What Do You Say to Someone Who Claims to Be a Black Hebrew Israelite?

What do you say to someone who claims to be a black Hebrew Israelite best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. 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 that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com will in case you haven't heard, there is some breaking news today a Queen Elizabeth has passed away at her castle in Scotland in the age of 96 and it really know the Queen lived a long, full life, she was loved by millions of people both in Great Britain and around the world. Yeah, but what a tragic in and setting of it seems like it happened so quickly as well. I mean I'm just reminded of all of those passages in Scripture that talk about the frailty of life and the reality of debt that I hear memorable you were mentioning that she was a believer. Someone who who had faith in Jesus Christ and so we think of Paul's words that the hope that we have that, while we mourn and have sorrow we don't have sorrow and mourn as those who have no hope because we have the hope of Christ in his resurrection, and so may God comfort the royal family with with that great hope that we have in Christ, and certainly something for all of us to consider because life is a as we read in the Bible. It's but a vapor and you know we need to be aware that any day could could be our day and so yeah something to keep in mind so thanks thanks for that. And let's keep that whole situation and in prayer will. Here's one of our listener questions that came in Israel. This is an email from Elaine and she says, is it possible to be born again.

More than once I've heard that people can pinpoint the time they were born again, but what I remember are three different time frames that could be my born-again experience, it's not possible to be born again.

Again, I remember one time as a newer believer really struggling with the question of assurance and wondering. Am I really a Christian in my not. I mean I'd made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. I had been baptized.

I was a part of the church, but still really wrestling with assurance like many of our our listeners do and I remember sitting down with an older woman at the church I was attending at. At the time and just started sharing my my struggle with her unit is question of assurance.

As you know, it sounds like to me that you need she said you need to be born again. Again, that was not the most helpful piece of advice in in that moment, but that some people think along those lines that you can be saved and then lose your salvation. You know maybe you you lost your born-again status and you need to be regenerated all over again. But the but the reality is that the that being born again is something that happens once in them is the work of the Holy Spirit through the word of God is what Peter said in first Peter chapter 1 verse 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God for all flesh is like grass in all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls with the word of the Lord remains forever, and this word is the good news that was preached to you through the preaching of the gospel and by the work of the Holy Spirit. God transforms our hearts regenerates us. We are born again and those who are born again. Don't ever never lose that segment we can go to times of difficulty and struggle with sin, but we we we don't ever know become not born again anymore and so that's the hope that we have the God calls us, redeems us, justifies us, but also cause us to persevere in faith to the last day where we stand with the Lord in glory.

Great!

Thanks for that Israel.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now will be taking your calls for the next 20 minutes or so. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, doctrine and theology. Maybe some doubts about the Christian faith. Maybe you belong to a different religion and you have some questions about Christianity for Israel would love to hear from you.

Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

There's a voicemail that came in from one of our listeners named Phil I'm looking for advice on how to witness to a coworker who is a black man who claims to be a black Hebrew Israelite there trusting and keeping the law in order to get to heaven, and five bent, trying to focus on how the law is not going to save him getting to heaven, he also blamed Jews and Gentiles are the same thing. I view Galatians chapter 2 and three to try to explain these things to them, but if you have other good resources or advice I would appreciate it thank you yeah well still I'm always so encouraged when our listeners are sharing the gospel with friends and coworkers, and of course one of the things I say everything will time is you need to be praying because it is a work of the Holy Spirit, and so I want to pray for you right now. Fill in your inner interaction with with this coworker and just the Lord would give you the right words but also that he would open the heart of this individual. And so, Lord, thank you for Phil and his desire to share his faith with the people around him, Lord, I pray that by the grace of your Holy Spirit, you would give him just a wide open door for the gospel. There where he works, and especially with this coworker Lord would they've already been able to have some conversations about faith and I pray that this coworker would come under the conviction of your Holy Spirit, saying that he cannot save himself by works of law, by no obedience to certain rituals, but that he needs the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins that comes solely through the work of Jesus Christ. And so, would you be with Phil. Bless him and would you open the heart of this individual father we ask in Jesus name, amen.

