Chris R. Quinlan

My Paraphrase of Deuteronomy 6:4-18

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

This was a bible study exercise I did on my own a couple of years ago but have never published. My goal was to be as accurate as possible in communicating the thought of the text, while paraphrasing into modern conversational English. I’ve converted all Old Testament references and illustrations into principles that a modern reader could understand. This a loose, but carefully worded paraphrase, that is not meant to replace scripture, but to serve as a devotional study tool. or simply an encouragement for your personal walk with God. I’ve provided a link to the ESV translation if you would like to compare it to a real translation.

Listen up, all you who are God’s people. There is only one true and living God and there is no other. You must love God with every single fiber of your being. You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands. Repeat them to yourself and to others. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are out with friends, at school, at work, or wherever you go; also when you go to bed and when you wake up. By all means, be creative and do whatever it takes to remember these things.

God has promised that you will experience blessings, that can only be attributed to God’s provision. It is God’s desire that you enjoy His blessing, but never forget who it was who blessed you. You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. Live with integrity and keep every promise you make. Live as if you fear God’s wrath if you break that promise.

You must not allow the religious or secular practices of your surrounding culture to steal away your attention and devotion of the one true God. For YAHWEH, your God, desires your absolute devotion, and is displeased when you stray after worldly desires. It is very unwise to test God’s anger by being unfaithful, as He has every right to judge sin at any moment. You must diligently obey the commands that God has given to you. It’s pretty simple actually; Do what is right and good according to the scriptures, and all will go well with you.

Deut. 6:4-18 ESV

Removing Planks and Seeing Clearly

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Is it ever appropriate to speak out about sin even though we all have sinned?

Worded this way most of us would say, "sure!, of course. Especially if the Bible calls it sin." And I would agree.

What if I worded the question like this?

"Since we have all sinned, and many of us sin terribly in secret, is it hypocritical to condemn the sin of someone else?"

This one should make us all think a little more before answering.

I think Jesus spoke to this matter. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke these words in Matthew 7:1ff

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

It would take a lengthy post indeed to explain this section of scripture in-depth, so I'm just going to make a few observations, and hopefully encourage you do dig further on your own.

People love to throw out Matthew 7:1 whenever anyone points out someone else s sin. "Judge not, lest ye be judged"...always in the King James too, it seems. This has become the most often quoted scripture in public discourse...now quoted more often than John 3:16. I love Paul Washers response to people that misuse this verse.

"Twist not scripture, lest ye be like Satan!"

So how are people "twisting" scripture when that use this verse to silence people who condemn sinful behavior in others? It takes a careful look, because reading the illustration that follows, could further lead one to the wrong conclusion. In one of Jesus's most humorous moments, Jesus crafts a word picture that is fairly simple to understand. The simple meaning, "consider your own sin--which we see clearly, before rashly condemning sin in others--which can not always be so clearly seen." This advice, along with this entire "sermon", was apparently spoken to his close disciples, even though in the movies. and Sunday-school flannel-graphs Jesus is always preaching to a huge crowd. The key to a balanced understanding of this section, is to focus on the idea of "seeing". The passage concludes with the statment, "first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly..." We can't see into the mind of another person, and we are never to pretend that we can do what only that person and God can do. That is the offence when we "judge" someone else. There is only one Judge. If we pretend to see the motives of someone else's heart, we attempt to unseat the one true and righteous Judge.

So back to the question I first posed. "is it ever appropriate to condemn the sin of someone else?"

It depends. If dealing with a brother or sister in Christ, then YES! Outward public sin, or hidden sin proved by many trustworthy witnesses must and should be "rebuked" (censured, admonished)...always with a goal to encourage repentance and restoration. If it's on a personal level, a humble, loving, exhortation is appropriate.

1 Timothy 5:20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
1 Corinthians 5:6b. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump...
Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love,

We can't truly know the state of another persons soul, but when dealing with someone that most likely is a non-believer, I would say it's probably not the best idea to confront sin unless you are evangelizing that person, or trying to protect the innocence of children. And even then, done with love.

Proverbs 9:7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.

* This is a tough subject for a short blog post and it was not meant to be comprehensive. Please feel free to comment and add your own thoughts.

Overcoming Temptation

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Recently, a question was posed regarding overcoming temptation as a Christian. I deal with temptation the same as everyone else, and I've come to realize certain truths about this subject that I thought would be good to share. I found myself convicted by my own words. The following is what I wrote:

Remember that sin is what required the sacrificial death of our Lord on the cross. As Christians we need to see the temptation as the nails that would be driven into Christ's body, and see ourselves as the Roman Soldier about to drive them in.

