by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 6, 2025 | Pauline Theology |
Series: Not of Works – A Series on the Gospel of Grace
Anchor Text: 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
⚠️Many denominations—especially in America—preach some form of “final salvation.”
Over the years, I’ve met countless people who didn’t even realize they were trusting in a faith plus something gospel.
Whether it’s faith plus fruit, obedience, baptism, law-keeping, or perseverance, the result is the same:
They weren’t resting in faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross. But in another gospel!
‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ‘
Galatians 1:8
Satan’s strategy has never been to deny religion—it’s to corrupt it.
He doesn’t just appear in sin and darkness. He shows up in pulpits. In churches. In robes and suits and smiles. And the message he promotes sounds very holy.
“Live right.”
“Pursue holiness.”
“Faith alone isn’t enough—you must finish strong.”
It sounds biblical. But it’s another gospel—a deadly mixture of grace and works.
👔 Not What You’d Expect
Paul warned the Corinthians about false apostles who preached a gospel that sounded good—but was anything but grace.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness…”
—2 Corinthians 11:13–15
Satan doesn’t show up saying, “Reject Jesus.”
He shows up saying, “Follow Jesus better… or else.”
🔥 A Gospel That Demands Holiness to Be Saved
The modern “gospel” being preached today sounds like this:
“You’re justified by faith alone—but only finally saved if your life proves it. You must bear fruit. You must pursue holiness. You must kill sin—or you won’t get in.”
It sounds like light. But it’s bondage in disguise.
“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
—Galatians 3:3
This is Satan’s strategy: distort the gospel, elevate human effort, and make you trust in your performance rather than the finished work of Christ.
❌ These Are Not Minor Errors
Paul doesn’t say “be careful” with these teachers.
He says they are accursed (Galatians 1:9).
Why? Because they turn the good news of free salvation into a system of religious performance.
🗝️ Key Takeaway
Not all who preach righteousness are preaching the gospel.
Some are Satan’s ministers, preaching a message of condemnation dressed up as holiness.
But the true gospel is simple:
Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Believe it—and you are saved.
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by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 6, 2025 | Pauline Theology |
Series: Not of Works – A Series on the Gospel of Grace
Anchor Text: Hebrews 12:14 (rightly divided)
One of the most misused verses in Scripture is Hebrews 12:14:
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
It’s often quoted to claim that holiness is a requirement to get to heaven—as if eternal life is granted only to those who maintain a life of ongoing purity and godliness.
⚠️Many denominations—especially in America—preach some form of “final salvation.”
Over the years, I’ve met countless people who didn’t even realize they were trusting in a faith plus something gospel.
Whether it’s faith plus fruit, obedience, baptism, law-keeping, or perseverance, the result is the same:
They weren’t resting in faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross. But in another gospel!
‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ‘
Galatians 1:8
But is that what the verse really teaches?
Let’s take a closer look.
🔎 Who Was Hebrews Written To?
The book of Hebrews was written to… Hebrews.
Specifically, Jewish believers who were being tempted to return to Judaism and abandon the faith, and to Jews that were on the fence about Jesus being the Christ. The entire letter is an about what came before was good but now after the cross it is better. The book of Hebrews is also an exhortation to remain in the truth, not a gospel tract outlining how to be saved.
Hebrews 12:14 is an encouragement to walk worthy—not a condition for salvation.
✝️ Holiness Is a Result, Not a Requirement
Holiness is not what gets you into heaven.
It’s what God produces in you once you’ve been saved.
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
—Hebrews 10:14
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…”
—1 Corinthians 1:30
You don’t pursue holiness to get saved—you pursue holiness because you are saved.
⚠️ The Danger of Twisting Hebrews 12:14
To say that holiness is a condition for entering heaven is to:
- Add works to the gospel
- Strip the believer of assurance
- Turn sanctification into a salvation requirement
It replaces grace with effort, and it preaches fear instead of freedom.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
—Galatians 5:1
🗝️ Key Takeaway
Holiness matters. But not as a ticket to heaven.
It is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in you—not the basis on which you are accepted by God.
‘I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”’
Galatians 2:21
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work—not by our personal holiness.
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by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 6, 2025 | Pauline Theology |
Rightly Understanding Its Audience, Warnings, and Purpose
The book of Hebrews is often misunderstood and misapplied—used to instill fear in believers or to support the false idea that salvation can be lost if one doesn’t maintain enough fruit, holiness, or faithfulness.
⚠️Many denominations—especially in America—preach some form of “final salvation.”
Over the years, I’ve met countless people who didn’t even realize they were trusting in a faith plus something gospel.
Whether it’s faith plus fruit, obedience, baptism, law-keeping, or perseverance, the result is the same:
They weren’t resting in faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross. But in another gospel!
‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ‘
Galatians 1:8
But when we examine the context carefully, it becomes clear:
Hebrews is not a gospel tract. It’s a powerful exhortation directed specifically to Jewish audiences standing at a spiritual crossroads.
🧍♂️ Who Was Hebrews Written To?
The letter was addressed to two overlapping groups:
- Jewish believers in Jesus Christ, who were under immense pressure to return to the Mosaic Law, temple worship, and the Levitical priesthood.
- Unbelieving Jews who were intellectually persuaded that Jesus might be the Christ but had not placed their faith in Him.
The danger wasn’t that these people would lose their salvation by not doing enough. The danger was turning back from the truth altogether—rejecting the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ and returning to a system that could never save.
