If I'm forgiven, why do I still feel guilty about my sin? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Well, hi there. I'm 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. You can call us right now with your question at 833-THE-CORE. Of course, you can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts.
You can watch Adriel live in the studio right now on our YouTube channel and message us that way. And you can always email us your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. And by the way, Adriel, our first question today is actually an email from a young man named Riley. He says, Hi, I'm almost 18. I don't want to be just another adult who acts like a child. I want to be a true godly man.
So my question is, what advice would you give to a young man who's almost 18, who wants to be a mature man, but whose friend group still seems content with being children? What advice would you give to a young man as he matures, in particular in his faith in the grace and the knowledge of Christ? And central is the word of God. And so I would say it's so important for you as you continue to grow and mature as a man, as a Christian, that you are grounded in the scriptures. And that's actually something that the apostle Paul commends Timothy for having done. It really was something that his mother and grandmother helped with in 2 Timothy chapter 1. It talks about that, but he says in chapter 3, verse 15, how from childhood, you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
So how do we get that wisdom that we need in maturity for manhood? Well, it comes through the scriptures. Now, let me give you another word of exhortation from the apostle Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 22. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart.
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies. You know that they will breed quarrels and the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. As we're right there, there are things that you need to flee from, that is youthful passions that Paul mentions there, but not just running away from those things that so easily trip us up in the Christian life, but running towards the things that God wants us to pursue in life, righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
In other words, Riley, this is something that you don't do on your own by yourself. And so I think right now, starting while you're young, being immersed in the life of the church, the Christian community, so that you can do what Paul says here, calling together on the name of the Lord with people with whom you're pursuing those things that God calls you to pursue, righteousness, faith, love, and peace. And so, brother, be rooted in the word. Let the word of God shape you. Be in the scriptures and make sure that you're in a good and solid church. And I know it might sound, especially if you listen to core Christianity frequently, like we're beating the same drum over and over again, but the reality is it's just so important for all of us as we seek to mature in the Christian life to be rooted in the word of God. And so I can encourage you more to be someone who takes God's word seriously and who studies it daily.
God bless. You know, I was thinking about Riley's question about his friend group, and it reminded me of Proverbs 1320. Walk with the wise and become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. So you've got to watch out for that, right?
That's right, yeah. Bad company corrupts good habits, as the Apostle Paul quotes there in 1 Corinthians 15 as well. And so a lot we could say to Riley, but certainly being rooted in the word is key. Amen. This is core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, doctrine, theology, maybe how your faith walk intersects with what's going on in today's culture. We would love to hear from you. By the way, we're also open to calls if you consider yourself an atheist or agnostic and have questions about the Christian faith.
Adriel would love to talk to you as well. Here's the number. It's 833-THE-CORE.
That's 1-833-843-2673. Well, you may go to church every Sunday, but have you ever stopped to consider the purpose of God's church here on Earth? We actually have a helpful free resource that will answer that question for you. Bill, today we're excited to share a helpful resource on coreChristianity.com. It's called Eight Things Everyone Should Know About Church. At Core Christianity, we love the church.
You probably got the idea by now. We want to encourage everyone to worship and serve in a healthy church. And in the United States, it's really easy, I think, to take church for granted. We sometimes miss that it's the church that the gates of hell will never prevail against.
Everything else may come and go, but the church is God's heavenly embassy on Earth. And so this resource is going to help you understand what the church is and how to best honor God through your participation in your local church. Head over to coreChristianity.com forward slash offers to download Eight Things Everyone Should Know About Church.
And we would love to get that free download to you when you sign up for our newsletter. Here's the phone number to call 833-843-2673 for help giving any of our offers or as Adriel said, go to coreChristianity.com forward slash offers. Look for Eight Things Everyone Should Know About Church. Well, we do receive voicemails here at Core Christianity. And if you've got a question you can't get through during the live show, feel free to call 24 hours a day and leave your voicemail 833-843-2673.
Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Destiny. I have a question. When I sin, I feel so guilty for such a long time, even after I've repented of it. And I know that that feeling of guilt is kind of a selfish desire for me to be able to take care of my own sin, almost taking the job away from Christ, I guess.
And then I feel guilty about that. And it just, I don't know, I don't know how to rest in my repentance. And I was wondering if, or rest in my forgiveness, I was wondering if you had any suggestions.
Thank you. Well, Destiny, I think as followers of Jesus Christ, we've all been there with you. It is a struggle as we seek to honor the Lord, and yet daily in thought, word, and deed, we sin against the Lord. And of course, we confess those sins and receive his forgiveness, but it's easy even after that to still feel guilt, maybe even a sense of condemnation.
Sometimes we can beat ourselves up, right? Do this sort of self-flagellation thing as Christians. And part of that, as you mentioned, it can be selfish, or this sense of, oh, I need to atone for my sins, and I'm just so bad. There's no way I can approach God now. I have to sort of do penance for a period of time before I really feel like I can go back to God. But of course, over and over again in the Scriptures, we're reminded of the fact that the throne of God's grace is open for us. We can boldly approach God in prayer to get the grace, the help that we need in our time of need.
And it's not because of how faithful we are, the fact that we don't sin, it's because we have a great high priest, a great advocate, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. And so I think resting in God's mercy, God's forgiveness, looks like first and foremost fixing our eyes on Christ. His blood is more powerful than our sins. And it's easy when we're doing the navel gazing, when we're looking within, and we're just focused on, well, I've failed again, I've messed up again, to do the self-pity thing, or the I have to do penance kind of a thing. Well, God wants you to fix your eyes on His Son, Jesus. And we all need help doing that after we've sinned in some way.
We need to fix our eyes on Jesus. Now, of course, there is the genuine conviction of the Holy Spirit that we feel when we do sin. And I think that's meant to draw us to the Lord, to drive us to repentance, not to give us a sense of condemnation. We know what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Why? Because we've been justified by faith. But we can experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, especially when we haven't confessed our sins. I think of what the psalmist said, David, in Psalm 32. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away. Through my groaning all day long, for day and night your hand was heavy upon me, David said.
My strength was dried up as the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Maybe one encouragement for you, sisters, meditate on Psalm 32, meditate on Psalm 38, meditate on Psalm 51. All of these psalms have to do with repentance and forgiveness. And I think you can identify with the psalmist there who feels at times weighed down by his sins as if the hand of God is heavy upon him. But we know when we confess our sins, 1 John 1.9, God is faithful and just to cleanse us and to forgive us from all unrighteousness. And so you have that promise, and you need to fix your eyes on Jesus as you cling to that promise and rest in your forgiveness. God bless.
Some great words of assurance. Thanks so much for that, Adriel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine of theology, you can give us a call now at 833-843-2673. Let's go to Alton in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Alton, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?
Good afternoon. Yes, God bless you for the work you are doing. My question, with the carnage taking place in Ukraine, where is the cry of the church? Where are the prophets of God calling evildoers to repentance?
Are they just concerned about their empires rather than the kingdom of God? Yeah, Alton, so we are seeing a lot of carnage and destruction as we turn on the news, and you're right. There should be a lamentation that is being raised, especially on behalf of those who are suffering. We think of the many innocent, the civilians who are caught in the crossfire, and it is absolutely horrible. Your question is, where are the people who are raising the outcry, who are saying, this is bad, we need to repent?
Well, look, we always need that at all times. The people of God calling the world to repentance, and frankly, reminders for the church that she needs to repent as well. As you were asking your question, I think of the prophet Jeremiah, who grieves over the destruction that's taking place in the midst of the people. He's oftentimes referred to, Alton, as you might know, Jeremiah, as the weeping prophet, because he sees the war, the devastation that is experienced, the apostasy, people turning away from the Lord. He says, in places like Jeremiah 9, verse 1, O that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. I think, as we witness the death and devastation around us in the world, we ought to cry out to the Lord.
