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...

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...

"Grace" is an attribute of God that is manifested by kindness and favor shown to all people in some measure, but especially toward those that receive salvation. Grace is similar to forgiveness in that a debt is released (that debt being sin), and similar to mercy in that God has shown restraint in punishing sin. (Rom. 4:8) However, Grace goes far beyond these acts. In showing grace, God not only withholds judgment, but showers the objects of His grace with abundant favor and blessing. By showing grace, however, sin goes unpunished for a time. Because of God's perfect righteousness, justice must be served, and all sin punished, or it could be said of God that He was not good. (Prov. 17:15) God's solution was to allow His son, Jesus, to take the wrath that was rightfully due to the objects of God's grace. This was accomplished when Jesus submitted himself to a sacrificial death by crucifixion. Because of the incalculable worth and sinless perfection of Jesus, this w...

A Quotation from J.C. Ryle: " Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off his believing people because of failures and imperfections. He knows what they are. He takes them, as the husband takes the wife, with all their blemishes and defects, and once joined to Him by faith, will never leave them. He is a merciful and compassionate High Priest. He knew what they were before conversion – wicked, guilty, and defiled; yet He loved them. He knows what they will be after conversion – weak, erring, and frail; yet He loves them. He has undertaken to save them, notwithstanding all their shortcomings, and what He has undertaken He will perform."

"The most difficult thing for people to grasp is the undiluted grace of God , for which we contribute nothing , and for which we can not qualify." S. Furguson My humble attempt at a definition of the redemptive grace of God: "A truly incomprehensible on-going act of love, forgiveness, patience, and mercy towards a creature that is totally and completely undeserving.