Paul Ellis's Blog, page 10

An Early Look at Paul’s Next Book

My next book is a labor of love. I have been working on it for seven years and it’s time to let you know. It’s about a subject near and dear to my heart – the parables of Jesus.

The parables of Jesus are the world’s most popular stories. Millions of people know them. Each week, the parables are taught from pulpits and in Sunday School classes all over the world.

The parables reveal the way to life, yet they are often hijacked to preach dead works and self-righteousness. Apparently ...

Why We Are Not a Red-Letter Church

“What kind of church are you?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer the question. The lady who had rung my office was thinking of attending one of our Sunday services, but she wanted to know more about us. Were we evangelical, charismatic, Baptist, Lutheran or what?

It was a tricky question because we were all of the above. Our church in Hong Kong attracted people of every stripe from Catholics to Mennonites and full-on Pentecostals. We didn’t fit any particular box.

Then I had a brainwa...

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 forgive mean?

Biblical forgiveness

To forgive means to send away or dismiss. It means you are no longer holding onto an offense or a hurt.

In the New Testament two verbs are translated as forgive:

aphiēmi means to send away (e.g., Matt. 6:12)charizomai means to show favor or kindness (e.g., Gal. 3:1...

Tough Love for Drunks and Sinners

The late Brennan Manning once told a story about a new patient admitted to an alcoholic rehabilitation clinic. The patient, Max, appeared to be a healthy and respectable citizen. When grilled by the counselor over his drinking habits, Max described his behavior in a way that indicated he had no problem with alcohol.

The counselor was not convinced. “You’re a liar!” he shouted. “You drink like a pig.”

Max smiled, refusing to be drawn. He knew that his drinking was modest. He had no...

What is the Law of Liberty?

There are several types of law in the Bible, and if you don’t know which is which, you could get confused. Or worse. Follow the wrong sort of law and you could fall from grace and cut yourself off from Christ.

The laws in scripture

There’s the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ.

There’s the law written on our hearts and the royal law.

There is the law of sin and the law of the Spirit of life; the law of righteousness and the law of faith. But the law we’re interested in, is this ...

How to Rightly Divide the Word of Truth

Ever read something in the Bible that seemed to contradict something else in the Bible? I used to be confused about those apparent contradictions, but now I love them. I know that if I dig a little, I will likely uncover a gem.

The entire Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). But we also need to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). That well-worn phrase comes from the King James Version. Other translations say we n...

Spiritual Gifts – An Incomplete List

Do you know your spiritual gifts? Every believer has spiritual gifts (see 1 Pet. 4:10), but not every believer has put their gifts to work. Have you?

Spiritual gifts are special abilities God gives us that enable us to experience his divine life and reveal his heart to others. Everything God gives us – salvation, faith, righteousness, the Holy Spirit – is a spiritual gift. If you are good at something, such as writing music or showing hospitality, you can thank God for giving you that...

Faith Without Works Is Dead

There is perhaps no more controversial scripture in the Bible than this gem from James:

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14)

Since this seems to contradict what Paul says – “We’re not justified by works, but faith alone” (Gal. 2:16) – people have come up with some strange conclusions:

Paul and James preached different gospelsJames did not really understand graceputting James in the Bible w...

10 Things that Distract you from Christ

The best lies are the ones that have a little truth mixed in. They sound convincing, they make sense, but like medicine mixed with poison, they can be deadly.

This is why you need a clear and undistorted view of the gospel. Not a vague idea, but a solid one, lest you end up like these poor fellows:

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you ...

How to Get Wisdom from God?

Wisdom is the ability to make good decisions and sound judgments. Wisdom is knowing how to walk in the favor and will of God.

We all need wisdom, especially when we come to the crossroads of life.

“Which way should I go?”

“Should I take this job?”

“Is s/he the one for me?”

Wisdom protects us from making bad choices and ruining our lives. But where do we get wisdom?

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and...