Can God Be Referred to with She/Her Pronouns?

Should we use female pronouns when talking about God? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. 833-843-2673. Easy to spell out, it's 833-THE-CORE.

833-THE-CORE. We're also willing to take your questions about theology or doctrine or how to live your Christian life in today's culture. So feel free to give us a call right now. First up today, here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners.

Hey, Adriel. This is Christian. Just a quick question. In the New Testament, Paul says the law is dead. We're no longer binding to the law. Does he mean man's law, or in the Scriptures, does it mean God's law? Because I know God's Ten Commandments, God physically wrote it with his hand up on the mountain with Moses, but the Mosaic law and those ceremonial traditions, you know, that's man's law. Which one are we binding to? God's law or man's law?

Thanks. Okay, hey, thank you for that question, and you're right. The Scriptures, in particular, Paul does talk about us being dead to the law, and what he means by that is we're no longer under the law in the same way that the people under the old covenant were, as this sort of works covenant, keeping ourselves in a relationship with God through obedience to his commandments, that kind of a thing. Paul really unpacks this in Romans chapter 7. He says in verse 4, likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has raised him from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our members, to bear fruit to death.

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Then he goes on to say, what then shall we say, that the law is sin? In other words, he says, I know what you're going to think, me telling you that you're dead to the law, you're no longer under it, you're going to say the law must have been a bad thing, it must have been wrong or sin. Paul talks about this later, or elsewhere, in the book of Galatians.

You also see this in the book of Hebrews, in particular in Hebrews chapter 8. But he says, by no means, yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin, for I would not have known what it is to covet, if the law had not said you shall not covet. And there he identifies what law he's talking about.

He quotes from the Ten Commandments, the commandment not to covet. And we're no longer under that law, the Mosaic law as a works covenant, as the nation of Israel was, now we've been set free. Now that doesn't mean that we set aside the law, because the law is holy and good. And actually he's going to go on to say in Romans chapter 8 that by the Spirit, we fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. So it's not you as a Christian in Christ are free from the law to go live in sin.

No. I mean, beginning of chapter 6, you know, he says, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

By no means. How can we who have died to sin still live in it? But he's saying, look, you're not under the law as a works covenant anymore. You're not bound to it. You've been free through the work of Jesus Christ, through his life, death, and resurrection. The law can't condemn you anymore. You're dead to it. So now live to God, serve him, obey him, and by the Spirit, do what the law calls us to, which is to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

And of course, we don't do that perfectly. Nobody can, but the Spirit is at work in us and all those who are regenerated, born again, to draw us near to the Lord in obedience to his law, not to be saved or justified, but as those who have already been justified by the work of Christ. God bless. Great explanation. Thank you so much for that, Adriel. This is CORE Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and we want to say thank you to our inner CORE. That's a group of people who support this ministry on a regular basis. They've been listening to this program for a while, and they really believe in what we do so much so that they're willing to make a monthly commitment. And we'd love to invite you to join the inner CORE, and there are some special benefits that go along with it.

Yes. I also want to say thank you for all of those who are a part of our inner CORE. We love digging into the Word of God every single day, answering questions live on the air, digging into the scriptures.

And if you've been blessed by the work that we do, would you partner with us? Would you help us to continue to get the Word out so that others might be encouraged by the Word of God as well? The inner CORE is a monthly donation of $25 or more, and it just goes a long way for us, and we appreciate your prayers, your encouragement. All of our inner CORE members get a number of resources throughout the year.

The first thing we send you is this book by Dr. Michael Horton, CORE Christianity, Finding Yourself in God's Story, really just a wonderful introduction to the CORE doctrines of the Christian faith that many people just simply overlook. And so I want to invite you to partner with us, friends. Join the inner CORE monthly donation of $25 or more, and Bill, you can give them more information about that. Here's what you do. Just go to our website at corechristianity.com forward slash inner CORE, just one word, corechristianity.com forward slash inner CORE.

