The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

The number one reason why we have trouble growing in grace, is we don’t have a teachable heart. “Repent and believe the good news,” said Jesus. That’s not just for unbelievers; that’s for all of us.

Jesus is saying let go of what you used to believe and receive what the Lord wants to give you now.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. (Proverbs 9:9)

The wise and the righteous are teachable. They have learned how to receive. But sometimes we can be slow learners.

On occasion, Jesus rebuked the disciples for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25). It’s not that they had turned into atheists. They were just not where Jesus wanted them to be. The same can be true of us.

Do you have a teachable heart?

One of the ways we grow in grace is through reading scripture. But what happens when you come to a verse that is hard to understand? How do you respond when you encounter “tricky” scriptures? Like this one:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This seems like a heavy verse. “If I covet my neighbor’s iPhone, I could go to hell!” When you run into a verse like this, you have three options:

1. Ignore it or put it in the “too hard basket”
2. Try and figure it out with your mind
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight

The first two options are poor choices. To ignore the bits of the Bible we don’t understand is to miss out on all God wants to tell us.

And trying to make sense of scripture with your mind (i.e., your flesh), is a recipe for disaster, because the natural mind cannot grasp spiritual revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). Your mind will cast about for principles and lessons and come up with all sorts of bad conclusions.

To illustrate, here are two bad conclusions you might draw from Ephesians 5:5:

1. “Do bad things and I won’t go to heaven.” This is not true. Just as we are not qualified by our good works, we are not disqualified by our bad works. We are saved by grace and justified by faith (Gal. 3:24, Eph. 2:8).
2. “Do bad things and I’ll still be saved, but I will lose my inheritance. I will be an eternal pauper.” This is also not true. An inheritance is a gift given to heirs, not a reward for good behavior. Your inheritance in Christ is a gift of grace.

These conclusions are faithless and unspiritual. We know this because they promote dead works (“I’d better not misbehave”) and unbelief (“I need to work for my inheritance”). Too many people have been side-tracked and side-lined by bad teaching like this.

What is the best way to respond to scriptures we don’t understand? With honesty and humility. We start by saying, “I don’t know what this verse means.” And then we go to option 3 – we ask the Holy Spirit for insight.

The greatest Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher you will ever meet. Since the Holy Spirit authored the Bible, he can easily explain it.

I ask the Lord for insight all the time. Sometimes a spiritual insight will come within seconds. Other times I’ll go for a “walk and talk” with the Lord. But in my experience, the Lord freely gives insight and understanding. You just need to ask (see Matt. 7:7).

Sometimes when I’m praying about a scripture, a single word will leap off the page. Let’s take another look at that tricky verse:

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

In this scripture, a key word is “inheritance.” Paul is talking about people who have no inheritance. People who are not heirs of God.

Do you see? He is not talking about badly behaving Christians, but unbelievers. Unbelievers do not have an inheritance in the kingdom, but Christians do.

Like a key, the right word can unlock a whole verse. The next thing that will happen is the Holy Spirit will bring other scriptures to mind. He will use scripture to confirm the revelation he is bringing to our hearts.

“I see it. Paul is not saying Christians can lose their inheritance or be cast out of the kingdom. He’s saying the same thing that he says in other places. Unbelievers who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19–21). ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ (1 Cor. 6:9).”

And so we come to the spiritual conclusion, which is this: Unbelievers have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is not because God has anything against them, but because they refuse to receive what he is offering. By rejecting the grace that could be theirs, they reject the inheritance that is ours in Christ.

Sidebar: That’s the bad news. The good news is that the moment someone responds to God in faith, they are adopted into his family and become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:15–17). There is no entry test, no induction process, and no probationary period. The transfer from Adam’s family into God’s is as sudden as the break of day. And this is wonderful news for immoral people and people who covet their neighbor’s iPhones.

But we’re talking about teachable hearts.

