In the last post we 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 as He is holy. How can we do that if we don’t even know what it means?

So what is holiness?

Holiness means wholeness. To say that “God is holy” is refer to 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 God’s 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 honour and the honour of his crown. His power is not his choicest jewel, nor his sovereignty, but his holiness. In this all comprehensive moral excellence he would have his creatures take delight, and when they do so their delight is evidence that their hearts have been renewed, and they themselves have been made partakers of his holiness.

Holiness means perfection in the sense of completion. When Jesus the Holy One came exhorting us to “Be perfect,” He was inviting us to a life of wholeness and holiness (see Mt 5:48). 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 was calling us to the life that was 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 don’t 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.

Those in Christ ought to know better. 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 don’t get it. We don’t understand all that Christ accomplished on our behalf. The Bible declares we were sanctified (1 Cor 6:11); we have been made holy through His sacrifice and perfected forever (Heb 10:10,14); and we are complete in Christ (Col 2:10). In Him we lack absolutely nothing. Yet we run here and there to 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 He’s 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:

• To the church of God in Corinth, to those complete in Christ Jesus and called to be whole.(1 Cor 1:2)
• Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and wholeness. (Eph 4:24)
• So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord… who has saved us and called us to a whole and complete life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. (2 Tim 1:9)
• But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a whole nation, a people belonging to God (1Pe 2:9)
• But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in wholeness and its end is eternal life. (Rom 6:22, AMP)

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.
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What is true of elephants might also be true of holiness. God is holy, but what is holiness? It’s like we have a bit of idea and from this bit we have formed a composite picture. “It’s like this,” says the theologian. “No, it’s like that,” says the Bible school student. We’re like blind men feeling our way around something that is far bigger than we can imagine.

I am aware of seven definitions of holiness – you may know of others – none of which is particularly good. To be fair, each definition has an element of truth in it and can be backed up from scripture. But as we will see, none of these definitions can be used to describe a God who is holy.

Why does this matter? It matters a great deal. We are called to “be holy as the Lord is holy.” But how can we be holy if we don’t even know what holiness means? In this short series, we are going to discover that holiness is far better than we’ve been led to believe. Just as elephants are more interesting that tree trunks and fans, true holiness will fry your mind.

But first, let’s dispel a few myths. Here are seven misleading and useless definitions of holiness:

1: Holiness is sin avoidance

Yes I know all about those scriptures exhorting us to “wash and make yourselves clean” (Isa 1:16). And I know that Jesus plans to present us to Himself “holy and unblemished” (Eph 5:27). So what’s the problem? The problem is we’re defining a thing (holiness) in terms of something that is not the thing (sin). It’s like defining light as the absence of darkness. It’s technically true but it’s not a good description. It doesn’t actually tell us what holiness is. Neither does it describe a God who was holy long before there was any sin to avoid.

2: Holiness is being set apart from something

Didn’t Paul say something about coming out and being separate from the world? He did (see 2 Cor 6:17-18). Wasn’t Jesus separate from sinners and undefiled? He was (see Heb 7:26). So what’s the problem with this definition? Like much holiness preaching, this definition is apt to make us allergic to sinners. Jesus was untouched by sin but He was also the friend of sinners. He far spent more time in the company of sinners than most holiness preachers. Jesus didn’t pray that we would be taken out of the world but that we would be sanctified in it (Joh 17:15-18). True holiness runs from nothing.

3: Holiness is being set apart to God

This definition probably comes closest to the literal meaning of the Hebrew (qâdôsh) and Greek (hagios) words for holy. It is certainly useful as an adjective it for describing holy things like temples (Ps 11:4) and mountains (Ex 19:23). But how does this definition describe a holy God? Is God dedicated to Himself? Is God set apart for Himself? How would He do that? That just sounds weird.

4: Holiness is moral perfection

This one is straight out of the old covenant (Lev 18:26-30) which means it’s popular on the majority of those websites preaching holiness. It was certainly popular with Charles Finney. He said, “Holiness is moral perfection, and nothing short of moral perfection, or moral rectitude, is holiness.” Since there are degrees of perfection, one might conclude that there are degrees of holiness. Some are holier than others. This is why those who preach “practical holiness” like to provide 7 keys or 12 steps you can take to become holy. (Good luck with that!)

What’s the problem with this definition? You can’t work your way to holiness! Didn’t fourteen centuries of law-keeping covenant teach us anything? You might as well try and climb to the moon. It’s just not possible.

5: Holiness is righteousness

You would be surprised at how often holiness is defined as righteousness. Certainty Jesus is known as the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), but do these two words mean the same thing? I think not. It’s like saying “Paul is witty and smart.” Sure, there is considerable overlap but there’s also a difference. God is holy AND God is righteous. They are not identical. So what is holiness?

6: Holiness is godliness

Again, this is not a bad definition and it is Biblical: “You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Pet 3:11). But it is not a particularly useful definition. It’s like saying God is godly which is redundant. We might as well talk about flowery flowers or bananary bananas. Write like that on your English test and you’ll get an F. Come on now – we can do better.

7: Holiness means worthy of devotion

I got this definition out of the dictionary. Yes, this one does apply to a holy God (finally!) – He is worthy of our worship. (See Ps 99:9 if you need a scripture to prove it.) But the angels are holy too (Mk 8:38). Should we worship them as well? And what about us? We are a holy priesthood and a holy nation. If holiness means worthy of devotion then we must worthy of devotion and frankly we’re not – at least not the sort of devotion that is due to a holy God. So either there are two kinds of holiness – one for God and one for us – or this is not a great definition.

Holiness is like elephants

What is true of elephants may be true of holiness. Each definition above is partly true but wholly wrong. Each comes close-ish to the target without actually hitting it. So what is holiness? In my next post we’re going to take the blinkers off and find out. Stay tuned!

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Below is a list of the seven most popular verses in the Bible. How did I compile this list? I did it by using the amazing power of technology. (Insert “oohs” and “ahhs” here.)

Inspired by a recent post by Cornel Marais, I came up with the idea of downloading a Bible onto Kindle to learn which verses had been highlighted most often by readers. You may not know this, but whenever you highlight a piece of text on a Kindle book, the Internet tells someone in the Amazon what you did – or something like that. The upshot is that if you read a book on Kindle, you can find out what other people have highlighted in that same book with the click of a button.

To learn which verses are most often higlighted, I chose the English Standard Version provided by Crossway Bibles since it’s the only free Bible available on Kindle. If you have 95 cents, you can repeat my experiment using the King Jimmy version and if you have six bucks, you can do it with the NIV. With my free Bible installed on Kindle for PC (also free), I clicked on the Popular Highlights button and hey presto! Here are the seven most highlighted passages in the Bible:

(1)    John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (729 highlighters)

No surprises here. Not only is this the best news in the world it’s a perennial favorite with sports-fans. Back in the day you could not watch a game of anything without spotting someone in the crowd holding a sign that said “John 3:16.” Then Steve Austin came along and things got a little confusing for a while – any wrestling fans out there? But Tim Tebow has since put things right again.

(2)    Php 4:13 I can do all things do through him who strengthens me. (362)

This is another verse popular with athletes. I’ve seen Fijian rugby players wearing this one. This is surely one of the most practical scriptures in the Bible. At difficult times in my life I have put this verse in my pocket to remind me that I am not alone.

(3)    Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (271)

(4)    Mat 6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (264)

In 2000 years, no one has come up with a better remedy for anxiety and worry than this couplet from Jesus. To seek the kingdom is to seek the King and when you are resting in Jesus and His righteousness, the worries of life aren’t so… well, worrisome.

(5)    Jer 29:11 I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (236)

This is the number one verse in the Old Testament and from time to time it is rated the number one verse in the whole Bible. Last year, for instance, Jeremiah 29:11 was the top scripture accessed on Biblegateway.com. And why not – it’s a gem! It is God declaring His good intentions for us. In a world of bad news, this is the good news broadcast from heaven.

(6)    Rom 8:28 We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (199)

Romans 8 is an absolute stunner of a chapter. If I was sent to jail and permitted just one chapter from the Bible, this would be the one I would take.

(7)    Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (144)

This last one’s seems to be an odd choice for me. I can think of about 100 verses I like better but the ESV readers have spoken and for them, this is number 7.

What’s missing from this list?

After reviewing the top scriptures searched in Biblegateway.com (their list is similar to this one), Colin Hansen, the editorial director at the Gospel Coalition, wrote a piece entitled “What’s missing?” In his view, the popular verses have too little emphasis on sin and wrath. This matters, said Mr. Hansen, because unless you know about sin, you won’t understand why Jesus did what He did on the cross.

I take his point, but I am not convinced. In a recent post I outlined what I consider to be the top 12 scriptures describing the new covenant. None of them mentioned sin for the simple reason that sin is a feature of the old covenant. I don’t live under that covenant so I don’t see the need to go around highlighting sin. I would rather highlight Jesus.

But what do you think? What verse do you think should be added to this list of all-time favorites?
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Last night Camilla and I finally got to see the Martin Sheen movie, The Way. I had been wanting to see this movie ever since my friend Steve Hackman posted his review on it six months ago. But since New Zealand exists on the edge of the cinematic galaxy, we had to wait.

If you haven’t heard, The Way is the story about a doctor who travels to France to collect the body of his deceased son. The son died while walking the 500 mile long El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route across northern Spain. The father decides to complete the pilgrimage that his son started scattering his son’s ashes along the way. On the trek he meets others carrying burdens of their own. It’s a moving story and we loved it.

One scene in the film particularly struck me. It’s the scene where Martin Sheen’s character pauses at the Cruz de Ferro, to place a stone of significance that he has been carrying with him. For many Catholic pilgrims, the stone represents sin or a burden they wish to be rid of, but for Sheen the stone is a symbol of his toil. As he lays the stone he prays the prayer that you see at the top of this post.

Here’s the thing: The world is full of questioning wanderers like the father in the story. On the surface they appear perfectly normal, but on the inside there’s fear and insecurity because their lives are built on uncertainty. Who am I? Am I a good person? God, have I done enough? Am I acceptable? These questions rarely surface without a crisis but they are there and most people have them.

