Category Archives: Uncategorized

Posted on

Christians Have Two Commissions

Chuck Colson offers some important comments about an oft neglected theological truth: “A few years ago, I spoke to a gathering of pastors about engaging the cultural battles of the day. Afterward, the pastors had a lot of questions — but they were also a little confused. One confessed, “I’d never heard of the Cultural Commission, and will it interfere with fulfilling the Great Commission? Isn’t that our job — to win people to Christ?” That people still think this way left me momentarily speechless. “Of course we’re called to fulfill the Great Commission,” I replied. “We’re also called to fulfill the Cultural Commission.” Christians are agents of God’s saving grace — bringing others to Christ. But we are also agents of His common grace: We’re to sustain and renew His creation, defend the created institutions of family and society, and critique false worldviews.

 I saw this was an “Aha!” moment for some of the pastors. But the Scriptures are so clear. In Genesis, we’re told that for five days, God created the universe. On the sixth day, He created human beings — and ordered them to pick up where He left off. They were to reflect His image and have dominion, but from then on, the development of the creation would be primarily social and cultural: It would be the work humans performed as they obeyed God’s command to fill and subdue the earth. The same command binds Christians today. We bear children, plant crops, build cities, form governments, and create works of art. While sin corrupted God’s created order, it did not obliterate it. And when we are redeemed, we are both freed from sin and restored to do what God designed us to do: create culture.

Remember, every part of creation came from God’s hand, every part was drawn into the mutiny of humanity against God, and every part will someday be redeemed. This means we must care about all of life. In Colossians 1, Paul notes that “everything” was made by and for Christ, and that everything will be reconciled by Christ; it’s clear that Christians are saved not only from something (sin) but also to something (Christ’s lordship over all of life). This is why Christians must never limit themselves to evangelism alone or to the “feel good” church. We must not stand by while our culture is hijacked by alien philosophies hostile to the created order….” (read the rest)

In my latest book, I seek to apply this idea to our own cultural intersection as we seek to engage well.

Think Christianly with Jonathan Morrow
Posted on

Chuck Colson and others on the Theology of Christmas Carols and Other Good Stuff

Don’t get me wrong, Frosty has his place. But sometimes we miss out on and forget the richness of truth encoded into the truly great Christmas carols. Listen to a 2-part discussion with Chuck Colson, John Stonestreet, and T.M. Moore (click here to listen).

Also, here is John Mark Reynolds top 10 Christmas songs. Enjoy!

Think Christianly with Jonathan Morrow
Posted on

(Part 2) Answering the Toughest Questions About Homosexuality with Alan Shlemon

This week’s challenge: Is Homosexuality the Worst Sin of All?

This is part 2 of our ongoing series (new posts each wednesday) engaging tough questions about homosexuality with guest blogger Alan Shlemon. If you missed last week’s post and to get up to speed on why this series is important, click here.

Is Homosexuality the Worst Sin of All?

Christians define sin as “missing the mark.” It almost sounds cute. Kyle lied so he missed the mark…Oops. Katy gossiped…Shucks, that was wrong. Randy was prideful…Yikes, better stop that.

But homosexuality? Whoa! That’s more than missing the mark. That’s an abomination! Homosexuals aren’t just sinners. They’re revelers consummating their reprobate mind. Someone please cite one of the Levitical prohibitions against homosexuality (preferably Leviticus 20:13 since it includes the death penalty) and say it in the King James Version for rhetorical effect.
And Christians don’t just think homosexuality is the worst sin. We act like it too. Christians who rarely cite scripture suddenly invoke Bible verses when the topic comes up. We get uneasy when gay men come to church, but we gladly welcome post-abortive women.  We’ll move a lesbian who sits next to other females at youth group, but we won’t separate girls who gossip.
It’s no wonder the culture thinks Christians hate homosexuals. We give their behavior a unique status: the worst sin of all. And because homosexuals are committing the supreme evil, we treat them like pariahs.
As a result, not only do homosexuals think their sin is the worst, but they are the worst. They’re the chief of all sinners. That’s why our verbal antidotes like, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” are so ineffective. They only hear the word, “hate.”
We shouldn’t be surprised, then, when homosexuals get anxious around Christians. It shouldn’t shock us that they start their own denominations. These men and women still have spiritual yearnings, but because Christians keep them at arm’s length, they have no choice but to turn to churches with pro-gay theology that accept them.
Don’t get me wrong: homosexual behavior is a serious sin. I’m not trying to downplay the gravity of what they do. But the Bible doesn’t elevate its status above all other sins.
Although homosexual behavior was a capital crime under the Mosaic Law, so were blasphemy, false prophecy, adultery, bestiality, and many other sins. Under today’s New Testament teaching, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 places homosexuals among other sinners like thieves, drunks, swindlers, and fornicators. And 1 Timothy 1:8-11 lists them among liars, rebels, slave traders, and other sinners. There’s no special designation for any of these sins (although sexual sins are grouped together since they are sins “against the body” in 1 Corinthians 6:16-20).
Many homosexuals have come to Christ. But they didn’t do it because they believed their sin was the worst. Instead, they recognized their sin was an obstacle to fellowship with God. Making homosexuality the worst sin isn’t merely a peculiar theological mistake. It has practical ramifications that alienate men and women engaged in homosexual behavior. And it creates unnecessary offense to the gospel that’s already offensive.
Be sure to read Alan’s post last week that addressed the claim that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.
Think Christianly with Jonathan Morrow
Posted on

Christianity is not just about believing in Jesus

Before you get nervous, the key word in that claim is “just” (not just about getting in to heaven when we die). I’m convinced that if Christianity is actually true (and I think there are good reasons to think this), then it speaks to all of life. Here’s a short video where Chuck Colson unpacks this important concept on his weekly two-minute warning at breakpoint.

