Galatians 1.6-9
Are you a liar?
Are you good at telling untruths and getting away with it?
I know; I know; A heart stabbing question right out of the gate this morning.
Well, Nobody likes to be lied to. It is generally agreed that lying is a sin or is not socially acceptable and potentially harmful. Some people believe they are smart enough to spot a liar and have no worries about being duped. Current research on the subject plainly shows that they are not giving credit to man’s master ability to distort and deceive.
Researchers list a surprising 102 possible nonverbal cues that are alleged to expose a liar. The most prominent ones are: “averted gaze, blinking, talking louder … shrugging, shifting posture and movements of the head, hands, arms or legs.”
Numerous studies have found people to be overconfident in their perception and judgment. A study at Texas Christian University revealed that no student volunteers were only able to pick true from false statements better than 54 percent of the time—just slightly above chance.
Even experts who are trained in this area are failing. Studies found police officers no better than 50/50 in recognizing true and false statements told during recorded outbursts by emotional family members who later were found to have committed horrific crimes.
Psychologist Ronald Fisher, who trains FBI agents, warns that good liars are good liars. “Liars do feel more nervous, but that’s an internal feeling as opposed to how they behave as observed by others.”
In this morning’s Biblical text, the Apostle Paul continues his letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. For your information, 2000 years ago, Galatia was where modern day Turkey now exists on a map.
Paul’s main concern is that after the Galatian Christians heard the truth of Jesus Christ and the grace of God that leads to forgiveness and enteral life, some false teachers have been lying to them and they are having trouble telling the difference between the truth of God and the lies of man.
Let’s hear more about the problem in Galatia now.
In Galatians 1.6-9, the Apostle Paul says this:
[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—[7] not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (ESV)
Paul starts this section of his letter by confronting and rebuking the Christians that he taught about Jesus. He says that he is “astonished” that they are quickly throwing Jesus out the window and placing their hope for God’s love in other places.
In Paul’s words, the Christinas in Galatia are turning away from Jesus to a different gospel—a gospel that is contrary to the truth they have already heard and believed.
What are the other “gospels” out there that tempt us to walk from Jesus?
When the Apostle Paul was writing in the mid-first century following Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, he was confronting a legalistic gospel that were being introduced to the churches in the region of Galatia.
The false teachers that were troubling the churches were saying that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough to find yourself loved and accepted by God. Even though these words of faith-based salvation were spoken by God throughout created history, some in the Apostle Paul’s day, and some in our day, continue to insist on additions to faith in Jesus Christ.
In the Apostle Paul’s day, as well as in our day—even some of the most powerful and popular preachers and church leaders—taught that one had to keep the Mosaic Law (the Old Testament laws) in addition to believing in Jesus.
This false teaching perverts the true Good News of Jesus by reversing the order of salvation. Instead of simply believing in Jesus Christ who perfectly completed every last Old Testament Mosaic Law for you, you had to perfectly complete every last Old Testament Mosaic Law for Jesus.
As Martin Luther, the 16th Century Church Reformer said in his 1535 lecture on the Biblical book of Galatians:
“There is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works-righteousness. There is no other alternative to Christian righteousness by works righteousness; if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ you must build your confidence on your own work.”1
As any truthful simply and superficial evaluation of our thoughts, words, and actions will tell us, we cannot find hope and peace for God’s forgiveness in the works of our daily life. We know we can always do better than we have done, even if we are unwilling to admit that publicly.
In today’s post-Christendom era, one false gospel that is prevalent in Christianity is the The Therapeutic Gospel.
The Therapeutic Gospel tells us that the church is here to help us along in our quest for personal happiness and fulfillment.
This false “gospel” confuses our spiritual symptoms such as a troubled marriage, anxiety, anger, and addictions, with our spiritual disease which is sin.
The Therapeutic gospel doesn’t tell you about what Jesus has done to reconcile you to God the Father. Instead, it tells you that you just have to learn a few techniques and life hacks to feel happier today so that you feel like you fit into the world more.
A church that relies on the Therapeutic gospel will called their sermons, “teachings,” and on a Sunday morning you will regularly hear about 3 steps to a healthier marriage or 5 steps to financial freedom.