We'll tell you all about it and some of the resources that you receive, and we'd love to have you consider that this week. Well, let's go to an email we received. By the way, our email address, if you have a question, is questions at corechristianity.com, and our phone number is 833-THE-CORE, if you want to call us, 833-843-2673. Cassandra wrote in, and she says this, Should God be addressed with she and her pronouns to accommodate for God's feminine attributes? The church I currently attend believes God is not solely patriarchal because of some verses in the Old Testament that describe him as a mother hen. This church goes out of its way not to say him, his, or father when referring to God.

It doesn't make sense to me because Jesus, who is fully God, is a man, and he also refers to God in heaven as Father. I would greatly appreciate your input and your thoughts on this. Okay, Cassandra, thank you for that email. You know, not too long ago, I was talking to someone that I know who's more of a mainline Protestant denomination, and they told me that they were sitting with a number of the clergy there, and they were having a theological discussion. What they were talking about is just this very question that you have. You know, a bunch of clergy ministers in this denomination saying, Well, you know, how do we talk about God as she, and here's why we should do it, and so on and so forth. I would just say, look, if you're in a church that is having those kinds of discussions, you probably need to get out.

I think that there are some significant issues here. First, what I'll say is this. Theologically speaking, God is a spirit. God is spirit. Jesus said this very clearly in John chapter 4 when he was speaking to the woman at the well, and so God as he is in himself, we don't speak of God as man or woman, that kind of thing. Man and women were both made in the image of God.

We read in Genesis chapter 1. And so when we're talking about God as he is in himself, we don't impute that to him. God is a spirit.

The second person of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, assumed humanity, and took flesh from the womb of the Virgin Mary, was born a man, and came for us and for our salvation. And throughout scripture, God is referred to as he. We have this language, right, which typically the language in the Bible about God, we say it's like an analogy.

It's like baby talk for us. We can't summarize who or what God is in his essence. We're creatures. We're finite.

God is infinite. So we have to be really careful, but we use the language that God has given to us, because God is the one who gets to reveal himself to us. And you're right in one sense that in scripture there are feminine analogies that are used of the Lord, there are masculine analogies that are used of the Lord, but typically in scripture, God is referred to as he, Father.

The Son, as I said, assumed humanity for us, for our salvation. So I think we should use the language that the Bible uses. And I'm really concerned when people start drifting away from that, and oftentimes I think what it demonstrates is a low view of God's revelation, how God has revealed himself to us. And so we have to be really careful. I think we want to guard against one, this idea that God is in his essence male or female or something like that.

That would be wrong. We don't speak in that way. But we also want to guard against not just rejecting how God has revealed himself and using terminology that God has not given to us. And so I think stick to what the Bible says, and you can't go wrong. Thank you for that question, and God bless. Thanks for that, Adriel. Some great counsel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We'd love to hear your question about the Bible or the Christian life. Our phone lines will be open for another 15 minutes or so if you want to call us at 833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. Let's go to Lala, who's calling in from Iowa.

What's your question for Adriel? Hello, guys. Thank you for taking my call. I've been struggling with mental illness since I was 12 years old. I have depression and anxiety, but lately it's been at an all-time high to where it's impacting my ability to function in the real world severely.

I actually tried going out today to challenge myself just to go to the library, and I had a severe panic attack to the point where I couldn't breathe. But my friend, in an attempt to make me feel better, he sent me a text stating that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. He said God gives you what you can handle, and that's something that I've constantly heard forever.

I'm just wondering if there's any biblical truth to that, or if it's just severely watered down, or people trying to make you feel better. Thanks. Any input you have will be great and will help. Big thanks, you guys, for doing the show. You've really helped, and my journey was getting closer to God, so it's weird actually being on the radio and I'm shaking right now, but okay.

Thank you for calling us with that question. First thing I want to do is just pray for you in this battle with depression and anxiety. Lord, we lift Lala up to you right now. And God, I ask for you to fill her with your Holy Spirit. I pray, Lord, for your comfort in her life. I pray for healing, Lord, that she would get the care and assistance that she needs. Lord, in dealing with, Lord, we know mental health issues are so rampant, and God, oftentimes we don't know how to cope, how to deal. I pray that you would give her wisdom. I pray that you would give her support through doctors, through other Christians, through people who can encourage her.

