Paul Ellis – Page 4

Are the Gentiles Under the Law?

June 19, 2024 by Paul Ellis

Are the Gentiles under the law? Were the Gentiles ever under the law?

Your answers to these questions depend on how you define “the law.” My answers to these questions are “no, with a but” and “sort of, yes, it depends.”

I am fascinated by “the law” because the phrase means different things to different people. In my article, “What is the law in the Bible?” I identify no less than 12 types of law that are mentioned in scripture. These include the Royal Law, the Law of Christ, and the Law of Liberty.

Most of the time, “the law” refers to the Law of Moses, or the commandments, ordinances, punishments, and ceremonial observances given to the nation of Israel through Moses (Jos. 8:31, John 1:17). The Law of Moses is sometimes referred to as the law of commandments (Eph. 2:15), or the law of the Jews (Acts 25:8).

However, failing to distinguish different types of law can lead to confusion and conflict. Let me give you an example. If I say, “We are no longer under the law,” I can just about guarantee that I will get two responses.

First, I will hear from those who tell me that the law is a guide that helps us live holy lives. In other words, they prefer the law to the Holy Spirit and they would rather walk by flesh instead of faith.

I will also hear from those who say that the Gentiles (i.e., most of us) were never under the law to begin with, and this is both true and false. It’s true if you are referring to the Law of Moses, but false if you are referring to “the law” in general.

Why do we need to discuss the law?

I have been thinking about this lately because I have just finished writing The Grace Bible: Galatians. (The book comes out in a few weeks, thanks for asking.)

As we all know, Paul discusses “the law” a great deal in his letter to the Galatians. He warns us to stay free from the yoke of the law. Put yourself under law and you will no longer be walking in faith.

While writing my book, I learned that some people dismiss Galatians as an irrelevant Jewish document. (Nevermind that the Galatians were mostly Gentiles.) They hear Paul talking about the law and think, “I was never under the Law of Moses, so Galatians is not for me.”

Big mistake.

A line from the movie The Usual Suspects comes to mind:

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that, poof. He’s gone.

If that’s the Devil’s greatest trick, his second greatest trick may be convincing us that we are in no danger of the law, and that all the warnings about it – including Galatians – can be dismissed as irrelevant old covenant stuff.

To see how dangerous this is, we need to define “the law” scripturally, and then see what Paul says about it in his famous letter.

Which law are we talking about?

“The law” refers to rules or regulations that define some standard of right living. When Paul refers to the law in Galatians, he is usually referring to the Law of Moses (e.g., Gal. 3:17), but not always (e.g., Gal. 6:2).

The Law of Moses was uniquely given to the Jews and fulfilled at the cross, but there is a broader law that applies to all of us – the law of right and wrong. This is the law we got when our ancestors ate from the forbidden tree.

After Adam sinned, he knew he had done wrong. How did he know? He had acquired the knowledge of good and evil. He had “the law,” as do we all.

In its widest sense, “the law” is a universal constraint that guides and sometimes condemns us through our consciences. Your particular brand of law is your personal moral code which might be based on the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus, denominational traditions, your culture, or whatever your parents taught you.

To clarify, “the law” is universal, while the Law of Moses refers to a specific set of laws given to Israel. If the knowledge of good and evil is a kind of natural law stored in our consciences, then the written Law of Moses is the Law 2.0. It is a souped-up version of the law of right and wrong.

With this distinction in mind, let’s take a quick look at what Paul says in Galatians.

Two kinds of law

When Paul says “the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin” (Gal. 3:22), he means everyone. And when he says in the next verse, “Before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law” (Gal. 3:23), he still means everyone.

The verdict of Scripture is that everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, was captive to sin and held in bondage under the elemental things of the world (Gal. 3:22, 4:3). Our captivity was under the law, meaning the law acted like a custodian or jailer.

All of us knew right from wrong because of our innate knowledge of good and evil. This is the law hardwired into the heart of every person (Rom. 2:14–15). This law silences every mouth and holds the whole world accountable to God (Rom. 3:19).

To sum up:

You are not under the Law of Moses and you never were
Fallen humanity lives under the universal law of right and wrong
Many churches impose additional laws governing church attendance, giving, moral conduct, dress codes, hair length, dietary restrictions, spiritual disciplines, marital duties, women in ministry, listening to music, partaking of communion, confession, etc.

I hope you can see that “the law” is much more pervasive than we think. Every one of us was born with a moral code of one sort or another, and some religions (e.g., Judaism) and churches add their own laws on top.

So what does the Bible say about all this law?

“The law,” however you define it, is no substitute for the indwelling Spirit. The law has no place in the new creation. We are called to walk by faith which means we are not to rely on our works of law.

