The commands of John
A year ago I made a bunch of people mad by saying John never mentions the word “repent” in his gospel. To this day I still get messages from angry folks who say things [...]
Articles by Paul Ellis
Can Unbelievers Take Communion?
Communion ought to be a time of celebrating Christ’s finished work on the cross. It ought to be a time when we proclaim his victory over sin and sickness. Yet for many, [...]
The Root of Obedience
The other day I was walking with my two little girls to a playground. We were walking along a road that is sometimes used by goods vehicles. My girls were ahead of me and [...]
The Root of Disobedience
Here is your standard sermon on obedience: “Adam disobeyed God and suffered the consequences. Jesus gave us a second chance but God demands total obedience. The devil will [...]
How Does God Deal With Me When I Sin?
Lately I have been thinking a lot about my sin. Don’t panic. I haven’t done anything stupid. It’s just that I rarely think about my sin as sin. Let me explain. I know I [...]
Biblical correction – old vs new
My three-year old son is a regular Michelangelo. The other day he drew a purple-crayon masterpiece on the walls of his bedroom. Needless to say, I was furious. I told him he [...]
Conviction vs correction
What I say: “God never convicts us of our sins.” What they hear: “God is oblivious to our sins. He never corrects us nor rebukes us.” What they think: Hebrews 12 says [...]
There is no grace camp
I want to thank those of you who took the time to comment on my Michael Brown post over the weekend. That post evidently resonated with many. Within 48 hours of publication [...]
“Confronting the Error of Hyper-Grace” – a response to Michael Brown
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 [...]
How to Stand Secure on God’s Promises
Ever broken a promise, failed to keep your word, or been late for an engagement? Of course you have. Now you know why many Christians are worried sick that they may [...]
Once Shaved, Always Shaved?
I have a beard so you may find this hard to believe, but I shave every day. Most men do. I understand many women also shave regularly. Perhaps you were shaved at one time, [...]
8 ways to get your grace questions answered
Last week many of you helped me give away 13,000 copies of The Gospel in Ten Words. It was truly a team effort. If you told your friends they could get a free Kindle [...]
Why do people still die?
Death is sin’s wage, so if sin has been dealt with at the cross, why do people still die? Good question! I’ve seen sick people healed by the grace of God. I’ve seen [...]
Happy Birthday to Us and a Free Book to You
Escape to Reality is three years old today. Woohoo! To celebrate, I want to give you a copy of my book, The Gospel in Ten Words, absolutely FREE from the Kindle store. This [...]
How to Shipwreck your Faith
Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith [...]
What is the Fear of the Lord?
What is the fear of the Lord? Your answer to this question reveals much about your faith and security. It reveals whether you are walking in grace or under condemnation. For [...]
Six Zeroes
Escape to Reality has just passed a milestone – check out the Blog Stats in the right-side column. A short while ago it had six zeroes in it. Being a male, I get a kick out [...]
Does God Envy?
A misunderstood God leads to a misguided faith. If you think God is insecure and constantly assessing you on your performance, you will be insecure yourself. You will be [...]
Is God Sovereign?
A friend of mine lost several million dollars in a bad investment. He is well into his seventies and this was his retirement money, so this was a big blow. What happened? He [...]
Top 12 of 2012
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, [...]
“Out of the Jungle” – Free Book!
About 2000 Christmasses ago, an angel delivered an important message: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) What is this good [...]
Where was God in the Connecticut School Shooting?
Yet another school shooting has resulted in the loss of innocent lives in America and now questions are being asked: Where was God? Why didn’t God stop this? Why didn’t [...]
Would you free a slave? Would you feed a child?
If you lived in the 1850s during the time of slavery, and you had the resources to purchase and liberate slaves, would you do it? Would you go to the slave markets and buy [...]
Which Jesus are you Trusting?
The whole gospel is the gospel of grace. It is Christ alone. But which Christ are we talking about? Which Jesus are you trusting in? Is it baby Jesus who appears each [...]
