Search Results for holiness

Watch Out for the Holiness Preachers

November 16, 2023 // 10 Comments

As a teenager, I didn’t need anybody to tell me what to do. As an adult, I wish somebody would. Life is big and confusing. It’s full of anxiety, uncertainty, and questions that have no answers. And this is why some people prefer law to grace. They’d rather live under the old covenant than the new. Back [...]

The True Meaning of Holiness

November 3, 2022 // 16 Comments

When I was a teenager, I was involved in a band with some church friends. There were four of us in the band and I played the keyboard. One day, I got in an argument with the guitarist. It was an argument that Christian musicians have been having for centuries. My friend: “We’re a Christian band. We should [...]

The Whole Meaning of Holiness

January 23, 2020 // 35 Comments

One of the reasons why we don’t walk in the freedom that the gospel brings, is that we have changed the meaning of words. We have made beautiful words ugly and turned truth into lies. We tell ourselves that we are doing what the Bible says, but since we have redefined words in the Bible, we are fooling [...]

Beware “Practical Holiness”

July 27, 2012 // 69 Comments

Life under the old covenant was so much simpler than the free and confusing world of grace. Back then if you wanted to stay on the straight and narrow, you just had to keep all the rules. But in the kingdom of grace, there are no rules (1 Cor 6:12). A good marriage doesn’t need them. For those unacquainted with [...]

What is Holiness? (It’s Better Than You Think!)

May 23, 2012 // 86 Comments

“Holiness is avoiding sin. It’s being set apart from the world and staying undefiled.” Or so we’ve been told. The problem with defining holiness like this is that it doesn’t actually describe a God who is holy. God was holy long before there was any sin to avoid. He was unblemished before there were [...]

7 Useless Definitions of Holiness

May 21, 2012 // 28 Comments

An old tale is told about a group of blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. The first blind man man touches the leg and concludes, “Elephants are like trees.” “Oh no,” says the blind man touching the ear. “Elephants are like fans.” “You’re both wrong,” says the man touching the [...]

E2R Turns 13 and It’s Time for a Change

February 2, 2023 // 40 Comments

I used to write about grace and nothing but grace. When I started writing Escape to Reality 13 years ago, I wrote about forgiveness and the unconditional love of God and how the cross changed everything. I wrote about eternal security and eternal rewards, healing and holiness, repentance and righteousness. But [...]

What Happens to Unbaptized Infants Who Die?

January 5, 2023 // 35 Comments

If the doctrine of original sin is true, and everyone is born with a sinful nature and a rebel towards God, what happens to babies who die? Do babies go to hell? Do they go to heaven? Do they go someplace in between? Augustine of Hippo said babies go to hell for eternal punishment, but added that they get a mild [...]

What Does it Mean to Fall from Grace?

May 5, 2022 // 12 Comments

“Did you hear about that celebrity pastor and his secretary? What a fall from grace!” The fall-from-grace phrase is sometimes used to describe famous people who have fallen into sin, but that is not what fall from grace means in the Bible. When you sin you don’t fall from grace but into grace. It’s [...]

Are Women Saved through Childbearing?

February 22, 2022 // 7 Comments

One of the strangest verses in the Bible is found in Paul’s first letter to Timothy: But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. (1 Timothy 2:15) If there was ever a verse that could be misused to promote patriarchy and dead works, it’s this [...]

What Burdens Does Jesus Place On Us?

April 14, 2021 // 11 Comments

Thyatira is considered one of the bad churches in the Bible. You may recall they had allowed a woman called Jezebel to preach and she led some of the believers astray. So Jesus sent them a letter where he basically says, “I’m going to deal with this.” He ends his letter with this: I place no other [...]

How to be Holy

June 9, 2020 // 27 Comments

Jesus is the only one of us who lived undamaged by sin. He walked among the wreckage of fallen humanity as a beacon of wholeness and health. Jesus knew no sin yet the writer of Hebrews tells us he “learned obedience” and was “made perfect” (Heb. 5:8–9). That sounds like a contradiction, as though Jesus [...]