Thank you for her openness, Lord, and I just ask that you would be with her and continue to encourage her in her walk with you in her faith and in the knowledge of your son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. This statement that you bring up that Christians will often share as a way of trying to comfort someone who's going through something difficult. You know, God will never give you more than you can handle. You can do this. This is why God has allowed you to have it.

He knew that you were strong enough. It's a lie. It's not true. It's a misinterpretation of something that the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians where he told the Corinthians that God will never tempt you beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape so that you can endure it. It's not talking about just the difficulties we face in life. It's specifically talking about those situations that can lead to sin. Paul says God is not shoving you into that.

He gives you the way of escape. He also tells the Corinthians that God does give people more than they can handle. In 2 Corinthians 1, I just want you to listen to something that Paul said about his life.

He says in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8, this is where you take people who say God will never give you more than you can handle. He says, We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Hear his words there. We were utterly burdened beyond our strength. That is to say, God gave us this burden that was beyond what we could bear. We despaired even of life. Now why, Paul says, in this situation, he says, to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

The gospel teaches this very same thing. We can't rely on ourselves. We can't pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. We're fine. We can handle this. We can cope.

No. We need grace. We need mercy. We need the strong hand of God to reach down and lift us up because we can't do that on our own in our own strength.

We're dead in trespasses and sin. So you don't have to feel burdened thinking, I should be able to handle this. The reality is when it comes to stuff like this, health issues, mental health issues, we're not strong in and of ourselves. You do need support. You need the support of the local church. You need the support of godly men and women around you who are encouraging you in your walk with the Lord.

You need the support of just the common wisdom in the world, doctors, physicians who can help and give you encouragement and wisdom about how to address these particular issues. I just want you not to be under that burden, that false teaching that I should be able to handle this. May the Lord Jesus give you grace as you lean in on him and draw near to him. May he comfort you by his Spirit and provide for all of your needs, sister.

Bill, I want to toss this to you as well because I know you have training in this area. Do you have any encouragement for our sister here? Well, I love what you said, and I think there are a lot of people in the church who give these kind of easy platitudes when it comes to things like mental illness. And the fact is, and we talk about this a lot, that the fall has affected us in many ways. And one of the ways the fall has impacted us is it can infect our body, our biology, our brain chemistry. And so to seek out medical treatment, as you said, perhaps medication, certainly cognitive behavioral therapy.

All the research would show that when it comes to anxiety and panic attacks, COG-B, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication are really the best way to go. And God would not, there are some Christians that will say, well that shows weakness or you don't trust God. And I would disagree with that very strongly.

You wouldn't tell a diabetic not to take insulin or a cancer patient, they shouldn't get their medication for it. So I love what you said, and I would encourage Lala to definitely, if you haven't already pursued those avenues, to do that. And we also have a core guide, by the way, for any listeners that are struggling with depression. It's called Nine Things Everyone Needs to Know About Depression. And you can find that on our website. It's corechristianity.com forward slash free downloads.

Just look for Nine Things Everyone Needs to Know About Depression. So Lala, thank you for your call, and Adriel, thank you for your prayer for her. Let's go back to the phones. Our phone number, if you have a question for Pastor Adriel about the Bible or the Christian life, 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Larry's on the line from New Castle, Oklahoma. Larry, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?

Yes sir, thank you for what you do. A question came up as to why do some Christian denominations consider the washing of feet something like an observance to be remembered. The language that Jesus uses is pretty strong on doing it, and some denominations do not even consider it. Do you know throughout history what has maybe happened to that?

Yeah, thank you for that question. I think that the the passage of scripture that you're referring to is in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 13. You know, getting into the upper room discourse of our Lord Jesus when he washed the feet of his disciples, and verse 12 says, when he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If then I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should also do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. Now there are some traditions that will say, well, we have actual foot washing ceremonies in our church. I don't think, though, Larry, that that's specifically what Christ is getting at. He's giving them an example of service to each other. And in this context, the person who would wash your feet prior to a meal or when you're gathering together in a home, that would have been the servant in the house, the person with the lowest position. Here you have the eternal son of God, Jesus, the king of heaven and earth, washing the feet of his disciples, taking the form of a servant, we might say, as the apostle Paul said in Philippians 2.

