Galatians 1:6-9 (ESV)
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.
I’ve started Galatians with the amazing young man I am discipling. We finished Roman’s a couple of weeks back and so I’m going to start diving in and giving my thoughts on Galatians as I read through. He and I intend to trade notes and share with one another how the Lord is speaking to us through our quiet times in this book.
Today my focus was Galatians 1:1 – 10. This book starts out a little bit different than most of Paul’s letters. Paul is a lot more impersonal and direct in this opening than his other letters, which include commendations and courtesies. In this case, he is speaking directly at not only the false teachers that had risen up within the Galatian church, but also those in the church body who had started to listen to them. There was a contingent of teachers who just couldn’t wrap their brains around the gift of salvation through Grace alone, by faith alone, through Christ alone. So they interwove into their teaching legalism and salvation by works of merit, rather than by the truth… the gift of Grace.
Paul calls this approach an entirely different gospel. He even goes as far as to say that anyone who comes along, even if it is him or an angel from heaven, and speaks of a gospel other than the gospel he had told them previously, those teachers are destined for destruction.
Just this little part of this passage today, really reinforces in me how important it is to stay true to what God has to say. Even in my sphere of influence right now and things I am having to deal with, I am having to confront people who have twisted God‘s word to say something different… Something that fits this world rather than the truth that is clear through the arc of scripture.
APPLICATION
I need to remember that I can be my own false teacher… I live in this fleshly carcass that even though I am redeemed, I still must crucify my sin every day. The places that the Lord has brought me from, are so easily able to be slipped back into if I am not consistently vigilant and quick to strike down my own internal dialog of false gospel. Lord God, give me the strength, the clarity, and the wisdom of your Holy Spirit as I continue to live a life devoted to You.