I am profoundly moved when I hear words like these spoken by ordinary people. It’s one thing to hear a pulpit-thumping legalist rant about the need for good works; it’s an entirely different matter to hear a lost soul pray, “May my good deeds be judged favorably when the time comes.” My heart breaks when I hear prayers like this because the person praying does not know just how crazy much their Father loves them! His everlasting love is the only foundation that endures. It’s the bedrock that upholds us through all of life’s storms.

Camilla can tell you that I sometimes get worked up at the movies. I have been known to leap out of my chair and yell the odd thing or two at the screen. Last night, when Martin Sheen prayed his little prayer, I wanted to jump into the movie and give him a big hug. I wanted to tell him that his heavenly Father loves and cares for him deeply and will never judge him for his works, good or bad. I wanted tell him that the meaning of life is not in walking The Way. Jesus is The Way. It’s not about your works but His finished work. God’s unconditional love and acceptance are already on the table – you just have to take it and say Thank you Papa!

But since I couldn’t tell him I thought I would tell you. There, I just saved you a 500 mile hike. You can thank me later.

The movie has two endings. The first ending takes place at the end of the Camino Santiago in a large Spanish cathedral. It’s a powerful scene full of religious imagery and emotion. For most pilgrims, this is where the trail ends. But for Sheen et al., there is a sense of “We’re not done yet.” So they travel on to the Spanish coast where they end their trek on a wild coastline. It’s a brilliant contrast. The first ending celebrates the work of man – the ornate church, the religious ceremonies – and ultimately leaves our trekkers unfulfilled. The second ending celebrates the work of God – the rolling waves, the raw power of creation – and leaves them and us with a sense of perspective. Our works are so laughably small in comparison to His, all you can do is smile.

God is great, God is good, and He loves you.
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And then we wonder why those listening don’t want to know Him!

“Whatever we believe about love, we believe about God.” So says Darin Hufford in his book The Misunderstood God and it is profound truth. God is love. If your definition of love has been filtered through our fallenness and twisted by religion, you will inevitably end up with a screwy picture of God. This is the chief reason why so many people who claim to know God are miserable. They have been told that God values us as servants and that He relates to us as a general relates to a soldier. “Relationship” for them is not about enjoying life together but following orders. It’s a monologue rather than a dialogue.

Tragically, a mixed-up view of God’s love has a devastating effect on relationships with others. For instance, there are those who worry that they may be loving their spouses or their children too much. They fear they may be turning their loved ones into idols and incurring the jealously of a vengeful God. Here’s Hufford:

I am always mystified when I hear people boastfully say, “I love God more than my wife.” The only way to love God more than your spouse is to love God through your spouse. Your husband or wife would be the direct recipient of the love.… The God who is love loves it when we love.… God is never in competition with your love for people! Any time you love a person, you are not far from God. (p.54)

Then there are those who love their family too little, possibly because they believe that family distracts from some higher calling, such as ministry. Nothing could be further from the truth:

Your love for people is the evidence that God is living inside you.… It shocks me to see so many people who honestly believe that God desires a separate and secret relationship with them aside from their family members. Many men will lock themselves in their prayer closets while their wives are in another room watching the kids alone. I call this adultery. (pp.54-5)

Religion has sold us a bunch of lies about the love of God. We have been told that God is envious, distrustful, needy, angry, distant, and that He keeps a record of wrongs. Fall for these lies and it will de-humanize you. You’ll waste your life trying to force-fit your dreams and desires into a religious mold and you’ll be utterly miserable. If you’re already miserable, or you just want a clearer picture of what God is really like, I recommend that you read Hufford’s book:

God never envies anyone or anything. He never desires to take for Himself what others have. Instead, He longs to give away all He has… He keeps no record of the wrong things you’ve done because He refuses to call you by the name of your past… God always perseveres, proving He is who He claims to be. He stands through the storm and walks through the fire simply to express His love for you. He will never fail you, never fall short, never fall out of love, because He’s made of love, the very source of it all. (pp.208-210)

(If you like that, you’ll find other nuggets from Hufford over on GraceQuotes.com.)

The Misunderstood God is a two-punch book. The first punch – who is God really? – is a knockout blow. Hufford’s response to 17 lies taught by religion will leave you with a good sense of just how deeply God loves you and that alone is worth the price of admission. However, the second punch – how do we experience His love? – left me hanging.

The unwritten rules of love

Paul famously prayed that we would know the measureless love of God, for it’s in knowing His love that we truly live. So how do we come to know His love? Hufford says that God’s love is experienced in loving people. “When you truly love someone unconditionally… that flame of love inside your heart is God” (p.205). Okay, well how do you come to love someone unconditionally? According to Hufford, that kind of love comes as a result of knowing how much God loves us: “When I finally got it and knew that I knew that God was crazy about me for no other reason than that I was his son, I began to love others” (p.200). So the love of God is experienced in loving people, but the love for people only comes when you already know the love of God? Hmm. I am reminded of questions involving chickens and eggs.

Hufford’s examples shed no further light on this. Many of his stories revolve around his love for his children. Well I have found that it’s easy to love your own kids; the hard part is loving your neighbor’s kids, particularly when they are throwing a wild party in the wee small hours of the night. Jesus said, “Love your enemies” but how do you do that? How do you love those who condemn your ministry and write nasty things on your blog?

If I was an Old Covenant preacher, these sorts of questions would not trouble me. I would simply say, “You had jolly well better grow in the love of God, you lukewarm creature you! And you had better love your neighbor while you’re at it. Otherwise you’re in big trouble!” The Old Covenant, despite its faults, provides clear rules telling us what to do along with carrots and sticks to get us to do it.

But in the New Covenant we tread the unmarked path of freedom. We are given an invitation and a Guide… and not much else! When it comes to love there are no rules – “all things are lawful” – just opportunities. For a newly liberated slave all this freedom can be overwhelming. Tell me God, what I am supposed to do? And the God who loves you enough to die for you will respond, What would you like to do? Crumbs! This is most unexpected. Well, Lord. I want to do whatever pleases you. I want to decrease; you must increase. And God will do a face-palm.

Imagine if you married someone who spoke like that. I want to do whatever you want to do dear. It’s not about me, it’s all about you. That would be fun for about a week. I just want to be used by you. I just want others to know how much I am committed to you. Then your heart would break.

Happily lost in an undiscovered country

Jesus didn’t come to recruit servants but to give us abundant life founded on the Father’s unconditional love. For those of us used to being told what to do, this new life can be a little bit scary, but in an exciting sort of way. To paraphrase Star Trek, the love of God is an undiscovered country. It’s an adventure tailor-made by Him just for you. Paul said the love of Christ surpasses knowledge (Eph 3:19). His love is so great it’s not reducible to rules or books. It’s easier to say what the love of God isn’t like, as Hufford does in his book and Paul does in 1 Corinthians 13. God is not proud, rude or self-seeking. He is not easily provoked and He thinks no evil of you. In short, God is nothing like the evil picture painted by religion. But when it comes to discovering the fullness of what God is like, well that’s the Great Adventure of Life!

When it comes to experiencing the love of God I don’t have all the answers – I don’t even have the questions! But I know I would rather be lost in His arms of love than found in the shackles of the loveless law. If that’s where you want to be as well, then The Misunderstood God will certainly help you get there.
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The gospel of grace is such a matchless message that any time we preach something different, we are giving less than our best. “But Paul,” you may say. “There are so many needs.” Then preach the gospel! Need healing? Then let me tell you the good news of Christ. Are you facing financial difficulties? Here’s the gospel. Are you worried, frustrated, confused and lost? Then I have good news for you!

Good news agents

Paul said he was shameless about the gospel because it was the only message empowered by God to save those who believe it. We need to have the same attitude as Paul. We need to realize that we are called to be good news agents and nothing less. So let’s clear the shelves of old covenant clutter – all that stuff that says we have to jump through hoops to be accepted/blessed/holy/etc. – and make room for the new and better message of grace: Jesus has done it all!

To help you proclaim the gospel, I want to highlight the top 12 new covenant claims made in the Bible. You can use these claims in your advertising. Two-thousand years of market research has proven that they work. How did I choose these particular scriptures? Well, to be honest, some of them are simply my personal favorites. Others are those that have drawn a positive response from readers over at GraceQuotes.com. I’m not claiming that this list of verses is in any way definitive so feel free to add to it in the comments underneath.

The Top New Covenant Scriptures (in reverse order)

(12) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Rom 1:16, NIV)

Salvation in the old covenant hinged on your perfect law-keeping performance; in the new, salvation is a work of God. This is why it’s called good news – it’s an announcement of a finished work. It is the declaration that God’s saving power is available to all who would receive it. And what power! It can literally turn a sinner into a saint, or a dead man into a living one…

(11) I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (Joh 5:24, NIV)

Prior to the cross we were subject to the law of sin and death but now there’s a new law in town! The law of the Spirit of life means we can live free from sin and all its fatal effects. Jesus didn’t merely save us from our sins; He gave us new life. How do we enjoy this new life? By trusting in the one called Mr. Grace…

(10) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (Joh 1:14, KJV)

If Jesus only brought truth, we would all be dead meat, but since He came full of “grace and truth” we have abounding life! Truth without grace (e.g., old covenant law) is a hammer; but truth with grace is good news for the poor and needy.

(9) I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! (Jer 31:3, MSG)

Most people are surprised to find this scripture in the Bible, but that’s what everlasting love is. It is love that never quits. As Paul said, “Love is patient, love endures.” That means God will never give up on you! He loved you into existence, He loved you when you were a sinner, and He will always love you. You cannot exaggerate the love of God. What does this have to do with the new covenant? Everything! The new covenant expresses the loving-kindness of our Father. Since God never changes, this explains why the new covenant is sometimes called “the eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20).

(8) “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Is 54:10, NIV)

See? I told you it was an eternal covenant. Unlike the old covenant which stands on the brittle promises of men, the new covenant is underwritten by the unshakeable oath of God. You can take His words to the bank! And that probably explains why Isaiah 54:10 is the most popular prophecy on GraceQuotes.com.

(7) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21, NIV)

You’ve got to love the math of the new covenant: How many sins did Jesus commit before He was made sin? None. And how many righteous acts did we do before we were made righteous? None. God did it all! We are merely the grateful beneficiaries of His mighty work.

