Grace Disco

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From E2R Readers

I had been searching the net for my intended sermon against hyper-grace theology. I found
E2R and got convicted about mixing grace and works in my preaching for the last twenty years.
Yes, I had read books on grace before but it was through the writings of Paul Ellis that God could
finally reveal his true character to me. Since then something has changed in the deepest core of
my identity. Shame got replaced with I am the righteousness of God in Christ. What else has
changed? Ask my wife!
- Reinhard L., pastor, Velbert, Germany
The intimidating gospel of our time left me crippled for over 30 years. Paul Elliss message of
grace has been the key to my freedom. I have now boldly stepped out into a missionary
adventure carrying this message.
- Jos A., missionary, San Juan, Puerto Rico
I love E2R. I lived under legalistic and bondage teaching for many years. Then I happened to
stumble upon E2R at the perfect time in my life. I get excited every time I see an E2R email in my
inbox.
- Deborah L., cleaner, Hurdle Mills, NC
This may sound strange but reading new covenant messages on E2R made me feel like Ive been
born again again. Thank you Paul for re-introducing the gospel.
- Luis S.J., real estate broker, Malolos City, Philippines
Escape to Realitys presentation of the good news is so simple, even a twelve year-old could
understand it. Paul Elliss gospel is highly contagious and whole-heartedly recommended!
- Omotola O., software developer, Lagos, Nigeria
The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul Ellis writing. How do I know? He has spoken to me. When
I first encountered E2R, Ill admit I was wary; its message seemed too appealing. But Jesus
shone through the words and began to melt away my legalistic perceptions. And then it was just
me and him, and I finally grasped grace.
- Rachelle R., caregiver, Hunter Valley, Australia
When I came across the works of Paul Ellis I wanted to cry, jump around, and dance all at the
same time. Finally someone else was speaking the pure, unadulterated grace of our Lord Jesus.
This is what the world needs to hear! This is what the world is hungry for!
- Tori C., college student, Spokane, WA
I found Escape to Reality after reading The Gospel in Ten Words. What an eye-opening view of the
gospel and our heavenly Father! Now I understand that the gospel truly is Good News and I
have a Father in heaven who loves me with an unending love no matter how badly I screw up
here on earth!
- Anne G., bookkeeper, Chelsea, OK
Grace Disco: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 1

ISBN: 978-1-927230-23-7
Copyright 2014 by Paul Ellis
Published by KingsPress, Birkenhead, New Zealand. This title is also available as a paperback. Visit www.KingsPress.org for information.
All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express
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Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978,
1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
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Publishers Ltd UK, Good News Bible American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (1611).
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,
2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
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Version: 1.0 (November 2014)
Dedication: This is for all those passionate souls blogging about the goodness of God and his radical grace!
Contents
A word before
1. Is Gods love unconditional?
2. God doesnt do half-jobs: Why partial forgiveness is completely bogus
3. Son, servant or friend of God?
4. God is good, but how good is he?
5. How well did I understand grace before I understood grace?
6. The top twelve blessings in the new covenant
7. The cure for guilt
8. Faith is a rest
9. What is Biblical confession?
10. Ten myths about the ministry of the Holy Spirit
11. What is holiness? (Its better than you think)
12. Twelve famous examples of walking in the spirit
13. Does God use correction fluid?
14. Take up your cross daily
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43
Bonus track
15. The other reason for the season
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A Word Before
For ten years I led a church in Hong Kong where I preached most Sundays. When we left Hong
Kong and moved to New Zealand, I found myself without a pulpit but still with a burning
desire to tell people the good news of Gods grace. I began a newsletter which I emailed to my
friends and that morphed into a blog called Escape to Reality, or E2R for short.
The blog went live on February 5, 2010 and received 20 visitors on its first day. Since then
the blog has been viewed millions of times by people in virtually every country on earth. After
five years I still find it amazing that a writer who lives in one of the most remote countries on
earth can get a revelation from the Lord in the morning, put it on the web, and by lunch time
have testimonies of how God used that word to set someone free in Norway or Nebraska or
Novosibirsk.
Has the good news of Gods love and grace ever travelled so far and fast so easily? Has
there ever been a better time to be a good news herald?
Since E2Rs fifth birthday is just around the corner, I thought it might be fun to re-release
some of my favorite articles from the archives. Doing so would also give me an opportunity to
polish them up and reflect on how they were written and received. Consequently, each article is
followed by a brief word after where I share stories, memories, questions asked by readers,
and that sort of thing.
Some of the material on E2R has gone on to shape chapters in my gospel books. However,
for this collection of greatest hits I have drawn heavily on articles that have not been published
anywhere else.
Why did I call this book Grace Disco? C.S. Lewis described our relationship with the Lord as
a dance. If it is, it is not a ballroom dance that demands a high degree of skill, nor is it a ballet
that requires years of training. Grace is a tune anyone can dance to. Grace is the happy beat that
gets your feet tapping, your shoulders shimmying and draws you onto the floor.
School discosremember them? They were great equalizers. On the dance floor it made not
one jot of difference whether you were good at maths or were the captain of the team. All that
mattered was that you joined in and had fun.
Thats how it is with grace. It doesnt matter how good you are or whether youre some kind
of big shot. All that matters is that you join in. And when you hear the sweet tunes of Gods
favor towards you, you will. Youll echo Mary who said:
Im bursting with God-news; Im dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good
look at me, and look what happenedIm the most fortunate woman on earth! (Luke 1:46
48, MSG)
Dancing featured prominently in Jesus life and stories and I think thats significant. Consider
the prodigal son. That miserable excuse for a boy come homes, receives undeserved forgiveness
and favor, and the next thing you know theres music and dancing (see Luke 15:25). Its like
Jesus was trying to tell us that a good response to grace is to kick up your heels and dance.
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GRACE DISCO
And heres something you may not know about disco; it can literally save your life! I read
that the American Heart Association uses the song Stayin Alive to teach CPR to medical
students. Apparently most people do emergency chest compressions too slowly. But the classic
Bee Gees song, which featured in the 1977 dance movie Saturday Night Fever, offers close to the
perfect rhythm. Now theres a tip to remember the next time youre faced with a life or death
emergency.
The outrageously good news that Jesus revealed and Paul preached is the soundtrack of
your new life. Its the song of joy that draws the wallflower out of the shadows. It is the lifethumping beat that raises the dead and rouses the weary. Its the tune of heaven that makes you
dance and leap for joy!
1. Is Gods Love Unconditional?

How do you know Gods love is unconditional? The phrase unconditional love is not in the
Bible. This is a fair question that cuts right to the heart of the grace message. Grace says that
God loves us with no strings attached, but do a quick scan of the Bible and you will find that
sometimes there are strings attached to the love of God. Or there seem to be.
Yet despite these few passages that say otherwise I am 100% convinced that God loves us
unconditionally. You need to be 100% convinced too. So let me give you seven reasons for
believing that God loves you unconditionally:
1. Gods love is unconditional by definition
Different words for love are found in the Bible. Agape-love, which describes the character of
God (see 1 John 4:16), is unconditional, self-sacrificing, and active love. The love of God is
unconditional by definition.
If your experience of love is limited to what you have received from people, chances are you
have encountered frail love that comes with expectations and baggage. But Gods love is not
like this for he loves you as you are and not as you should be. His love is unlike anything found
in this world.
2. Gods unconditional love is demonstrated on the cross
In Romans 5:8 Paul wrote, God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. God didnt wait for you to repent or confess or get cleaned up before he
gave his life for you. The cross is the single greatest demonstration of unconditional love the
world has ever seen.
3. Gods love is immeasurable
In Ephesians 3:1719 Paul dares us to grasp the width, length, and height of Gods love. But you
cannot grasp the extravagant dimensions of Christs lovethey are ungraspable.
Nevertheless Paul encourages us to Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights!
as Eugene Petersen says in the Message Bible, because if you had even the smallest glimpse of
how much he loves you, you would be undone. Selfishness and clawing ambition would wither.
You would cheerfully count your accomplishments and qualifications as rubbish compared to
the awesome privilege of knowing Christ Jesus who loves you.
4. Gods love keeps no record of wrongs
Jesus knew the name of every soldier who beat him, every mocker and hater, yet he still went to
the cross so that they might be reconciled to God. It was as if God was not counting their sins
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GRACE DISCO
against them! He wasnt, and neither is he counting yours (2 Corinthians 5:19). On the cross,
justice had a meeting with unconditional love and your peace with God was secured. Your
transgressions have been blotted out as if youd never done them (Isaiah 43:25). Because God
the Son bled for you, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit have both gone on record saying
they will remember your sins no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17).
5. Gods love enduresit never fails
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of
every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything
[without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an
end]. (1 Corinthians 13:78a, AMP)
You can take the love of God and nail it to a cross and he will still love you enough to come
back from the dead and hunt you down just to tell you that hes forgiven you and loves you and
wants to be with you forever.
6. Gods love is everlasting
Through the prophet the Lord says to us: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have
drawn you with unfailing kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).
7. God loves the unlovely
If you think God cant love you because of all the bad stuff youve done, consider those he loved
in the Bible. He loved a murderer called David, a Pharisee called Saul, and when he walked the
earth in human form he loved lepers, Gentiles, tax-collectors and Samaritans. Have you ever
wondered why?
Gods love for us has nothing to do with our performance or our pedigree. It has nothing to
do with our loveliness or worthiness. He simply loves us because he is love and its his nature to
love. And thank God this is so, for there is no hope except that he loves us with no strings
attached.
If God did not love us unconditionally, he would not have died for us and there would be
no covenant of grace. But he does and he did and there is! This is the good news the whole
world needs to hear.
A word after
This was the first E2R article that was picked up and reproduced in a Christian magazine. I
have mixed feelings about that. As a writer, Im always pleased to have my work appear in
ESCAPE TO REALITY GREATEST HITS VOL. 1
traditional media outlets. But as a believer Im staggered that 2000 years after the cross,
Christians still need to be told that God loves them. Shouldnt this be old news by now?
Turns out some people get offended when you tell them that God loves them
unconditionally. That doesnt sit well with what theyve been taught.
Others like to have a bet each way. They say things like, Sure, Gods love is unconditional
but before listing all sorts of qualifications and exceptions. Its unconditional love with
conditions.
After writing the above article I was bombarded with questions like, If Gods love is
unconditional, why isnt everyone saved? or If Gods love is unconditional, why are people
going to hell? These are strange questions. You might as well ask, If the sun is so hot, why am
I so cold in the basement?
My response to those who delight in debate and discussion is this: God loves you! If you
cant see thatif that revelation doesnt burn in your heart putting everything else into proper
perspectivelook at creation, look at your kids, look at the cross. Your Fathers heart radiates
with molten love for you and he has been showing his love to you since the dawn of time. His
love is like the sunfierce and live-giving. If you havent experienced the Fathers love, the
fault lies not with him. Step outside and look up!
Of course, not everyone is cool towards Gods love. Many people told me that this article
made them very happy. One reader said, I no longer feel like I have to prove that I am saved
by my works... I feel like a kid again. This youthful, joyful response is a normal reaction to
grace. DIY religion and theological debates will make you feel old, but grace makes you feel
young again.
2. God Doesnt Do Half-Jobs: Why Partial Forgiveness Is Completely Bogus

