Beware of Counterfeit Saviors

Read

Galatians 1:1–12 (ESV)

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble 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 the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Opening Prayer

Recap

Last Sunday, you’ll remember, we looked at...

3 Biblical Litmus Tests derived from one main truth.

This one truth allows the church to have discernment with regards to the gospel.

The truth that undergirds the litmus tests is...

God alone gets the glory.

This truth is always missing in other religions.

The Litmus Tests that we looked at last week were:

A Biblical Gospel always glorifies God alone.

A Biblical Conversion desires to glorify God alone.

Biblical Motives are for God alone to receive glory.

Those tests give the Church and individual Christians the templates to use to examine their doctrine and their walk with the Lord.

If your life can be characterized by passing those tests...

Then you are living for the glory of God.

If you’re in a season of not passing those tests...

Then:

Confess your sins to God

Ask God for repentance for specific ways in which you’re failing.

Know that confession & repentance are character traits of a person pursuing a life lived for the glory of God.

Rejoice in the gospel and the Lord & Savior of the gospel.

The gospel is always good news in this life.

No matter how you’ve been towards the gospel up to today...

It is good news to you. no matter your circumstance...

Because all you have to do to receive the good news of Jesus is to BELIEVE.

If you’re a Christian and have had times of despair, times of disobedience to Christ, seasons of wandering or waywardness...

The gospel is still good news.

Just run back to your Father and you will find mercy.

This is the good news that Paul is protecting.

It is the good news that the Church is to protect.

And, it is the good news that the Church is to teach.

Who Is Trying to Please Man?

Now Paul’s statement in...

Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul lays down the foundation of the Judaizer’s message...

By the contrast that Paul sets in place here between his doctrine, which is Christ’s doctrine...

And the Judaizer’s doctrine, which was man’s doctrine.

The Judaizers were teaching a salvation that pleased men.

It was a message that reserved glory for man...

And, man’s achievements.

It was a message of how we can perform to earn a righteous standing before God...

And, hence, glory for one self.

The Judaizers were flipping this around.

According to the Judaizers, Paul’s gospel was one that pleased people.

They were saying that by omitting the need to be circumcised and to keep the OT law...

Paul was making the gospel less than it was in order to please man.

They’re saying Paul has removed a physical act that is physically painful and, he did so to please man…to gain converts.

They’re saying that Paul has removed the obedience factor that limits one’s lifestyle in order to gain converts.

But, here’s the ironic thing about mankind doing.

Doing things, no matter how painful or self-sacrificial...

Has never been the stumbling block to religious zeal.

The history of religions will teach you that quickly.

For instance, there are people groups around the globe that inflict great pain upon themselves in order to somehow appease the “gods.”

There are religions that teach great blessings and glory if you blow yourself up for their religion and their gods.

And they teach that by demonstrating such loyalty, they obligate their “gods” to reward them.

The greatest stumbling block is not pain, nor self-sacrifice.

The greatest stumbling block to God for mankind has been not getting the glory that one perceives they are due.

And that is because our fallen nature is permeated with an insatiable desire for glory.

We are Glory Seekers

Genesis 3:4–5 (ESV)

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The temptation that coerced Adam & Eve into rebelling/sinning against God...

Was the ability to be equal with God.

To be, themselves, a recipient of glory.

And since that day, it remains the same...

Romans 1:22–23 (ESV)

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Everything fallen man does is out of an enlightened self-interest.

And, hence, the expression of our behavior may seem philanthropic...

And, it may in part be philanthropic.

But it is nonetheless carried out by an enlightened self-interest.

J. Edwards spoke to this in his writings...

Enlightened self-interest is the motivation we all feel to perform external righteousness and restrain some evil impulses within ourselves.

There are certain times and places where crime does not pay. Where the risk of punishment outweighs the possible reward of our misdeed, we may be inclined to refrain from it.

This is where our self-interest is motivated by not having our self-glory diminished.

On the other hand, we may win the applause of men by our virtuous acts. We may gain a pat on the head from our teacher or the respect of our peers if we do certain good deeds.

This is where our self-interest is motivated by having our self-glory heightened.

It is not that these acts are without moral virtues or for the concern of others.

We believe wholeheartedly that there is a vestige of the image of God in the most heinous sinner.

But, it is that these acts are never fully motivated by the 1st & greatest commandment.

Which is, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

Our motive for what we do always has within it – self glory.

We are glory seekers in the most extreme way.

And, if we are glory seekers at our very core...

We should expect that a man-made salvation will include opportunities for self-glory.

So, we have to be careful.

We have to have litmus tests, those that we examined last week.

Because, as Paul says here in this passage...

Galatians 1:11–12 ESV

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul is backing up the fact that a man-made gospel is no gospel at all.

I mean is this really such a big deal.

Is it such a big deal that Paul spends 2 Chapters...

And, really the entire epistle defending it?

I mean Paul spends almost two chapters defending his apostleship and the gospel being divine in origin.

Is it that important Paul?

Paul’s answer is, “Yes!”

The gospel introduces us to the real Christ.

And Christ is our life.

It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

And, the life I now live…Paul says...

is by faith in the Son of God....

…who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Oh, how subtle and sneaky Satan can be in deluding us to another gospel...

…which is really no gospel at all.

The dangerous and deadly truth that is critical for mankind to understand is...

Man’s Gospel is a Counterfeit Gospel and Offers Counterfeit Saviors

Sin distorts reality...

And it causes us to see Idols as Potential Saviors.

Calvin said our hearts are idol factories.

They’re constantly pumping out new idols to save us.

Our lives are filled with Potential Saviors:

Large number of friends…popularity

Small number of good friends…confidence

GPA

College Test Scores

IQ (intelligence level)

Publications

What people think about you

Success in sports

Financial Success

Freedom from Debt

A beautiful, comfortable home.

A reliable, well featured vehicle.

A loving, supportive spouse.

A moral, respectful family…one that impresses the neighbors & friends

A good job.

What you bring to the table.

An incredible work ethic.

A salary that has been well earned.

Who you know?

Family Lineage

Liberating and Financially successful retirement

Annual Vacations to great places.

And, the list goes on…all of which fit nicely into the American dream.

Let me even add, for the religious...

A life lived in self-denial.

A life lived by strict guidelines.

A life that has excluded opportunities for lavishness.

A life that is exempt of luxuries.

Even, a life expended for the glory of God.

Those Saviors are not Saviors.

They’re Masters.

And, they will neither forgive you if you fail them...

Nor satisfy you if you get them.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ frees you from idols.

It gives you true joy.

It gives you true happiness.

It forgives you of failure.

It satisfies you no matter your success level.

It gives you real, lasting value.

It gives you true refuge and refreshing.

It gives a friend that will never leave you, nor forsake you.

It gives you acceptance with the God of the universe.

It frees you from having to be accomplished.

Your accomplishment was accomplished for you.

Jesus did it all.

And all to Him we owe.

And, He will receive all the glory...

Because He alone is worthy of all glory and honor.

And, so this is why Paul goes to such great lengths to defined the gospel.

Because without it we are left to idols, false saviors...

Who will never free us, but only enslave us.

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Next week we will start looking at the important truths that Paul lays out for the defense of the gospel he preached not being of human conjuring.

Closing Prayer