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What is the Sin Leading to Death?

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There are different types of sin, and some more serious than others. Apparently we should pray for those who do the lighter sins, but not waste time praying for those who do the bad ones.

Ever heard that? It comes from this verse:

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. (1 John 5:16)

What is the sin leading to death and why should we not pray for people doing this sin?

Sin unto death

Some say the sin leading to death is the unforgivable sin, which is unbelief. But why wouldn’t we pray for our unbelieving friends and family members? (We can pray that the eyes of their hearts would be opened to the gospel. We can pray that they would hear Jesus knocking on their door.)

I’ve also heard it said that the fatal sin is taking communion unworthily. Or it’s turning away from Jesus. It’s hypocrisy. It’s lying to the Holy Spirit like Ananias and Sapphira.

Or the sin that leads to death is the sin you did knowing full well that it was sin when you did it.

Or it’s the sin you keep doing again and again because you’re an unrepentant rebel.

In short, the fatal sin is so bad and so offensive to heaven that there’s no point asking God to forgive you. You are so far gone that God can’t help you, and you are not worth praying for.

Nope.

Let’s get two things straight: First, Jesus bore all our sins, big and small, and there is no sin greater than God’s grace (Rom. 5:20). No matter what you have done or how often you’ve done it, there is grace for you.

Second, when we see others destroying themselves in sin, we should pray for them. They need help. Why wouldn’t we pray?

“But some are beyond help. Don’t waste your breath praying for those guys.”

Again, nope. There is no sinner beyond the reach of God’s mighty grace. Not one.

The worst sinner in the world

Look at Saul the Pharisee. If anyone was beyond the reach of grace it was the chief of sinners. Do you think the early Christians wasted time praying for him? Of course they did. Didn’t Jesus teach us to love and pray for their enemies (Matt. 5:44)?

And their prayers were answered. Just look at what happened to Saul.

But I digress. Back to John.

When not to pray

There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

John is not talking about different types of sin. He’s telling us when to pray and when to quit praying.

When our brothers and sisters are stumbling in sin, we should not condemn them but pray for them. Pray that God would lead them on to the path of life. “You should pray and God will give them life.”

Someone who is sinning needs life because sinning is destructive. When we sin we are sowing death into our lives, marriages, and families (Rom. 6:23). But the good news is that Jesus gives life.

Imagine you have a friend who is on a destructive path. They are making bad choices and sowing the seeds of death.

They sin.

You pray.

They keep sinning.

You keep praying. It’s not complicated.

But what if the sinning brother or sister makes choices that bring their life to a premature end? What if they drive themselves over the proverbial cliff? If they’re dead there’s no point praying any further. Our responsibility to pray ends at the grave. What happens after that is God’s concern.

Don’t pray for the dead

What is the sin leading to death? It could be just about anything, but once they’re dead you can stop praying for them. Your part is done. Now they are in God’s hands.

This is obvious, right? Only for many it’s not obvious at all.

Some religions and even some Christian denominations pray for the dead or the “faithful departed” even though there is nothing in scripture to support this.

Praying for the dead is a dead work. Start praying for the dead and your prayer lists will only get longer. (How would you know if the prayers were answered?)

Short version: Don’t pray for the dead, but pray for those who have lost their way. Pray that God will lead them in the path of life.

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What Does it Mean to Fall from Grace?

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“Did you hear about that celebrity pastor and his secretary? What a fall from grace!”

The fall-from-grace phrase is sometimes used to describe famous people who have fallen into sin, but that is not what fall from grace means in the Bible.

When you sin you don’t fall from grace but into grace. It’s not possible to sin yourself beyond the reach of God’s love. His best is better than your worst, and his grace is greater than your sin (see Rom. 5:20).

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

What does it mean to fall from grace? We fall from the high place of grace when we start walking after the flesh. Typically, this happens by accident:

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. (Galatians 5:4, MSG)

Here’s how it happens. You come to Jesus because of grace.

“Thank you, Jesus. I’m saved by grace.”

But then you hear that you need to pray more, give more, serve more to produce fruit or get blessed.

“I’ll do it for you Jesus!”

There is nothing wrong with praying, giving and serving. The problem is in thinking you have to do these things to merit God’s favor.

“I’m gonna give to get. I’m gonna fast and pray until the walls come down. I’m going obey the law because it will please the Lord.”

BAM! You have just traded faith for works and you have fallen from grace.

Paul told the Galatians, “You have been severed from Christ.” This what happens when we stop trusting the Lord and start relying on our own effort. We cut ourselves off from the flow of heavenly favor.

