Tag: love
Are You Sure You Want Christians to “Be More Like Jesus”?
Posted on August 22, 2018 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
These are just a few instances where Jesus “judged” that people had committed sin and clearly called them to stop sinning. Was Jesus being a hypocrite for telling people not to judge and then judging people Himself? Of course not. In fact, Jesus was showing us exactly how to judge other people.
The Feminist Worldview is Incompatible with Love Because It Is Selfish
Posted on January 4, 2018 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Welcome to modern feminism. In our feminist culture where men are evil and must be defeated, women are never to do anything that could be considered demeaning. Such things include: cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, any kind of housework, decorating (for holidays or otherwise), and a whole host of other terrible, awful jobs. Any of these things are “below women” and only serve to set women back decades.
Can Christians Support a National Travel Ban?
Posted on July 26, 2017 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
My first thought was, “how can Christians think biblically about this issue?”
As I conversed with Christians about this topic it was clear that many are in the same boat I am. We want to be biblical, we want to prioritize the Gospel, and we want to be loving to foreigners coming to America. But, we also want to protect our families and the lives of those around us from people that would seek to do harm.
Let’s establish some basic thoughts and then we can discuss the issue and hopefully come to some conclusions.
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:
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.
If Homosexuals Can Marry then a Mother and Son Should Be Allowed to Marry As Well
Posted on September 1, 2016 in Marriage, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
If you support homosexual “marriage,” you owe it to yourself to read what Matt Walsh says about a mother and son fighting for their right to “love” one another. All of the arguments used to defend and legitimize homosexual relationships and “marriage” are being used by the mother and son to defend and legitimize their incestuous relationship. And the things is: if you support the logic and reasoning used to defend homosexual “marriage” then you have no moral or legal ground to refuse to support incestuous relationships.
To prove that point, Walsh runs through the main arguments used to defend homosexual “marriage” and then applies them to incestuous relationships. Namely, he cites:
An NFL Player, Evangelist, and Pastor All Share Thoughts on the Transgender Issue. You Should Read Their Thoughts.
Posted on May 18, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
The transgender bathroom issue isn’t going away. Part of me wonders if it is a distraction to divert our attention from other critical issues facing our culture. But I also see this as an important issue in the gender identity battle; one that we can’t ignore or shrink away from.
Some notable voices have shared their thoughts on this issue. One of those notable voices is Baltimore Ravens Tight End Benjamin Watson. Watson is an outspoken Christian that is not afraid to share biblical truth on tough issues. The fact that he is a very public figure with a high-profile job makes his outspoken stance even more courageous.
Watson recently shared his thoughts on the transgender bathroom issue through a post on Facebook. (You can read the full post here.) Watson made a point that needs to be repeated over and over again. He lamented the fact that our society seems to be pushing us to simply accept the feelings of everyone, regardless of their validity or the truth of those feelings. He wrote:
Is Donald Trump What American Christians Deserve? Maybe?
Posted on April 6, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
If you didn’t know better, you would be convinced that a vast majority of evangelical Christians support Donald Trump for president. If you didn’t know better.
There is no doubt that the mainstream media is propping Donald Trump up in his bid to be elected president. No one says the crazy things Trump has said on the campaign trail and survives unless the media is helping. Liberal outlets even seem joyful in their reporting that “evangelical Christians” are lining up to support Trump. But is it true that evangelicals en masse are prepared to vote for Trump in this year’s election?
I don’t think so.
Yes, it’s true that Trump has secured (for now) a large part of the Christian vote. We could have a discussion on the difference between “self-identified Christian” and those that are truly Christ-followers, but I’ll save that for another time. For now let’s just agree that many church-going people intend to vote for Trump in November and that reality is causing a stir.
Never in my years of presidential elections have I witnessed so many prominent evangelicals vocally oppose a republican candidate. For the most part church leaders and other prominent evangelicals remain silent. Not because they don’t have opinions and prefer one candidate over another; but because they prefer to focus on the Gospel instead of politics. (That’s also another conversation.)
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.
Can A Christian Support Homosexuality and Same-Sex Relationships?
Posted on August 25, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
That’s a loaded question isn’t it? One that continues to be hotly debated in our culture and in the corners of churches across the country. It’s not like many of the other hotly debated theological questions because, unlike the millennium, the mode of baptism, and worship wars; this question carries eternal consequences.
Few of the theological discussions taking place today affect the eternal destination of a person. Consider, whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trip, your salvation is secure. Whether you believe in a literal millennial reign of Christ on earth or not in no way affects your salvation. And whether you were baptized three times forward, once backward, or with a bucket over the head doesn’t change your eternal destiny.
But that isn’t true for the question of homosexuality.
There is significant evidence that homosexuality is a moral sin to be repented of (Romans 1:26-28; Lev. 18:22; I Cor. 6:9-11; I Tim. 1:10). These verses, and others, indicate that homosexuality is a sin God finds offensive, an affront to His design for man and woman and marriage. That being the case, it stands to reason that only by repenting of homosexuality can a person be born-again and receive the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ proclaimed in the Gospel message.
If homosexuality is a sin then there is no way a professing Christian could support homosexuality or same-sex relationships.
Therein lies the problem.
It seems many Christians’ views on homosexuality are “evolving.” For example a well-known Christian counselor for Wheaton College recently resigned her position after revealing that she now supports homosexual relationships; a position she opposed just months before.