us. If we want to assure our hearts before him, it's far better to meditate upon his love than it is to meditate upon our own love, because when we look inside, we realize as much as we hate it, God, I fall short of your law, of obeying your commandments.

That doesn't make it okay, but if you want confidence that God is for you, that you are secure in the hands of the Lord, you have to look to the cross and to the love that God has for us first and foremost. I think that that's one of the things that John brings out in his first letter, in 1 John 4, verse 7. He says, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

It's really important there. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

What an encouragement there. This is how the love of God was manifested to us. He sent his Son into the world. We love because he first loved us.

So when you think about your own life and you think, man, I just don't desire Jesus like I should, I don't love him like I should, well, we confess that and we turn to the Lord, we cry out to him, but we rest in his love for us, and that's what gives us confidence. You're listening to CORE Christianity with Pastor Adrian Sanchez, and if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, give us a call right now at 833-THE-CORE. Let's go to Paul in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Paul, I hope I said the name of your town right. Oh, that's correct.

I'm here. What's your question? What's your question for Pastor Adrian? 2 Corinthians 12, 2. It speaks of someone having a dream. I believe God the Father Jehovah was drawn up to the third heaven.

And I can't get anything out. I'm really kind of curious. State in the Bible. Hey, you're cutting out there a little bit, Paul, but it sounds to me like you're wondering what is this third heaven there.

And so there's a simple answer. This is just referring to being in the presence of the Lord. You think of John and the vision he had in the book of Revelation where he's lifted up, if you will, into the heavens where he gets this glimpse of God's throne room.

So this is not just like floating around in the stars. We might refer to that as the second heaven, you know, the atmosphere above us. This is being in the very presence of the Lord.

And Paul says, I must go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it. I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know. God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise.

See, it sort of confirms what I just said there. Whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows and he heard things that cannot be told which man may not utter. And so he's talking about this individual who he knew had this miraculous experience where they were caught up into the presence of the Lord and experienced these visions and revelations.

He doesn't go much more into it than that, but the third heaven there is a reference to being in the presence of the Lord. Thanks for your question, Paul. Thanks, Paul. Appreciate you listening to Core Christianity. We always love to hear from you with your questions, so feel free to call us.

And by the way, if you get our voicemail, you can leave a voicemail question for us and call us 24 hours a day at 833-843-2673. We have a brand new resource we want to tell you about today, and it's pretty exciting because it focuses on a beautiful attribute of God. Yeah, this is, I think, our third day offering this free resource now, Ten Ways God Reveals Himself as Our Father. One of the reasons I just love that we're offering this resource in particular is because so many people have a misunderstanding of who God is. It's interesting, oftentimes when Jesus wants to talk to us about the goodness of God, in the Gospels when he was referring to the generosity of God, how he cares for his children, he talks about God as a good Father. If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke. We need to know God as Father and how he reveals himself to us as Father. So get ahold of this resource, Ten Ways God Reveals Himself as Our Father. It's absolutely free, and you can download it.

It's a PDF. You can find it on our website, corechristianity.com forward slash offers. Again, corechristianity.com forward slash offers. Just look for Ten Ways God Reveals Himself as Our Father. Well, let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners. This is from Danielle.

Hello. How do we know when God answers our prayers when we ask for wisdom? I know the book of James talks about how we are to ask for wisdom that God gives without reproach and that we're to believe and not doubt. But where does the fruit come in for us to recognize, oh, that was God giving me wisdom in my day to day?

Thank you. Okay, Danielle, thank you for that question. What a great encouragement that is that the Scriptures give to us, isn't it? The prayer for wisdom is a prayer that God wants to answer, and it's a part of our own sanctification growing in grace.

Of course, we know that the apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians, this is the will of God, your sanctification that you be sanctified. So we know when we pray for these things, God hears our prayers because John says in 1 John that when we pray for anything according to the will of God, he hears us. And he answers those prayers when we ask in faith, and that's precisely what James gets at in James 1 verse 5. If any one of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. Let him ask in faith with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind, for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. Now you're asking, what does this wisdom look like?

How can we be sure that we have it? Well, a little bit later in the book of James, James gives us a very clear description of what this wisdom looks like. He says in James chapter 3, beginning in verse 13, who is wise and understanding among you?