But falling from grace does not mean you have lost your salvation. You may let go of Christ, but he will never let go of you. Even when you are faithless, he remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13).

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Fall from grace and you will lose your freedom, but Paul never tells the Galatians, “You are losing your salvation.” Instead, he says, “You are indulging the flesh” (Gal. 5:13).

The Galatians were becoming carnal, biting and devouring one another in vicious arguments. The danger was not that God would destroy them, but that you “will be destroyed by each other” (Gal. 5:15).

To fall from grace is just about the worst thing that can happen to a believer. Like a bird that falls from the sky, we end up broken and vulnerable.

Christ will be of no benefit to you. (Galatians 5:2)

Christ did not die to make you religious. He died to set you free. If you bind yourself with obligation, debt, and duty, what was the point?

You who are seeking to be justified by law. (Galatians 5:4)

The strange thing is we know this. We know that no one is justified or made right with God by doing good works or keeping the law (Rom. 3:20). We know that justification is a gift of grace that is received by faith (Rom. 3:28).

But we forget. We miss the telltale signs of living under law.

Some serious preacher comes along preaching practical holiness and or railing against lukewarmness and our religious flesh just gobbles it up.

“Just tell me what to do, Lord, and I’ll do it!”

Before you know it, we’re standing with the Israelites at the foot of Mt Sinai begging God for rules.

It’s like Jesus died for nothing.

How do we resist the temptation to come back under law?

Keep standing firm and DO NOT be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

We have to take a stand. We have to have zero tolerance for mixture. When the law-preachers come looking for fresh meat, we have to make a ruckus.

“Beware the wolves in sheep’s clothing!”

How much noise should we make? Well that depends on how much you value your freedom.

So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. (Galatians 5:1, MSG)

Jesus paid a high price for your freedom. Stay free.

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Update: For the past few months I have been working on a book entitled Original Sin: What Does the Bible Really Say? It will be out at the end of this year, but draft chapters are available now on Patreon.

What is the Definition of Sin?

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What is sin?

Some define sin as transgression of God’s law. “We need to keep the law because ‘sin is lawlessness’” (see 1 John 3:4). Okay, but which law?

“We have to keep all of the commands.”

Including the ones about not wearing poly-blend clothing or eating bacon?

“Well, not those ones. But at least the Ten Commandments. Plus everything Jesus said.”

But the Bible says we are not under law (see Rom. 6:14). Which means we can’t use the law to define sin.

“What…?”

And since the law is not of faith, we might say that trying to live under the law is itself a kind of sin (see Gal. 3:11–12).

“You’re breaking my brain.”

What you misdiagnose, you mistreat. If you define sin as law-breaking, you’ll think the remedy to sin is law-keeping. But to live under the law is to walk after the flesh.

We are supposed to look to the Lord, not the law, which means you cannot use the law as a guide for holy living. In the Holy Spirit you have a better Guide by far.

Which brings me back to my original question.

What is sin in the Bible?

In the Bible, the word sin can be a verb (an action) or a noun (a thing). Let’s talk about sin as a verb. Those with a legal mindset define sin (or sinning) as law-breaking, while moral people tend to define sin as immoral behavior. But this is not how the Bible defines sin.

The original verb for sin (hamartano) means to miss the mark and not share the prize. But what is the mark that we are supposed to hit and what is the prize?

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

What does it mean to sin? To sin is to fall short of the glorious life God has for us (to paraphrase the Message Bible).

God has divine life; we do not. His life is whole, good, and perfect, but our lives are bruised and broken.

Because we fall short, we miss the mark and don’t get to share in the divine life that God wants for us. This falling short is called sin.

All of us are sinners and none of us can live at God’s level. It’s impossible. But the next verse reveals God’s plan for closing the gap:

And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24, NIV)

The sinful life is what we have; the glorious life is what he offers, and this new life comes to us through the grace of Jesus Christ.

TL:DR: We are all sinners, but we are freely justified (made right with God) by grace.

Sin is a fruit

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve turned their back on God and the result was sin and death.

Sin and disobedience are the fruit of distrust. Adam and Eve did not believe God and chose the path of independence. Ever since then, humans have been operating from a baseline of self-trust (what the Bible calls walking after the flesh) and the result is sin.

The remedy for sin is to turn back to God and receive the grace he freely offers. Those who do this hit the bullseye and receive the prize. They are made new and get to share in his divine life (2 Pet. 1:4).

Now that we know what sin is (missing the mark), it will help to identify what sin is not. Sin is not merely doing bad things, because any time we walk after the flesh we miss the mark – even when we are doing good.

