The Sinless Life?
When the Holy Spirit came into your life the change in you was like night and day. It’s like you were given a heart transplant. Your old heart, which was captive to desires [...]
Articles by Paul Ellis
Did God kill the Jews in AD70?
For 2,000 years prominent Christian theologians such as John Chrysostom, John Calvin, Matthew Henry, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and others have taught that the [...]
How Do I Know I’m Saved?
“Are you saved? Are you sure?” These questions are sometimes used to scare people into signing up for works-based insurance. They also trigger salvation-anxiety. Yet the [...]
Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs
Have you heard the one about how God is recording everything you say and do, and on Judgment Day he’ll show all your dark, dirty secrets on a big TV screen? It’s a [...]
The “Patience” of Job
The Bible is full of humor and wisdom and if you don’t believe me, read this: As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s [...]
Who are the Hypergrace Preachers?
Hypergrace, according to some, is a dangerous and unbiblical teaching that is leading people down a licentious path to hell. Apparently the “rock-star preachers” [...]
Is Hypergrace Biblical?
Hypergrace, according to a mainstream Christian news magazine, is a dangerous and unbiblical teaching. By proclaiming the unconditional love of God and forgiveness for all, [...]
The Lifter of your Head
In Jesus’ day, only certain people were allowed to participate in temple life. Those with diseases such as leprosy had to stay away. They weren’t welcome. They were [...]
Does James 5:15 preach conditional forgiveness?
Those who put price tags on grace sometimes point to this verse: The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, [...]
‘Stuff Jesus Never Said’ – out today!
My new book, Stuff Jesus Never Said, comes out today. I know what you’re thinking: Why did I write a book about things Jesus didn’t say? The words of Jesus may be the [...]
The Gospel of Wow!
I’m going to let you in on a secret: I don’t particularly like listening to sermons. Or lectures. I know, this is a strange confession coming from someone who used to [...]
Isaiah 45:7 – Does the Lord create evil?
Whenever I tell people that God is good and he is not the One making them sick nor is he responsible for the bad things going on in the world, I can guarantee that I will get [...]
Jesus our Tithe
Many of the laws and traditions of the Old Testament are shadows that are fulfilled in Christ. For instance, the circumcision of Jewish boys points to a spiritual [...]
Should you Tithe?
For years people have been asking me for my response to the tithing question. “Should you tithe?” Here are two responses: You should tithe You should not tithe Since both [...]
Tithing Under Grace
Tithing has become the hot-button issue of our day. Just as the early church was divided on the issue of circumcision, the modern church is divided on the issue of tithing. [...]
8 Signs that a Church Doesn’t Get Grace
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 [...]
Who is the Unworthy Servant? (Luke 17:10)
How do you see yourself? As a valued son or a worthless servant? As a beloved child of God or a mere minion? Jesus came to reveal our heavenly Father, so a good sign that you [...]
Why is the Narrow Gate Hard to Enter?
Jesus spoke about entering the kingdom through a narrow gate, but what is the narrow gate? Jesus is. But what does it mean to find the narrow gate, and why did Jesus say many [...]
Is Grace a License to be Lazy?
One of the complaints made against the gospel of grace is that it promotes sin and slothfulness. Those who say such things know little about the grace of God that [...]
E2R is on Patreon
What do the following people have in common: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven? Answer: You would have heard of none of them if it [...]
The sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
For the past ten years I have hammered one nail again and again: Jesus not only saves you, he keeps you. The good work he began in you he will carry on until completion. This [...]
The Terror of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:11)
Many people picture God as a scary bookkeeper recording everything they say and do. They fear that on Judgment Day he’ll shame them by playing the dirty tapes of their [...]
The Bema Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10)
“One day you will stand before the judgement seat, the books will be opened, and there will be a reckoning. If your good works outweigh your bad, you’ll be safe. But if [...]
Michael Brown and his grace controversy
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 [...]
Become Like a Little Child?
Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3). What does that mean and how do you do that? [...]
Who’s Your Helper?