Theres a teaching going around that says that God has only half-forgiven us. If that sounds
wacky, thats because it is. But partial forgiveness is what you have if you think there are things
you must do to stay forgiven. Sure, Jesus forgave us at the cross, but to stay forgiven we need
to forgive others or keep confessing sins or do other stuff. The implication is that if you fail to
do these things, you fall out of Gods mercy and forgiveness.
Three scriptures are usually offered in support of this teaching:
(1) Jesus said, If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14), thus Gods forgiveness is conditional on yours.
(2) Peter refers to being forgiven from our past sins (2 Peter 1:9), suggesting that your
present and future sins are yet to be dealt with.
(3) John says you are cleansed only if you confess your sins (1 John 1:9), so if you dont
confess, youre not forgiven.
Lets look at each in turn.
(1) Jesus said forgiveness was conditional
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we need to forgive others if we desire forgiveness
ourselves. If you read this as a conditional statementYou must forgive to be forgiventhen
you are reading it as a law.
Why did Jesus preach law? Because the Pharisees and legal experts had emptied the law of
its power to silence the self-righteous. The law was intended to break our pride and reveal our
need for a Savior. If you think the law is easy and do-able, you wont see your need for Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declared that he had come to fulfill the law. He then
proceeded to preach the perfect standard of Gods holy law: Be perfect as your heavenly
Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
How would you feel if the Sunday preacher said, You must be perfect? How would you
respond if he said, Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers
of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)? If your reaction
is, Im in trouble, I need help, then you are closer to freedom than any Pharisee then or selfrighteous person now.
The truth is the measure of forgiveness that we need from God is immeasurably greater
than any forgiveness we could show to others. But the good news is that Jesus fulfilled all the
requirements of the law on our behalf when he went to the cross. In the very act of paying for
the worlds sin, he forgave us our sin. Do you see? The very condition for forgiveness that Jesus
preached on the Mount, he himself satisfied on the cross. Now, in Christ, we have received the
full extent of the Fathers forgiveness.
(2) Peter implies that only our past sins are forgiven
When Jesus died on the cross he did not cry out, It is half-finished. No, God doesnt do halfjobs. Everything that needed to be done to satisfy the demands of justice was done by Jesus. His
sacrifice is the once and final solution for your sin (Hebrews 9:26). Its a simple truth, yet many
people dont get it.
Peter writes that the reason why some Christians dont mature is that they have forgotten
they have been cleansed from their past sins. Their knowledge of Jesus and what he
accomplished is so limited that they live ineffective and unproductive lives.
You are a new creation. Your old sinful life is in the past. Although you may act like a sinner,
you are a sinner no longer. Peter is basically saying, Stop living in the past and grow up.
Paul wrote, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins (Colossians 2:13).
All means all. There is no sin Jesus didnt carry. There is nothing he didnt forgive.
You were forgiven 2,000 years ago. Its nonsense to say that God hasnt forgiven your future
sins because when he forgave you all your sins were in the future.
(3) John says forgiveness depends on our confession
John writes that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to purify us from all
unrighteousness. Some take this to mean that we are cleansed through our confession. But John
makes it clear that it is the blood of Jesusnot our confessionthat purifies us from all sin
(1 John 1:7).
Did you notice that John said all sin? Just in case you missed it, he says it again two verses
later: Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). All means all. All includes all
past, present and future sin. When you are cleansed by Jesus you are well and truly cleansed!
The Lord says, Now, lets settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash
you as clean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool.
(Isaiah 1:18, GNB)
John is not preaching human confession but divine forgiveness. Like every other writer in the
New Testament he goes to great lengths to show us that forgiveness is a God-thing from start to
finish. John writes so that you will confess or agree that God has done it all because only those
who believe enjoy the blessings of Gods great grace.
Some people try to put limits on Gods forgiveness. They say that he withholds his
forgiveness unless we do this or that or the other thing. They say that God forgives us in
accordance with our behavior. But that is not what the Bible says.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with
the riches of Gods grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
GRACE DISCO
Just as you cant put a limit on the riches of Gods grace, you cant put a limit on his forgiveness.
Now thats good news!
A word after
If there was one drum that I bashed again and again in the early days of E2R, it was the subject
of forgiveness. You are forgiven. Period. For a while it seemed like I was writing about
forgiveness every other week. I couldnt help myself.
Forgiveness is the front door into the House of Grace. If you cant grasp forgiveness, you
wont grasp grace. This is just as true for believers as unbelievers, for there are many in the
church who dont know they have been completely and eternally forgiven. Theyre trying to get
forgiven or theyre working to maintain their forgiveness. Theyre standing on the doorstep
refusing to come in. I just need to clean myself first. Good luck with that.
The bad news of dead works says clean yourself first, but the good news of grace says
come as you are!
3. Son, Servant or Friend of God?

How do you see yourself? As a (a) servant of God, (b) a friend of God, or (c) a son of God? To
answer this question I ran a poll on E2Rs Facebook page. To my astonishment, less than half of
the respondents picked option (c). And so, once again, Facebook has answered one of lifes
great questions, which is this: Why is the world still a mess, even though Jesus did everything
he came to do 2000 years ago?
The problem may not be what you think. Its not legalism, condemnation, or even sin. The
root cause of the problem is that the majority of people do not see God as their Father. Like the
prodigal, they relate to him as something other than sons. They have an orphan spirit.
There are only two kinds of people in the world: sons and orphans. Which are you? The
devil likes to sow doubt by asking, If you are the Son of God (Matthew 4:3). To the degree
that you are uncertain about your sonship you have an orphan spirit.
I will probably write more about this some other time, but the FB poll has fired me up. I
couldnt sleep for thinking about it.
I cant stay silent while some thief runs off with your birth certificates, so let me give you
three reasons why (c) is the best response to the question above. Even if you serve a God who is
your best friend, you are first and foremost a son, and this applies equally to the ladies, for we
are all one in Christ.
The top three reasons why you are a son of God
1. The Holy Spirit says so. God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, Papa!
Father! (Galatians 4:6, MSG). God himself calls you son. (You wouldnt want to call God a
liar now would you?) He is the one who makes it possible for you to call him Papa.
2. The Bible says so in many places (see Galatians 3:26, Romans 8:14, Hebrews 12:7, and 1 John
3:1 for starters).
3. Jesus came to reveal the Father (Matthew 11:27). Pray like this, said Jesus. Our Father in
heaven (Matthew 6:9). This is what makes the new covenant new. Sonshipnot
servanthood or friendshipis the pinnacle of redemption. How awesome is that?!
What are the benefits of sonship?
Someone with an orphan spirit may identify themselves as a servant of God. It sounds noble,
but it actually insults the cross and the Spirit of grace. We are to be servant-hearted, not servantminded. Do you know the difference?
A servant doesnt know his masters will, has to be told what to do, and relates to God on
the basis of what he does. If he does good, he thinks God loves him more. How utterly tragic to
live under such a lie.
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A son is nothing like this for he has the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), is clothed with
his righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), and relates to God on the basis of the Fathers love to him (1
John 4:19).
Servants suffer from performance-anxiety. Even friends may have to pound on doors in the
middle of the night to borrow something (see Luke 11:5). But sons need never worry, for our
heavenly Father knows we need all these things and he delights to give to those who ask him
(Matthew 6:32, 7:11).
What about being Gods friend? Its true that Abraham was known as a friend of God
(Isaiah 41:8) and we are revealed to be friends when we do what Jesus says (John 15:14). This is
a good thing and something to treasure. But sonship is better by far.
Sons have rights of access that servants and friends lack. Sons have an expectation of
intimacy that servants and friends do not enjoy. My kids are with me 24/7 (its the school
holidays). In contrast, I only see and enjoy my friends occasionally. Wouldnt you rather enjoy
Gods presence continuously? As a son you have full rights to do so!
Finally, sons are heirs. All the cattle on all the hills and all the blessings of Abraham are
yours, for we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Our share is no less than his!
What will it take to fix this broken, poisoned planet?
Answer: A revelation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19).
In the garden God gave us a planet to keep. We lost it, Jesus got it back, and yet we still act
like it belongs to the devil. This planet is ours (see Psalm 115:16). Jesus paid a high price to
redeem this planet for us. Creation is not waiting for Gods servants or friends to rise up.
Creation waits for his sons to rise up and say with authority, This is my planet; hands off
devil!
If youre still having trouble wrapping your head around this, look to Jesus. Did Jesus
describe God as his (a) Master, (b) Friend, or (c) Father? Thats an easy question. Under the
obsolete law covenant, God was Master. Under the Abrahamic covenant, God is our Friend. But
under the new covenant God is revealed as our Father!
And dont water this down by saying that God is all of the above. Hes no more all of the
above than you are all of the above to your children. My kids will serve many employers
and have many friends, but they will only have one earthly father and thats me. I am thrilled
beyond words to be identified as my childrens father because it is my unique privilege. I hope
they will be equally thrilled to be identified as my children. It makes my heart soar when they
call me Daddy. Im less thrilled when they call me your majesty or boss.
God is your Father and my Father. Yes, I serve him and he is my closest friend. But service
and friendship stem from my secure position as his adopted son. Theres nothing I enjoy more
than being with him, knowing him, walking with him, and talking with him. Every day with
him is an adventure!
When you have a revelation of your sonship, it will change the way you pray. You will pray
for the smallest things, because if it matters to you it matters to him. And you will ask for the
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big things, because God has promised you the nations. When you have needs, you wont hold
back like a waiter or stand at a distance like a friendyoull come running in to Papa knowing
that he delights to give good gifts to his children.
A word after
You could say this article changed my life. About nine months after I started E2R, I began to
realize that everything I write about grace is useless unless people see themselves as Christ sees
them. Identity is everything. I didnt really get that before I wrote this.
When I discovered that many people are victims of identity theftthat is, they believe they
are something other than Gods childrenI literally could not sleep at night on account of the
burning desire to tell them the good news. See the God that Jesus reveals. Hes your Father
who loves you as you are and not as you should be.
This article was the first of many that I would write about the believers identity. It was the
inspiration for an ebook called Whos Your Daddy? and it was the forerunner to my book The
Gospel in Ten Words, which is all about our identity in Christ.
One of the things that has struck me since writing this is how deeply offensive the identity
of sonship is to some people. Some would rather be known as Gods servants than his children.
One person told me, I was created to serve. I beg to differ. This might surprise you but God
doesnt need servants. Creation is not an expression of his desire for service or servants; its an
expression of his love. God wants a family!
But what about when Paul calls himself a servant of Christ, as he does in many of his
letters? I dont think the apostle of grace was any more confused about his identity than Jesus
was when he referred to himself as the Son of Man. Paul, along with every other New
Testament writer, referred to God as a Father. He understood that we are the sons of God who
serve people.
Jesus said he came to serve (Matthew 20:28) and those who follow him have the same heart.
Jesus served the disciples and said Follow my example (John 13:15). We serve people in Jesus
Name. To say I am a servant of Christ, as Paul does, means I serve with the same heart that
Christ did, because his love motivates me.
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4. God is Good But How Good Is He?