There are number of religious sects out there. The black Hebrew Israelites's is one of them and there are even sects among the Hebrew Israelites scattered abroad throughout the world. I mean III hear more about these groups and in oftentimes they're known for street preaching, being out on the street and and in some ways there there there are also known for being a little more abrasive.

There is this belief that they have that they are the true descendents of the. The children of Israel that the that the scattered tribes of the Israelites and their there's a lot of sort of interesting theological views that they hold sort of merging together some some Hebrew beliefs Jewish beliefs with some Christian beliefs. Often, though, there is the rejection of the deity of Christ and his atoning work and so that's where I think you need to focus on is IQ going to the book of coming I was a Galatians is is really good because there Paul talks about the fact that we can't be saved by following these these works of law. These religious rituals there that you knows particularly associated with the old covenant religion, just but just this idea of being saved by our obedience more generally. You can't be saved by your obedience to God. We don't obey. Got enough we don't obey God perfectly enough. All of us. Sin against God and thought, word and deed, and so II think maybe highlighting even fill just the teaching of Jesus related to God's law when read the sermon on the Mount, what is Jesus. If you look at a woman to lust for her. You've already committed adultery in your heart, all of us are struck dead by the law of God, and that is why we need the gospel if if we if we have any hope for salvation for standing before a holy God. We need the gospel and your your friend.

This coworker needs the gospel in so reiterating, I think that just is just that the call that God gives us in his law, how all of us fall short of it, and how God is made a way for lawbreakers like each and every one of us to experience his grace and mercy through the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ and may the Lord again just give you the words as your opening up the Scriptures with this individual and may the Lord open his heart to what you have to say so well said thanks for that. I drew this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible of the Christian life maybe how your Christian walk intersects with what's happening in today's culture. There can be some times of difficulty and persecution. Maybe you're struggling with that in some way shape or form.

Would love to hear from you.

Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also want to mention a great resource we have one of the questions we often receive here at the core is about salvation people wondering have they lost their salvation. Are they really saved you are that the lady who had the question earlier, we have an excellent free resource for you on that topic. Yeah, I mean Bill. I was just mentioning you know might my own struggle is a newer believer in being told that I needed to be born again again and there's a lot of confusing teaching out there on this very subject and it's actually heartbreaking because instead of pointing people to the gospel and to the object of work of Christ it to help them have assurance at the a lot of times we point people in the wrong direction. And so this resource called nine ways to know you are really a Christian against him completely free, as is really helpful and especially if you're someone who wrestles with that question for yourself or you know somebody who wrestles with that questions get a hold of this this resource. It's it's a free download over core, Christianity.com/offers and we know that it will encourage you we really want you to live a Christian life. It's filled with confidence and enjoy not with doubt or fear, and this is a great resource for you.

Again, go to core Christianity.com/offers and download nine ways to know you are really a Christian. Let's go to voicemail that came in from one of our listeners. This is from Telus and and any like brand-new. I am still learning and one part I was struggling last about homosexuality. My best friend and that there is a and got married and they have children. I know the Bible in Leviticus man's sunlight way with man as he what a woman is not just for that timeframe. Why would it apply that now if he was just talking to those people back in that timeframe. Thank you for my three or so. I love listening and I'm learning a lot and I think I bless a Tollison man so encouraged to hear that you are a newer believer newer to the faith that you're growing a lot. So let me just pray for you as well just I'm just so encouraged father be with Tollison. Thank you so much for the work that you have done in her life and as she seeks.

