Should Pastors Be Winsome or Blunt When Speaking the Truth?

Should pastors be winsome or blunt when speaking the truth?

That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Well, hi, I'm Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adrian Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We'd love to hear from you and our phone lines are open right now. Here's the phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, we have a YouTube channel, and you can watch Adrian live in the studio right now on YouTube and see just how cute he really is. You can also message him through our YouTube channel. And we have an email address if you want to send us a question by email.

It's questionsatcorechristianity.com. Well, you're setting people up to be majorly disappointed here. Don't go to YouTube with high expectations is all I'm saying. Listen to the word. That's the main thing. All right, but that's true. It is.

Although his wife does think he's very attractive, and she knows well. All right, let's go to Tammy, who's calling it from St. Louis, Missouri. Tammy, what's your question for Pastor Adrian? Hi.

I have a daughter, 24 years old. She was in three long-term bad relationships. A lot of it, they were young. The boys were, it was a pattern.

The boys were manipulative and controlling. Well, she's been single for a while, and just recently she's met two different boys that were attracted to her, wanted to date, and they were both Bosnian. Well, the first one, she didn't even go on a date with him. She just broke it up when she found out that he practices Ramadan. And then the second one, she was very hopeful, and it was like their fifth date when he said that he wasn't, quote, religious, but he wanted, that his family did practice Ramadan. So she was asking me, Mom, why is it fair that these people were raised in a religion that they know no different? She said, I'm never going to change my religion.

So long story short, she's been crying and been upset. She wants to meet what she calls her soulmate and would prefer them to be Christian and raise them in a Christian home. And I would just specifically like to ask for prayer today. Yeah, Tammy, thank you for giving us a call, and I would love to pray for your daughter as she is wrestling through this, and just that the Lord would grant her in this time contentment, but also guide, direct her steps.

So important, right? I mean, when we think about a partner, a lifelong partner in marriage, the Bible does speak to this. And so let me pray for you and for her. Father, I thank you for Tammy for her question calling in right now. I pray that you would be with her daughter, that you would fill her daughter with your Holy Spirit. I thank you, Lord, that she confesses Christ, that she believes in you, Lord, and that she wants to follow you. And I pray that you would help her in this season of her life, Lord, to draw near to you, to grow in contentment in this season that you have her, waiting, Lord, for the right person that you might bring into her life, someone, Lord God, who loves you, who loves your son Jesus, and with whom she can grow in a healthy relationship, but also spiritually, Lord, where she's gonna be encouraged in her walk with you.

And so would you be with her, and would you provide that for her? I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. I know that this is something that, I mean, I've had this conversation with singles in my church as well who are thinking, you know, I met this guy. He's great. I mean, just handsome, kind, loving, seems like he has a good family. He's not a Christian. He's not a Christian yet, but boy, everything else seems to be there. And I just have to say, look, there's nothing more important than what someone believes about Jesus. And when you're thinking about marriage and a relationship, a serious relationship, as a believer, I think it's so important that you pursue those who are in Christ, that you don't settle for someone. You know, maybe they have everything else, but they just, they're not sure about Jesus. They don't go to church. I would say, look, the most important thing is them being in Christ. I mean, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7, he talks about the woman who's free to marry. He says, only in the Lord.

Right? We're not free to marry outside of Christ. And I think part of the issue there is the problems that that creates.

And I've seen this over and over again. Of course, you also have the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, 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? Four, we are the temple of the living God. Tammy, you, your daughter in Christ, you guys are the temple of the living God. And you want to be with someone, your daughter wants to be with someone who's going to encourage the right worship of God with whom they can, you know, she can grow together.

Again, this is so important. This is an area where we don't want to settle. We're commanded not to settle as Christians. And I understand that that can be hard because we long for friendship and companionship as human beings, as God made us. And it's in that time, I think, in this time, that it's important that we grow in contentment, that we grow in Christ. And continually bring this desire, this need to the Lord and trust that God is going to provide the right person in his timing, you know, not growing impatient. One of the things we see in the Old Testament, especially with the patriarchs, is how often they grew impatient with the promises of the Lord and tried to take things into their own hands.

And it always led to disaster. And so, you know, we learn from their example. Here's an area where we can grow in trusting God, in committing our way to the Lord and saying, God, you provide the right person who's going to help me to draw near to you, to love you and enter into a relationship that's honoring to you ultimately. And so, Tammy, may God be with you.

May God be with your daughter and fill you both with his Spirit. Thank you for calling in. Some great counsel. Thank you for that, Adriel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open. If you have a question about the Christian life, about the Bible, about doctrine, theology, you name it, we would love to hear from you. And make sure to tell your friends and your church, fellow church members about this program as well. Here's our phone number. If you have a question, we'll be taking calls for the next 15 minutes or so. 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Patricia from Long Island. Patricia, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?

Yes, Pastor Adriel. In 2 Thessalonians, the third chapter, verse 6, it says, Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us. What if we have children who are living with people that they're not married to? Does that mean we're supposed to have nothing to do with those children? Hey, Patricia, thank you for this question.