What is the Whole Gospel?
Heaven forbid that we preach half a gospel, but what is the whole gospel? Your answer to that question says a lot about your understanding of grace. For instance, whenever I [...]
Exodus 4:24-25
“Why did God try to kill Moses on the way to Egypt?” This question was recently put to me by a reader and it is based on the following passage: At a lodging place on the [...]
6 books for Christmas 2012
It’s that time of the year when I recommend some great books for vacation reading. Here are six of the best that I have recently read… The Chocolate Wars is [...]
Top 20 C.S. Lewis Quotes
When people ask me to name my favorite author, like many others I respond with the name of C.S. Lewis. Since I first heard The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a boy, I [...]
Acceptance elevates us
When you know God is pleased with you regardless of your productivity, it will free you from the pressure to perform. When you’ve heard God say “Yes” to you, it will [...]
Top 12 Quotes on Grace
What is the one thing that separates Christianity from every other religion in the world? It is grace – that divine and undeserved favor of God that elevates the lowly and [...]
Christmas Giveaways
Christmas is the season for giving and, frankly, there’s no better present than a book! (Hint, hint.) Seriously, I love books and especially free books. Don’t you? I have [...]
6 examples of confession in the Bible
Confession has become a touchy subject in the grace community. Judging by some of the comments I have received in the past week, there are some folks who think we must never [...]
GITW Update
A friend of mine told me he had given away ten copies of The Gospel in Ten Words to people in his life group. This news made me both happy and sad. Happy, because I’m [...]
Healthy vs Unhealthy Confession
Grace is God’s response to our messes. If you don’t acknowledge your messes, you’ll never receive his grace. Confession is one way to receive grace and break the power [...]
Is Confession Good for You?
Nothing winds me up faster than telling people they must do things like confess to be forgiven. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, confessing your sins does not [...]
“The Cure” by Lynch, McNicol, and Thrall
You come to a fork in the road and find a signpost. The sign pointing left says, “Pleasing God;” the sign pointing right says, “Trusting God.” Which do you choose? [...]
“Grace” by Max Lucado
Can you name any author who is equally appreciated by old folks and young folks, men and women, short, fat, tall, or thin people? I can only think of one person and that is [...]
What if I Disappoint God?
Do you fear the Lord’s rejection? Are you worried that he will kick you out of his family? Do you think you disappoint him? You need to read this: To the praise of the [...]
GITW Competition
Update: This competition is now closed. Prizes will be going to the winner Jennie (30 books!) and Jeshurun5 (20 books!). Thanks to everyone who entered. I am inspired by your [...]
Jesus and the Starfish
A starfish lay dying on the burning sand. A universalist walked by and saw the starfish’s plight. “What’s up little starfish?” “I’m dying on the burning sand. If [...]
Is Grace a License to Sin?
Grace-preachers attract sinners and that is a good thing. If you consider yourself a sinner you have come to the right place! Sinners are welcome in the House of Grace. I [...]
The Gospel in Ten Words
My new book, The Gospel in Ten Words, has just been released. Ta da! What’s this book about? – It’s about the good news most of us still haven’t heard. [...]
God Accepts You (Even if No One Else Does)
In this world acceptance comes at a price. If you want to be accepted you have to perform, you have to deliver, you have to shine. You have to be first in and best dressed. [...]
Want to read my new book?
UPDATE: Wow – you guys are fast! All 50 free books were claimed within 30 minutes. If you got your name in, we will send you your book within the next 4 hours. Please [...]
“God’s Grammar” by Mick Mooney
What would you do if God walked into your living room? Would you dive for cover? Would you try and hide the ash-tray and the empty beer bottles? What would you say? This is [...]
An Open Letter to Hot-Blooded Young Men
Grace attracts sinners. Since I am someone who preaches radical grace, I often hear from people who are fooling around. Some are looking for help in overcoming sin, but most [...]
