The Reformed Advisor

Category: Theology

How Can Christians Think Biblically About Price Gouging?

Posted on September 26, 2017 in Public Policy, Theology by

We are initially incensed at the idea of charging a higher price during an emergency. Any ethical human being naturally thinks that during an emergency we should be willing to help people in need by charging less, or giving goods away for free. But how do we think biblically about the pricing of goods during an emergency?

The Nashville Statement Reaffirms Biblical Doctrine. Why Are Christians Upset?

Posted on September 20, 2017 in Marriage, Sexuality, Theology by

What is mind-boggling to me is the number of self-professing Christians that are unhappy with the statement. I can understand lost people hating it, they hate the truth of God’s Word. Their mind and heart are ravaged by sin and under the influence of their inherent sin nature. As enemies of God (we are all born this way), they reject His authority and the clear principles for life given in Scripture. After all, darkness hates light. Darkness craves darkness to continue evil deeds that darkness loves. So when lost people react with vitriol to a biblical statement of orthodox Christian doctrine, it’s no surprise.

But I can’t figure out why Christians are so upset.

Joel Osteen, Social Media, and Hurricane Harvey – A Lesson in Truth

Posted on September 14, 2017 in Theology by

I’m not interested in speculating whether Lakewood Church was flooded or not. Nor am I interested in discussing whether Osteen should or should not open his church to flood victims. I don’t care if he posts a sign on the front door stating that he’s on vacation and will be back in month. For all I care, Joel and his wife can do a live broadcast from their boat in the Caribbean reminding everyone that if they just believe a little harder they can have their “best life now.” I truly am not interested in what Osteen does with his church building.

But a lot of people are interested. And that’s the problem.

Why Are Liberals Allowed to be Racist?

Posted on September 6, 2017 in Public Policy, Theology by

While protestors demanded the removal of Confederate statues across the country, many of the same people that find tremendous offensive in images of historical figures don’t seem to care much about the systemic racism from their own ranks. One glaring example of this is the almost unbelievable comment made by liberal news host Bill Maher.

One Way to Eliminate Racism: Disciple Your Kids

Posted on August 31, 2017 in Family, Theology by

This father, which seemed sincere, and sincerely heartbroken over his sons attitude and actions wants to make is clear that their family does not believe the same way. To emphasize this point the father wrote that his son has been disowned, uninvited to any family gatherings until he changes his ways. And the father specifically wanted everyone to know:

“We do not know specifically where he learned these beliefs. He did not learn them at home.”

This begs the question: where did he learn these beliefs?

God’s Sovereignty: A Misunderstood Doctrine that Answers Our Toughest Questions

Posted on August 23, 2017 in Theology by

That is a great place to start because it gives us a picture of exactly what it means to be sovereign and let’s us know that only God is capable of being sovereign. Since sovereignty entails absolute control over something, we need to first realize and understand that only God can be, or is sovereign.

We also need to understand that God’s sovereignty extends to everything that He has created. Practically speaking, this means that God has absolute authority and control over…everything. There is nothing outside of God’s scope of sovereignty. This means that every planet, every ocean, every animal, every human, and every atom in existence is under the ultimate and absolute authority and control of God.

Charlottesville: Thinking Biblically About Racism and Race-Based Violence

Posted on August 15, 2017 in Theology by

As Christians, we need to think biblically about this incident, and about racism in general. Before we do that, I want to point out a couple of things that are important for us to consider.

First, the people involved in this demonstration were young. It has been common to think that racists are old, outdated people that will soon die and take their evil ideas with them. But, the faces in the crowd in Charlottesville were young. I can only assume that their grandfathers are dead because, if they were alive, they would denounce their activity and remind them that they fought a world war because of racism.

Second, racism is a human thing. It’s not merely a white thing,

Pastor Says it is “Bordering on Heresy” to Pray for the President?

Posted on August 10, 2017 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom, Theology by

These comments were made on an MSNBC show by the pastor and NAACP leader much to the surprise of many that saw the photo as something to be encouraged by. After all, many presidents in history have asked for prayer for wisdom and courage during their time as president. Apparently Barber is not one of those that is encouraged.

I’m trying to figure out why a “pastor” is so vocally opposed to the world’s most powerful leader being prayed over by faith leaders. What could possibly be so offensive to a “pastor” about our president seeking and receiving spiritual direction? What am I missing about this image of the President of the United States and his Vice President seeking prayer and wisdom from God that is so problematic?

Do Innocent People Go to Hell? Of Course Not!

Posted on August 8, 2017 in Theology by

I have a friend that moved his family to Belize for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with the people there. One of the reasons he felt called to be there was that the people did not have a Bible in their native language. My friend wanted to go and help translate a Bible and use it to share the Gospel. People often comment about how incredible it is that my friend would make this decision.

But is it really a good thing?

R.C. Sproul is one of the world’s leading theologians, pastors, apologists, and evangelical authors. His podcast is listened to daily by people across the globe. His books are in house all over the world. He is a respected Christian that ahs dedicated his life to addressing the tough questions we often ask. Recently I was listening to one of his podcasts in which he was addressing the question of whether innocent people that have never heard the Gospel go to hell. Sproul says the question is loaded with presumptions, but the answer is very simple:

Here’s Some Verses Christians Need to Stop Taking Out of Context

Posted on August 3, 2017 in Theology by

The lost world often takes Scripture out of context in order to make it mean what they want it to mean. Verses are twisted and little to no exegesis is ever used in the effort to justify sin. This is completely understandable, as lost people do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them in understanding the Bible.

What about Christians that seem to do the same thing? How do we make sense of a professing Christian that holds to an unbiblical view or takes verses out of context? That’s a big conversation reserved for another day. For today, let’s focus on some of the most abused verses in the Bible and see if we can gain some clarity on their proper, contextual and biblical meaning.

Here’s a short list of some of the most misused, abused, and taken out of context verses in the Bible.

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