May 24

Written by:
5/24/2011 8:30 PM 

Galatians 1:6-7
"I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, Who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Gospel but is not the Gospel at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the Truth concerning Christ."

The first-century orthodox Jewish Christians of Jerusalem were pressing believers throughout the Gentile world to follow their version of the gospel. They rightly explained the vital historic role that Jerusalem had played in the advent of Messiah, that the Gospel originated in Jerusalem, that many of the apostles operated out of Jerusalem, and that Biblical theology was developed there. Therefore, they concluded that as the mother of Christianity, they had authority over the agenda of the Christian Church as it moved out into the world.  With their privileged existence and status, they believed that they had the right to correct, change or supplement Paul’s Gospel with what they believed to be the accurate version.  Many of the Judaizers suggested that Paul’s Gospel was deliberately simplified in order to sell it to Gentiles.

Paul’s response to this was to say in no uncertain terms that his Gospel was not simply Jewish; rather he received it “by direct revelation from Jesus Christ” (1:12).  Moreover, he said bluntly, “Let God's curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Gospel than the one we preached to you.”  Paul insisted that the Gospel did not require Gentile converts to become citizens of ethnic Israel.  He was especially opposed to a crass authoritarianism — a simple, insecurity-driven desire to be the authority — that masqueraded as religious expertise.

"I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, Who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ ... "

It is shocking that people hear of and receive the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and then deliberately begin to follow some other idea about salvation.  Perhaps it was the personality and persuasiveness of the false teacher(s); perhaps it is an arrogant or insecure desire to be a part of salvation process; perhaps it is a slacking commitment to the Truth or a lazy faith.  Whatever the reason may be, Paul intends to stun those flirting with a false gospel with the Truth.

How could you?!  Why would you!? 

You know that you were a sinner alienated from the holy God because of your sin.

You know that you were powerless to effect any change whatsoever in the status of your relationship with God — you were alienated from Him! 
 
You know that “Jesus gave His life for [your] sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue [you] from this evil world in which [you] now live” (1:4) 

You know that God “called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ.”

You know you didn’t do anything to cause God to offer Christ for you; you know you didn’t do anything to add to effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice; you know you didn’t do anything to get to God; you know that you received by faith the salvation and relationship that God was giving you.

You know that you were justified only through faith in Jesus Christ, not by law-works (2:16; Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8; Tit 3:4-7).

So WHY in the world are you now playing around with a gospel that says you have to believe and perform certain works of the law to be saved? “You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the Truth about Christ.”

It’s not that we don’t perform law-works after we are saved.  Of course we do.  We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He is giving us a new frame of mind, desire and ability to live like Christ.  Now, we want to live like the One Whose image we bear ... to live the way God intended for us to live ... to live according to plan of our Creator.  But we do not strive to live as Christ in order to win, maintain or add to the salvation He gave us!  We couldn’t if we wanted to.  And if we try, we will produce the fruits of a law-works based salvation:

Misery and fear (if we’re honest with ourselves about our sin and pathetic inability to consistently do law-works even if our salvation was on the line, we will be miserable and afraid);

Self-righteousness and arrogance (we feel our performance of or desire for law-works is better than most; that means we are superior ... not!);

Neurosis (nothing is more mentally disturbing and confusing than expecting/ demanding that which cannot be done);

Feeling distant from God (if we believe our relationship with God is based on our performance of law-works, we will either have to drastically reduce God’s demand for perfection, drastically overstate our meeting of His demands, or slink away from Him in shame).

Refuse, then, to follow the line from modern-day Judaizers who would steal your freedom and joy in Christ by insisting that you earn or work for your salvation.  Instead, revel in your reconciliation with God, the fee gift of salvation you have received through faith in Jesus, and be compelled by His love to love and serve Him.