Nor is sin merely breaking the rules. The devil does not really mind if you are a reckless law-breaker or a religious law-keeper. As long as you are walking after the flesh you are going to fall short of the life God has for you.

What is the definition of sin? It is not rule breaking or acting immorally as much as it is walking by sight and leaning on your own abilities and understanding. It is trusting in yourself and living without regard for the things of God.

And who is a sinner? A sinner is not merely someone who does bad things. A sinner could just as easily be a churchgoer or charity worker, or a Pharisee and a publican. There are good sinners and bad sinners but they are all sinners alike if they are relying on themselves and living independently of God.

Until we come to Christ and receive by faith the gracious gift of his life, we remain dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).

How is sin a noun?

There are two ways that sin is a noun (hamartia). First, if you rake all your sins, trespasses, offenses, and mistakes into a big stinky pile, what you have is a noun: your sin.

Here is the first thing the New Testament says about your sin:

Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people (Matthew 12:31a)

All sinners have a pile of sins, and some piles are bigger than others. But on the cross the Lamb of God bore your sin and my sin and now there are no more piles. Thank you, Jesus!

Because Christ “gave himself for our sins” and “died for our sins”, God is no longer in the business of holding our sins and trespasses against us (1 Cor. 15:3, 2 Cor. 5:19, Gal. 1:4).

You may have sinful regrets, and sin still has consequences – don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise. But the good news is that God chooses to remember our sins and lawless deeds no more (Heb. 10:17). As far as he is concerned, they don’t exist.

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7–8)

“But what about the sin that I sinned just this morning?”

God has no record of that sin. Your conscience may keep a record, and the devil may keep a record, but love keeps no record of wrongs.

Sin as a tyrant

There is another way that sin is a noun. In the Bible, sin is sometimes described as a personality with desires, intelligence, and an agenda.

God told Cain that sin was crouching at his door (Gen. 4:7). Paul described sin as a tyrant with lusts and a desire to master you (see Rom. 6:14).

In the book of Romans, the word sin or sins appears 47 times and on all but one occasion it is a noun. Sin wants to enslave you, deceive you and kill you (Rom. 6:6, 17, 20, 7:14, 7:11). Paul was not talking about a sinful nature or some impersonal power. He was describing Satan.

Both sin and Satan seek to devour us (Gen. 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:8) and kill us (Rom 7:11, John 8:44). But the good news is that both sin and Satan have been defeated by Jesus (Heb. 9:26, John 12:31).

In Christ, you have been freed from sin (see Rom. 6:7). You are not freed from sinning but from sin the tyrant. Because there has been a change of government, you are free to sin no more. You don’t have to obey your former master.

From time to time, we all stumble. The difference now is that when you sin, your new master speaks in your defense.

If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

When you sin, Jesus speaks to defend you. He does not do it to justify sin, but to justify you and to remind you that you have been freed from sin.

Since you died with Christ, you are a sinner no more. You are a new creature, with a new heart and new desires to please the Lord.

Now go learn to speak the new language of the new covenant and be who you truly are – a saint and a dearly-loved child of God.

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What is the Modern Grace Message?

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A man once asked me a question: “I want to show my friends that the gospel of grace is not the latest fad. Can you direct me to some early church teachings on grace?”

I replied, “How about the New Testament? Much of what I know about grace comes straight from the life of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles.”

Those opposed to the gospel of grace often dismiss it as the modern grace message. They say it is a passing fad.

It is anything but.

A modern grace message?

What is the modern grace message? It is the ancient and eternal gospel of grace (Rev. 14:6). The only thing modern about it is we are rediscovering what was lost. After wandering in the wilderness of works, we are returning to our New Testament roots.

The hypergrace gospel is no new revelation but an old revelation that has been buried under manmade traditions, religious rituals, and unholy packaging.

Hypergrace preachers aren’t preaching a new and modern grace message, but an old and timeless one.

Is hypergrace Biblical? You better believe it.

In The Hyper-Grace Gospel, I quote from more than 40 hypergrace preachers all preaching essentially the same gospel. It’s the same message from different messengers, which is a sign to make you wonder.

How is it that Evangelicals and Charismatics, Catholic priests and Anglican vicars, rock stars and soldiers, theologians and poets, are all preaching the same message of grace? The reason is we have unearthed the same Treasure.

How is it that pilgrims, all starting from different locations and traveling different paths, have ended up at the same place? We all followed the same star that led us to Jesus. Our baggage may be different, and some of us have more than others, but we have all arrived at the same Destination.

It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is where you finish.

If you’re digging through religious rubble, keep digging. And if you’re walking through a wilderness of works, keep walking. Don’t stop until you find that Treasure and arrive at that Destination called Jesus.