The Therapeutic gospel is not concerned with the ultimate problem of humanity—eternal freedom and a healthy relationship with God.
A second false gospel that is prevalent in Christianity today is The Judgmentless Gospel.
The end of everyone’s story is the same. We will stand before the throne of God and give account for what we have done or not done in this life.
The good news is that if we stand before God’s judgement being found with faith in Jesus Christ, we will be declared innocent and welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. If we are found before God’s judgment without faith in Jesus, we will be thrown in the the suffering of hellfire that comes from being separated from our Creator and Redeemer forever.
The Judgmentless gospel tells us that the Church is here to encourage people in whatever they are doing and never mention the need to repent of sin or be rescued from the wrath of God.
This false gospel gets rid of the end of everyone’s story and ends up telling lies like, “Everybody is going to Heaven,” “All roads lead to God,” “The afterlife is not as important as this life,” “God doesn’t send anyone to hell,” and “God looks at your heart.”
The Judgmentless gospel often hides under the banners of “tolerance” and “inclusion” when God does not tolerate sin or include unrepentant unbelievers in His Kingdom of Heaven.
Without judgment, sin becomes less serious and the offer of forgiveness loses its power. After all, if there is no eternal judgment, what do we need to be saved from?
A third false gospel that some Christian Churches present is The Moralist Gospel.
The Moralist gospel tells people that Jesus just wants you to be a good person. The emphasis in this false alternative to Biblical Christianity is not what God has done for you in Jesus, but what you can do for God with or without Jesus.
Here, good news becomes good advice.
A church that teaches the Moralist gospel tells its people that we don’t need Jesus to save us from the damnation that we deserve because of Sin. Instead, we need Jesus to give us the willpower to do the right things according to the standards of the gathered community.
A fourth example of a false gospel that is popular today is The Activist Gospel.
The Activist Gospel turns the church into a place where people gather together to fight for social justice and rally behind political causes.
In churches where the Activist Gospel is idolized, the central point of Christianity—the cross of Christ that rescues one from sin—is pushed aside and overlooked.
In place of being the Suffering Servant who serves you in your sin by making your a saint with his righteousness, Jesus is held up as one who came to start a social revolution. Here, Jesus becomes a proponent of publicly fighting the authorities that you and your so-called church often feel are taking away your rights to worldly happiness.
The Activist Gospel focused on building Heaven on Earth while marching toward eternity in Hell. Kings and Presidents become personal and societal saviors while Jesus is just a good example of challenging and defeating “the man.”
A final example of a false gospel that is present in today’s world is The Churchless Gospel.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged a large percentage of churches to stream their services online, there was a huge movement of Christians who believed that attendance at a local church was not necessary for the continuation and heath of their faith in Christ.
Some also believe and promote that the local church is actually an obstacle to one’s pursuit of God.
Now, I know because of sin, sometimes others sin and sometimes our sin, many of us, including me, your pastor, have had bad experiences with churches and because of these bad experiences maybe the church has been an obstacle in your faith journey.
A sad reality is that because Christians are forgiven sinners who still struggle with sin, Christians and the churches they gather in often end up hurting people.
If you have had a not so great, maybe even a hurtful and traumatizing experience with a church in your past, I am truly sorry.
However, contrary to the belief that regular attendance at a local church is optional or even detrimental for the believer, we hear in Scripture that the regular local gathering of Christians is not something we can do without.
In another New Testament Epistle (or, letter), the Biblical book of Hebrews, we hear the author encourage us to not forget our need for regular attendance at church when he says:
[23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25, ESV)
As Christians, we should know and find joy and hope in the truth that Jesus gave His life for the church, His bride. If Jesus died to save the Church, who are we to say that Christians can or should forsake the church?
As a quick aside:
If you are interested in finding out more about these false gospels so that you can be educated on what the lies are that take our focus off of Jesus, I recommend the book Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:
Now, it would be easy to say to like Paul, “I am astonished that the Galatians are so foolish! How can they turn away from God’s grace in Jesus for some false teaching? What fools!”
