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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

Two Lists

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I want to show you a list of 7 names. Count how many you recognize:

  1. Leonardo da Vinci
  2. Johann Sebastian Bach
  3. Ludwig van Beethoven
  4. Johannes Brahms
  5. Rembrandt
  6. George Gershwin
  7. Jackson Pollock

I’m guessing you may be familiar with most of the names on that list. Maybe you recognized 6 or 7 names.

Now I want to show you a second list of names. You probably won’t recognize any of these people:

  1. Isabella d’Este
  2. Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen
  3. Joseph Franz Maximilian
  4. Viktor von Miller
  5. Andries de Graeff
  6. Paul Whiteman
  7. Clement Greenberg

What you might not realize is these two lists are connected. The people on the second list were patrons of the people in the first. Without people like Joe Maximilian, a man with no musical talent but who recognized it when he saw it, you might not have heard of Ludwig van Beethoven. So thank you, Joe Maximilian!

I’m no Beethoven, but like him I could not do what I do without the support of patrons. My patrons may not write about grace, but without their support, neither would I.

Since it’s the season for giving thanks, I would like to give a hearty THANK YOU to all my patrons and donors, especially those in our monthly supporters’ team. You guys make it possible for me to write and give away thousands of books, study notes, tracts and other resources. In addition to keeping Escape to Reality free, your support also makes it possible for me to produce the Grace Commentary, the Grace Bible and the occasional Jesus Script.

I have some exciting projects planned for 2024 which I will tell you about in due course. Until then, thank you for sharing the journey. If you have read, shared, or commented on my work, I appreciate it.

May your family enjoy the peace and favor of God as we celebrate the birth of our King and Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Paul

King Herod and the Christmas Giveaway

by

Update: This Giveaway has ended. Subscribe to E2R to be notified of future giveaways.

Looking for something fun and Biblical and Christmassy to do with your friends and family? As a special treat for E2R readers, I’m giving away free copies of my script “Herod and the Gift.”

What is it? “Herod and the Gift” is the story of Christmas as told by you and your friends. It’s written as a script which means everyone has a part. You don’t need to dress up or put on a show. In our house we read these around the table with dramatic voices and flourishes. They are great fun.

How? All you need is 4–8 readers. The scripts are written for young and old to enjoy. They are perfect for families and small groups and anyone who likes to have fun. The stories are Biblical but not preachy.

Cost? It’s completely free until Christmas!

Where? Get it here.

Got a preview? Here you go.

What else? If you want to go deeper into the meaning of Christmas, the script comes with a link to a Leaders’ Guide (also free) with discussion questions, illustrations, and sample prayers.

I hope your family has as much fun with this script as mine did.

Merry Christmas!
Paul

King Herod and the Christmas Giveaway

by

Looking for something fun and Biblical and Christmassy to do with your friends and family? As a special treat for E2R readers, I’m giving away free copies of my script “Herod and the Gift.”

What is it? “Herod and the Gift” is the story of Christmas as told by you and your friends. It’s written as a script which means everyone has a part. You don’t need to dress up or put on a show. In our house we read these around the table with dramatic voices and flourishes. They are great fun.

How? All you need is 4–8 readers. The scripts are written for young and old to enjoy. They are perfect for families and small groups and anyone who likes to have fun. The stories are Biblical but not preachy.

Cost? It’s completely free until Christmas!

Where? Get it here. Just enter “0” in the price box.

Got a preview? Here you go.

What else? If you want to go deeper into the meaning of Christmas, the script comes with a link to a Leaders’ Guide (also free) with discussion questions, illustrations, and sample prayers.

I hope your family has as much fun with this script as mine did.

Merry Christmas!
Paul

The Real Seven Deadly Sins

by

Every year on my birthday, my wife makes a delicious gumbo. It’s so yummy I usually have a second helping. And by second, I mean third or fourth. It’s that good!

But according to some theologians, I am sinning when I eat my wife’s gumbo. Why? Because gluttony, which is defined by some as “eating too eagerly” – is one of the seven deadly sins.

Don’t panic.

Gluttony will not send you to hell. An occasional gumbo feast might give you indigestion, but that’s about it.

Are you familiar with the so-called seven deadly sins – gluttony, envy, pride, etc.? You may have heard about the seven deadly sins in Sunday School or from catechism or from a certain Brad Pitt movie.

Some people worry about committing sins that are deadly, but did you know the list was originally invented by pagan philosophers and later adopted by Christian thinkers?

That should tell you something.

People sometimes ask me about the seriousness of their sins. They want to know if they have done one of the really bad ones or if they have got away with a minor sin.

In other words, “How much trouble am I in?” Or “Will God forgive me because what I did was really, really bad?”

Here’s what you need to know about sin: all your sins – past, present and future – were carried by the Lamb of God on the cross (John 1:29). Because he loves you, God is not counting your sins and trespasses against you (2 Cor. 5:19).

Which is really good news.

But does that mean there no deadly sins? Well, there is one deadly sin, which we can express seven different ways.

The Seven Deadly Sins

  1. UNBELIEF in the goodness and grace of God (Acts 13:43–46, Heb. 3:12–15, 10:29)
  2. UNBELIEF in God’s Son the Savior (John 3:16, 36, Heb. 10:29, 12:25, 1 Pet. 2:7, Jude 1:7)
  3. UNBELIEF in the truth of the gospel (Rom. 1:18, 2 Th. 2:12, Heb. 4:6)
  4. UNBELIEF in the finished work of God (Heb. 4:7–10)
  5. UNBELIEF in the gift of righteousness (Rom. 10:3)
  6. UNBELIEF in resurrection of the dead (Mark 16:14, John 20:27, Acts 26:8)
  7. UNBELIEF in the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6–9)

In the end, there is only one deadly sin, and that is the unforgivable sin of unbelief.