He is your final port of call. Jesus is your resting place.

Exposing the dangers of hypergrace

The hypergrace gospel is no new message; it is a 2,000-year-old revelation. If you have met Jesus then you have heard the hypergrace gospel.

So what is the danger? What is the error or problem?

The problem is you may have heard some other stuff as well – additional material that was never part of the original message.

If you’re a believer, you don’t need to hear the hypergrace gospel as much as you need to un-hear all the extra stuff that obscures the good news of God’s superabundant grace.

Don’t confuse the dirt with the gold.

The grace of God is like nothing on earth. Anything we add to the grace of God only detracts from its sublime perfections.

Extracted and adapted from The Hyper-Grace Gospel.

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My thanks to everyone who signed up on Patreon last week. I hope you enjoy the world’s most popular sermon.

Last chance to get “The Happy, Wondrous, Divine Exchange”

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Just a gentle reminder that you have about 24 hours to take advantage of our special offer.

“What special offer?”

Sign up as a patron by Saturday and you will receive my latest ebook, The Happy, Wondrous, Divine Exchange. My book tells the story of the world’s most popular sermon, as told by everyone from the Church Fathers down to the present day.

My new ebook is a timeless portrayal of the Easter message and it is free for patrons and supporters.

Patrons are changing the way the gospel is preached, and patronage is not without benefits. Sign up on Patreon and you can get instant access to a suite of goodies such as my personal study notes, ebooks, bonus materials, and draft chapters from forthcoming books.

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But be quick. The world’s most popular sermon offer ends April 10, 2022.

Paul

The World’s Most Popular Sermon

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Many years ago I heard a sermon that radically changed my understanding of the cross. The sermon was recorded on a cassette tape in 1987, and it is no exaggeration to say that this was one of the most influential sermons in my journey to grace.

And it is this year’s Classic Sermon!

Every couple of years or so I release a classic sermon, and this year’s sermon is off the charts. In fact, it may the most popular sermon in the world.

No, I am not referring to the Sermon on the Mount which is the world’s greatest sermon. I’m talking about a sermon that has been preached in one form or another for 2000 years.

Derek Prince called it “The Divine Exchange.” Perhaps you have heard of it. What you may not know is that variations on this sermon were preached by the early Church Fathers, the Church Doctors, influential theologians, the Protestant Reformers, and at least one pope.

If this is not the most popular sermon in history, it is certainly one of the most enduring.

In my new ebook, The Happy, Wondrous, Divine, Exchange, I include a version of Prince’s sermon that has been edited and abridged by me. I also trace the history of the sermon from the second century right down to the present day. It’s quite a story!

This classic sermon has survived schisms and ruptures within the church. To this day it is preached in both the eastern and western branches of the Church in every language known to man.

Like Prince, Charles Spurgeon called it the divine exchange. Luther and Calvin referred to it as a happy or wondrous exchange. Others called it a sweet exchange, a great exchange, a miraculous exchange, or a blessed exchange. But they were all talking about the same thing – namely, the glorious message of the cross.

Christ was made sin that you might be made righteous; he was broken, that you might be made whole; he was rejected, that you might be accepted, and much more!

If you would like to learn more about what Christ did for you on the cross, this classic sermon will be released exclusively on Patreon this weekend. It’s the perfect read for Easter and it will be available in three formats for easy reading on just about any device.

If you’re already a patron, do nothing. You’re getting the ebook as a token of my gratitude.

If you’re thinking of becoming a patron of Escape to Reality, this is the perfect time to join. Sign up on Patreon before 10 April 2022 and you’ll get the ebook.

You can join from as little as $5/month, but if you can manage $10/month you will get instant access to my growing library of study notes and ebooks. You will also get sneak peaks at forthcoming book chapters.

If you are able to contribute more, you’ll get extra bonuses like signed books and your name in those books.

Being a patron is easy, and you can cancel at any time.

Don’t like Patreon? Sign up as a monthly supporter on Donorbox or PayPal and you’ll get the Classic Sermon and other goodies as well.

Patrons and supporters have helped me give away more than $250,000 worth of books. Every person who signs up means we give away more books, which means your support will help others hear the good news of grace.

Don’t miss out. Become a patron today.

Paul

Is God’s Love Unconditional?

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“Is God’s love really unconditional? The phrase unconditional love is not even in the Bible!”

Ever heard that one? How about this one:

“God’s love is unconditional, but…”

Statements like these make me shake my head in wonder.

What do you think the word love means?