Why we need Galatians

In his amazing letter, Paul makes seven great claims about the law:

The law cannot make you righteous (Gal. 3:11)
The law cannot impart life (Gal. 3:21)
The law reveals our captivity to sin and our need for a Savior (Gal. 3:19–24)
Now that Christ has come, we no longer need the law (Gal. 4:4–5)
As believers, we are dead to the law and free from its constraints (Gal. 2:19)
The law has no claim on those who are led by the spirit (Gal. 5:18)
When you rely on the Spirit of grace, you are truly free from the law (Gal. 5:23)

Galatians is a how-to book for the new creation. Not only does it warn us of the dangers of living under any sort of law, it teaches us how to walk in the new way of the spirit.

Believers who dismiss Galatians as “not for me,” are making a terrible mistake.

—

The Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus is an oft-misunderstood masterpiece. It is one of my favorite parables.

In this exchange with greedy Pharisees, Jesus is almost Shakespearean with his wit, wisdom, and warnings. My grace-based take on this amazing Parable is available now on Patreon.

What Does It Mean To Have Our Ears Tickled?

June 5, 2024 by Paul Ellis

When I visit church websites one of the first things I look at is their sermon index. I want to see what is being preached. Do they preach the good news of Jesus? Or do they preach something else.

I’m not trying to be the Church Policeman, but we have been called to preach the good news (Mark 16:15). It’s what the world most needs to hear, and if Christians don’t share it, who will?

You can preach the good news a thousand different ways. You can preach it from any book in the Bible and you can illustrate it using everything from Shakespeare to Star Wars. There’s no limit to how you can convey the good news of Jesus.

You don’t even have to use words.

Yet it seems that many are preaching something other than the good news of Jesus. Which brings me to passage:

Preach the word… For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:2–4)

What does it mean to preach “the word”? What qualifies as “sound doctrine”? And what does it mean to have our ears tickled?

Preach the word

To preach, in this context, means to herald or speak on behalf of another. It’s speaking the word of God as ambassadors of God, as though God was speaking through us (2 Cor. 5:20, 1 Pet. 4:11).

To preach the word is to proclaim Jesus, the Living Word. Preach the word does not mean teach Bible literacy. Although knowing the Bible is important, the Bible means little if it doesn’t reveal the Author.

Jesus is the Living Word who gives meaning to the written word.

When we “preach the word” or “the truth” or “sound doctrine,” we are telling people about Jesus Christ – who he is, why he came, and what he reveals about the character of God.

Sound doctrine is the message that Jesus is Lord of all. There is no sin, harm, or problem that lies outside his purview.

Whatever your need, Jesus is your Supply. Whatever your hurt, Jesus is your Healing. The grace of God that we all need, comes to us through a revelation of his Son.

This is what we are called to preach.

Wanting to have their ears tickled

The natural man has no interest in the things of God. The gospel of grace that is revealed in Jesus Christ sounds like foolishness to him (1 Cor. 2:14).

The natural man doesn’t want grace. He wants principles for living and keys to success. He wants to work his way up the ladder of self-improvement.

Paul exhorted Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1), but the natural man relies on his own strength and understanding. He thinks that if he does the right things and makes the right decisions he’ll pull himself up by his bootstraps. He’ll impress God with his accomplishments and bless himself with his all-round goodness.

But that’s a myth for ticklish ears.

Our flesh has no interest in grace. Our flesh prefers teachers who tell it what it wants to hear. What does it mean to have our ears tickled? It means we’re listening to those who gratify the flesh instead of those who would point us to Jesus.

Itching ears

Since there are many kinds of flesh, there are many kinds of teachers. There are those who indulge:

political flesh: “We gotta get the right candidate elected”
vanity flesh: “You need to dress right, look good, and get a tan”
victim flesh: “Bad things will keep happening to you”
anxious flesh: “The world is going down”
performance flesh: “Make a name for yourself through success”
tribal flesh: “Our God is better than their god”
conspiracy flesh: “Powerful figures are pulling the strings”
savior flesh: “You can fix the world”
racist flesh: “They are not like us”
religious flesh: “Let me tell you how to earn divine favor”

Where are these ear-tickling teachers? They are on our social media feeds, our podcast playlists, and in the news. They are the stars of Netflix specials, bestseller lists and gossip pages. They are everywhere.

But one place these ear-ticklers ought not to be is behind the pulpit.

Preachers may talk about any subject that is relevant to their audience – social justice, welfare, racism, politics, art, language, NASCAR. But if their message ultimately does not proclaim Jesus, they are just another voice in the crowd. They have neglected their gift and missed their opportunity.