Study Notes

May 14, 2020 // 0 Comments

All study notes and ebooks are free for our monthly supporters. Spirit, soul and body: How to walk in the spirit Spiritual gifts: How to use the gifts God has given you Original Sin: What does the Bible really say The true meaning of holiness: From St. Jerome to John Wycliffe and back again What [...]

How Do We Become Lukewarm?

March 28, 2019 // 59 Comments

Many Christians are lukewarm, but not for the reasons they think. “I don’t go to church enough, I don’t pray enough, I don’t witness enough.” Let me stop you right there. How much is enough? How many people do you need to lead to Jesus to stop him from vomiting you out of his mouth? The answer is zero, [...]

What Does it Mean to be One with the Lord?

January 4, 2018 // 51 Comments

Many Christians don’t know how good they’ve got it. In our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. (Ephesians 1:3, GNB) One with the Lord, you are blessed indeed. In fact, 100 percent of your blessings come as the result of being in union with [...]

Are You Lukewarm? Take the Test

August 17, 2017 // 67 Comments

Lukewarm is what you get when you mix hot with cold. It’s mixing the white-hot love of God with the stone-cold commands of the Bible. It’s mixing the new and everlasting covenant of grace with the obsolete covenant of law. Are you lukewarm? You might be if… 1. You think Christians need the law The law is [...]

The “I Wills” of God

July 20, 2017 // 44 Comments

At the foot of Mt Sinai the Israelites boasted We will do everything the Lord commands. (Exodus 19:8) Perhaps you have said something similar, but this is a fatal boast, and a recipe for disaster. Make an impossible promise and you will invariably break it. What the Lord demands you cannot provide. This is the [...]

Can You Fall from Your Secure Position (2 Peter 3:17)?

June 29, 2017 // 104 Comments

According to some, here is a scripture that says you can lose your salvation: Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. (2 Pet 3:17, NIV) Don’t panic. This scripture does NOT say [...]

90+ Scriptures about the Final Coming of Jesus

November 2, 2016 // 34 Comments

Here is every New Testament scripture on the second or final coming of Jesus, a.k.a. the coming of the Son of Man, the day of the Lord, etc. Unless otherwise stated all scriptures are from the NASB. This list is a work-in-progress. Feel free to submit suggestions using the comment form below. Matthew 16:27 For [...]

8 Signs that a Church Doesn’t Get Grace

July 7, 2016 // 136 Comments

A while ago I listed eight signs of a hypergrace church. A hypergrace church preaches the unconditional love of God and the undiluted gospel of grace. A hypergrace church is so focused on Jesus that it begins to look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and smell like Jesus. To highlight a positive it helps to accentuate [...]

Michael Brown and his grace controversy

May 4, 2016 // 139 Comments

The hyper-grace gospel that Jesus revealed declares that God loves you with an unconditional love. His grace for you is, to quote the apostle Paul, hyper- or super-abounding (Rom 5:20). The gospel of God’s grace is the good news that this world needs to hear, but according to some this message is controversial, [...]

The new song of grace

October 14, 2015 // 31 Comments

This week our baby girl received her Australian citizenship certificate in the mail. She just became a little Aussie. This despite the fact that she has never been to Australia, she can’t name the six states or the prime minister, and she doesn’t know what a lamington is. She’s never read “The Man from [...]

Are you Lukewarm?

July 24, 2015 // 60 Comments

Here’s a favorite question of some preachers: “Are you a lukewarm believer?” You’d better have a good answer because if you’re not sure – “Am I lukewarm?” – Jesus may spew you out of his mouth. What does that mean? He’ll reject you, you apathetic Christian! You may think you’re saved, but if [...]

What Makes the New Covenant New?

April 29, 2015 // 67 Comments

There’s a classic scene in The Simpsons where 8-year-old Lisa is offered a large check. Monty Burns has made a $120 million from an idea that Lisa gave him, and he wants to thank her by giving her a ten percent cut. Since the money represents ill-gotten gains from harvesting the sea, Lisa says no. Lisa [...]