You and draws near to you and Lord grows in her understanding of your word. I pray that you would just bless her fill her with your spirit. I pray that you would help her to understand your word, especially with some of these difficult questions Lord and she seeks to love and engage with family members and friends who don't necessarily embrace everything that the Bible teaches a pray that you would help you to do so graciously, Lord, but holding fast to what you teaching your word, and so would you. Would you be with her. What you bless her, would you cause her to continue to grow and mature in her faith, and I thank you Lord again for the work you've done her life in Jesus name, amen. Both of those prohibitions we see in the book of Leviticus with regard to homosexuality, gay and lesbian relationships are sometimes people say whether all sorts of prohibitions in Leviticus like don't eat shellfish and whatnot so you guys are contradicting yourselves when you say you you are against homosexuality or gay and lesbian relationships.

As Christians, but you're totally fine with eating shrimp and pork and and all these other things.

Well it's important that we we understand and differentiate between the kinds of law that are in the Bible there were some ceremonial laws related to the people of God under the old covenant that we no longer observant and some of those laws are our food laws laws related to worship. At least there in the temple to the cult if you will of Israel. But then, but then we have what we refer to as the moral law summarized in the 10 Commandments which is which is always binding which which impacts the way we think about relationships when we think about sex the way we think about marriage even and and that's also reiterated and in the New Testament. I mean, the apostle Paul in places like the book of Romans. In first Corinthians talks about gay and lesbian relationships in writing to the Corinthians. He says you some of you were gay and lesbian were in these homosexual relationships.

When Jesus called you but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and so these are not relationships that that the Bible permits you know this wasn't just something that was for people under the Old Testament, and now it it doesn't matter know God still does care about who were with and how we use our bodies and how we think about sex and sexuality, then I know that this is a really big question that so many people have, because we have friends and family members who are gay and lesbian. So what is that mean for us as Christians to engage with them.

What I would say look our culture today when it comes to the question of sexual identity and sexuality just very confused.

So many people wrap their identity up entirely in their sexuality. I am gay or I am lesbian or this is how I identify but but that's not what the Bible teaches that the core of who we are is not our sexuality is a part of who we are. So we need to recover. I think that that the biblical vision of the fact that we are all of us created in the image of God but we fall and have fallen in sin. This is this is the result of the fallen because of the fall we have these disorder desires. This is a struggle with sin with corruption that is very real, that feels in many respects Tollison very natural to us just it just feels natural for me to do this to want this to feel this way and so we have to. I think put that up against the word of God's will. What does God call me to because not everything that feels natural to me is necessarily something that is good and right and true or something that's in line with God's laws were called to follow Jesus and so we we fall in which is why we have and why people have these these disordered desires, but in Christ we can be restored, healed, now that doesn't mean that we we don't necessarily have those sinful desires anymore. I think all of us as believers know we still struggle with sinful desires.

Whatever those desires might be, but we confess them and turn to the Lord and seek God have mercy upon me, forgive me for the sins that I commit. But even for that. The things that I desire that are out of accord with your word and and so I think you know continue to have business relationships to to love your family members to love your friends and to hold fast to what the Bible teaches and that can create tension Dallas and and and so often it it doesn't mean Jesus is I didn't come to bring peace but a sword arm our belief in Jesus Christ. At times can and will create issues for us in our relationship and that doesn't mean that you're doing anything wrong.

Necessarily now, of course, you don't want to be just harsh and in abrasive and and just sort of router and used of the never calls to be rude and and and evil, but sometimes just just believing what the Bible teaches, and holding fast to what Christ says in his word and his law will will cause there to be separation, but I pray that for you and your relationship with with your loved ones that that there wouldn't be that that that you would continue to be able to grow in the relationship, but that they would also see your your love for Jesus, your conviction with regard to God's word and that they would be drawn to Christ by the grace of his spirit.

And so God bless you Tollison.

Thank you for forgiving us a call and continue growing in your walk with Jesus and I was thing about this, Israel Tollison mentioned she's a brand-new believers would love to send her a copy of the book core Christianity by Dr. Michael Horton.

That's the book that really founded this program was the impetus for this, a radio show, so Allison would like to send that to you as our gift to you as your exciting new walk with Christ that we think will be a big help to yourself and by the way on this topic of homosexuality, we have a free resource if you are interested in learning more about this. What the Bible has to say about gay and lesbian relationships. You can find it by going to our website. Core, Christianity.com look for 10 things everyone should know about the Bible and homosexuality. You can find that again.