I read something on the weekend that hit me like a stone. It was written by someone who is
troubled that the church no longer fears God like in the good ol days of the Old Testament. The
problem with the modern church, apparently, is we have overemphasized the goodness of
God.
Think about that. We have overemphasized Gods goodness. Thats like saying, Gods good,
but hes not that good. Theres a tiny part of him thats bad.
I beg to differ. If I had just one adjective to describe God I would say he is love, but if I were
given a second adjective I would say he is good.
Indeed, he is the very definition of good. Look up good in the dictionary and it says, see
God. Well, it should.
The devilwho is thoroughly baddoesnt want us to think of God as being perfectly good.
But he is good and everything he does is good.
The Jew says, God is one, and he is.
The Muslim says, God is great, and he is.
But the Christian says, God is good and the world rejoices!
It is the goodness of God that makes the good news good. Just as there is no bad news in the
good news, theres no badness in God.
Imagine where we would be if God were bad, or half bad and half good. We would live
under a cloud of uncertainty, fearful of his mood swings. But God is not like that.
God never has a bad day, nor even a bad moment. He doesnt have a bad temper.
Everything about him is good and he is good all of the time.
All of his gifts are good. If you think you have found something good and it doesnt have
Gods fingerprints all over it, you are working with an inferior definition of good. God is the
benchmark for what is good.
It is simply not possible to overemphasize the goodness of God. You might just as well try
and overemphasize his wisdom or try and grasp the breadth, width, and depth of his love!
God is good, all the time.
A word after
People sometimes ask me how I get the inspiration to write these articles. Honestly, its not that
hard. I dont see myself as doing anything other than stating the obvious in a world where the
obvious has become buried under a lot of religious mumbo-jumbo. Anyone who knows Jesus
can do it. You just have to believe that he is the first and last word on every subject.
For instance, if you hear that Gods goodness has been overemphasized, or God gives
and takes away, or Gods love is conditional, you need to ask yourself, is this true in light
of who Jesus is and what he has done? Did Jesus ever seek to balance Gods goodness? Did
Jesus ever say God takes his gifts away? Did Jesus ever qualify the love of God?
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After reading the above article a friend of mine called Gerry commented that God is so good
that 1 Corinthians 15:33Bad company corrupts good charactercant touch him. I like that.
All our badness cannot corrupt Gods goodness. Indeed, the opposite is true. Gods goodness is
the ocean that swallows up our sin and corruption. He replaces our badness with his goodness
and makes us new.
I guess thats why they call it good news.
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5. How Well Did I Understand Grace Before I Understood Grace?

Have you ever seen those Magic Eye 3D pictures that look random at first glance but then
reveal a hidden picture? Theres a group of you looking and someone says, Wowlook its a
ship! Then another person sees it and now theyre both describing the picture to you. But try as
you might you just cant see it. Theyre pointing and saying, Lookits right there, with sails
and everything. Its huge! But you still cant see it. Youre thinking theres no picture at all and
theyre deluded when suddenly, revelation comes and a ship appears. If youre like me and
youre the last person to see these things, youll embarrass yourself at this point by shouting, I
see it! I see it!
Thats how it was for me with grace.
I knew people who looked into the Bible and saw radical grace but I didnt. Sure, there were
pockets of grace here and there, but there was a whole lot of other stuff as well. Then one day,
revelation came and I saw Grace! Hes right there on every page and in every book. How can
you miss him? Hes huge!
I now find myself reading old scriptures with new eyes and saying, This is speaking of
Jesus! This is all about himI never saw this before. Now that Ive seen him once I see him
everywhere. I was saved decades ago and I have always loved God with my whole heart. But
when I got this revelation of his amazing grace, it was like being born again, again.
A friend recently asked me, How well did you understand grace before you understood
grace? (This question makes perfect sense to me.) Heres my answer: I thought I understood
grace perfectly well. For as long as I can remember Ive considered myself a testimony of his
grace. But when Grace himself came into focus, I was floored. I realized that I had barely
understood grace at all. Looking back I can identify nine signs that showed I did not fully grasp
the radical and over-the-top grace of God.
1. I understood that I was saved by grace but not that I was kept by grace
I had received Christ by faith, but I was not continuing in that same faith (Colossians 2:6).
Although I would never have said it, I had taken out a little works insurance. Faith is a positive
response to what God has done, but I liked to initiate things and make things happen.
Consequently, there was no rest, for there was always more to do. There was always another
meeting to lead, another truth to teach, and another sheep to gather. I thought this was normal.
I could get excited about the idea of being saved and saving others, but I was not drawing from
the wells of salvation with joy (Isaiah 12:3). I was constantly stressed and I treated grace as little
more than grease for my engine of self-effort.
2. I felt obliged to serve
Jesus had done everything for me, what would I do for him? I didnt use the word indebted
that wouldve alerted me to the gracelessness of my thinkingbut much of what I did was
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motivated by a sense of obligation. I thus cheapened the exceeding riches of his grace by trying
to pay him back for his priceless gift. Inevitably this shifted my focus from him and his work to
me and mine. Instead of being impressed by what Jesus had done, I was trying to impress him
with what I was doing.
3. I motivated others using carrots and sticks
Because my own motives were screwed up it was inevitable that I would preach rewards and
punishments. Do good, get good; do bad, get bad. I was preaching against legalism yet at the
same time I was putting people under law! I was putting price tags on Gods gracious gifts. I
now realize that the moment you start charging for grace, even if its the smallest, most
reasonable fee, youve missed it.
4. I saw myself as a servant rather than a son
My identity was in the things I did rather than in my Father. I saw myself as working for God (a
noble cause) rather than doing the works of God. I would not have said I was justified by what I
did for I knew that grace and works dont mix. Yet I was mixing grace with works like there
was no tomorrow. And heres the strange thing: Even though I preached servanthood more
than sonship, whenever there was a crisis I was quick to relate to God as Papa. It was only
when I was strong and healthy that I was seduced by my religious need to do something for
him. Happily, there were many crises!
5. I kept asking God to provide what he had already provided
I knew enough about grace to approach the throne of grace boldly in my hour of need, but I
didnt know that God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter
1:3). Like the prodigals older brother I felt that God would bless me as I did my part. I didnt
realize that I was already blessed, deeply loved, and highly favored. In my ignorance I wasted a
whole lot of time doing a whole lot of nothing. I thought I was being active and fruitful, but in
reality I was passive and faithless.
6. I was more sin-conscious than Son-conscious
Like many Christians I was afraid of sin (keep it out of the camp!) and I was not known as a
friend of sinners. I had read that the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness, but I
wasnt quite sure how that worked. So when preaching against sin I used inferior incentives like
fear and punishment that led, at best, to temporary, flesh-powered changes in behavior. I
emphasized what we must do (repent!) more than what God has done (forgiven us!). I kept the
focus on us when it shouldve been on him and as a result my preaching was powerless and
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GRACE DISCO
useless. If anyone failed to experience victory over sin, I figured they were unacquainted with
Gods transforming graceeven though I had given them none.
7. I always tried to do the right thing
Someone under grace says, I trust him from start to finish. He will lead me in the right path.
But in subtle ways I preferred rules to relationship. I craved Biblical guidelines for living. I
thought I was choosing the good thing, but then so did Adam. We both had an independent
spirit that led us to the wrong tree.
8. I had a stronger relationship with the written word than with the Living Word
I did not read the Bible to find Jesus but to answer the question, what should I do? I read
indiscriminately and was often confused by scriptures that seemed to contradict each other. My
solution was to go for balance: A little of this, a little of that, for all scripture is profitable. But by
failing to filter what I read through the finished work of the cross, I unwittingly poisoned
myself. I mixed the death-dealing words of the law with the life-giving words of grace. I
thought I was zealous for the Lord, but in truth I was lukewarm. I was neither under the stonecold ministry of the law nor walking in the white-hot heat of Gods love and grace.
9. I knew I was righteous, but I didnt feel righteous
When I stumbled I would more readily confess my sins to God than allow the Holy Spirit to
remind me of the gift of his righteousness. I knew I was a new creation, but in many ways I
acted and spoke as though I was merely an improved creation. I thought honesty about my
struggles was the key to getting more grace, but I probably would not have struggled so much
in the first place if I had learned to see myself as God sees meas redeemed, righteous, and
holy in Jesus.
Grace comes by revelation and if you dont yet see it then this article may sound like the
ramblings of a man who is unbalanced. (Thank God I am. Im done with balance!) But if you do
see Grace, then right now you will be resonating like a tuning fork.
Let me finish with a few words for the non-seers: Please be patient with those of us who are
leaping for joy. Dont walk away from the Magic Eye picture scowling, I cant see it, theres
nothing there. Just keep looking! Grace is standing right there in front of you and hes huge!
A word after
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me this article described their journey to grace, Id
have a lot of dollars. Perhaps more than anything I have written, this one resonated with
readers who have experienced what I described as being born again again. Im not talking about
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unbelievers getting saved. Im talking about mature Christians who have found themselves
dazzled by Jesus. Im talking about people like Donna who told me, These nine points describe
my life as a believer for the past 18 years. I was blind but now I see!
Another reader, Tracy, wrote this:
Yes! Yes! Yes! I had been a Christian for over 25 years, and thought I understood Grace, but
I never got it. Like you said, its like these blinders have come off, and I want to cry that it
took me so long to understand this. But I am also filled with crazy joy that I now do!
I like Tracys emphatic affirmation because grace makes you shout yes to Jesus and all the
promises of God:
As surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not Yes and No. For the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us was not Yes and No, but in him it
has always been Yes. (2 Corinthians 1:1819)
Someone who doesnt fully appreciate grace says maybe, as in, Maybe God loves me, maybe
hes pleased with me, maybe Ill be counted as worthy. But someone who gets grace will
always shout Yes! as in Yes, I am righteous in Christ. Yes, God is pleased with me. Yes, Jesus
loves me!
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6. The Top Twelve Blessings in the New Covenant

In Christ we get to partake in all of the blessings God promised to Abraham (Galatians 3:14,29).
We also get all of the blessings promised under the law covenant and none of the curses
(Galatians 3:13). This is really something when you consider the many blessings God offered in
the Old Testament:
-
To Abraham and his descendants God promised greatness, fruitfulness, great reward,
world-reaching blessing, and more (see Genesis 12: 23, 15:1, 17:48, 22:18).
To those who kept the law God promised long life, fruitfulness, abundant prosperity,
protection, and more (Deuteronomy 28:313).
In addition to these wonderful promises, there are at least twelve awesome blessings God
promises to us exclusively under his new covenant of grace. Here they are in no particular order:
1. God forgives all our sins (Matthew 26:28, Acts 13:38). Our sins are not merely covered by
the blood of bulls and goats, they are carried and done away with by the Lamb of God (John
1:29).
2. God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17). In terms of justification its just as if
we never did them.
3. God promises never to be angry with us again (Isaiah 54:89). Unlike the obsolete covenant
of law, the new covenant is an everlasting covenant of love and peace (Isaiah 54:10, 55:3).
God will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40). Wow! Ruminate on that!
4. God qualifies us (Colossians 1:12). Its no longer a case of what we do (under the law
covenant) or who were related to (under the Abrahamic covenant). In the new, its all about
Jesus and what he has done for us.
5. God takes hold of us and never lets go (Philippians 3:12, Jude 24). Your security is not based
on what you do but on what hes done and is now doing in you. Consequently, you can
have confidence that he who began a good work in you will complete it (Philippians 1:6).
Nothing can separate you from his love (Romans 8:39).
6. God blesses us with Christs perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness is not
something to earn, it is something to receive, and in him we have it (Romans 5:17).
7. God gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and guide us into all truth (John 14:26,
16:13). We no longer need priests to mediate for us, for we can all know the Lord (Jeremiah
31:34). Indeed, we are his royal priests (1 Peter 2:9).
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8. God is for us and not against us (Romans 8:31). God justifies us and there is now no more
condemnation (Romans 8:1). When we sin, Jesus doesnt judge us, he defends us and
empowers us to go and sin no more (1 John 2:1). He abundantly supplies all our needs so
that we might enjoy life to the full (John 10:10, Philippians 4:19).
9. God is with us (Ezekiel 37:27). In the old, Gods presence came and went, but in the new he
has promised to never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
10. God empowers us to overcome the enemy (1 John 5:4). We have his delegated authority
over demons and disease (Mark 16:17). Living under his divine protection and grace we are
destined to reign in life (Romans 5:17).
11. God offers us his rest (Hebrews 4:1011). Under the old covenant it was do, do, do, but
under the new covenant its done, done, done.
12. God gives us eternal life (Romans 6:23). Because Christ lives, we can truly live.
A word after
Those of you taking the museum tour will be interested to learn that this was one of the first
lists I published on E2R. (I love lists.) It came out when E2R was about a month old. You can tell
its one of the early pieces because its packed full with scripture references. Like a new
preacher, I lacked confidence in my own voice and compensated by bombarding readers with
scriptures. Sorry about that.
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7. The Cure for Guilt

