No Other Gospel

Introduction

A. Have many of you have used a GPS? The global positioning system is designed to help you navigate through the roads to find your way to a destination. So significant is it that new cars are coming equipped with such products. Here are some facts that you may not know. The GPS system was originally intended to be used only by the military but the government allowed U.S. citizens to begin using the system in the 1980s and it is now available to anyone with a GPS receiver. There are 24 satellites orbiting the earth in order to keep the signal available 24/7. These government built and launched satellites are replaced about every 10 years. The GPS system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in any kind of weather, and any where in the world.

B. Go on a trip and your GPS is capable of doing all kinds of ingenious things. It can give you the directions for the quickest route; the shortest route but it may not be the quickest; routes according to sites of interest; alternative routes when construction obstructs; want to find the nearest coffee shop, instruct the GPS and it will tell you. An amazing invention. What the GPS is designed to do in terms of getting us from point A to point B is to instruct us so that we do not lose our way nor do we have to stop in our journey. All detours are configured as well.

C. The truth is that in making a trip there may be more than one way to get to a destination. When I was a kid, we would make trips from Nashville to Western Kentucky to visit family and in those days before an interstate was built, we traveled through the back roads of middle Tennessee into Kentucky. Those roads are still there and while few people will take them those roads will still lead to your destination. Many roads to a destination. Are there many spiritual roads to salvation?

D. The letter that Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia was intended to deal with that very question. There were some who came preaching that in order for one to be a true follower of Jesus it was necessary for a person to keep Jewish law as well. In this letter Paul not only addresses the problems associated with this false teaching but also instructs about what it means to live as followers of Jesus. His teaching still has much to say to us today. We begin a new series from this writing. Notice in 1:5 that Paul says that glory belongs to God forever and ever. This glory refers to God’s loftiness and majesty. Let’s sing of this glory.

The Problem

A. Paul begins this letter to the churches in Galatia in much the same way as he begins other letters. He identifies himself; has a greeting to the readers; and exalts God’s work. But from the beginning Paul is defending himself and revealing the sufficiency of Christ’s work. The false teachers keep preaching a message of following Christ but with qualifiers—keep the Jewish law and pay no attention to Paul. He isn’t who he claims to be. He is doing his work in order to please other people.

B. So from the beginning Paul defends his apostleship. He wasn’t sent out by men (probably a reference to the apostles) and not sent out by any man (probably a reference to Barnabas). This last reference is difficult to understand without some history. You will recall that Paul and Barnabas came through this area in their initial missionary journey. In Acts 14, they heal a man who was born crippled. After that miracle, Barnabas is called Zeus and Paul is called Hermes—the names of Greek gods. Barnabas was seen as the leader and Paul the chief speaker. Thus, this reference to a man makes sense. He wasn’t sent out by Barnabas. Jesus sent him and it was Jesus who according to verse 4 gave himself for their salvation.

C. This is the chief argument of the letter. Christ alone brings salvation. Keeping the law will not accomplish what Christ alone accomplished. From the beginning of the letter, Paul defends his role as an apostle and then states that Jesus is the one who rescued us from our sins. It is not uncommon for Paul to immediately get to the point of his letter. What makes Galatians unique is Paul’s very direct style. Notice in 3:1 that he calls his readers foolish. And here in verse 6, he expresses his displeasure in their acceptance of the false teaching by using a word that NIV translates “deserting.” This same word was used in an ancient document and is translated “turncoat.” Paul calls his readers religious turncoats. They are deserters from the grace of Christ.

D. They are giving attention to another gospel which Paul says is not a gospel at all. But they are receiving it as if it is a true gospel account. Jesus plus the law is not a gospel at all. And to emphasize his point, Paul says that anyone including angels or himself who preaches a gospel different from the gospel of grace is to be condemned eternally. Paul concludes in verse 10 by asking a simple question—does this sound like a man who is trying to please others? I cannot be Christ’s servant and a pleaser of men at the same time.

Application

A. There are two lessons for us in this brief introduction. The first is that there is only gospel. Our culture endorses a variety of religious views by saying that we are all trying to get to heaven. In other words, there are a number of ways to get to heaven. And because all want the same outcome then they are all equally valid. Paul would strongly disagree. There is only one gospel of grace. Any teaching that detracts from the gospel of Christ is not a gospel at all. In this case, Paul isn’t speaking of world religions like Roman or Greek gods. For Paul the real danger is within the purveyors of a gospel that sounds reasonable but detracts from the gospel in which Christ is the center.

1. You see there are those in Paul's day and there are those today who preach a gospel in which Jesus is mentioned but the focus is on how well one does. The focus of the message is on personal spiritual achievement and performance. And if the message focuses on personal performance then Christ is not the Messiah. He is not sufficient.

2. What does this message sound like?

    a. It is a message that demands a person keep certain rules in order to prove their spiritual dedication.

    b. It is a message that says that a person's performance is the means by which they can know if they are saved.

    c. It is a message that says that certainty of one's salvation is based upon how well they keep God's commands.

    d. It is a message that places a person's performance at the center of the message rather than Christ and his sacrifice.

    e. Paul will later write that we are free to live by the law of love rather than the law of performance.

B. But there is a second point which is found in verse 10. Not only is there one gospel there is only person to please and that is God. Some accused Paul of letting people off the hook too easily. His message was too easy. Trust in Jesus and your sins are forgiven—it can’t be that easy. He was a people pleaser. Hardly. Paul takes on the message of the false teachers and he scolds his readers for not thinking about the message they heard. His hard stance that there is no latitude about the one gospel and his curse upon even himself for teaching something differently doesn’t sound like a people pleaser.

1. There is something very freeing when we care more about what God thinks than what others think about us.

2. There is something freeing when we are listening to God's voice rather than the voices of those around us.

3. There is something freeing about living in God's grace rather than the demands and expectations of others.

4. There is no arrogance with Paul and there is no arrogance in listening to God. We do not look down our noses at others but we turn our face only to God so that we keep our eyes on him alone.

5. And we call for you now to listen to him and only him as you live your life. Invitation.

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