We give into temptation when we are not believing sin is as abominable as God believes it to be. When we choose sinful pleasure, we (at least temporarily) reveal our disbelief that Christ suffered the full wrath of God to purchase our freedom from the clutches of Satan and the eternal suffering of hell. We defeat temptation only when we are so repulsed by sin that the disgust of that sin outweighs the temporary pleasure that it brings. We will always choose to do the thing we desire most at any given moment, so giving into temptation is desiring temporary pleasure over felicity in your relationship with God. And worse yet, it is a betrayal of the one who rescued you from the just penalty of your sin-- death.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23

"Go, and from now on sin no more.", John 8:11"

The “Wisdom” of Steve Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:43:00 +0000

As a Christian, I must always be careful not to get caught up in the wisdom and philosophies that grow popular. With the recent death of Steve Jobs, there has been an outpouring of praise and adoration for this man who brought us really neat gadgets, and by many accounts was a tremendous success. With that success, many have wondered how they can also have such success for themselves. One way is to look at the life of someone like Steve Jobs and study his methods of doing business and his leadership techniques, and then try to imitate these things. But to really get at the core of someone like Steve Jobs, you need to understand the values and principles that led to his actions.

Over Ten Million people have viewed Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address on YouTube and other places on the web. In this speech Steve tells his life story and gives the hearers a glimpse into the philosophies that drove him. Many of the statements were very motivational and inspirational to the audience, but I want to take a closer look and see how this “wisdom” compares with the true wisdom of God through the bible.

“Trust In Yourself”
One of my personal philosophies resembles something Steve Jobs said in his speech:

“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.”

This is great. However, this statement preceded it:

"Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.”

It’s fairly clear that the “faith” spoken about here is faith in one’s self, not in God. In other words, “trust in your own abilities and in the hope that following your personal affections & desires will somehow work toward your personal success.” The book of Proverbs has something quite different for us:

“‘Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” Prov. 3:5

“Follow Your Heart”
Here is what looks like some good advice from Steve Jobs:

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

I understand the advice here. “Don’t try to be someone else or just lazily fulfill what others expect of you.” This is good in that it encourages creative thinking and frees up the individual to pursue greater things. No problem there. However, it’s the subtle and underlying, “follow your heart”, humanistic philosophy that troubles me. Here’s what the bible says regarding how we should trust our heart:

Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

I think the balance here is to follow your dreams, but always realize that your carnal human flesh will only seek to satisfy it’s own cravings, so seek and submit to follow the “dogma” found in the scriptures.

“Live For Today”

"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Steve Jobs

This is good advice. Even the great American theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote in his 99 Resolutions:

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

Which translated into American English means, “I vow to live in such a way, that I will always consider each moment of my life as if it were my very last.”
Steve also has this to say about death:

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

My translation: “Live for the moment because that’s all there is, do what you want”

Steve: “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.”

My translation: “Death motivates me to remember that all I truly have is today.”
This is the logical conclusion that anyone without hope in God arrives at. “Live for the moment, Do what you want, Carpe Diem!” This is the philosophy of the Godless, for it totally contradicts the message of the bible, which is, “life is a vapor, and your eternity is all that really matters.”

* Here is an enlightening documentary on this philosophy and how it has been woven into our culture

Steve concluded with this quote: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” I’m well aware that this quote is not meant to be taken literally, and represents an encouragement to stay creative and playful. I’m good with all that, and have given that advice to people myself. But I want to encourage everyone not to get caught up in the moment and neglect to be discerning when is comes to embracing ideas that run contrary to God’s Word, which is our only true source of wisdom.

So, instead of “Trust In Yourself, Follow Your Heart, and Live For Today”, I would say, “Trust Jesus, Follow Jesus, and Live for Jesus!”

Theology Debate!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:25:00 +0000

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 to the effect of, "people are always going to have disagreements when it comes to the deep matters of theology." The conversation ended amicably, but afterward I myself thinking about what could have been said..

After thinking about both statements, I've come to the conclusion that this person basically is not willing to believe in a God that doesn't match up to their own definition of what's right and fair. I was very tempted to ask this person, "where in the scriptures, do you find support for your statements?" I might have continued, "when I read my bible, it says in Romans chapter 9,

14 What shall we say then ? There is no injustice with God , is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses , “ I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY , AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION .” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. ... 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called.

So, according to scripture, the only conclusion that can honestly be drawn from this text is that God, in fact, creates some for destruction, and some to show mercy. According to the inspired author, to argue with this truth is as absurd as telling a potter that he has no right to do what he wants with his pile of clay. This is as plain as anything written in scripture, yet a clear argument from scripture has no effect on someone whose theology comes from their own thoughts and reasoning. This person wants to make God into the image they want...and that's just good old fashioned idolatry!

Did God create my children to go to hell?