📜 The Central Message: Jesus Is Better
The book contrasts the old covenant (which was good and God-ordained) with the new covenant made through Christ’s blood, and makes one resounding point:
What came before was good, but now—after the cross—something far better has come.
“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”
—Hebrews 8:6
The temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices were shadows.
Christ is the substance.
To go back is to reject the very One all those things pointed to.
⚠️ The Warnings Are Real—But Misunderstood
Passages like Hebrews 6:4–6 and Hebrews 10:26–29 are often weaponized to suggest believers can lose salvation. But a closer reading shows these warnings are directed at those who have been exposed to the truth but are resisting full belief.
“It is impossible… if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God…”
—Hebrews 6:6
“Of how much worse punishment… will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot… and insulted the Spirit of grace?”
—Hebrews 10:29
These aren’t struggling believers losing salvation—they are those who reject Christ after receiving light, putting themselves under God’s judgment.
🧭 Not a Gospel Invitation—A Call to Persevere in Truth
Hebrews is not written to explain how to be saved.
It’s written to exhort, warn, and plead:
Don’t turn back. Don’t walk away. Don’t reject Jesus Christ.
The letter urges Jewish readers—many of whom had suffered persecution—to stand firm in their faith, not in their works.
It points them to the superiority of Jesus, the finality of His sacrifice, and the assurance found only in Him.
✝️ In Summary
- Hebrews is addressed to Jews familiar with the Law, the temple, and the sacrificial system.
- It urges both believers and near-believers not to abandon the truth of Christ.
- It is not about maintaining salvation—it’s about believing in and standing firm in the one who saves completely.
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
—Hebrews 7:25
✅ Final Thought
The confusion surrounding Hebrews disappears when you read it in context—as part of God’s progressive revelation, rightly divided.
It doesn’t call the believer to strive harder.
It calls the Jewish audience to stop resisting Christ—and to trust fully in His once-for-all sacrifice.
by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 5, 2025 | Pauline Theology |
Series: Not of Works – A Series on the Gospel of Grace
Anchor Text: Galatians 3:3 & Romans 4:5
We are living in a time where spiritual fruit has become the proof of salvation—not the result of it.
If your life doesn’t meet the approved checklist of visible transformation, many say, you were never saved in the first place.
“Many denominations—especially in America—preach some form of “final salvation.”
Over the years, I’ve met countless people who didn’t even realize they were trusting in a faith plus something gospel.
Whether it’s faith plus fruit, obedience, baptism, law-keeping, or perseverance, the result is the same:
They weren’t resting in faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross but instead it was another gospel.”
But Scripture turns that idea upside down.
🍇 Fruit Is Not the Root
The modern gospel says:
“You’re justified by faith, but true faith always produces fruit—and without fruit, you’re not really saved.”
Sounds convincing. Sounds holy. Sounds biblical.
But it’s not.
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”
—Romans 4:5
Paul separates faith and works completely.
He does not say, “You’re justified by faith, which is proven by your behavior.”
He says you’re justified by faith apart from works.
⚠️ Why Fruit-Based Assurance Is So Dangerous
- It shifts your assurance from Christ’s work to your walk.
- It causes constant fear, doubt, and introspection.
- It leads people to either:
- Pretend to be something they’re not, or
- Despair because they’ll never “measure up.”
- It adds works to the gospel under the guise of “evidence.”
This is not a small error—it’s another gospel.
✅ Fruit Comes After Salvation
Of course, God desires our lives to be fruitful and holy. But that comes after we’re saved—not to prove it, not to secure it, and certainly not to keep it.
“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
—Galatians 3:3
🗝️ Key Takeaway
Don’t place your confidence in your fruit.
Place it in Christ alone. The gospel isn’t “faith plus fruit.”
It’s faith in the finished work of Christ—and that alone saves.
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by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 5, 2025 | Pauline Theology |
Series: Not of Works – A Series on the Gospel of Grace
Anchor Text: Romans 5:1
The popular claim today is that justification is just step one—a sort of “legal standing” that must later be confirmed by fruit, holiness, and endurance.
According to this logic, you’re not truly saved yet. You’ve only started the journey. Final salvation, they say, comes later—if your life proves it.
This is nothing more than salvation by works with new labels.
And Paul demolishes it.
✅ Justified by Faith, Saved Completely
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—Romans 5:1
The moment you believe, you are:
- Justified (declared righteous)
- Reconciled to God
- At peace with Him
- Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
- Complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
Justification is not phase one of a two-step process.
It is salvation.
🩸 Justification Means the Debt Is Paid
You are not waiting to be cleared at a future judgment.
“Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
—Romans 5:9
Your sin debt was paid in full at the cross.
There is nothing left to prove, earn, or complete.
❌ A “Justified But Not Yet Saved” Gospel Is Another Gospel
Satan is subtle.
If he can’t get people to deny grace outright, he’ll dress up works as part of the process.
This is how people end up believing they are justified by faith—but will only be saved if they live a holy enough life.
That’s not assurance. That’s bondage.
And it’s not what Paul preached.
“But to him who does not work but believes… his faith is counted for righteousness.”
—Romans 4:5
🗝️ Key Takeaway
Justification is not the beginning of salvation.
It is salvation.
You are not waiting for confirmation.
You are not being weighed and measured.
You are complete in Christ the moment you believe the gospel.
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