The sin of unbelief cannot be forgiven because he who commits it rejects the very thing that would otherwise save him. This rejection may take the form of hard heartedness (“I don’t need God”) or idolatry (“God needs my help”). In either case, the grace of God is rendered ineffective because it is not received.

Unbelief is a killer. There is no other sin like it. Yet we hardly talk about it. Manmade religion distracts you by drawing your attention to lesser sins (like gluttony).

Which is nuts.

(Speaking of nuts, I know a church where an elder was stood down for drinking wine at a family celebration. For a year, they made this man sit at the back near the door in a place of humiliation. They made an example of him because drinking alcohol is a sin. Yet most Sundays, they served communion – with real wine!)

There is far too much emphasis on sin in the church, but if we must talk about sin, let us discuss the dreadful consequences to unbelief.

To reject life is to choose death. To reject salvation is to remain lost. To turn your back, block your ears, and close your eyes to the goodness of God is to embrace darkness.

The subtle shades of unbelief

“Good stuff, Paul. I can think of several people who need to read this. But not me. I’m a believer. I’m saved and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.”

Wonderful. Be strong in the faith of the Lord. But are you attending to your unbelief?

Just as we can feed our faith, we can feed our unbelief, and that’s not something you want to do.

We tend to think of unbelievers as godless atheists, but unbelief comes in subtler shades.

In the church unbelief is manifested in the faithless language of debt and obligation. It’s asking God to do what he’s done. It’s bringing sacrifices and offerings he has not asked for.

An unbelieving believer ought to be a contradiction. Like dry water, there should be no such thing. If you are a born again believer, then believe all the good things God says about you – you are righteous and holy in Christ, completely forgiven and totally loved.

In the kingdom, all is grace. God provides, we receive. But we won’t receive if we think there’s a price to pay or a condition to meet.

This is why we need to be wary of messages that mix grace with dead works, or faith with unbelief.

Faith vs unbelief

The only thing that can render worthless the riches of God’s grace is unbelief. Unbelief prays, “God, please do this, and that, and the other thing,” but faith looks to the finished work of the cross and says, “Lord, you have done it all.”

Unbelief gives — “Lord, look at what I’ve done/built/brought for you” — but faith receives — “Look at what you have done for us.”

Unbelief toils and accomplishes nothing; faith understands that everything comes to us by grace for free.

Unbelief tries but faith trusts. Unbelief works, but faith rests.

The sole condition for receiving the delicious gumbo of God’s grace is you have to want it. The sinner must drop his guns and the saint must put down her offerings so that both may come with empty hands and faith-filled hearts to the table of his blessings.

—

If you are enjoying The Grace Bible series, the good news is it will be doubling in size in 2024. Learn more.

The parable of the Wedding Banquet may be the most misunderstood parable. It raises questions like: Why does the king slaughter the guests who refuse to come? And what is the city that is burned? Read this parable and you may think that God is temperamental, easily angered and that he torches those he doesn’t like. No, no, and a thousand times no. We need to read the parables of Jesus through the lens of new covenant lens. The next exciting installment in my Parables on Patreon series is available now.

The Real Seven Deadly Sins

by

Every year on my birthday, my wife makes a delicious gumbo. It’s so yummy I usually have a second helping. And by second, I mean third or fourth. It’s that good!

But according to some theologians, I am sinning when I eat my wife’s gumbo. Why? Because gluttony, which is defined by some as “eating too eagerly” – is one of the seven deadly sins.

Don’t panic.

Gluttony will not send you to hell. An occasional gumbo feast might give you indigestion, but that’s about it.

Are you familiar with the so-called seven deadly sins – gluttony, envy, pride, etc.? You may have heard about the seven deadly sins in Sunday School or from catechism or from a certain Brad Pitt movie.

Some people worry about committing sins that are deadly, but did you know the list was originally invented by pagan philosophers and later adopted by Christian thinkers?

That should tell you something.

People sometimes ask me about the seriousness of their sins. They want to know if they have done one of the really bad ones or if they have got away with a minor sin.

In other words, “How much trouble am I in?” Or “Will God forgive me because what I did was really, really bad?”

Here’s what you need to know about sin: all your sins – past, present and future – were carried by the Lamb of God on the cross (John 1:29). Because he loves you, God is not counting your sins and trespasses against your (2 Cor. 5:19).

Which is really good news.

But does that mean there no deadly sins? Well, there is one deadly sin, which we can express seven different ways.

The Seven Deadly Sins

  1. UNBELIEF in the goodness and grace of God (Acts 13:43–46, Heb. 3:12–15, 10:29)
  2. UNBELIEF in God’s Son the Savior (John 3:16, 36, Heb. 10:29, 12:25, 1 Pet. 2:7, Jude 1:7)
  3. UNBELIEF in the truth of the gospel (Rom. 1:18, 2 Th. 2:12, Heb. 4:6)
  4. UNBELIEF in the finished work of God (Heb. 4:7–10)
  5. UNBELIEF in the gift of righteousness (Rom. 10:3)
  6. UNBELIEF in resurrection of the dead (Mark 16:14, John 20:27, Acts 26:8)
  7. UNBELIEF in the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6–9)

In the end, there is only one deadly sin, and that is the unforgivable sin of unbelief.

The sin of unbelief cannot be forgiven because he who commits it rejects the very thing that would otherwise save him. This rejection may take the form of hard heartedness (“I don’t need God”) or idolatry (“God needs my help”). In either case, the grace of God is rendered ineffective because it is not received.

Unbelief is a killer. There is no other sin like it. Yet we hardly talk about it. Manmade religion distracts you by drawing your attention to lesser sins (like gluttony).

Which is nuts.