It sounds maybe like it's a very personal, a close-to-home question. And so, one, with regard to what the Bible teaches about judging those who are within the church, Paul says in the book of 1 Corinthians, you know, what have we to do with judging outsiders? We judge those within the church so that when there's a so-called brother, someone who professes the name of Christ but is living in lawlessness, has just rejected the Lord, well, we do distance ourselves there as the church. It's the exercise of church discipline so that this individual would recognize, would see that their soul is in a state of peril, that they're turning away from the Lord by their behavior.

And so that's a serious thing. This is a judgment of the church that is made. Now, what about family members? What about our children who maybe were raised in church, maybe were a part of the church for a time, and then have gone astray, have walked away from the Lord? Well, admittedly, this is a sticky situation, but I would not say that it's apparent that you would want to cut them out or cut them off from your love, from your care. Obviously, I think you want to, and I'm assuming this has already happened, you know, share in terms of the seriousness of this, especially if this is someone who professes faith, who knows the truth.

So you articulate what the Word of God says. You call them to follow Jesus, to walk with Jesus, but I don't think that you should just say, well, I'm through with you. I'm no longer going to have any interaction with you, I think in part because you want the door to be open. You want the door to be open for them to return, to come back. I mean, you think of Jesus and the parable he gives of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15.

There's an open door there. The son runs away and squanders, you know, all of his father's, you know, inheritance with loose living, is doing things that he knows he shouldn't do. He knows that he's let his father down, and yet he comes to his senses, and he goes home, and he's thinking, well, is my father going to accept me? Maybe I can just be a servant in my father's house. I know that I've tarnished the family name, and what does the father do? Of course, in this parable, it's displaying for us the love that God has for his lost sheep. The father welcomes his prodigal son who's been on the run for so long, throws a party for him, and says, my son who was lost is found.

He was dead, but he's alive again. That's what we pray for. That's what we long for, and so we have conversations. We extend love.

We speak the truth in love, and I think that's what you should do, or, you know, in this situation with a loved one. Of course, the church, as, you know, the body of Christ, does make judgment. So if an individual is living in this way, they're a member of a church, there is a process of church discipline, but again, the goal is always restoration.

It's always repentance. That's what we're longing for, and so may the Lord be with you, Patricia, and give you wisdom, and be with those who you love, and for all of us, you know, for all those who are wrestling with this, thinking, man, one of my children has strayed from the Lord. Let me just pray right now that God would indeed bring the prodigals home. Father in heaven, we look to you. We thank you, Lord God, for the example that you give us in scripture of your love for your wandering children. God, that you don't cast them out when they return to you, but that you fling the doors wide open, that you clothe them in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that you receive them into the household, and so we pray, Lord God, right now for all those who have wandered away, maybe who have heard the truth.

They grew up going to church hearing the truth, but they've decided to turn away, and now they're living in that faraway country prodigally. God, we ask that by the grace of your Holy Spirit, you would bring them home to you, that you would draw them, that you would use loving family members, that you would use loving churches, Christians, to speak the truth in love, and that they would see, Lord, the bankruptcy, the emptiness of a life apart from you and apart from your son, Jesus. It's in his name we pray. Amen.

Amen. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adrian Sanchez. If you're a parent or a grandparent, we want to tell you about a special collection that we have put together. It's called our Faith and Family collection. The Faith and Family collection, yeah.

I mean, it's amazing, Bill, isn't it? So many of the questions that we get relate to faith and family. I mean, just even that previous caller right there, it's something that I know is central to each of our lives, and talking about the faith in the context of family and sharing the truth with our children, with our grandchildren is so important. So this Faith and Family collection combines some of the best questions and answers we've received on the show about faith and family.

We get into things like relationships, marriage, parenting, sexuality and dating relationships, how to answer the questions that our young children are asking, the little kids who have questions about theology, who have questions about the Bible, how to care for aging parents as well. Core Christianity exists to help answer tough questions about the Bible and the Christian faith, and when you get these important resources, you support us in continuing to produce and broadcast the show, create more Bible studies, and distribute free Christ-centered resources to so many who need them. And so I do hope that you'll get ahold of this resource. You know, your support is really pivotal in keeping Core Christianity on the air, and as Adriel said, to helping us add to our Bible study collection, create more resources for those who really are looking for answers to those tough questions about the Christian faith. So go over to corechristianity.com forward slash family. Again, that's corechristianity.com forward slash family to get that faith and family collection. Well, we do receive voicemails here at Core Christianity, and here's one that came in from one of our listeners named Michael. It's not a question, but more of a, I guess, a constructive criticism. One thing that frustrates me is when pastors do not give straightforward answers to difficult questions.

So I was just listening to her show. What struck me is when the lady asked about if her Native American ancestors were saved because they didn't know Jesus Christ, never heard the gospel. Instead of giving her a straightforward answer of no, they're not saved, or yes, they are saved, you gave some basic commentary on the Scriptures, but you never ever gave her a final conclusion that based upon your interpretation of the Scriptures, no, they're not saved, or yes, they are saved. I have got to tell you, I've listened to many pastors on the radio, and when these tough questions come along and they waffle on them because they don't want to give somebody the hard answer, I love your show, I love everything you're doing, I think you're doing a great job, it's just frustrating when I hear people do that.

