Archives For Theology

October 26, 2012

Is it True that Jesus Never Addressed Homosexuality?

by Mike Riccardi

HomosexualityA couple of months ago, I began responding to a couple of popular arguments for why some believe that homosexuality is reconcilable with Christianity. My hope was (and still is) that I might be able to serve those who are mistaken in this regard by helping them to see that faith in Jesus and His Word cannot be reconciled with attempts to legitimize homosexuality. I had addressed the semi-sarcastic objection that we as Christians are inconsistent in condemning homosexuality on the basis of the Levitical law, since we don’t also condemn eating shellfish and mixing fabrics. I also addressed the objection that in condemning homosexuality Christians are being unloving—getting caught up in the details while forgetting that our cardinal Christian virtue is love. If you haven’t read those, I hope you will.

But today I want to address another popular argument for reconciling homosexuality with true Christianity. And that is the objection that Jesus Himself never said a word about homosexuality. Those who make this argument grant that Paul condemned it as sinful (Rom 1:26–27; 1 Cor 6:9–10; 1 Tim 1:9–10). But the sentiment behind this objection is that Paul had corrupted the way of life and the ideology that Jesus came to propagate, and that Jesus would have been “loving” and “accepting” of homosexuals, just as they are.

But is it true that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality?

Continue Reading…

in Evangelicalism, Theology with 32 Comments
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October 11, 2012

The ‘Gospel’ According to Rome

by Nathan Busenitz

In Romans 11:6, Paul says of salvation, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”

rosaryBy contrast, Roman Catholicism finds itself in the impossible position of advocating a gospel in which salvation is offered both by grace and also on the basis of works. The Catholic church promotes a synergistic sacramental soteriology in which human good works, along with God’s grace, contribute to the sinner’s justification.

This is in distinct contrast to the evangelical understanding of the gospel, in which salvation is received by grace through faith alone.

Despite the eccumenical efforts of some, the difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestant Evangelicalism is one of substance not merely semantics.

Today’s post is intended as a summary of Roman Catholic teaching with regard to the essence of the gospel (in order to demonstrate how it strays from the biblical message of salvation). Catholic sources are included under each of the following points.

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I. According to Rome, salvation is not by grace through faith alone; it does not come through the sole imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner.

Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9: “If anyone says, that by faith alone the impious is justified . . . let him be anathema.”

Council of Trent, Canon 11: “If anyone says that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ or by the sole remission of sins, excluding grace and charity which is poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit and inheres in them, or also that the grace which justifies us is only the favor of God, let him be anathema.” Continue Reading…

in Apologetics, Theology with 11 Comments
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August 20, 2012

Is God Always in Control?

by Clint Archer

A previous post, God’s prescience and providence in the Petra Anderson incident, begat an interesting insight from a commenter, who admitted…

If God planned the path of the bullet that didn’t kill Petra, then He planned the paths of the bullets that DID kill the other twelve. Not so comforting a thought to me.

This is a very important insight. We love to highlight God’s sovereign control over every detail, when extraordinary deliverances occur. But what about all the many times rescue from danger is not supplied? Tsunamis, earthquakes, crime incidents, epidemic diseases, political turmoil, car accidents…the list on this sin-cursed planet is literally unending.

Is God still in perfect control in those situations?

The Bible’s answer is unequivocally YES!

remote2God is never asleep at the wheel of His creation. He never overlooks a detail, misses a beat, or leaves events to chance. He is on His throne, ruling His kingdom with absolute authority. So when “bad things” happen, we need to filter them through the grid of acknowledging that God is not only in control but that He is good.

Here are some verses that demonstrate this biblical teaching:

Continue Reading…

in Theology with 12 Comments
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August 16, 2012

First Corinthians 6 and the Lordship Debate

by Matt Waymeyer

MacArthur BookOne of the most significant theological debates over the last several decades has been the controversy over “lordship salvation.” Central to this debate is the question of whether or not obedience to God is an inevitable fruit of genuine conversion. In the preface to The Gospel According to Jesus—the 1988 book that brought the lordship controversy to a new level—lordship advocate John MacArthur wrote:

I have never taught that some pre-salvation works of righteousness are necessary to or part of salvation. But I do believe without apology that real salvation cannot, and will not, fail to produce works of righteousness in the life of a true believer. There are no human works in the saving act, but God’s work of salvation includes a change of intent, will, desire, and attitude that inevitably produces the fruit of the Spirit.

This belief that regeneration inevitably results in a spiritually transformed life is one of the main tenets of lordship salvation. In contrast, many opponents of the lordship view have denied that good works are an inevitable result of conversion. For example, according to the late Zane Hodges—founder of the more radical form of non-lordship teaching known as “Free Grace” (hereafter FG)—the idea that “faith inevitably produces good works” is “a theological construct which cannot be established from the Bible.” Elsewhere Hodges writes, “How strange that in our day and time we have been told so often that fruitlessness is a sure sign that a person is unsaved. Certainly we did not get this idea from the Bible.” According to Hodges and other FG teachers, it is hypothetically possible for an individual to believe in Christ and yet show forth absolutely no fruit in terms of obedience to God or love for Christ. Put another way, they believe in a regeneration which may or may not result in a visibly changed life.   Continue Reading…

in Theology with 9 Comments
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August 15, 2012

Can Christians vote for a Mormon?

by Jesse Johnson

The Republican Party’s candidate for President this year has produced a bumper crop of this question: “Can Christians vote for a Mormon?” The short answer is “yes” but I want to fill that out a bit more. First, the disclaimers:

voting-booths-in-polling-place-

Disclaimer #1) I am addressing this question generically, and not specifically implying that you should vote for one candidate over another. I am not concerned about who you vote for as much as I am about how you think about what voting means. The Middle-Eastern world where Imams tell their people whom to vote for is not a step forward for religious freedom.

Disclaimer #2) The teachings of Mormonism are not compatible with the biblical gospel. The Jesus of Mormonism is not the Jesus of the New Testament, and Mormonism is essentially a works-righteousness way of relating to God. A person who believes what Mormons believe is alienated from God, and in need of the gospel. So don’t interpret anything I write below as compromising those basic truths.

With that said, here are three reasons why it is acceptable for Christians to vote for non-Christians for political office:

Continue Reading…

in Theology with 63 Comments
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August 14, 2012

Against a “Christian Government”

by Jesse Johnson

church stateA central tenet of a baptistic world view is the separation of church and state. While many denominational forms of Christianity are more than comfortable with a church/state partnership, Baptists have learned (often the hard way) through church history that when the government and the religion are friends, that friendship usually begets the suppression of religious freedom, which begets persecution of those that believe the only faith which is pleasing to God is faith that comes from the free exercise of religion. In short, even Christian governments eventually persecute Baptists.

Thus, if given the choice between living under a deist’s democracy or a Christian’s dictatorship, the United States in 1800 is to be preferred over Constantinople in 330. If people are born alienated from God, then even those born to Christian parents need to be reconciled to God. That reconciliation comes only by grace, through faith. The act of regeneration is a mystery, but it comes through the preaching of the word, produces repentance, and results in a changed will. Thus the only kind of faith that saves is the kind of faith that changes the will.

Continue Reading…

in Theology with 24 Comments
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