History turns on small hinges and there has been no greater turn than the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3. Everything that is wrong with the world – war, disease, [...]
How to Cultivate Hope
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15) We Christians ought to be a hope-filled people but [...]
Seven Ways Religion Damages Hope
You can learn a lot from watching the movies. When I was a kid I saw The Neverending Story, and one scene has endured in my memory. It’s the scene where Atreyu is [...]
The Gospel of Hope
Someone once told me that Christians are in the business of hope, which is ironic since many Christians don’t know what hope is. Do you know what it is? For some hope is [...]
Keeping God’s Commands
The apostle Paul said we are under grace, not law. To live under the law is to insult Christ who died to free us from the curse of the law. So why did Paul write this? [...]
No More Lonely Love Songs
Union with Christ is the number one reason why we have it better than those who lived before the cross. Back then they wrote love songs about yearning and absence. Who can [...]
10 Ways Religion is Bad for You
Every story needs a villain and the villain I most often employ is religion. Grace is good, but religion is bad. Grace promotes trust in God, but religion is all about [...]
Happy sixth birthday (and a free book for you!)
Escape to Reality is six years old today – hooray! – so this seems like a good opportunity to take a moment to reflect on the past and future of the blog. Since our last [...]
Pure religion (James 1:27)
Religion is bad. By definition, religion is a kind of bondage, which means there’s no such thing as good religion. But what about James who said this: Pure religion and [...]
Examine Yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5)
In my city every car has to pass an annual road-worthiness test. As a poor student with a cheap car, I used to dread this test. Would the inspector say something about my [...]
Your Unbreakable Union with Christ
Some Christians understand their union with the Lord but only half way. “Sure, God is with us, but sometimes he isn’t. He comes and he goes.” It’s true that in the [...]
Patient endurance (Revelation 14:12)
A reader asked for my thoughts on the following passage: This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to [...]
The axe at the root (Matthew 3:10)
A ravenous wolf, such as Jesus described in Matthew 7, is someone who uses threats to extort money or service from others. If you were such a person, God forbid, you might to [...]
Seven books for Christmas 2015
It’s been a while since I’ve recommended some good vacation reading here on E2R. Here are six diverse books I have recently enjoyed The Apostle: A Life of Paul, by John [...]
Married to Jesus
Jesus spoke of the joy that erupts in heaven when a sinner repents and comes to believe in the good news. We might imagine they have something like a birthday party to [...]
The Parable of the Two Sons
From time to time people ask me to write about the parables of Jesus. This is something I enjoy doing because I love the parables. The parables of Jesus are launch pads to [...]
Job’s Grace Encounter
Tradition teaches that Job endured unimaginable suffering with poise and noble patience. He was a giant of the faith who never said anything wrong, and he is a great example [...]
The Gospel of Elihu
The problem with manmade religion is that it views the Bible in a distorted way that glorifies self and diminishes grace. This can be seen in the way religion portrays Job as [...]
Is Satan God’s Sheepdog?
The Book of Job is one of the most amazing stories in the Bible, but we read it wrong two ways. First, we elevate Job into some kind of faith hero. Second, [...]
Ten Little Known Facts About Job
Many people consider Job a great man and a champion of the faith. Job, you will recall, lost everything (his family, wealth and health), then sat on a [...]
The new song of grace
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 [...]
Religious Gangsters
Here’s a scripture that frightens some people: Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my [...]
Rewarded for Doing Good?
Jesus and Paul both said we would be rewarded for doing good, which sounds like a punch in the face to the gospel of grace. We have looked at the words of Jesus (in John [...]
Judged for what we have done
The good news of heaven declares that everything comes to us as a free gift from our heavenly Father. But the bad news of earth says you better work baby, because there’s [...]
Rewarded for What We’ve Done?
The Bible says that we will be rewarded for what we have done. Not what we have believed, but done-diddley-done-done. So what do we have to do? In this three-part series, [...]
Grace Remix – out today!
My new book, Grace Remix, comes out today. This is the fourth and final book in my Greatest Hits series. It follows Grace Disco, Grace Classics, and Grace Party. You [...]
