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June 2019

"Christians are Bigots"

Visitor
Christians are bigots. They tell gay people that their very identity is unnatural and that they should not live their lives based on their sexuality.

Response
Christians believe all people without exception are under the wrath of God for their sin, not just homosexuals. So no one is being singled out here. We were all born in sin. Which is why we must be born again. So when Christians declare homosexuality sinful it is no different than if they say fornication or adultery is sinful. All are summoned to come to Christ to be liberated from the guilt and power of sin. We all desperately need Christ. I am no better than someone who self identifies as a gay person and definitely do not deserve heaven more than he does.

Visitor
Other ‘sins’ are choices, you can choose adultery, fornication, murder, etc. Homosexuality is not a choice. These don’t even get a rating in the supposed 7 detestable sins. ( Proverbs 6:16-19). Live and let live, be accepting, loving and compassionate to everyone regardless.

Response
May I ask, can human beings be sinless? If not, why not? The reason is that no one can choose to live a sinless life. We are ALL born in bondage to a sinful condition we cannot deliver ourselves out of. We were all "born this way" which is why we all must be born again. Though our sins may differ, none of us are are any different than gay people in our condition. We are all sinners by nature, and that is WHY we need grace.

I would encourage you to do some self reflection to see whether it is possible to be sinless for human beings. If not, then you ought to rethink your above analysis.

What is the Sinner's Initial Repentance?

Does Christ require the sinner to "stop sinning and you'll be pardoned"?, or something else?

When you trust in Christ for the first time, you are trusting in Him as a Savior FROM SIN, both its guilt and power. No one "just believes" in Christ's existence to be saved; we come to him, rather, to be rescued from sin's tyranny. We know we can do nothing to save ourselves from sin so we (by the grace of God) turn to Christ to be rescued from it. This demonstrates, without a doubt, that at the time you trust Christ you no longer want to be under sin's tyranny or dominion but want Christ to deliver you from it.

So in our initial repentance we are not called to "stop sinning and you'll be pardoned." No, rather its "Lord. I am a slave to sin, save me and break the chains of my sin and forgive. I have no hope without you" Thus, to want to be saved by Christ from sin already reveals a heart of repentance in it. Otherwise you would not want to be saved at all.

If you see faith as merely a belief in God's existence then YES faith precedes repentance, but if you define faith as trusting in Christ as Savior from sin, then while faith and repentance can be distinguished, they cannot be separated.

Consider: For what purpose are you coming to faith in Jesus if not to be rescued from sin?

NOTE: Christ intended to pardon us prior to both our faith and repentance, so neither faith nor repentance are actually the originating cause of our pardon. Pardon was purchased in Christ's redemption for us. The application of our redemption is when the Holy Spirit brings us into union with Christ's death and resurrection. He regenerates us, our faith and repentance springs from our renewed heart which issues from God's grace alone.

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7 Reasons Grace Will Never Be Overthrown in the Believer

by Jonathan Edwards

Where [grace] does truly exist in the heart, all its enemies cannot destroy it, and all the opposition made against it cannot crush it. It endures all things, and stands all shocks, and remains notwithstanding all opposers. And the reason of this may be seen in these two things:

Myth: Christians Think They are Better Than You

It is a myth that Christians think they are good people, entitled to sit in judgment over others because they are morally superior. On the contrary, a true Christian knows with certainty they are NOT good, that they are no better than anyone else... that they are rebel sinners who justly deserve God's wrath ... and that's why they need a merciful Savior who, in spite of themselves, forgives them, adopts them as His children and gives them a seat at His table.

So if a Christian points out that you need a Savior, it isn't because he hates you, or thinks he is better. No, it's because he loves you and is just like you. He shares a common humanity with you and is a sinner like you and wants you to know God's love and forgiveness in Christ.

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OBJECTION

We are better than the world we are children if God, we are a royal Priesthood we can come boldly to his throne, we have been made righteous we have been cleanse we have been given a new heart a new nature, we have been given the Holy Spirit, we are now called saints, we are set apart for a great purpose, we now know the mind of God through Christ because he reveled himself through him, a son is better than a slave, not because we chose him but because he chose us. God has called us to be a light and guide for them to our father, and invite them to know Him fear him, to honor Him, Respect Him. We fall short of his glory yes but we have been given a real hope we are Harold’s of the the good news. Christian never deny the titles and the blessings And the identities that Christ has given his children, never be ashamed of being adopted by your father.

ANSWER

Pluralism as Dogma

by Tim Keller & Charles Garland

About every other week, I confront popular pluralist notions that have become a large part of the way Americans think. For example, pluralists contend that no one religion can know the fullness of spiritual truth, therefore all religions are valid. But while it is good to acknowledge our limitations, this statement is itself a strong assertion about the nature of spiritual truth. A common analogy is often cited to get the point across which I am sure you have heard — several blind men trying to describe an elephant. One feels the tail and reports that an elephant is thin like a snake. Another feels a leg and claims it is thick like a tree. Another touches its side and reports the elephant is a wall. This is supposed to represent how the various religions only understand part of God, while no one can truly see the whole picture. To claim full knowledge of God, pluralists contend, is arrogance. When I occasionally describe this parable, and I can almost see the people nodding their heads in agreement.

Recommended Expositions on Romans (MP3 Format)

The following are some expositons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans that we highly recommend.

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Exposition of Romans, 6-16 (MP3 Sermon Series)
by Voddie Baucham

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Edward Donnelly

Expositon of Romans (audio series)
by R. C. Sproul

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Thomas R. Schreiner

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Steven Lawson

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by William Still

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by Eric Alexander

Exposition of Romans (MP3 Series)
by J. V. Fesko

The Secularist Dilemma

Modern society tends to be deeply incoherent. On the one hand our culture demands justice for the oppressed and impartial benevolence toward all. On the other hand it teaches that no one has the right to declare right and wrong to anyone else, as secularism asserts that every person must determine his or her own moral values. This is cognitive dissonance. It demands moral behavior of others and yet insists morality is relative. The idea undermines itself. The promotion of universal justice, human rights, self-sacrifice, a commitment to human dignity and considering the poor can only coherently make sense in a world where morality is objective and whose source is God.

But the inconsistency does not end there. Their view of the world also forces them to pretend in many other areas as well.

----The Secularist Dilemma ---
There is no meaning, but let's pretend there is.
There is not objective morality, but let's pretend there is.
There are no voluntary choices, but lets pretend there are. (since choices are hardwired)

The Christian view makes more sense of the real world we live in because we do not have to pretend thee is meaning, morality and real choices. The reason there appears to be objective morality, meaning, logic, responsibility, and coherence is because there actually are such objective things in reality.

June 2019

by Jonathan Edwards

by Tim Keller & Charles Garland

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