Please Don’t Go

“Please don’t go. Don’t go away.”

As long as we are in this world, we will struggle with temptations to leave God. “When, then, the flesh resists, the soul must be intent upon God, and if results do not follow, let not faith fail. And if the enticements of the flesh come upon us, or the powers of the enemy attack us, let the soul keep in submission to God.”[1] To help us not leave, we need to remember how great things are at home with God.

Leaving the Gospel of Grace Exchanges Grace for the Curse

Galatians 1:6–9 ASV 1901

I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.

Christians are called through the Gospel to share in Christ’s glory (2 Thess. 2:14). How rude must it be for us to reject God’s call to his grace or to desert the grace we have received! The gospel of grace isn’t abandoned only when we outright reject it, it can also be abandoned when we change the gospel. How dare we change God’s gospel? Do we think we can improve God’s gospel? Do we think it needs adjustments?

God will not tolerate his perfect gift—the gospel of grace—to be hidden by alterations. Those who would alter God’s precious gospel are accursed. Accursed is from the Greek word ἀνάθεμα. The same word is used in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “if anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed.” In Romans 9:3 Paul said, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” There Paul has defined the word for us. To be “accursed” is to be “cut off from Christ.” Why is the penalty for altering the gospel of grace so high? The penalty of altering God’s gospel of grace must be so high because it is a perfect and beautiful gift from the highest heaven, it was paid for with the greatest sacrifice, and to alter the gospel of grace is to rob others from God’s grace.

Leaving the Gospel of Grace Exchanges God’s Approval for Man’s Approval

Galatians 1:10–12 ASV 1901

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

Such a gospel could only come from God. Paul had to emphasize the Heavenly source of the gospel to counteract attacks against his apostleship and the power of the gospel. Since the Gospel was from Heaven and not man, Paul understood we should not seek approval from people because we already have been accepted by God.

Here is the power of God’s gospel—it leads to God’s acceptance of sinful man. The gospel of grace is God’s power leading to salvation (Rom. 1:16). The curse pronounced all the way back in Adam’s Garden was born and reversed on Christ’s Calvary. Since the curse was reversed, the righteousness of God was revealed and the righteousness of God allows sinful people to live as though they were righteous by faith.

Now to seek the approval of men rather than that of God results in the reversal of the blessings poured out through the gospel of grace. The reversal of the gospel of grace is the futile labor for approval which will never truly be reached and will never satisfy our need for acceptance. The ridiculous thought of seeking human approval over Divine approval can be heard when we realize that that pursuit reverses the gospel itself! Forget about the approval of people so that you can enjoy God’s approval.

Leaving the Gospel of Grace Leads to a Life Against Christ and Rebellion Against God’s Blessings

Galatians 1:13–22 ASV 1901

For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it: and I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and tarried with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

Before Paul was saved, Paul was consumed with his own upward pursuits rather than the God who came down for him. God had a different plan for Paul and God has a different plan for his people today. God had a plan for Paul which began before Paul was even born—God “had set me apart before I was born. God’s plan for Paul was made known to Paul when he was called by God’s grace (1:15). God’s plan for Paul was brought about by the revelation of God’s Son to Paul (1:16). God’s plan for Paul led to gospel preaching among the Gentiles (1:16).

When Paul rebelled against Christ and his gospel, he was rebelling against God’s gospel blessings. Even though it was God’s eternal plan to give Paul grace and to share grace with others through Paul, there was a time when Paul refused these blessings by refusing God’s grace. Why should we continue in rebellion? Why should we continue rejecting God’s grace in the gospel? We may think we are on a path which is only leading up, but if we are not resting in God’s grace we are only going down.

Leaving the Gospel of Grace Robs Others of an Opportunity to Worship

Galatians 1:23–24 ASV 1901

but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc; and they glorified God in me.

If we leave God’s grace outside of us, we may never see God’s grace working around us. When Paul was saved by God’s gracious gospel, the door was opened to great gospel work through one of the greatest missionaries the world has ever known. The Christians in Judea heard, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” With this report Paul said, “they glorified God because of me.” They worshiped because of Paul. They worshiped because of what Paul was doing. They worshiped because of what God had done through Paul.

I can’t help but be interested in what people will do when they hear of my life. Will they glorify God because of me? Will they glorify God because of how my life has been shaped by grace? Will they glorify God because their lives were shaped through the grace reflected through my own grace shaped life? The only reason Christians glorified God because of Paul was the life shaping and life saving grace given to Paul.

Will We Leave God’s Grace?

Remember that Ambrose said, “And if the enticements of the flesh come upon us, or the powers of the enemy attack us, let the soul keep in submission to God.”[2] In other words, let us stay in God’s grace. There’s no better place to be.

How can I abide in God’s grace?

a. Jesus said, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me” (Jn. 6:57).

b. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:31).

c. Jesus said, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:3-5).

d. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (Jn 15:9-11).

e. “By this we know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 Jn. 2:6).

f. “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling” (1 Jn 2:10).

g. “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”

h. “And now little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 Jn. 2:28).

[1] Ambrose of Milan, “Two Books Concerning Repentance,” in St. Ambrose: Select Works and Letters, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, trans. H. de Romestin, E. de Romestin, and H. T. F. Duckworth, vol. 10, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series (New York: Christian Literature Company, 1896), 358.

[2] Ambrose of Milan, “Two Books Concerning Repentance,” in St. Ambrose: Select Works and Letters, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, trans. H. de Romestin, E. de Romestin, and H. T. F. Duckworth, vol. 10, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series (New York: Christian Literature Company, 1896), 358.