The 9 Lies of Religion

April 1, 2015 // 185 Comments

“I came into the world to testify to the truth,” said Jesus. “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37). Strong words, Jesus. Put them on your Facebook page and you’ll get flamed. “Jesus, how dare you claim to have the inside track on truth? Why must we take sides? How ungracious. How [...]

Conditional Acceptance?

February 26, 2015 // 65 Comments

“God loves you as you are and not as you should be.” That’s the gospel of grace in one sentence! Manmade religion says you have to clean yourself up before you approach the Lord, but grace shouts, “Come as you are!” So how do we explain this passage which seems to say something different: Therefore come [...]

Some Honest Answers for Michael Brown

January 24, 2015 // 354 Comments

CharismaNews has just published an article entitled “Some honest questions for Joseph Prince.” In it Michael Brown puts 11 questions to “Pastor Prince and those who embrace the modern grace message.” Unlike Pastor Prince, I’m not a busy man. I don’t have to preach four or five times this Sunday. So I [...]

Scripture Index

December 17, 2014 // 107 Comments

Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation .Old Testament This index is updated every month or so. Don’t miss out [...]

If We’re Holy, Why Does God Call Us to be Holy?

August 22, 2014 // 39 Comments

Here’s a question grace preachers hear a lot: “If we are already holy, then why does God call us to be holy?” Answer: He’s calling us to be who we truly are. He is saying, “You are my sanctified children. Act like it. Be who I made you to be.” As D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: Holiness is not [...]

The Hyper-Grace Quiz

August 13, 2014 // 104 Comments

In the past few months, there has been an aggressive backlash against the gospel of grace. This backlash has been seen in the Christian media, social media, and in the publication of books by respected Bible teachers. I have come across articles with titles like “Confronting the error of hyper-grace,” “The [...]

“Grace: The Power to Change” by Jim Richards

July 11, 2014 // 50 Comments

One of the misperceptions about the “modern” grace message, is that it makes people lazy. As I explain elsewhere, nothing could be further from the truth. But the misperception is understandable, since grace teaches us to rest from our works and trust in Christ’s finished work. “Is that it?” says the [...]

Are there degrees of judgment?

July 1, 2014 // 29 Comments

Jesus once told a parable about servants getting beaten up and cut to pieces by their master. It sounds like a sadistic version of Downtown Abbey. And it’s a story that fills many Christians with terror: That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will [...]

How to Teach the Gospel of Grace

June 27, 2014 // 28 Comments

I know a church where the pastor preached a series of sermons simply titled “Jesus.” For several weeks he expounded on the character of Christ and what he has done for us. It was brilliant. It was heavenly. But then he stopped. The series came to an end and the pastor began a new series. I don’t remember [...]

5 Signs of Nose-Punching Preachers

June 10, 2014 // 67 Comments

A recent article in Charisma News warns about the dangers of ear-tickling preachers and their deceptive message. An ear-tickler is someone who tells you what you want to hear. In contrast, a nose-puncher is one who tells you what he wants you to hear, and he does so with the fervor of an Old Testament prophet. A [...]

How to Recognize the Hypergrace Gospel

May 15, 2014 // 39 Comments

The hyper-grace gospel declares that God’s love for you is unconditional and his grace is superabounding. It’s the how much mores that Jesus spoke of and the grace upon grace that John wrote of. The hypergrace gospel is easy to recognize for it is nothing more than boasting about Jesus—who he is and what he [...]

One Church, Two Gospels?

May 2, 2014 // 38 Comments

In the church today there are two gospels competing for the hearts and minds of hearers: 1. Mixed-grace gospel: You are saved by grace but sanctified by works2. Hyper-grace gospel: You are saved by grace and sanctified by grace What is a mixed-grace gospel? It’s the message that you are saved by grace but kept [...]

