“A Different Gospel” (Galatians 1:1-10) - Galatians: Be Free I –

“A Different Gospel” (Galatians 1:1-10)

- Galatians: Be Free I –

Grace!

Today we begin a new sermon series, Paul's letter to the Galatians. The reason I have chosen to preach from Galatians over the next several weeks is that more than any other New Testament letter, this one is full of the gospel of grace. Over the past year, as Joyce and I went through another pregnancy and childbirth, and as we were anxiously waiting for the baby, one word was always in our minds – “Grace,” the free and unmerited favor of God. From beginning to end every step of the way was God’s grace. Actually, there was nothing I could do in pregnancy and childbirth. All that I could do was to wait, pray, and thank him. The term “grace” appears seven times throughout Galatians (cf. 1:3,6,15; 2:9,21; 5:4; 6:18), and it’s one of Paul’s favorite words throughout his writings. He uses it 100 times in the New Testament. Over the next several weeks, we will explore what the gospel of grace really means.

For me personally, Galatians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Pastor Tim Keller says the book of Galatians is “dynamite,” because it brings us face to face with the gospel. In Galatians Paul is at his most vigorous. You can’t read the first ten verses without feeling that something utterly important is at stake. I strongly encourage you to take time to read the entire letter at one sitting, and as you read, note Paul’s emotional force. You will feel like you have a live coal with your bare hands. Galatians exalts two essential things: the cross of Christ as the only way a person can get right with God, and the Spirit of Christ as the only way a person can obey God. My prayer is that as we study this book together, we will fall in love afresh with the magnificent Christ of Galatians.

A “Different” Gospel?

First of all, let me explain a little bit about the historical context of the book. Most scholars agree that this letter was written by Paul around AD 50. At that time there was a social and racial division in the churches of Galatia. The first Christians in Jerusalem were Jewish, but as the gospel spread out, more and more Gentiles began to receive Christ. But then, a group of teachers in Galatia were now teaching that in order to be saved, the Gentile Christians had to believe in Christ plus they had to follow the laws of Moses, including circumcision. In other words, they were insisting on Christ-plus-anything-else as a requirement for the full acceptance by God. Paul calls this a “different’ gospel. In verse 6 he says to the Galatian Christians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all.” Then, what is the gospel? That’s our next question.

What Is the Gospel?

The gospel is all about Christ Jesus. In verse 4 Paul tells us what the gospel is in a nutshell: “He (Jesus) gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father” (ISV). I would like to specifically draw your attention to the word “rescue.” This word implies who we are. It implies that we are in a lost state and a helpless condition. We are helpless and lost in the present evil world. Then, what was God’s plan? How did he rescue us? God gave himself for our sins in Jesus Christ. Christ is God’s plan, God’s method, and God’s wisdom for our salvation from the creation of the world. In the Old Testament God made a covenant with Abraham, saying “To your seed I will give this land” (Gen 12:7; 13:15; 24:7). The Scripture does not say “seeds,” meaning many people, but “seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ (Gal 3:16). God made a covenant with David, saying, “I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam 7:12-13; NKJV). On the surface, this promise seems to apply to Solomon, but ultimately, it refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and his eternal kingdom. And finally, God made a new covenant with Israel, saying, “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26; cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34). This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. According to the will of God the Father, Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us and was raised from the dead to make us right with God and put his Spirit in us to seek after his kingdom and his righteousness. This is the good news that we have to hear each and everyday.   

One Gospel from First to Last

We normally think that this gospel is something mainly for non-Christians. We often assume that once we’re converted, we don’t need to hear the gospel but need more advanced material. But we have to remember Paul was now writing this letter not to the unchurched but to the professing Christians of Galatia. Pastor Tim Keller rightly comments, “The gospel is not just the ABC of Christianity, but the A to Z of the Christian life.” It is not only the way to enter the kingdom, but also it is the way Christ transforms people, churches, and communities. By the gospel of Christ we are saved. By the gospel of Christ we continue to grow and be transformed. Much of the teaching of the false teachers in Galatia sounded biblical. They acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, and they even acknowledged his death on the cross. They certainly weren’t telling people that they denied the gospel. Instead, they were improving it, adding requirements. But the reality is that as soon as you add anything to grace, you lose grace altogether. Think about it: If you were about to drink a glass of clean water, and then someone added a drop of poison to it, would you still drink it? It’s close to pure, right? No, it’s totally contaminated and undrinkable as soon as that drop of poison hits the water. It’s the same way with the gospel. If you add anything to grace, you lose the whole gospel. We can be creative the way we deliver the gospel message, but we cannot change the content of it, because the gospel is not invented by men, but it is revealed by God.

A Different Gospel Today

The false teachers were insisting that we had to believe in Christ plus do certain things in order to be saved. Then, what would be contemporary forms of a different gospel? First, in some churches, it is taught that we are all on different roads to heaven, but our destination is the same. It is called, religious pluralism or universalism. This view teaches that all good people, regardless of their religion will find God. This sounds open-minded and tolerant on the surface, but it is actually intolerant of God’s grace. It teaches that good works are enough to get to God. If all good people can know God and be saved, then Jesus’ death was not necessary. All it takes is virtue. But there is no biblical teaching that a person can go on rejecting the gospel of Christ and still be saved. There are other religions besides Christianity, and there are other leaders besides Jesus Christ, but there is no other gospel, no other good news of salvation. Second, in other churches, it is taught that we are saved by grace, and then we live the Christian life in our own strength, essentially leaving grace behind. It is called, legalism. This view teaches that if we are reading the Bible, praying, going to worship, and doing a number of other good things, then we have favor before God. But when we miss days in prayer or time in the Word, or if we don’t attend worship, then we can start to think that God is not pleased with us. This approach makes our performance the savior. But the truth is that God’s pleasure is not based on our performance, but on the performance of Christ, who gave himself for our sins.

By nature the gospel of the cross is offensive to the human heart (Gal 5:11-12; cf. 1 Co 1:23), because it tells us that we are too weak and sinful to do anything to contribute to our salvation. The gospel is offensive to liberal-minded people, because it states that the only way to be saved is through the cross. The gospel is offensive to conservative-minded people, because it states that, without the cross, “good” people are in as much trouble as “bad” people. The gospel is offensive because the cross stands against all schemes of self-salvation. The world is offended by the cross. So people who love the cross are persecuted (Gal 5:11).

Freedom in the Gospel of Grace

Is our gospel the true gospel? Paul provides guidelines on how to judge all truth claims. The standard is the gospel that Paul and all the other Apostles received from Christ found in this letter and throughout the rest of the Bible. Paul teaches us that God’s favor is free. His salvation is free. His love, his mercy, his provision is free. The gospel is free. Not only is the gospel free, but also it is freeing. The gospel rescues us from the power of our present evil world. We still live in the world, but we no longer have to live like this world. The gospel liberates us from having to pursue what this world pursues, love what this world loves. It transforms our worldly values, actions, and everything. It frees us from having to worry about pleasing one person here and another person there. In verse 10 Paul shares this liberty in the gospel of grace with us: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” When we live to please only one person, everything we do is integrated. Shall I meet this person? Watch this movie? Make this purchase? Our relationship, time, and money become integrated. So embrace the one true gospel, and not only are all your sins are forgiven, but also joy and liberty will come into your life because there is only one person to please, Jesus Christ. And he will make you free. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Amen.