Saturday 14 December 2013

Only one gospel

 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. - Galatians 1:6-9

We certainly live in day when there is no lack of false gospels. That's nothing new. False gospels have been around since the very start. As we are going to see later the false gospel that the Galatians were facing was one of involving works in salvation. They said that doing certain works kept them saved or made them spiritual. This false gospel was the false gospel of legalistic living - 'Touch not, taste not, handle not.'

But Paul taught the gospel of grace. He taught the true gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. And that, in reality, is the only gospel. 

There are other 'gospels' that people talk about. There is the so called social gospel which says, in its strictest interpretation, that we can deliver man by doing good. Now I believe in doing good - but it is not the gospel. 

There is the wicked and insidious 'prosperity gospel' that wickedly proclaims that God wants to make everyone rich, especially the preachers. 

There is this gospel and that gospel. But the only gospel that counts is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. If anybody preaches anything else, let him be, as Paul so clearly states it, accursed. 

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