Redeeming God

Liberating you from bad ideas about God

Learn the MOST ESSENTIAL truths for following Jesus.

Get FREE articles and audio teachings in my discipleship emails!


  • Join Us!
  • Scripture
  • Theology
  • My Books
  • About
  • Discipleship
  • Courses
    • What is Hell?
    • Skeleton Church
    • The Gospel According to Scripture
    • The Gospel Dictionary
    • The Re-Justification of God
    • What is Prayer?
    • Adventures in Fishing for Men
    • What are the Spiritual Gifts?
    • How to Study the Bible
    • Courses FAQ
  • Forum
    • Introduce Yourself
    • Old Testament
    • New Testament
    • Theology Questions
    • Life & Ministry

God’s Offer of Eternal Life is not Easy to Believe

By Jeremy Myers
35 Comments

God’s Offer of Eternal Life is not Easy to Believe

God’s offer of eternal life is simple … but it is not easy to believe.

The simple offer of eternal life in the Gospel is that God gives eternal life to anyone who simply believes in Jesus Christ for it.

Simple, right?

But not easy to believe.

It is not easy to believe that Godโ€™s free gift of eternal life is by grace from first to last.

eternal life hard to believe

True grace is something completely foreign to the way life works or to the way most people think. Humans are unaccustomed to grace. We are told almost from birth that nothing is ever free, that there is always a hidden catch, and that we should always read the fine print.

So when the gospel is presented to us and we are told that eternal life is the absolutely free gift of God to anyone who receives it by faith in Jesus, and that there is nothing we need to do or even can do to earn it or keep it, most people start a get a little suspicious.

They start to look for the fine print.

They start to search for the catch.

The free offer of eternal life seems too good to be true.

So we go looking for the fine print, the footnotes, or the hidden conditions.

Sadly, there are far too many Christians who are more than willing to provide the fine print and explain the catch.

โ€œOh yes,โ€ they say. โ€œEternal life is free, but you have to love God in return and obey what He says in Scripture in order to prove you have it.โ€

Others say, โ€œWell, you need to understand, if you truly are a Christian, your life will have the good works to back up your claim. If you donโ€™t have the good works, then this means you are not truly a Christian.โ€

Then there is this argument: โ€œEternal life is free, but before you can receive it, you have to fix up your life, seek after God, repent of your sin, submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, prepare your heart for faith, and pray the sinnerโ€™s prayer.โ€

To all these sorts of teachings, and countless similar ideas, the gospel in Scripture says โ€œNo! Eternal life is a free gift of God.โ€

Eternal life is by Godโ€™s grace from first to last.

There are no works needed to gain eternal life, keep eternal life, or prove you have eternal life.

Eternal life does not require you to reform your life, repent of your sin, submit to the Lordship of Jesus, get baptized, seek God, or pray a prayer.

Just receive eternal life as a free gift from God by believing in Jesus for it. Thatโ€™s it!

It’s that simple … but it’s not easy to believe

hard to believeThis is why the free offer of eternal life is a problem for most people.

It sounds too good to be true.

It sounds too radical.

It sounds like it’s taking grace too far.

Since the gospel of grace is opposite to the way the rest of life works, many people have great trouble accepting it.

So almost without fail, when people first begin to grasp the implications of the freeness of Godโ€™s grace in the offer of eternal lifeโ€”that God gives eternal life to anyone who simply and only believes in Jesus for itโ€”they begin to ask questions.

One of the most frequent questions is this: โ€œSo if eternal life is free and all I have to do is believe in Jesus to get it, does this mean I can go sin all I want?โ€

A man recently posed the question to me this way, โ€œAre you saying that I can believe in Jesus for eternal life, but I can still sleep around, and steal from people, and even murder anyone I want to, but I still get to go to heaven when I die? I donโ€™t have to stop sinning? I donโ€™t have to read the Bible? I donโ€™t have to go to church?โ€

While many Christians would answer โ€œNoโ€ to these questions, my answer is always, โ€œYes!โ€

eternal life is freeNo ifs, ands, or buts.

Without qualification.

Absent of all fine print, footnotes, or hidden conditions.

Yes, I know.

If I say that grace allows you to go sin all you want, you now are beginning to wonder if I am a false teacher who promotes licentious living.

You have probably heard rumors that teachers like me exist, but have rarely (if ever) encountered one in public.

Pastors often preach against โ€œthose grace teachers,โ€ but few people have ever really met one.

This is because most so-called โ€œgrace teachersโ€ still include a lot of โ€œifs, ands, or butsโ€ in their teachings about grace. So the true โ€œgrace teacherโ€ is viewed as a bit of a legend, sort like leprechauns and elves.

But I have now exposed myself as one of those mythical monsters that people are warned about by their pastors. Even still, you might be thinking I do not mean what I say.

But I do.

Since grace is free, you can go sin all you want.