If you have found a preacher or teacher who preaches the word, in season and out, treasure them. They may well be the only person in your life who is giving you the life-giving grace of God.

—

My new book, The Grace Bible: Galatians, goes on sale next month. It is the biggest and best installment in the Grace Bible series so far.

For those who can’t wait, advance copies are available now on Patreon and E2R’s supporters’ page.

God’s Plans Are Better Than Your Plans

May 30, 2024 by Paul Ellis

The story of my life: I made a plan and God laughed.

Because I am a pastor’s kid, many assumed I would become a pastor. “Not me. No way. No how.” Then I became a pastor.

Because I blog about grace, some said I should write a book. “Not going to happen.” It happened.

Because I love unpacking scripture, some suggested I make a Bible commentary. “Not a chance.” And now I’m writing a commentary.

It’s funny how life works out.

Despite my initial reluctance to do these things, I have learned that God’s plans are always better than my own. Truly, he knows us better than we know ourselves.

Take the Grace Commentary, for example. I have gone from, “no way am I doing this” to, “I can’t wait to see what happens next!”

I know the commentary is a God-thing because I regularly get messages like these:

Wow, just wow! Every entry in the Grace Commentary is a chain-breaker, a freedom-maker!

I am a youth pastor, so I am using the Grace Commentary weekly to help me write my lessons, especially for ‘sticky’ verses where I am struggling to see grace.

Our entire church uses the Grace Commentary.

God is using the commentary to get his message of grace to people everywhere. That’s really exciting. But it is also a huge challenge. It takes a team.

If you are excited about the Grace Commentary, why not join the supporters’ team today and become a partner in this project?

I spend one week a year on fundraising so this is the only email I’ll be sending to E2R subscribers. If you’re in, you’re in. It’s easy to sign up and you can cancel at any time.

Sign up for just $10/month by this Saturday June 1, 2024, and as a token of my gratitude I will send you an advance copy (pdf) of The Grace Bible: Galatians. This means you will see my next book long before it’s released.

You will also get instant access to my library of classic sermons, study notes, ebooks, parables, publishing tips, etc.

And if you can manage $25/month or more, I will add your name to our official supporters’ list. You’ll be famous! Sort of.

It is a privilege to share the gospel of grace with so many people around the world. If you are able to join the team, we’ll be thrilled to have you.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

Gems from Galatians

May 22, 2024 by Paul Ellis

Galatians is a small but precious epistle. It is full of treasures. It has 149 verses and in my forthcoming book, The Grace Bible: Galatians, I unpack every one of them.

Here’s a taste:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)

I have been crucified with Christ. My old self – the one that was concerned with rules and sin – died with Christ (Rom. 6:3). It is no more.

Many Christians are trying to crucify the flesh or their old self, but the good news declares, “You died.” This is just about the most important thing that happened to you, yet many Christians are ignorant of it. They do not know that when they were baptized, or placed into Jesus, his history became their history. His death and resurrection are your death and resurrection (Rom. 6:4). The old has gone and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).

It is no longer I who live. The self-serving person you once were no longer lives.

Once upon a time, Saul had been a zealous Pharisee intent on destroying the church. But when he met the Lord, that person died and a new person, Paul the beloved son of God, was born.

No longer. Paul repeats the “no longer” phrase to emphasize the change between the old and the new. Your old self no longer lives (Gal. 2:20). We are no longer under the guardianship of the law (Gal. 3:25). You are no longer a slave but a son (Gal. 4:7).

Christ lives in me. The Spirit of Christ dwells within the believer (John 14:17, 1 John 4:13).

Christianity is not a religion of rules and rituals. Christianity is Christ living in you. This is the beating heart of Paul’s message. Because Christ lives in you, you are holy and righteous. Because Christ lives in you, you can be free and fruitful. Christ is not just your Savior and Healer. Christ is your Life (Col. 3:4).

In the flesh. In this earthly body.

Faith in the Son of God. The primary call to action of Galatians is to live by faith in Jesus (Gal. 3:11). We receive the gospel by faith (Gal 3:2), we are justified by faith (Gal. 2:16), and we are adopted into the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26). Real life comes from trusting the Lord.

The King James Version and other translations translate this verse as the “faith of the Son of God”. (The KJV also refers to “the faith of Jesus Christ in Galatians 2:16 and 3:22.) We who have been justified by the faith of Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16) now live by the faith of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:20). If this was Paul’s meaning, we can say that we were justified and declared righteous because Jesus was faithful unto death, and we are empowered to live in Christ because he is, and will always remain, faithful.