(6) If God is for us, who can be against us? Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God’s chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! (Rom 8:31-33, GNB)

In the old covenant, the law stood against us but in the new, God is for us. God is for us! God is for us!

(5) How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the LORD taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west! (Psalm 103:11-12, CEV)

Preachers who are confused about what happened on the cross will look at this list and say, “You are not emphasizing sin enough!” That’s because it’s hard to talk about something that Jesus has done away with. Jesus is here; our sins are there. They have been removed as far as the east is from the west. This is what it means to be completely forgiven! In the old you examined yourself for sin, but in the new you examine the Lamb without blemish. You want to fix sin? Then preach grace. Grace is the cure for sin.

(4) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20, NIV)

That’s the key to Christian living right there. It’s not about sweating for Jesus or improving the flesh, but resting in His finished work. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ and live!

(3) Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer. (Eph 1:3, GWT)

I have listed the top 12 blessings of the new covenant elsewhere. Rather than repeat them here, I’ll just echo Paul who says that we have been blessed with everything! If God has already given us His Son, what will He withhold from us? Nothing! (I love answering rhetorical questions raised by the gospel.)

(2) Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Mt 11:28-30, MSG)

I’d rather be married to Mr. Grace than that old perfectionist Mr. Law. Incidentally, this paraphrase of Jesus’ words is one of the most popular scriptures on GraceQuotes.com. Nice work Eugene Peterson!

(1) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luk 4:18-19, NIV)

And that year of favor will prove to be the longest year in history! It’s 2000 years long and counting. It will never end!

What did I miss?

There are so many great scriptures that are not on this list. (If you’re wondering what happened to John 3:16, wait for my next post!) If you think there is a scripture that definitely should be included in the Top 12, let us know in the comments below.
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Related posts:
- 10 myths about the Holy Spirit
- The gospel in one word, two words…
- 12 famous examples of walking in the spirit in the Bible

Our problem, according to White, is not a lack of knowledge. We all know that we’re falling short and missing the mark. Our problem is our inability to do anything about it. We don’t need more information. We don’t need more preachers screaming guilt and condemnation at us from pulpits. We need a new life, and this is precisely what Jesus has given us.

One strength of this book is that it poses dozens of questions that you might want to ask of a grace preacher, such as, Do you think that people can just accept Jesus and then never change? Here is the author’s response:

I think the question is uninformed. You can no more accept Jesus and never change than you can jump in the water and not get wet! Arguing over whether people have accepted Christ based on the things in their lives is to miss the point of God’s exchange program. He is slowly but surely living His life through us. Granted, not all of the fruits of righteousness will bud out at the same time, but they will most assuredly come. (p.18)

Perhaps you’ve heard preachers calling for a revival like the Great Awakening that took place in America 200 years ago. This notion that the church needs to wake up is about 2000 years old. It stems from something that Paul wrote:

Awake to righteousness, and sin not (1 Cor 15:34)

Paul is saying we need to wake up to the fact that we are already the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. When we wake up to our new identity, we will be empowered to shine and sin no more. Yet the modern wake-up message sounds more like this: “If my people will humble themselves and pray and turn, then I will hear from heaven, forgive them and heal their land.” This is old covenant thinking! This is the very last thing we should be preaching! Forgiveness and healing are not conditional on our performance. All these things come to us through grace alone:

The renewal of a Great Awakening that is being touted by many, which demands a high level of morality in order to be blessed, or increased consecration in order to have a move of God, is not only not the answer but is actually the very opposite of what the church needs!… I have heard it said that great revival will only come to America when the church of Jesus Christ wakes up from its slumber and begins to pray and repent… This kind of doctrine ignores the cross of Christ, effectively declaring that man’s actions, and not the finished work of Jesus, determines how God deals with us. (pp.31,33)

There is something truly bizarre about living this side of the cross but looking nostalgically into the past:

While boasting of being a New Covenant people, we are slowly but surely acting as if the cross never happened, going so far as to place heavy emphasis on Jewish feast days, kosher foods, and prayer shawls. (p.33)

Of course there’s nothing wrong with having a roast meal for Passover and if you want to wear a shawl, that’s your business. But our identity is found in none of those things. They are types and shadows; reality is found in Jesus Christ. An hour spent looking at the shadow when you could be looking at Reality Himself, is a wasted hour. The grass is not greener on the far side of the cross; it’s greener this side!

In the old covenant, everything hinged on you and your performance. In the new and better covenant, it’s all about Him and His:

The message of grace is such a pride-busting message! The spotlight is taken off of us and our efforts and is shone directly onto Jesus. We get no glory, while He gets all the glory. We get no credit, while He takes all the credit. This is a revolution, for where man has been prodded and held up and supported in the past, the message of grace holds up nothing but Jesus and His finished work. We are not rebelling against a system, but we are revolting against a dead idea, and serving a living Savior! (p.74)

Revelation to Transformation is a good book that will help you come to grips with the gospel of grace. It is a solid read and I wonder if the material in it could not have been unpackaged over a series of books. As it is, the 14 chapters of this book would be ideally suited to a 14-week study guide to the life and grace that God has given us.
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Related posts:
- Old vs new
- The top 12 blessings in the new covenant
- see all E2R’s book reviews here

What was Jesus’ greater work? In my last post I argued that the common answer to this question – Jesus made everyone alive – is dead wrong. I provided a few reasons as to why this is so but if you need more, I encourage you to look at my study notes on Romans 5:12-21. I don’t normally publish my notes, but since this passage of scripture is such an important and misread set of verses, I have made an exception. Much of what follows comes straight from these notes.

Jesus did not come from heaven to earth simply to resurrect the corpse of humanity and repair Adam’s sin. Certainly, Jesus did right Adam’s wrong, but if that was all He did, then His wouldn’t be a greater work and Jesus wouldn’t be the Great Redeemer. He would just be a cosmic Mr. Fix-It.

So in what sense did Jesus do a greater work than Adam? For the sake of convenience, I shall reduce the splendor and majesty of His finished work to three words beginning with R. I appreciate that much wonder will be lost in doing so but I trust you will see past my clumsiness, be inspired, and then ask the Holy Spirit to fill in the rest of the picture.

What did Jesus accomplish on our behalf?

1. Redemption: The guilty verdict has been over-turned. In Adam we were branded sinners but in Christ we are declared righteous. We are no longer counted with the condemned but are numbered with the justified. Satan has nothing to accuse us of and God remembers our sins no more. Happy is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him (Ps 32:2). If you would know how much better the gift is than the trespass, then go ask someone on death row whether they would prefer freedom to captivity.

How did He do it? When you put your trust in Christ, He gave you a glorious new past – His past. You were included in His death on the cross severing all ties with your old man (Rom 6:6). The person you used to be is dead and gone along with your sin and any relationship you had with the law (Ps 103:12, Rom 7:6). The world as you knew it is no more (Gal 6:14). Your old sources of identity and security have been replaced with something infinitely better and your past has never looked so good!

2. Resurrection: You have been raised to new life. This is not more of the same; it is brand new zoe-life. Now Christ is your life (Col 3:4).

How did He do it? If we died with Him we shall live with Him. He has given us His life which includes His acceptance (Eph 1:6), His faith (Gal 2:20), His Spirit (Rom 8:11), His righteousness (Rms 1:17), His holiness (1 Cor 1:3), indeed, His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4). As He is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17), so obviously you do not have a sinful nature. You are not one person on Sunday and another on Monday. Sure, you can still walk after the flesh and reap what you sow, but you are not defined by what you do. And when you do sin, you have a mighty Advocate who speaks to the Father on your behalf (1 Jn 2:1).

3. Reigning: The grace cure is greater than the disease. One sin cell infected the human race with the fatal condition of sinfulness; grace not only cures us it inoculates us against re-infection. We have been made new. We have been rewired to resist sin and please the Father. Grace doesn’t just remove all traces of past sins, it empowers us to sin no more! Grace is both favor and divine influence through the Holy Spirit. We are not just freed captives; we are kings and priests called to reign with Him. This is not some reference to the hereafter for Paul says we will “reign in life” (Rom 5:17) meaning here and now. Through the power of the Spirit we can reign over forms of death such as sickness and all the things that lead to sickness (e.g., bitterness, unforgiveness). We are no longer victims; we are more than conquerors through Him who called us.

How did He do it? Jesus has not returned us to the Garden, He has taken us to Heaven (Eph 2:6)! From the position of rest we rule and reign with Him here on Earth.

Happy Easter!

Jesus did a complete number on us. His act of obedience dealt with our past (redemption), our present (resurrection life) and our future (reigning with Him). If anyone is in Christ, he is a completely new creature. The old Adamic way of life has gone. Since redemption always leaves you better than you started, the brand new zoe-life we now have in Christ is infinitely superior to the lonely and unaided life experienced by unfallen Adam. This is the greater work Jesus has done. Unfallen Adam tried to rule alone and failed. We get to reign with Christ forever and ever.
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Related posts:
- Forgiven, reconciled, and saved?
- What happened to me on the cross?
- Did all die with Christ? (And what does it matter?)

Me: Jesus died and rose again so that we might have new life, His life. Repent and believe the good news!
They: No, everyone is already saved, already righteous, already alive because Jesus died. His was a finished work. Your faith-works add nothing to it.
Me: I agree that His work was perfectly perfect and cannot be improved upon. But grace only comes through faith.
They: Yes, but not our faith – His faith. All the key verses on faith actually refer to the faith of Christ.
Me: I’ll grant that the righteousness of God comes to us on account of the faith of Jesus Christ. That’s Romans 3:22. But read the rest of that verse. It comes to “all who believe.”
They: Keep reading: “There is no difference.” It makes no difference whether you believe or not – we’re all righteous.
Me: If it makes no difference, then why did Jesus, Paul et al. challenge us to believe the good news? Paul told Timothy that his transformation from “worst of sinners” served as an example for those who would believe on Jesus and receive eternal life. Grace unmixed with faith is worthless. That’s Hebrews 4:2.
They: So you’re saying Adam did a greater work than Jesus?
Me: What?
They: Adam’s sin killed everyone – whether they believe Adam or not. That’s Romans 5:12. Are you saying that new life is only given to those who put their trust in Jesus? If so, then you’re elevating Adam above Jesus. You’re saying that first Adam did a greater work than last Adam.