(Speaking of nuts, I know a church where an elder was stood down for drinking wine at a family celebration. For a year, they made this man sit at the back near the door in a place of humiliation. They made an example of him because drinking alcohol is a sin. Yet most Sundays, they served communion – with real wine!)

There is far too much emphasis on sin in the church, but if we must talk about sin, let us discuss the dreadful consequences to unbelief.

To reject life is to choose death. To reject salvation is to remain lost. To turn your back, block your ears, and close your eyes to the goodness of God is to embrace darkness.

The subtle shades of unbelief

“Good stuff, Paul. I can think of several people who need to read this. But not me. I’m a believer. I’m saved and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.”

Wonderful. Be strong in the faith of the Lord. But are you attending to your unbelief?

Just as we can feed our faith, we can feed our unbelief, and that’s not something you want to do.

We tend to think of unbelievers as godless atheists, but unbelief comes in subtler shades.

In the church unbelief is manifested in the faithless language of debt and obligation. It’s asking God to do what he’s done. It’s bringing sacrifices and offerings he has not asked for.

An unbelieving believer ought to be a contradiction. Like dry water, there should be no such thing. If you are a born again believer, then believe all the good things God says about you – you are righteous and holy in Christ, completely forgiven and totally loved.

In the kingdom, all is grace. God provides, we receive. But we won’t receive if we think there’s a price to pay or a condition to meet.

This is why we need to be wary of messages that mix grace with dead works, or faith with unbelief.

Faith vs unbelief

The only thing that can render worthless the riches of God’s grace is unbelief. Unbelief prays, “God, please do this, and that, and the other thing,” but faith looks to the finished work of the cross and says, “Lord, you have done it all.”

Unbelief gives — “Lord, look at what I’ve done/built/brought for you” — but faith receives — “Look at what you have done for us.”

Unbelief toils and accomplishes nothing; faith understands that everything comes to us by grace for free.

Unbelief tries but faith trusts. Unbelief works, but faith rests.

The sole condition for receiving the delicious gumbo of God’s grace is you have to want it. The sinner must drop his guns and the saint must put down her offerings so that both may come with empty hands and faith-filled hearts to the table of his blessings.

—

If you are enjoying The Grace Bible series, the good news is it will be doubling in size in 2024. Learn more.

The parable of the Wedding Banquet may be the most misunderstood parable. It raises questions like: Why does the king slaughter the guests who refuse to come? And what is the city that is burned? Read this parable and you may think that God is temperamental, easily angered and that he torches those he doesn’t like. No, no, and a thousand times no. We need to read the parables of Jesus through the lens of new covenant lens. The next exciting installment in my Parables on Patreon series is available now.

The Real Seven Deadly Sins

by

Every year on my birthday, my wife makes a delicious gumbo. It’s so yummy I usually have a second helping. And by second, I mean third or fourth. It’s that good!

But according to some theologians, I am sinning when I eat my wife’s gumbo. Why? Because gluttony, which is defined by some as “eating too eagerly” – is one of the seven deadly sins.

Don’t panic.

Gluttony will not send you to hell. An occasional gumbo feast might give you indigestion, but that’s about it.

Are you familiar with the so-called seven deadly sins – gluttony, envy, pride, etc.? You may have heard about the seven deadly sins in Sunday School or from catechism or from a certain Brad Pitt movie.

Some people worry about committing sins that are deadly, but did you know the list was originally invented by pagan philosophers and later adopted by Christian thinkers?

That should tell you something.

People sometimes ask me about the seriousness of their sins. They want to know if they have done one of the really bad ones or if they have got away with a minor sin.

In other words, “How much trouble am I in?” Or “Will God forgive me because what I did was really, really bad?”

Here’s what you need to know about sin: all your sins – past, present and future – were carried by the Lamb of God on the cross (John 1:29). Because he loves you, God is not counting your sins and trespasses against your (2 Cor. 5:19).

Which is really good news.

But does that mean there no deadly sins? Well, there is one deadly sin, which we can express seven different ways.

The Seven Deadly Sins

  1. UNBELIEF in the goodness and grace of God (Acts 13:43–46, Heb. 3:12–15, 10:29)
  2. UNBELIEF in God’s Son the Savior (John 3:16, 36, Heb. 10:29, 12:25, 1 Pet. 2:7, Jude 1:7)
  3. UNBELIEF in the truth of the gospel (Rom. 1:18, 2 Th. 2:12, Heb. 4:6)
  4. UNBELIEF in the finished work of God (Heb. 4:7–10)
  5. UNBELIEF in the gift of righteousness (Rom. 10:3)
  6. UNBELIEF in resurrection of the dead (Mark 16:14, John 20:27, Acts 26:8)
  7. UNBELIEF in the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6–9)

In the end, there is only one deadly sin, and that is the unforgivable sin of unbelief.

The sin of unbelief cannot be forgiven because he who commits it rejects the very thing that would otherwise save him. This rejection may take the form of hard heartedness (“I don’t need God”) or idolatry (“God needs my help”). In either case, the grace of God is rendered ineffective because it is not received.

Unbelief is a killer. There is no other sin like it. Yet we hardly talk about it. Manmade religion distracts you by drawing your attention to lesser sins (like gluttony).

Which is nuts.

(Speaking of nuts, I know a church where an elder was stood down for drinking wine at a family celebration. For a year, they made this man sit at the back near the door in a place of humiliation. They made an example of him because drinking alcohol is a sin. Yet most Sundays, they served communion – with real wine!)

There is far too much emphasis on sin in the church, but if we must talk about sin, let us discuss the dreadful consequences to unbelief.

To reject life is to choose death. To reject salvation is to remain lost. To turn your back, block your ears, and close your eyes to the goodness of God is to embrace darkness.