Son of God. Jesus is the Christ (the anointed one; Gal. 1:1), and the Lord (supreme above all; Gal. 1:3), but ultimately, he is the Son of God. His relationship to God the Father defines him (and us; Gal. 3:26).

Who loved me. The love of God is revealed to us through his Son Jesus Christ (see entry for John 17:26).

Manmade religion portrays God as capricious. “Sometimes he loves you, sometimes he doesn’t.” But the gospel of grace declares God’s love for you is constant and shadowless (Ps. 136, Jas. 1:17).

Religion prostitutes the love of God by putting price tags on his affection. “You have to earn his favor.” But the gospel of grace declares that God loved you while you were a sinner and nothing can separate you from his love (Rom. 5:8, 8:38–39).

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 (Eph. 3:17–19).

God’s love changes us. It turns sinners into saints, haters into lovers, church wreckers into church planters. Everything that is good about the good news—his forgiveness, acceptance, and righteousness—is good and true because your heavenly Father loves you. He always has and he always will. God never changes.

Gave himself up for me. The cross proves that God loves you unconditionally.

The sacrificial love of God is the heart of the good news (John 15:13, Eph. 5:2). 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 justifies the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).

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.

—

If you liked that, you will love what I wrote for the other 148 verses! The Grace Bible: Galatians will be released in July, but in next week’s post, I’ll to tell you how you can get an advance copy a month before it goes on sale.

Leaders are readers. Click on the pic to find out what others are saying about the Grace Commentary:

Why Am I Not Spiritually Fruitful?

May 15, 2024 by Paul Ellis

Did you know you have been chosen by God to bear fruit? Jesus said:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last… (John 15:16)

One way that we show that we are disciples of Christ is by bearing his fruit (see John 15:8). But how do we do that? How do we become spiritually fruitful? And why are some Christians unfruitful?

Fruitfulness is the product of intimacy. So the way to a fruitful life is knowing God in your daily life.

Easy to say, but what does that mean? How do we live the life that is ours in Christ?

In his second epistle, Peter shows us how:

We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you – your tickets to participation in the life of God… (2 Peter 1:4, MSG)

Other translations refer to the “magnificent and precious promises” of God that release his divine power into our lives. The indwelling Word of God imparts life and the spoken word of God – his magnificent and precious promises – imparts power.

What is our part in this? Our part is to receive the word. It is to trust and believe that what God has said is true and relevant in our circumstances. As God’s word takes root in your heart, you will bear his fruit and experience the blessings of heaven.

One thing that makes us unfruitful

Peter does a good job explaining the qualities we need to take advantage of God’s promises. But then he ends with this strange verse:

He who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:9)

In other words, forgetting that we are forgiven renders us unfruitful.

“Why am I not spiritually fruitful?”

Perhaps it is because you do not know who you are in Christ. If you don’t know that you are a new creation, totally forgiven, righteous and holy, you will be barren. Instead of being forgiven, you waste your life trying to get forgiven.

This is why the gospel of grace begins with the declaration of God’s unconditional love and his total forgiveness of all sins – past, present and future. Before you can be fruitful, you need to believe you are completely and eternally forgiven.

“But why does Peter refer to former sins? That sounds like only some of my sins have been forgiven.”

He is talking about your former way of life when you were a sinner. “The old sinner you were has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives. You are a new creation, so act like it.”

This is not to suggest you will never sin, but you are not a sinner. You are a royal priest and a citizen of a holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9).

The number one reason why some are unfruitful

One more time for emphasis: The number one reason why some Christians are unfruitful is because they don’t know who they are in Christ.

Instead of abiding in the love of God, they are striving to earn his love.

Instead of resting in Christ’s finished work, they are working hard.

Instead of praising God for the gift of his righteousness, they are trying to make themselves righteous.

And since they are walking in the flesh, they remain barren and ineffectual. Indeed, Peter says they are spiritually blind and shortsighted.

The remedy is to REMEMBER you are forgiven, REFUTE any message that says otherwise, and REJOICE in the grace of God:

Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of! (Romans 4:7–8, GNB)

If you are an unfruitful branch, allow the Gardener to lift you out of the dirt so that you can bask in the sunshine of his love.

“No branch can bear fruit by itself” (John 15:4). We all need the Lord’s help when it comes to bearing his fruit.

Want to see more spiritual fruit in your life? Then get established in the love and grace of God. Once you are secure in your Father’s love, grab hold of those magnificent and precious promises and grow, baby grow!

—

Just some of the awesome study notes you can find in Paul’s Library on Patreon:

What About the Rebukes of Revelation?

May 8, 2024 by Paul Ellis

“God is not mad at you, he’s mad about you.”

“Oh, yeah? What about the rebukes of Revelation? How does that fit your lovey-dovey grace theology?”

Tell people that God loves them just as they are and someone will invariably point to those scary seven letters to the churches at the back of your Bible.

“Haven’t you seen how Jesus spoke harshly to the Revelation churches? ‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline’ (Rev. 3:19). God expects us to be holy. If we’re not holy, we can expect harsh training, correction, even scourging.”

As if.

I am well acquainted with the so-called Christ’s letters to the Revelation churches. I wrote a book about them. Contrary to what you may have heard, the warnings in his letters should not scare you. As we will see, they should cause you to praise God for his grace and kindness.

But first, what are…

The rebukes in Revelation

Here’s a summary of the rebukes or warnings found in the opening chapters of Revelation:

Ephesus – you have left your first love and need to repent (Rev. 2:4)
Smyrna – no rebuke
Pergamum – some of you have been influenced by the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:15)
Thyatira – you tolerate the false prophet Jezebel (Rev. 2:20)
Sardis – some of you are dead in sin and need to repent before it’s too late (Rev. 3:1–3)
Philadelphia – no rebuke
Laodicea – you are lukewarm and self-righteous (Rev. 3:16–17)

Note that only five churches receive a reproof or warning. Let’s take a closer look at these five reproofs and see what they reveal about the character of God.

The Ephesians were hard-working Christians. “’I know your deeds, toil and perseverance,” says Jesus. But like many busy believers they had wandered from their first love (Rev. 2:4). They were no longer resting in God’s love for them.

Many Christians make the same mistake. Instead of abiding in the love of God, they are trying to prove their love for God. Instead of receiving his favor, they are striving to earn it.

The remedy is to “remember the height from which you have fallen, repent and do what you did at first” (Rev. 2:5). In other words, go back to the feet of Jesus and remain there.

To all the weary Christians out there, Jesus is saying “Rest in my love for you. Make your home in my love and let nothing move you.” It’s a word of healing and restoration. More here.

The Pergamenes were praised by Jesus for holding fast to his Name despite persecution. These were tough Christians, but some were listening to a Balaamite message of idolatry. The Balaam followers were called Nicolaitans and they were bad news (Rev. 2:15).

Jesus does not rebuke the church but he warns them to beware these false teachers. Turf them out. Don’t give them a platform. And if they don’t? “I will make war against them (not you) with the sword of my mouth” (Rev. 2:16).

Jesus does not threaten his church, but false teachers who try to seduce his bride will feel the cold steel of his truth.

When Christians fall for lies and false teaching, Jesus doesn’t threaten them; he protects them. He fights for us because he cares for us. More here.

The Thyatirans were praised for their “later, greater deeds”. They were growing in the grace of God. But some of their number had fallen under the influence of a false prophet known as Jezebel. It was a mess, but Jesus promised to deal with it (Rev. 2:20–23).

The letter to Thyatira is often passed off as a treatise in church discipline. “Watch yourself, or else!” But Jesus commends the faithful Thyatirans, promises to deal with the Jezebel situation, then says, “I will place no other burden on you” (Rev. 2:24). The only “burden” we are meant to carry is the light and easy yoke of Jesus.

If you have Christian friends or family members who have fallen under a bad influence, the letter to Thyatira is pure encouragement. You can trust the Good Shepherd to care for his sheep. Your part is to hold fast to Jesus and keep his deeds (keep trusting in his work) until he comes. More here.

The Sardians were a mixed bunch. Some were believers who had not soiled their garments, while others remained dead-in-sin sinners who had heard the gospel but not received it. The former are praised, while the latter are told to make up their minds and repent before it’s too late.

If you are playing church or trying to be religious, you need to repent and believe the gospel. Abandon your futile attempts at self-improvement and put your faith in the grace of God.

But if you are a believer, the letter to Sardis is full of wonderful promises about walking in white and never having your name erased from the book of life. More here.

The Laodiceans are held up as the worst of the worst because their lukewarmness made Jesus nauseous (Rev. 3:16). To be lukewarm is to submit neither to the cold demands of the law nor the white hot love of the Father. It’s standing on your own merits and boasting “I am rich and in need of nothing,” when in fact you are “poor, miserable, naked and blind” (Rev. 3:17).

Those who boast in their accomplishments, religious or otherwise, have effectively locked Jesus out of their lives. They are saying, “Christ died for nothing.”

But Jesus does not get angry and vengeful. Instead he gently knocks on the door of your heart, hoping to be invited in. More here.

