Is the Gospel You've Heard True?

As soon as Paul began his epistle to the Galatians, he expressed some concern. A couple of things bothered him. He was marveled as how they were turning so soon to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6), and how they were letting themselves be troubled by some who were perverting the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7).

It is important to know the difference between the pure gospel and perverted gospels. The Bible tell us that to accept a different gospel is to be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9). To not obey the true gospel is to face condemnation (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; 1 Peter 4:17). Today, in our time, we need to be just as concerned about "Perversions Of The Gospel". Are we aware of how some have perverted the gospel of Christ? There has been at least four such perversions.

Let us call the first one THE GOSPEL OF FAITH PLUS THE LAW. This particular perversion can be explained this way. This 'gospel' was the problem Paul faced in his day. Some Jewish Christians demanded that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses as well as obey the gospel of Christ (Acts 15:1-5; Galatians 2:1-5).

Upon further study we find that this perversion was refuted, or proven false at the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:22-31), in the epistle to the Galatians (Galatians 5:1-6), and in other epistles of Paul (e.g., Romans, Colossians). Note carefully that those who seek to be justified by the Law fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). This illustrates the danger of accepting a 'perverted gospel'.

Another such 'gospel' is THE GOSPEL OF WORKS WITHOUT FAITH. This perversion can be explained this way. This 'gospel' developed later in the course of church history. It exalted the efficacy of certain ordinances to the exclusion of faith.Thus some believed you could baptize others without the need of faith, such as infant baptism or infidel baptism (e.g., at the point of a sword).

This perversion can be refuted in a couple of ways. First, faith is essential to pleasing God and our salvation (Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24; Mark 16:16). Secondly, repentance of sins and faith in Christ are prerequisites to baptism (Acts 2:38; 8:35-37). Thirdly, it is faith in the working of God that results in rising to a new life (Colossians 2:12-13).

Additionally, there is a popular perversion of the gospel, which will become quite clear to you in a moment. It is what we will call THE GOSPEL OF GOOD WORKS ONLY. This perversion can be explained this way. Many have the idea that as long as you are a basically 'good person', you will be saved. Especially if your 'good deeds' outnumber or outweigh your 'bad deeds'. Thus, a good moral person, especially if religious, is assumed to be saved.

Of course we can find some examples in the Bible to disprove this line of thought. We should know that good moral people, even devout, are in need of salvation. For example, Cornelius was a good, moral, devout man (Acts 10:1-6), yet he needed to be saved (Acts 11:14).

Need more convincing? We can find some other examples of conversion in Acts that involved religiously devout people. How about the 3000 on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5); the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27); Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:14); even Paul himself (Acts 22:3)! All of these examples are proof that we cannot be saved by our good works alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7).

Finally, sometimes a perversion of the gospel leads others to overreact with another perversion. Let's call this perversion the THE GOSPEL OF FAITH ONLY. This perversion can be explained this way. This 'gospel' proclaims that one is saved by "faith only". For example, no obedience is required, especially not baptism. It is an overreaction to salvation by works without faith, or to the gospel of good works.

This perversion can be refuted citing numerous examples, such as the following. The gospel of Christ requires obedience. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Paul proclaimed what he called "the obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5; 16:25-26). Paul and Peter warned of those who obeyed not the gospel (2Thessalonians 1:7-9; 1 Peter 4:17).

Keep in mind that we are not saved by "faith only". See: James 2:17,20,24,26. There are many who fail to distinguish between different kinds of works. What kind of you works? There are: works of the Law (of Moses), by which one is not justified (Galatians 2:16); meritorious works, done to earn salvation, which is impossible (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7); and works of God, commanded of us to please Him (John 6:28-29).

Always remember that works of God are done, not to earn salvation, but to receive God's grace. Here are some examples of these works which you can check out for yourself:
a. Faith in Jesus is a work of God (John 6:29)
b. Repentance of sins is a work of God (Acts 17:30)
c. Confessing Jesus is a a work of God (Romans 10:9-10)
Again, keep in mind that such works in of themselves do not save us (Luke 17:10).

Baptism is a work of God, not a work of man. It was commanded by Jesus and His apostles (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). In this case, God does the work of saving (Colossians 2:11-12; Tit 3:5) in which we put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). Which, when obeyed, causes others to thank God (Romans 6:3-7; 6:17-18).

Of course, there have been other perverted gospels such as Gnosticism, which denied Jesus coming in the flesh, and Mormonism, which proclaims a different gospel based upon 'angelic revelation' to name just a few. That is why we need to be careful to receive the gospel preached by the apostles. Even angelic revelations are to be rejected if different from what the apostles' preached, otherwise we will be accursed!

My dear readers, the pure gospel of Christ may not be popular, but who are we trying to please? If it is men, then we are not true servants of Christ (Galatians 1:10). If it is the majority, then we are definitely on the wrong path (Matthew 7:13-14). In closing, ask yourself this question, "Is the gospel you heard, received, and obeyed, the same gospel proclaimed by the apostles of Jesus Christ?" (Acts 2:36-41; 8:35-38).

Let's pray:

Dear Lord, thank you for all that you do. The love of life, the peace in my heart all comes from your grace. Please help me to show your love and grace to others as you have done for me. Thank you Lord for being a part of my life. Amen

May God bless you,

Elise