However, each of us is a fool on a regular basis.
We easily confess faith in Jesus alone for salvation, but we live daily like we still have to prove something to God if we are going to be confident that He truly loves us.
In our sin, we like the idea of proving that we are worthy.
But, distorting God’s Good News of Jesus Christ and taking peace and hope away from people is such serious business that the Apostle Paul says to the Christians in the city of Galatia that if he comes back and tells them anything different than what he has already told them—that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life—or if an angel from Heaven comes to them and tells them something different than they have already rejoiced in and testified to—that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life—his utmost desire is that he and those angels would be cursed and sent to Hell for distorting the Good News of Jesus Christ that God has truly prepared and fulfilled for them.
The Apostle John, who wrote the New Testament books of John, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, also wrote the New Testament book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, which is the final book in the New Testament part of the Bible, God gives the Apostle John a picture of the end of history and the installation of Heaven onto Earth.
At the very end of the book of Revelation, Jesus gives this warning to everyone in the world:
[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18–19, ESV)
One writer, adding commentary to this morning’s Biblical text from Galatians said:
“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 [chains] that blind their eyes to the truth.”2
The Apostle Peter reminds and warns Christinas throughout the Mediterranean region to:
[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. [8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:6–9, ESV)
And, back in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul adds:
[11] And [Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)
Although therapy, mercy, morals, activism, and church attendance can be good things, God does not love you because you try to get your life together in therapy, act merciful towards others, attempt to live by a code of morals, fight for rights through activism, or sit in a church pew on Sunday morning.
God loves you, and only loves you, because He is full of grace for you.
The only Gospel, the only Good News, that you have is that Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—gave Himself on the cross for your sins to deliver you from this present evil age according to the will of God our Father who also raised Him from the dead for your eternal life in Heaven.
Jesus says to you who believe in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32,ESV)
This morning, run as fast as you can from false teachers with their Christ-denying theology. Pray for the wisdom to know to trust the truth and discard the lies. And, rest in the only place that there is true peace and hope—in God’s grace alone that tells you the Good News that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
This is the Word of God for you today.
This is the Grace of God for you today.
Amen.
Reverend Fred Scragg V.
February 2, 2025.
Prayer:
Sovereign Commander of the universe,
You are our fortress, our refuge, and our shield. Fight for us, and our foes must flee; uphold us and we cannot fall; strengthen us and we stand unmovable; stand by us and Satan must depart. Anoint our lips with a song of salvation, and we will shout your victory and sing of your triumph.
Father,
though you wrap us in the protection of your powerful and loving arms, we frequently turn away from you and put our trust in ourselves and others. We are easily enthralled by human glory and fail to see your glory, wisdom, kindness, and care. We are easily impressed by the strengths of others, putting too much faith in them or envying them, according to our inclinations. We have high expectations of people around us and feel undone when they fail us and behave like ordinary, depraved sinners. Father, forgive us for putting our trust in men and women, and failing to trust you, our King of Glory.
Lord Jesus,
your blood and your righteousness soar above the mountains of our sin and plead for us before the throne of grace. Every sinful act of self-worship and man-worship, and the oceans of sin flowing from them, are fully paid for by your atoning blood. Your life of obedience, in which you loved people without ever putting your hope and trust in them, is given to us to replace our own deeply flawed obedience. Jesus, thank you for accomplishing our salvation, and for giving it to us as a free gift.
Holy Spirit,
free us from the worship of man, and the fear of man that flows from it. When we idolize and put our trust in others, we cannot love them. Help us to worship God alone, and to know when our hearts are drifting once again into sinful regard for ourselves and others. Open our eyes to see the glory and majesty of our Great King so that we will fly into his loving arms with all our fears, all our cares, and our unbelieving hearts. There may we take refuge in the life and death of our Savior and rest in the power of our victorious King. Teach us to trust and hope in him alone, until the day we stand before him, captivated by his glory, and lost in his love. Amen.
Benediction:
Go, in peace today. Abide in God’s Word—the Bible. Know the truth of Jesus for you and live in freedom this week.
Sinner & Saint 