Galatians...Another Gospel?! - #2 - 1:6-10

 


Paul has something he is very passionate about.  He is on his soap box about the clarity of the gospel as Jesus and nothing more.  I remember the story about R.C. Sproul and the discussions about justification by faith alone that took place in late nineties in Florida.  His friend John MacArthur, who was also at the private summit, said of him,

"At one point he became so passionate in making his argument that he literally climbed on the table, making the plea on his hands and knees from the tabletop until each person on the other side of the table had made direct eye contact with him. There wasn't a hint of malice in the gesture, and everyone in the room understood that. The passion that motivated R. C. was his love of the gospel and his zeal for making sure that the message is proclaimed without compromise or confusion."

Paul speaks so strongly about those who would add to the gospel therefore making what Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the grave to be as not sufficient enough.  We will see Paul play this out farther into the letter with Peter but he has drawn a line in the sand about this issue.  If it is not drawn, we are soon pulled into a works based salvation rather than a grace given salvation.  It easily becomes all about us and not all about God.

Paul truly is standing between two groups of people at this time.  He is sharing the gospel with the Gentiles who believe in many gods and many ways to God and Paul says "no."  He is also addressing Jews and Jewish Christians who say Jesus is great but you still need to be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1) and Paul is says "no."  He is definitely not trying to please men or to be politically correct with whichever crowd he is with.  

Sometimes being a servant of Christ you will find yourself standing all alone but if you are standing for what Christ has said then you are never alone.  Just like the 3 Hebrew young men who defied the orders of the king of the world to bow down to a man made idol of gold at the sound of the band but continued to stand for God who said to have no other gods before Him and suffered the man made consequences of a fiery furnace.  They also received the God given consequences of His presence as the 4th man in the flames.  What they would have missed if they would have bowed down!

May we stand for the pure gospel of Jesus Christ today.  May we proclaim that it is grace and peace from God given through His Son Jesus Christ who rescued us from this present evil world by dying for our sins and rising from the grave victorious.  This plan of rescue was God's will and His doing.  My eyes have been opened by Him and my heart has been changed by Him to proclaim to others the good news that they angels proclaimed to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem.  "Today in the town of David A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11, NIV)

Adam



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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