Core, Christianity.com/downloads we do receive emails and voicemails here at core Christianity hears our phone number if you'd like to leave us a voicemail anytime, 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 our email address is questions at core, Christianity.com. Let's go to Chris who is calling in from Nashville, Tennessee. Chris what your question for atrial mom. I yeah hey Chris, thanks to that question. Super sanctified. I like that. I think that's it, were all working toward what we like. But the reality is we do, we do still struggle as I'm sure you know with sin every day. Your question is, can a person be saved but have no fruit in their lives. What will here and I think it's important that we we we say this at the outset right were not saved by our fruitfulness. It's not the fact that we are as saved as we are sanctified. If you will, or as justified as we are sanctified maybe would be a better way of of putting in. That's a struggle that a lot of people have Christians who have the question of assurance that their thinking well tonight I think I'm saved or trusted in Jesus.

I have a desire to be holy but II struggle with sin every day and so you know II feel more saved when I'm when I'm really being faithful in reading the Bible and then in that I feel less less saved when I'm when I think it is. That's an unhelpful way of looking at it but there are people who are deceived out there who you know who.

Maybe the justices have this nominal Christianity Christianity in name only, and they said a prayer. Perhaps when they were a little caterer at at some conference at some point where they asked Jesus into their heart, but they're not really trusting in Christ directly trusting themselves or worshiping any number of other things that the common idols of the day. Power, money, self really is self is the ultimate idol. I think today James said in James chapter 2 verse 14. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works can that faith save him for brother sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food and one of you says to them go in peace, be warmed and be filled without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that so also faith by itself, it does not have works, is dead and James are talking about a specific kind of faith, a lease under said historical faith is not truly trusting in Jesus Christ. It's a faith in name only. Like a Christianity in name only true faith in Jesus Christ does work but but here's what we have to be careful because even though the true faith in Jesus Christ does bear fruit.

Jesus is the one who bears fruit in and through us. Were not always going to feel that mostly Chris and life are knocking to feel super sanctified and as you draw near to Jesus in your own walk with the Lord, you know what happens is that you necessarily become more sinful. It just that you're more aware of this since you weren't aware of before and so you are you always have this growing awareness of your sin as you continue to draw near to God, which leads to more repentance, more confession and hopefully a greater appreciation of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ throughout your life but you never feel just super sanctified, like when I've I've got it all covered. I'm I'm just full of good works and perfect know as you draw near to Jesus, more and more you realize Lord man I used to do these things and III thought that they were A-OK but not realizing how selfish I was there or how I was trusting in myself and in the spirit of God sanctifies us over time and and and reveals to us those areas of our lives that need to be brought into submission to the Lord and that's that's for all of us. And so I would say for someone who struggling with these questions and in the wrestling with assurance, but they long to be holy.

They lay long to be faithful to the Lord with like man that the things I want to do. I don't do the things that I do are the things I don't want to do you know Paul's discussion of Romans chapter 7 it for that person. I want to say man cling to the gospel and rest in the gospel and continue to pursue Jesus, knowing that the Christian life is this battle in your group you're in it, hearing it, but you need to question that that God is for you and that he's saved you before the individual would you says but I trusted in Jesus and don't care about really. Of course I would say this, but this how they live right up trusted in Jesus would don't don't care at all about God's law, going to church yeah didn't know no real change in my life at all. On the way that I think in the way that I view sin is assertive.

I got this far ensures that person.

I would say whoa you know you take a step back and and and ask yourself the question of my trusting in Jesus or our might just try to use God as a ticket to heaven.

You know so that I can live. However I want and then die and and then I'm I'm good to go. There's a major misunderstanding there of the gospel that person probably needs to understand the gospel truly for the first time and so Chris, appreciate your question and so grateful for you and for the fact that you want to share Jesus with others. May the Lord bless you and cause you to continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

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