The other day I lost my temper. It was only for a moment, but it was enough. Damage was done.
Later, I felt sick about what I did and took steps to make amends. This is how guilt works. Guilt
is a signal that our lives have been disrupted by sin. Guilt is a sign that a hurt needs to be
healed.
But theres a problem. Ever since sin was given a free leash in the Garden of Eden, guilt has
gotten out of control. We feel guilty for things we did and didnt do. When we do well we feel
guilty for not doing better. And when we fail, guilt pounds us. Worst of all, guilt never goes
away. Like an alarm that wont switch off, guilt is the soundtrack to our lives.
Burdened by guilt we may turn to religion in the search for relief only to be told that were
even worse than we thought. We have not only let down our friends and family, weve let
down God.
With religious zeal we try to make the guilt go away but its no use. We keep nine laws but
break the tenth. Were good for six days but stumble on the seventh. No matter how hard we
work, the guilt pile just keeps growing.
Guilt is a killer
I am convinced that guilt and condemnation are at the root of many of our health problems.
Guilt breaks us. Our emotional bones were made soft for love, not hard for guilt-bearing.
I was a pastor for ten years and I can tell you that a lot of counseling done in the church is
guilt-based. Pastors spend much of their time helping others manage their guilt. Which is ironic
since pastors are often the ones making folk feel guilty in the first place. (Dont feel condemned
my preaching brothers, but please stop preaching mixture. Its making people sick and sucking
the life out of you.)
If only there was a cure for guilt. There is!
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,
having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies
washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)
Since the cross is Gods cure for your sin, it is also his cure for your guilt. Do you battle with
guilt? Do you struggle under the weight of your shortcomings and failings? Then look to the
cross. Your sins are there not here.
Justified = not guilty
To be guilty means to be held responsible for your sin. Im all for taking responsibility for our
mistakes, but when it comes to sin all the responsibility in the world wont clear your sinful
name. Your sin burden is too great.
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But the good news is that Jesus took responsibility for all our sin. On the cross he literally
became sin and in him sin was condemned (Romans 8:3). The gospel declares your sin problem
has met its match in Jesus Christ. Do you know what this means? Under law, the best of us is
justly charged guilty on account of sin, but under grace, the worst of us is justly charged
righteous on account of Jesus.
This is one of the most profound revelations of grace yet many miss it. They say, I know I
am righteous and justified, but I still feel guilty. Connect the dots. If you are righteous and
justified, you are not guilty.
But, Paul, I feel guilty. That feeling is a symptom of unbelief in the goodness of God.
Dont let that feeling run around in your head like a rat in the attic. Deal with it. Take that
feeling and make it bow to the obedience of Jesus Christ.
He has forgiven you all your sins: Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of
broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely
annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross. (Colossians 2:1314, Phillips)
Under the law, there was a long list of charges against you. Youre a lazy Christian, a lousy
parent, and a poor excuse for a human being. Do you know what Jesus did to those charges?
He nailed them to the cross. That should tell you what Jesus thinks of all those miserable
accusations.
Guilt from the Bible?
Many Christians battle with guilt because theyve not fully grasped the finished work of the
cross. Theyre filtering life through the obsolete lens of the rule-keeping covenant.
Guilt is what you get when you are constantly told that you are not doing enough, giving
enough, praying enough. Since this mixed-up message is the predominant theme of graceless
Christianity, is it any wonder that guilt has become an epidemic?
Much of what gets done in the name of the Lord is motivated by guilt. Jesus died for you,
what will you do for him? Youd better get busy! There are people going to hell because you
are not evangelizing. Sign up for our outreach and make your guilt go away. This sort of carryon is appalling. Its manipulation of the worst kind and it is about as far from Jesus as you can
get.
Making matters worse, many of our Bibles were translated by the guilt-conscious. Do you
know how many times the words guilt and guilty appear in the New Testament? The
answer depends on which Bible youre reading:
2
3
6
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Youngs Literal Translation

American Standard Version
King James Version
The Message Bible
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GRACE DISCO
15
34
45
New International Version

Good News Bible
Amplified Bible
What do these numbers mean? They reveal how much guilt is in your reading diet. For instance,
if you read the NIV youre getting more than double the guilt that youd get from the KJV. If
you read the Amplified, youre getting nearly eight times the guilt.
Some Bibles should come with a health-warning: Contains added guilt and traces of
religious nuts.
I looked up all the Greek words for guilt and guilty in Vines Expository Dictionary and
found there are actually very few. In fact, Vines spends more time listing words that have been
incorrectly translated as guilty. I wont bore you with the details but heres an interesting
question: Do you know how many verses say Christians are guilty? Answer: Zero. Nada. Not
one. So the next time you hear a message that makes you feel guiltythat seeks to hold you
accountable for something youve done or not doneyou can reject it as unbiblical.
When I lost my temper the other day, I apologized and quickly made amends. There was
nothing religious about that. Its just love. Its common sense. But works-based religion would
have said, Paul, youve not done enough. Every sin is a sin against God. On account of your
sin you are now out of fellowship with him. You broke it, so you fix it. Examine your heart,
confess your sin to God and he will wipe your slate clean.
Such a message appeals to our flesh but its an anti-Christ pile of manure. Instead of leading
you back to the one you hurt, itll cause you to withdraw and stare at your navel. Instead of
thanking God that in Christ you are always righteous, youll waste time asking him to do what
hes already done. Instead of laying hold of the grace that empowers you to sin no more, youll
beat yourself up like a religious flagellant.
Learn the new language of grace
Guilt may be the lingua franca of dead religion but it wasnt a language the New Testament
writers spoke. Its certainly not a language they speak in heaven. If youve been speaking the
faithless language of guilt, I suggest you learn the new language of Gods love and grace.
When you have seen the finished work of the cross it changes the way you look at your
mistakes and failings. You no longer dwell on your weaknessestheres no power there.
Instead, you fix your eyes on Jesus who was delivered over to death for our sins and was
raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25).
When you sin, the accuser will seek to bring a case against you, and in the eyes of the law,
he has a good case! However, the issue is not whether you have stumbled but whether Jesus has
been raised. If he has been raised then you have been justified. Case dismissed.
It takes no faith to look at your mistakes and condemn yourself. It takes faith to look at
Christ and say, Because of you, I have been judged not guilty for all time. Thank you, Jesus!
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A word after
A couple of E2R readers raised some excellent points after reading this article. One observed
that renewing your mind can be hard work. Its one thing for me to say, change your
thinking, but its another to actually do that, particularly when you are battling against an old
foe like guilt.
I appreciate that guilt is a big issue for many people and the last thing I want is to make
people feel guilty for feeling guilty. However, if you struggle in this area, I want to encourage
you to be quick to believe what God says about you. When guilt comes to condemn you, focus
on Jesus and listen to him. Allow the Holy Spirit to convince you of your righteousness and
agree with him. Tell yourself, I am my Fathers dearly loved child and I am the righteousness
of God in Christ Jesus.
Another reader wrote to tell me that her feelings of guilt had little to do with unbelief in
Gods grace and everything to do with past hurts she had inflicted on others. This is
understandable. God does not hold our sins against us but they still hurt real people. Some
hurts can be mended; others cannot.
Sometimes we need divine wisdom to know how to respond to the damage weve done. In
my case the remedy was obviousI needed to apologize. But if the remedy is not obvious,
perhaps because the hurts were inflicted long ago, I recommend you to talk to Daddy about it.
Come boldly to his throne of grace and ask him what to do. He will show you the way to life
and healing. Hes pretty good at that.
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8. Faith is a Rest
The gospel declares that Gods grace comes to us through faith. So if you wanted to undermine
the gospel, there are two ways you could do it: attack grace or attack faith. I usually talk about
grace, but today I want to talk about faith because grace without faith is worthless:
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2, NKJV)
The gospel is true whether you believe it or not but it wont benefit you unless you believe it. If
you dont believe Jesus has forgiven you, you wont walk in his forgiveness. And if you dont
believe that in Christ you are already holy and acceptable, you will feel pressure to make
yourself holy and acceptable.
Faith does not compel God to forgive us or sanctify us. Indeed, faith doesnt make God do
anything. Rather, faith is a positive response to what God has said or done. Faith is
acknowledging every good thing that is already ours in Christ (Philemon 1:6). Faith doesnt
make things real that werent real to begin with, but faith makes them real to you. For instance,
if you battle with guilt and condemnation, you dont need Jesus to come and take away your sin.
You need to believe that he already did. Jesus is the cure for guilt, but until you believe it, you
wont be cured.
Faith is not a verb
Why am I saying this? Because there is a teaching going around that says, Everyone is saved
whether they believe it or not. Never mind that the apostles preached, Believe and be saved
(Acts 16:31). Suddenly, encouraging people to repent and believe the good news, as Jesus did,
is politically incorrect. Its discrimination. Its putting barrier gates in front of the kingdom.
Perhaps youve heard something like this: Believing is a work and grace and works dont
mix. What a strange thing to say. Its like saying grace and faith dont mix or grace comes
through unbelief. I wouldnt waste your time with this but Im hearing it a lot. Maybe you are
too. So how do we respond? What does the Bible say?
Now we who have believed enter that rest (Hebrews 4:3)
Faith is not a work but is a rest. Faith is not a verb but a noun. Faith is a persuasion that God is
who he says he is, has done what he said hes done, and will do what hes promised to do.
Consider Abraham, who
did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in
his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he
had promised. (Romans 4:2021)
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Faith is being fully persuaded. When you are fully persuaded, you can rest. The issue is settled,
your mind is made up, and your heart is at ease.
We are creatures of persuasion. We are designed to operate from our convictions. Either you
will be convinced that Jesus is true and good or you wont be. If youre not convinced the Holy
Spirit will seek to convince you so that you can be persuaded and enter his rest. This is what the
Holy Spirit doeshe points us to the Prince of Peace so that we may find peace for our weary
souls.
Unbelief is a work
When you have seen the beauty of Jesus, faith comes easily. Unbelief is the harder choice. To
fold your arms and lock your jaw as the goodness of God assails you from every side requires
real commitment.
Unbelief is not passive ignorance. Unbelief is hardening your heart to the manifest goodness
of God. Unbelief is cursing that which God has blessed and hating that which he loves. Unbelief
is resisting the Holy Spirit and clinging to worthless idols (Acts 7:51).
I am not talking about people who havent heard the gospel. Im talking about those who
encountered the grace of God and rejected it. Instead of opening the door to the One who
knocks (easy), theyve locked it, pushed the chairs and table against it, and shuttered the
windows (hard). Instead of reclining at the table of his abundance (easy), theyre scrounging for
food in the pig pen of independence (hard).
If faith is a rest, then unbelief is a work. Look at how unbelief is described in the New
Testament and you will find plenty of verbs or action words. Unbelief is rejecting Jesus (John
3:36) and denying the Lord (Jude 1:4). Its thrusting away the word of God and judging yourself
unworthy of life (Acts 13:46). Its suppressing the truth (Romans 1:18) and delighting in
wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Its turning away (Hebrews 12:25), going astray (2 Peter 2:15),
and trampling the Son of God underfoot (Hebrews 10:29).
And how does Jesus describe unbelievers? As evildoers and workers of iniquity (Matthew
7:23).
Do you see? It takes hard work to succeed as an unbeliever. You need to apply yourself with
religious dedication. Its a life-time commitment with no days off. You cannot afford to drop
your guard even for a moment or Jesus might sneak up and hug you. If faith is a rest, then
unbelief is restlessness:
And to whom did he swear that they shall not enter into his rest, except to those who did
not believe? And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews
3:1819, YLT)
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GRACE DISCO
Faith is a gift
There are two ways to get this faith-thing wrong: Tell people they must work to prove their
faith or tell them they need no faith at all. The first is the message of graceless religion, the
second is the message of faithless philosophy. In contrast to both, the gospel declares you need
faith and God will provide it. Indeed, the good news of Jesus comes wrapped in faith (Romans
10:17). Unwrap the gift of grace and you will find it comes with piles of faith.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:2930)
In a world of heavy burdens, Grace comes offering rest. Unbelief says, Leave me alone, Im
busy. But faith responds, Rest, you say? Ill have some of that, thank you very much!
For anyone who enters Gods rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest (Hebrews 4:1011a)
Grace declares, It is finished, the work is done, and faith responds, Thank you, Jesus!
The gospel is not an invitation to pick up tools, but to drop them. Its not a job
advertisement; its a day of rest.
Faith is not something you must do or manufacture. Faith is resting in the restful persuasion
that God is at rest and in him so are we.
A word after
Im not sure if I should say this, but this is one of my all-time favorite articles. Reading it now I
feel so encouraged! In this world we face constant pressure to perform and produce, but
whenever we hear the invitation to rest in Daddys arms our souls melt with relief. Its what we
were made for.
After reading this article someone asked me, If faith is a gift of God, why doesnt he give
this gift to everyone? He does, or rather, he has.
We were all born with the need and desire for love, every single one of us. Since grace is an
expression of love, we can say our desire for it is innate and God-given. God wants to supply
our need so he gives us signpoststhe air we breathe, the food we eat, the sunsets we enjoy, the
friendship of others, his word, his Sonthat all point to the love and grace of a good God. Its
no special thing to be thankful for such things because we were made for such things.
The question is not why God only gives this desire to some, but why some walk with their
eyes shut and their hearts closed to the abundant grace that surrounds them.
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9. What is Biblical Confession?