You're asking, why aren't more people doing that? I can't answer that question, but I can say, for my part, we have been praying and just asking God to pour out His mercy and seeking to support, especially the believers that are there in any way that we can. Maybe right now, Alton, just a good reminder for us to join our hearts together and pray that God would bring peace and, as you say, repentance as well.
Friends, let's join our hearts together right now in just praying for the situation once again in the Ukraine. Father, we come before You as the Lord of heaven and earth. You are our heavenly Father. Heavenly in that, Lord, You are all-powerful.
There is nothing that happens apart from Your sovereign will, but You're also a good Father. You care for Your people. You care for Your people who suffer. We think of Your church suffering throughout the world, and we think especially of believers in Ukraine asking for You to uphold them and to use them, Lord, to call many to repentance, that in this time and through this tragedy, through the devastation, that hearts would be turned to You, gracious Father. And we pray for all those who are suffering, believers and non-believers alike, God, that You would be merciful, that You would bring an end to this conflict, that You would bring peace, Lord, in the world. And so we look to You, gracious God, asking once again for Your help. In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen. Alton, thank you for your call and your concern about what we're seeing in this world around us. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.
Let's go to Danny in Morton, Illinois. Danny, what's your question for Adriel? Yeah, I wanted to ask you, praise God for you to really appreciate it and keep on working for the Lord.
I pray that God will bless you, too. But anyway, I'm thinking about the Trinity. I believe in the Trinity, of course. But it speaks of Jesus at the right hand of the Father.
Who's actually, is there a separation there? Separation from Jesus? No, He's at the right hand of the Father, so beside Him in the throne, it makes you think that God is almost separated there, the Spirit of God itself is setting there, and He's at His right hand.
I get confused right there. So first, when we think about the language that we see in Scripture, Jesus being ascended at the right hand of the Father, it's really this idea of authority and position, power. Of course, we're thinking here of the ascension of Jesus Christ as He is ruling and reigning right now, presently. I don't think that we're meant to understand this in this sort of literal sense. God is a Spirit. The Father doesn't have physical hands as we have physical hands. God is a Spirit, so when we talk about or hear about this language of Jesus being seated at the right hand of the Father, it's this picture of authority. Now, we understand in the doctrine of the Trinity, and I'm grateful to hear, Danny, that you embrace the doctrine of the Trinity, we understand that there is one God, three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one in essence, but undivided.
But we have to make sure that we understand they're distinct persons. The Father is not the person of the Son, who is not the person of the Holy Spirit. We have these three distinct persons, equal in power and in glory, one in essence, as I already said. Your question initially reminded me of a text that we see at the beginning of the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who read thine is near, and to the seven churches that are in Asia, graced you in peace from him who was and who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Here you have this picture of the Lord who reigns, Jesus there as well, and the seven spirits before the throne. Almost a picture, if you will, of the Trinity, God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit there ruling and reigning.
Again, the image here is one of authority, one of power, one of being over all things, and why that's so important in the midst of the days in which we're living. When we see this term, we were just praying about the situation in Ukraine, knowing that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, that he has all authority and power, that he sends us out into the world to make disciples, I think is so key, so important. Danny, thank you for your question, and I appreciate you calling in. Danny, thanks for being a regular listener to CORE Christianity.
We do appreciate you. Let's go to Laura in St. Peter's, Missouri. Laura, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?
Hi there. Thank you for taking my call. I am curious. I listen to a lot of different speakers and pastors, and oftentimes I'll hear a pastor or a speaker say something like, the Lord gave me a word, or the Lord spoke to me this morning, and I realize that clearly we get God's word, we are in God's word, and that speaks to our hearts and our souls, but it seems, I don't know, presumptuous to say the Lord spoke to me. What are your thoughts on that?