By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But, now here's how wisdom doesn't look, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. There is a demonic wisdom that people can have, it's selfish, it's full of selfish ambition, bitter jealousy, you know, wanting to be better than others, maybe wanting to be wise, so that we can put people in their place, that kind of a thing. And James says, that's not the kind of wisdom that comes down from God, for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder in every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere, and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. And so I think when we're praying to God for wisdom, and we see ourselves by the grace of the Holy Spirit, you know, the Lord is answering that prayer, we see ourselves more peaceable, willing to reason with the people around us, gentle, full of mercy, full of good fruits, love, joy, peace, patience. That's how we know God is beginning to manifest the answer to that prayer, if you will, and we need to pray that, because especially in days like the days we're living in, brothers and sisters, we desperately need the wisdom from above. And so let me just encourage you, as James encouraged his audience here in the Epistle of James, pray for it, pray that God would give you wisdom, and then believe that he will because he wants to. Amen. By the way, we have a great core question that ties in with that.

It's called, What's the difference between justification and sanctification? You can find that by going to corechristianity.com forward slash questions. Well, let's go to Buck calling in from Leavenworth, Kansas. Buck, what's your question for Pastor Adrian? Yes, my question is, I've been hearing messages from time to time about crossing God's deadline in one's life. You know, when I was younger, you know, things worked different in my life. And, you know, I, you know, called on the name of the Lord and everything and thought I got saved, wanted to be saved and everything.

But there was things in my life all throughout that I did not give up. And about five years ago, you know, I felt more and more this, you know, God's voice to give, you know, a couple of things up in my life, nicotine and had a very strong addiction to it because of the drugs that I had in my life earlier, you know. And, well, you know, all of a sudden, more and more, I just, you know, my heart has gone cold and hard and sensitive to, you know, to the, you know, not being able to have discernment and hearing the voice of God and God's work in my life and everything.

And all of a sudden at once, it just all went away, gone. And, you know, I'm hearing and all the stuff that's going on now and I'm realizing the plight to my situation, you know, and I'm 54 years old. And I, you know, I don't want that in my life and it's the most scariest thing in the world.

I've been reaching out many times and I don't know what to do. I keep calling on the name of the Lord, you know, that He won't give me up and that I want to be saved. I don't want to perish. And, you know, I want to spend eternity, I don't want to spend eternity hell-separated from God.

Buck, I'm grateful that you called in and it sounds to me like you know what you need to do, but you feel like your heart has grown cold. And I know for many people they wonder, boy, have I just sinned away God's grace? Is God not there for me anymore? The gospel, Buck, is for you. The grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient for you.

You have to lay hold of that reality. I think of what the author of the Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter 3, beginning in verse 7. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, and now keep in mind, Buck, he's writing to a group of professing Christians who were being tempted to go back to the old system of religion under Judaism, the sacrificial system. They're being tempted to depart from Christ.

You're saying, I want Christ, I need Christ. The author of the Hebrews is writing to people who are thinking, maybe we don't need him totally, maybe we can contribute to our own salvation with these animal sacrifices and so forth. And he says, therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. On the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for 40 years, therefore I was provoked with that generation and said they always go astray in their heart.

They have not known my ways as I swore in my wrath, they will not enter my rest. And then he says this, take care brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God, but exhort one another every day as long as it is called today. Today is the day of salvation, he said earlier, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for we have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end, as it is said, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. And I want to exhort you with those same words, the words of scripture here, take care my brother. I want to exhort you today, if you hear his voice, Jesus speaking to you through the word, the promise of the gospel, Buck, my salvation is for you. Don't harden your heart, don't think that it's not sufficient for you because of your sin or because of your past, it is. My blood is sufficient for you, receive my grace and my forgiveness.

And Buck, if the Hebrews living back then in the presence of the apostles experiencing many miracles, the author of the Hebrews mentions this earlier in chapter 2, if they could struggle with this wandering away from Jesus, people today very much will as well. And that's why we need to focus our eyes over and over again on Christ and lay hold of that hope that is set before us. And so I just want to assure you one, that it's there for you. I just preach the gospel to you essentially, you know it.

But it's one thing to know, it's another thing, we got to lay hold of it for ourselves. And I just want you to know, it's for you, lay hold of it and rest in it and be sure that you're in a good community of faith, where you're hearing the word of God preached every week, where you're going to be exhorted day after day as long as it is called today, as the author of the Hebrews said, to hold fast to Christ and to know also, Buck, that he holds fast to us. And the very fact that you're calling in is a sign of the fact that he's the one who's drawing you to himself and that his grace is there for you.

