The Curse of Deserting Jesus
Galatians 1:6-10
One of the books I’ve enjoyed reading this past year (though I’m far from finished with it) has been David McCullough’s best seller on the life of John Adams. Adams was a man of character and principle. In addition to serving as our nation’s second president, he was a hero during the American Revolution; and was one of those 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of freedom.
As I was thinking about how to approach Galatians 1:6-10 about the curse of deserting Jesus for another gospel, I began to think about the impact of treason during the war with Great Britain. I looked in the index of McCullough’s book for the name “Benedict Arnold”, the most infamous traitor in American history. I wanted to know how John Adams felt about his defection from the cause of American independence from Britain. I thought, what must his journal say?
Other than a few random mentions, I found very little about Adam’s reaction to Arnold’s treason. Surely this news had pierced his heart as it had the other American leaders of the time. There must have been some strong feelings about this breach of confidence. After all, Benedict Arnold was a military leader of some rank. He had been crucial to the American victory at Saratoga where he earned the rank of Major General. But then he changed. He was trusted… even when he chose to live unworthy of that trust. Regardless of what he personally thought, apparently Adams had little to say about the matter.
Sometimes during the heat of battle, when passions are hot, it’s wise to stay focused on reaching the goal at hand. At other times, if those defections are not addressed and dealt with head on, there will be no goal left to pursue. This was the position Paul faced with the churches at Galatia. It wasn’t a political or national departure, but a doctrinal and spiritual departure from Jesus Christ Himself. It had to be addressed. It couldn’t be ignored.
This morning we’re continuing our study of Galatians. We’re looking at chapter one, verses 6 through 10. If you’ll find this passage in your Bible, we’ll study this section together and see the dire consequences of defecting from the one true gospel revealed by God to save souls. In honor of God and His Word, let’s stand for the reading of these words. Galatians 1:6-10:
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. [NIV]
[Prayer] Paul begins verse six with his astonishment that Christians in Galatia would so quickly embrace a contrary gospel message! I find in this passage (6-10), three timeless prince-ples regarding the gospel and those who teach it. The first principle is found in verses 6 and 7.
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“6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” From these verses we see that…
I. Once the Gospel is rightly understood, it triumphs over all counterfeit gospels (1:6-7).
Paul’s amazement in verse six stems from the fact that the true gospel he presented is so glorious and liberating that once a person truly understands it they would never put up with anything less. Didn’t the Galatians understand it? The gospel is not faith in Christ plus, or faith in Christ minus, but faith in Christ period! Keeping the Law of Moses is not good news. Circumcision is not good news. Mixing the traditions of men with the invitation of God is not good news. Those who preach a convoluted or perverted gospel have nothing to offer anyone who understands the true gospel.
Years ago some Jehovah’s Witnesses rang the doorbell on a Saturday morning and I answered the door. They were canvassing the neighborhoods presenting another gospel from door to door. When I see that, I’m often convicted that I’m not more proactive in presenting the truth; that I’m not as willing to do for the truth what the cults are willing to do for a lie. But I've had some memorable encounters, as with these two.
When these two young men began their presentation, they said, “We want to offer you more in life than you currently have” and they tried to offer me some of their literature. Now that’s an attractive offer to most of the spiritually hungry and hurting people in America these days. Most hurting people believe there must be more to life than they currently know. But I looked at the literature they were handing me and said, “What more can you possibly offer me than I already have in Jesus Christ who died for my sins?” For this, they had no answer. But the seed was sown.
Those who preach a perverted gospel have nothing to offer anyone who understands the true gospel. It is for us to preach the gospel that sets the captives free from bondage to sin, satan, and self. Paul makes the point in verse 6 that those who desert the gospel are really deserting Christ Himself. The word translated “deserting” is vivid in the original. It means to transfer one’s allegiances. John R.W. Stott says, this word “is used of soldiers in the army who revolt or desert, and of men who change sides in politics or philosophy.” Like a Benedict Arnold, the Galatians had committed spiritual treason by entertaining those who pervert the gospel message.
A different gospel is not another gospel at all… it’s a distortion of the gospel of Christ. The fact that anyone would ever leave the true gospel is amazing to the apostle Paul. There are serious consequences of distorting the gospel. That’s why Paul issues a solemn warning to anyone who would pervert the truth of God. This includes liberal theologians who deny the truth of God’s word; it includes all false religions who claim to be a way to God, but especially the neo-Christ-ian cults who claim to be in union with Christ and yet deny His gospel by adding to it or subtra-ctting from it. The only loving thing to do for these people is to warn them. Not only are these distorters of the gospel robbing their victims of the liberty of grace and joy in the Lord, but in the next section of verses, Paul makes it clear that…
II. Those who teach a counterfeit gospel are under the curse of God (1:8-9).
That’s the second fact of this passage. Look at verses 8 and 9. “8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”
This pronouncement applies to every person who preaches or teaches a counterfeit gospel. It applies to Galatians in the 1st century as well as to Americans in the 21st century; it applies to apostles as well as to angels. The standard of the gospel is both universal and absolute.
