Tag: Christian
A Proper View of Sin is Needed When a Christian Leader Falls
Posted on June 30, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I am constantly curious by the reaction of Christians to the fall of a prominent Christian leader. Ranging from the “I knew that person would fall” to “my whole world is crashing down,” these reactions reveal our lack of understanding of the nature of sin and our susceptibility to it.
Recently I was listening to a podcast of Dr. R.C. Sproul on the total depravity of man and the nature of sin. This part of his teaching on the doctrines of grace and Reformed theology dealt with sin from an honest and biblical perspective. Dr. Sproul made a very poignant statement that Christians need to hear and understand. He said:
“There is no sin that a Christian is not capable of committing.”
This is a timely comment as many people become disillusioned by the fall of a Christian leader. If we become discouraged by the sin of another we are showing that we do not have a proper view of sin. If we believe for one minute that there is any person not capable of falling due to sin we are gravely mistaken.
Dr. Russell Moore recently wrote on how our response to the sin and fall of another is evidence of our misunderstanding of sin:
This Graph Will Tell You All You Need to Know About Religion in America
Posted on June 9, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The above graph is made from data compiled from 2001-2016 by Gallup Research. The information sheds a very bright light on the state of religion in America and why solid biblical teaching is desperately needed inside our churches.
The quick conclusion I came to after looking over the data is that Mormons have the most biblical views of any religious group represented by the data. In each category Mormons scored lowest when needed (on issues like abortion and homosexual relationships) and highest when needed (on the death penalty). That sad reality is disturbing.
Here’s Why I Cannot Support Transgender People in Their Lifestyle
Posted on May 11, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I’ve seen many posts on social media from friends and acquaintances asking Christians to be supportive and understanding of the trans community. They implore us to show “the love of Christ” to people by supporting their lifestyle. That is a sinful request. It would be the same as asking Christians to support abortionists, or drug addicts in their “lifestyle.” Christians cannot and must not support any sinful behavior, action, or lifestyle. It is neither compassionate nor loving to support sin. We don’t show Christ to people when we encourage their sin. We show people a false Gospel that is not of Jesus Christ and has no power to save people from their sins. If Christians want to be loving and compassionate then we must proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, which is repentance from sins, with grace and truth as we recognize that we are sinners as well.
Can someone point to a place in Scripture where Jesus supported and accepted someone’s sin? As I recall, each and every time Jesus encountered sin He told the person to “sin no more.” He acknowledged their sin, called out their sin, and told them to repent. That is the model and the example Christians must imitate.
The Evangelical Theology of Donald Trump…or…Lack Thereof.
Posted on April 20, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I’ve written several times about the concerning reality that any self-identified “evangelicals” are supporting Donald Trump for president. This curious truth says less about Trump and more about the people supporting him; especially the theology of those people.
Michael Horton is a brilliant scholar of biblical theology. He is a professor and author whose books are often used as text books in many college classes. Horton has penned an article analyzing the connection between Trump and his Christian following. In particular Horton highlights the theological implications behind the strong support for Trump from America’s believers.
After sharing a brief history of the shallow extent of Trumps religious upbringing in a controversial church setting, Horton recounts the support from well-known evangelical sources:
Is Voting for “The Lesser of Two Evils” a Biblical Position for Christians?
Posted on March 23, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Is it appropriate for Christians to vote for the “lesser of two evils” in an election where there is not a good candidate?
I was in a discussion with some friends recently in which the question was raised of who Christians should vote for if the candidate choices were Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. On one hand, Clinton is pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” and pro- many other things that Christians oppose. She is not a fit candidate for any Christian to support.
But on the other hand is Donald Trump. Trump claims to be a Christian but says he has never asked God for forgiveness and doesn’t need to, he is belligerent, insulting, and proud of his own sins. His brand of “Christian” is false and has the potential to drive people away from Jesus rather than to Him. Overall he is not an expression of Christianity or an example of Christ that a Christian should endorse.
The conversation turned to the idea of voting for the “lesser of two evils” and it was quickly decided that Trump is that choice. This bothered me. I knew I could not vote for Trump just because he was a little less “evil” than Clinton but I wasn’t sure how to articulate why. Then I read an article by Dr. Albert Mohler on the subject and it made perfect sense.
Some Worthwhile Christian Opinions on Donald Trump. And Why He is Not a “Christian Candidate”
Posted on March 16, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Donald Trump seems to be eliciting a reaction from nearly everyone with his presidential campaign. Some are energized by the un-politician and his blunt remarks. Others are angry over what they believe are racist, bigoted, xenophobic statements. And still others, like Pastor Max Lucado and well-known Christian media outlet The Christian Post are so incensed that they have broken political silence to denounce Trump.
