The Gospel is the revelation of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Most people, including Christians, haven’t heard the Gospel. That’s why Paul Ellis wrote The Gospel in Ten Words.
Why am I convinced that most people don’t know the gospel? Because they have no joy…those who receive the gospel ought to be the happiest, most joyful people in the world. Yet many believers are far from joyful. They may be smiling on the outside, but on the inside they are anxious, insecure, and battling with guilt and condemnation.
Paul led a church for many years and preached the gospel without knowing what it was. He thought is was the gospel but it was actually an inferior imitation. Like many preachers, his motives were pure, but he was often puzzled why people weren’t more joyful.
I sold the grace of God on credit. “Buy now, pay later. Sign up today, the first month’s free. But once you’ve settled in we need to talk about personal responsibility, discipleship, and the true cost of following Jesus.” I had the right jargon but the wrong theology. It was love with a hook and grace with a price tag.
Most Christians agree that “We’re saved by grace. Live by grace. It’s all by grace,” but they’re sweating on the hamster wheel of Christian service and going nowhere fast because they still try to become what they already are or are trying to get what they already possess by avoiding evil and doing good.
If this is you, the problem is not your effort of desire, it’s your gospel. It’s contaminated. You’re drinking from a poisened well, and it’s making you ill.
Furthermore, Paul gives this definition of the Gospel:
The gospel is the glad and merry news that God is good, He loves you, and He will happily give up everything He has so He can have you. Contrary to popular believe God is not mad at you. He is not even in a bad mood. The good news declares that God is happy, He is for you, and He wants to share His live with you forever.
And,
The gospel is good news. Any gospel that leaves you insecure and uncertain, forever wondering, Am I accepted? Am I forgiven? Is not good news. Any gospel that demands you sign up for a lifetime of progessive sanctification and yet offers no guarentee that you will ever make it, is not good news.
He then discribes ten revelations of grace: that you are loved, forgiven, saved, in union, accepted, holy, righteous, dead to sin, new and royal. There are more blessings in Christ, but this book covers ten of them, hence the title The Gospel in Ten Words.
The book is packed with truth about who you are and why you were born – that is living loved.
It is an easy read, well structured, instructive, and here and there spiced up with illustrations and humor.
Each of the ten chapters stands on it’s own and can be read on it’s own so it could be easily used as a devotional or study guide for small groups.
I appreciate that the last chapter talks about our role as a priest to serve and as a king to rule because we’re called to do the works of Jesus from a place of being confident in who we are. Authority and power is given to reveal Christ the King and bring the Kingdom by healing the sick, setting the oppressed free, etc.
As I read the book I felt totally refreshed by the Fathers untained, unfailing, and unconditional love towards me and caused me a few times to have a grin from ear to ear as I felt His pleasure over me.
On the scale of one to ten, I’d give it a 9,8. It’s a crystal clear New Covenant Grace book. Highly recommended.
Ok, one last quote to wet your appetite.
The ministry of reconciliation is not telling people that a huffy God waits for them to sooth his offended ego with a bunch of repentance flowers and a box of confession chocolates. It is the thrill of proclaiming the glad, happy news that God loves them, His face is turned towards them, and He hold nothing against them.
If you’re looking for the Gospel of grace written in undiluted, unpoisened, non-religous fashion or want to understand in a fresh way how the Father sees you, this book is for you.
Click here to check out The Gospel in Ten Words.
Happy reading!
Bas, I’m sure I would enjoy this book and will try to pick up a copy as my book budget allows. A question though concerning Ellis’ quote:
“The ministry of reconciliation is not telling people that a huffy God waits for them to sooth his offended ego with a bunch of repentance flowers and a box of confession chocolates. It is the thrill of proclaiming the glad, happy news that God loves them, His face is turned towards them, and He hold nothing against them.”
I believe this to be true, but the difficulty that is pressing so hard upon us is the issue of what to do with the confessing Christian who is yet sexually errant in their lifestyle. “He holds nothing against them.” ??? Is the above statement as true for them as for all other yet imperfect (in the flesh) believers? I think so; but sexuality is a very deeply personal issue and the tension is felt in affirming them in this unlimited full-access grace of God while at the same time, without offense, leading them out of bondage; a deliverance they may not readily believe they need.