I don't know. I certainly hope not. Here's what I do know. I am responsible to proclaim the gospel to my children until they die or are born again. I will raise them up in the admonition of the Lord, I will pray daily for their salvation, and I will do my best to show Christ to my family by the life I live. I rest easy knowing that is all that God expects of me. Their salvation is not in my hands, and according the only authority (God's Word), ultimately it's not in their's either.

Romans 10:20 And Isaiah is very bold and says , “ I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.”

Is It A Sin To Cuss?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:39:00 +0000

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 cuss word…in public and in private, no matter who you’re with or what you’re doing.

Sound too rash? There are several reasons why I came to the conviction that I just stated regarding cussing. They are all based on principles that I have found in scripture. I will briefly mention 4.

1. The Hypocrisy Principle

We should always behave and speak as if we were constantly walking in the presence of Jesus. True believers know that they are ALWAYS walking in the presence of Jesus. To act one way at church and another somewhere else betrays unbelief and displays hypocrisy.

James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

James 3:6-12
⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

2. The Ambassador Principle

As Christians we represent Christ to the unbelieving world. Our mission is to display Christ’s saving power and communicate the Gospel. When we carry the name “Christian,” yet act and talk like the Godless worldly culture, we are actually working AGAINST the cause of Christ.

Matthew 12:36
“I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by yours words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Titus 2:6
Encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…

3. The Relationship Principle

Having a filthy mouth damages the personal relationship we develop with our Heavenly Father. Shame causes the worldly Christian to avoid intimate communion and prayer with his/her Creator.

Isaiah 6:4 (after a lucid vision of God in heaven..,)

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

4. The Obedience Principle

True Christians have a God-given desire to obey the Bible’s commands. This desire proceeds from the motive of love and reciprocity. God’s Word says it, I desire to obey.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

Psalm 119:167
I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

Proverbs 4:24 Put away perversity; keep corrupt talk from your lips.

Ephesians 4:29a – Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for (encouraging others)

Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God…v4 …nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are (all) out of place, (for a Christian) but rather, thanksgiving.

The principle is really simple. Cussing is out of place for a Christian and should be abstained from. However, I admit the practice is sometimes difficult. The benefits of trying are worth the effort, I promise. If you want to clean up your mouth, I would suggest, as much as possible, stay away from anything or anyone that would expose you to unwholesome talk. Screen your entertainment choices. Avoid “friends” that have filthy mouths, and block “friends” that post obscene language to social networks. Avoid music with dirty lyrics, and games with cussing. Establish personal convictions and stick to them even if it creates an awkward or embarrassing situation.

Are We Asking The Wrong Questions About 9/11?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I had a few more thoughts regarding 9/11 that I wanted to get out.

On Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, I watched a documentary about how people responded to 9/11 from a spiritual perspective. There were some that grew closer to God through the tragedy, and many that became bitter and turned away from their faith. The ones that turned away just couldn't seem to get good answers to the questions they were asking about what happened that day and why.

I am of the strong belief that we should always use the bible to inform our world-view. That way, we can at least hope to understand the world around us as close as possible to how God sees it since He made it. Otherwise, it's just guesswork. The scriptures provide a firm foundation on which to understand not only the world around us, but how God interacts with the world.

So, what does the bible say about 9/11? Here are two thoughts.

1. There is the story about the tower of Siloam. In Luke 13:4-5 we read:

"Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem ? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

We see here that, perhaps not a complete parallel to 9/11, but we see Jesus speak to a common misconception among the Jews that "bad things happen to bad people." We still believe this today, but we call it Karma. While it's generally true that living a righteous life leads to long life and goof fortune, Jesus points out that meeting an untimely demise, through any circumstance, is not as important as the state of your soul BEFORE you perish.

2. God is angered when innocent people are murdered. While I do believe that God seems to have shown our country special favor throughout history, I do not believe that America is God's new chosen nation, even though our country does do much in the name of good. And while we ought to remember the people that lost their lives on 9/11/01, we also must not forget that we are also a nation that has made legal the right to murder innocent human life. When you consider that more people are murdered through abortion every single day in this country than were killed on 9/11, it makes me wonder how long will God hold his hand in judgement. I'm not saying 9/11 was God's judgement for abortion, I'm just trying to make a point that we might be asking the wrong question.

Psalm 106:38-40
"...And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. Thus they became unclean in their practices...
Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people."

I share this passage knowing this was specifically talking about Israel. Just because our's is the idol of 'convenience', the point can be made that God abhors violence to innocent children, and also we see that His righteous anger can be provoked.

So, are we asking the wrong questions?

Instead of asking, "how could you let this terrible thing happen?" we might instead praise Him for continuing to show mercy and grace toward sinful people, including ourselves.

Most importantly, instead of shaking our fist at God demanding to know why this or that happened, we should consider whether or not we are ready to meet Him.