The Jesus of Revelation

Tradition portrays the Jesus of Revelation as a stern taskmaster who commends us if we do well but condemns us if we don’t. No matter how weary or broken you may be, the Lord demands results. Fail to live up to his high standards and you may lose your crown, have your name erased, and be punished with death and damnation.

It’s not true. The angry vindictive Jesus is an invention. He is not the Jesus of the Bible.

The Jesus we see in Revelation is the same Jesus of the Gospels who died for us and who now lives for us:

In the letter to Ephesus, Jesus is the Good Shepherd calling to his lost and weary sheep with promises of rest and comfort.
In the letter to Smyrna, he is the resurrection and the life comforting those facing trials and death.
In the letter to Pergamum, he is the Lord-above-all, slicing through lies and ambiguity with the sword of truth.
In the letter to Thyatira, he is the exalted Son of God confronting a charlatan to protect those walking in his Father’s love.
In the letter to Sardis, he is the spiritual Savior exhorting an unspiritual people to wake from their stupor and be clothed in his righteousness.
In the letter to Philadelphia, he is the Holy One who opens doors, empowers the weak, and gives names to nobodies.
In the letter to Laodicea, he is the faithful Witness who gives a true account regarding the lostness of the lost before inviting himself around for dinner.

The common theme running through these letters is grace, or God’s undeserved favor for all, from the saintliest Philadelphian to the most odious Laodicean.

Yes, God disciplines us, which is to say he trains us like a loving Father. Typically, he trains us through his word. Always, he trains us with grace. Never does he train us with punishment, sickness, or scourging.

In none of the Revelation letters do you find Jesus making the sort of outrageous claims that are sometimes attributed to him. Instead you find grace upon grace—grace for salvation, sanctification, and everything besides. As John says in his preface:

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come. (Revelation 1:4a)

It really is grace from start to finish.

—

Extracted and adapted from Paul’s award-winning book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches.

Got questions about your eternal security? Check out our Bible questions page.

How Does God Respond When I Sin?

May 1, 2024 by Paul Ellis

We all stumble from time to time. We all make mistakes. Even you.

Even though you are 100% righteous and holy in Christ, your behavior is not 100% righteous and holy. From time to time… you sin.

And what does God do when you sin? Here’s a list of 7 things God doesn’t do when you sin:

God does not smite you with judgment
God does not condemn you
God does not scourge you
God does not give you sickness
God does not withdraw his presence from you
God does not kick you out of his household
God does not unadopt you

Sinning is destructive. Sinning has consequences. But the consequences of sin are the fruit of our actions. They are not God’s divine judgments.

If I drive drunk and run over a nun, that’s on me, not God.

If I cheat on my wife and destroy my marriage, that’s entirely my fault.

This is obvious, right?

Yet manmade religion has got us blaming God for all the bad stuff that happens to us.

“God is punishing me.” No he isn’t.

“I’m a terrible sinner.” Maybe you used to be, but not anymore.

“I deserve all the hardship God is giving me.” What hardship? God is a Blesser, not a curser. He’s a Giver, not a taker.

It is not true to think that God is punishing you. All the punishment for sin was placed upon the Son (Is. 53:5).

If God were punishing us for the sins Jesus carried, he is an unjust God.

How does the Holy Spirit deal with our sin?

From time to time we make regrettable choices. When we do, the Holy Spirit will seek to bring about a life-giving course correction.

He doesn’t do that by applying the rod of correction or scourging us with sickness. Instead he reminds us that we are God’s beloved children and he steers us away from danger and back towards the way of life.

He might do this a hundred different ways, but the Spirit of Grace is typically gentle and he always leads us with grace. (I provide a couple of personal examples here.)

Yet again, manmade religion sometimes portrays the Holy Spirit as the sheriff of heaven. Religion says:

the Holy Spirit is recording all your sin (nope, he chooses not to remember them; see Heb. 10:17)
the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin (no, he will convict you of your righteousness; see John 16:10)
the Holy Spirit wants you to confess all your sins (no, he wants you to confess that Jesus dealt with all your sin once and for all; see 1 John 1:9, Heb. 9:26)
the Holy Spirit will unleash God’s judgment (no, he will pour out God’s love; see Rom. 5:5)
the Holy Spirit will withdraw from you until you lift your game (no, he will never leave you; John 14:17, Heb. 13:5)

How does God respond when we sin?

He heals and restores us. Why? Because he loves us.

When you stumble, you can be sure that God does not write you off or wash his hands of you. He redeems the messes we make leaving us breathless with gratitude.

He truly is a good Father who loves us through thick and thin. Nothing we do – no matter how stupid or destructive – can separate us from his love.

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Here are 3 questions you may have about the Grace Commentary (turn sound on):

How To Tell if Your Commentary is Grace Based?