If you have ever had a conversation with someone who believes in universal salvation, chances are you’ve heard something similar to this. Is Adam greater than Jesus? This is the trump card, the final word, because how could anyone say Jesus did an inferior work to Adam?

How did last Adam do a greater work than first Adam?

This is one of the most profoundly important questions you could ever ask. It is so important that I have written a study note to help you answer it. The note is an easy-to-read study of the ten verses of Romans 5:12-21.

So how did last Adam improve upon first Adam? In this post I want to briefly look at the traditional and wrong answer to this question and then, in my next post, I will give you Paul’s far better answer from Roman’s 5. I plan to upload the next post on Good Friday. If you can’t wait that long to hear some stunningly good news about God’s purposes for your life, read the study note.

So, what was last Adam’s greater work? To kick off, here is the wrong answer: “Jesus raised everyone from the dead. Everyone is now saved, righteous, and seated with Christ. They may not know it but it’s true nonetheless.” This is the main claim of those who preach historical reconciliation. Everyone has been made alive. A variation on this is: Everyone will be made alive. This is the view taken by those who preach ultimate reconciliation or universalism.

These two claims appeal because of their symmetry: Adam killed everyone; Jesus raised everyone. Perfect! The world is back in balance. These claims also appeal to some because of their sovereignty: King Adam’s trespass brought condemnation for all; King Jesus’ act of righteousness brings life for all. It sounds good – but wait a second. Where is faith in this equation? Faith doesn’t come into it. And this should be a warning sign that something is not quite right.

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (Joh 5:24)

Without faith in Jesus, no one crosses over from death to life. Whoever believes has eternal life; whoever does not believe is condemned already (Joh 3:15,18). Not everyone believes in Jesus. So why do some claim that all have been made alive? Because of what Paul says here:

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. (Rom 5:18)

Does Paul say that all men will be given new life?

In Romans 5, Paul makes a number of comparisons between the “one trespass” of first Adam and the “one act of righteousness” of last Adam. Look carefully at how  he compares the effects of each…

Who died as a result of one man’s trespass? “The many.” To whom does grace now overflow? “The many” (see v.15). And again, who were made sinners as a result of Adam? “The many.” And who will be made righteous on account of Jesus? “The many” (see v.19). It’s the middle verse – verse 18 – that is the source of contention. There are two ways to read this verse:

How some read it: “All men now live; everyone has been (or will be) raised to new life.”
What Paul said: “Life has come and is now freely available for all men.”

Read v.18 in context and you will see that Paul never says anything that could point to universal salvation. If life had come to “all men”, then Paul is in error by saying that only “many” are the beneficiaries of grace in v.15 or that only “many” will be made righteous in v.19. But if Paul is correct in those verses, then those who argue that “all now live in Christ” are in error.

Jesus spoke plainly. “Only those who believe in me cross over from death to life.” So believe! Don’t be like the Pharisees who “refuse to come to me to have life” (Joh 5:40). If you refuse Jesus, how can you claim to have His life? This is not a pre-cross, post-cross distinction. Jesus has always been the Father of the Everlasting and the Author of Life. Long after the cross, Paul said that his radical transformation from sinner to saint would serve as an example for those who would believe (1 Tim 1:16). Wherever he went Paul challenged people to turn to God and have faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21). He would be horrified to learn that his words are now being twisted to dismiss faith.

What about Adam’s work?

“But Adam’s sin brought death to everyone! If all don’t now live, then you are elevating Adam above Jesus. You’re saying the work of first Adam is greater than the work of last Adam.” This sort of statement completely misses the point of the cross. No one is condemned on account of Adam’s sin. God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Rom 8:3). Since sin itself has been condemned, no one can be condemned for Adam’s sin. His sin, along with yours and mine, were done away with at the cross. Every single one of us faces the same choice Adam had; either we will receive the life that God freely offers us or we will condemn ourselves through unbelief. No one is lost through Adam’s unbelief but their own.

Those who spurn the love of their heavenly Father repeat the mistake of their earthly father. In choosing the self-life over Christ’s life they reap Adam’s reward. But again, their undoing is their doing, not Adam’s. Look at the cross and you will see that Jesus has taken Adam’s work completely out of the equation. Adam’s sin brought condemnation to all but there is now no more condemnation except that which we put on their own heads (Joh 3:17). Jesus doesn’t condemn anyone.

Jesus did not suffer and die to resuscitate the human race and put everything back the way it was. If Jesus merely raised those whom Adam killed, then His would not be a greater work but an exactly comparable work. Yet Paul says of Jesus’ gift, How much more! Jesus is the Great Redeemer and redemption always leaves you better off than when you started. Last Adam’s greater work achieved far more than merely reversing the effects of first Adam’s fall. As CS Lewis said, “Out of the Fall comes not a fix but a new creation.” As we will see in the next post, what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection was something far beyond the wildest dreams of unfallen Adam. What Jesus now offers you is infinitely superior to what Adam lost.
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Related posts:
- Is Jesus Savior of the world?
- Are we completely forgiven?
- How well did I understand grace before I understood grace?

If the average believer could grasp hold of this truth – I died – half of our church programs would end immediately. We would stop trying to reform the old man because the old man is dead. He no longer lives! Instead of coming together to work on our flesh or improve our lives, we would be free to go tell our neighbors about the One who offers us His life. Instead of praying for revival, we would be revival.

And if all of us did that, who knows what might happen.

Sadly, though, since most Christians don’t know they have died, they waste their lives trying to nail themselves to crosses. Jesus died once for all but they die daily. Instead of reckoning themselves dead to sin, they are trying to throttle the sin in them and it’s a flesh trip. Whether you indulge the flesh or whip the flesh you are walking in the flesh. It profits nothing.

Screwtape writes again

If you wanted to keep Christians ineffective in their witness, there are two lies you could preach: (1) Make them believe that they haven’t died with Christ, or (2) make them believe that everyone has died – believer and unbeliever alike. Fifty years ago, in the time of Watchman Nee, the first lie was prominent. But look at the discussions lighting up Facebook today and you will see plenty of evidence of the second: Humanity died with Christ. Humanity has been raised with Christ. Not everyone knows it, but humanity is now in union with Christ.

This is a faith-killing message that does nothing to draw the unbeliever into a relationship with the Author of Life. It extinguishes fires that God has lit in the souls of the restless by preaching false peace and it mocks repentance as a dirty work. This seductive message is turning young firebrands and dear friends into candy-floss sellers and I hate that.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about and you’re thinking, My old man is dead? Really? He no longer lives? then go read this post from last year. It’ll bless your socks off. But if, like me, you are questioning the idea that humanity is now in union with Christ, I encourage you to examine the scriptures. To assist you, I have just uploaded Part 2 of my study series on the Doctrine of Inclusion, entitled “Was Humanity Raised with Christ?” You may not agree with my conclusions, but in my notes you will find most of the scriptures that figure in this debate. In today’s post, I want to look at just one:

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Cor 5:14-15, NKJV)

Who died?

Some interpret Paul’s words – all died – as universally true, meaning the entire Adamic race died on the cross in Christ. They note that the word “all” is used three times in this passage and on two of those occasions it literally means “all people.” So it makes sense to interpret the third “all” in the same way. All means all.

Or does it?

Paul’s point is that Jesus died as our representative, the righteous for the unrighteous.  Three times in two verses he highlights the vicarious nature of Christ’s death: “One died for all… He died for all…. Him who died for them.” So who died? Jesus died – just one person. Paul says so three times. But the redemptive benefits of this one death are for all:

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Heb 2:9)

Jesus tasted death for everyone. He died so that all of us might be set free from sin and death and raised to new life.

So why does Paul say all died?

The benefits of Christ’s representative death are freely available to all but not everyone experiences those benefits. What are the benefits?

…anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom 6:7-11)

The benefits of Christ’s representative death are not experienced in the lives of unbelievers. Unbelievers are not free from sin and living with Jesus. Neither are they dead to sin and alive to God. Paul is saying that Christ’s representative death applies to those who have faith in His representation, meaning all believers. All of you died. I died, you died, we died. None of us need wrestle with the old man any longer. This interpretation is the only one that is consistent with Paul’s other letters:

All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. (Rom 6:3)

Water baptism is a burial service. When we go under we’re not drowning the old man – he already died with Christ – we are expressing our faith in the finished work of the cross. We are saying, “I trust Jesus. He died for me. His death is my death too.” These are not the sorts of things you will hear an unbeliever say. And that’s the one limitation of a representative death: it only applies to those who wish to be represented.

The wisdom of idol-worshippers

I lived in Asia for 15 years. In many Asian countries, if you give your life to Jesus and start attending church, it’s no big deal. Your superstitious, idol-worshipping parents probably won’t have a problem with it. But the moment you start making plans to get water baptized, watch out! Now you’re crossing a line.

In the East, faith without deeds is considered dead. So by all means preach universal salvation and write on Facebook that all died and are now in union with Christ. There’s plenty of room for passive ideology in the Buddhist/Taoist pantheon. But the moment you start to act on your faith, say, by getting water baptized, you will run hard into opposition. Many of the Chinese believers that I baptized went into the water against their family’s wishes.

Do you see the point? As far as the idol-worshippers are concerned, something that happened 2000 years ago is of no consequence unless you identify with it today. They seem to understand better than we do that grace unmixed with faith is worthless (Heb 4:2).

Preachin’ for a verdict

If Jesus had not challenged people to repent and believe the gospel, He would not have been tortured and killed. If He had preached, “It’s all cool, God loves you, hang loose – wait for Paul, He’ll explain it better than I can,” then the Pharisees would not have opposed Him with such violence. But Jesus preached for a verdict. “Who do you say I am?” Jesus wanted people to trust Him because those who don’t are condemned (Joh 3:18). Unbelievers have not crossed over from death to life (Joh 5:24).

