Contending for the Gospel

Consider another biblical example of the kind of teachers who threw the believers into perplexity. When in Acts 15 the apostles got together at the Jerusalem Council to discuss the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ, they had to deal with the false teachers who were insisting that the Gentiles be circumcised (Acts 15:1). After uniting in the doctrine of salvation through grace (15:11), they sent a letter to the Gentiles saying, "Some without our authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts" (15:24). False teachers were "troubling" believers and "unsettling" them. That is the nature of false teachers who wish to distort the pure gospel of grace.

To distort the gospel is to destroy the church because the church is created and lives by the gospel. The greatest troublemakers in the church are those who wish to distort the gospel message. I believe Satan operates more effectively through false gospels than through any other avenue. He twists, confuses, and changes the gospel, using philosophy and rule-keeping to put people in mental manacles that blind their eyes to the truth.

Behind every false teacher is the ultimate false teacher, Satan, who lives to create confusion and to lock people in spiritual bondage (2 Tim 2:26). Just as he did in Galatia, the evil one encourages false teachers to creep in subtly like wolves. False teachers do not walk around and say, "Hug me, I'm a false apostle." They are not always readily recognizable, unlike the stereotypical overweight, bombastic, hypocritical preacher with a bad hairpiece in B-movies and television dramas—though undoubtedly there are many false teachers on television. Instead, false teachers appear perfectly benign. They may be pop icons, people in your school, or friendly faces you pass in the halls of your church. Anyone promoting something other than the gospel, thereby placing mental manacles on people, is rightly identified as a false teacher.

False teachers reverse the gospel. Paul says that they "change" or "pervert" or "distort" (ESV) the gospel. "It is a word denoting a radical change, like changing water into blood, fresh water into salt water, feasting into mourning, daylight into darkness" (Dunn in Schreiener, Galatians, 86). In fact, some have suggested that the better way to render this word is "reverse." Jerome said, "It means to set behind what is in front, and 23putting what is in front, behind" (in George, Galatians, 95). That is certainly appropriate because that's exactly what the false teachers were doing: they were distorting the gospel by reversing the gospel!

What do I mean by reversing the gospel? There is a particular order to the gospel message. It goes like this:

Notice we are (1) saved by grace alone (2) for good works. We do not receive grace after we have worked for salvation. That would be the reversal of the gospel. If a person says, "I'm going to do enough good things to be right with God and merit His grace and be saved," then we must inform him that he has officially reversed the gospel. He has put what was in the back into the front. There is an order to the gospel. False teachers distort this message of hope.

How are people distorting the gospel today? That answer is simple. People teach, either through false religious systems or through myths common to our culture, that you merit eternal life by your goodness or your works. One such myth has been dubbed "moralistic therapeutic deism." Adherents believe that one simply needs to believe in a god, but not that such a god might be involved in a person's life (deism). They feel that one needs to "be good" (moralistic) in order to "feel good" (therapeutic). If a person can believe in a god and basically do good things, they rationalize, then surely that person will go to heaven. Understand that while such thinking may be popular, it does not reflect the gospel.

Some might object to that truth with a rebuttal like this one: "But my friend is a Buddhist, and he's a nice guy. He's a moral guy. His family is polite." I would respond by saying, "I'm not denying that. I'm not denying that people who follow other religions can be moral people. Here's what I do deny: that morality can get you to heaven." While morality can keep you out of jail, it cannot keep you out of hell. If morality could save you, then Jesus did not need to die.

You see, you need something far greater than morality: you need perfect righteousness. Only perfectly righteous people, not people who are merely moral, can go to heaven. And no one in history has24 been perfectly righteous except Jesus. We need His righteousness. We should not complain that there is only one way to heaven; we should marvel at the fact that there is a way. Stand in awe of the reality that despite our sin and rebellion God sent the God-man to save us. Only through Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life—can we experience saving grace.

"But those who follow a different religion are sincere," some would argue. "Shouldn't sincerity matter?" I would not say that people following false religions are not sincere, but I will point out the biblical truth that sincerity cannot save. There is such a thing as "zeal ... not according to knowledge" (Rom 10:2). In sincerely trying to reach heaven through any path other than salvation through Jesus, a person disregards righteousness from God and attempts to establish his or her own. He or she fails to submit to God's righteousness (cf. Rom 10:3). Think of it this way: A racer may run fast but still fail to reach his destination because he was headed in the wrong direction! There is only one valid alternative to works-based righteousness, and that is trusting in Christ.

Any works-based system is a hopeless system because we are not merely supposed to be moral; we must be perfectly righteous. We know we cannot achieve this. Further, the ultimate goal of Christianity is not morality; it is union with Christ. Works-based systems are also despairing because one can never know if he or she has done enough good works to measure up. Worse, they are Christ-less in that they deny that Jesus' work on the cross is sufficient or, in some cases, necessary. Finally, works based-systems are man-centered; they glorify humans, not God.

What is the alternative to works-based systems? Christ's righteousness given to us by grace alone through faith alone.

