The Gospel in Ten Words
Read The Gospel in Ten Words Online
Authors: Paul Ellis
NDORSEMENTS
“Ever felt afraid
that the grace of God sounds too good to be true? I have known Paul for about
20 years. He is a man of immense integrity and humility. When he writes
something he means it! Many are looking for truth they can rely on. In
The
Gospel in Ten Words
, Paul delivers this big time. Read and be in awe of how
good God is!”
—
R
OB
R
UFUS
senior
pastor, City Church International, Hong Kong
“Paul Ellis has
written the definitive book on the gospel! His
Gospel in Ten Words
will
go down as one of the best books I have ever read on the subject. After I
finished reading it, I immediately reread it again, it was just that good! This
is a book, you will read, reread and go back to reference it again and again.
It is a book you will want to share with all your friends and total strangers
as well. I would recommend buying a case of them.”
—
E
D
E
LLIOTT, aka The
Vagabond Evangelist
President, World of Life Outreach
“Dr. Paul Ellis’s
book,
The Gospel in Ten Words
, is liberating! It simplifies the gospel
of Jesus Christ, and reveals its life transforming power.”
—
P
ETER
M. K
AIRUZ
CEO of CBN Asia and Host of
The 700 Club
Asia
“If your walk with
God has become a laboring crawl, then Paul’s book,
The Gospel in Ten Words
,
is exactly what you need. Each chapter is an exhilarating view of the gospel of
Jesus—I’m not kidding—and the reader is amazed at what is found. In the same
way a weary and struggling hiker is dazzled by a sudden meadow opening before
him, we find that the struggle is over and all that is left is to marvel and
breathe. That’s the unending view Paul Ellis offers—the stunning good news God
intends for us all. This is the book I’d choose for anyone considering a
journey with God, whether it’s the beginning or a going on.”
—
R
ALPH
H
ARRIS
author of
God’s Astounding
Opinion of You
“One of
the best books I have ever read. The light of the glorious gospel of Christ
flooded my heart as I read this book. This book is all about Jesus Christ and his
finished work on the cross. I now have a clearer understanding on who I am and
what I have because of what Jesus Christ has done.”
— J
UN
Y
U
senior pastor Jesus Faith Christian Fellowship, the Philippines
“This
book is simply captivating! It’s like looking at the gospel of grace in a 360°
panoramic shot. Written with amazing clarity and practicality,
The Gospel in
Ten Words
oozes good news on every page.”
—
C
ORNEL
M
ARAIS
founder of
CharismaMinistries.org, author of
So You Think Your Mind is Renewed?
“I love
The Gospel
in Ten Words
. This is revelation that will come as a wonderful surprise for
the new believer, as well as for many who have thought they understood the
gospel but have been bound in tradition-based thinking. With grace and joyful
power, Paul systematically replaces misconceptions with the bedrock realities
of the good news that God has given to all people. I will be recommending this
book to everybody!”
—
J
ACK
S
TRADWICK
senior pastor, Fusion Church, New Zealand
“Paul Ellis is one of
only a handful of people that I’m aware of who can present the gospel of grace
in a way that is not only easy to understand, but also empowers those who
believe to embrace the supernatural power of God. Read this book, whether you
think you understand the gospel or not. It will change you.”
—
R
YAN
R
HOADES
founder of
RevivalOrRiots.org
“I have
been reading Paul’s writings for a few years now and I have often been
encouraged and strengthened by his revelation on the gospel.
The Gospel in
Ten Words
will strengthen you in the too good to be true news of a God that
loves us more than we know and who has given us more than we use. This book
will help you unlock Gods love and full provision in Christ.
”
—
W
AYNE
D
UNCAN
senior pastor, Coastlands
Christian Church, South Africa
The Gospel in Ten Words
ISBN:
978-1-927230-01-5
Copyright
© 2012 by Paul Ellis
Published
by KingsPress
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Version:
1.5 (June 2015)
Dedication:
This is for everyone.
Prologue
O
UT OF THE
J
UNGLE
When World War II
came to an end, it was a time of great joy and celebration. Proverbial swords
were beaten into plowshares, prisoners were set free, and millions of soldiers
went home to their families. But one man, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the
Imperial Japanese Army, chose not to believe broadcasts
announcing the end of the war
. For the next 29 years Lieutenant
Onoda hid in the jungles of the Philippines refusing to come home.
Knowing
he was still out there, the authorities tried to reach him with the news.
However, Onoda dismissed leaflets left by the islanders as enemy propaganda. He
considered letters, family photos, and newspapers dropped from planes as nothing
more than clever tricks.
In
1974 a Japanese college student made it his personal quest to track down the
holdout. After trekking through the jungle the student found the old soldier
and befriended him, but he could not convince him to surrender.
Eventually,
the Japanese Government sent Onoda’s former commanding officer into the jungle
with orders for him to stand down. Relieved of duty, Onoda emptied the bullets
from his rifle and turned in his weapon. For him the war was finally over. He returned
home to a hero’s welcome.
[1]
For
three decades Lieutenant Onoda was engaged in a war
that existed only in his mind against an imaginary enemy he both feared and
distrusted. This is how some people relate to God. They’re opposed to God in
their minds or they think God is gunning for them on account of their sin. They
have not heard there has been a cessation of hostilities, that the war has been
won and the Prince of Peace now sits on the throne. Ignorant of this good news
and fearful of God they are lying low in the jungles of religion or godless
self-deception. God hates them
—
or so they
think. His anger is mounting. They are not sure what God is doing now but they
expect him to show up one day, and when he does there will be hell to pay.
I wrote
this book for one simple reason: most people haven’t heard the gospel. How do I
know? Because most are unsure of who God is and what he thinks of them. Or
perhaps they have heard the good news but they don’t believe it
; i
t doesn’t
fit in their grid. So they live under a lie, refusing to come home.
Sadly this is just as true of Christians as unbelievers.
In ten years as a pastor and forty years as a churchgoer I have
met thousands of believers around the world. Every single one of them would
tell you they believe the gospel. But the fruit of their lives often reveals a
different story. Instead of reaping from the gospel of peace, they are plowing
the hard ground of D.I.Y. religion. Instead of drawing with joy from the wells
of salvation, they are baking bricks in the pits of performance-based
churchianity.
Why am I convinced that most people don’t know the gospel? Because
they have no joy. Their mouths aren’t filled with laughter and their tongues
don’t sing of the great things God has done for them. To paraphrase
Shakespeare, the joy’s the thing:
But the angel said to
them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people.” (Luke 2:10)
The angel said the gospel would bring great joy to all people.
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. Fearful of upsetting a touchy God they are trying to do the
right thing and make themselves pleasing to the Lord. But since they are never
sure if they have done enough they have no peace. Others are running hard after
the favor of God but they never seem to arrive. They study the scriptures, fast
and pray, and do all they are told to do, but the promised blessings of the
Christian life
—
God’s
forgiveness, acceptance, provision and so on
—
always seem just out of reach.
They’re sweating on the hamster wheel of Christian service and going nowhere
fast.
Squeezed between the demands of a holy God who expects nothing
short of perfection and the flawed performance of their own broken lives,
Christians can be among the most neurotic people on the planet. Like yo-yos
they are up one day but down the next; they are testifying on Sunday but
confessing on Monday. Each time they stumble they promise Jesus they will try
harder next time but it’s no use. They feel like frauds and wonder what will
happen to them when their shortcomings are eventually exposed.