In 2 Corinthians, Paul compared two kinds of people: (1) those who have died and now live and (2) those who are perishing. We who have died and now live with Christ have a wonderful message for those who are perishing: Now is the time of God’s favor, today is the day of salvation – not yesterday, not 2000 years ago, but today.
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Related posts
- Forgiven, reconciled, and saved?
- Is Jesus the Savior of the world?
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When I wrote my Job post a year and a half ago I had no idea that so many Christians would get upset by me telling them that God does not take away his good gifts. (To be honest, I wasn’t the first to say that. I stole that revelation from Romans 11:29: “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” So if it makes you angry, take it up with the other Paul.) If you missed that post, here’s the short version; God does not give and take away. The only thing He’ll take off you is your sin, shame, and sickness.

I also had no idea that Tom Tompkins was writing a little gem entitled Understanding the Book of Job. In his book, Tompkins places the blame for Job’s woes squarely at the feet of the Devil:

Much of what Job’s friends told him exactly what we hear to today… While Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did not condemn God, they did accuse and condemn Job. They were wrong to do so as it was not God or Job’s fault that the terrible events had taken place. Let’s not forget that none of these men had a revelation of the Devil. If the name “Satan” had been mentioned to any of them, they probably would have responded with “Who?” (pp.86,95)

“How convenient to blame the Devil,” you may say. “Surely God could have stopped Satan. Surely God set Job up by boasting about him.” Actually neither is true. Read the Job account in a literal translation such as Young’s and you will see that Satan came gunning for him:

And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, “Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?” (Job 1:8, YLT)

Satan had set his heart against Job. “So why didn’t God stop the Devil?” Good question. We might also ask, “Why doesn’t God stop earthquakes or famines or wars?” The answer is, not everything that happens is God’s responsibility. He left the planet in Adam’s control and Adam handed it to the Devil. Satan went for Job because he could. When God said, “All that he has is in thy power” (Job 1:12), He wasn’t handing Job over to Satan – God doesn’t do deals with the Devil! – He was simply stating a fact. The whole unredeemed “world is under the control of the evil one” (1 Joh 5:19).

You have it better than Job

Job wasn’t saved. He wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit. He had some understanding of God but he was also a fearful and superstitious man filled with self pity and not a little self-righteousness (see Job 32:1).

Don’t ever compare yourself to Job! Jesus didn’t die on the cross to give you Job’s life but His life. It is Christ who lives in you, not Job. As Tompkins explains in his book, God does not inflict death and sickness on us to teach us stuff. God is more than capable of disciplining (i.e., training) us through His Word (2 Tim 3:16).

One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, reasoned that Job was being afflicted on account of his sins. This same line is often heard today. When things go wrong we pray, “Lord search me and see if there be any wicked way in me.” When there are problems within the church, we hunt for “sin in the camp.” Do you realize how absurd this is? If God really judged us according to our sins, who could stand? If God was in the business of punishing sin in the camp, there wouldn’t be any camp!

Only a man ignorant of Jesus and His work on the cross would say that God punishes us for our sin. Eliphaz was such a man. God said of him, “You have not spoken concerning Me rightly” (Job 42:8). Anyone who says your hardships are God’s punishments is, like Eliphaz, not speaking of God rightly.

Later, Eliphaz suggested that Job would receive the blessings of God if he was worthy of them. Indeed, Job began to think exactly this way. “Look at all I’ve done.” This is equally absurd. God is not beholden to any of us. God blesses us in accordance with the riches of His grace, not the merits of our performance.

Why is Job’s story in the Bible? It is not there so we can look to him as a role model (we have Jesus!) but so that we might learn from his example. Those who don’t learn by example tend to learn by experience and experience is a harsh teacher. For those of you who would rather not learn the hard way, here’s the lesson: It is always Satan’s intention to harm us; it is always God’s intention to bless us. When you confuse the latter with the former, your reality will be defined by a lie making it virtually impossible to receive all that God has for you.

If you relate to God on the basis of obligation and performance, then you will falsely interpret life’s hardships and spiritual attacks as works of God. Instead of submitting in faith to the unconditional love of the Father and resisting the devil, your unbelief will lead you to submit to the devil and resist the One who loves you. It’s a recipe for disaster that is played out a thousand times every day by those who relate to God as Job did – with superstition and fear.

God does not desire your sacrifices

For as long as Job lived in fearful religion, trusting in the sacrifices of his own hands, he was setting himself up for disaster. “Those who cling to idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” But when he finally shut up and repented of his stupid theology, he opened the door to the blessings of God. The lesson we take from Job is worth repeating: the Devil is bad but our Father is good and He loves us and desires to bless us. This book will help you see that.
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Related posts:
- Does God give and take away?
- The Christchurch Earthquake: 4 questions Christians can answer
- see all E2R’s book reviews here

The world sure is a strange place. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, something new hits you on the side of the head. When I was growing up, the number one theological question was this one: “Once saved, always saved?” People who asked this question wanted to know whether it is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation. Well if bullfrogs and butterflies can turn back into tad-poles and caterpillars, then I guess it’s possible. 

But now there’s a whole new question being asked, which is this: Is everybody saved? Many are saying yes: “Jesus is the Savior of the world. Therefore everyone is already saved, they just don’t know it.” Now before you write this off as universalist heresy, let me add that those who preach this brand of historical reconciliation do not believe everyone is going to heaven. It’s just that everyone is in until unbelief kicks them out.

Since this is a popular teaching today, I think it would be good for us to take a closer look. Let’s start with an oft-heard statement:

“All are forgiven, reconciled, and saved.”

To these three points I respond: (1) it’s true (we are forgiven), (2) it’s sort of true (God has reconciled the world but you still need to be reconciled), and (3) it’s not true (not all are saved).

You are forgiven

The reason why forgiveness is a done deal and salvation is not, is because forgiveness is a game that requires only one player. God doesn’t need your permission to forgive you. In our puny human minds we find this hard to grasp because we are not natural forgivers. We keep long records of wrong done to us. But God is not like us. He loves us with an unconditional love. He forgives us without any regard for our behavior and in accordance with the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7). Agape-love keeps no record of wrongs which is why God can choose to remember our sins no more. This is wonderful news! When you know His forgiveness, you are empowered to forgive yourself and others.

I have written more about forgiveness than just about any other aspect of God’s grace, so if you need further convincing that you are eternally forgiven, start with this post.

You are reconciled; be reconciled

Reconciliation, unlike forgiveness, is a two-player game. Both sides need to play. Consider the husband who wishes to be reconciled with his estranged wife. He loves her with an unconditional love that keeps no record of wrongs. In his mind there is no hurt or offense that has not been forgiven and forgotten. So in his love he has come to the table of reconciliation declaring that all is well from his side. Would you say they have been reconciled? Well that depends on the wife. Unless she chooses to be reconciled, there is no reconciliation.

Now let’s imagine that the wife is so damaged by an unhappy childhood that she unfairly projects her brokenness onto him. Even though he is a perfect gentleman and beyond reproach, in her mind her husband is an angry and violent man. This is how fallen humanity relates to our loving Father in heaven. Even though God has been unfailingly good to us, in our fallen state we think the worst of Him. We imagine Him to be angry and violent.

For as long as we are separated from the life and love of God by our imagined offenses, are we reconciled? Of course not. If the man in our story went around telling others that he and his wife were reconciled – even as she continued living with another man – they would think he was nuts. Yet this is exactly the message that many are preaching.

Has the world been reconciled to God? Paul’s answer was “Yes and no.” From God’s side, reconciliation is an historical event. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…” (2 Cor 5:18). God has come to us with open arms. He holds nothing against us – not our sins, not our past, not anything. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Glory to God!

However, there is no reconciliation in fact unless we respond to His overtures. Hence Paul’s exhortation, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). God loves the world so much that He came and died for us. His heart yearns for the lost and broken. He does not want an historical reconciliation that is not presently true. He wants His kids!

Those who preach historical reconciliation argue that fallen man’s estrangement is based on a lie. Men fear God needlessly and I agree. God is not angry with us. He really does love us. And it is certainly not wrong to preach that God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ since this is what Paul preached. But with equal passion we must also preach the other side, as Paul also did: We implore you – be reconciled to God.

Are you saved?

I’ve heard some claim that the whole world is saved as if this declaration would somehow cause the unsaved to come to their senses and start acting saved. So far I haven’t seen that happen. The Father loved the prodigal at all points in the story, but he never chased his son into the city telling him “You’re mine! Come home.” If he had, his cries would have fallen on deaf ears. Now the son was the son for the entire story, but separated from his dad he was very much a lost son. He wasn’t “saved” until he turned back and found himself in his father’s embrace.

So is the whole world saved or isn’t it? Well if the answer is yes, then why are there so many scriptures indicating that God wants us to be saved (1 Tim 2:4) and that He now commands people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and believe in the name of His Son (1 Joh 3:23) in order to be saved (Mk 16:16), etc. By my count there more than two dozen scriptures specifically exhorting people to be saved and literally hundreds more exhorting them to repent, believe, receive, have faith, trust in God, etc.

As far as I can tell, there is not one verse in the Bible that categorically says all humanity was saved at the cross. Certainly, Jesus has provided for our salvation – His is a finished work. Certainly it is the Father’s will that all should be saved and that none should perish. But His is not the only will in the equation. It takes two people to make a relationship and this is why the New Testament writers repeatedly say that all are not saved. I don’t have time to delve deeper here, but if you’re interested or are wondering about a particular scripture, I encourage you to check out my easy-to-read study notes.

So what?

Does it really matter if we tell unbelievers that they were reconciled and saved 2000 years ago? It surely does! I have heard those who preach historical reconciliation say, “Jesus has established a relationship with all of us.” This is simply not true. Although He surely desires it, Jesus has no relationship with those who are “darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God” (Eph 4:18). The light of men has come into the world but some men prefer the darkness.

If Jesus had a relationship with everyone, why would Paul exhort us to preach the message of reconciliation? Why would John proclaim “what we have seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us and the Father and the Son”? What kind of husband are we portraying when we tell sinners that Jesus married them without their knowledge or permission?

Tell a sinner that they are saved and already in a relationship with Jesus and they will look at you sideways. As far as they are concerned, Jesus is not a part of their life. So don’t tell them that He is. Instead tell them that the Lover of their Souls is standing outside their door holding a big bunch of flowers, knocking, and waiting to be invited it. They may hesitate in the belief that God is angry with them or wants them to get their lives sorted out before they come home, but it’s not true! Their heavenly Father longs for them with unconditional love and eternal forgiveness in His heart. He has already shown us His love through the cross and countless other ways. Now He waits to see how we will respond. Will we stay in the pig pen? Will we come to Him looking for a job? Or will we lose ourselves only to find our true selves in His wonderful embrace?

