Guarding the Gospel

This morning at we looked at Romans 3:21-26 and got the answer to the problem tonight’s passage exposes. Romans 3 is the solution; Galatians 1 is what happens when people abandon it.

This morning revealed a righteousness that comes from God, not from us.

Tonight, I want to address what happens when people mess with the gospel message.

The gospel is under attack, not just from outside the church, but from the inside as well,

In nearly every letter Paul wrote he has to address this same issue - it is not a new problem.

Let’s look at Galatians 1:6-9

Galatians 1:6–8 CSB

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling 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 what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!

First Steps

Paul is addressing churches he planted. These are people who heard the true gospel from him personally.

Now they are drifting, they are listening to people who are adding requirements to the gospel.

The Judaizers: Jewish Christians telling Gentile converts, “Jesus is great, but you also need to be circumcised and keep the law to truly be saved.”

Paul doesn’t hold back. He used some of the strongest language he uses in any of his letters

Notice he doesn’t say, “I’m disappointed”, he says anathema - “a curse be on them” or “let them be accursed”

He repeats it again in Galatians 1:9 “9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!” (think he’s serious)

Why such strong language? Because Paul knows adding anything to the gospel doesn’t improve it - it replaces it.

Jesus plus anything equals nothing.

This isn’t a minor issue - this is the difference between salvation and destruction.

It is not just about giving the information - we have to protect the most important message in the world - we have to be Guarding the Gospel

If we do not know what the gospel is , then we won’t recognize it when someone changes is.

Can you articulate the gospel in one sentence?

Here is the gospel: Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again, and through faith in Him alone, you are made right with God.

That’s it - nothing added, nothing subtracted.

Internal or Personal Roadblocks

I mentioned the gospel is under attack - the attack is from 2 enemies and they come from opposite directions… let’s call them ditches

Picture a narrow road - the gospel is the road and on both sides are these ditches

Once you are in one of the ditches, it is hard to get out and most people don’t think they are in one - that’s what makes them dangerous.

The first ditch to avoid is Legalism

Legalism is: Jesus PLUS works

It says, “Sure you’re saved by grace but you’d better keep these rules to stay saved.”

Legalism replaces the finished work of Christ with human effort - it turn the Christian life into a checklist instead of a relationship

Legalism produces two fruits - PRIDE (“I’m doing ti right”) or DESPAIR (I’ll never be good enough)

The other ditch is License.

License is: grace minus obedience.

It says, “I’m saved, so it doesn’t matter how I live.”

We have freedom in Christ but our freedom is given so we spread the gospel

Paul addressed license in Romans 6:1 “1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?”

License turns our freedom into and excuse instead of an opportunity to follow Christ.

Both are distortions of the gospel

Legalism says Jesus isn’t enough so we have to add to His work. License says that grace doesn’t change so you can receive it and stay the same.

The truth is found in the middle - salvation is a free gift that transforms your life.

We are not saved by our works, but we aren’t saved to stay the same either.

We have to guard the gospel - the minute we add to it or subtract from it then we have a different gospel - and Paul says that puts us under direct judgement from God

External or Cultural Roadblocks

There are many challenges to the gospel

One huge one is: “How can a loving God send people to hell?” or along the same lines: “If God is all powerful then why is there so much bad in the world?”

Great questions but they require more in depth study and conversation to adequately address. So, tonight we will deal with one that is very common…

“How can you say Jesus is the only way?” or the companion statement: “All roads eventually lead to God.”

People stay that a “Jesus only” belief is narrow minded, arrogant, intolerant, or exclusive.

So how do we answer them?

The logical response:

Every major religion makes different claims about God, salvation, and reality.

These different claims contradict each other - therefore, they can’t all be true.

Either Jesus is who He said He is , or He isn’t - if He is wrong on Who He is then we cannot believe anything He teaches so following Jesus as a “good teacher” or “moral example” fall apart as well.

John 14:6 “6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Pastoral response:

Exclusivity isn’t arrogance - it is actually the most loving thing you can offer

If there really is only one cure for a deadly disease, the most loving thing a doctor can do is tell you what it is - not say, “Take whatever you want, they all work.”

The gospel is THE cure. Sharing it isn’t unloving, Withholding it would be cruel.

Now that we know what the gospel is and how to defend it, let’s talk about how to share it

We will get into specific “tools” for sharing the gospel in a couple of weeks

For now, you don’t need a seminary degree or hours of evangelism training. You need three things:

Know your own story.

What was you life like before Christ.

What happened at the cross - how did you come to understand what Jesus did?

A phrase you can use at this point is: “Then I had a life changing experience.”

When you encounter Jesus something should have change so - what has changed since Jesus?

You do not need a dramatic testimony. You need an honest one.

Keep Christ at the center.

Your testimony isn’t about you, it’s about what Jesus did

The middle part, the cross, is the most important part

What did you come to understand about Jesus? That He died for your sins? That He took your punishment? That His work, not yours, is what makes you right with God?

Be specific. Don’t just say, “I got saved.” Say what you learned about who Jesus is and what He did

Be honest about the ongoing work.

This may come as a shock… You’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. We weren’t perfect before we were save and we are not perfect now.

That’s okay. The gospel doesn’t make you perfect, it makes you forgiven.

Being honest about you struggles doesn’t weaken the gospel. It shows that God’s grace is real.

People don’t need to hear that you have it all together. They need to hear that Jesus is enough even when you don’t.

**A word of caution** .

There's a difference between being honest and being comfortable

We can admit we're not perfect, but we can't celebrate it

God is actively making us into the image of Jesus , that's sanctification, and it's real

When we fail, the response isn't "oh well, that's just me", it's repentance and forward movement

Honesty about your struggle says "I'm a work in progress", not "I've given up trying"

So be transparent, but be moving. Grace doesn't leave you where it found you

Before we leave tonight I want us to do this.

Take the paper you were given and write out you testimony using the three boxes

Box 1- Before

What was your life like before you understood the gospel?

Just one or two sentences. Be honest.

Box 2 - The Cross

How did you come to understand what Jesus did for you?

Be specific. What did you learn about His death, His resurrection, His offer of salvation?

Make sure that it points to Jesus - “I realized that Jesus paid for my sins. It was His work, not mine, is what makes me right with God.”

** I had a life changing experience.”

Box 3 - After

What has changed since you received Christ?

Doesn’t have to be dramatic, just keep it real.

Let’s find someone and share your testimony with them - If you can say it a brother or sister tonight, you can say it to a friend or coworker tomorrow.

Closing

The gospel isn’t complicated but it is under attack.

From the outside: people who reject it

From the inside: people who add to it or subtract from it

Our job is to know it, guard it, live it, and share it

Don’t add to it - Don’t take away from it - Don’t be ashamed of it.

Romans 1:16 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”

Go live that this week