Confession has become a touchy subject in the grace community. Judging by some of the
comments I have received in the past week, there are some who think we must never confess
sins, that to do so is to slap Jesus in the face and run back into performance-based Christianity.
Its true that confession has been abused. Confessing sins in an attempt to get God to forgive
you is probably the number one work of the flesh. Yet confession can be good for you as we will
see with six examples from the Bible.
What is the difference between good and bad confession? Biblical confession is declaring
faith in God; bad confession is giving voice to unbelief. It is important that you understand this
distinction. True confession is agreeing with God, but bad confession is doubting him (e.g.,
asking him to do what hes already done, begging him to give what hes already given). True
confession leaves you Christ-conscious, but bad confession leaves you self-conscious.
To help you see the difference here are six examples of good confession:
1. Confession unto salvation
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his
breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the
other, went home justified before God. (Luke 18:1314)
These seven words from the tax collectorGod, have mercy on me, a sinnerare the
difference between life and death, between justification and condemnation. The tax collector is
confessing his need for mercy and hes looking to God to get it.
You dont need to beat your chest to get saved, but you do need to put your faith in God
and this man does. Jesus says he went home justified. In other words, he went home a new man
and a sinner no longer. The tax collectors prayer passes the test. It is a good, life-saving
confession. It is Romans 10:9 in action.
2. Confession of sonship
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the
Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba,
Father. (Romans 8:15)
If you have made the same confession as the tax collector there is no need to make it again.
Once is enough. Dont go around telling people you are a miserable sinner or a sinner saved
by grace. If youve been born again, you are a sinner no moreyou are a child of God. Its
smart for sinners to confess like the tax collector and ask God for mercy and grace. But you do
not need to ask for what you have already received.
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The Holy Spirit in you cries out Papa! Father! (Galatians 4:6, MSG). Since true confession
is agreeing with God, we too cry out Abba, Father. As beloved children we dont stand at a
distance beating our chests like the unsaved tax collector. We draw near addressing the
Almighty One as Daddy. True confession means seeing yourself as God sees you and he sees
you as his dearly loved child.
3. Confession of sins
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the multitude
of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1, NKJV)
David had sinned and he knew it, yet he barely mentions his sin in this well-known Psalm of
repentance. Instead he makes 24 statements about the goodness of God. This is significant.
Under the law of the day, David deserved to die, yet in Psalm 51 he reminds himself of Gods
gracious naturehis lovingkindness and tender mercies. Since this Psalm is full of faith in the
goodness of God, it passes the confession test.
Its good to be open and honest about our mistakes, but when you sin take your cue from
David. Dont stare at your navel but lift your eyes to heaven and praise God for his goodness
and mercy. Thank him that all your sins were taken away at the cross and that because of Jesus
you are a sinner no more.
When you sin it takes no faith to confess your guilt and shame; it takes faith to look to
the cross and declare, Because of his grace I am still forgiven, I am still righteous, I am still a
child of God. Thank you, Jesus!
4. Confession in times of suffering
He said to them, I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with
me. Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed,
My Father, if it is possible, dont make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do
what you want, and not what I want. (Matthew 26:3839, CEV)
Jesus greatest hour of need was in the Garden of Gethsemane. His soul was crushed with the
weight of the world. Did Jesus put on a mask and pretend he had it altogether? No. He opened
his mouth and confessed with honest transparency.
Confession is not just for sin, its for our sufferings as well. If youre going through a rough
patch, be encouraged by Jesus. He was so stressed, he sweated blood! Everyone gets stressed;
its what you do when youre stressed that makes the difference. What did Jesus do? He
presented his requests to God but did so in a way that expressed his faith in Gods goodness.
Its like he was saying, I dont know if I can go through with this Father, but I trust you.
Do you see? Honesty (Im dying here!) plus faith (your will be done) helps us receive grace
in our hour of need.
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If youre in an environment that places a big emphasis on walking in victory every day, you
need to hear this: unless you are honest and open about your needs, you will never receive the
grace that propels us through lifes trials. Grace is for the needy and we are all needy. Were just
not all honest about it.
5. Confession and sickness
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, Have mercy on us,
Son of David! When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them,
Do you believe that I am able to do this? Yes, Lord, they replied. Then he touched their
eyes and said, According to your faith will it be done to you; and their sight was restored.
(Matthew 9:2730a)
I guess there were many blind men in Israel but these two opened their mouths and confessed
their need to Jesus. Look at what Jesus asked them. Do you believe? Its like Jesus was on a
faith-hunt. Im sure Jesus could sense the faith in their hearts but he wanted them to speak it out.
Its as if they needed to hear their own good confession. Yes, Lord, we believe. Any time you
say Yes to Jesus, thats a good confession. Its giving voice to the faith in your heart.
I speak to sicknesses all the time. I tell them about Jesus by whose stripes we are healed. I
command them to bow to King Jesus and they often do. Not everyone I pray for gets healed, but
more people get healed when I confess the name of Jesus than when I stay silent.
So far we have seen that a confession can be helpful when dealing with salvation, sonship,
sin, suffering, and sickness. There is one more occasion when confession is good.
6. Confession as a sacrifice
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praisethe fruit of lips
that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15)
The word for confess here is exactly the same as the word for confess in 1 John 1:9 and
elsewhere and it means to agree with God. Every time we praise God for his goodness and
mercy, we are making a good confession.
The writer of Hebrews says this is to be our habit. You may be locked up in prison like Paul
and Silaspraise him anyway, for he is good. Your life may be going down the toilet, but guess
whatGod is still good. Instead of giving voice to the trials of your life, speak to your storms
about the goodness of your good God. Rebuke your problems, resist the devil, bless those who
curse you, pray for your enemies and fight the good fight.
Gratitude is the language of faith. Anytime you give thanks to God, you are making a good
confession. Want to be a good confessor? Then learn to give thanks in all circumstances (1
Thessalonians 5:18).
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True confession = Jesus!

True confession is basically proclaiming Jesus over our lives. It is declaring the good news of his
kingdom, it is proclaiming the gospel of his grace, and it is saying Thank you, Lord!
The devil would love for you to say no to Jesus but since youre not going to do that, he will
be content if you say nothing at all. Dont dismiss confession as an empty religious work. True
confession is one of the ways we reveal the good news of Gods grace to a world that needs to
hear it:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the
word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: Their voice has gone
out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Romans 10:1718)
A word after
Early in the life of the blog, I picked up a reputation of being someone who is opposed to
confession. Nothing could be further from the truth. (I also acquired a reputation for being
someone who is opposed to repentance. Ditto.) What I am opposed to is the way confession has
been used to enslave the children of the free.
After writing this article I heard from a man named David who was taught that one must
confess every sin to be forgiven. David wanted to live righteously so he made it his habit to
confess every sin. However, as a result of this belief he developed obsessive compulsive
disorder (OCD, a.k.a. scrupulosity) and depression.
No matter what I confessed, OCD would tell me I forgot something, said David. I felt
that I could not keep up with my sins, that I could literally spend my entire life confessing to
God, and yet continue to suffer fear, guilt and self-condemnation.
After fifty years of living with OCD and depression, David found the gospel of grace and is
now on his way to freedom. He still battles anxiety from time to timehalf a century of living
with an unhealthy mindset will do that to youbut he now understands that he is completely
forgiven. I now believe that complete forgiveness is included when you believe in Jesus, and is
a gift we receive along with eternal life, righteousness, adoption as sons, acceptance, etc.
Davids story is hardly unique. I have heard from many people who have developed mental
illnesses because they thought they had to confess all their sins. I write so that they might hear
the good news of Gods unconditional forgiveness and be free.
If your experience is like Davids, I encourage you to define confession as the Bible does, as
agreeing with God and proclaiming Jesus in our lives. What we put our minds to, determines
what we feel. If you believe you must do things to earn forgiveness, you will feel the crippling
weight of sin and obligation. However, if you believe you have been forgiven and that God
loves you, is thoroughly pleased with you, and accepts you, you will be free.
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10. Ten Myths about the Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Some people view the Holy Spirit as a kind of Divine Bookkeeper recording all their sins. But if
Jesus did away with sin once and for all by the sacrifice of himself, whats left for the Holy Spirit
to do? He must be unemployed!
In this article were going to look at ten myths regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit:
Myth 1: The Holy Spirit teaches me to keep the commandments
Truth 1: The Holy Spirit guides you into a relationship with Truth himself (John 16:1314)
What did Jeremiah (31:33) mean when he prophesied that the Spirit would write his laws in our
hearts? Was he promoting a relationship with the rules? No, Jesus is the law-keeper who lives
within. Think of the Holy Spirit as a match-maker wooing you to Jesus. As we rest in Jesus and
let him live his life through ours, we find ourselves keeping the commandments without any
conscious effort.
Myth 2: The Holy Spirit is like a Divine Policeman enforcing law and order
Truth 2: The Holy Spirit strengthens and encourages the church (Acts 9:31)
Since many believers have been brought up on a diet of law and obligation, it is natural to think
of the Holy Spirit as a Policeman enforcing Gods commands. But this is confusing covenants.
How does the Holy Spirit strengthen and build up the church? By revealing more and more of
Jesus. The Holy Spirit is so good at what he does, that Jesus said that it was for our good that he
leave so the Spirit could come (John 16:7). Think about that. Were better off now with the Spirit
than we were with Jesus in the flesh.
Myth 3: The Holy Spirit is unpredictable, sort of the solo agent of heaven
Truth 3: The Holy Spirit speaks the words of the Father and the Son (Matthew 10:20, John
14:26)
They really are on the same team.
Myth 4: The Holy Spirit is mysterious and secretivehes hard to figure out
Truth 4: The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth, not some truth. He is not the author of
confusion but the One who helps us make sense out of all Jesus said and did and everything
that is about to happen (John 16:13, MSG). He really is the most wonderful Guide. Keep in step
with the Spirit and youll never put a foot wrong.
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Myth 5: The Holy Spirit is scary