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Related posts:
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I know, it’s a dumb question. And yet among Christians this question – Is Jesus the Savior of the world? – leads to two radically different answers:

(1)    Yes – all can be saved
(2)    Yes – all are now saved

Between these two answers lies one of biggest debates raging on Gracebook, sorry Facebook, today. It’s a debate between those who believe in ultimate reconciliation, historical reconciliation, and, er, regular reconciliation. (I’m not good with labels.)

I normally steer clear of Facebook debates – my heart is simply to preach Jesus and Him crucified – but since many grace folk have been drawn in I thought it might help to frame the issues so people can see what they are getting into. In a series of short posts, I want to look at some of the scriptures used to support these and similar claims (e.g., all are righteous, all are in union with Christ). If you’re not interested, no problem. Normal service will resume soon. But if you are interested and want to ask “What about this scripture and that scripture?” then check out my detailed study notes. I don’t normally publish my notes, but several people have been asking for my views so there they are.

Why preach “the whole world is saved”?

Those who say the whole world is already saved mainly stake their claim on the fact that Jesus was called the “Savior of the world.” That was His title and job description. Since Jesus would not have returned to heaven leaving the job half-done, the whole world must have been saved 2000 years ago.

The connection between the title – “Savior of the world” – and the conclusion – “all are now saved” – is logical but flawed. When did Jesus save the world? It could only have happened on the cross. Yet Jesus was known as the Savior of the world long before He died. When He was born He was heralded as good news for all people – not just Jewish people (Lk 2:10); when He was presented in the temple Simeon recognized that He was holding the salvation of all people (Lk 2:30-31); and to a group of stunned Samaritans at a well He was revealed as “the Savior of the world” (Joh 4:42).

Before Jesus had saved anyone, He was known as the Savior of the world. In other words, Jesus was not just the Jewish Messiah, He was also the Gentile Messiah and your Messiah, just as Isaiah had prophesied:

It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. (Isa 49:6)

Good news of great joy for all people

If you’re non-Jewish that’s a cause for celebration right there! Thank God that He considered it too small a thing to save only Israel. Thank God that He sent His only begotten Son because He so loved the whole world. We take this for granted now but 2000 years ago this was big news. Paul, Peter, and John were all struck by it. Here’s John writing about it in his first epistle:

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 Joh 4:14)

And what does it mean to be Savior of the world? This is how John explains it:

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 Joh 2:2)

According to the Bible, “Savior of the world” does not necessarily mean “all are saved.” It means Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Of all those who physically laid eyes on Jesus, John the Baptist was the first to recognize this:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1:29)

Again, this was big news. Jesus hadn’t come to die solely for the Jews but for everyone. For Paul this revelation was a mystery revealed: “Through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel” (Eph 3:6). Does this mean that all are saved? Paul never says this. Instead he said that grace only comes through faith. Since not all have faith, not all are saved. This was Peter’s understanding as well:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Act 4:12)

Jesus is the Savior of the world, as Peter declared to the Sanhedrin, but we still must be saved.

“Jesus came to save the entire world. Did He fail?”

Not at all. Jesus has provided for the salvation of the entire world. There is nothing more He can do. Since the Greek word for save (sozo) includes healing, one might just as easily ask, “Jesus came to heal the entire world – did He fail?” The answer to the second question is the same as the answer to the first. Jesus has provided for the complete healing of every sick person, but not everyone is healed. Similarly, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world has provided for the salvation of every sinner, but not everyone is saved. Hence Peter’s exhortation, we must be saved.

Is it a bad idea to tell a sinner that they are saved?

You may say, “Isn’t this all just semantics? Does it really matter if we tell sinners they’re saved or unsaved? Isn’t the main thing that they turn to Jesus and realize what He provided for them 2000 years ago?” I think it does matter because when you tell an unsaved person that they are already saved, you’re sending a very different message from the one they will hear from Jesus:

The Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life… whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (Joh 3:14-18)

Those who preach historical reconciliation read these verses and say “I agree – we must believe to experience eternal life.” But they will disagree with what Jesus says in verse 18. “The unbeliever is not condemned already but saved already.” Since you can’t be condemned and saved at the same time, you’re going to have to choose who you would listen to. My money’s on Jesus. If He’s right then unbelievers are definitely not saved; they are condemned. Certainly Jesus is not the one condemning them; they condemn themselves by spurning God’s grace. But in rejecting the Savior of the world they are rejecting the only name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

As we will see in the coming weeks, the gospel is really good news for lost people. But if the lost don’t think they’re lost, perhaps because some well-meaning believer told them that they are already saved, then the finished work of the cross isn’t going to seem quite so appealing. If you think you’re not drowning you won’t see your need for a rescuer.

Jesus and all the apostles exhorted sinners to put their faith in God and be saved. Those who refused to come to Jesus to receive life were considered condemned, wretched, and foolish. These are harsh words but some people need to hear the bad news before they will appreciate the good news. And what is the good news? That Jesus died for every condemned and wretched fool! Everyone who believes in Jesus – whether Jew or Gentile, foolish or wise – may have eternal life, for Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.
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- What happened to me at the cross?
- Be earnest and repent (Rev 3:19)
- What was Last Adam’s greater work?

I was sent a copy of Day of War two weeks ago by the good people at Beloved Pictures. Prior to that I had not heard of either Cliff Graham or his Lion of War series, of which this book is the first to be published. I have to confess, I was a little skeptical at first. Christian fiction, like Christian movies, is often cringe-inducing. Happily my fears were unfounded. Day of War is a page-turner, a roller-coaster adventure from start to finish.

Day of War is the story of Benaiah the son of Jehoida, “the Three”, and others who featured in the life of David prior to his assumption of the throne. You’ve probably noticed how the Bible hardly gives any attention to these men who did amazing exploits. Benaiah, we’re told, went into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion (2 Sam 23:20). But that’s about all we’re told. Josheb, chief of the Three, “raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter” (2 Sam 23:8). And that’s we get – just one verse! For a male reader this is maddening. Tell us what happened? Did they all charge him at once? How did he do it? The Bible doesn’t say. It has too many good stories to tell and not enough space to tell them. Enter Cliff Graham.

Taking an author’s license Mr. Graham tells the story of Benaiah killing the lion in the pit. (It’s heart-stopping stuff!) He also tells us plenty about Josheb. We learn that he’s physically unimpressive, wears a black tunic that his wife made for him, and that he is the funniest man in David’s army. He is also extraordinarily dangerous. In a memorable scene near the end of the story, the Three are assigned to cut off the escape of fleeing Amalekites. Josheb et al. are out-numbered hundreds to three but of course they pull it off. Mr. Graham’s genius is not in getting us to believe that they did the impossible – we already know how it’s all going to turn out – but in describing how they did it. Mr. Graham, you see, is a soldier. He understands both the skills of combat and the dreadful effects that warfare can have on a man’s soul. And this is why Day of War is not a book to give to your 12 year old son. The violence is dished out in Biblical proportions in a way that faithfully portrays both the glory and the darkness of Israel’s wars. You have been warned.

But if the thought of Amalekites meeting gruesome ends does not trouble you, then you’re in for a treat for Day of War fills the gaps between the verses with historical and military credibility. Mr. Graham is a masterful story-teller who sits you down at the campfire while his characters joke and tell tales and do all the things that men do when they are away from home. He makes the Biblical past come to life in a way few authors can manage. For a first-time novelist, he has hit a home run!

I mentioned historical credibility. I should also add that there are also a few surprises in the book which add a layer of supernatural intrigue. I won’t go into details other than to hint at one gripping scene where David rebukes an enemy soldier of mysterious origin and another where a bleeding and broken Benaiah is fought over two larger-than-life warriors.

Since this is a new covenant blog I should also point out that Day of War is an old covenant story. It’s Urim and Thummin territory. Never sure whether God will be there to help him in the day of battle, David is prompted to examine his heart for hatred and vengeance. This sort of sin-hunting introspection is not how we live but it’s how David lived. And when God does show up in the form of a covering, it’s invariably exciting. Burning with irresistible power David slays giants and runs through troops.

Apparently Mr. Graham wanted to write a massive 1500 word book but the publishers asked for something smaller. Day of War, then, is the first of a five-part series. It’s the bit of the story that revolves around David and his men marching to war with the Philistines, returning home to Ziklag, and then hunting down the Amalekites who kidnapped their women and children. I imagine the remaining books in the series will see David taking the throne at Hebron before heading to Jerusalem, uniting the 12 tribes, and pacifying the enemies of Israel. Even though I already know what’s going to happen, I can’t wait to hear Mr. Graham tell the story.
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Related posts:
- Psalm 51: The badness of David vs the goodness of God
- God doesn’t change; we do
- see all E2R’s book reviews here

Speaking of interesting pictures, how’s this from those clever Aussies at Spineless Classics. See if you can tell what you are looking at then I will explain it below…

Yes, it’s the entire book of Genesis in a picture! All 1533 verses. Imagine if these guys did Romans or Hebrews.

I’ll leave you with a final picture done by my friend Daniel Silva. It’s called Christian Logic and it says more in one picture than I could say in a dozen posts. (Clicking on the picture will take you to a larger version.)

I know exactly how Jackie Chan feels!

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Heb 6:4-6)

If you wear the lenses of performance-based Christianity, this could be a scary scripture, for it sounds like your salvation hinges on your behavior. Do good, get good, but fall away and you’re lost forever. If that’s how this scripture appears to you, change your glasses! What you look through determines what you see. So read this scripture through the lens of Jesus and His finished work.

So who and what is this passage describing?

Some say that this scripture is referring to Christians – those who have become sharers or partakers in the Holy Spirit. If so, then the argument being made is deliberately nonsensical. If they fall away it is impossible for them to get saved again because Jesus would have to come and die again. Since Jesus isn’t going to die again, then it’s impossible for them to fall away. Instead of being a threat to your eternal salvation, this verse actually supports it. But I know not everyone will agree.