Continue in the Faith (Colossians 1:23)

March 12, 2014 // 63 Comments

Here’s a scary verse: God will present you holy, unblemished, and unblameable—if you continue in the faith. (Colossians 1:23) That doesn’t sound good. That sounds like Paul is preaching conditional salvation. He isn’t. You are one with the Lord, and what God has joined together, no man can [...]

8 Signs of Hypergrace Churches

February 7, 2014 // 384 Comments

Charisma Magazine recently published an article entitled “8 signs of hyper-grace churches.” (Update: The article has been removed, but you can find it on the WayBack Machine.) Using words like “decline” and “distorted” and “sexually immoral” the article argued that churches built on the message of [...]

Authors/Publishers

November 18, 2013 // 35 Comments

How do I get my book listed on the new releases page? To submit a book for the New Grace Books page, please provide the following details using the comment form below: book title, author, release date, and a link (e.g., to a book website or Amazon page from where we can copy your blurb). Your comment will not be [...]

“Confronting the Error of Hyper-Grace” – a response to Michael Brown

February 22, 2013 // 376 Comments

In a recent CharismaNews article, Dr. Michael Brown confronts what he calls the “dangerous error” of the hyper-grace movement. He describes the foundational doctrines of this movement as follows; (1) we have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus, (2) all our sins have been forgiven, (3) the Holy Spirit [...]

Top 12 of 2012

December 31, 2012 // 10 Comments

I keep bumping into people who had a horrible year. They say things like, “2012 was my annus horribilis. I’ll be glad when it’s over.” I feel for such people because, for me, 2012 was a ripper of a year. I had a baby. Or rather, I wrote a book. If you’re a writer you’ll understand me when I say that [...]

Why Was the Seventh Day Holy?

June 1, 2012 // 87 Comments

When God made the heavens and the earth, everything he did was good. And yet none of the six days of creation was considered holy. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. (Genesis 2:3) Have you ever wondered about that? God made the stars and planets and it was good – but not holy. God made the [...]

What was Last Adam’s greater work?

April 6, 2012 // 18 Comments

The history of the world, as told by some people, runs like this: Adam disobeyed God and as a result brought death to all mankind, but Jesus came and put everything back the way it was. This sort of thinking puts Adam and his everyday sin on the same level of Christ and His incomparable gift. What was Jesus’ [...]

Can Christians fall away? (Hebrews 6:4-6)

February 28, 2012 // 93 Comments

One of the benefits of believing the gospel of grace is that it changes the way you read the Bible. You realize that God is not in the bait and switch business of drawing you in with love only to hammer you with law. He is love all the way through. When you see this you will no longer get frightened when you read [...]

Is Christ the end of the law for you?

January 19, 2012 // 64 Comments

Those who insist that you must obey the commands of Jesus in order to be saved/blessed/forgiven/righteous/holy are assuming that you are either (a) a time-traveler from Israel’s distant past (b) the devil If you are (a) I suggest you pick up a Sports Almanac, go back in time, and make a lot of money à la [...]

Are sinners forgiven too?

October 18, 2011 // 119 Comments

I get asked more questions about forgiveness than any other subject. “Am I really forgiven? What if I sin and don’t repent? What if I don’t confess? What if I backslide?” I have written numerous posts on all these points, but forgiveness seems to be a blind-spot for many. We just can’t get it into our [...]

Your Glorious New Past

August 3, 2011 // 17 Comments

When you were born again you were probably told a lot of wonderful things about your future. “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” You may have also been told some wonderful things about your present. “We’re living in the kingdom now!” But you probably didn’t hear too many wonderful things about [...]

Grace Gallery

June 27, 2011 // 15 Comments

Hi folks, this gallery hasn’t been updated in years. Looking for the new stuff? It’s on Instagram. Still here? Click on any image to see a larger version or to be taken to the original post. (Looking for E2R logos?) Teaching aids seen on E2R… Shareable soundbites . Classic [...]

“You’ve Already Got It” by Andrew Wommack

June 14, 2011 // 22 Comments

Imagine you were the devil in the Garden of Eden trying to tempt Adam and Eve. How would you do it? This is a question that Andrew Wommack asks in his book, You’ve Already Got It. Adam and Eve were flawless and lived in paradise with all of their needs abundantly supplied. So how would you tempt them? You [...]