Pride hinders learning

As you can imagine, I meet a lot of people who ask questions about the Bible. I have noticed that when I help people see the treasures of grace hidden in scripture, they respond in one of three ways:

1. Some refuse to receive it
2. Some say, “That’s what I thought. I knew this already.”
3. Others say, “Thank you, Jesus”

Guess which group most reminds me of the slow-believing disciples? It is the second group. It’s the people who pretend that they knew it all along.

I want to say, “If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?”

The problem with pretending we know all the answers is that it’s a form of pride, and pride hinders our spiritual growth.

We need to approach the Bible with humility, with an attitude that says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me.” That’s the sort of heart that receives revelation.

Then when the lights go on, don’t say, “I knew this already.” Instead say, “Thank you, Lord, for teaching me something new about yourself and your ways.”

—

Draft chapters for my forthcoming book on the Parables of Jesus are available now on Patreon:

Back when I was a brand new pastor, there was one kind of phone call I got more than any other.

“Hi Paul, do you have the number for John (or Jane or Joe)?”

I thought people would ring me for counseling or to draw upon my wisdom. But most of the time they just wanted someone’s number. All those calls at all hours – it used to drive me bonkers.

“You know we have a church directory, right?”

“Yeah, but I lost it.”

I understand why people rang me. Being the pastor meant I was the most connected guy in the church. I was a glorified switchboard operator.

I don’t get those kinds of calls anymore. Instead, I get messages like this: “Hi Paul, can you recommend a grace-based church in Wichita (or Muncie or Dusseldorf)?”

I like helping people, but I confess that questions like these leave me a bit exasperated.

“You know I live in New Zealand, right? I don’t know anyone in Wichita.”

I understand why people ask me. I’m a grace guy. If anyone knows where the grace churches are, it ought to be me, right?

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my knowledge is limited. I don’t have a list of grace churches. (However, my friend Ted Nelson does. It’s called Locate Church Ministries. Check it out. You might get lucky.)

Perhaps a more better question to ask is…

What is a grace Bible church?

A grace Bible church is one that reveals the unconditional love of God and proclaims the gospel of grace. A grace church does not put guilt and shame on people, but it reveals the grace that sets them free.

If you are the observant type, you can look for the 8 signs of a church that gets grace and 8 signs that it doesn’t. But these checklists won’t help much if you live in a small community with few churches.

How to find a grace Bible church?

Every church is a grace church to one degree or another. The trick is to find a church that doesn’t dilute grace with other things, like law and dead works.

The simplest way is to look for a church that feels like family. “God sets the solitary in families” (Ps. 68:6, NKJV). Churches that get grace become knitted together in love (Col. 2:2). Or maybe it’s the other way around. Churches that are knitted together in love, attract the grace of God.

In either case, a church that is established in grace will not feel like a business, a platoon, or a scout group. It will feel like family.

What makes a church a family? Now that’s the $64,000 question. The short answer is families show unconditional love and acceptance, they are real and empowering.

If you have found a church that loves and accepts you and helps you to walk in grace and work out the gifts that God has given you, rejoice, because you have found your spiritual home.

And if you can’t find a church like that, then sow what you want to reap. Love and accept others, especially those who are different from you. Help others grow in grace and walk in the gifts God has given them.

Be the church you are looking for.

—

Got a question about a scripture? The Grace Commentary has more than 10,000 entries with new material added weekly.

Back when I was a brand new pastor, there was one kind of phone call I got more than any other.

“Hi Paul, do you have the number for John (or Jane or Joe)?”

I thought people would ring me for counseling or to draw upon my wisdom. But most of the time they just wanted someone’s number. All those calls at all hours – it used to drive me bonkers.

“You know we have a church directory, right?”

“Yeah, but I lost it.”

I understand why people rang me. Being the pastor meant I was the most connected guy in the church. I was a glorified switchboard operator.

I don’t get those kinds of calls anymore. Instead, I get messages like this: “Hi Paul, can you recommend a grace-based church in Wichita (or Muncie or Dusseldorf)?”

I like helping people, but I confess that questions like these leave me a bit exasperated.

“You know I live in New Zealand, right? I don’t know anyone in Wichita.”

I understand why people ask me. I’m a grace guy. If anyone knows where the grace churches are, it ought to be me, right?

