What Verse Should they Display in Churches?
Imagine you have been asked to pick a verse to display in your church sanctuary. What verse would you pick? Some churches display the Ten Commandments, which is not a good [...]
eternal security
Once Saved, Always Saved?
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 [...]
7 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Your Salvation
If you are worried about losing your salvation, here’s a question: When you were born again, did you do it? Did you remake or re-create yourself? Did you somehow join [...]
What If I Deny the Lord?
List all the verses that scare people and this one would be near the top: “If we deny him, he will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12). Having been raised on a diet of Chick [...]
Faithful unto Death?! What if I’m Not?
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10c) But what if I’m not faithful until death? Jesus remains faithful; you still get a crown. [...]
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’? (Luke 6:46)
“Paul, I’m a Christian. I’m worried about that Jesus might reject me even though I call him Lord. Am I doing enough to be saved?” Are you referring to this scripture: [...]
Why God Will Not Cast You into the Fire
Whoever comes to me I will never cast away. (John 6:37) Jesus promised he would never cast away those who come to him, yet some people fear he might. Why? Because Jesus is [...]
Are Unfruitful Branches Lifted Up?
Here is possibly the worst verse in the Bible: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. (John 15:1-2, NIV) I say [...]
Can You Lose Your Salvation?
Can you lose your salvation and become unsaved? When I first began writing about the gospel of grace few people asked this question. It was too contentious, too uncertain, [...]
The Endurance of the Saints
Image source There are nearly two dozen New Testament scriptures that speak of enduring or holding fast to the end. The wrong way to read these scriptures is to think, “I [...]
The “I Wills” of God
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 [...]
Can You Fall from Your Secure Position (2 Peter 3:17)?
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 [...]
Have I Committed the Unforgivable Sin?
Here is a conversation I have on a regular basis: Reader: “Paul, I’m worried that I have committed the unforgivable sin.” Me: “You haven’t.” Reader: “But I had [...]
The Top 12 Promises on Eternal Security
I have begun listing the many promises in God’s Word regarding the eternal security of the believer. So far I’m up to 130 scriptures, with more to come. It’s a [...]
Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation?
In this world of anxiety and fear, it is a radical thing to proclaim the eternal security of the believer. One with the Lord, your future is the same as his. No one can [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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), [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
What if I deny Jesus? (2 Timothy 2:11–13)
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we [...]
What Happens When we Fall from Grace?
I am so glad the book of Galatians is in the Bible because we can learn a lot from other people’s mistakes. The Galatians lost their liberty in Christ by allowing [...]
Fear God Who Can Throw Us Into Hell?
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell. (Matthew 10:28) This a puzzle [...]
Hebrews 12:6 – Does God scourge his kids?
Everyone has a mental picture of God. Perhaps you think he is distant, aloof, angry, even terrifying. Possibly you envision him holding a whip in his hands… For those whom [...]
Is the Christian Race a Marathon?
Some believe that Christianity is a race. But what kind of race is it? Is it like a marathon, something to be endured rather than enjoyed? And do only those who endure to the [...]
Endure to the End and be Saved
Can you can lose your salvation if you fail to stand firm or endure to the end? What if you stumble at the end? There are about two dozen scriptures that have some bearing on [...]
Disqualified for the Prize?
I’m a bit of a runner. Last year I clocked up 500 miles in runs around my neighborhood. No marathons or ultras or anything like that. Just regular 5 mile runs and the odd [...]
7 more things that happen to Christians who stray
Nearly every book in the New Testament warns Christians of the dangers of false preachers and teachers who preach another Jesus or another gospel. Jesus, Paul, Peter, et al. [...]
What Happens When We Stray?
What happens to Christians who stray, or follow another Jesus, another Spirit, or another gospel? This is not a hard question to answer because it happened in the Bible. The [...]
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 [...]
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 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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
John 15:6 – Abiding in the Vine
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (Jn 15:6) What does it [...]
Escape to Reality 