Blotting Out Grace with a Black Magic Marker

Blotting Out Grace with a Black Magic Marker

Blotting Out Grace with a Black Magic Marker is a sermon by Jacksmack77 (Edward Pfenninger) that focuses on the impossibility of justification through the Mosaic law and the necessity of grace through Jesus Christ. The title comes from a rhetorical illustration: if a person rejects grace, it is as though they took a black magic marker and blotted the word grace out of the Bible.

Overview

The sermon begins with the preacher explaining the provocative title, stating that many professing Christians reject grace by seeking justification under the law. He then turns to the Old Testament, particularly the book of Deuteronomy, to demonstrate the demands and curses of the law.

Jacksmack77 stresses that the blessings of obedience in Deuteronomy 28 (vv.1–14) are paired with severe curses for disobedience (vv.15–68). He reads extended portions of the chapter to show the absolute impossibility of keeping the law perfectly. According to him, the only outcome of trying to live under the law is fear, curse, and condemnation.

The preacher identifies Deuteronomy 28 with what he calls the Palestinian Covenant and contrasts it with the Abrahamic Covenant of faith. He argues that those who want to be justified by the law are “in trouble,” because the law can only bring death and judgment.

New Testament Contrast

After expounding on Deuteronomy 28, Jacksmack77 turns to the New Testament to demonstrate that born-again Christians are not under the law. Key passages include:

• Galatians 3:10–13 – *“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse… Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”* This proves, according to him, that Christ took the curse of the law so that believers would not remain under it.
• Hebrews 7:11–19 – The priesthood has changed from Levi to Christ, “there is made of necessity a change also of the law,” showing that the Mosaic law no longer applies to Christians.
• Romans 3:20–24 – *“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified… Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”*
• John 1:17 – *“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”*
• Ephesians 2:5–9 – Salvation is entirely by grace through faith, not by works of the law.

He stresses that Christians are under grace, not law, and that those who try to combine the two are effectively rejecting grace.

Criticism of Legalism

Jacksmack77 criticizes various theological positions that mix law with grace. He mentions “lordship salvationists,” Judaizers, and covenant theologians such as John MacArthur, accusing them of trying to put Christians back under Mosaic obligations. He equates such teaching with “blotting out grace.”

Conclusion

The sermon closes by reaffirming that salvation is by grace through faith alone. While the law reveals sin and demonstrates God’s holiness, it cannot justify anyone. For believers, Deuteronomy 28 does not apply as a covenantal framework; instead, they are justified freely by the grace of Christ.