Is Grace a Person?
People sometimes ask me, “Why do you say grace is another name for Jesus?” or “Why do you say grace is a Person?” They are referring to something I wrote in my book [...]
Free gift for email subscribers
UPDATE: This giveaway has expired. Make sure you don’t miss out on future giveaways by signing up today. It’s free! My new book, Grace Remix, comes out next week. [...]
The testing of your faith
What goes through your mind when you see men in orange jumpsuits waiting to be killed for their faith in Jesus? Do you think, “I could die for Jesus,” or “Thank [...]
The Lord’s Prayer
There’s a myth that we who preach grace dismiss everything Jesus said before the cross. According to the myth, we disregard the red letters of the Bible as law for to those [...]
Sowing, reaping and the golden rule
From the beginning of time there have been two worldviews, two trees, and two ways live. One is karma (you reap what you sow), and the other is grace (you reap what someone [...]
Did Jesus put price tags on forgiveness? (Matthew 6:14-15)
The gospel that Jesus revealed declares that God loves you like a father, he holds nothing against you, and he longs for his sons and daughters to come home. It’s the good [...]
Win ten signed copies of Paul’s new book!
This competition has now closed and the winners have been notified. Thanks to everyone who entered. In two months my new book Grace Remix will be released. This is the fourth [...]
Are you Lukewarm?
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?” – [...]
An open letter to pastors from the author of The Hyper-Grace Gospel
Dear Pastor, Over the past couple of years, much has been said about the so-called hyper-grace gospel and the effect this message is having on the church. Apparently the [...]
Is Forgiveness Like a Debit Card?
Are you completely forgiven or partly forgiven? It’s a simple question that reveals whether you appreciate all Christ did for you on the cross. Recently I heard a critic of [...]
The Parable of the Dead Rich Man
Jesus told stories to nudge people toward receptive insight. So why did he tell the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)? According to some, it was so that we [...]
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
In Luke 15 and 16, Jesus tells five parables in a row. The first three are about lost things; a sheep, a coin, and a son. The last two are about lost lives; a shrewd manager [...]
No liars in heaven
With our new identity securely grounded in our union with Christ, we can begin to understand why the Bible draws big fat lines between who we are and who we used to be: Do [...]
Is humanity righteous? (Romans 5:18-19)
If I gave you a million dollars, how would you react? If you were poor, you’d be thrilled. You’d thank me and tell all your friends how awesome I am. But if you were Bill [...]
Tomorrowland and the City of God
The gospel of grace is the happy gospel of the happy God who loves you like a beloved son or daughter. This good news comes from a book that begins gloriously and ends [...]
Strike her children dead (Revelation 2:23)
Five years ago I began Escape to Reality by looking at Jesus’ words to the churches of Revelation. My question then was: How do we reconcile Jesus’ harsh words with his [...]
Rewarded for their Labor? (1 Corinthians 3:8)
I have been asked this question again and again: What are heavenly rewards? Or, how do rewards fit in with grace? Some say there are no rewards, yet Jesus spoke about [...]
The Chief of Sinners
The apostle of grace called himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15), and ever since then Christians have been confused about their identity. They say things like [...]
The Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27)
Jesus told two parables about servants entrusted with money; the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas. In both stories a nobleman goes on a journey (okay, so [...]
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
Once upon a time there was a man who went on a journey, and before he left he entrusted three servants with his money. When the man returned, he praised the two servants who [...]
Grace Party – Out Today!
My new book, Grace Party, comes out today. I’m super-excited about this one because it may be the most prophetic book I’ve written. By prophetic, I mean it paints a [...]
The Kingdom of Heaven is a Party
One of the best parties I have ever been to was a surprise party. It was a hot, humid night in Hong Kong and Camilla and I were running late. We were supposed to be at church [...]
What Makes the New Covenant New?
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 [...]
What is the Law Written on our Hearts?
Six-hundred years before Jesus came, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant that God would make with his people: This is the covenant I will make with the people of [...]