Where Was God On Sept. 11, 2001

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:24:00 +0000

The events that occurred on that date will never be forgotten by those old enough to remember. The senseless murder of thousands of people by a few Muslim terrorists seems so utterly wrong, that many have questioned their faith in God. They reason, if 9-11 was so bad, and God is supposed to be good, it doesn't make sense that he would allow such a terrible thing to happen. Where was God? Why didn't he intervene? Could he intervene? Is there even a God at all?

I want to look at the question everyone is asking, "Where was God?" Many have concluded that God is supposed to be good and fair, and so they come to "believe" in a deity that represents their idea of what is good and fair. They then expect God to behave in keeping with their ideas of fairness and goodness, that are all too often adopted from cultural or political ideas. So, when something happens that seems unfair, we get angry at God because he didn't behave as we would have if we were God. I think that's the problem. Most people believe in a God that they've created themselves. A God, that never let's anything "bad" happen to "good" people. A God that loves and protects America because, well, were America...were the good guys, A Christian nation, right? So, where was that God on 9-11-01? Nowhere! That God doesn't exist.

There is a God, however, and He was well aware of the events of 9/11 well before they took place. He not only permitted them, He ordained that they would occur. If God didn't or couldn't ordain those events, then He isn't fully sovereign and therefore, not God. Does this make God "bad", just because the bad guys seemed to win on that day?

So, Why did it happen? Certainly God did not ordain this as an act of judgement? That's crazy talk, right? Several evangelical leaders suggested this as a possibility and were ridiculed and rejected as kooks by the culture and the church as well. Most of them recanted their position to avoid further scorn.

For the record, I have no idea why God allowed those attacks. He didn't tell anyone, so no one knows. I would have liked to have seen a great big hand reach out and guide those planes safely to the ground. There were many people praying on the planes as they were racing toward their final destinations. Did God ignore those prayers? No, he heard, but ultimately accomplished His will that day. God sees all things, through all time. Why do we think we know better than God?Perhaps we should trust that God knows what he's doing, even though sometimes it seems to us like He doesn't.

Let us learn about the one true God from the bible, and not from our own minds which are a jumble of cultural influences.

To conclude, I believe that God loves the people of the world, enough to send His son to be sacrificed taking on the penalty of our sin and making effective the salvation of those that would believe in Him. Let us trust in that love, even when things happen that we don't like or understand.

Peter's "Trump Card" - 2 Peter 1:16-18

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:32:00 +0000

2 Peter 1:16-18
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"-- 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Peter has just been saying that his martyrdom was imminent and that his goal was to remind Christians of the things he thought were important. From what I can tell, Peter thought that it was important to live in a manner worthy of Christ. The other item, that was very important to all the original apostles, was the preservation of the true gospel message as given by Jesus. The passage today begins the emphasis on this subject that carries through as the main theme of this entire book.
In today's passage Peter sets the foundation for his rebuke of false teachers and "prophets" by establishing his authority as an eyewitness to Christ's transfiguration.
You can read about the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17.
Peter begins by telling Christians that the things that he says are not "made-up" stories. The "we" in this section is Peter and the Christians that followed Peter.
As I grow older, I see more and more how deception and manipulation are used to get people to believe something (which often precedes a request for money). We are emotional creatures, and a good, well crafted, story can have a strong influence on our minds. That is why the most effective way to sell something, (including a system of beliefs) is to have someone give a heartfelt testimonial. We tend to trust and believe people who seem to be sharing something from their heart. This emotional weakness has been exploited all throughout time to manipulate people in one way or another. I've experienced this first hand recently in my life.
Peter is pulling out his "trump card" to claim his legitimacy. This being that he was one of three people to have witnessed Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. Basically, Peter says, "I saw Jesus, I heard the voice from heaven! I'm the one who you should listen to, not these guys who have come along with some clever made-up stories."
Let us all be reminded that there are those that would deceive us with lies and stories that will seem to be very convincing. My advice... Be on your guard, and don't believe everything you hear; especially if someone asks for your money at the end. How do we know who or what to believe? It's tough sometimes to know, but we can always trust that God is telling us the truth through His Word.

A Reminder...Before Peter Departs - 2 Peter 11-15

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 03:45:00 +0000

2 Peter 1:10b-15
"For if you do these things, you will never fall,¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things

This verse needs to be understood with care. If one isn't careful, a conclusion could be drawn that would be in opposition to the truth that the verse is proclaiming. Verse 11 is key, but I included the end of verse 10 so that the entire thought could be seen. The reason this is so critical to understand is because what we see here in verse 10-11 is what, at first glance, looks like a test for true salvation.

"For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It looks cut and dry. "If you do these things...you will (be) welcome(d) into the...kingdom

What things?
moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. (vs. 5-7)

However, We cannot attain salvation by living up to these qualities. The reason for this, is that if we could, then salvation would be determined by a persons behavior ( or “works”). We know this is not the basis of salvation because of VERY clear scriptures that teach us otherwise...
Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

What does it mean then?