Truth 5: The Holy Spirit releases rivers of peace and joy (Romans 14:17)
Jesus said the Spirit would be in us like a river (John 7:38). Just as a river needs to flow, so does
the Holy Spirit desire to flow out of you to refresh and bring life to others. One emotion which
is consistently linked with the Holy Spirit is joy (e.g., Acts 13:52). If there is no joy in your walk,
lean on the Holy Spirit. Believe that he is with you and in you to strengthen you with the Lords
joy.
Myth 6: The Holy Spirit is in the background somewhereIm not sure what hes up to
Truth 6: The Holy Spirit actively partners with us and empowers us to be bold witnesses
(Acts 1:8)
In Greek the Holy Spirit is described as a paraclete (see John 16:7). The image is of a soldier who
partners with us side-by-side in combat. And what a Powerful Partner he is! He never loses, he
bears no scars, and his enemies have already been defeated. If you are saved then you already
are acquainted with his work, for you could never have confessed Jesus as Lord without his
help (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Many Christians know what it is to walk in the authority of Jesus Name, but they do not
fully operate in the power of the Spirit. Theyre like a cop with a badge and no gun. When the
Spirit came on Saul in the Old Testament, the Bible says he was turned into another man who
was empowered to do whatever the occasion demands (1 Samuel 10:67, NKJV). Similarly, in
the new covenant the Spirit turns you into a new creation who is empowered to preach and
demonstrate the gospel of the kingdom (1 Corinthians 2:4). This includes healing the sick,
driving out demons, and raising the dead, as the occasion demands (Matthew 10:8).
Myth 7: The Holy Spirit leaves me speechless and anxious
Truth 7: The Holy Spirit gives you words to say so you need not worry (Mark 13:11)
Do you have an opportunity to speak but are stuck for words? Never fear for the gospel
message is conveyed with words and wonders and the Holy Spirit provides them both. Trust
him and ask for his wisdom. He gives generously and his words come packaged with boldness
(Acts 4:31).
Myth 8: The Holy Spirit is a euphemism for the warm fuzzies I experience in the mood
music after the preaching
Truth 8: The Holy Spirit reinforces the preaching of the gospel with signs and wonders (1
Thessalonians 1:5)
Some have diminished the role of the Holy Spirit to accommodate their limited experience of
the supernatural, but Jesus promised that signs will accompany those who believe (Mark
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16:17). What miracles were attributed to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts? All of them! Its the
book of his acts.
Every time the good news is preached, the Holy Spirit will look to confirm the message
with signs following. His ministry is revealed in a Show and Tell gospel. With that, Peter, full
of the Holy Spirit, let loose (Acts 4:8, MSG). Cool, huh?
Myth 9: The Holy Spirit crushes me with impossible demandshe teaches me how to die
daily
Truth 9: The Holy Spirit raises the dead, makes us new, gives life, warns us of dangers, and
frees us from the burdens of manmade religion (Romans 8:11, Titus 3:5, Acts 20:23)
The ministry of the law brings death and condemnation, but the ministry of the Spirit brings life
and righteousness (2 Corinthians 3:69). True, hell let us come to the end of ourselves so that
we might learn to trust him. But he loves you just the same whether you stay in the boat or
dance upon the water. He comforts; he doesnt condemn.
Jesus promised us life in abundance (John 10:10). The Holy Spirit delivers on that promise
by replacing fear with courage, weakness with strength, and death with resurrection life.
Myth 10: The Holy Spirit gives different groups different revelation which is why we have
different denominations
Truth 10: The Holy Spirit baptizes us into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13)
There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of
all, who is over all (Ephesians 4:46). We see the differences, but God sees one body with many
members. God gives diverse gifts for a common purposethat we might mature and reach
unity in the faith. The Holy Spirit produces unity in the body, not division.
A word after
This article came out when E2R was about a year old. It didnt change the world or
revolutionize the church, but it did prompt this comment from a man called Peter: Paul, Ive
been receiving your writings for about six months. Your message deserves a wider audience.
You should write a book.
Peter was one of several people who were saying the same thing at that time. I was initially
dismissive. I wrote back, Hi Peter, a few people have suggested I write a book, but why would
anyone pay for something they can get for free.
Now I know better. Some people prefer books to blogs. People like yourself, for example.
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11. What is Holiness? (Its Better Than You Think)

Holiness is avoiding sin. Its being set apart from the world and staying undefiled. Or so weve
been told. The problem with defining holiness like this is that it doesnt actually describe a God
who is holy. God was holy long before there was any sin to avoid. He was unblemished before
there were blemishes.
In another article I looked at seven fairly useless definitions of holiness. All of them have a
measure of truth but none of them contains the whole truth. None of them actually tells us what
holiness is. And this is a problem because we are called to be holy. How can we be holy if we
dont know what that means?
So what is holiness?
Holiness means wholeness. To say that God is holy is to refer the wholeness, fullness, beauty,
and abundant life that overflows within the Godhead. God lacks nothing. He is unbroken,
undamaged, unfallen, completely complete and entire within himself. He is the indivisible One,
wholly self-sufficient, and the picture of perfection.
Holiness is not one aspect of Gods character; it is the whole package in glorious unity. This
is how Spurgeon describes it in his discourse on Psalm 99:5:
Holiness is the harmony of all the virtues. The Lord has not one glorious attribute alone, or
in excess, but all glories are in him as a whole; this is the crown of his honor and the honor
of his crown.1
Holiness means perfection in the sense of completion. When Jesus exhorts us to be perfect
(Matthew 5:48), he is inviting us to a life of wholeness and holiness. The Greek word for
perfect means complete or whole. Jesus was saying, Be whole as your Father in heaven
is whole. Jesus came to make broken people whole. He is calling us to the life that is his.
A holy and whole God stands in contrast to an unholy and broken world. Because of sin and
separation we live in a world of death and scarcity. In our natural state we are consumed with
our needs and lack. We spend our lives trying to get what we dont have and trying to repair
the damage of our estrangement. But the only cure for our brokenness is a revelation of a whole
and holy God who lacks nothing and who has promised to supply all our needs out of his
overflowing sufficiency.
We are to worship God in the beauty of his holiness, yet much of what passes for worship is
nothing more than grizzling about our ugliness. To the degree that we are conscious of our
needs over his provision, we miss it. We dont understand all that Christ accomplished on our
behalf.
C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 99, The Spurgeon Archive, 1885, website: www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps099.htm,
(accessed November 7, 2014).
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The Bible declares we were sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11); we have been made holy through
his sacrifice and perfected forever (Hebrews 10:10,14); and we are complete in Christ
(Colossians 2:10). In him we lack absolutely nothing. Yet we run here and there trying to gain
what we already possess and speaking the faithless language of lack and longing.
We need to change our vocabulary. We need to start walking in our true identity of holiness.
We need to thank him for who he is and what hes done. Here is a simple idea to help you do
that. Whenever you read the words holy or sanctified in scripture, replace them with the
heavenly language of wholeness and completion. This will give you a clearer insight into what
Jesus has accomplished. Here are some examples:
To the church of God to those complete in Christ Jesus and called to be whole. (1
Corinthians 1:2)
Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and wholeness. (Ephesians
4:24)
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord who has saved us and called us to a whole
and complete lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose
and grace. (2 Timothy 1:89)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a whole nation, a people belonging to God.
(1 Peter 2:9)
Jesus gives us a picture of a whole and holy life, unbroken and unstained by sin. Everything
Jesus does is prefaced by holiness. His is a holy love, a holy righteousness, a holy joy. Holiness,
or wholeness, is the very definition of abundant life. Such is the life you already have in him.
A word after
This article triggered three questions among E2R readers. Question #1: I never heard of
holiness being defined as wholeness. Where did you get this definition from? Answer: the
dictionary. At least, an old dictionary.
At the time the Bible was first translated into English, the word holy literally meant whole.
You can see this in old sermons where preachers used the words holiness and wholeness
interchangeably. For instance, Spurgeon in his note on Psalm 103:1, says:
It is instructive to note how the Psalmist dwells upon the holy name of God, as if his
holiness were dearest to him; or, perhaps, because the holiness or wholeness of God was to
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his mind the grandest motive for rendering to him the homage of his nature in its
wholeness.2
Substitute the word holy for wholly or whole in the New Testament, and youll see that it fits
perfectly.
Question #2: Why do the New Testament writers call us to be holy (e.g., 1 Peter 1:15)? How
do we read these exhortations through the lens of grace? Some holiness preachers interpret
New Testament exhortations as guidelines on how to make yourself holy, but trust me, you
cant do it. Gods standards are too high. Only grace can save a sinner and make a broken
person whole (or holy).
The same New Testament writers who exhort us to be holy tell us in many places that we
are already holy in Christ (e.g., 1 Peter 2:9). So the only way to interpret Be holy is in the sense
of Be who you are and stop acting otherwise. Christians who act unholy are acting contrary to
their new nature in Christ.
Question #3: Wont this message just produce complacency? If we are positionally holy in
this fallen world, shouldnt we strive to become totally holy?
The notion that there are positional truths which are distinct from real truths is dangerous
and unbiblical. When we were sinners we werent positionally sinnerswe were bona fide
sinners. Now that we are in Christ we are genuinely righteous and holy. Your holiness isnt
merely positional; its as real as it gets. If you are one with the Lord you are as righteous and
holy as he is (see 1 John 4:17). Thats a fact.
We dont act holy to become holy. We act holy because, in Christ, we are holy. Its who we
truly are.
C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 103, The Spurgeon Archive, 1885, website:
www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps103.htm, (accessed November 7, 2014).
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12. Twelve Famous Examples of Walking in the Spirit

