Tag: sin
Would Jesus Join Looters in the Street?
Posted on June 16, 2020 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
If Jesus overturned tables one time, does it mean He would join looters in the street today? Our nation is
What’s So Good About “Good Friday”?
Posted on April 19, 2019 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The streets must have been strange. The environment odd, as religious leaders walked with noses pointed into the air down the street as if to remind the people that radicals come and go, but they were there to stay. These arrogant hypocrites that knew the Scriptures better than most still had no idea what they’d done and what was coming. Judas knew. He realized quickly that he made a mistake. His sin was so heavy on his shoulders that he could only commit suicide. But the Pharisees were too proud, too arrogant, far too narcissistic for that. I can see them smiling smugly, proud of their accomplishment. All the while not knowing that while it was Friday…Sunday was coming.
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.
Christians Need to Think Differently About “Sexual Identity” and Equality
Posted on August 8, 2018 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
These are important words for Christians. Too often Christians sound like the culture around us when talking about our identity. As if we have any identity outside of Christ. We are not “American Christians,” or “African-American Christians.” Neither are we alcoholics, drug addicts, or homosexuals. We are simply Christians. To label ourselves with anything more than Christian is to hold up an idol before Christ and declare it our primary identity.
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…
The Nashville Statement Reaffirms Biblical Doctrine. Why Are Christians Upset?
Posted on September 20, 2017 in Marriage, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
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.
Charlottesville: Thinking Biblically About Racism and Race-Based Violence
Posted on August 15, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
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,
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:
Should a Christian School Refuse to let a Pregnant Student Take Part in Graduation? Maybe?
Posted on June 21, 2017 in Life by Nathan Cherry
First I want to say that I am thankful for Maddi’s decision to keep her baby. I would hope that in a Christian home this would be the case but we all know that it has not always turned out this way. The fact that this young lady will graduate high school and soon after give birth to her first child is a credit to her faith. I rejoice that the tiny life inside her will not be subjected to torture and death.
But the real issue here is not the fact that Maddi chose life.
Do Kids Really go to Heaven When They Die?
Posted on June 20, 2017 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
While we may have good intentions for our efforts to comfort grieving parents, Christians must make sure that their intentions, efforts, and words are based solely on Scripture. There is no real comfort in telling someone what cannot be supported by Scripture. So before we tell parents that their child is now in Heaven, we need to examine Scripture to determine whether that is true or not.
The traditional, somewhat historical position can be summed up in a statement by Sam Storms, writing at The Gospel Coalition, when he says: