Tag: grace
A Primer on God’s Justice and Mercy as It Relates to Predestination and Election
Posted on July 31, 2018 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The president had no obligation to exercise mercy and pardon any of the prisoner’s. Their crime is clear, their guilt is sure, and their punishment is just. But the president chose, of his own free will, to pardon a few prisoner’s. Now, let’s answer two crucial question to help us understand how this relates to predestination and election.
If I Get To Define Grace We Are All in Trouble
Posted on November 7, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In some ways, American Christians have bought into the false teaching that it’s important to feed their self-worth. We’ve become so caught up in making sure we love ourselves, and making sure everyone else does too, that we’ve created our own personal idol out of our self-worth. We end up projecting our idea of grace onto the church…
Why the “Ordo Solutis” is a Critical Doctrine to Understand
Posted on October 18, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The first order says that a person, of their own volition (though through the preaching of the Gospel), decides to have faith in Christ. This faith that a person decides to exercise is the catalyst for the entire salvation process. Once a person decides for him/herself to exercise this faith, repentance and regeneration follow and the salvation process commences and is completed.
The problem with this view is…
How Many “Gospels” Have You Heard?
Posted on July 19, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In a recent podcast I heard the speaker reference “the gospel of acceptance” and explain that some people are simply seeking a gospel in which they feel accepted. With so much division in our culture it’s easy to see how people could long for acceptance and place acceptance so high on their priority list that it becomes, essentially, a gospel.
As I listened to this podcast I realized that not only does every person alive live under some sort of religious ideology, but everyone is a champion for their own brand of gospel.
Have You Been Fooled By These 5 Myths of Reformed Theology?
Posted on June 7, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I appreciate an article by Michael Horton in which he helps to clear up some of the more common myths surrounding Reformed Theology. Horton is a well-respected theology professor and theologian that regularly blogs and discusses theological topics at his podcast, The White Horse Inn. Horton carefully discusses each of these myths and others in great detail in his work For Calvinism.
The above referenced article addresses five of the more common myths surrounding Reformed Theology in a quick, overview type format. The five myths that Horton addresses are:
Having Trouble with The Doctrine of Election? Start Here (Part 2)
Posted on May 10, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In these verses we come to understand that the will of man is bent on evil and rejection of God. There is no one that will, of his own free will, choose God (Rom. 3:10-19). In fact, the human will is so captive to sin that no man has any desire for God and prefers the darkness over the light (John 3:19). This means that the idea of free will is true. But it also means that if given a choice man will always choose sin, the darkness, and always choose to reject Christ.
When given the choice between sin and Christ, man will always choose sin.
Having Trouble with The Doctrine of Election? Start Here (Part 1)
Posted on May 9, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Regarding salvation God’s sovereignty is a critical aspect that is misunderstood by many Christians. Some choose to reject the biblical doctrine of election because, in their words, “it’s not fair.” But, as we will see, the doctrine of election and God’s sovereignty cannot be divorced.
Concerning election and God’s sovereignty, we understand that God freely elects some to saving faith in Jesus while others are destined for eternal destruction. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans this way:
Romans 9: Understanding Objections to Election and Making Sense of Paul’s Teaching
Posted on March 15, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
One of the biggest advantages of understanding the doctrine of election is that it makes sense of some of the most difficult passages in the Bible. Romans chapter 9 is no exception.
Romans chapter 9 is one of the most difficult passages in the Bible concerning election, salvation, and God’s purpose in it all. In this chapter we have a very difficult verse: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (v. 13). Making sense out of this verse is very difficult. How do we properly reconcile the God that loves all with a verse in the Bible that says God hated someone?
When taken as a stand-alone verse it doesn’t make much sense. That is proven by some of the terrible interpretations of the verse. Interpretations such as, “God loves the Jews but hates the Arabs.” Or, “God loved all the descendants of Jacob but hates all the descendants of Esau.” Or even, “God will bless the line of Jacob but will not bless the line of Esau.” All of these interpretations are wrong and do terrible violence to the text and its proper understanding.
When this verse is understood in proper context of the larger passage discussing God’s will, election, and salvation, it makes sense.
The Agony of Gethsemane: The Most Amazing and Terrifying Scene in the Bible
Posted on February 1, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In the entire Bible there is a single scene that is at once the most loving and most terrifying in all of Scripture. In fact, it’s the most painful scene in all of history. If we’re not careful, we will pass over this scene without fully considering its implications and appreciating its magnitude.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he demonstrated His obedience to the Father and His love for humanity in the most painful and terrifying way possible. Scripture records the scene for us:
Part 2: what Is the Church and What Does It Exist?
Posted on October 6, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Our entire culture is designed to attract us to something and sell something to us. Corporations spend billions of dollars to learn exactly the right words to make you buy their product. Marketing and advertising is a billion dollar industry centered around attracting and selling. From television, to the Internet, to billboards, you can’t go an hour without seeing an ad for something. When the church engages in these tactics, it cheapens grace in favor of enticements.
The church is the most expensive purchase in all of history. The bible tells us that Jesus bought the church “with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). The grace that has been poured out on the body of Christ is priceless. When we seek to entice people through the doors of our church with cheap attractions (like door prizes), we cheapen that priceless grace and the Gospel of Jesus.