Episode 293 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. What does Paul mean in Romans 8:19–21 it sounds like he is saying that all creation will be saved but that can’t be right, can it? 2. We’ve recently had a handful of people show up to church that have recently been released from prison. I want to be sensitive to anything that could be triggering to them and really want to make sure they feel welcomed, but I know nothing about prison life or what inmates go through. I would love some general advice in this area. 3. In Romans 5:14, who are the people who did not sin? Who did not break the commands? Who is that referencing? 4.How do we take what we are learning in the Bible and keep it from becoming mere head knowledge?

Episode 292 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. How important is it that when we read Isaiah that we think in terms of double fulfillment? 2. Who was Isaiah, and what is a prophet? 3. How does Jesus apply the servant passages in Isaiah to himself?

Episode 291 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. Is there wisdom in reading other theologians who are outside of the Biblical view just for the sake of learning from them or should we be really hesitant or cautions to read people who are outside of the biblical view of the faith in certain things? I’m not sure if we should read to learn or generally just study what we know to be true. 2. Psalm 101 says, “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy.” Does this apply to gossip? What exactly is slander? 3. I have heard you talk about preaching through books of the Bible like Leviticus and Hebrews. What does it mean to preach through a book? I come from a tradition that emphasizes law-gospel preaching with set readings throughout the church year. How is preaching through a book different from what I have experienced? 4. What do you think makes for good worship music? What do you think worship leaders should think about when choosing songs? 5. Romans 3:11 says no one seeks God. Should this be taken literally? If so, how should I understand people who seem to be seeking God?

Episode 290 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I heard you talk about grace and about laws too. I’m wondering why you both didn’t talk about them in the same way. One of you landed more on grace. One of you landed on, “it’s the law too.” 2. My best friend has been one of the strongest Christians I’ve known for the past decade. She has really been through some extremely tough times and has always remained faithful. That is until now. She doesn’t curse God or anything, but she’s decided that his guidelines will no longer run her life. When I spoke with her about all of this, she had this to say: “I know Jesus promises trials for his church, I know it rains on the just and the unjust alike and I’ve accepted that long ago. But I wasn’t prepared for him to not be with me while I was in the thick of it. In the hardest season of my life, I cried out to him and prayed faithfully for what seemed like forever, and he had nothing to say in return. I feel completely abandoned and I’m done.” How do I help my friend? 3. Why are ministers the only people allowed to administer communion in certain churches? 4. How does the soul get out of the body? It doesn’t really say anything about it in the Bible. I was just wondering if you can explain that to me.

Episode 289 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I’m confused about the way the gospel should guide parenting. I know that I’m supposed to show grace, but I also worry about how to go about teaching my kids discipline. We have two boys, 6 and 8. My Dad was really firm, and I don’t think I want to be as firm as he was. He rarely hugged us or said that he cared. Thanks. 2. Is it normal to have a powerful conversion experience? What would you say to someone who grow up in church and can’t remember every being born again? 3. I’m really confused. How does God’s wrath fit with judgment, especially if he can save everyone? If God is loving, I don’t see how he can also have wrath. Please help. 4. In the book of Philippians Paul says that he came to consider everything as a loss for the sake of Christ. What about Christ did Paul see to come to this conclusion? 5. Sometimes people who love doctrine seem to have very little patience for people. And then there are Christians who seem to love people but don’t seem to care much about doctrine? Where is the balance? How should we think about loving doctrine and people?

Episode 288 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. My question is we often sing songs like great is thy faithfulness, praising God for never failing. But how do people know that God hasn’t failed. If people experience difficulties they say, “well Jesus said we would have to endure trials. Shall we accept good from his hand and not evil?” So, God not failing us is pretty bad. How would we know the difference if he was actually failing us? 2. I have heard you guys say that the atonement isn’t divine child abuse. Can you explain how God can be loving and yet sacrifice his son on the cross?

Episode 287 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. Why were Jesus’ disciples surprised that he had to die if Isaiah 53 clearly teaches that the Messiah would be a suffering servant? 2. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? A college professor brought this up in a class on Hebrew Bible but didn’t really explain it. He just told us that it had something to do with ancient near eastern kings, but I never heard any of this and was confused and would like to know what you guys think about the image of God in the book of Genesis. 3. In John 6.23 Jesus says that unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we have no life. I have a friend who is catholic, and she was telling me that they believe that they literally eat and drink the body and blood of Christ. I have never heard any one deal with this verse before and I would love to hear your perspective. 4. In Matthew 18 Jesus tells us to go through a process of trying to reconcile a relationship. My question is, does a person have to go through this process with someone who has been physically violent in the relationship? Does reconciliation in a physically violent relationships work the same way? 5. Is it a sin to skip church when you don’t feel up to going?

Episode 286 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I grew up in a very dysfunctional church. They encouraged “dancing like David danced”, prophesying, speaking in tongues, being “slain in the Spirit”, and that the purpose of going to church was to serve. I’ve learned the truth now, but it’s sad that I was a member of that church for 20 years. It’s been a challenge to un-learn those things. I’d really like to help my family and friends that still go to a church like that to learn the truth. Does God consider it sin to do those things in church? How do I help my family and friends that are still there really understand what God wants church to be like? 2. In whom or what are Israel and gentiles grafted into (Rom.11)? And what is its significance for the Christian life? 3. There are Christians who seem really opposed to creeds and confessions of the church, for example the Heidelberg and Westminster and Belgic. About a year ago I studied the Heidelberg Catechism and it was a life changing experience for me. And when sharing stuff from the Heidelberg catechism with some people that I know there seems to be hostility. There is an attitude of, “Ah Bible only, Scripture alone” And there seems to be a huge imbalance for us because Luther himself was all for catechism and confessional Christianity. Can you comment on the use of Creeds and confessions together with the church? Thank you so much, and honestly, I love your show. You guys have been such a blessing to me.

Episode 285 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. Why do you think we don’t see many miracles today? Is it a lack of faith? Is it because the church has become too institutionalized? 2. I struggle with many of the later Psalms in the 100’s that deal with joy and praise. I tend to identify more with psalms that express prayers of hope or psalms that question God. How can I learn to better feel a desire to praise God instead of just expressing my sadness or frustrations? 3. Can Christians learn anything from Jewish teachers? I know there are differences between us over Jesus being the messiah, but do you think they are good interpreters of the Old Testament? 4. Can a person be saved without ever hearing the gospel? How important is the gospel? What is the gospel, the kingdom of God?

Episode 284 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. You have pointed out the importance of listening to millennials. Often when people speak about difference among generations there are a lot of misconceptions. Why do you think listening is important?