Is God’s love unconditional? It must be, otherwise it is not love. There are no ifs, buts, and maybes when it comes to love.

“But ‘unconditional love’ is not in the Bible.”

Sure it is. It’s in plenty of places.

In scripture, the love of God is captured in the noun, agape. God is the source and definition of agape-love.

According to that well-known chapter we read at weddings, agape-love is patient, kind, and not self-seeking. It is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs.

Agape-love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Agape-love never fails.

Sounds like true love to me.

The love of God in action

In the New Testament, two verbs are used to describe the manner in which God loves. The first verb, agapao, means to be well pleased or fond of or contented with. It is the unconditional love God the Father has for his Son, for the whole world, and for his children.

Which means God loves you the same way he loves Jesus (see John 17:23).

The second verb, phileo, means fondness or affection. It is the affection that God the Father has for his Son Jesus and the disciples. It is the friendship Jesus had for his good friend Lazarus and the wretched Laodiceans.

Yes, those Laodiceans.

The love of God is also captured in the adjective agapetos which is usually translated as beloved. The word means dearly loved, esteemed, favorite, and worthy of love.

This beautiful word beloved captures God’s heart for you. Your heavenly Father is fond of you. You are his esteemed favorite and he is well pleased with you. He looks at you with a feeling of deep contentment knowing that you are his dearly loved child.

How religion distorts the love of God

Manmade religion portrays God as capricious and his love as variable. “Sometimes he loves you, sometimes he doesn’t.” But the gospel of grace declares God’s love for you is constant and shadowless.

Religion prostitutes the love of God by putting price tags on his affection. “You have to earn God’s favor.” But the gospel of grace declares that God loved you while you were a sinner and nothing can separate you from his love.

Religion demands that you impress God with the fervency of your love, but the gospel of grace inspires you to trust in your heavenly Father who loves you without limit.

Everything that is good about the good news is good and true because your heavenly Father loves you.

He always has and he always will. God never changes.

How do I know that God loves me unconditionally?

The cross is the proof.

Jesus knew the name of every soldier who beat him, every person who mocked him, and every Pharisee who thought he was the devil. Yet he still went to the cross so that they might be reconciled to God.

The wonder of the cross reveals God’s unconditional love for us.

God did not wait for us to repent or get cleaned up before he loved us. While we were in the filth of our sin and self-righteousness he came and hugged us.

God will never make you jump through hoops to earn his love. He won’t love you any more if you succeed and he won’t love you any less if you fail. If you lead millions to Christ or none at all, he will love you just the same.

There is nothing you can do to make him love you more, and nothing you can do to make him love you less.

His love endures forever.

For scriptures and Greek definitions, check out the entry for “Love of God” in the Grace Glossary. Image: Prodigal Daughter by Charlie Mackesy

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Update: It has been two years since I have released a classic sermon and my next one is a doozy. In fact, this one may be the most popular sermon in the world! I will tell you all about it next week. Sign up to be notified:

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What is the Hour of Testing Coming on the Whole World?

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Once again, the world seems on the brink of destruction. Pandemics, terrorism, nuclear threats. Could this be the end?

It probably isn’t, but it is an excellent time to discuss “the hour of testing” that Jesus mentioned in his letter to the church in Philadelphia:

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

What is the hour of testing that is coming on the whole world? And how do we prepare for it?

The coming hour of testing

The hour of testing is a reference to Judgment Day. When Jesus returns, everything will be tested. Sometimes Judgement Day is called a day; other times it is called an hour:

Fear God, and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come (Revelation 14:7)

Note that the hour of testing is NOT a prophetic reference to the Roman destruction of Judea. The hour (or day) of testing (or judgment) affects the whole world.

Nor is this a warning for the church. When the judgment comes, those things that are opposed to Christ will be shaken, but the believer who has been tested and approved in Christ will stand firm.

There is some illuminating context that helps us unpack these words from the Lord.

Philadelphia and a dozen other cities were badly damaged in the great Lydian Earthquake of AD17. For years afterward, Philadelphia experienced nerve-wracking aftershocks. The city was “ever subject to earthquakes,” said Strabo the geographer.

To someone raised in the earthquake-prone region of Lydia, the hour of testing would evoke anxious memories of earthquakes and houses falling down. When Jesus says such an hour is coming on the whole world, they might imagine a global shaking, and they would not be far wrong.

Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. (Hebrews 12:26)

But the good news is that Jesus promises to protect the Philadelphians from the coming hour of testing. They won’t experience it.

I will keep you from the hour of testing

Some twist our Savior’s encouraging words into a Christian fitness test.