How many times can you be born again?

I have heard one reputable teacher say that if you are saved through an act of your free will, then you can get unsaved through an act of your free will. I guess the conclusion follows the premise but how true is the premise? Were you born into this world through an act of your free will? No, you had absolutely no say in the matter. So what about your spiritual birth?

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (Joh 1:12-13).

To be born again literally means to be born “from above” or, as John puts it, “born of God.” It is 100% a work of the Spirit. You may think that you came to God of your own free will, but reflect for a moment on what actually happened. Who was it that planted and watered the seed of the gospel? (Not you.) Who was it that made the seed grow? (Not you.) Who was it that lifted the veil so that you could see things as they really are? (Not you.) Do you see? You would never have called on the name of the Lord if He had not first called on you.

I don’t mean to get all zen on you, but here’s my point: When you were dead in the trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Christ (Col 2:13). You were dead; now you are alive – all this is because of Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, (2 Cor 5:17-18a)

The important thing is not how you got saved, but that you are saved. When you received the gift of salvation, you became a new creation. If you were to fall away, it would be impossible for you to be born again because you have already been born again. It would be like an adult trying to return to the womb and re-enter the world through the birth canal. Just as it can’t happen in the natural, it can’t happen in the spiritual. Once you’re born you’re born! To claim that you can lose your salvation – that you can undo what God has done – is like saying that God makes mistakes. And He doesn’t.

You may act like an old creation just as a butterfly may act like a caterpillar. But when you do, you are acting contrary to you true identity. We used to say that Christians who fell into sin were back-sliders. But a more accurate description is that they are hypocrites. They are acting contrary to their true identity in Christ.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)

“Be holy” is not an instruction for improving performance; it’s an admonition to be who you truly are. Be holy, because you are, in fact, holy. “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus once for all” (Heb 10:10).

Eat the bread of life, don’t just taste it

Others say that this scripture (Heb 6:4-6 remember?) is referring to unbelievers. It is describing those who have tasted but not eaten the heavenly gift. They have seen the light but preferred the darkness. They may have received the gospel with joy but the seed never took root and grew. When trouble came they fell away. To my mind this is a perfect description of Judas.

Along with the other disciples Judas was involved in a supernatural ministry that saw him casting out demons and healing the sick (Mk 6:13). He may have even prophesied in Jesus’ name. Judas tasted the goodness of the word of God but ultimately he rejected it. When he walked out of the first communion he walked out on Jesus. He was basically saying, “No, your blood and your body are not good enough for me.” Judas preferred a DIY religion to the grace of God.

Hebrews 6:4-6 says that it is impossible for people like Judas to be brought back to the place of repentance. Why? Because they have heard the truth and rejected it. They have followed the way of Cain, held to the teaching of Balaam, and are in danger of ending up like Korah. Those who have never heard the good news of God’s grace may yet receive it. But those who have heard and hardened their hearts toward it, are well and truly lost.

A hard heart is a deadly thing. It will keep you from repenting, it will keep you restless and in bondage to works:

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert.” (Heb 3:7-8)

Judas heard the voice of the Living Word but hardened his heart. He became restless to the point of suicide. He never came to the place of repentance. He never entered that rest which comes only through faith in Christ.

Righteous rain

In Hebrews 5 and 6 we learn that Jesus has been designated by God as a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. To a Hebrew reader raised on the covenant of law, this would have been an astonishing announcement: “Jesus, the eternal high priest, will forever mediate a new and superior covenant of grace underwritten by the unshakeable oath of God.” There are only two possible responses to such an announcement:

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. (Heb 6:7-8)

We can either receive the blessing of God that comes down from heaven like rain and, by so doing, become fruitful and useful, or we can reject what God offers us and be worthless and in danger of being cursed. The righteousness that God gives comes to us is like rain:

You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it. (Isa 45:8)

God sends His rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. All we can do is respond. We can either put up umbrellas of religious works and say, like Judas, “No thanks, I don’t need it.” Or we can say, “Rain on this filthy sinner and make me clean.” The bad news of the old covenant is that no one will be declared righteous by observing the law (Rom 3:20). The good news of the new is that the righteousness gifted by God comes through faith in Jesus to all who believe (Rom 3:21).
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- Not by sight
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In his book Mystical Union (also available on Kindle), Crowder argues that there is a new mysticism on the rise, one that is coupled with a new reformation. Identifying himself as a “reformed mystic,” Crowder draws lessons from both groups. The mystics and reformers needed one another, he says. “The mystics needed the reformers’ faith. The reformers rejected the mystics’ experience.” The mystics were hungry to experience the presence of God and this hunger drove them to perform “spiritual jumping jacks”; but the reformers knew that grace in all its expressions comes to us only through faith. You don’t need to climb a mountain or explore the caverns of the soul to experience God. There are no secrets, no steps, no spiritual keys. There is only the revelation that Christ has done it all. Our part is simply to rest in Him.

The mystery of Christ

Some church folk get a bit antsy whenever you talk about experiences, especially mystical ones. Indeed, the word mystical has been hijacked by all sorts of airy-fairy, new agey, occultic groups. But the word itself is Christian in origin. The term mystics was originally used to describe believers who experienced an interactive life with Christ characterized by intimacy and supernatural power. Paul wrote much about the mysteries of God which, in a word, are simply Christ. His concern was that we would “become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One)” (Col 2:2, AMP).

Do you have a problem becoming more intimately acquainted with Christ? No? Then neither do you have a problem with mystical experience.

The mystical union of which Crowder writes is simply the revelation that we are in Him and He is in us. This union was made possible through the cross. We did nothing to make it happen. We are merely the happy beneficiaries of His divine favor:

The abundant blessings of this union are far too many to account. Physical healing. Financial provision. Reconciliation in relationships. Emotional fulfillment. Unspeakable joy. Righteous authority to be wielded over regions and people groups. Creative miraculous abilities. Mystical powers. Authority in this age and the age to come. The possibilities are endless, as you are wed to God. Loc. 3498

Crowder takes care to point out that we don’t pursue spiritual experiences as a means of drawing closer to the Lord. Rather, we have these experiences because we are already united with Him. They are simply a consequence of effortless union. Peter and Paul never went looking for trances; they both “fell” into them. When you are living and breathing the mystery of God, namely Christ, mystical stuff just happens.

The flavor of faith

Since I would characterize myself as more of a logos-lover than a mystic, I was really blessed by this book. I found it disarming and inspiring. I would like to think that I am open to anything and everything God wants to do, but I have, at times, been distracted by the monkish seriousness or the drunken ecstasy of those who are more experiential than me. I agree that mystical experiences are valid – they’re in the Bible! – but I have sometimes felt that they are forced upon people. “If you are not manifesting these experiences, then you’re not mature/pressing in/encountering the fullness blah blah blah.” Peer pressure is alive and well in charismatic circles. And, if I’m brutally honest, I have probably pushed others whose comfort zones were smaller than mine. (If I have pushed you, I apologize!) The truth is, grace doesn’t force itself on anyone. The flavor of faith is rest. Happily, Crowder understands this:

I’m not pressing in anymore. I’ve been pressed into. I’m not contending anymore. I’ve been contended for. I’m not a God chaser anymore. I’ve been chased down, roped, hogtied, bagged and dragged. I’m not appropriating what I have. It’s mine. I’m not getting closer to God. He’s like a Siamese twin. I’m not even seeking God anymore. He found me. Loc.2130

Mystical Union is an eclectic book full of rabbit trails but each page is infused with grace. Near the end of the book Crowder touches on the subject of work and although he doesn’t say much, what he says is wonderfully liberating. Check this out:

God is not looking for workers, but for lovers. And the lovers will outwork the workers in these days. I do not preach much about working. That’s one area where actions should speak louder than words. I preach on work by using my hands. The definition of “work” however, has changed for us. Like Adam, a new creation is now tending the Garden of Pleasure. Our chief end is toward the enjoyment of God in the midst of our vocation. In divine union, work and play should rise to meet together as one. This is your calling. Loc.3814

Amen!

Incidentally, John Crowder leads a church and regularly ministers with Benjamin Dunn. A few weeks ago I posted my review of Mr. Dunn’s book The Happy Gospel and this drew some heat from a few people who have formed their opinions of both men based on what Dunn later said were “some old stupid videos that don’t reflect our direction and heart.” If you have seen these infamous videos (I haven’t), let me just say, “We are all learning.” I have personally seen about a dozen John Crowder videos on YouTube and I have been blessed by them all. If my review of Mystical Union has whet your appetite, don’t let some “old stupid videos” deter you from checking out his thought-provoking and inspiring book.
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Related posts:
- By which gospel are you saved? The gospel of grace!
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- see all E2R’s book reviews here

All well and good. But what about the other point? Shouldn’t we turn from sin when we come to Jesus? You would certainly think so judging by the popularity of this verse:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chr 7:14)

Thank God for the cross that changed everything! In the old covenant, God’s blessings were conditional on you humbling, praying, seeking, and turning. (Phew! What if you only did three of those things? Would you get three-quarter forgiveness?) But in the new covenant, God’s blessings are poured out on us on account of Jesus:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph 1:3)

Here’s a question to see if you have been paying attention. If we have been blessed with “every spiritual blessing in Christ,” what blessings remain for us outside of Christ? None! Starting with salvation, every blessing comes to us by grace through faith. Every. Single. Blessing.

So with Jesus as our secure foundation, how do we define repentance? Since I have compared the old- and new covenant definitions in another post, I just want to give you a simple picture. Here it is…

In the new covenant, repentance literally means change your mind. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not something we initiate so much as it is a response to the good news. When Jesus said, “Repent and believe the good news” (Mk 1:15), He was literally saying, “Change your unbelieving mind and believe the glad tidings of the kingdom which is at hand.” We don’t repent to manipulate God into bringing his kingdom down; we repent because His kingdom is already at hand. (The King has come!) We don’t repent to get forgiven; we repent because we are forgiven. (He remembers your sins no more!)