The Universal Warning

Galatians 1:8-9

Paul expresses his anger toward false teachers in verses 8-9. He pronounces a curse on anyone who proclaims a counterfeit gospel. He says it twice for emphasis and probably to clarify that he didn't lose his mind in verse 8:

25What are we to make of this "curse"? The curse reminds us of the sobering responsibility we have as Christian teachers. Observe how Paul says that "if anyone" preaches a false gospel, a curse should be on that individual. He does not remove himself from this pronouncement, either. He says, "if we or an angel" preach another gospel. He essentially says, "If I start reversing this order, let me be cursed."

There are many false teachers, and as Paul told the Corinthians, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light," manipulating and leading many away from pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:13-15). Paul tells us in Galatians that a false teacher should not be deemed merely a heretic; he or she should be eternally condemned.

Someone might say, "But I like the way another religion makes me feel. It feels good to think I am earning favor with God through what I do." No one is denying you might feel something positive through pursuing another religion or by creating your own version of Christianity. But Satan is a deceiver, my friend; he can make anything feel good. I am reminded of the story of Simon the sorcerer recorded in Acts 8:9-25. His teaching felt so good to his hearers that some were calling him "the Great Power of God." But while he was "claiming to be somebody great" (v. 9) and the people were enjoying the astounding things he did, his message and his motive were fraudulent. He could only lead people astray.

Paul's warning reminds us not only of our holy responsibility as teachers, but also of the centrality of the gospel. This "curse" shows us that the gospel must remain the priority of Christian leaders. We must, therefore, ask this question about our church leaders: "Is he preaching the gospel?" That is the key question. In Philippians 1:12-18 Paul speaks about those preaching with bad motives; they taught out of envy and jealousy, but at least they were preaching Christ. What did he say about such teachers? He chose to rejoice because of them (Phil 1:18). He did so because his main concern was the purity of the message, not the motives of the messenger. The gospel alone saves.

The gospel is essential because Christ's glory is at stake. False gospels always glorify man because they boast in human achievements. The real gospel boasts only in the Lord (Gal 6:14). Spurgeon said, "If you meet with a system of theology which magnifies man, flee from it as far as you can" ("Non Nobis, Domine"). If we could be good enough and do enough and keep enough rules to merit eternal life, then we could sing about ourselves instead of Jesus. But that is not the case.

26The gospel is also essential because people's souls are at stake. Paul knew this was no marginal issue; it was a momentous issue. In Romans 9:3 he says, "I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers." He said that he would rather be anathema than to see his brothers condemned. That is how seriously he took this matter. Jesus said it would be better for a man to have a millstone put around his neck and be cast into the sea than to cause someone else to stumble and disbelieve the truth of the gospel (Matt 18:6).

The gospel is also essential because the health of the church is at stake. Paul knew that the churches in Galatia were in their infancy. In Galatians 4:19 he tells them that he is in pain, laboring with them. He knows that if they miss the gospel, they miss everything. Here is what this means for us as a church: we can have disagreements over some things, but we must unite on the essentials of the gospel. There are open-handed issues and closed-handed issues; the gospel is the only closed-handed issue. I will die for the gospel, but not for a style of music, nor because I think one spiritual gift is better than another, nor over details about the end times, nor because I do not like tambourines in the worship service. Yet sadly, within many churches more people divide over issues not pertaining to the gospel than over this matter of first importance.

The Apostle's Ambition

Galatians 1:10

This verse is a transitional verse, linking the previous and coming sections. Paul expresses his ambition to please Christ, not men. He says, "For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people?" Apparently some thought that Paul avoided preaching circumcision and the law as a requirement because he wanted to gain favor with the Gentiles. The next phrase, however, shows that he has no interest in pleasing people; his goal is pleasing God by preaching the true gospel.

Paul continues: "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ." In other words, if Paul desired to be a people-pleaser, then he would never have turned his life over to Christ. He was formerly admired for his Pharisaical zeal. If his goal were admiration, then he would have remained a Pharisee. Jesus told the Pharisees, 27"While accepting glory from one another, you don't seek the glory that comes from the only God" (John 5:44). Paul's goal was not to receive glory from people. His concern was for the glory of Christ, the health of the church, and the destiny of the souls of men and women.

If your goal in life is to be liked, then you will not be a faithful and fruitful Christian. I am not implying you should be a jerk. I am merely pointing out that followers of Jesus experience opposition. If people despised Jesus, some will despise you as His follower (see John 15:20; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Pet 4:12-19; 1 John 3:13). You need to aspire to something greater than being cool. Aspire to being faithful.

Whom do you long to please? Whose approval matters most? Proverbs warns, "The fear of man is a snare" (Prov 29:25). The word fear often means to "reverence," to "stand in awe of," to "worship." Seeking the approval of people, then, is idolatry. In concerning yourself with what everyone else thinks about you, you are worshiping people, not God. The old hymn "I'd Rather Have Jesus" captures the right spirit:

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,

I'd rather be true to His holy name. (Rhea Miller, 1922)

This song reflects the spirit of our brother, Athanasius, a leader at the Council of Nicea in ad 325. He argued for the biblical Jesus at a time when doing so was not popular. People said, "Athanasius, the whole world is against you." To this he replied, "Then I'm against the whole world." So be it.

Are you a servant of Christ? Adore Him in your heart. Recognize the grace that He has given you and the death He endured for you. Contend for this message with courage and with the power of the Spirit that is yours in Christ.

Reflect and Discuss