The subtle shades of unbelief

“Good stuff, Paul. I can think of several people who need to read this. But not me. I’m a believer. I’m saved and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.”

Wonderful. Be strong in the faith of the Lord. But are you attending to your unbelief?

Just as we can feed our faith, we can feed our unbelief, and that’s not something you want to do.

We tend to think of unbelievers as godless atheists, but unbelief comes in subtler shades.

In the church unbelief is manifested in the faithless language of debt and obligation. It’s asking God to do what he’s done. It’s bringing sacrifices and offerings he has not asked for.

An unbelieving believer ought to be a contradiction. Like dry water, there should be no such thing. If you are a born again believer, then believe all the good things God says about you – you are righteous and holy in Christ, completely forgiven and totally loved.

In the kingdom, all is grace. God provides, we receive. But we won’t receive if we think there’s a price to pay or a condition to meet.

This is why we need to be wary of messages that mix grace with dead works, or faith with unbelief.

Faith vs unbelief

The only thing that can render worthless the riches of God’s grace is unbelief. Unbelief prays, “God, please do this, and that, and the other thing,” but faith looks to the finished work of the cross and says, “Lord, you have done it all.”

Unbelief gives — “Lord, look at what I’ve done/built/brought for you” — but faith receives — “Look at what you have done for us.”

Unbelief toils and accomplishes nothing; faith understands that everything comes to us by grace for free.

Unbelief tries but faith trusts. Unbelief works, but faith rests.

The sole condition for receiving the delicious gumbo of God’s grace is you have to want it. The sinner must drop his guns and the saint must put down her offerings so that both may come with empty hands and faith-filled hearts to the table of his blessings.

—

If you are enjoying The Grace Bible series, the good news is it will be doubling in size in 2024. Learn more.

The parable of the Wedding Banquet may be the most misunderstood parable. It raises questions like: Why does the king slaughter the guests who refuse to come? And what is the city that is burned? Read this parable and you may think that God is temperamental, easily angered and that he torches those he doesn’t like. No, no, and a thousand times no. We need to read the parables of Jesus through the lens of new covenant lens. The next exciting installment in my Parables on Patreon series is available now.

Why Does the Virgin Birth Matter?

by

One of the questions asked at Christmas is, “Was Jesus really born of a virgin?”

Is this an important question? Some say no. They say they do not need to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin to believe that he is the Savior.

But the virgin birth matters a great deal, for at least three reasons.

First, the prophets said the virgin birth would be a messianic sign:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

In the history of the world, there have been billions of births but only one virgin birth. The virgin birth proves that God is with us and not against us (Matt. 1:23). It proves that Jesus came from holy God and not sinful Adam.

Second, John the Baptist said Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus could only do that if he came from outside the world. A sinful son of Adam could not carry our sins, but a Son of God can.

Third, we needed a High Priest untouched by sin (see Heb. 4:15, 1 John 3:5), and a virgin birth provides one.

Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:26–27, NIV)

Remove the virgin birth and we are left with doubts. Is God really with us? Is Jesus really the sinless Savior? Did he carry all our sins?

Who was Jesus’ mother?

How was Jesus the Son of God “fully human”? The traditional answer is he had a human mother. But this creates two problems. First, any human parent would taint the sinless Savior with original sin – if there was indeed such a thing as original sin. Second, only one human parent implies that Jesus was merely half-human, like Commander Spock from Star Trek.

Theologians are nothing if not inventive so they deal with the first problem by saying original sin is a uniquely male disease. Joseph had it; Mary didn’t. Which means we don’t really need Jesus because Mary could’ve been our sinless high priest.

And they deal with the second problem by… well, actually, they don’t deal with the second problem at all. They just ignore it.

The Son of God was fully human because the Creator who made First Adam was quite capable of making Last Adam. Jesus had no mother, at least not in the biological sense. Jesus is the eternal God, the Creator of all including Mary (John 1:1, Col. 1:15–16).

Just as Joseph contributed no DNA to the Savior, neither did Mary. How could she, since she was just as much a part of Adam’s enslaved family as Joseph. Mary provided a womb, but no egg.

When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.” (Hebrews 10:5, NIV)

The word for body (soma) means a whole body. The Holy Spirit did not prepare half of a body, but a whole one. In the Passion Translation of this verse, Christ says “You have clothed me with a body.”

For most of us, life begins in the womb, but Jesus had no beginning. The Word who became flesh was with God when creation began (John 1:1). Jesus did not need a sperm donor or an egg donor. He needed a body, and that’s what the Holy Spirit provided.

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34–35)

One day, Mary was not pregnant; the next, “she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18, ESV).

There is much mystery in this. How did the miracle of the Virgin Birth take place? We don’t know the how, but we know the Who. How did the Word become flesh? The Holy Spirit is the answer.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. (Galatians 4:4, KJV)

Many translations say Jesus was born of a woman, but on this occasion the King James Version gets it right. Jesus was made of a woman, not born of a woman. (The original verb (ginomai) means to cause, to become, to assemble.) Jesus’ body was brought forth within Mary’s womb.

Incidentally, this explains why Jesus could say that John was the greatest among those born of women (Matt. 11:11). Surely Jesus is the greatest of all, but Jesus was not born of woman in the conventional sense.

All four Gospel writers refer to Mary as the mother of Jesus, but she was not his biological mother. Mary was a surrogate mother who carried and raised the child from heaven.

Mary was an extraordinary woman, highly favored by God, and rightly honored by the Church. Yet nowhere in scripture does Jesus refer to her as mother. Instead, he calls her woman (John 2:4, 19:26).

If you asked Jesus who his mother was, he would reply, “My mother and brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21). Jesus was not being disrespectful to Mary, but like Melchizedek, he was “without father and mother” (Heb. 7:3).