The Bible describes two kinds of life and two ways to live. You are either in the flesh or in the
spirit (Romans 8:9), and you will either walk according to the flesh or according to the spirit
(Galatians 5:25). The unbeliever lives in the flesh and walks according to the flesh. The Christian
is in the spirit and ideally walks after the spirit. Yet the Bible provides many examples of saints
who walked after the flesh. In Galatia there was an entire church that did so.
Walking after the old ways of the flesh is abnormal for a believer. Its like a butterfly who
acts as though he was still a caterpillar. Walking after the flesh is walking by sight. Its doing
what seems right in your own eyes and leaning on your own understanding. Its trusting your
own judgment and ignoring the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean to walk after the spirit? Its walking by faith. Its being mindful of what
God has said and is now saying and what God has done and is now doing. Are there any
examples of this in the Bible? There are plenty. Pick anything Jesus did and you will see a man
who consistently walked according to the spirit. Jesus is our best model of a life lived in step
with the Holy Spirit.
But Jesus was not the only one who walked in the spirit. This way of life was normal for
many New Testament believers. However, in my list of twelve examples below, I have taken
care to pick stories where the Bible clearly indicates that an individual was walking in the spirit.
This list gives us a picture of how life is meant to be for a Christian. It is a picture of the
abundant life that Jesus promised to us. It portrays the kind of life that I wish to live.
1. Simeon has a date with destiny. For hundreds of years the prophets had been straining to
see the promised Messiah, then Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, goes to the temple
courts and sees what all the others missed (Luke 2:27). Talk about all your Christmasses
coming at once! Those who are led by the Spirit are always at the right place at the right
time.
2. Jesus lives free. He shunned labels, refused to be controlled, and ate with whomever he
pleased. Friends tried to manage him, powerful men tried to control him, and Satan tried to
tempt him. But Jesus stayed free of their unholy influence because his eyes were on his
Father. He was not distracted by success or apparent failure and he could sleep through
storms. Because he was secure in his sonship he remained totally free.
3. Jesus is the life of the party. At the wedding in Capernaum Jesus didnt think his time had
come, but Mary and the Holy Spirit had other ideas (see John 2:4). The kingdom of heaven is
a party (Matthew 22:2) and those who are led by the Spirit are the life of that heavenly party
wherever they go.
4. Jesus heals all the sick (Matthew 12:15, 14:36). In his flesh Jesus could not heal a headache
any more than you could. Walking in the spirit you can heal the sick, just as Jesus did.
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5. Jesus delivers all who are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). He drove out demons with a
word (Matthew 8:16). No spooky exorcisms or long-drawn out altar callsjust a word of
irresistible authority backed up by the most powerful being in the universe: the Holy Spirit.
6. Jesus teaches with authority (Matthew 7:29). In contrast with those who minister
condemnation by teaching rules, those who are led by the spirit speak words of eternal life
(John 6:68). In contrast with those who preach paralyzing homilies of uncertainty, those led
by the spirit declare truth with unshakeable conviction. Jesus didnt try to grow his ministry
and he didnt run after crowds. Crowds ran after him.
7. Peter and John declare the gospel boldly in the face of persecution (Acts 4:8). The Holy Spirit
still emboldens unschooled and ordinary men.
8. Stephen refutes the legalistic arguments of religious trouble-makers (Acts 6:10). Those who
serve in the newness of the spirit will encounter opposition from those who persist in the
oldness of the letter. There may even be persecution (just ask Stephen, Peter, Paul, James,
etc.). But no weapon formed against you will prosper and you will refute every judgmental
and critical tongue that rises in opposition to the message of Christ and his finished work.
9. Barnabas sees potential in Paul (Acts 9:27). None of the apostles trusted the man once
known as Saul, but Barnabas saw what no one else saw and through one act of
encouragement changed the course of history.
10. Paul writes about a new covenant. Jesus revealed the grace of God and Paul wrote it down
so we wouldnt forget. With words taught by the Spirit Paul preached a message that
went against everything he had learned in Pharisee school (1 Corinthians 2:13). In the
natural Paul was unqualifiedhis old training was useless and dung-like. But those who
minister in the new covenant of the spirit have a competence that comes from God (2
Corinthians 3:6).
11. Paul goes to Macedonia instead of Bithynia (Acts 16:7). As a result, the Philippians got the
gospel and we got the most joy-filled letter in the Bible. Those who walk after the spirit
know that Gods plans are always better than the ones we make ourselves.
12. Paul finishes his race in style. While serving time on death row, Paul wrote words that have
been etched on countless headstones:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is
in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day. (2 Timothy 4:78a)
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In the last line of his last letter, this spirit-conscious apostle reminds us of the secret of living
well: The Lord Jesus Christ is with thy spirit Amen (2 Timothy 4:22, YLT).
A word after
In my original E2R article I said that Paul was led by the spirit to go to Jerusalem. I may have
gotten that one wrong (which is why I edited it out above). The King James Bible said Paul
purposed in the spirit to go meaning he decided to go (Acts 19:21). But an unusual meeting
with a prophet in Caesarea suggests that the Holy Spirit didnt want him to go (Acts 21:1011).
Not only that, but spirit-filled believers in two towns pleaded with Paul to steer clear of
Jerusalem (Acts 21:4, 12). However, Paul ignored them all and went anyway triggering a train
of events that resulted in him being taken to Rome in chains.
Why did Paul go to Jerusalem despite the warnings of the Holy Spirit and his friends?
Maybe he was weary of traveling and wanted to come home to Jerusalem. Or maybe he was
looking to die as a martyr. I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13). Whatever his motives, Paul seems to have convinced
himself, at least initially, that he was compelled by the Spirit to go (Acts 20:22).
39
13. Does God Use Correction Fluid?

Is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life? Are you worried that Jesus may blot out your
name? It seems that many believers are. They are afraid that they may do something that will
cause Jesus to blot out their names. Its like Jesus is sitting in heaven with a pen in one hand and
a bottle of correction fluid in the other. Get saved, name goes in. Fail a test, name goes out.
Recommit your life to God, name goes back in. Phew! With all the recommitments going on,
youd think Jesus was in danger of repetitive stress injury!
But seriously, do you fear that Jesus might remove your name from his book? Is this
something that concerns you?
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of
fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Whatever the Book of Life is, it seems important that your name is found in it. But if your name
is already recorded, should you be worried about being blotted out? Under the old covenant,
the answer seemed to be yes:
The Lord replied to Moses, Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.
(Exodus 32:33)
Under the old covenant, your performance mattered a great deal. You were blessed if you were
faithful, but condemned if you werent. This meant people were very conscious of their
behavior. They knew that their sinful behavior could lead to dire consequences.
But we dont live under that old sin-conscious covenant. We live under the new and better
covenant of Gods grace. Under grace, your performance affects your standing before God not
one bit. Jesus did it all. We are not blessed because we are faithful but because he is faithful.
Mixing covenants
So why are believers worried that Jesus will blot their names out of his book? Their fear stems
from an old covenant interpretation of a new covenant promise. I am referring to the
exhortation Jesus gave to the church in Sardis:
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from
the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5a, NKJV)
Here Jesus gives us a wonderful assurance of our eternal salvation. He is promising that he will
never blot out our names. Never means never!
40
Yet some read this as if Jesus might do the very thing he promised not to do. Someone with
an old covenant mindset looks at this verse and sees only conditions for salvation. They think,
I have to overcome to qualify. If I dont overcome, Im going to be blotted out.
But read this verse with a new covenant mindset and youll see it in a completely different
way. Youll think, Jesus has overcome the world and now lives in me. I dont overcome to
qualifyI am qualified by Christ and I carry his overcoming nature. This is not some test I have
to pass, but a wonderful promise regarding my inheritance (see 1 John 4:4, 5:5 and John 16:33).
God has perfect knowledge. When he added your name to his book he knew everything you
had done and everything you would ever do. There is nothing you can do that would cause him
to shake his head with disappointment and say, I made a mistake adopting that one. God
doesnt make mistakes. When he added you to his book it was for all eternity.
Theres only one thing God promises to blot out, and its not your nameits your sins:
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your
sins no more. (Isaiah 43:25)
God promised to blot out all your sins and he did that already. This was the new thing foretold
in Isaiah 43:19. Under the old covenant, mens sins were counted against them. But when Jesus
met all the demands of the law at the cross, all your sins were blotted out. Why did he blot out
your sins? He did it because he loves us and so that we might be reconciled to him.
If your name is in his book, you have nothing to fear on Judgment Day. If all your sins were
blotted out at the cross, then there is no sin left that could get your name removed from his
book. This is the gospel of grace. It was new news for Isaiah, is old news for us, but is still good
news for everyone.
A word after
This article was the first of many I have since written on the subject of eternal security and it
attracted criticism from those who worry I am giving false assurance to Christians. One critic
wrote that I was dangerous to the faith and gave me lots of scriptures to prove that Jesus
might do the very thing he promised not to do. Another asked, Are you sure? as in, Are you
sure that Jesus wont blot out our names?
The are you sure question stirs me because I have found that my confidence on matters of
grace repels some people. Apparently its not politically correct to be sure. After all, the Im
right, youre wrong attitude of religious dogma has given rise to some of historys worst
atrocities. Its far better, according to some, to be open-minded and unsure. Only by being open
to a buffet of beliefs can we be sure that we arent deluding ourselves
Im not so sure.
Life is full of uncertainty and there are many things we cant be sure about. But surely we
can be sure about the goodness of God and his intentions towards us. Isnt that the whole point
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GRACE DISCO
of the cross? In a world full of questions, the cross is an exclamation mark. In a world full of
half-truths and lies, Jesus is the Truth. Hes the Rock on which we stand.
It is my conviction that the enemy wants us to be either opposed to Gods grace or uncertain
about it. He would prefer you to be an unbeliever, but if you must be a believer, then be an
unbelieving believer. Be one of those double-minded folk who glorify questions that lead
nowhere and who worship at the altar of uncertainty. Be someone who is slow of heart to
believe Gods word.
Not me. I want to be like Dr. Luke who began his gospel account one with these words:
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,
I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may
know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:34, emphasis added)
Luke wanted his readers to be certain and so do I, because certainty is the essence of faith.
Faith is being certain (Hebrews 11:1). Its being persuaded about God and his promises.
Am I sure Jesus wont blot out our names? Im as sure as I am about anything that God has
promised. In other words, I am very sure. You can be too.
42
14. Take Up Your Cross Daily