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my knowledge is limited. I don’t have a list of grace churches. (However, my friend Ted Nelson does. It’s called Locate Church Ministries. Check it out. You might get lucky.)

Perhaps a more better question to ask is…

What is a grace Bible church?

A grace Bible church is one that reveals the unconditional love of God and proclaims the gospel of grace. A grace church does not put guilt and shame on people, but it reveals the grace that sets them free.

If you are the observant type, you can look for the 8 signs of a church that gets grace and 8 signs that it doesn’t. But these checklists won’t help much if you live in a small community with few churches.

How to find a grace Bible church?

Every church is a grace church to one degree or another. The trick is to find a church that doesn’t dilute grace with other things, like law and dead works.

The simplest way is to look for a church that feels like family. “God sets the solitary in families” (Ps. 68:6, NKJV). Churches that get grace become knitted together in love (Col. 2:2). Or maybe it’s the other way around. Churches that are knitted together in love, attract the grace of God.

In either case, a church that is established in grace will not feel like a business, a platoon, or a scout group. It will feel like family.

What makes a church a family? Now that’s the $64,000 question. The short answer is families show unconditional love and acceptance, they are real and empowering.

If you have found a church that loves and accepts you and helps you to walk in grace and work out the gifts that God has given you, rejoice, because you have found your spiritual home.

And if you can’t find a church like that, then sow what you want to reap. Love and accept others, especially those who are different from you. Help others grow in grace and walk in the gifts God has given them.

Be the church you are looking for.

—

Got a question about a scripture? The Grace Commentary has more than 10,000 entries with new material added weekly.

Back when I was a brand new pastor, there was one kind of phone call I got more than any other.

“Hi Paul, do you have the number for John (or Jane or Joe)?”

I thought people would ring me for counseling or to draw upon my wisdom. But most of the time they just wanted someone’s number. All those calls at all hours – it used to drive me bonkers.

“You know we have a church directory, right?”

“Yeah, but I lost it.”

I understand why people rang me. Being the pastor meant I was the most connected guy in the church. I was a glorified switchboard operator.

I don’t get those kinds of calls anymore. Instead, I get messages like this: “Hi Paul, can you recommend a grace-based church in Wichita (or Muncie or Dusseldorf)?”

I like helping people, but I confess that questions like these leave me a bit exasperated.

“You know I live in New Zealand, right? I don’t know anyone in Wichita.”

I understand why people ask me. I’m a grace guy. If anyone knows where the grace churches are, it ought to be me, right?

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my knowledge is limited. I don’t have a list of grace churches. (However, my friend Ted Nelson does. It’s called Locate Church Ministries. Check it out. You might get lucky.)

Perhaps a more better question to ask is…

What is a grace Bible church?

A grace Bible church is one that reveals the unconditional love of God and proclaims the gospel of grace. A grace church does not put guilt and shame on people, but it reveals the grace that sets them free.

If you are the observant type, you can look for the 8 signs of a church that gets grace and 8 signs that it doesn’t. But these checklists won’t help much if you live in a small community with few churches.

How to find a grace Bible church?

Every church is a grace church to one degree or another. The trick is to find a church that doesn’t dilute grace with other things, like law and dead works.

The simplest way is to look for a church that feels like family. “God sets the solitary in families” (Ps. 68:6, NKJV). Churches that get grace become knitted together in love (Col. 2:2). Or maybe it’s the other way around. Churches that are knitted together in love, attract the grace of God.

In either case, a church that is established in grace will not feel like a business, a platoon, or a scout group. It will feel like family.

What makes a church a family? Now that’s the $64,000 question. The short answer is families show unconditional love and acceptance, they are real and empowering.

If you have found a church that loves and accepts you and helps you to walk in grace and work out the gifts that God has given you, rejoice, because you have found your spiritual home.

And if you can’t find a church like that, then sow what you want to reap. Love and accept others, especially those who are different from you. Help others grow in grace and walk in the gifts God has given them.

Be the church you are looking for.

—

Got a question about a scripture? The Grace Commentary has more than 10,000 entries with new material added weekly.