I will explain this idea more in future blog posts, but if you absolutely must know NOW what I mean, take my course on the gospel. It explains all this (and more) in great detail.

The Gospel According to ScriptureWant to learn more about the gospel? Take my new course, "The Gospel According to Scripture."

The entire course is free for those who join my online Discipleship group here on RedeemingGod.com. I can't wait to see you inside the course!

God is Redeeming Theology Bible & Theology Topics: eternal life, free grace, gospel, grace, sin, soteriology, Theology of Salvation

Advertisement

[#60] Genesis 4 Overview โ€“ Sin and Civilization

By Jeremy Myers
4 Comments

[#60] Genesis 4 Overview โ€“ Sin and Civilization
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/297917455-redeeminggod-60-genesis-4-overview-sin-and-civilization.mp3

This episode of the One Verse Podcast provides a short summary of Genesis 4. This helps you get up to speed in this Podcast if you have missed most of the studies of Genesis 4. There are similar summary episodes for Genesis 1, 2, and 3 as well.

Genesis 4 summary

Of course, in todayโ€™s episode, we donโ€™t look only at Genesis 4, but also look at the flood account in Genesis 6โ€“8, and a verse or two out of Genesis 50. Doing so shows us what Genesis is all about. This is important, since Genesis is the introduction to the Bible.

If you want to understand Genesis and the Bible as a whole, make sure you listen to todayโ€™s One Verse Podcast.

In this discussion of Genesis 4 we look at:

  • A summary of how sin and scapegoating leads to civilization
  • A look ahead to Genesis 6โ€“11 and the rest of Scripture
  • How the book of Genesis ends the way it begins, showing us the overall message of the book of Genesis
  • The alternative to violence which God reveals in Genesis, Scripture, and ultimately, in Jesus Christ

Resources:

  • Become a Member of RedeemingGod.com
  • Atonement of God, by J. D. Myers
  • Genesis 1 Summary
  • Genesis 2 Summary
  • Genesis 3 Summary
  • Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Membership-become-a-member


Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture Bible & Theology Topics: Cain and Abel, forgiveness, Genesis 4, One Verse Podcast, sacrifice, scapegoating, sin, violence

Advertisement

[#56] Genesis 4:8 โ€“ The Founding Murder

By Jeremy Myers
1 Comment

[#56] Genesis 4:8 โ€“ The Founding Murder
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/291074811-redeeminggod-56-genesis-48-the-founding-murder.mp3

Genesis 4:8 contains the account of Cain murdering his brother Abel. This is the first death in Scripture and reveals something significant about death and violence.

Genesis 4:8 Cain and Abel

If you have been listening to my podcast for the past year, you may recall that as we were working our way through Genesis 3, I kept mentioning the six foundational and revolutionary truths from Genesis 2, 3, and 4. We looked at the first 5 of these, and then I havenโ€™t really mentioned too much more about them. So maybe you were thinking, โ€œHey! What about the sixth?โ€

Well, that is what we are finally getting to today. Genesis 4:8 contains the sixth and final revolutionary and foundational truth. Understanding this will help you understand the Bible, God, yourself, your relationships, politics, economics, history, and pretty much everything else that goes on in the world.

The Text of Genesis 4:8

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

In this discussion of Genesis 4:8 we look at:

  • The murder of Abel by Cain
  • Why the first death in Scripture is a fratricide
  • The sixth foundational and revolutionary truth from Genesis 2โ€“4
  • What Genesis 4:8 teaches us about God, ourselves, Scripture, history, politics, economics, and pretty much everything else in life.

Resources:

  • Become a Member of RedeemingGod.com
  • Myers, The Atonement of God
  • Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Membership-become-a-member


Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture Bible & Theology Topics: abel, cain, death, Genesis 4:8, murder, One Verse Podcast, sin, violence

Advertisement

[#55] Genesis 4:6-7 โ€“ The First Sin in the Bible

By Jeremy Myers
15 Comments

[#55] Genesis 4:6-7 โ€“ The First Sin in the Bible
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/290176426-redeeminggod-55-genesis-46-7-the-first-sin-in-the-bible.mp3

Genesis 4:6-7 anger of cainIf I were to ask you when the first sin in the Bible occurs, you might point to Genesis 2 when Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet did you know that their actions in Genesis 2 are not referred to as โ€œsinโ€?

Sin is not actually mentioned until Genesis 4:7, which is one of the verses we look at in this study.

The Text of Genesis 4:6-7

So the Lord said to Cain, โ€œWhy are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?ย  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.โ€

In this discussion of Genesis 4:6-7 we look at:

  • Why Cain becomes Angry
  • The nature and source of sin
  • The causes and consequences of sin
  • The truth about sin

Resources:

  • Become a Member of RedeemingGod.com
  • Walton, Lost World Adam and Eve
  • Biddle, Missing the Mark
  • Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Membership-become-a-member


Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture Bible & Theology Topics: abel, cain, Genesis 4:6-7, murder, One Verse Podcast, sin

Advertisement

My Sin

By Jeremy Myers
13 Comments

My Sin

I remember as a child asking God to forgive me and accept me into His family, but afterward, every time I sinned, I would worry that maybe God had kicked me out of His family or that He didnโ€™t love me anymore.

child praying for forgivenessI made it an almost daily habit to ask God back into my heart. I never really knew for sure where I stood with God, and so prayed daily to thank Him for loving me if He still did, but if He did not, then would He please forgive me and start loving me again.