Jesus said, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross
daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). What does it mean to take up your cross daily? Im going to
give you two interpretations and then you can choose.
Interpretation #1: Jesus is preaching self-denial
Following Christ is all about self-denial and going without. If you are not in the daily habit of
denying your appetites and desires, you are not a real Christian. The more you deny your own
needs and wants, the holier youll be. So fast every day, give until it hurts, and youll be just like
Jesus.
But theres a problem with this interpretation. Abstaining from food, Facebook, or fun wont
make you righteous and holy. This message of self-denial is nothing more than the ancient
practice of asceticism dressed up in religious jargon. It is a message that promotes Pharisaical
self-righteousness and DIY Christianity.
Another problem is that this message will leave you anxious and insecure. Have I denied
myself enough? You can never know. So youd better deny yourself some more, just to be safe.
Dont touch, dont handle, dont taste. Pretty soon youll be whipping yourself and asking
your friends to crucify you for the Easter parade.
Pshaw! Jesus did not suffer and die on the cross so you could join him in suffering and
dying on a cross as well. Thats not good news. Jesus died so that we might be free from this
sort of dead and useless religion.
Interpretation #2: Jesus is showing us the way to salvation
And who is the way? Jesus. When Jesus says, Follow me, hes saying the way to salvation is
through him and his cross. As Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20a).
The reason most Christians struggle to live the Christian life is that they do not know they
have died with Christ. Yet Paul says so again and again. To the Christians in Colossae: You
died with Christ (Colossians 2:20). To the believers in Rome: We died with Christ (Romans
6:8). To the Corinthians: We died (2 Corinthians 5:14).
When you were baptized or placed into Christ, you were baptized into his death (Romans
6:3). This may be the single most important thing that ever happened to you, yet many
Christians are unaware of it. Since they dont know that they died, they are constantly trying to
die. But the gospel declares, You died.
You have been crucified with Christ. The person you used to bedead in sins and alienated
from the life of Godno longer lives, but Christ lives in you.
But if I died with Christ, why does Jesus say we must take up our cross daily?
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GRACE DISCO
First of all, note that the word daily is found only once in the three accounts of Jesus words.
Jesus said, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
Why does Luke record the word daily when Matthew and Mark do not? Our English
translations of Luke are wrong, says the venerable commentator Adam Clarke, for the word
daily is not in some of the original manuscripts.3
Adam Clarke may be right. I wouldnt know, I dont have the original manuscripts. But for
the sake of argument, lets assume Mr. Clarke is wrong and our English Bibles have it right.
What then?
Why does Luke say daily?
Luke isnt contradicting Matthew and Mark; hes saying the same thing but with gusto. Hes
saying we ought to value the finished work of the cross every day.
When I get out of bed in the morning and put my feet on the floor, my left foot says, Thank
you, Jesus, and my right foot says, For the cross. Its because you have died with Christ that
you now live, everyday, in union with him. This is a great treasure and not something to take
for granted.
Paul, are you saying that if I stop valuing the cross Ill lose my salvation? Not at all. Im
saying if you have been born of the spirit, learn to walk by the spirit. We dont die dailyonce
will do the trickand we dont get born again, again and again. But every day we make this
choice: Will I walk after the old way of the flesh or the new way of the spirit?
Let me give you an example. Say you hear a message that says you need to fast and pray to
become spiritually mature, so you decide to fast and pray. Bam! You are no longer walking after
the spirit. You are no longer trusting in the grace of God. You are trusting in your own fasting
and praying performance. Where does the Lord fit in this picture? He doesnt and thats the
problem. DIY religion is a graceless and faithless way to live.
Walking after the flesh doesnt necessarily mean running around getting drunk and doing
bad stuff. For the moral person, the flesh takes on the subtler guise of good works, duty, and
self-improvement. These good things are harmful to the extent that they encourage us to rely on
the fleshour resources, understanding, and abilityinstead of trusting in Jesus.
Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Luke chapter 9, 1832, website: www.sacredtexts.com/bib/cmt/clarke/luk009.htm, (accessed November 7, 2014). What AC actually says is this: Daily is omitted by many
reputable MSS., versions, and fathers. It is not found in the parallel places, Mat 16:24; Mar 8:34.
44
What does it mean to die to self?

There is nothing wrong with the phrase die to self. The problem comes when we read it
through religious lenses instead of gospel lenses. We think, I have to stop being who God
made me to be. I have to pretend Im somebody elsesomeone who doesnt enjoy wine, one
woman, and song. Thats a dehumanizing doctrine of demons.
God made you unique. He gave you dreams and desires that no one else has. When you
suppress your God-given dreams and desires, the world is impoverished.
Die to self means trust Jesus and distrust self. It means live each day out of the glorious
relationship you have with the Lord. It means dont fall back to the inferior ways of the flesh
that you once walked in, but stand firm in the freedom of Christ.
This, I believe, is the point Luke was trying to make. The trusting life is an adventure. Its
good to remind yourself daily that God is for me. How can I fail? Conscious of your loving
Fathers acceptance and approval, you will soar on eagles wings. And when you apprehend the
inexhaustible riches of his grace, the whole world benefits.
Why would you want to waste one single day living any other way? Why crawl when you
can fly?
A word after
A reader from the Philippines asked me, Is it wrong to fast? Not at all. Have the freedom to
fast and have the freedom to fast from fasting. But if you do fast, be clear about the reason why
you are fasting. Fasting wont make you righteous and holy and it wont cause God to bless you.
Hes already given you every blessing in Christ.
Based on Christs words in Matthew 17:21, some say that fasting helps to starve the flesh
and defeat natural unbelief. Maybe thats so, but I think a revelation of Jesus is the best cure for
unbelief.
Jesus said two things about fasting that are interesting. He said any fasting should be done
in secret (Matthew 6:618), and that his disciples wouldnt fast for as long he was with them.
How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? (Mark 2:19). Any fasting
would take place when the bridegroom was taken away and I guess thats what happened
when Jesus was taken to be tortured and crucified. That was a tough time for the disciples and I
imagine they didnt eat.
But Jesus said he would return and make his home with us and hes done that with his Holy
Spirit. Do you see? The bridegroom is with us. This is not the time to mourn but to celebrate
and rejoice. Do happy men fast?
Theres more to say about this but Ill leave you with some quick final thoughts: Im fasting
from the law. Im fasting from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Im fasting from all those
self-righteous attitudes and habits I used to think made me a better person.
Im feasting on Jesus.
45
15. The Other Reason for the Season

How did Mary get to Bethlehem? If you get your history from Christmas cards, you might think
that she rode on a donkey. But it is unlikely that Joseph owned a donkey. Joseph was poorhe
brought a poor mans offering of two doves when they presented baby Jesus in the temple (see
Luke 2:24 and Leviticus 5:7). In those days, a donkey was such a treasured possession that
coveting one was expressly forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17).
Joseph could neither afford a decent place to stay or a lamb for the sacrifice, so the odds are
that he didnt own a donkey. So how did Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of
about 80 miles? She probably walked.
Right there all the mothers reading this just winced. She walked 80 miles pregnant? Trust a man
to leave an important detail like that out of his account. To be fair to Luke and the other gospel
writers, we dont know exactly how Mary got to Bethlehem. But I have a theorya Christmas
tale if you likeand it begins with some good news
The Gospel of Gabriel
Marys life was radically changed when an angel uttered the following words to her: Greetings,
you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you (Luke 1:28).
At first Mary was troubled. I wouldnt say it was disbelief so much as sheer
incomprehension. How can this be? The favor of God is mind-boggling. Our minds cannot
explain it. Happily, you dont need to explain it to receive it. You just have to believe and Mary
did.
May it be to me as you have said (Luke 1:38). Right there is faith. The grace-faith circuit
complete, favor now begins to flow from heaven to Mary. Then the angel left.
Did you know that only two people in the Bible were regarded as highly favored? One of
them is Mary, the other one is you. He made us accepted (literally, highly favored) in the
Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). To the degree that Mary was favored, so are you. Its perfectly fine to
put Mary on a favor pedestal as long as you put yourself right up there too.
It is significant that the angel did not leave until Mary responded in faith. Gods favor was
on her but she needed to believe it to receive it. So do you. You need to cultivate the habit of
seeing yourself as God sees youas highly favored and deeply loved.
Marys mystery marathon
So how did Mary get to Bethlehem? I cant prove it, but I suspect a miracle took place. Perhaps
it was something like what God did when he brought the Israelites out of slavery:
You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and
brought you to myself. (Exodus 19:4)
46
No, I dont think Mary and Joseph hitched a ride on real eaglesthis isnt The Lord of the Rings.
When God says he carried them on eagles wings hes saying I brought you to myself swiftly
and easily.
My hunch is that Mary and Joseph walked effortlessly and without trouble. They journeyed
under a hot Middle Eastern sun without fainting or growing weary because God gives
strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29). When it came time to
deliver historys most famous baby, Mary wasnt worn out from completing back-to-back
marathons. She was full of life and the picture of health.
At least thats how she looks on the Christmas cards.
Bethlehem means the house of bread. At the house of bread Mary and Joseph came faceto-face with the Bread of Life. In a sense, God had brought them to himself for it was in
Bethlehem that they first laid eyes on their Savior Jesus.
What relevance does Marys journey have for us today?
Marys journey is the same journey you made when you got saved. When you got born
again, you walked on Marys Trail. Think about it. Some angel or messenger told you the good
news of Gods favor, you wondered how can this be? and then after some time you came face
to face with the Bread of Life. You met Jesus and got born again. Like Mary, you may have
travelled a long road, but the journey itself was miraculous. Egypt is in your past because God
has brought you to himself on eagles wings.
The other reason for the season
Christmas is not just the time when we celebrate Jesus arrival into the world. Its also the time
when we celebrate his arrival into our world. Grace came 2000 years ago but it meant nothing
until the day we believed it and got born again. So in a way, its not just his birthday were
celebrating, its our birthday too.
This Christmas, as much of the world gathers around the manger in adoration, why not take
a moment to reflect on your journey to the House of Bread. Jesus is the reason for the season but
ask yourself this: Why did he come? He came to save you. In his eyes you are the pearl of great
price and the treasure in the field. As far as Jesus is concerned, you are the reason for the season.
You are highly favored and deeply loved! Oh Happy Day! Oh Happy Christmas!
A word after
After reading this article a reader asked me whether its a sin to celebrate Christmas. I watched
a YouTube video which confused me by saying Christmas is a pagan holiday and the Lord is
against it. Im really confused now.
It is not a sin to celebrate Jesus birth! I am aware that some people seem to delight in
finding the evil in everything, even Christmas, but Paul wrote, To the pure, all things are
pure (Titus 1:15).
47
GRACE DISCO
Do not let anyone judge you with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration
or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however,
is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:1617)
Christmas is the shadow; Jesus is the reality. Christmas comes alive when we do it in honor of
Jesus, when we remember who he is and why he came. Christmas is about Jesus coming for you
with love in his eyes and healing in his hands. Surely that is something to celebrate!
If you enjoyed this book, why not subscribe to E2R and get more articles just like these sent to
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From E2R Readers

Grace Disco: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 1

1. Is Gods Love Unconditional?

ESCAPE TO REALITY GREATEST HITS VOL. 1

2. God Doesnt Do Half-Jobs: Why Partial Forgiveness Is Completely Bogus

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3. Son, Servant or Friend of God?

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4. God is Good But How Good Is He?

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5. How Well Did I Understand Grace Before I Understood Grace?

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6. The Top Twelve Blessings in the New Covenant

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7. The Cure for Guilt

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Youngs Literal Translation

New International Version

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ESCAPE TO REALITY GREATEST HITS VOL. 1

9. What is Biblical Confession?

ESCAPE TO REALITY GREATEST HITS VOL. 1

True confession = Jesus!

10. Ten Myths about the Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Myth 5: The Holy Spirit is scary

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11. What is Holiness? (Its Better Than You Think)

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12. Twelve Famous Examples of Walking in the Spirit

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13. Does God Use Correction Fluid?

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14. Take Up Your Cross Daily

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What does it mean to die to self?

15. The Other Reason for the Season

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A good question can change your life!

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