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Tag Archives: Scripture

“Just repent.”

12 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by David L. Gill in Personal, Scripture, Theology

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

emotions, experience, friendship, repentance, Scripture, sexuality

“Just repent.”

The assumption seems to be that attraction is the same as lust. Feeling attraction for someone of the same gender must be lust, right? In fact, some of these comments from others seem to indicate that they themselves feel that if they (as a straight man, for example) were to feel attraction to a woman that it would undoubtedly be classified as “lust.”

Really? Is that really the sort of men and women which populate the Church? Have we created men and women who have no idea how to understand love apart from sex, affection apart from marriage, and attraction apart from dating? Continue reading →

A Consideration of Struggle

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by David L. Gill in Christianity, Personal, Theology

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

emotions, experience, friendship, Gospel, homosexuality, loneliness, Romans, Scripture, sexual sin, sexuality, sin, temptation, witnessing

A couple of days ago, one of my classmates sent me a PM through Twitter, asking me my thoughts about Andrew Wilson’s recent piece for ThinkTheology. We PMed back and forth on the subject, but as I was at work (sorry, boss), I couldn’t think it through as it deserved. Now seemed like a good time.

Continue reading →

Why are scary movies scary?

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

experience, fear, final judgment, horror films, imago Dei, judgment, Phantom of the Opera, Reformed Theology, Scripture

And now, for something completely different…

Someone brought my attention to this video…I found it very interesting and wanted to make some brief comments on it.


So, I think something else could be added. Why exactly do people fear the aliens coming and exercising retribution for all the things we’ve done wrong?

The short answer is, that sort of judgment-scenario is evidence of the imago Dei; the stamp or image of our Creator. We understand “doing wrong,” even if we try to rationalize it away…and while we want other bad people to get what’s coming to them, we fear getting what’s coming to ourselves.

So really, scary movies are scary, at least in part, because we fear God’s judgment on some basement-level in our being.

Far-fetched? Thoughts?

PS: How does something like Phantom of the Opera work? It takes place in a city. Or does it? I mean, the basement of the opera house isn’t exactly an urban setting…maybe it’s the surrogate wilderness!

Lon Chaney, Sr., and Mary Philbin in the 1925 Phantom film. Yes, 1925--not the 1929 remake. I know my screenshots when I see them.

Lon Chaney, Sr., and Mary Philbin in the 1925 Phantom film. Yes, 1925–not the 1929 remake. I know my screenshots when I see them.

Patrick Henry College

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Christianity, Politics

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Tags

christian circles, conservatism, patrick henry college, religion, Scripture, sexuality

A friend of mine posted up a link to the latest to come from Patrick Henry College. You can read about it here, but the gist of it is this:

Patrick Henry College in Loudoun County is among the country’s most conservatives centers of higher learning. The Christian college is so conservative, in fact, that its founder and chancellor recently rejected the possibility that any gay students might even attend, reports the Loudoun Times:

Gay students at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville don’t exist. They can’t exist. 

So says Dr. Michael Farris, the college’s founder and chancellor.

It’s simple, really. Homosexuals can’t exist at Patrick Henry College because the students sign an honor code, Farris claimed.

“[Homosexuals] could not sign our honor code,” Farris said, adding that he considers the actions of gay men and women “sinful.”

“Part of the honor code is to be sexually pure,” he added.

The honor code in question (available from their website) states:

We, the students of Patrick Henry College, fully aware of our daily dependence on the grace of God, commit to set ourselves apart in thought, word, and deed, to honor Jesus Christ, and to love our neighbor.  We passionately aspire to live our best for the Lord by conducting ourselves in the spirit of Titus 2:11-12:  “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”

Therefore, I pledge, by the grace of God, to submit to proper authorities, to be honest, to respect the property of others, and to speak edifying words.  I will refrain from using any substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, in any way prohibited by proper authority such as the government, church, family, or school.  I will reserve sexual activity for marriage, shun sexually explicit material, and seek parental counsel when pursuing a romantic relationship.  Finally, I will seek biblical resolution and reconciliation in my conflicts.  I pledge to hold my fellow students accountable to these principles and ask that they do the same for me, in order that Jesus Christ might be honored and glorified.

Now, let’s be fair to the chancellor. In conservative Christian circles, being gay means having multiple partners, sleeping around, no marriage vows to secure a place in the bed of the person you’re sleeping with (by default, of course). And, given the way many (though certainly not all) activist and parade-gay types have acted, this is sort of understandable. The mores in question are not held in common and this creates repulsion and aversion.

Continue reading →

Does this follow?

