Chris R. Quinlan

Our culture’s view of cussing is obvious from observing TV and movies. Everyone cusses, even children and religious people. It’s the “grown-up” and “cool” thing to do. It’s fun, it makes people laugh, and makes you feel more powerful and popular. The clear message that is caught is: cussing is normal and expected, therefore there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just words. As vulgarity becomes more and more accepted in our culture, the media that most people consume becomes more and more filled with it. The question to be asked by the Christian should be: What does the bible say about this subject?   The bible does not give a list of cuss words to abstain from using. The bible wasn’t written in English, and we’re not interested in legalism anyway. In the bible we find several passages that give us principles to apply to this matter. It is my belief that anyone who calls him or herself a Christian should completely abstain from using any word that is, or even sounds like a c...

PART 1 can be found here Proverbs 2:12-15 ESV Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. In part one I dealt only with the warning about men whose words are perverse. In part two I want to look at the other wicked behaviors that wisdom will save us from. To Summarize: Those that turned toward evil behaviors that previously had behaved morally. Those that seem to take pleasure and delight in the doing of wrong. Those that seem to not only enjoy behaving badly, but love to talk about the details of their evil deeds. Those that choose to regularly engage immoral activities and hang out with people that do the same. Those that plot and plan evil acts and are especially deceptive and crafty with their schemes.

Proverbs 2:12-15 ESV Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. There are two main ideas presented here. One is that there are wicked men . The other is that they have bad ways that we need to be saved from. Wisdom , in these proverbs, is the personification of God. But more specifically, I would say that wisdom is a person's conscience that has been filled up with the truth of God, so that when temptations come along, decisions can be made that will keep us from falling into the traps of Satan. Since wicked men are often the tools Satan uses to try to tempt us, these verses tell us how to identify these men. Of course, this doesn't exclude women. In this post, I'm just going to take a close look at the first bit of advice we ...

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...

(Excerpt from a letter of Legh Richmond to one of his children) “Take care of too frequent interaction with the world . I write with a heart full of love--but I must caution you. There is nothing more dangerous to young Christians, than indiscriminate interaction with the ungodly. In such society--it is far more likely that we would receive evil, than impart good. Prudence and prayer are then especially needful; for we may more easily conform to the world--than bring the world to conform to us. Happy are those who have the least to do with it, except in the way of absolute duty and necessity.” --Even though this is written to a child, I think we all Christians need to hear this sort of thing once in a while.   CQ

( Letters of John Newton , 1767) I am thoroughly convinced, that if there is any practice in this land which is sinful, attendance on the playhouse is eminently so! The theaters are fountains of vice, by which the god of this world blinds the eyes of multitudes! These haunts of Satan are to be shunned as pest-houses, and dangerous nuisances to precious souls! The Gospel opens a source of purer, sweeter, and more substantial pleasures! We may well bid adieu to these perishing pleasures of sin! We may well pity those who can find pleasure in those amusements where God is shut out; where His name is only mentioned to be profaned; where His commandments are not only broken--but insulted; where sinners proclaim their shame as in Sodom, and attempt not to hide it; where, at best, wickedness is wrapped up in a disguise of entertainment, to make it more insinuating! ___________________________ I find very few preachers willing to talk like this anymore. Can anything in this letter be den...