And he says, as I have become your servant, serving you through my death, giving you the forgiveness of sins, you ought to serve one another. And so what does it look like to wash the feet of the saints? Well, it looks like serving each other. It looks like being servants.

It looks like not trying to be on top. And Jesus talks about this throughout the Gospels, what it truly means to be great in the kingdom of God. It's this sort of upside down greatness. It's the greatest among you shall be the least, the servant. And so that's the way in which we follow Jesus's command here.

It's actually, in many respects, it's much more difficult than just sitting down for 10 minutes and washing somebody's feet. It's becoming a servant to others, especially to our brothers and sisters within the body of Christ, for their good and for their edification. So Larry, God bless you and may God help us all to hear the words of our Lord Jesus there. Hey Larry, thanks so much for being a regular listener to CORE Christianity and for digging into God's word. We appreciate you. Hey, one of the ways that you can interact with us is by going to our YouTube channel. We actually have a CORE Christianity YouTube channel. You can watch Adriel live in the studio every day and find out what he's wearing that day.

That's pretty cool and what kind of coffee cup he's using. You can check that out on our YouTube channel and message us that way. Here's a YouTube question that came in from one of our listeners and they say, what does the Bible say regarding a hardened heart? Can a saved person have a hardened heart?

Yeah. Well, thank you for that question. The first passage that comes to mind is what the author of the Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 3 as he is addressing a group of people who are drifting away from the gospel, from the truth of salvation through the work of Jesus Christ alone and he warns them. He says in verse 12 of chapter 3, Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12, 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, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ indeed, 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. The hardening of the heart here, it's, we hear the truth of the word of God, what God calls us to, but instead of submitting to the voice of God speaking to us in scripture by the power of the Holy Spirit, we close our ears, we harden our hearts. And there are people who do this, I think that there are even saved people, born again people who for a season, they yield to sin, they struggle, they fall even into grievous sin, the heart gets callous, they don't feel conviction like they once did, I don't think that means that they're no longer saved, I think that the Lord is going to continue to work in them, drawing them back to himself, causing them to persevere, but there are other people who hear the gospel over and over again, they hear those calls to repentance and faith, and I think this was the concern there in the book of Hebrews, and continually, sort of like Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, they hear what God says, but they harden their hearts, they say, no, I'm not going to listen, I'm not going to submit to your rule and to your reign, God, and that's a scary thing for all of us, it's a scary thing especially for those who are outside of Christ, you know, hearing the gospel and rejecting it, it's a scary thing for us as believers, not getting hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, turning away from the Lord, grieving the Holy Spirit, and again, as I said, I don't think that that means that God abandons us or leaves us in that state, I just think that even for God's people, this is something we need to be serious about, you think of the many godly people throughout the pages of scripture who fell into grievous sin, people who had the Spirit of God and who knew better, I think of men like David, I think of everybody essentially in the scriptures that God used, and so this is a warning I would say for us, and hearts are hardened, you see this in Hebrews 3, through sin, it's sin that has this sort of hardening effect, but here's the good news, I think of what the prophet Jeremiah said, I think it's in Jeremiah chapter 23, the word of God is able to break rock-hard hearts, and so we take our heart, stony as it is, you know, struggling with sin, and we take it to the word of God and we say, Lord, mold it, shape it, use your word to soften my heart and to transform me, and truly for everyone who is a Christian, that has happened, God has given you, if you believe in Jesus Christ, a new heart, not a heart of stone, but a heart of flesh, to sense the presence of the Lord, to hear his voice speaking to you in scripture, to submit to his word, and so we're called to do just that, to yield to the voice of the Spirit speaking to us through the word of God, not to harden our hearts, not to continue down the pathway of sin, but to humble ourselves and to confess our sins, and so it's a reminder for all of us, and if it could happen to those gathered together in the book of Hebrews, the church that was there, it can happen to anyone, we have to be on guard, brothers and sisters, continually going back to the word, God, use your word to work in my life, to transform me, to change me, to glorify you. 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.