“Sin Which Dwells in Me”
My scariest movie moment happened at a drive-in theater in 1986. I was in a car with some friends, watching a new release called Aliens. Seen it? We had no idea what the [...]
sin
Kept in Custody Under the Law
When you see the law mentioned in the Bible, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think “the law” = the Law of Moses. If so, you may dismiss chunks of the New Testament as [...]
How Does God Respond When I Sin?
We all stumble from time to time. We all make mistakes. Even you. Even though you are 100% righteous and holy in Christ, your behavior is not 100% righteous and holy. From [...]
Why Do I Still Sin If I Am Saved?
Saint, you don’t have a sinful nature. The old sinner you used to be has been crucified with Christ. One with the Lord you have his heart, his desires, his spiritual DNA, [...]
The Real Seven Deadly Sins
Every year on my birthday, my wife makes a delicious gumbo. It’s so yummy I usually have a second helping. And by second, I mean third or fourth. It’s that good! But [...]
Will I Lose My Salvation if I Keep Sinning?
I’m just gonna say it: it is not God’s will for you to live in sin. “Wait, Paul. I thought you were a grace preacher. Aren’t you supposed to accept people just as [...]
Are All Sins Forgiven – Past, Present and Future?
Are all your sins forgiven, past, present and future? This is one of those questions that sounds hard but is easy to answer, provided you have the right definition. What does [...]
How to Have a Perfectly Good Conscience
Many people struggle with guilt on a daily basis. They feel guilty for not spending more time with their kids and for not calling their parents. They feel guilty for working [...]
Do Christians have a Sinful Nature?
Ever heard the one about how you have two natures wrestling inside you and the one that dominates is the one you feed the most? It’s not true. Christian, you do not have a [...]
Two Lies About Sin
The worst disease to ever afflict the human race is not Covid or cancer, but sin. Sin is not merely breaking the rules or acting immorally. Sin is much more serious than [...]
What is the Sin Leading to Death?
There are different types of sin, and some more serious than others. Apparently we should pray for those who do the lighter sins, but not waste time praying for those who do [...]
What is the Biblical Definition of Sin?
What is sin? Some define sin as transgression of God’s law. “We need to keep the law because ‘sin is lawlessness’” (see 1 John 3:4). Okay, but which law? “We have [...]
Does Sin Hinder our Prayers?
Ever heard this one: “God is holy. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, he will not hear your prayers.” It’s. Not. True. If sin made God deaf, no sinner could be [...]
5 Myths about God’s Forgiveness
No religion preaches the complete forgiveness of sins like Christianity. You might say it’s one of our unique selling points. So why do we do such a bad job with it? We [...]
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 [...]
Does God Love Me When I Sin?
I heard a pastor of a large church tell his congregation, “God hates you, God is sick of you, God is frustrated with you, God is weary of you.” And why is God in such a [...]
Does the Hypergrace Gospel Encourage Sin?
Preach the scandalous grace of God and some will misinterpret your message as an endorsement of sin. It’s practically inevitable. But those who dismiss grace as a license [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
What is Godly Sorrow?
For godly sorrow worketh repentance… (2 Corinthians 7:10) What is godly sorrow? Apparently it’s when the Holy Spirit makes you sorry for your sin. “God grieves over [...]
Myth 5: Hyper-grace preachers say God is not grieved by your sin
“Hyper-grace preachers say God doesn’t care when we sin.” Actually, we say God cares very much because sin hurt the objects of his affection—us! Sin damages people, [...]
How Does the Holy Spirit Convict us?
How does the Spirit convict us? “Through the law,” says the mixed-grace preacher. “It is by God’s law that we are convicted. When you sin, the Holy Spirit will remind [...]
1 John 1:9 – Ask the Right Question
In many grace books it is common to find some discussion on 1 John 1:9. This verse is special because it is the only verse in the new covenant that appears to link confession [...]
What is the Cure for Guilt?
The other day I lost my temper. It was only for a moment, but it was enough. Damage was done. Later I felt sick about what I did and took steps to make amends. This is how [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Do NIV readers have a sinful nature?
Here are two verses that seem to say contradictory things about our sinful nature: 1. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a [...]
Want to be a transparent Christian? Then reveal what’s really inside
Many years ago I participated in a street outreach in Australia. With our loud and upbeat music we soon attracted a large crowd. This was good. Sinners were going to hear the [...]
How Well Did I Understand Grace Before I Understood Grace?
Have you ever seen those Magic Eye 3D pictures that look random but then reveal a hidden picture? Maybe there’s a group of you looking and someone says, “Wow – look at [...]
The Test of Your Gospel
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 [...]
What is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an [...]
What is the Unforgivable Sin?
I know people who think that they were cursed because they, or their parents, have committed the “unforgivable sin.” It was partly this conviction that made Søren [...]
Who Can Take Communion?
Ever heard this said at church? And now as we turn to the communion table, I would like to invite all those who love Jesus and call him Lord to join with us in partaking of [...]
Escape to Reality 