I didnโ€™t really have too many major sins to be worried about. It was just the normal kid stuff, such as talking back to my parents, getting mad at one of my sisters, or stealing a piece of penny candy from the glass bowl on the pastorโ€™s desk at church.

Asking the Devil into My Heart

One time, though, I heard that a true Christian could never be possessed by the devil, so I decided to test whether or not I was a true Christian by praying to the devil and inviting him into my heart.

I remember feeling relieved afterward that I could still name the name of Jesus and pray to God, but for many years after that, I wondered if I had in fact been possessed by the devil and he was just deceiving me into thinking I had not.

So I prayed and begged for Godโ€™s forgiveness and that He would keep me in His family.

Getting Addicted to Porn

In Junior High and High School, I fell into a sin which I could never seem to beat. This was a sin which most males struggle with most of their lives, but which few Christians talk about. It was pornography. This cycle of sin led me into a cycle of shame, guilt, and fear, which then led to tearful confessions, repentance, and promises to never do it again, only to fall right back into it a few days or weeks later.

sin guilt and shameSimilar sorts of sins, problems, and fears followed me into college, adulthood, marriage, and even into my first years as a pastor.

Finding Freedom in God’s Love and Grace

It was during college that I first began to see some of the central truths of the gospel, and it was because of these truths that I first began to find the freedom, liberty, and joy in my relationship with God that I had often heard about but had rarely experienced.

These gospel truths liberated me from the fear of Godโ€™s rejection and the shame of my sin.

Later, during my years as a pastor, I came to understand the limitless freedom of Godโ€™s grace, and how to invite people into a relationship with God centered on grace instead of on our own performance.

In more recent years, these truths have continued to blossom, flourish, and grow into a certainty about the centrality of Godโ€™s unconditional love for everything in the life of the Christian. The fact that Godโ€™s love is unconditional means that there is nothing we need to do (or stop doing) to earn it, keep it, or prove it.

In my course, The Gospel According to Scripture,ย I share some of the truths with you that I have learned over the past couple decades which have helped and encouraged me.

freedom from sin and guiltI share with you what I have learned about Godโ€™s infinite love, grace, and forgiveness. I want you to begin to experience these truths in your own life, so that you not only come to a fuller understanding of the gospel, but so that you can actually begin to experience the promises and freedoms of the gospel in a real and tangible way.

If you take the course, you will see that God is pure love, that Godโ€™s love for you is unconditional and unadulterated. Once you see this, your fear and shame will fade away, because there is no fear in love (1 John 4:18). You will come to recognize that since God loves you completely and unconditionally, there is nothing you need to do to earn or keep Godโ€™s love for you.

The Gospel According to ScriptureWant to learn more about the gospel? Take my new course, "The Gospel According to Scripture."

The entire course is free for those who join my online Discipleship group here on RedeemingGod.com. I can't wait to see you inside the course!

grace gives freedom

God is Redeeming Theology Bible & Theology Topics: forgiveness, gospel, gospel according to Scripture, grace, guilt, love, shame, sin

Advertisement

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • …
  • 21
  • Next Page »
Join the discipleship group
Learn about the gospel and how to share it

Take my new course:

The Gospel According to Scripture
Best Books Every Christian Should Read
Study Scripture with me
Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes
Subscribe to my Podcast on Amazon

Do you like my blog?
Try one of my books:

Click the image below to see what books are available.

Books by Jeremy Myers

Theological Study Archives

  • Theology – General
  • Theology Introduction
  • Theology of the Bible
  • Theology of God
  • Theology of Man
  • Theology of Sin
  • Theology of Jesus
  • Theology of Salvation
  • Theology of the Holy Spirit
  • Theology of the Church
  • Theology of Angels
  • Theology of the End Times
  • Theology Q&A

Bible Study Archives

  • Bible Studies on Genesis
  • Bible Studies on Esther
  • Bible Studies on Psalms
  • Bible Studies on Jonah
  • Bible Studies on Matthew
  • Bible Studies on Luke
  • Bible Studies on Romans
  • Bible Studies on Ephesians
  • Miscellaneous Bible Studies

Advertise or Donate

  • Advertise on RedeemingGod.com
  • Donate to Jeremy Myers

Search (and you Shall Find)

Get Books by Jeremy Myers

Books by Jeremy Myers

Schedule Jeremy for an interview

Click here to Contact Me!

© 2025 Redeeming God · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Knownhost and the Genesis Framework