Thanks for your call. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. You know, Adriel, we often talk about the importance of being plugged into a community of faith. And I'm struck by, we do get a lot of calls from people who don't currently have a church, aren't currently fellowshipping in the body of Christ. And I just wonder if you could just briefly explain why that is so critical to our Christian growth. Boy, briefly, I mean, it's just the reality, Bill, is it's just the assumption of the New Testament, right? Like the assumption is, you know, we're baptized into the body of Christ, into Christ's death and resurrection.

We're a part of this community. If you're united to Jesus Christ by faith, you're united to the head of the church. So you're also united to the rest of the body. And you need to be, let me plead with you, if you're someone who calls yourself a Christian, but you're not in a church, you need to be in a gospel preaching Bible believing church. No church is perfect, but Christians are never called to just sort of do the Christian life on their own. We grow together as we bring our gifts together in the body of Christ and under the ministry of the word. That's how sanctification happens.

So you need that. God intends that for us. Amen. This is Core Christianity.

Let's go to Darren in Peoria, Illinois. Darren, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? First of all, let me tell you how much I appreciate your ministry. Okay, I was reading through the Bible and I came across a verse, Isaiah 42 three.

Could I get some clarification on that, please? Isaiah chapter 42 verse three. Well, let me begin in verse one. Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his law. Now, Isaiah frequently Darren talks about the servant of the Lord. And there's been all sorts of discussion and debate about who this servant of the Lord is. Some people have said, well, maybe it's Isaiah himself or another one of the prophets.

Maybe it's referring to Israel. Israel at times is referred to as God's servant. But I think the best answer, and you see this throughout Isaiah and in particular in the servant songs, is that the servant of the Lord who brings about justice to the coastlands is none other than King Jesus himself. You remember later in Isaiah and places like Isaiah 53, it talks about the suffering of the servant of the Lord, how he suffered on behalf of his people.

And so Christ brings justice to the coastlands first and foremost through his death, his suffering, and his resurrection so that we might be justified. And one of the things I love about verse three that you brought up, a bruised reed he will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench. This is talking about the gentleness, if you will, of Christ. And of course, this is exactly how Jesus himself described himself. When he said, come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in spirit. Read this in Matthew chapter 11.

And so this Messiah, this great king, this great ruler, he came to bring justice to the nations through his death, through his suffering, the servant of the Lord, and he is the gentle savior riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as prophesied in the book of Zechariah. So here we have this beautiful prophecy of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the heart of Christ, if you will, towards sinners, towards the broken. He doesn't just cast us off.

The bruised reed, he doesn't just break it. He doesn't quench the faintly burning wick. And sometimes that's how we feel, isn't it, in the Christian life, like I'm barely burning. Well, Christ doesn't put you out. He breathes his love into you through his word, through his gospel, and he sets us aflame, if you will, with that truth. So thank you for giving us a call, Darren.

What a great picture you painted for us there, Adriel. Thank you. This is Core Christianity. By the way, don't forget we have our free resource available to you today. It's called 10 Ways God Reveals Himself as Our Father. You can find that at corechristianity.com forward slash offers.

Here's a question that came in through our YouTube channel from Melinda. She says, what does it mean in 1 Corinthians 5, 9 not to company with fornicators? Does that apply to family members who are gay? In 1 Corinthians 5, in particular, Paul is talking about not keeping company with so-called Christians, that is, those who are a part of the Church and are living lives that are completely contrary to the law of God. Verse 9, I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people, not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy or the swindlers or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler, not even to eat with such a one.

But what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those who are inside of the Church whom you are to judge? And so if you have a family member who is gay or lesbian and they don't profess to be a Christian, no. Paul is saying actually just the opposite. We ought to pursue them in love, have relationships and friendships, those kinds of things, and extend the love of Christ to them. Jesus himself did this in the Gospels. It was a part of his ministry. But if someone within the Church, you know, they claim to be a Christian, maybe they go to church every Sunday, but they're living in ways that are totally contrary to the Gospel and to the Word of God, well, that person Paul says, no, you need to help them understand that what they're doing is wrong. And so don't just eat and drink with them like everything is fine.

That's what Paul is getting at. Thank you for your question. God bless. 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.