In Galatia, false teachers called the Judaizers were taking the Christian message and adding to it the Jewish ceremonial laws. Their doctrine is summarized in Acts 15:1, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” They didn’t have a problem with believing in Jesus for salvation, but they insisted on adding circumcision and keeping of the law.
That means (in their way of thinking) Moses must finish what Jesus began. Or, more accurately, you must add your works to the work of Christ; you must complete the unfinished work of Christ. This is the opposite of the gospel. Paul says, “I have a major problem with that!”
Whenever anything is added to or subtracted from the gospel, it ceases to be the gospel. To quote from Stott again: “The Greek word for ‘distort’ could be translated ‘to reverse’. In this case they were not just corrupting the gospel, but actually ‘reversing’ it. You cannot modify or supplement the gospel without radically changing its character.” That’s why it received the strongest aposto-lic curse—the anathema.
What does it mean when a false doctrine is accursed? First, because of the nature of inspiration, this is not the anathema of Paul on his own, but of God. So this is not a personal battle between Paul and his detractors. Second, it applies to everyone who teaches a counterfeit gospel at any time, in any place. Third, this anathema is not an overly emotional outburst, but a calm and determined resolve, which Paul states and then repeats for emphasis. By repeating this, he shows us his conscious responsibility to God in advancing the one true gospel. And if he didn’t defend the gospel, he too would fall under the curse which comes not from men but from God.
Some of Paul’s opponents were apparently accusing him of being a people-pleaser. But the declaration of this universal anathema upon all who pervert the gospel of Christ shows that he has only the pleasure of God on his mind. He wants to be a God-pleaser. Paul wasn’t even concerned about pleasing the other apostles, which we see when he rebukes Peter for compro-mising with the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem. The gospel is one message for all people. It’s not one thing for one group and then something different for another group. A people pleaser doesn’t pronounce anathemas in the name of God. This leads to the third major principle which we find in verse 10.
III. Those who desire to help people for God, must live for the pleasure of God alone (1:10).
Verse 10 is a great word for people pleasers. “10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This is not so much a rebuke against a conciliatory spirit, but against a comp-romising spirit. But when it comes to false doctrine, both are wrong. The phrase ‘seeking the favor of men’ means to make someone feel good about what they believe no matter what it is. In verse 10, Paul assures the Galatians, this is not what he’s about.
In the original, verse 10 begins with a word that could be translated as an exclamation, “There!” The anathema he gave in verses 8 and 9 prove that he isn’t a men-pleaser. So he says, in essence, “There! Am I now seeking the favor of men or of God?” He says verses 8 and 9 prove that he isn’t a men-pleaser. Those who live to please people are least able to help people. But when God is pleased, all are best served.
In our pluralistic society, there’s a compromising spirit in the modern church that masquerades as politeness; or as the world calls it ‘tolerance’. We’ve been told that it’s unloving to tell anyone that their views are wrong. They say, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.” But that’s a misnomer. Everyone has an opinion, just like everyone has a belly button, but that’s not an entitlement. That’s simply a matter of fact. The question must be asked, on what is your opinion based?
The Christian view is that while everyone has an opinion, they are entitled to hear the truth, whether they choose to agree with it or not. It’s not our job to make people agree with us, even when we’re right. We don’t condemn people for refusing to hear God’s truth, the Bible says such people are condemned already (Jn 3:18). That’s why they desperately need to hear God’s truth. We believe people are entitled to hear the truth that brings them out of the darkness of condem-nation and into the light of God’s love. When God’s truth is at stake, people pleasing in a pluralistic, to-each-his-own world is the most unloving attitude for a Christian to have.
There is one way to God, only one way. His name is Jesus. Jesus is not one of many ways to God; He’s not even the best of many ways; He is the only way to God. His gospel is a gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. The true bond-servant of Christ isn’t ashamed to preach that truth in a loving, winsome and uncompromising way. Christians aren’t called to be people pleasers; we’re called to be joyful God pleasers… bond-servants of Christ.
In the popular culture today are a number of “advisors” who appear on TV. According to talk shows and magazines, these advisors have the power to change people’s lives. Sometimes they shock; sometimes they provoke; sometimes they intimidate. They say they want to help people, they want to change people’s lives for the better. But what they often say is just recycled humanistic philosophy mixed with fragments of truth. Sometimes, the truth is not what people want to hear. But they need to hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth… and they won’t hear it from men-pleasers, they’ll hear it from God-pleasers. They’ll hear it from people like you.
(c) Charles Kevin Grant
2003