Yeah, thank you for that question. A lot of people, I think, when they say that, they don't mean I heard an audible voice from heaven. What they mean is, I just have this really strong feeling that God is leading me in this direction or not that direction. So insofar as that's the case, I think we should just avoid the language of God spoke to me and said this, that, or the other. I mean, that's a pretty bold statement. I think it's much better to say, well, you know, I have this sense, or I feel as though the Lord maybe is guiding me or leading me in this direction.
I think that that's okay, but you're totally right. When we say, or when pastors say, God told me to do this, it raises all sorts of questions, and all sorts of, I think, issues pertaining to our understanding of the doctrine of scripture, inerrancy, inspiration of scripture as well. The only time I feel like I want to ever confidently say, God spoke and said to me X, it's when I'm reading scripture or opening scripture. And I think we can boldly say, Laura, with the disciples and with the writers of the New Testament, thus saith the Lord, when we're opening up the word of God. And that's where we always want to direct people's focus and attention is to the scriptures. And God will use the scriptures to guide us, to lead us. He'll use providential circumstances, even, I think, feelings at times.
There's nothing wrong with feeling. I think it's not the best thing or even the most accurate thing to say when we want to communicate that we have this sense that God is leading us in a certain direction to say, well, God spoke and said such and such to me. The issue, and I'm sure you've seen this as well, Laura, is that people will say that and really can lead to some situations in the life of the church that are manipulative, even abusive. That's where I've seen this really abused is where an individual will try to coerce another person, maybe a church leader, try to coerce another person to do something or to believe something on the basis of the fact that God told me this.
God told me you're supposed to marry me or God told me you're supposed to be a member of my church and serve in this way. Well, that's really manipulative. That's abusive behavior.
And so that's where it can get really scary. But I think most of the time that people talk like this, they're just trying to communicate, well, I really feel like God wants me to take this job. Well, say it that way.
Don't say God told me to take this job. That's not helpful. The only time we should say God said is when we're opening up the word of God where he has spoken so clearly. So, Laura, thank you for your question. God bless.
Some great counsel. Thanks for that, Adriel. This is core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Just a reminder, we have that wonderful resource on the church, the purpose of the church, according to the Bible, eight things everyone should know about the church.
It's a free download. You can find that by going to core Christianity dot com forward slash offers and look for eight things everyone should know about church. Well, here's a question from Robert in Tennessee, Adriel. He says, Will someone go to heaven who has been in the church their whole life but doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit?
Thank you for that question, Robert. I mean, if somebody rejects the Holy Spirit, denies the Holy Spirit, you know, maybe they believe that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, but they don't believe that the Holy Spirit is God. Actually, in the history of the church, there have been heresies that have taught this binitarianism, not Trinitarianism, but binitarianism, belief in the Father and in the Son as God, as Lord, but not the Holy Spirit.
Athanasius, the ancient church father, addressed this heresy in particular, and I would say if somebody rejects the Holy Spirit, God, the Holy Trinity, to reject the Spirit would in essence also be to reject the Father and the Son because the three persons of the Holy Trinity are united, one in essence, undivided, as I said earlier on the broadcast. And so this is a grievous error, heresy that we would have to say, yeah, a person who rejects who God is in terms of his nature as being as he's revealed himself cannot be saved, cannot go to heaven. Now, someone who's just confused about these things, maybe they're just coming into an understanding of the Gospel. They heard Jesus preached, they embraced him for the forgiveness of sins, but they don't really understand fully the doctrine of the Trinity. Are we gonna say that that person isn't saved?
No, we're saved by Christ himself through his work for us in the Gospel, not our perfect understanding of how salvation works. I think of that scene in Acts chapter 19, verses one and two. It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus, and he found some disciples, and he said to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
And they said, no, we have not even heard there is a Holy Spirit. And he said, and to what then were you baptized? And they said, and to John's baptism. And Paul goes on to baptize them properly in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and they receive the Holy Spirit. And so the Holy Spirit is central to the Christian faith and to our understanding of who God is and what he's done in each of our lives. 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.
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