“You have to persevere and endure to be saved. You have to keep Christ’s commands and maintain an erect and noble bearing under pressure. Fail to persevere and you risk punishment, even damnation.”

Talk about putting an old covenant spin on a new covenant promise. We are not kept from the coming trial because we endure; we are kept because Christ has endured.

You have kept the word of my perseverance.

The “word of my perseverance” is the good news that Jesus has persevered and overcome the world. It’s the joyful revelation that because Jesus has done it all, you have nothing to prove.

To keep the word of his perseverance is to keep his word (Rev. 3:8) or keep his deeds (Rev. 2:26) or keep his faith (Rev. 2:13).

It is believing in Jesus and his finished work. It’s guarding the truth, continuing in the faith, and staying settled on the rock. It is refusing to be tempted into the dead works of religion and unbelief.

Like some of the other New Testament churches, the Philadelphians had been pressured to accept another gospel, one that emphasized ritual observance of the law. But the Philadelphians didn’t listen. They continued in the grace of God and remained true to Christ.

Instead of filling their minds with fear and uncertainty, they filled their hearts with praise and thanksgiving. Although their world was shaking, the Philadelphians remain rock-steady.

Jesus took note. He saw their faith and responded by giving them one golden promise after another. Perhaps no other church in the Bible received as many good promises as the Philadelphians.

Surely God wants to bless all of us, but some of us are too busy stressing to hear what he has to say. We see the turmoil and the uncertainty, and our flesh reacts like Chicken Little.

Take a note from the faithful Philadelphians. See above the present troubles to the Alpha and Omega. Our times are in his hands.

Let his promises be in our hearts and may his praises be on our lips.

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Want to learn more about the Philadelphians? Check out Paul’s book Letters from Jesus.

Looking for a special way to celebrate Easter with your family or small group? Check out this special deal – get 3 Jesus Scripts for the price of 2!

What does the Bible Say About the Flesh?

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The flesh is one of the most confusing words in the Bible. What does it mean? And is the flesh good or bad?

Why did Paul say he was alive in the flesh but then say he had crucified the flesh? Why does he say the body of the flesh has been circumcised (so it’s gone, right), then say he served sin with his flesh (no wait, it’s back!).

It doesn’t make sense.

Nor does it help when some Bibles mistranslate the original word for flesh (sarx) as sinful nature. (I’m looking at you New International Version.)

Fear not. The flesh is not hard to understand. Below is everything you need to know about the flesh. For a full list of scripture references and explanatory notes check out my entry for “The Flesh” in the Grace Glossary.

Everything You Need to Know about the Flesh

The flesh can refer to: (1) our physical bodies, (2) people, or (3) worldly unspiritual things.

To be “in the flesh” means (1) being alive “in the body” or (2) an unbeliever living disconnected from God and living solely from their connection to the physical world. It is walking by sight instead of faith. You are not in the flesh, if the Spirit of God dwells in you.

The lusts/desires of flesh include wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, and wanting to appear important. In a word, the flesh craves control.

To walk according the flesh or sow to the flesh or carry out the desires of the flesh is to live without regard for the things of God. It’s trusting in yourself (your abilities, your understanding) and living solely from the basis of your earthly experience (what you see, hear, touch, know, etc.). Like a butterfly who acts as a caterpillar, walking after the old ways of the flesh is abnormal for a believer.

The desires of the flesh give rise to the deeds of the flesh or the deeds of the body. These include selfishness, sexual immorality, materialism, manipulation, resentment, quarrels, unrestrained ambition, temper tantrums, drunkenness, being envious, and so forth. Fleshly works also include law-keeping, self-denial, long-winded praying and other activities done to curry favor with God.

The things of the flesh are those things that are valued in the world such as human effort, reputation and accomplishments. They can be contrasted with the unseen and eternal things of the Spirit.

A mind set on the flesh is focused on self-preservation and the things of the flesh. An obsession with self leads inevitably to conflict, dissension and death. In contrast, a mind set on the spirit puts God at the center and looks to him to supply our needs. Being led by the spirit leads to everlasting life and peace.

To have weak flesh means my unspiritual body is incapable of living the life that God desires for me.

The flesh profits nothing because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. We all need to be born of the Spirit.

The body of the flesh is another name for your old self.

Having crucified the flesh with its passions and desires means I am done with that inferior and unspiritual way of life. I make no provision for the flesh because I am not a debtor to the flesh. The flesh holds no appeal for me because I am walking according to the new and better way of spirit.

Image source.

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“Know your flesh types.” In the bonus materials for this article, I list 25 ways your flesh reacts to pressure. Available now on Patreon.
 

Are Women Weaker Vessels?