Is God a jealous God?

May 19, 2011 // 25 Comments

“You shall not make for yourself an idol… You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and [...]

The Test of Your Gospel

May 8, 2011 // 38 Comments

I once heard a preacher say that “80 to 90% of Christians are unacquainted with the gospel of grace.” I guess this estimate is not far off the mark as evidenced by the large numbers of believers who are still trying to earn what God has freely given them. If you were to ask these people about grace they would [...]

The flesh vs the spirit – two good books

May 7, 2011 // 10 Comments

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire. ~ Galatians 5:17 (Darby) Paul describes the Christian life as a tug of war between the flesh and the spirit. The flesh is that part of us [...]

“Grace – The Power of the Gospel” by Andrew Wommack

May 1, 2011 // 2 Comments

Paul’s Letter to the Romans may be the most influential book in the history of Christianity. It was Romans that sparked the Reformation of the 16th century and just about every other significant move since then. Romans is special because in it Paul presents his revelation of the life and work of Jesus Christ. [...]

Grace vs Law: Top 12 Watchman Nee Quotes

February 1, 2011 // 44 Comments

I’ve been told that there is a some division among Chinese Christians over Joseph Prince, the Singaporean pastor of New Creation Church. Some think he’s a wonderful preacher of grace, while others think he’s a licentious heretic. We ought not to be surprised by this division. Truth is divisive. As Jesus [...]

The axe of forgiveness

December 24, 2010 // 20 Comments

Have you ever noticed how Jesus went around forgiving people who neither asked for forgiveness nor deserved it? A paralyzed man is brought to him. Everyone watches for the physical healing but Jesus says, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2). A woman caught in adultery is brought to him for [...]

Beware the Dogs of Law

November 18, 2010 // 34 Comments

Have you ever noticed how Paul often warned Christians about the dangers of the law and those who preach it? In just about every letter there’s a warning: Watch out for those who put obstacles in your way contrary to what you have been taught (Rom 16:17). See that no one takes you captive through philosophy [...]

Romans 2:13 – Justified by the Law?

November 3, 2010 // 76 Comments

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Rms 2:13, NIV) What?! Anyone acquainted with Paul’s gospel of grace will do a double-take right there! Is Paul really preaching righteousness through the law? [...]

James 2:24

September 20, 2010 // 32 Comments

In this study on James chapter 2, we have been comparing works done under law with works done under grace. Understanding this distinction is essential if we are to reconcile Paul, the preacher of grace, with James, who said this… You see then that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (Jas [...]

Subject Index

June 23, 2010 // 0 Comments

Click on a link below to be taken to a list of posts about that category. Numbers in brackets are the number of relevant posts. You can also search for posts in the main archive or scripture index. Subject index People index acceptance (6) AD70 (30) anger of God, see wrath announcements (48) art (1) ascension [...]

Laodicea, Part 7: To Him Who Overcomes (Rev 3:21)

June 23, 2010 // 14 Comments

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. You will never understand the gospel of grace until you first appreciate the love of God shown to unworthy humanity: “But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were [...]

Bible Questions

April 30, 2010 // 72 Comments

Got a question about God, the Bible, or life in general? Find answers here: SearchSearch Got a question? Ask us in the comments [...]

Granddad’s Bumper Sticker

April 13, 2010 // 2 Comments

Back in the 1970s my Granddad had a bumper sticker on his Ford Cortina that read: Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven In the past 40 years I have thought more about that bumper sticker than any other! And after all this time I still haven’t decided whether I like it or not. Originally I thought the [...]

That’s My King

February 3, 2010 // 2 Comments

From time to time we’ve been fired up by SM Lockridge’s awesome “That’s my king” sermon. (The full text can be found at the bottom of this post.) Last Easter Sunday we watched the following version of it… But the version I really like – but can’t show in church [...]