Why Try to Be Holy If God Alone Can Change My Heart?

Episode 590 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. Is it okay for a Christian to get a plastic surgery?  2. I've always been told that Jesus was God, but some Jehovah's witnesses showed me Philippians 2 where it says that Jesus didn't consider himself equal to God. Now I am doubting. How do I make sense of this passage? 3. If God's love is unconditional, why does he get so angry with Israel that he judges them by sending them into exile? 4.  I keep hearing competing ideas about sanctification. One side says it is just like justification: by grace alone through faith alone. The other side says we need to pursue it, and even though it ultimately depends on the Spirit, we still contribute something to the process. But if I contribute something, isn't this salvation by works? But if I don't need to pursue holiness, it sounds like it is optional. Can you help me sort this out? Can we pursue sanctification in a way that isn't trying to earn it by works? 5. In Numbers 21, God sends down the fiery serpents to bite the complaining Israelites. As I was reading, I thought to myself, does God get frustrated? Is frustration a sin? There is no sin in God and neither does He sin, I understand this, but how would one properly explain these passages in regard to His holiness? I see that Jesus uses this story in regards to looking to Him for salvation. Is this the reason this incident took place, just so Jesus would use it during His earthly ministry? Today's Offer How to Read the Bible (Bible-Study Workbook) Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core. Resources Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification by Sinclair B. Ferguson