Max Lucado has been a fixture of Christian culture for decades. I grew up reading his books and being inspired by his ability to paint word pictures from the biblical text. And though Lucado has written millions of words in his books, he has remained silent during presidential campaigns; refusing to endorse or condemn any candidate. Until now.
Likewise, The Christian Post has been a go-to resource for many people of faith for many years on all things religious. The Christian Post has never taken a position on a presidential candidate; even though many criticized their silence. All that has changed as The Christian Post makes it clear who they will not be supporting in this year’s election.
So why would two icons of Christian culture break their long-standing tradition of not endorsing or condemning a presidential candidate now? After all, President Obama ran for re-election; isn’t that enough to warrant an op-ed? What is it about Trump that has caused even the most reserved and controlled of Christian media outlets to break their silence?
I believe it is the mass support by self-identified “evangelical Christians” for Trump that has both Lucado and The Christian Post concerned. Specifically it is the concern that people outside of faith in Jesus Christ will conclude that all Christians are like Trump. This is particularly troubling given many of Trump’s claims. The Christian Post says:
If You’re a Christian and Supporting Donald Trump: Read This
Posted on March 2, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I liked watching the Celebrity Apprentice. I thought it was fun to watch these celebrities get told off by Donald Trump because I was pretty sure most of them hated him and would be the first to break a bottle over his head in a bar fight. So of course it made for entertaining television; come on, you were just as intrigued by Dennis Rodman as I was.
However, watching Trump rise politically has been the most confusing and bewildering experience. How can a man say the things Trump says and still be in the race? I’ve seen local politicians be mercilessly attacked and forced from office for less. (I have a theory that the media secretly wants Trump elected, but I’ll save that for another time.)
I’ve been voting for many years and am generally enthused in some way to go to the polls and cast my vote. However, my biggest fear is that when I step into that ballot box in 2016 that I will be faced with the choice between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders for President. If that is the choice we may see more write-in ballots this year than any election in history. (Don’t be afraid to write my name in there, I’ll go to Washington for you.)
The reason I say this article is for Christians supporting Trump is two-fold:
How Would 1.5 BILLION Dollars Change Your Life? It Might Ruin It!
Posted on January 20, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I can’t help but wonder how many of my Christian friends have decided to “just buy one” in hopes of winning. No doubt it is with the promise that they will tithe and feed a small nation that they justify their purchase of what they hope will be a life-changing ticket. (Cue “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
While we dream of how large sums of money would change our life we need to come face to face with the reality that at times our dreams are full of envy and idolatry; and we lack faith and thankfulness. This is easily seen in the definition of “large sums of money” from one country to the next. As people cross our borders in hopes of making $30,000 a year working I am reminded that there is a family living in a tent in Haiti.
I was further convicted of my own selfish greed by John Piper’s blog post entitled “7 Reasons Not to Play the Lottery.”
Piper, speaking to both Christians and people in general (which is presumably why he did not title his post “7 Reasons Christians Should Not Play the Lottery”), lays out a case for being wise stewards of all that we’ve been given. More than that he argues that the lottery is enabling poverty and keeping people from growing out of poverty. Some of his reasons include:
She Claims to be a Christian, Minister, AND a Planned Parenthood Volunteer
Posted on January 5, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
I’ve almost come to the conclusion that nothing is shocking anymore. In a world where people get paid obscene amounts of money to sing, act, or play sports while the people educating our kids struggle to get by. It’s hard to fathom too much that would be shocking.
For that matter, we live in a world where our government works hard to protect plants and animals while they endorse the whole-sale murder of unborn children. So I say once again that it seems we are living a time when nothing can shock us.
Then I ran across this gem of a story.
Methodist Minister: I Help Women Get Abortions at Planned Parenthood Because I’m a Christian
Emma Akpan is a self-identified Christian, minister, and Planned Parenthood volunteer. She says that helping women at Planned Parenthood to kill their unborn children is something she does “because of my faith.” She recently said:
True Love is NOT About Feelings or Emotions – Anna Duggar Understands That
Posted on December 23, 2015 in Marriage, Theology by Nathan Cherry
What strikes me about her comment is her realization that her emotions were not trustworthy. Anna seems to recognize that true love is not about feelings but choices. In our current culture love is an emotion. It’s something people feel, and, therefore, can un-feel. So it’s no surprise that people fall into and out of love. But this show a misunderstanding of what true love is. The reality is that love is a verb. Love is the decisions we make each and every day.
Anna is right that what she is going through is a betrayal, and it’s hard. But she is also correct in that if she were to react according to her emotions she would surely make a “mess” into a “disaster.” So often people turn a mess, a fixable mess that could be overcome, into a disaster. Often that disaster is permanent and cannot be overcome. They do this by reacting emotionally rather than making choices consistent with a proper understanding of love.
Let’s use this example to illustrate what I’m talking about.