Paul’s New Book
About an hour ago I wrote the last word of the last sentence of the last chapter of my new book. It is called The Gospel in Ten Words and it is ten revelations of God’s [...]
Beware “Practical Holiness”
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 [...]
“The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning
Several years ago I attended an Easter Service where communion was to be served. Prior to distributing the cup and the bread a lady got up and read from Brennan Manning’s [...]
Which Bible do you trust?
A few days ago on E2R’s Facebook page, I posed the following question: “What translation of the Bible do you reach for first?” There are plenty of great Bible versions [...]
Why do people need to receive the gift of forgiveness if the whole world is already forgiven?
A friend of mine recently asked me some questions about forgiveness. If God forgave everyone at the cross, what use will sinners have for Jesus? Why will they care about the [...]
The secret to grace-based parenting
When people learn that I have three children (ages 3, 5, and 7 if you’re interested), they assume that I must be an outstanding parent. They write to me with questions like [...]
Six Books for the Holidays
I have spent the past ten weeks writing a book. (More on that in a later post.) Now we are about to take a family holiday which means I am on the hunt for some good holiday [...]
Is Forgiveness Something God Does or Gives?
When you sin against someone, your relationship with that person comes under strain. There’s this Thing that comes between the two of you. To be reconciled you need to deal [...]
Is 1 John 1 for believers or unbelievers?
“Why do you assume the first chapter of first John is addressed to unbelievers?” This question was put to me by a friend after reading my recent article on 1 John 1:9. [...]
1 John 1:9 – Something old, something new
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What’s the problem with 1 John 1:9? The problem is [...]
Why Was the Seventh Day Holy?
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 [...]
What is Holiness? (It’s Better Than You Think!)
“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 [...]
7 Useless Definitions of Holiness
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 [...]
The 7 Most Popular Verses in the Bible
There are more than 31,000 verses in the Bible. If all of these verses were to enter a popularity contest, which one would win? Well, you can probably guess. But I’ll bet [...]
The Way
Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Saviour, one day weigh the balance in favor of my good deeds when [...]
“The Misunderstood God” by Darin Hufford
If you have ever looked at a couple of hormonal teenagers and thought to yourself, “Those kids don’t know the first thing about love,” then you may have a fair idea of [...]
Top 12 Verses on the New Covenant
I have this strange idea that we should preach nothing but the gospel. Two reasons: (1) Jesus told us to and (2) it’s the only thing the church is really good at. Any club [...]
Revelation to Transformation, by Paul White
One of the perks of writing a blog is that people send me free books. This one was sent to me by Daniel Craciun from Canada. Apparently, Daniel thought I needed to read this [...]
What was Last Adam’s greater work?
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 [...]
Is Adam greater than Jesus?
“Are you saying that Adam is greater than Jesus?” This is a comment I often hear from those who preach universal salvation. It usually comes at the end of a conversation [...]
Did all die with Christ? (And what does it matter?)
One of the most profound revelations of the gospel is that “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Watchman Nee [...]
“Understanding the Book of Job” by Tom Tompkins
“If you’re suffering, you must have done something bad. God must be punishing you.” That must be one of the oldest lies in history. Here’s another. “God is using [...]
Forgiven, reconciled, and saved?
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 [...]
Is Jesus the savior of the world?
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 – [...]
“Day of War” by Cliff Graham
Have you ever walked out of an action movie wishing that someone with a bit of talent would make a movie based on a Bible story? The typical Hollywood blockbuster suffers [...]
Keywords of grace
And now for something completely different. My friend Ryan Rhoades sent me this picture below. It is a word cloud generated by Wordle.net which shows the relative frequency [...]
Can Christians fall away? (Hebrews 6:4-6)
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 [...]
“Mystical Union” by John Crowder
In his book Mystical Union, John Crowder writes that there is a new mysticism on the rise, one coupled with a new reformation. Identifying himself as a “reformed [...]