First Adam had no father and mother and neither did Last Adam.

The significance of the virgin birth is that Jesus was not born into Adam’s enslaved family, and only a free man can ransom a slave. Because of Adam, humanity was enslaved to sin and death. But Jesus is our Redeemer from heaven. A Savior such as this, free and untouched by sin, is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him.

Truly the virgin birth is essential to our faith.

—–

Extracted and adapted from my ebook, Original Sin: What Does the Bible Really Say?

When I tell people I am writing a grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, they often say, “I’ve always wondered about the one where the king burns down the city.” That fiery scene is from the parable of the Wedding Banquet. My grace-based take on this parable is available now on Patreon.

Why Does the Virgin Birth Matter?

by

One of the questions asked at Christmas is, “Was Jesus really born of a virgin?”

Is this an important question? Some say no. They say they do not need to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin to believe that he is the Savior.

But the virgin birth matters a great deal, for at least three reasons.

First, the prophets said the virgin birth would be a messianic sign:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

In the history of the world, there have been billions of births but only one virgin birth. The virgin birth proves that God is with us and not against us (Matt. 1:23). It proves that Jesus came from holy God and not sinful Adam.

Second, John the Baptist said Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus could only do that if he came from outside the world. A sinful son of Adam could not carry our sins, but a Son of God can.

Third, we needed a High Priest untouched by sin (see Heb. 4:15, 1 John 3:5), and a virgin birth provides one.

Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:26–27, NIV)

Remove the virgin birth and we are left with doubts. Is God really with us? Is Jesus really the sinless Savior? Did he carry all our sins?

Who was Jesus’ mother?

How was Jesus the Son of God “fully human”? The traditional answer is he had a human mother. But this creates two problems. First, any human parent would taint the sinless Savior with original sin – if there was indeed such a thing as original sin. Second, only one human parent implies that Jesus was merely half-human, like Commander Spock from Star Trek.

Theologians are nothing if not inventive so they deal with the first problem by saying original sin is a uniquely male disease. Joseph had it; Mary didn’t. Which means we don’t really need Jesus because Mary could’ve been our sinless high priest.

And they deal with the second problem by… well, actually, they don’t deal with the second problem at all. They just ignore it.

The Son of God was fully human because the Creator who made First Adam was quite capable of making Last Adam. Jesus had no mother, at least not in the biological sense. Jesus is the eternal God, the Creator of all including Mary (John 1:1, Col. 1:15–16).

Just as Joseph contributed no DNA to the Savior, neither did Mary. How could she, since she was just as much a part of Adam’s enslaved family as Joseph. Mary provided a womb, but no egg.

When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.” (Hebrews 10:5, NIV)

The word for body (soma) means a whole body. The Holy Spirit did not prepare half of a body, but a whole one. In the Passion Translation of this verse, Christ says “You have clothed me with a body.”

For most of us, life begins in the womb, but Jesus had no beginning. The Word who became flesh was with God when creation began (John 1:1). Jesus did not need a sperm donor or an egg donor. He needed a body, and that’s what the Holy Spirit provided.

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34–35)

One day, Mary was not pregnant; the next, “she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18, ESV).

There is much mystery in this. How did the miracle of the Virgin Birth take place? We don’t know the how, but we know the Who. How did the Word become flesh? The Holy Spirit is the answer.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. (Galatians 4:4, KJV)

Many translations say Jesus was born of a woman, but on this occasion the King James Version gets it right. Jesus was made of a woman, not born of a woman. (The original verb (ginomai) means to cause, to become, to assemble.) Jesus body was brought forth within Mary’s womb.

Incidentally, this explains why Jesus could say that John was the greatest among those born of women (Matt. 11:11). Surely Jesus is the greatest of all, but Jesus was not born of woman in the conventional sense.

All four Gospel writers refer to Mary as the mother of Jesus, but she was not his biological mother. Mary was a surrogate mother who carried and raised the child from heaven.

Mary was an extraordinary woman, highly favored by God, and rightly honored by the Church. Yet nowhere in scripture does Jesus refer to her as mother. Instead, he calls her woman (John 2:4, 19:26).

If you asked Jesus who his mother was, he would reply, “My mother and brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21). Jesus was not being disrespectful to Mary, but like Melchizedek, he was “without father and mother” (Heb. 7:3).

First Adam had no father and mother and neither did Last Adam.

The significance of the virgin birth is that Jesus was not born into Adam’s enslaved family, and only a free man can ransom a slave. Because of Adam, humanity was enslaved to sin and death. But Jesus is our Redeemer from heaven. A Savior such as this, free and untouched by sin, is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him.

Truly the virgin birth is essential to our faith.

—–

Extracted and adapted from my ebook, Original Sin: What Does the Bible Really Say?

When I tell people I am writing a grace-based series on the Parables of Jesus, they often say, “I’ve always wondered about the one where the king burns down the city.” That fiery scene is from the parable of the Wedding Banquet. My grace-based take on this parable is available now on Patreon.

Watch Out for the Holiness Preachers

by

As a teenager, I didn’t need anybody to tell me what to do.

As an adult, I wish somebody would.

Life is big and confusing. It’s full of anxiety, uncertainty, and questions that have no answers. And this is why some people prefer law to grace. They’d rather live under the old covenant than the new.

Back then if you wanted to stay on the straight and narrow, you just had to keep all the rules. But in the kingdom of grace, there are no rules. “All things are lawful” (1 Cor 6:12).

For those unacquainted with the security of God’s love, the absence of rules can be terrifying.

“I wish somebody would just tell me what to do!”

Enter the holiness preachers.

[Insert scary organ music here.]

