Are You Turning to a Different Gospel?

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9 ESV)

Questions:

• What is “the grace of Christ”?

• What is an example of a “different gospel”?

• How is the gospel of Christ being distorted today?

• What can you do to guard yourselves against these distortions?

The primary distortion of the gospel which was the issue Paul addressed in his letter to the church in Galatia was one that the Judaizers were trying to force upon the Christians. For they were trying to convince them that they had to hold to some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws and customs and that they had to be circumcised (men only, I believe), and that they had to adhere to the Old Covenant dietary laws and restrictions. And all this was to be added on to their salvation, as though required by God.

But that was not the only distortion of the gospel that was being dealt with here. But it had to do with being followers of man over followers of God and looking to the Jews as though they were superior to the Gentile believers and as though the Gentile believers were somehow less than them and/or that they needed to revere them and listen to them and obey them, as though they were to be God’s voice to the people, and not God. I had a pastor tell me once that he was to be God’s voice to me, and not God.

And then there was also the issue of many of them having this idea that now that they were free from the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial and dietary laws that they were free to live however they wanted, too. For they misinterpreted the meaning of “law” to include all of God’s moral laws, too. So Paul had to address that issue, too, to let them know that their freedom in Christ was not freedom to walk in sin, and that if they did walk in sin, that they would not have eternal life with God (see Galatians 5:16-21).

Now, all of these false and “different” gospels are still alive and active today. The most predominant of them all is this last one, where so many are being taught that they can continue living in sin after they profess faith in Jesus Christ because all their sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed them, and it can’t be taken away from them regardless of how they live. But that is not the gospel message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. They taught that we die to sin or we die in our sins without God.

Now, there are many people today, at least here in America, who were brought up hearing the truth of the gospel, or at least something very close to the truth. And they know the Scriptures, and some of them have even taught the Scriptures. But with all this false teaching going on, and with all the free access to the world of sin via these smartphones, so many have deserted the true faith and are now following after the lies, so that they can continue in their sinful addictions without conscience and without remorse.

But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (see Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, and die to our old lives of sin, and we now follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God, provided that we continue in walks of obedience and not in deliberate and habitual sin.

[Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2] 

To Be Like Him  

An Original Work / March 16, 2014  

Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly. 

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

https://vimeo.com/89237609