Another Gospel
Galatians 1:6-9
What is the “other” gospel?
It is using the scriptures for a fuller life here in materialism, not considering eternal rewards, or judgment.
It is a shifting of the emphasis from Christ in us, to us in Christ.
It is using spiritual truths to accomplish material benefits.
It is believing that accomplishing material benefits is accomplishing spiritual benefits.
It is believing that God places material possessions and accomplishments above spiritual possession and accomplishments.
It is believing that being rich in this world’s good is more important than being rich in eternal things.
It is believing what the world teaches instead of believing what God teaches.
It is mixing what the world teaches with what God teaches.
The book of Galatians was written to a Baptist church, who had left believing that the power was in Christ and had begun to believe that the power was in them. Christ became secondary to everything else. Christ should be first, not second.
Colossians 2:8 – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
The result of the other gospel is:
It is a salvation without repentance of sins. There is a mere shifting of emphasis for the individual professing faith in Christ. He will now use Christ as a means of enjoying this life, and not as an example to follow.
It is baptism as a ritual of service, and not a burial of the old life and a beginning of a new life of total, complete dedication to God.
There is no need of Christ, except as a “footstool” to help us be better persons.
Everything is of works, nothing is of grace.
The problem with the churches at Galatia was they had been saved by the true grace of God, but had not continued to serve God in grace. They heard a different message from a false preacher about how they had to live for God, not how God should live in them. This is going on today in many religious circles. The gospel is being preached differently today than in days past. This is why there are some many people that say they are saved, yet have no fruits of their salvation.
There is no salvation if God doesn’t continue to deal with that person for scriptural baptism and faithful service. The story of Lot is the story of a saved person who never really became what we would call faithful in service, although God called him just, II Peter 27,8. So there can be salvation without faithful service, but there cannot be salvation if God doesn’t deal with that person concerning faithful service. This statement is the core of this message.