The answer is yes. I have heard it said that it is impossible to love and hate at the same time. ((E.g., Cindy Davis, “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin,” http://whosoever.org/v6i6/cindy.html)) It may be difficult to feel opposite emotions simultaneously, because we are finite in our emotional capacity. However, it is perfectly possible to intellectually […]
Feeling the Love
I recently heard a sermon where the preacher repeatedly asked members of the audience if they felt close to God, if they felt saved. The thrust of the message seemed to be that people should feel a certain way. There were at least four problems with this appeal. First, it was difficult to know whether […]
The Tragedy of Post-Christian Culture; The Opportunity of Pre-Christian Culture
I do not remember the first time I heard someone say that Western society represents a post-Christian culture. If he was correct, then the West represents a tragedy. In Hebrews 6:6, the inspired writer ominously warns first-century Christians against falling away from the faith, and does so based on the tragic condition of one who […]
God’s Morality and Ours
One of the challenges to biblical morality, and one which has spurred much interesting discussion in values, is the so-called “Euthyphro dilemma,” which goes back to the Socratic dialogue called the Euthyphro. ((See Caleb Colley, “Why is Good Good?,” http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3601 (2010).)) The dilemma goes like this: Why is something good? Is it good (1) because […]
A Lesson from My Grandfather: “He Knows Better than That”
Not long ago I was talking with my grandfather, Gary Colley, about my concern regarding a preacher who was teaching something contrary to what the Bible teaches. Among other things, my grandfather said, “He knows better than that.” This insight seems simple on its face, but consider its deep significance: With this insight, my grandfather implied that […]