Remember that Peter is already talking to Christians! So, Peter is reminding them (and Christians today) that salvation is evidenced by these good works and that these good works produce confidence in one's salvation. More than that, in previous statements by Peter, we see that good works (or deeds) can be used by God to bring "Gentiles" to a place where they can "Glorify God" when Christ comes back. This can only be if they are already Christians on that day! So, another reminder that our deeds can be used by God to drawn unbelievers to Himself.

1 Peter 2:12
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that ... they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

The Seven Qualities of a True Christian - 2 Peter 1:9-10

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +0000

2 Peter 1:9-10

9For he who lacks these qualities (moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love) is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

I included the qualities from verses 5-7 to remind you of the most important qualities that a Christian can strive to make a part of their lives.

Moral excellence - Striving to live a life free from sin.
Knowledge - Placing a priority on reading and studying the Scriptures.
Self-control - Disciplining yourself to say "No" to temping desires,
even when no one is looking.
Perseverance - A determination to stay true to your faith, no matter what the circumstances.
Godliness - A desire to learn what God is like and adopt those characteristics into your own life.
Brotherly kindness - Seeking to show care, concern, and compassion for others.
Love - Acts of humble service and self-sacrifice that expect nothing in return.

In verse 9, Peter explains that if you read this list of qualities, and find that they don't describe you, then you have forgotten that you have been "saved" from a life that doesn't look like this. A round-a-bout way of saying that these are the qualities of a true Christian. Verse 10 states a command that might seem a bit odd at first.

¹⁰Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you

The apostle Peter understood the doctrine of predestination, but at first glance, it might seem a little strange that if God chose you to be "saved", then you wouldn't need to do anything to help make that divinely ordained 'choice' certain. I took a closer look at the word for "make certain", and found that the word used here in the original Greek can also mean to, "make firm" or in a modern vernacular, "to seal in your own mind". So the diligence is to practice these qualities so as to reinforce your "salvation" in your own mind, therefore strengthening your faith and helping you not to stumble in your walk.

The Mission of the Christian - 2 Peter 1:5-8

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:11:00 +0000

2 Peter 1:5-8

5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If I've learned one thing about what it means to be a follower of Christ, it's that there is a reason that I am still here and not in heaven right now. One thing is very clear to me, and that is it would be cruel of God to "save" me from my sins and then leave me in a fallen world, full of suffering and evil, for no reason except to wait for a natural death. What is that reason? The bible is clear that Christians have a mission.

Let me describe what that mission is NOT.

It is not to accept as true, that Jesus was real and was crucified, and then keep those beliefs to yourself, so as not to offend anyone; then, to assimilate as much secular culture as possible, so as to blend in and be accepted by that culture. The mission of the Christian is not to be financially successful, with college degrees, a nice house, car, and a perfect, beautiful family.

Is it wrong to have nice things and be successful? Of course not! They just are not the mission of the Christian. Is it wrong to enjoy secular entertainment? Sometimes. If you do not filter the things that you watch and listen to through the principles of scripture, then you are allowing that to shape your thinking instead of the truths found in scripture. By the way, as I read it, the bible condemns most of what I see coming out at the movies and TV. This is the essence of Romans Ch. 12:2. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." ESV

Renewing of the mind happens when the Christian reads, meditates, and studies the word of God much more than he or she reads, meditates, and studies the worlds entertainment.

What IS the Mission?

Simply put, the reason Christians aren't "beamed" straight to heaven, is that it's God's will that Christians are the means by which He has decided to show himself to the unbelieving world. That is our mission: To reveal the glory of God through our transformed and distinctive lives and by opening our mouths and proclaiming His truth to everyone.

Getting back to our verses today:

The reason I went on the "Mission of the Christian" rabbit trail is because it is the subject of today's scripture. This list of virtues indicates the ways in which a Christian can reveal God's glory through their life.

8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Devotional Styled Study of 2 Peter

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:33:00 +0000

I'm posting the missing parts of my series on 2 Peter in four parts. So if you enjoy these you can go back and finish the rest. It is my hope that you will benefit from this study I wrote years ago. Enjoy!

2 Peter, Verses 1-4

1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Welcome to my devotional study of 2 Peter. Hopefully those that read this devotional will be blessed as we open up God's word. I will attempt to explain the text when I feel like that is required, but I will also make comments, offer commentary, and give insight as I do my own personal study on this book. I fully understand that I may make errors as I go through, and I welcome discussions and correction if needed. Here we go.

As we read this letter, we should be aware of the context. Peter is most likely writing this from a Roman prison and most likely written shortly before his execution. So, this would be Peter's last words to the Christians. I wonder what I would write if I knew I was going to die tomorrow and had one chance to get my final thoughts out. Knowing that these are Peter's final words helps me to get a sense of the importance of this letter.

