Title: The Gospel in Ten Words
Author: Paul Ellis
Summary
Paul Ellis’s book, The Gospel in Ten Words, uses ten words to describe the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Ellis uses these ten words to describe our position and identity in Jesus based on our faith alone in Jesus alone. Below are the words and a brief summary of Ellis’s thoughts on each word.
- Loved. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16). God has such a relentless love for us that he sent his only son, Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). God is NOT mad at you! Ellis says that “carnal religion would have you believe that God is standing with crossed amrs, but grace declares his arms are always open” (p. 27).
- Forgiven. “Your sins have been forgiven on account of his name” (1 John 2:12). The new covenant gives us forgiveness through Jesus! Ellis says that “forgiveness that has taken place is called remission. When were our sins remitted? On the cross” (p. 30).
- Saved. “It is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5). Being saved depends on your response to the savior’s grace. You must accept his free gift of salvation. Ellis say, “The gospel is not merely a promise of a ticket to heaven and a distant salvation. The gospel is the power of God to bless you with his saving and abundant life here and now” (p. 55).
- Union. “God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30). We have been made into a union with Christ, similar to a marriage relationship. Jesus is not coming back for his fiancée; He is coming back for his bride!
- Accepted. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7). This world’s acceptance comes with a price—performance. This is a “lie that says you have to work to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God” (p. 70). Grace takes you through the front door all the way into the throne room and sits you down at the right hand of your heavenly Father. Your Father accepts you based on Jesus’s performance on the cross!
- Holy. “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Holiness means wholeness, which is hard for us to comprehend because we have never seen wholeness like God’s. Your Father sees you as Holy because He sees Jesus, the perfect person in your place. You have died to yourself and it is now Jesus’s life who lives through you (Galatians 2:20). You have been “sanctified for all time” (p. 84).
- Righteous. “You were declared righteous, in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Ellis says, “The bad news of the law proves you can never be good enough to impress God on your own merits, but the good news of grace declares that he offers you his righteousness as a free gift, no strings attached” (p. 90).
- Died. “You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). “Every believer knows that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, but not every believer knows they died too” (p. 101). The gospel of grace is not a reform program for bad people; it is the liberating declaration of NEW life for those who have died!
- New. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You’re not just an improved version of your old self. You are a completely new kind of creature! You’re not a sinner saved by grace. You WERE a sinner; then you were saved by grace! “Right here is where the good news of grace parts company from religion” (p. 113). The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is the best evidence that the old has gone and the new has come. Will you stumble and sin? Yes. Ellis compares this process to a child learning how to walk. A good parent will not chastise their child for falling when learning how to walk. A believer is like a child learning how to walk in this NEW life of ours.
- Royal. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…” (1 Peter 2:9). This royal identity consumes the believer. “Only those who receive from God’s abundant provision of grace get to reign in life” (p. 129).
As you can see, Paul Ellis is abundantly clear that the gospel of salvation is good news because it is completely based on the work of Jesus Christ. We can do nothing to earn this salvation except receive it.
Interesting Pieces
Paul Ellis doesn’t overtly say that he is writing this to refute works salvation, but he warns readers of a counterfeit gospel. How do you recognize a counterfeit gospel? “It’s the one with the price tag” (p. 139).
When I read a non-fiction book, I like to write notes on the last page of the book and include page numbers. This book was more filled with most books that I read! Here are some interesting pieces:
Page 10. Christianity is not a test. It is a rest.
Page 145. If you stopped doing things for Jesus would you feel guilty?
Page 45. Salvation is based on your response to Grace.
Page 57-58. Union with Jesus is made possible via the Holy Spirit.
Page 68. Acceptance is not performance based! (AMEN!)
Page 85. Don’t live based on your feelingsàbut on God’s Word.
Page 92-93. Well-fed Christians point others to the Bread of Life.
Page 95. The Holy Spirit does NOT convict you of your sins. Adam didn’t need God’s help in recognizing his sin and neither do we. Any guilt you have over wrongdoing comes from a condemning source and not the one called Comforter. There is no condemnation—not now, not ever—to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Page 109. Stop saying “no” to temptation. Start saying “yes” to Jesus and His abundant life.
Page 121. Why do Christians still sin? It’s like a baby learning how to walk in their new life.
Page 134. The word of the King has power, faith must be acted upon.
Page 84. Sanctification à You ARE sanctified (positionally)
Review
I recently read and reviewed, “Gospel Allegiance” by Matthew Bates. Although Ellis did not intend for “The Gospel in Ten Words” to be a counter argument for Bates’ book, I ended up reading Ellis’s book as such. Bates book confuses works with the gospel of grace. Ellis accurately explains the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus alone, making the reader abundantly sure that works have nothing to do with the saving faith in Jesus.
I would highly recommend this book for someone looking for a more complete definition of the gospel. This book may be a good starting point for a sermon series on the gospel.
Where to Buy
You can purchase The Gospel in Ten Words on Amazon. You can also read Paul Ellis’s articles on his blog, www.EscapeToReality.org.