   

If you are looking to go deeper in exploring how all of life is connected and how our Christian worldview impacts all of life, then you will really enjoy my new book, Think Christianly: Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture. Chuck Colson was kind enough to provide this endorsement:

“As someone who has devoted many years of ministry to teaching Christian worldview. I am thrilled to see dynamic and faithful worldview leaders like Jonathan Morrow stepping to the fore. Think Christianly, in a compelling and accessible way, equips Christians young and old to engage the culture winsomely, intelligently, and with confidence.”

Are you ready to engage?

Think Christianly with Jonathan Morrow

Posted on

(Part 1) Answering the Toughest Questions About Homosexuality with Alan Shlemon

This week’s challenge: “Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, so he must not have thought it was a sin.”
From TV sitcoms, politics, and judicial rulings to Facebook conversations, Movies, and the classroom, people have questions about how Christians ought to think about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. What does the Bible actually say? Does making a moral claim on this issue make one a bigot? How do we respond to the tough questions, slogans, and soundbites which can lead to some awkward and uncomfortable conversations?
Many Christians want to have a helpful conversation about what they think is true in this area, but sometimes can’t find the words. That’s why I’m very excited to announce we will be launching a 12-part guest blog series that will provide brief, but substantive responses to challenges that often leave Christians speechless. (BTW – if you find these responses, please share them on Facebook and twitter so others can benefit).
I’ve asked my friend and apologist Alan Shlemon to take on these challenges each wednesday. Alan speaks nationally for Stand to Reason on controversial issues like Homosexuality, is the author of the Ambassadors Guide to Islam and contributed a chapter to Apologetics for a New Generation edited by Sean McDowell (if you missed Alan’s video responding to Zach Wahls’ case for gay marriage you can see it here).
To avoid any potential misunderstanding, let me be very clear from the outset; every human being is made in the image of God and worthy of respect and this includes people who hold different views than our own. Promoting true tolerance is treating others with respect while having candid conversations about questions that really matter. Also, we are all broken by sin and express that brokenness differently and all of us are in need of mercy and grace. So, you will see no self-righteousness here. The Gospel is good news for all of us. The goal of this blog series is to offer clear thinking on a challenging issue that people are passionate about and that has implications for both individuals and our society. Part of loving our neighbor well is caring enough to tell others what we think is true and why. With that said, let’s let Alan address this week’s challenge:
“Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, so he must not have thought it was a sin.”
I remember driving to a conference about homosexuality and seeing a line of protestors outside the building. A man was holding a large sign that read, “What Jesus said about homosexuality” and the rest was blank. The implication was obvious: since Jesus was silent on homosexuality, he must not have thought it’s wrong. It’s as if Jesus’ silence on the matter trumps all other considerations. Although that sign might have rhetorical power, there are a number of reasons why this argument doesn’t work.
First, it’s not certain that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality. The Gospel writers didn’t record everything that Jesus said – only what they thought was important to their audience. Indeed, most of what Jesus said (and did) was never written down. John 21:25 says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” It’s possible Jesus did talk about homosexuality, but the Gospel writers didn’t feel it was necessary to include it in their accounts.
Second, it’s clear what Jesus would have said about homosexuality if asked. Jesus was an observant Jew who, like all Jews living under the Old Covenant, was bound by the Mosaic Law. That’s why He often referenced it (e.g. Jesus references the two greatest commandments of the Law in Matthew 22:37, 39). Therefore, if He was asked what He thought about homosexuality, He would have cited the Levitical prohibitions (Leviticus 18:20 and 20:13) that unequivocally state that homosexual behavior is a sin.
Third, Jesus did not speak about every immoral behavior. Should we infer that drunkenness, child sacrifice, and neglecting the elderly are appropriate since Jesus never said anything about them either? That’s absurd. Jesus addressed moral issues as they arose in conversation with His disciples, the crowds, and his opponents. Since there were no gay pride parades or organizations defending homosexual behavior at the time, it’s reasonable that Jesus wouldn’t be prompted to address the issue. And as mentioned earlier, not every discussion was documented by the Gospel writers.
Fourth, the argument that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality presumes that the words of Jesus are more authoritative than the words of Scripture elsewhere. But it is the Holy Spirit – God Himself – who inspired all of the Bible, including epistles like Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Timothy where homosexuality is addressed. That means the black letters in the Bible are just as authoritative as the red letters. Moreover, Jesus and the Holy Spirit co-exist in the Godhead and have been in perfect and eternal communion from eternity past. Therefore, we can be confident that Jesus agrees with what the Holy Spirit revealed about moral issues in the Bible.