Much of what passes for holiness preaching today is old covenant theology dressed up in new covenant ribbons. See if you can spot the difference:

Then: God promised we would be his holy people if we kept the rules. The law is a how-to manual for holiness.
Now: Am I saved by the law? Oh, no. That’s so old covenant. But the law shows me how to live pleasing to the Lord.

See the difference? Strip away the mumbo-jumbo and there is no difference!

Read some of the comments I get whenever I write about the commands of the Bible or the law written on our hearts, and you will find 101 different ways of saying the same thing: The Rules are a manual for holy living. The only difference between then and now is that some of the rules have changed.

The Israelites lived by the ceremonial rules of Moses; today, many Christians make up their own rules.

“I just keep the red letters of Jesus.”

“I try to do everything in the Bible.”

“I just do whatever my pastor says.”

D.I.Y. holiness

Practical holiness is a term to beware as it often comes with a fishhook. Much of it is toxic mixture, as the following soundbites illustrate:

  • “Following Christ is a lifestyle.” (Okay.) “We’ve got to keep his commands to be his disciples.” (Nope – that’s backwards. That’s putting the fruit before the tree.)
  • “Find out what pleases the Lord.” (Yes!) “Keeping his instructions pleases him.” (No, that’s faithless, law-based living that nullifies grace and inflames sin (Rom. 7). Living by faith pleases the Lord. Trust him.)
  • “If you sow to the flesh you will reap destruction.” (Yep). “So we have to be earnest in getting people to change their behavior.” (But that’s sowing to the flesh! You’re setting them up for failure.)

Holiness preaching that emphasizes what you must do is carnal Christianity. Make no mistake, it comes straight out of the old covenant. Heed this sort of teaching and you will exalt the flesh at the expense of grace.

And it won’t make you holy.

Here are four ways to determine whether the holiness message you’re listening to reflects the condemning covenant of the law or the new and liberating covenant of grace:

  1. Old covenant holiness is based on who you are (a bit of a reprobate) and is sold as a list of things you must do; new covenant holiness is based on who Christ is (our holiness – 1 Cor 1:30) and what he has done (sanctified you – Heb 2:11, Rom 11:16).
  2. Old covenant holiness emphasizes sacrifices you must make; new covenant holiness emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb, by which you were “perfected forever” (Heb 10:14).
  3. Old covenant holiness is sold as a process of increasing sanctification – something “we grow into” as we become more like Christ; new covenant holiness is presented as a done deal (Heb 10:10). Your behavior may need to change, but in Christ you are as holy as he is.
  4. Old covenant holiness comes with a big stick – “the Lord will condemn you if you don’t deliver”; new covenant holiness has exhortations but no sticks because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

Beware frowners preaching holiness

Because of these differences in message, we can also recognize differences in the messenger. An old covenant holiness preacher is serious and threatening. He will remind you of Moses warning the Israelites at the foot of Mt Sinai.

But a new covenant preacher of holiness is life-giving and inspirational. He will remind you of Jesus speaking the words of life.

An old covenant holiness preacher will speak the faithless language of longing and lack. But a new covenant preacher will bracket any exhortations with affirmations like these:

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

How to preach holiness

We need to preach holiness the same way the apostles did. To be holy is to allow the Lord to express his whole and beautiful life through us.

The challenge is that being holy is a new experience for us. As unbelievers, holiness was totally alien to us. That old lifestyle was characterized by brokenness and hurt.

Now that we are in him we have to learn to walk in our new and God-given identity.

The wrong way to approach this is to think of yourself as a flawed sinner trying to become holy. That’s not who you are and that’s not how it works.

Instead, see yourself as a toddler learning to walk. Just as you wouldn’t smack an infant if they stumbled and fell, neither will your heavenly Father smack you. He doesn’t condemn you when you fall, but he lovingly encourages you to get up and walk.

He has given you everything you need for life and godliness. In Christ you lack nothing. You just need to work out who you already are and what he has already given you.

This is the adventure of holy living.

—

Escape to Reality is your roadmap to Real Life. Whether you’re in a church, can’t find a church, or have quit church and ain’t ever going back, E2R is your guide to walking in the grace of God. Sign up today and we’ll send you a four-book Grace Pack totally free. (The download links are in your Welcome email.)

Watch out for the Holiness Preachers

by

As a teenager, I didn’t need anybody to tell me what to do.

As an adult, I wish somebody would.

Life is big and confusing. It’s full of anxiety, uncertainty, and questions that have no answers. And this is why some people prefer law to grace. They’d rather live under the old covenant than the new.

Back then if you wanted to stay on the straight and narrow, you just had to keep all the rules. But in the kingdom of grace, there are no rules. “All things are lawful” (1 Cor 6:12).

For those unacquainted with the security of God’s love, the absence of rules can be terrifying.

“I wish somebody would just tell me what to do!”

Enter the holiness preachers.

[Insert scary organ music here.]

Much of what passes for holiness preaching today is old covenant theology dressed up in new covenant ribbons. See if you can spot the difference:

Then: God promised we would be his holy people if we kept the rules. The law is a how-to manual for holiness.
Now: Am I saved by the law? Oh, no. That’s so old covenant. But the law shows me how to live pleasing to the Lord.

See the difference? Strip away the mumbo-jumbo and there is no difference!

Read some of the comments I get whenever I write about the commands of the Bible or the law written on our hearts, and you will find 101 different ways of saying the same thing: The Rules are a manual for holy living. The only difference between then and now is that some of the rules have changed.

The Israelites lived by the ceremonial rules of Moses; today, many Christians make up their own rules.

“I just keep the red letters of Jesus.”

“I try to do everything in the Bible.”

“I just do whatever my pastor says.”