April 17, 2024 by Paul Ellis

Do you know how to stay free? We stay free by testing everything.

We test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1). We test teachings to see if they align with scripture (see Acts 17:11). And we test our Bible commentaries to see if they fully proclaim the gospel of Christ.

I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:19b)

In an earlier article I said that your pastor reads two books – a Bible and a Bible commentary. Many Christians have been profoundly influenced by the Bible, but few realize they have also been influenced by their pastor’s favorite commentary.

What people think happens:

What actually happens:

Ideally, every commentary will meet two standards: (1) it will fully convey the gospel of Christ and (2) do so in language that is accessible to the widest possible audience. Sadly, most commentaries fail both tests.

According to my research, virtually every commentary preaches law or mixture, and many of them do so in language that is hard to read. As far as I’m aware, there is only one commentary that is totally free from mixture:

“Paul, have you considered XYZ Commentary?”

Please don’t ask me to identify commentaries or name and shame other scholars.

Instead, let me put the ball back in your court. Why not test your favorite commentary and draw your own conclusions? It’s not hard to do.

Below is a list of 50 “shibboleth” scriptures whose meaning is subject to interpretation. You can interpret these scriptures through lenses of law or grace.

How to use this list:

Pick some scriptures from the list below. Pick as few or many as you like.
Look up these scriptures in your favorite commentary.
Decide whether the commentary offers a law- or grace-based interpretation or some mix of the two. A law-based interpretation will emphasize works you must do while a grace-based interpretation will emphasize the goodness of God.

The trick is to look out for the keywords of grace and law. In the full-length study note that accompanies this article, I go through the whole procedure, step by step, using the ten scriptures marked in bold below.

If you find a verse-by-verse Bible commentary that scores highly on grace, you have found a rare thing. If that commentary is freely available and easy to read, even better.

But chances are you won’t find such a thing. Believe me, I’ve looked.

If you do your own test, I would love to hear the results. Let me know in the comments below. Tell me (1) the name of the commentary (which I will disguise), (2) whether it scored highly on law or grace or a mixture of the two, and (3) how many verses you used to come to your conclusion.

Have fun!

50 Shibboleth Scriptures

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matthew 18:34–35 And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.
Matthew 22:37–38 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.
Luke 9:23 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:62 No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
John 5:28-29 Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Romans 2:6-8 God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
Romans 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
1 Corinthians 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment (bema) seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
Ephesians 6:18 Pray at all times
1 Timothy 1:19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
Hebrews 6:4–6 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James 3:8 No one can tame the tongue.
James 2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
James 2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
James 5:9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
2 Peter 1:5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, etc.
1 Peter 4:17 It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.
2 Peter 1:9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 3:6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or knows him.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome.
Revelation 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Revelation 2:10c Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 2:26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
Revelation 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 3:15–16 I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

Note: For comparison purposes, a grace-based interpretation of these scriptures can be found on the Grace Commentary.

—

TGB Update: I am charging along with the next installment in the Grace Bible series. If all goes to plan, The Grace Bible: Galatians will be released in July/August.

How To Tell if Your Commentary is Grace Based?

April 17, 2024 by Paul Ellis

Do you know how to stay free? We stay free by testing everything.

I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:19b)

What people think happens:

What actually happens:

According to my research, virtually every commentary preaches law or mixture, and many of them do so in language that is hard to read.

“Paul, have you considered XYZ Commentary?”

Please don’t ask me to identify commentaries or name and shame other scholars.

Instead, let me put the ball back in your court. Why not test your favorite commentary and draw your own conclusions? It’s not hard to do.

Below is a list of 50 “shibboleth” scriptures whose meaning is subject to interpretation. You can interpret these scriptures through lenses of law or grace.

How to use this list:

Pick some scriptures from the list below. Pick as few or many as you like.
Look up these scriptures in your favorite commentary.
Decide whether the commentary offers a law- or grace-based interpretation or some mix of the two. A law-based interpretation will emphasize works you must do while a grace-based interpretation will emphasize the goodness of God.

If you find a verse-by-verse Bible commentary that scores highly on grace, you have found a rare thing. If that commentary is freely available and easy to read, even better.

But chances are you won’t find such a thing. Believe me, I’ve looked.

Have fun!

50 Shibboleth Scriptures

Note: For comparison purposes, a grace-based interpretation of these scriptures can be found on the Grace Commentary.

—

TGB Update: I am charging along with the next installment in the Grace Bible series. If all goes to plan, The Grace Bible: Galatians will be released in July/August.

What If I Deny the Lord?

April 10, 2024 by Paul Ellis

List all the verses that scare people and this one would be near the top: “If we deny him, he will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12).