07 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Politics, Scripture, Theology

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Gospel, homosexuality, Scripture, sexuality, theology

I was reading an NPR article where the following two paragraphs can be read:

Chambers also believes that homosexual acts are a sin because the Bible calls for heterosexual marriage. He says gay Christians must either be celibate, or if they want to marry, it must be with someone of the opposite sex. But he says even if you are in a gay relationship, you can still be a good Christian.

“I believe that once someone knows Christ that they have an irrevocable relationship, that if someone has a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, that God’s bigger than removing something at the first sign of trouble,” Chambers says, referring to salvation.

Now, having “an irrevocable relationship” is NOT the same thing as being “in a gay relationship [while being] a good Christian,” as the article asserts. Maybe Chambers said this in the actual interview, but in terms of this NPR article, I’m not certain Chambers should be judged on a summary comment written by a (most-likely) non-theological writer.

Continue reading →

Exodus’ Leadership and Gagnon’s Response

01 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Christianity, Politics, Theology

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Alan Chambers, Gospel, homosexuality, repentance, Robert Gagnon, Scripture, sexual sin, sexuality, temptation, theology

Something for your consideration. I’ll have up an analysis by Tuesday, but I thought I’d let my readers hit the ground running.

Alan Chambers’ interview in The Atlantic

Robert Gagnon’s lengthy response

At the present time, I have only read the first link of the two. Gagnon’s article is on my slate for this afternoon since I’m leading worship this morning and need to get going.

Gospel Ministry in a Less-than-awesome Environment

03 Thursday May 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Personal, Theology

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Tags

church discipline, experience, Gospel, leadership, prayer, relationships, repentance, Scripture, teaching, theology

In light of my previous post about an abusive church environment, at least one person has rightly pointed out that no one forced me to stay as long as I did. One of the reasons I stayed as long as I did was that there was work to do for the sake of the Gospel…and most of the work, I did alongside the very people who didn’t particularly want me there. But they, and I, wanted to see the Gospel go forth. They and I are creatures of inconsistency, and I have at least as many idols as most people–but probably more. Continue reading →

Savagery

30 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Uncategorized

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Tags

Dan Savage, false teaching, homosexuality, politics, repentance, Scripture

Savagery, \ˈsa-vij-rē\, noun.  An act of cruelty or violence.

Dan Savage made some comments recently which posted to YouTube. Certainly, as an American, he has the right to say whatever he pleases under the first amendment. He has issued what may be considered by many to be an apology subsequent to the public outcry against his posture to religion and adherents thereof.

Continue reading →

On Loneliness and Training to Be a Pastor

29 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by David L. Gill in Personal, Theology

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

depression, divine agenda, Gospel, homosexuality, insecurity, loneliness, old testament, Scripture, sexuality, temptation, theology

In his book The Mission of God, Christopher Wright discusses the knowledge of God that Israel had in the Old Testament, specifically in His acting by delivering them through the means of a pagan king who had no allegiance to Yahweh.

[I]f Israel should be inclined to protest at the means by which God would bring about their deliverance (i.e., through a pagan king who did not even know YHWH, yet is provocatively described as YHWH’s “shepherd” and “anointed”), they would do well to remember who it was they presumed to argue with–the Creator of the universe.

“Concerning things to come, do you question me…? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands have stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness:…He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free” (Isaiah 45:11-13).

So, the reason why God’s planned action for Israel’s deliverance will be spectacularly successful is that it is grounded in his universal sovereignty as Creator. And the effect of that saving action will be to demonstrate the unique identity and status of YHWH to the rest of the world. Israel would do well not to protest, for they have a role to play in that divine agenda. If Israel’s ultimate mission was to be a blessing and a light to the nations, they need to cooperate with God’s means of executing that purpose, whether they approved of it or not. (from The Mission of God, pg. 90)

I complain to God fairly often about the means by which he brings about my deliverance. I presume to argue all the time with the Creator of the universe. Surely, He could’ve cooked up a better scenario than me being disposed to crushing hard on my friends and having to pick myself up from those emotionally charged situations, bravely continuing friendships with those whom I’ve crushed on and legitimately love. He could’ve at least made it easier for me to be physically attracted to a girl who was once very interested in me, but whose interest seems to have waned. It’s painful, really–all of it. Continue reading →

Why have music education in a Christian school?

23 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by David L. Gill in Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

confession, experience, Gospel, Law, music, repentance, sanctification, Scripture, theology

The following is a text of a short address I gave for the Grandparent’s Welcome convocation at the school for which I work. I’m a first-year faculty member and a third-year teacher. I teach Pre-K thru 5th grade this semester and will add 6th grade next semester (just to give you some context for what I do).

The mission verse for the school this year is Proverbs 20:11 and I wrote a song using the text (NIV of 1984) to help the students internalize it. When I finished the address, the students stood up, faced their grandparents and sang the verse, accompanied by another faculty member.

Continue reading →

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