Chris R. Quinlan

I was having a pleasant conversation the other day with someone who I haven't seen in a while. The subject of Calvinism came up. Without knowing my personal position, this person began to express disdain for people who embrace any form of Calvinism. To which I politely replied, "Well, I'm a Calvinist." After squirming a bit from my unexpected statement, I was smugly asked the following (I assume, rhetorical) question: "So, which one of your children did God create to go to hell?" I guess that's supposed to be the ultimate gotcha question from the anti-Calvinist.  I, without hesitation, politely answered, "God does not reveal to us who is elect and who isn't, so I have no idea." My aquaintence squirmed a bit more and replied, "I just know that God does NOT create people just to send them to hell." At this point, to debate further would have made the situation terribly uncomfortable, so I wrapped things up by saying something t...

Proverbs 3:1 "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments," In this verse we find two very simple appeals from a Father to his son that at first read seem quite straight forward, and they are, but there are three words that I believe, give this verse special meaning. Those words are "let your heart."  The psalmist could have simply wrote, "keep my commandments," but we see the wisdom of God as he instructs us to not simply obey commands for the sake of blind obedience, but to "let our hearts" be at the center of the action. Our "heart" is simply the true us. The us that other people may not be able to see, but God surely does. Out heart is not an outward emotional display, but reflects the sum-total of our true inner physical and spiritual desires. If we're honest, most of us, including me, have a divided "heart" to some degree or another. We find ourself with conflicting desires. Thi...

Is there a God? Is there a judgement after death? How can I know that I'll go to heaven when I die? These are the big questions that truly matter. As a Christian and follower of Jesus, I need to tell you that there's good news and bad news. First, the bad news. The bad news is that the answer to the first and second question is, "yes." This is bad news because God is perfectly holy and only permits perfectly holy creatures into his presence. Unfortunately, it only takes sinning one time in your entire life to disqualify you from heaven. If that seems too harsh, it's because we don't understand how how truly blasphemous sin is in God's eyes. So, we are all rightfully banished from eternity with God because all of us are repeat offenders. Fortunately, there is good news...no, great news! It's called the Gospel in the bible, and here it is: The "Gospel" is the story of the creation, fall, and redemption of mankind. Because of the h...

A Regenerate man does not make the world's opinion his rule of right and wrong.  He goes against the stream of the world's ways, notions, and customs. "What will men say?" is no longer a turning point with him. He overcomes the love of the world. He finds no pleasure in things which most around him call happiness. He cannot enjoy their enjoyments—they weary him; they appear to him vain, unprofitable, and unworthy of an immortal being. He overcomes the fear of the world. He is content to do many things which all around him think unnecessary, to say the least. They find fault with him—it does not move him. They ridicule him—he does not give way. He loves the praise of God more than the praise of man. He fears offending Him more than giving offence to man. He has counted the cost. He has taken his stand. It is a small thing with him now whether he is blamed or praised. His eye is upon Him who is invisible. He is resolved to follow Jesus wherever he goes. It may be...

The Regenerate man is a holy man.  He endeavors to live according to God's will, to do the things that please God, to avoid the things that God hates. His aim and desire is to love God with heart and soul, and mind and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself. His wish is to be continually looking to Christ as his example as well as his Savior, and to show himself Christ's friend by doing whatever Christ commands. No doubt he is not perfect. None will tell you that sooner than himself. He groans under the burden of indwelling corruption cleaving to him. He finds an evil principle within him constantly warring against grace, and trying to draw him away from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence. In spite of all short-comings, the average bent and bias of his ways is holy—his doings holy—his tastes holy—and his habits holy. In spite of all his swerving and turning aside, like a ship going against a contrary wind, the general course of...

You can say that you're a Christian all day long. You can say that, no one can look in your heart of hearts and judge you. And you can say that, in your heart of hearts, that you really know that you believe. But all of it is just wash. Do you know what your heart is? It's the very center of your being... the core of your person. Now you're going to tell me that Jesus Christ has the entire center and core of your being, but it doesn't affect the way you walk, talk, or think? no... To receive Him, is to take Him as Savior and Lord. To stand upon Him. This is a mark that the Holy Spirit has truly regenerated your heart... and that you really do belong to Him. Excerpted from this video:

“What is the evidence that you’ve become a Christian? The church roll? No… A profession of faith? No… You will be concerned about discovering the will of the Father, and you will be concerned about doing that will." A quote from a recent sermon by Paul Washer

(Excerpt from a letter of Legh Richmond to his dying teenage son, 1824) “The great question between our souls and God is not whether we admit the truths of the Scripture into our understandings --but whether they are so applied to our hearts --so as to have wrought a change, and become vital principles of faith and practice. Nothing short of this can afford evidence of a saved and safe condition.”