Yeah, man, appreciate your question and your feedback, and of course we do want to give clear biblical answers to the questions that come in, and I recall the question that you're referring to. The passages that I went to are early chapters of the book of Romans where Paul the Apostle makes it clear that even those who never hear the gospel of Jesus Christ are still held accountable before God based on the light of nature that they've received. God speaks through his creation. Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day, utter speech, night unto night reveals knowledge. God has revealed himself as the creator, and what humanity has done, what mankind has done and so often does, and I'm talking about these civilizations that are out there, is that they suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness so that they are justly condemned before God. And so when I went to that text in Romans, I feel like that's providing a real clear answer.

Of course we do want to be wise and careful. God is the ultimate judge, and so the reality is, and we're thinking about declaring this person or that person saved or not saved, I think one, there's going to be a lot of surprise, and Jesus in fact says this himself in the gospels. In Matthew 8, beginning in verse 11, he says, I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Or as Jesus puts it elsewhere, you know, many who are first will be last in the last first. We draw these conclusions, we make these judgments, but oftentimes we're wrong, Jesus says. And there specifically, you know, people look at the religious leaders, the quote-unquote, sons of the kingdom, the scribes and the Pharisees, and they thought, boy, they've got the direct line to God, they're just so close to God, God must, you know, have a very special place for them in heaven. And Jesus says, actually those guys are going to be cast out to outer darkness. You know who's entering the kingdom of God before them?

The tax collectors and prostitutes. And so we just want to be slow in terms of making those kinds of judgments. I think also of what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, beginning in verse 2, he says, Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court.

In fact, I don't even judge myself, for I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is not, it is, he says, the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

Then each one will receive his commendation from God. We have a limited perspective here on earth. We don't see everything that God sees. We don't know everything that God knows. We know that people are saved solely through Christ and through the gospel and we know that the whole world is justly condemned for having rejected the truth, the light that God has received. But I think we just got to be, we got to be careful in terms of just saying, well, you know, that person or those people, they just must all not be saved. God is the judge. God judges outsiders, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 5.

And so we exercise wisdom there. We want to be, not waffle around, but just leave that up to the true and the living God and say his judgments are just and true and everything he does is right. And so I know, based on what the scripture says, that only those who are in Christ are going to be in heaven. It's only through Christ and through his gospel that we have salvation.

So anyone outside of Christ isn't saved, isn't going to be saved, can't be. This is why the proclamation of the gospel is so important. And so I appreciate your question and you reaching out to us with that. May the Lord bless you. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adrian Sanchez. Let's go to Eric in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Eric, what's your question for Adrian? The question is, if a person has a chronic health problem, do you have any verses that you'd recommend meditating upon, maybe for encouragement, maybe verses that have some healing properties? I'm just wondering about that, if you have a long-term health problem. Yeah.

Boy. I mean, there's so many places we can go in the scriptures. In terms of verses to meditate upon, even with regard to healing, you know, the Psalms, often, you know, if I'm visiting someone in the hospital who's sick as a pastor, I will pray the Psalms over them and with them, in particular those Psalms that speak about God's healing power, where the Psalmist is crying out to God for deliverance or for healing.

So I think that those are some places that we can go. Also, just the Psalms of Lament, where the Psalmist is crying out to God because of his circumstances. There's this wonderful book that was written by a seminary professor, actually, some time ago.

It's called Rejoicing in Lament. The man who wrote this book, J. Todd Billings, was diagnosed with incurable cancer. And so this book, Rejoicing in Lament, is just sort of his wrestling through, his diagnosis, you know, having this cancer, and going to the Psalms and using the Psalms.

I would recommend that resource. Another passage, I think, that I would point to, Eric, is Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 16, where he says, So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. The things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Brother, God is preparing in us, and through even the suffering that we experience, He's preparing us for this eternal weight of glory.

We don't lose heart. Yes, the outer man, our bodies, waste away. But even while that's happening, the inner man, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, is being renewed, and we have the hope, also, Eric, that even our bodies are going to be raised and restored through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That's what Paul makes so clear in 1 Corinthians 15. So that would be another chapter of the Bible that I would point you to, the hope that we have that one day these bodies, so overwhelmed, overcome by sickness and disease, one day these bodies will be fully healed at the resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so we have that hope.

You have that hope. And may the Lord comfort you with that reality, brother. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

We have time for one quick email question. This one comes from Ned, and he says, How should we reconcile the doctrine of the Trinity with the Shema? Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Getting into some deep Trinitarian theology at the end of the show. Well, let me tell you how the apostle Paul does it. He inserts Jesus Christ into the Shema of Deuteronomy 6.4. He says in 1 Corinthians 8, verse 6, Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we exist. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Paul says for us there is one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ. He's one, pointing out the deity of Jesus Christ, but he's helping us to understand the Shema rightly. In other words, even the Shema has room for the Holy Trinity. That's what Paul is saying.

He's inserting Jesus there right in the midst of it. And so praise God. 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.