The Law Written on our Hearts is NOT the Ten Commandments
“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Hebrews [...]
Two books on healing
When you’re sick, the last thing you want to hear are pithy, powerless platitudes from people who are healthy. What you want to hear is good news from someone who has [...]
What about Ananias and Sapphira?
Recently in Connecticut, a pastor stood in front of his church and confessed to the sin of adultery. Then the pastor fell down dead, right in front of everyone. [...]
The number one verse on the Old Covenant
Some time ago I published a list of the top 12 verses on the new covenant. It seems only fair that I also give some air-time to the number one verse on the old covenant. [...]
The 9 Lies of Religion
“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 [...]
How Do We Continue in the Grace of God?
In the New Testament we are exhorted to continue in God’s kindness (Romans 11:22), continue in the faith (Colossians 1:23), continue in the teaching of Christ (2 John 1:9), [...]
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1–8)
The strangest parable Jesus ever told was about a man who cheats on his boss and is then praised for doing so (see Luke 16:1–8). The parable of the shrewd manager (or the [...]
Consider the severity of God (Romans 11:22)
Whenever I tell people about God’s goodness, I can just about guarantee that someone will call for balance and say I should also preach on God’s severity. Then they quote [...]
Myth: Hypergrace Preachers Disregard the Words of Jesus
“Hyper-grace preachers say the words of Jesus are not for us. They have no authority and are irrelevant to the modern church.” One of the strangest claims made against [...]
Conditional Acceptance?
“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 [...]
“A.D. 30” by Ted Dekker
A few years ago someone recommended I read a novel by Ted Dekker. I forget which one it was but I couldn’t finish it. Then a month ago someone suggested I read his latest [...]
Judged by the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:31-32)
Are you good enough to take communion? To me, this is an absurd question, like asking whether you are good enough to hear the gospel. But to many it is not an absurd [...]
Believing in Vain (1 Corinthians 15:2)
“How do I know if my belief in Christ is in vain?” When a reader asked me this question recently, she was referring to Paul’s warning here: Now, brothers, I want to [...]
Grace Classics – out today
There are hundreds of grace-based articles here on E2R. So many to choose from. If you’re new to grace, where do you start? Right here… My new book, Grace Classics, is [...]
Happy Fifth Birthday (And get a free book!)
Escape to Reality is five years old today. If E2R were a child, it would be starting school. How time flies when you’re growing in grace! Five years ago E2R had no [...]
Some Honest Answers for Michael Brown
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 [...]
Jesus and divorce
In the past year I’ve had a couple of friends go through divorce and each time it has torn our hearts. I won’t go into details, but what has struck me is how some in the [...]
Can Divorced People Remarry?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. Let me see. Can sinners be forgiven? Can runaways come home? Can crooks get a second chance? Can the broken be made whole? No, it’s not a tough [...]
Husbands’ Hindered Prayers (1 Peter 3:7)
A man recently asked me about a troubling verse. “My wife says my prayers are hindered because I don’t respect her enough.” He was referring to this verse: Husbands, in [...]
E2R’s new scripture index
Here’s a Christmas riddle for you: What question have I been asked more than any other in 2014? It is this one: “Paul, have you written anything on (insert scripture [...]
Labor to Enter his Rest
The other day a strange man approached a young girl and offered her candy if she would get in his car. Thankfully, the girl knew all about stranger danger and quickly walked [...]
50 scriptures inclusionism can’t explain
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Heb 2:1) Being careless with God’s word can cause people to drift [...]
Does the Grace Gospel Make Us Lazy?
“Grace is a soft gospel for soft Christians,” say the critics. “Grace promotes passivity and laziness.” It does? I guess somebody forgot to tell Paul: By the grace of [...]
How to Read the Commands of the New Testament?
How should we read the commands of the New Testament? A legalist will insist we read them as commands that must be obeyed. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “If you love [...]
Grace Disco – out today
In a couple of months Escape to Reality will be five years old. Five years isn’t a long time, but my goodness, a lot of water has gone under that bridge. Truly grace is a [...]
Escape to Reality 