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Running through the tapestry of human history is a sexist thread that says women are weaker and inferior to men. They are second-born and second-best.

This is what the philosophers and rabbis taught, as did the Church Fathers and theologians. John Chrysostom said the women in the Bible were occasionally admirable, “yet did they in no case outstrip the men, but occupied the second rank.”

John Calvin, the so-called reformer, said:

Let the woman be satisfied with her state of subjection, and not take it amiss that she is made inferior to the more distinguished sex.

Were there ever more shameful examples of male arrogance? Of course, we would never say such things. We know better.

The stronger sex?

Are women weaker vessels? Science tells women have better immune systems, better genes, and they live longer than men. They experience less stress and lower heart disease, and they are much less likely to start wars. Women perform better academically (when given the chance), companies run by women are more profitable, and countries led by women do better at surviving pandemics.

Are women different? Sure.

But weaker? Not a chance.

Yet here’s a phrase I’ve heard from the pulpit: “Women are ill-equipped to preach and lead. Women have more compassion, which makes them vulnerable and prone to deception. It’s all part of God’s divine order.”

Which is a roundabout way of saying that women are inferior to men.

And since women are weaker, they should never preach. Which makes perfect sense because God only uses strong capable people, right?

No, wait.

If God chooses the weak to shame the strong, wouldn’t that make women better leaders than men?

Weakness is no barrier to God. He can demonstrate his wisdom and power through anyone. But who says women are weaker? Apparently, Peter did:

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7)

Peter is not saying women are too weak to preach or lead. He’s saying careless husbands can render their prayers ineffective. But how do they do that? And what makes a woman the weaker partner?

Made by God

When God made the first man and woman, both were very good. One wasn’t weaker or inferior to the other.

But after the Fall, everything changed. Suddenly, men and women were no longer on an equal footing. “He will rule over you” (Gen 3:16). Because of the curse of sin, the woman found herself at a disadvantage. If women are in a weaker position, it is because they have been oppressed by a fallen world that favors men.

When Peter refers to wives as the weaker partner, he is not saying that men can do more push-ups or that females are feeble. He’s saying women are have been victims of an ancient patriarchal prejudice.

And he should know.

Every time he went to the Temple, Peter passed through the outer Women’s Court on his way to the male-only Court of Israel. Every time he went to the synagogue or every time he saw a woman get stoned for adultery, Peter was reminded that women have not had a fair shake. From the day women were born, their rights were weaker, and their prospects were bleaker.

Taking his lead from Jesus, Peter spoke out against this injustice. He encouraged women to prophesy and speak as though speaking the very words of God. He treated women with respect, and he told husbands to treat their wives as fellow heirs of grace.

This was a radical notion for Jewish men. Even today some men have trouble accepting their wives as fellow heirs and equal in the Lord.

“My wife is equal with me? I don’t think so. She’s a weaker vessel who needs to know her place.”

If that’s what you think, your prayers are going to be hindered, because God opposes proud men (1 Pet. 5:5).

Pride hinders our prayers because those who think they need nothing from God get nothing from God. This is why religious superstars are often further from grace than tax collectors and prostitutes (Matt. 21:31b).

As D.L. Moody once said, “It is to the needy that God opens the wardrobe of heaven and brings out the robe of righteousness.”

Like racists, sexist people see others as weaker or inferior. They may not say it aloud, but in their hearts they speak the language of the Pharisee.

“Thank God I’m not a foreigner or a woman.”

If you are not enjoying the grace of God in your life, it may be because you have lorded it over your wife (or husband) when you should have been treating her (or him) as a fellow heir in grace.

Grace for your marriage

Do you look down on your partner or do you submit to them in love? Do you make all the important decisions alone, or do you receive the wisdom that God gives to your other half?

Some men treat their wives poorly because that’s how they were raised. They don’t know any better. If this is you, what can you do? Peter gives practical instruction:

Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground. Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. (1 Peter 3:7–8, MSG)

It’s one thing to be humble before the Lord, but Peter exhorts us to be humble with each other and with people who are different from us.

Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. (1 Pet. 5:5)

Women are not inferior, and neither are foreigners, Catholics, Protestants, Democrats, Republicans, divorced people, old people, young people, and single parents.

If you want more of God’s grace to flow in your life, learn to see others as Jesus sees them. The world may dismiss some people as weaker or inferior vessels, but God’s grace flows through flawed and broken people.

Even our spouses.

Fukl sources for quotes and stats are listed in the The Silent Queen. Image source

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Did Paul Preach a Different Gospel?

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Read the New Testament and you might come away with the idea that there is more than one gospel.