D.I.Y. holiness

Practical holiness is a term to beware as it often comes with a fishhook. Much of it is toxic mixture, as the following soundbites illustrate:

  • “Following Christ is a lifestyle.” (Okay.) “We’ve got to keep his commands to be his disciples.” (Nope – that’s backwards. That’s putting the fruit before the tree.)
  • “Find out what pleases the Lord.” (Yes!) “Keeping his instructions pleases him.” (No, that’s faithless, law-based living that nullifies grace and inflames sin (Rom. 7). Living by faith pleases the Lord. Trust him.)
  • “If you sow to the flesh you will reap destruction.” (Yep). “So we have to be earnest in getting people to change their behavior.” (But that’s sowing to the flesh! You’re setting them up for failure.)

Holiness preaching that emphasizes what you must do is carnal Christianity. Make no mistake, it comes straight out of the old covenant. Heed this sort of teaching and you will exalt the flesh at the expense of grace.

And it won’t make you holy.

Here are four ways to determine whether the holiness message you’re listening to reflects the condemning covenant of the law or the new and liberating covenant of grace:

  1. Old covenant holiness is based on who you are (a bit of a reprobate) and is sold as a list of things you must do; new covenant holiness is based on who Christ is (our holiness – 1 Cor 1:30) and what he has done (sanctified you – Heb 2:11, Rom 11:16).
  2. Old covenant holiness emphasizes sacrifices you must make; new covenant holiness emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb, by which you were “perfected forever” (Heb 10:14).
  3. Old covenant holiness is sold as a process of increasing sanctification – something “we grow into” as we become more like Christ; new covenant holiness is presented as a done deal (Heb 10:10). Your behavior may need to change, but in Christ you are as holy as he is.
  4. Old covenant holiness comes with a big stick – “the Lord will condemn you if you don’t deliver”; new covenant holiness has exhortations but no sticks because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

Beware frowners preaching holiness

Because of these differences in message, we can also recognize differences in the messenger. An old covenant holiness preacher is serious and threatening. He will remind you of Moses warning the Israelites at the foot of Mt Sinai.

But a new covenant preacher of holiness is life-giving and inspirational. He will remind you of Jesus speaking the words of life.

An old covenant holiness preacher will speak the faithless language of longing and lack. But a new covenant preacher will bracket any exhortations with affirmations like these:

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

How to preach holiness

We need to preach holines same way the apostles did. To be holy is to allow the Lord to express his whole and beautiful life through us.

The challenge is that being holy is a new experience for us. As unbelievers, holiness was totally alien to us. That old lifestyle was characterized by brokenness and hurt.

Now that we are in him we have to learn to walk in our new and God-given identity.

The wrong way to approach this is to think of yourself as a flawed sinner trying to become holy. That’s not who you are and that’s not how it works.

Instead, see yourself as a toddler learning to walk. Just as you wouldn’t smack an infant if they stumbled and fell, neither will your heavenly Father smack you. He doesn’t condemn you when you fall, but he lovingly encourages you to get up and walk.

He has given you everything you need for life and godliness. In Christ you lack nothing. You just need to work out who you already are and what he has already given you.

This is the adventure of holy living.

—

WordPress is changing the way it manages subscriptions. If you have recently signed up as an email subscriber, you might not have received the download links for the Grace Pack. Here they are:

  1. Out of the Jungle
  2. Are You Religious?
  3. Who’s Your Daddy?
  4. What Makes the New Covenant New?

What is the Whole Counsel of God?

by

Tell people the good news of God’s unconditional love, and I can guarantee that some will chide you for not preaching the whole counsel of God.

Tell people about the goodness of God, and some concerned person will say: “You’ve got to preach the whole counsel of God, brother.”

What they mean is, “You should tell people to do stuff – repent, confess, turn from sin, work, etc. – to earn the free gifts of grace.”

Earn the free gifts of grace?!

What a strange thing to say. How can you compensate God for his priceless gifts?

I am a big fan of repentance, but repentance may not be what you think it is.

I’m also a big fan of confession, but confession may not be what you think it is either.

And turning from sin? Well any time you turn to Jesus you will turn from sin. It’s inevitable.

Sidebar: The issue is not what you are turning from but Who you are turning to. The Pharisees turned from sin every day but they never turned to Jesus. Turning from sin doesn’t make you righteous, just religious.

What is the whole counsel of God?

Paul told the Ephesians “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Some translations say, the whole will or whole purpose of God.

The whole counsel and the whole purpose are synonymous with the whole gospel because God’s will is always good news.

What is the whole counsel of God that Paul proclaimed? He tells us three verses earlier:

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

The whole counsel of God is the gospel of his grace. Period.

“Just grace?!” says the serious man.

Grace and nothing but. Not grace-plus-your-confession, nor grace-plus-your-works – just grace.

“I can’t accept that,” says the serious man.

Well, you wouldn’t be the first person to have a problem with grace:

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God… (Luke 7:30)

Isn’t that interesting. Those who loved the law rejected God’s counsel. Who else did the Pharisees and law-teachers reject? Jesus (see Mark 8:31)!

What is the whole gospel? Jesus is. He is the whole counsel and the complete will and the eternal purpose of God.

If you want to know what God is like or what he thinks, look to Jesus.

If you want to preach the counsel, the whole counsel, and nothing but the counsel of God, then preach Jesus and nothing else. He is both the will of God made flesh and the means by which God’s will comes to pass.

Jesus is the Good News.

How not to preach the gospel

I have written elsewhere on how to teach the gospel of grace, but let me finish by showing you how not to preach the gospel: Add stuff to it.

If you take all the blessings of God – his love, favor, forgiveness, acceptance, healing, provision, deliverance, etc. – and tell people they must do stuff to merit them, then you are diluting the gospel of grace. You’re preaching a mixed gospel of grace-plus-works.