Hi Stephen, That can be indeed a difficult situation. I can taste a Grace-full walk and approach that you have in your life. An article that might be of help, also for the people you’re talking about is this: http://escapetoreality.org/2012/08/21/letter-to-young-men/
It has also three other links at the bottom about overcoming sin. Yours, Bas
Hi Bas,
Enjoyed the article, a good one to share with “hot blooded young men.” My only very slight rub with Ellis is in his 3rd point, you can’t lose your salvation by sinning. Thank God! However, the practice of sin, especially when we know better, can, in time, so harden our hearts towards God that we no longer care if he is in our lives or not. That’s the danger. What does God do with the former confessing Christian who tells the Lord he no longer wants him in his life? (I’ve seen this happen) I trust that even then the grip of grace yet holds him, but at the very least, given all that Scripture says, he may have put his soul in jeopardy. I do not know, hence the word “may.” Bottom line, as Ellis says, “Sin is stupid.” Amen.
Really enjoying getting acquainted with your teaching ministry Bas. Making my way through your Youtube videos. Thank you for sharing them. I especially enjoyed the teaching on overcoming your struggles with faith. I loved (and will borrow 🙂 ) your analogy of the baby not getting more muscles as it grows and gets stronger; that, and your comparison of the law of faith overcoming the law of fact in the same way that the law of lift overcomes the law of gravity. God bless you big!
Gaining momentum! Stephen
I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos Stephen. Feel free to ‘borrow’ anything you hear me say 🙂
Together gaining momentum!
Bas
Hi Bas,
My mom-in-law is in need of a miracle. Her name is Jeanie. A super-sweet Christian lady, the primary problem at the moment being a fractured vertebrae in her spine. She is in a lot of pain. We have all prayed. I laid hands on her in the name of the Lord and commanded the pain to live and for the fracture to mend. Nothing yet. I know to persevere. Any other suggestions? Jeanie is 85, but Jesus never turned anyone away saying, “It’s just part of being aged, you’ll have to endure it.” What can I do for her to get a breakthrough? Tough question, I know, but worth asking. All the best to you!
Grace and peace, Steve
Hi Steve,
That’s to bad for Jeanie. However, we have the cure at hand; it’s, as you know, living in us – God’s Presence. Healing is letting the life of God that is in us, flow through us. So you hands are like jumpercables that you put on the sick person. Just like a empty battery of a car gets a boost and start working again, so the sickness (which is a form of death) gets a boost of the life you’re putting and and the body starts to repair itself, but faster in order to function again probably. Why are not all people healed. Usually because of a few things. Either false teaching (like you said, It’s just part of being aged bla bla; that’s all nonsense), or Uncertainty about God’s will (so that there isn’t the 100% assurance on the inside that it’s always Gods will to heal anybody, anywhere, anytime) or because we give up and don’t keep putting the jumper cables on the sick person until we see what Jesus promised: believers shall lay hands on the sick and they SHALL (not maybe) recover. So that the promise we stand on. Until we see this we keep ministering the life of God and let it flow through us, like rivers of living Water. By the way, if you wan to read more on this go to the article link below, scroll down and then you can download a healing manuel I made for free. It has also answers on the most asked questions and such. You might like it Steve. I, also, command the pain to leaven from her spine, right NOW, In Jesus Name. With love, Bas
https://www.basrijksen.com///you-dont-need-to-be-a-superstar-christian-to-heal-the-sick/
This book by Paul Ellis is a crystal clear message on the Gospel in all it glory and liberating power. Wish I had read it 25 year ago! I want to read this book over and over again. Now the book is available in Dutch as well (Het evangelie in tien woorden – Uitgeverij Shama). Blessings, Erik
Hi Erik,
Awesome you’ve also find this book to be such a blessings.
Cool that it’s in Dutch right now
Bas