The very first words of the New Testament in the King James Bible are, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” Read on and you will also find the gospels according to Mark, Luke, and John.

In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we find Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom, while Mark refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gospel of God.

The word gospel does not appear in John’s Gospel, but in Acts and all the letters that follow, the gospel is mentioned plenty of times with different labels:

  • the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1)
  • the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19, 1 Cor. 9:12, 2 Cor. 2:12, 9:13, 10:14, Gal. 1:7, Php. 1:27, 1 Th. 3:2)
  • the gospel of God (Mark 1:14, Rom 1:1, 15:16, 2 Cor. 11:7, 1 Th. 2:2, 8, 9, 1 Pet. 4:17)
  • the gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim. 1:11)
  • the gospel of his Son (Rom 1:9)
  • the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, 24:14, Luke 16:16)
  • the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4)
  • the gospel of your salvation (Eph. 1:13)
  • the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15)
  • the glorious gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim 1:11)
  • the eternal gospel (Rev. 14:6)

These are not different gospels but different labels for the one and only gospel, namely the gospel of grace.

When Paul refers to the gospel of grace in Acts 20:24, he means the same thing as when he and others refer to the gospel of God or the gospel of peace or the gospel of your salvation. All of these gospels reveal the One who is called Grace, who was given to us out of the fullness of the Father’s grace, and through whom we have received grace upon grace.

This is all pretty obvious, right? Only many don’t see it.

They see Jesus preaching one gospel and Paul preaching another. Or they see discord among the apostles. “Paul preached salvation by faith; James added works.” Or they see different gospels for different dispensations; a gospel for then, another one for now.

But if this were true, how would you know which gospel to believe? People would say things like, “I follow Paul.” “I follow Peter.” “Well I follow Jesus!”

Paul said if anyone preached a gospel different to the one he preached, let them be cursed (Gal. 1:9). So if Jesus preached a different gospel, Paul was cursing the Lord and the Bible can’t be trusted.

And if you believe there are different gospels, then you will have a divided heart. You will be forever wondering if you have picked the right one.

Did Jesus and Paul preach the same gospel?

Did Paul preach a different gospel? Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom while Paul went around preaching the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25). Looks like the same gospel to me.

“But Jesus emphasized the kingdom, while Paul emphasized grace.” These are not different emphases but different ways of saying the same thing. When we preach the kingdom, we are revealing a King whose name is Grace. Grace is the language, the culture, and the economy of the kingdom.

When Jesus says seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, he is saying “seek me and my righteousness.” Where do we find his righteousness? In the gospel of grace!

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. (Romans 1:17)

In many of his letters, Paul preached the gospel of Christ. On other occasions he preached the gospel of God. These are different labels for the gospel of grace because it is the grace of God revealed in Christ that makes the good news good news.

Did Paul and Peter preach the same gospel?

I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised… (Galatians 2:7)

Paul and Peter preached the same gospel to different audiences. Peter preached to the Jews (but not always), while Paul preached to the Gentiles (but not always). But they both preached the same gospel.

Paul is known to us as the apostle of grace, but Peter was an apostle of grace too. Peter preached about the God of all grace revealing his grace through a Savior (1 Pet. 1:10, 5:10).

It was Peter who encouraged us to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God and stand firm in the true grace of God (1 Pet. 4:10, 5:12).

And it was Peter who prayed that grace would be multiplied to us as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet. 1:2, 3:18).

There is no question that Peter understood grace as well as Paul, but what about the odd man out? What about James?

Did Paul and James preach the same gospel?

Many dismiss James as unacquainted with grace. A young Martin Luther even referred to James’ letter as an epistle of straw.

But James was an apostle of grace who understood the grace message as well as Paul. Like Peter, James preached to the Jews. His letter was written to religious people who believed in God and were diligent in their observance of the law.

The religious Jews were doing plenty of works, but their works were dead works and their faith was a dead faith (Jas. 2:17). They believed in God, but their faith was not accompanied by the “work” of believing in the one he sent (Jas. 2:14).

The apostles and epistle writers did not preach different gospels. They all proclaimed the grace of God and justification by faith in his Son.

Don’t be misled by the different labels. There aren’t different gospels for different folks or different times.

Just as there is one Lord and one faith, there is only one gospel – the gospel of grace.

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Do you have questions about God, the Bible, the church, money, parenting, sin, and life in general?

Over the past few weeks I have revamped E2R’s questions page. More than 400 questions are now organized by topic to make it easier for you to find the answers you are looking for.

Check it out: https://escapetoreality.org/faqs/

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Grace and peace,

Paul

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