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Peter here does not mean to differentiate God, and Jesus. Apparently, in the original language, the words used for God and Jesus refer to the same thing, namely His divine power (v3). It is truly comforting to know that, as Christians, we have everything we need to live a Godly life. Peter describes this power as coming through "true knowledge of God." This phrase sets the tone for the rest of the letter. Peter's final words are mostly concerned with the preservation of the true message of God.

4 For by these (His own glory and excellence) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

This verse is a marvelous depiction of what happens to us when we become a Christian. It is important to know that he is not saying that we become a god, but that we get a taste of the divine when we are "born again" into a new life in Christ. This new birth allows us to escape the fallen (corrupt) world. A lot of meat in this opening statement, but we'll press on...

J.C. Ryle On The Scriptures

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:56:00 +0000

‎"True Christians delight to read the Scriptures, because they tell them about their beloved Savior." ~ J.C. Ryle

The Heart of Godly Obedience

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:32:00 +0000

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. This is the struggle with the flesh that is spoken about in Romans chapter 7, and is the normal and expected battle that all true Christians must face. However, we are called to full heart obedience, love, and worship. That is our goal. We struggle to pursue this goal as if we can achieve it in this life, but at the same time knowing that we never will.

So the question is how? How do we "not forget"? How do we "let our heart"?

The prerequisite is to be "born-again" * by the Spirit of God by believing the Gospel by faith. Then and only then does anyone have the ability to resist the flesh and it's desires to sin. A true child of God is given new desires for Him and begins to be repulsed by sin. It is only after this regereration that a person is expected to keep these biblical commands. An pagan or false-convert would read these words and quickly realize their utter inability and lack of heart desire to obey even the simplest commands given in the scripture. This very thing is how God softens the heart and produces repentence.

So back to the questions at hand?

How do we not forget God's teaching.
The writer of the psalm correctly implies that we tend to be quick to forget teaching that we hear. I would suggest the obvious answer: study, read, memorize, and meditate on the teachings of God found in the Bible. The desire for God is already there to some degree in every true believer, so it's a matter of minimizing the distractions in life that would compete for our desires.

How do we "let our heart" keep God's commands?
By growing closer in our communion with God, through intimate prayer, and growing in our knowledge of Him. The more we know of God through His Word, the more accurately we see Him as He truly is, and the more we grow in our love and desire for Him. It is then, that we can obey with full heart obedience. Not out of religious duty or fear, but out of sheer desire to show love to the One who first showed so much love toward us.

* A blog post where I go into the "born again" subject a little deeper

Click to read the next post in the Proverbs series

The Proverbs - Wisdom From God - Ch. 2 Verse 20-22

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:24:00 +0000

I have learned as an adult, that very few of the warnings we give to children are simply embraced as truth. Children always want to find out for themselves. You tell a child, “That’s hot…don’t touch it or you’ll get burned.” What’s the first thing they want to do? Reach out and touch that thing to see for themselves. We are all very stubborn when it comes to listening to the wisdom of others. As we grow into adulthood, we can’t understand why young people won’t listen to us and heed the warnings we give. As adults, we forget that when we are young, we have very little appreciation for the wisdom that comes from age and experience. Once we get to the age of about 13, we think we must be as smart as any other human being on the planet, and at least in my case, thought I could handle just about any situation that came my way without any help. Of course, in my own life this describes my 6 year old perfectly.

So, is it worth pouring wisdom into the life of a young person, knowing that they probably aren’t going to heed the advice you give them? I’d say absolutely! We see it given to us as an example right here in the Proverbs. Those that desire the wisdom from God and heed its warnings will be spared many of the dangers and pitfalls in life. For those that belong to God, He is our loving Father. What loving Father would not instinctively desire to warn their children about the dangers in life. In fact, it would be incredibly unloving not to.

So. Let’s look at this last section from Proverbs chapter 2.

PROVERBS 2

²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good
   and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,
   and those with integrity will remain in it,
²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
   and the treacherous will be rooted out of it. (ESV)

The missing phrase to start verse 20 might be, “I am giving you this warning…”. In this section we see some of the goals of listening to wisdom, and then a promise and a warning. It’s God’s will that we, “walk in the way of the good”, and “keep to the path of the righteous.” Simply put, God wants us to do and be good by imitating those that lead good lives. In other words, “listen to and apply Godly wisdom to your lives.” Verse 21 &amp; 22 give us a parallelism that speaks of a good result for heeding this wisdom and a consequence for disregarding it. A paraphrase might be something like, “good and honest people will generally find success and prosperity, but the wicked and foolish people will usually meet with failure.”

If God thinks it’s a good idea to share His wisdom with us, even though we might not always listen and heed it, I think we should do the same and follow His example.