In the old covenant, repentance implied a turning from, as in “turn from sin.” But in the new, repentance means a turning to, as in “turn to God.” Here’s Paul:

First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. (Act 26:20)

Do you see why the new is better? Under the old, you could turn from sin to… more sin! For instance, if you managed to turn from some nasty habits, your religious flesh would soon get puffed up with pride. Just look at the Pharisees. I doubt anyone repented (i.e., turned from sin) as much as they did. But in the new, there is only one direction to turn, and that is towards God. And as we turn towards Him, we inevitably turn from sin. This is why we don’t find Paul praying like this: “I keep asking God to help you reprobates turn from your stinking sin”! No, Paul prayed that we would know Him better.

As we change our minds and come to walk in the revelation that Jesus is lovely and God is good and He thinks we’re special, we find that the things of this world grow strangely dim. We walk away from sin effortlessly because we are captivated by something, Someone, infinitely better.
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- 3 reasons why I don’t preach repentance (“turn from sin”)
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If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left (Heb 10:26)

Wow! That looks scary! Let’s take a quick survey. Please put your hand up if you have lived a sinless life since accepting Jesus as your Savior. Hmmm. I don’t see any hands. I have been saved for decades and – if I’m honest with you – I cannot say my performance has been flawless throughout that period. I’m pretty sure I sinned this one time back in 1987…

Ha! It’s easy for me to make jokes. I’ve been set free. I no longer mine at the pits of religion with condemnation. I’m drawing from the wells of salvation with joy!

The wrong way to interpret Hebrews 10:26

All jokes aside, Hebrews 10:26 is an oft-abused scripture. If you wanted to use this verse to scare people, there are a couple of angles you could take:

1. You could use this verse to present a “balanced” view of God, like this: “He is a God of grace and He is a God of judgment. He’s not some senile Santa in the sky. He’s a God of vengeance and a consuming fire. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

2. You could also use this verse to preach works: “You will be judged according to the light of your revelation and those who have received the knowledge of the truth will be held to the highest standard. It’s time for judgment to begin in the house of God. If you fall away it is impossible to be brought back to repentance!”

What is the problem with these messages? Well if you listen to the first one you’re going to come away thinking that God is schizophrenic, at war with His own nature. He loves you, but He doesn’t. It’s unconditional love – with conditions. And if you listen to the second you will either end up a religious fraud or a nervous wreck. You may even wish that you had never heard the gospel because ignorance is bliss.

The tricky part with these false messages is that they are composed of true statements. Our God is a consuming fire. But the interpretation is all wrong. They are anti-cross and anti-Christ. Any message that tells you that God is double-minded or that the good news is bad news ought to be rejected. You know that, right? Good. So how do we read Hebrews 10:26?

Trampling the Son of God under foot

A key to unpackaging this scripture is to recall the audience. Hebrews was written for – surprise, surprise – Hebrews. It was for those who have grown up with the “elementary teachings” of the Old Covenant. In other words, the author writes for an informed audience. They know all about the law, sacrifices, and high priests. But what they may not appreciate is that the law was only a shadow of the good things to come. The law points to the true high priest Jesus and His eternally perfect sacrifice.

Hebrews was written to reveal Christ and His work so that we may “enter through the new and living way,” “go on to maturity,” and “draw near to God.” That last bit is the key. How do I know the two sermonettes above are carnal nonsense? Because neither will inspire you to draw near to God. Indeed, they will have the opposite effect.

Hebrews 10:26 describes those who have received the knowledge of the truth (i.e., they have heard the gospel) but they have rejected it. The writer compares those who reject grace with those who reject law:

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Heb 10:28-29)

This passage is not talking about Christians but those who, like Judas, have heard the truth and spurned it. Judas spent time in the company of the Lord. He not only heard the truth, he saw Grace and Truth in the flesh. But Judas rejected Jesus as Lord. He never saw Jesus as anything other than a rabbi. Calling Jesus “Rabbi” is a bit like calling the President “Mister,” only infinitely more so. It’s not just insulting, it’s unbelief.

Jesus came to give His life for Judas but Judas wasn’t interested. He preferred his own sinful life of greed and betrayal. I am sure Judas had many opportunities to repent (i.e., change his mind) and put his faith in Jesus, but he never did. He rejected the grace of God that could empower him to say no to sin.

Jesus died for Judas. What more could He do? There is nothing! There is no more sacrifice for sins other than the one Jesus provided. To reject Jesus as Lord is to trample the Son of God underfoot and treat the blood of the covenant as unholy.

How do you insult the Spirit of grace?

If I was to give you a free car out of the generosity of my heart, but you insisted on paying for it, I would be insulted. Similarly, we insult the Spirit of grace by trying to pay, with works and sacrifices, what God has freely given us. We may call it “proving our salvation” or “appropriating what God has given” but it is unbelief. It is like saying, “I don’t believe Jesus has done it all. I need to finish what He started.”

The wrong way to read Hebrews is to think that God is judging us on our performance. Over and over again Hebrews tells us that it is Jesus and His performance that matters. It is His sacrifice that made us holy, indeed, perfect forever (Heb 10:10-14). How can we interpret Hebrews 10:26 as a warning against sin when Hebrews 9:26 says that Christ appeared once for all “to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself”? Is His a finished work or isn’t it? If it is, then sin is no longer the problem. Where there is remission of sins, “there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (Heb 10:18). The good news is that the Son of God is the once and final solution for sin. Because of Jesus, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit choose to remember our sins no more (see Heb 8:12, 10:17).

The warning of Hebrews

In a forthcoming post I will look at Hebrews 6:4-6, which is another passage that bothers some. But the punch-line is the same. The main warning of Hebrews is not in regard to sin but unbelief:

So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (Heb 3:19)

The Hebrews of Moses’ day never entered God’s rest because they hardened their hearts to His voice. In the New Testament era, many Jews were doing exactly the same thing. They received the knowledge of truth, they heard the gospel of grace, but they rejected it. They may not have said so in so many words, but by their actions they revealed their distrust.

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (Heb 4:2)

The author of Hebrews writes to stir up faith. Without it we cannot please God. With it we can come boldly to the throne of grace.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Heb 10:39)

Some people hear the good news of God’s grace and shrink back. They cannot believe it. “It’s too good to be true,” they say. “I’d better cover myself by doing works.” Do you see the danger? You cannot cover yourself. This is idol-worship. You are elevating yourself to co-savior with Christ. You are insulting the Spirit of grace by trying to pay for what God has already given you. This is why sermons that put the emphasis on you and your performance are dangerous. Don’t buy into any message that purports to give you a list of keys or steps that will help you achieve/accomplish/appropriate what you already have. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and the sweat of men to take away sins and it is faithless to strive for what you already have (every good thing!).

According to Hebrews there are only two kinds of people; those who don’t enter because of their unbelief and those who believe and are saved. Sin is not the variable; faith is. Where does faith come from? Jesus! He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2). Fix your eyes on Him.
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- Acts 21:17-26
- What happens to unfruitful branches?
- Do NIV readers have a sinful nature?

What is the solution to humanity’s problem? Jesus! He came to reveal the true character of our Father. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (Joh 1:18). Jesus came to make the Father known and He did that by representing Him in all that He did. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Joh 14:9).

All of your questions regarding the true nature of God are answered in Jesus. What is God’s will for healing? Since Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, we can only conclude that the Father’s will is to heal everyone. Jesus never gave anyone sickness to teach them things so neither does the Father. Jesus never gave and took away good gifts so neither does the Father. If Jesus is full of grace and truth, then so is the Father. If the Son has forgiven you, then so has the Father. The Son is the exact representation of the Father’s being.

Dead religion will tell you one of two things about God: (1) He’s schizophrenic (He loves you but He hates you) or (2) He’s mysterious (nobody can figure Him out). In contrast, Jesus gives us a consistently clear picture of the unconditional love and grace of God. As John Sheasby writes in his book The Birthright: Out of the Servant’s Quarters into the Father’s House, “Jesus’ entire life was one, long, streaming video that displayed the goodness of the Father.”

A revelation of the Father’s goodness is what this world needs more than anything. Instead of preaching diluted law that leaves Christians condemned and sinners shaking their heads at our hypocrisy, we need to proclaim the good news of God’s grace. God loves you! But this is difficult since most Christians relate to God as servants, rather than children. They view God as a divine employer and they treat people as sales prospects. There may be fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord but these dear servants of God aren’t experiencing it. They are riddled with performance anxiety, battling condemnation, and constantly making and breaking promises to God.

If that describes you, then you need to read this book! In The Birthright, John Sheasby paints a true picture of the Father to counter the distorted picture handed down to us by religion.

Religion tells us that first we must get our house in order. Repent or else! But what does Jesus say? He says to whoever hears his knock and opens the door: “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev 3:20). In other words, “Let’s have a feast!” But what about the wretchedness, the moral poverty, the spiritual blindness? … He knows that you, like Zacchaeus, will not be changed by performance but by his presence. The power of his love, the joy of his presence, and the peace coming from his acceptance are far more capable of changing the human heart than rebuke, censure, condemnation, and rejection. (p.94)

The devil would love for you to remain ignorant of your birthright, so Sheasby writes to make sure you know what’s yours. As a son or daughter of God you have full rights of access along with an inheritance. Most Christians have some awareness of the first birthright – intimacy – but they are less sure of the second. They are like crippled Mephibosheth who was content to dine at the kings table even as the wicked Ziba stole his father’s possessions (2 Sam 19:30).

Mephibosheth enjoyed access to the king but lost his inheritance. The trouble was his self-consciousness. He was more focused on his own unworthiness than he was on the promises David had made to his father Jonathan. Similarly, many Christians have trouble receiving from God because they see no value in themselves. Why should God be so good to me? I’ve done bad things!

The problem is this: we are unable to see ourselves as God sees us. We are so self-consciousness; the recorded memories of the past and the misunderstanding of the gospel combine to blind our eyes to the truth….is imperative that we allow the truth of God’s Word to challenge the lies of Satan who uses our history against us. ‘Behold the Lamb,’… Not once did the priest examine the worshiper! Not once!… Where is your focus? The Lamb or yourself? (pp.131-2)

You will never rise up in your true and God-given identity until you have had a revelation of how crazy much your Father loves you. You are the apple of His eye! He rejoices over you with singing! And through Christ He has made you an heir of all things.
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Related posts:
- Who do you think you are?
- Son, servant or friend of God?
- Son or sinner: What are you confessing?