Grace is no longer the whole gospel; it’s only part of some horrendous frankengospel.

Whenever we add things to the gospel of grace we dilute its strength and empty the cross of its saving power.

What do these gospel additives look like?

I am sure you know them. They are called prayer and fasting, Bible study, the spiritual disciplines, tithes and offerings, Christian duty, the virtues, works of service, ministry, self-sacrifice, helps, missions, outreach, submission, sowing, etc. In the hands of graceless religion these good things become death-dealing burdens.

If you think you must do them before God will bless you, you have fallen from grace as hard as any Galatian.

Religion is cruel

Imagine a thirsty man crawls out of the desert and you say to him, “Drink this pure spring water.” That’s good news for the thirsty man. He doesn’t need to do anything except receive what you are offering.

But if you ask that man to run a marathon before you give him the drink, it’s no longer good news. It’s torture.

Telling a thirsty man he must pray for an hour before he can drink is not good news. Nor is telling him that he must keep the rules, play the game, and do what he’s told. This isn’t good news; it’s bad news. It’s a form of bullying that hammered the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Laodiceans and many other believers since.

And telling the thirsty man he may drink provided he pays later is no different. In fact it’s worse because you given him a taste of freedom before binding him with obligation.

Want to see change in your life and the lives of others? Then follow Paul’s lead and preach the whole gospel of grace without adding anything to it.

This emphasis on what we must do before God will bless us is a doctrine of demons. It’s poison in the water. The true gospel is additive-free. It’s grace from start to finish.

If you would preach the whole gospel then preach Christ alone.

Jesus is all you need.

—

Did you know that in just a little over two years the Grace Commentary has become the largest grace-based commentary? Here is a picture our progress.

What is the Whole Counsel of God?

by

Tell people the good news of God’s unconditional love, and I can guarantee that some will chide you for not preaching the whole counsel of God.

Tell people about the goodness of God, and some concerned person will say: “You’ve got to preach the whole counsel of God, brother.”

What they mean is, “You should tell people to do stuff – repent, confess, turn from sin, work, etc. – to earn the free gifts of grace.”

Earn the free gifts of grace?!

What a strange thing to say. How can you compensate God for his priceless gifts?

I am a big fan of repentance, but repentance may not be what you think it is.

I’m also a big fan of confession, but confession may not be what you think it is either.

And turning from sin? Well any time you turn to Jesus you will turn from sin. It’s inevitable.

Sidebar: The issue is not what you are turning from but Who you are turning to. The Pharisees turned from sin every day but they never turned to Jesus. Turning from sin doesn’t make you righteous, just religious.

What is the whole counsel of God?

Paul told the Ephesians “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Some translations say, the whole will or whole purpose of God.

The whole counsel and the whole purpose are synonymous with the whole gospel because God’s will is always good news.

What is the whole counsel of God that Paul proclaimed? He tells us three verses earlier:

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

The whole counsel of God is the gospel of his grace. Period.

“Just grace?!” says the serious man.

Grace and nothing but. Not grace-plus-your-confession, nor grace-plus-your-works – just grace.

“I can’t accept that,” says the serious man.

Well, you wouldn’t be the first person to have a problem with grace:

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God… (Luke 7:30)

Isn’t that interesting. Those who loved the law rejected God’s counsel. Who else did the Pharisees and law-teachers reject? Jesus (see Mark 8:31)!

What is the whole gospel? Jesus is. He is the whole counsel and the complete will and the eternal purpose of God.

If you want to know what God is like or what he thinks, look to Jesus.

If you want to preach the counsel, the whole counsel, and nothing but the counsel of God, then preach Jesus and nothing else. He is both the will of God made flesh and the means by which God’s will comes to pass.

Jesus is the Good News.

How not to preach the gospel

I have written else on how to teach the gospel of grace, but let me finish by showing you how not to preach the gospel: Add stuff to it.

If you take all the blessings of God – his love, favor, forgiveness, acceptance, healing, provision, deliverance, etc. – and tell people they must do stuff to merit them, then you are diluting the gospel of grace. You’re preaching a mixed gospel of grace-plus-works.

Grace is no longer the whole gospel; it’s only part of some horrendous frankengospel.

Whenever we add things to the gospel of grace we dilute its strength and empty the cross of its saving power.

What do these gospel additives look like?

I am sure you know them. They are called prayer and fasting, Bible study, the spiritual disciplines, tithes and offerings, Christian duty, the virtues, works of service, ministry, self-sacrifice, helps, missions, outreach, submission, sowing, etc. In the hands of graceless religion these good things become death-dealing burdens.

If you think you must do them before God will bless you, you have fallen from grace as hard as any Galatian.

Religion is cruel

Imagine a thirsty man crawls out of the desert and you say to him, “Drink this pure spring water.” That’s good news for the thirsty man. He doesn’t need to do anything except receive what you are offering.

But if you ask that man to run a marathon before you give him the drink, it’s no longer good news. It’s torture.

Telling a thirsty man he must pray for an hour before he can drink is not good news. Nor is telling him that he must keep the rules, play the game, and do what he’s told. This isn’t good news; it’s bad news. It’s a form of bullying that hammered the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Laodiceans and many other believers since.

And telling the thirsty man he may drink provided he pays later is no different. In fact it’s worse because you given him a taste of freedom before binding him with obligation.

Want to see change in your life and the lives of others? Then follow Paul’s lead and preach the whole gospel of grace without adding anything to it.

This emphasis on what we must do before God will bless us is a doctrine of demons. It’s poison in the water. The true gospel is additive-free. It’s grace from start to finish.

If you would preach the whole gospel then preach Christ alone.

Jesus is all you need.

—

Did you know that in just a little over two years the Grace Commentary has become the largest grace-based commentary? Here is a picture our progress.

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