Click to go to the next post in the Proverbs series

Some Thoughts On Christianity and Politics

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:46:00 +0000

As I observe humanity, I see that most people by their mid 20's have made up their mind about certain spiritual things and political things. So, my point in this short blog post is not to try and change your mind about anything, but just to mention some things I've observed and hopefully spark some thought. I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes people believe what they believe. I know that much of what we believe (our worldview) comes from our experiences in life. Specifically, the people that we've grown to trust. Our parents, our church, and our friends. So, the question... what causes perfectly reasonable and rational people to believe so differently about things?

I've been thinking about politics and how divided our country seems to be. I've been trying to figure out the core differences between the various political parties. I'm not talking about the current issues, so much as I mean the deeper differences. The issue that has me most interested, is the fact that people can say they belong to the same religion, and be on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

So, what is the fundamental difference that divides us?

As I've been reading and thinking this through, I've come to some conclusions that I think help explain this. As I read about the differences between conservative and liberal political philosophy, I noticed one thing that was consistent. Both want to do the right thing to help people and to facilitate peace and prosperity in this country and around the world. These are shared core values for everyone (except the truly evil among us, I suppose). It's when we go deeper that I find the differences. After pondering on this for some time, I've concluded that our political philosophy is directly tied to our personal values and our theological values.

Questions like, "What is the role of government?" which is the question that differentiates the political parties, are answered by what we value most? If you value individual responsibility and limited government, then you are considered more conservative. If you value equal opportunity and equality for all through government programs then you would be more liberal. The differences lie in the methods of achieving the common values of peace and prosperity. Who is right? That's a complicated question that isn't going to be solved in this post, but I'm of the opinion that conservative values are the most consistent with the values that are to be found in the only source of truth that we have. The Bible. Properly interpreted as divine truth, and with a view that the bible is a book from God and not just about God, the moral principles found in the scripture align consistently with conservative views on issues. This explains why most Christians are politically conservative. Yes, some Christians are liberal politically, but what I've found is that most are also liberal theologically as well. This liberal theology is at best is a servant to a progressive, post-modern culture, at worst is functionally non-existent.

I understand that people disagree on just about everything, and I also understand that we all think we're right. I'm honest enough to admit that I don't know for sure that everything I believe is correct. However, certain things must be held as truth. I'm just doing the best I can to understand things, and I'm sure that I've got a lot to learn. I hope my readers will consider my opinions and at least think about why we believe what we believe.

How can I know that I'll go to heaven when I die?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:54:00 +0000

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 holiness and righteousness of God, sin must be punished. That just punishment is death and eternal punishment in hell. In our present state, mankind does not possess the ability to free himself from this curse, so as an act of divine love and grace, God set out to save a people to Himself. In order to acquit mankind of the guilt of sin without Himself being accused of unjustly releasing a lawbreaker, God became a Jewish man. This "God-man" named Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life. After his baptism and three years of ministry performing great miracles and calling for people to turn from sin and follow him, he was handed over to Roman occupiers and was sentenced to death by crucifixion for treason. God poured out His wrath against sin on His son that day. Dying on the cross, he became a substitutionary sacrifice, taking the place of sinful man. Jesus was then buried, and days later, he rose from the dead. After appearing to hundreds, he then ascended to heaven, where he is now with God the Father. He will come again to judge all mankind.

The condition of receiving this salvation is to believe on this Jesus, who bore the wrath of God for your sin and mine. Embracing Him as the Lord and Savior that he is, and by faith following him and only him, no matter the cost. At conversion, believers receive the promised Holy Spirit, who empowers, teaches, and guides us. At judgment, we do not rely on our own righteousness or goodness, but on the perfect righteousness of Jesus that is imputed (given) to us at salvation. Only those that are "washed clean", and "known by Him" at judgment will enter into eternal life.

If you read this through, you've heard the Gospel. If God has softened your heart and opened your eyes, believe on Jesus and you will be reconciled to God and saved from your sin and the wrath that is to come. If your faith is true, you will begin to have new desires for God and living your life devoted to Him and His purposes. You will develop a new relationship with your savior and an ever-increasing disdain for sin. Search out a church that accurately teaches the Bible as divine truth, and encourages its congregation to spread the "Great News" of Jesus to the world. Follow your confession of faith by being baptized in accordance with the teachings of scripture. Cultivate your relationship with Jesus through prayer and watch God change your life!

P.S If this has already happened in your life, Praise God! Spread the word and fight the good fight.
P.P.S I am willing to my best to answer any questions you may still have.