A New Covenant Picture of Repentance
Two classic signs of covenant confusion are: (1) you interpret repentance as turning from sin and (2) you think repenting will get God to forgive you. God does not need your [...]
Hebrews 10:26
I get asked more questions on Hebrews 10:26 than any other verse in the Bible. Evidently, this is a verse that troubles many Christians: If we deliberately keep on sinning [...]
“The Birthright” by John Sheasby
What is humanity’s number one problem? It is not sin – it is fatherlessness. Adam fell because he did not know God as his father. The same could be said of much of the [...]
Five Ways Jesus Revealed Grace
Have you ever noticed that Jesus never said the word grace? Doesn’t this strike you as odd? After all, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus is grace [...]
Do everything Jesus said?
“We should do everything Jesus said,” is one of the most dangerous lines you’ll ever hear. And you’ll only hear it from hypocrites. I guarantee you that those who say [...]
“The Happy Gospel” by Benjamin Dunn
The gospel that Jesus revealed is not of this earth. It was birthed in the heart of the Father and contains the supremely good news of His unfathomable love and His eternally [...]
Is Christ the end of the law for you?
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 [...]
The Greatest Law Preacher
“Don’t stray too far from the red letters,” is a piece of advice often given to new preachers. It means, stay close to the teachings of Jesus and you can’t go wrong. [...]
Prayer kisses
Image from [...]
Endure hardship? Or thresh mountains?
A few days ago, a house on the Sunshine Coast in Australia was destroyed in a fire that was possibly started by faulty Christmas lights. A family of five were sleeping inside [...]
Rest area ahead
Image from [...]
The Other Reason for the Season
How did Mary get to Bethlehem? If you get your history from Christmas cards, you might think she rode a donkey. But it is unlikely that Joseph owned a donkey. How do we know? [...]
The 12 Posts of Christmas
In case you missed them, below are 12 of my favorite posts from 2011. (Clicking on an image will take you to direct the post.) Happy Christmas! Your favorite post is not [...]
Christmas cards that say something
Every December our mailbox gets stuffed with Christmas cards – and they’re all addressed to the previous owners! We hardly get any. But that’s okay because [...]
4 Books for Christmas (2011)
The Supernatural Ways of Royalty, by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson One of the four things the earth cannot handle, is a servant who becomes a king (Pro 30:21-22). A servant [...]
3 Reasons Why I Don’t Preach on Repentance (“Turn from Sin”)
Religious people often complain that we grace preachers don’t discuss repentance sufficiently. It’s true. I hardly talk about it at all. But then neither did the Apostle [...]
Why repentance is like football
What comes to mind when you hear the word “football”? Your answer to that question says a lot about where you come from. If you’re a fan of football and you travel the [...]
“He Loves Me” by Wayne Jacobsen
How do you tell an unbeliever about the gospel? There are two basic approaches. The first approach, which is based on fear, poses hypothetical questions like, “If you were [...]
Keep the faith
Those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters from WWII have been around since, well, WWII. They were originally designed by the UK Ministry of Information to boost [...]
Your one big truth and the wisdom of Puddleglum
What is the most important lesson you have learned in life? Your answer to this question defines your One Big Truth. Your One Big Truth is the truth you cling to when all is [...]
Are We Completely Forgiven?
Read the Bible indiscriminately and you’ll get a mixed message. You’ll take on board laws that were never meant for you and you’ll end up confused and lukewarm. [...]
Are sinners forgiven too?
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 [...]
Old vs. new
Searching for Grace – The Book
Searching for Grace by Mick Mooney is a web-comic that follows that relationship between John and a mixed-up preacher called Pastor Moses. John loves Jesus and is looking to [...]
Family devotions
Image from here. If you’d like to see more like this, visit the Grace [...]
The free and naked gospel
Update: This deal has now expired. You can purchase a copy of The Naked Gospel from Amazon. About a year and a half ago I published a review of Andrew Farley’s [...]
Escape to Reality 