The Salvation Paradox: Are We Trading Truth for Convenience?
Reevaluating the Essence of Grace: Is Our Simplified View Robbing Us of True Faith?
What if the church stopped reading one verse too early?
This one started as an older piece that needed rebuilding. The thesis survived. The voice did not. So I gutted it and started over.
The argument is simple and it will bother you: the Western church turned salvation into a vending machine. Insert prayer. Receive eternal life. Walk away unchanged. And the verse they use to justify it — Ephesians 2:8-9 — is one of the most misunderstood texts in the New Covenant because we read “grace” and “faith” through English instead of Hebrew.
The full essay traces what happens when you put chesed (חֶסֶד — covenant faithfulness) back where “grace” was and emunah (אֱמוּנָה — trust expressed through action) back where “faith” was. The entire “just believe and you’re done” framework falls apart. Then it follows Sha’ul (Paul) to the verse the church skips — Ephesians 2:10 — which resolves the paradox that verse 9 leaves hanging.
There is also a word study on anomia (ἀνομία — without Torah) in Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:21-23 that will change how you read Yeshua’s (Jesus’) most terrifying warning. The people He rejects are not atheists. They are believers. Believers who lived without Torah.
That one will sit with you for a while.
Read the full essay here: The Salvation Paradox: Are We Trading Truth for Convenience?
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Shalom v’shalvah — your brother in the Way,
Sergio
I am headed back through your work and enjoying it so much. I have considered these things in connection with Calvinism. These words are tragically separated so they are accurate placeholders but by themselves they become items that are apart from Jesus all together.
I mean, why wouldn't we make love a currency and grace the riches to worship? It makes all the sense in the world because they both, unhooked abuse grace and weaponize love.
I wrote a poem, "Beware the Worship of Grace" but still haven't published it - it is pretty heavy. Anyway, love your explanations here because you connect the definitions that are suffering a great divorce.
Thank you, sir. What a delightful exploration of Truth. It's been a long time...