Verses to ponder:

Mark 10:17, Luke 13:3, Matt 4:17, John 3:16, Matt 16:24, Matt 10: 32, Mark 16:16, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Matthew 7:21-23, 1 John 5:13, 1 Peter 3:15, Ephesians 2:1-5

Exposing the Ten Pillars of Gambling

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:51:00 +0000

Gambling is blight on our nation, a cancer that eats away at the souls of millions. In spite of the fact that increases crime rates, degrades morals, and destroys families, gambling has thrived. Why?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GTYBlog/~3/jeoswxX6qpc/B110630

A complex truth, made simple.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:38:00 +0000

If we want to be eminently happy, we must strive to be eminently holy. ~ J.C. Ryle

What is the most Christlike attitude regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:32:00 +0000

After hearing the news about Osama Bin Ladin, I was left wondering what the proper attitude should be regarding his demise. Many questions raced through my mind: Is it ever right to rejoice in someone's death? Is it within the boundaries of Christian character to take any amount of satisfaction at all in this particular man's death? Should I have been praying for this man's salvation? If Osama was the enemy of my countrymen, was he my enemy as well? If we are to love our enemies, according to the teachings of Jesus, is it right to cheer the death of someone who we were to have been showing love?

Here's where I stand right now. I believe God instituted government to punish evildoers. Our government did their job. I feel some amount of satisfaction that this man who plotted evil against innocents, has been brought to justice. I also feel some amount of sadness that Satan has deceived another soul and dragged that soul down to hell.

So, I'm happy that justice has been served, but I'll always will be sad when an unconverted soul is sent to pay the wages for their sins. What is the most Christ-like attitude regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden? I don't know, but I think it falls more on the side of sadness than gladness. ("Jesus wept", "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing")

Thank you Jesus for showing love to your enemies, by offering yourself up to take the wrath against sin that was our debt to pay, and declaring all those that believe, to be righteous in your sight. I pray that the message of this Gospel would spread into the hearts of men and women all over the world.

Is The Devil Real? A Quote from J.C. Ryle

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:32:00 +0000

The Devil is Alive and Raising Hell by J.C. Ryle

The Devil is Alive and Raising Hell

Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Does anyone foolishly suppose that the devil is asleep, or dead, or less mischievous now than in the past? Nothing of the kind! He is still "walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." He is still "going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it" (1 Peter 5:8; Job 1:7).

It is he who goes among heathen nations and persuades them to shed oceans of blood in the worship of idols or murderous wars.
It is he who goes to and fro among fallen Churches, persuading them to throw aside the Bible, and satisfy people with 'formal worship' or groveling superstitions.
It is he who walks up and down in Protestant countries, and stirs up party spirit and bitter political strife, setting class against class, and subjects against rulers, in order to distract people's minds from better things.
It is he who is continually going to the ears of intellectual and highly educated people, persuading them that the old Bible is not true, and advising them to be content with Atheism, Agnosticism, Secularism, and a general contempt for the world to come.
It is he, above all, who persuades foolish people that there is no such person as a devil, no future judgment after death, and no hell.

In all this fearful list of things I firmly believe that the devil lies at the bottom, and is the true root, reason, and cause. Can we suppose for a moment that he will let true Christians go quietly to heaven, and not tempt them along the way?
Away with the silly thought! We have need to pray against the devil, as well as against the world and the flesh. In the great trinity of enemies which the believer should daily remember, the devil perhaps is the greatest because he is the least seen.

~ J.C. Ryle

The Upper Room, "Our Profession", [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1970], 218-219.

I think this deserves to be my 100th post. David Platt on Christian Universalism. This challenged me.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Do We Really Believe What We're Saying? from The Church at Brook Hills on Vimeo.

Compulsive Prevarication

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:50:00 +0000

I was reading an article this morning about some controversy in Germany over a politician who is thought to have plagiarized most of his doctoral thesis, and I ran across the word 'prevaricate'. This is one of those words that I don't remember learning in school, but that I can usually figure out the meaning through the context. In today's case I couldn't easily figure out the meaning, so like I often do when I run across an interesting word that I feel like I should know the meaning of, I looked it up.

This was the perfect word for the title for today's post. Watch the video to find out why.

What did the apostle Paul mean by the greeting, “Grace to You” in many of his letters?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris R. Quinlan) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:21:00 +0000

"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 was an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the whole world all throughout time. Jesus was raised from the dead, proving he was truly God, revealing the Father's acceptance of His sacrifice, and defeating the curse of death.

The "grace" that Paul speaks of, is a general petition (prayer) that God would continue to show this grace upon those that Paul is writing (almost always being the true believers in Jesus Christ.) Even though a Christian is forgiven of his or her sins (justification), there is a life-long battle with the desires of the flesh, which often causes a believer to fall into temporary sin. So there is a sense in which a Christian is being shown continual mercy and grace (withholding of wrath for sin.) Paul often encourages believers to be ever-mindful of the grace to which they were shown and to behave in such a way that shows a humble appreciation of the magnitude of the mercy and kindness that God granted to them.