Having been raised on a diet of Chick Tracts, I used to worry that I might lack the courage to maintain my faith in the face of persecution. As an occasional Bible smuggler, I sometimes wondered what I might do to avoid a Chinese prison sentence.

If someone held a gun to my head would I deny the Lord? And if I did, would he deny me? Would he kick me out of the kingdom?

It’s a ridiculous question, when you think about it. No one thinks we can use guns to force people into the kingdom, so why do we think guns can force them out?

Life would’ve been simpler if I’d just read the whole verse in context.

It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; If we endure, we will also reign with him; If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:11–13)

This trustworthy saying comes in two parts and both parts are trustworthy.

Destined to reign

The first part of the trustworthy saying begins like this: “If we died with him.” In other words, if we are believers.

The Christian life begins at death. This is what makes the gospel unique. Every manmade religion preaches self-denial and dying to self, but the gospel simply declares, “You died.”

More than that, we died, so that Christ might live through us. It’s an if-then statement. If A, then B. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

“But wait,” says Paul. “There’s more. This trustworthy saying comes with bonus features. We don’t merely get to live, we also endure and reign.”

This new life we have in Christ is a new kind of life characterized by supernatural endurance and reigning in all things.

If Paul had said, “Work hard and endure and maybe you will get to reign,” that would be nothing special or trustworthy.

Work hard is how the world works. But it’s not how the kingdom works.

Verse 12 follows right after verse 11. Paul is describing the life we have in union with the One who already overcame, already endured, and who now reigns.

“This life we have in Christ is an enduring and reigning life,” says Paul. “It’s like nothing on earth.”

Do you see? In the first part of the trustworthy saying, Paul is giving us a three-part punchline.

“You know you died with Christ, right?” Yes, Paul, I know.

“Well do you also know that you will live with Christ?” Sure, Paul, one day in heaven.

“No, not just in heaven, but here and now. You will endure here. You will reign in life here. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves your full acceptance.” Oh, I didn’t know that Paul. That’s really good news!

Many Christians are looking forward to a future life with Christ but they are not ruling and reigning with him here and now. They don’t know they can. They’ve been told life is one big test and maybe, if they are careful, they’ll get a crown at the end. But the abundant life Christ promised is experienced by those who know and trust him now.

What if I deny God?

This brings us to the second part of the passage: “If we deny him, he will also deny us.”

An insecure believer worries, What if I deny Jesus in a moment of weakness? But Paul is not talking about Christians but those who reject Christ.

There’s no grace for the faithless because the faithless will not receive it. If you don’t believe God is good to you, you will have difficulty experiencing his goodness.

Do you see? There are two types of people; those who confess Christ and those who deny him. If you have denied him, you may yet confess him, but if you have confessed him, you cannot deny him – at least not to the point where he would deny you. How do we know? Because of the next verse:

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

This verse has been used to sow fear into the hearts of the saints. “If you are not constant in your faith every single day, if you disown Jesus just one time, God will punish you!”

It’s as if the preceding verses weren’t there. It’s as if your unfaithfulness (or sin) was greater than his faithfulness (or grace). Hear that slap? That’s the Apostle Paul doing a face-palm.

To recap, Paul says if we die with Christ, we will live, endure, and reign with him. Each follows the other and this is a trustworthy saying.

Will Jesus deny me?

Why does Paul start talking about disowning and denying in the second part of the passage? He does it to emphasize that Christ is trustworthy. Here’s the punchline: since Christ cannot disown himself, Christ cannot disown you! Not ever.

You are one with the Lord. His future is your future and his future is very good!

Keep reminding them of these things… (2 Timothy 2:14)

Dead religion says you have to perform and endure to be saved, but the gospel of grace says we stand on Christ alone. He is our rock, and our sure foundation. We stand on his promises, not ours.

One more time: The unbeliever falls on account of his faithlessness, but we stand on account of Christ’s faithfulness.

Even if you have a bad day, or a moment of faithlessness, he remains utterly faithful, for he cannot disown himself. This is a trustworthy saying.

We who have acknowledged Christ before others cannot unacknowledge him. We who have died with Christ cannot un-die. We who have been born again cannot be unborn.

If you were to deny him, as Peter did three times, Jesus won’t disown you, for he cannot disown himself.

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More articles about your eternal security.

“Paul, what about…?” Wondering about a particular scripture? Check out the Grace Commentary.

And if you are wondering about the scary things Jesus says in the parable of the Wicked Tenants, check out my verse-by-verse study note which has just been released on Patreon.

What If I Deny the Lord?

April 10, 2024 by Paul Ellis