Word of Salvation – Vol.46 No.39 – October 2001
False Teachers And Faithless People
Sermon by Rev. B. Vaatstra on Galatians 1:1-10
Scripture Readings: Galatians 1:1-10; Isaiah 53
Suggested Hymns: BOW 299; 322; 389; 436; 470; 191; 217; 467; Rej 357; 375
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ…
What is a Christian? If you went out there on the streets and asked people, you’d get a whole range of answers. “A Christian is a good person, someone who believes in God, someone who helps little old grannies across the road, a person goes to church on Sundays.” For many people it’s just a matter of opinion, and your opinion… well, it’s as good as mine, isn’t it? And who knows what the truth is anyway? In today’s culture, no one is right – except the person who says no one is right. He’s always right! Truth is relative… we all have a valid point of view. A Christian is whatever you believe and what you believe depends on your experiences and circumstances.
I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “You’re just a Christian because you grew up in a Christian home, and you belong to this church because you’ve grown up in it, and you practice your faith in a certain way because that’s what you’ve had drummed into you all your life.”
We find it difficult to argue against this, don’t we, because we are shaped by our experiences, and our external circumstances do affect us. But, that’s not all there is to it, is there? There are plenty of people who have grown up in Christian homes, who are not Christians. How do you explain that? There are plenty of people who have joined other churches. There are plenty of people who have changed in their beliefs. If we are just products of our circumstance, how do we explain that? Our experiences are not the full picture, are they? There are plenty of people who rise above their experiences, and are no longer just products of their upbringing.
So, what is a Christian? Here in this letter to the Galatians, Paul draws a clear line, and he does so very forcefully. I mean, it’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it? Look at the words, chapter 1, verse 8:
“Even if we or an angel in heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. 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.”
We read these words and tend to think, “Oh dear, how ungracious. Paul is falling back into his old pharisaical habits. Maybe he’s got indigestion, or is having a bad day.” That’s our instinctive reaction to these verses, isn’t it? Paul seems rather harsh and intolerant. I mean, this is the church down the road. These people believe in Jesus. They are just wanting to grow, and serve God. What’s wrong with that? Paul’s a bit harsh, isn’t he?
Listen to John 8:31…
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’.”
Well, there is such a thing as truth, and that truth is non-negotiable, and it is the truth that will set people free. It is lies that enslave people, isn’t it? Freedom, true freedom – that’s what is at stake here. It’s a matter of life and death… heaven and hell, and Paul knows it. That’s why he draws a clear line. That’s why he is so forceful.
There are two things he tells the Christians in Galatia, and us:
(1) guard against false gospels; and,
(2) hold onto the true gospel.
They go together like two sides of a coin.
- Guard Against False Gospels
Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia. Galatia is in Asia Minor, roughly where modern Turkey is today. Sometime before this, Paul had gone on a missionary journey through Turkey, and he had planted a number of churches there. You can read about his adventures in Acts 13-14. He taught the gospel, and people believed in Jesus and became Christians.
But now some teachers had come preaching another gospel, a different message to Paul. Have a look at verse 6 and 7:
“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 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
These teachers were counterfeit Christians. They were confusing people and drawing them away from the gospel. Who were these people? What were they teaching?
Look at Chapter 6:12, “Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised.” These false teachers were Jews who had become Christians. But they still had a great attachment to the laws of Moses, and they insisted that all these laws were still valid, including circumcision.
In the Old Testament circumcision was a sign that you belonged to God’s covenant people and that you were under the law of Moses. But Paul, of course, had been teaching the people, that you become a Christian simply by believing in Jesus; in other words, by faith. Most of Paul’s converts were non-Jews and therefore not circumcised. They knew little or nothing about the laws of Moses.
Imagine all of a sudden these teachers coming from Jerusalem, with their ‘Back to the Law of Moses’ campaign, teaching that if you want to be a Christian you need to obey the laws of Moses, and you need to be circumcised.
Not only that, these false teachers were attacking Paul himself, they were saying things like, “Paul, he’s not really an apostle he’s not even one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Down in Jerusalem they’re are all in favour of circumcision. Paul says you don’t have to be circumcised, but then he had Timothy circumcised the other day. Even Paul’s starting to see the light and change his tune!” Their message was, “Paul is wrong. Let Moses finish what Jesus began. Obey the law. Be circumcised.”
I once saw a cartoon of a Pharisee witnessing. His opening line to the prospective convert was: “Have you heard of the 4,981 spiritual laws?” If there is one thing that has plagued the world throughout the centuries, it is the universal desire of people to try to win brownie points with God, to win the favour of God by being good or doing good. Every other religion and sect and cult teaches that if you want a relationship with God you need to earn your way, do a pilgrimage, follow the rules, offer up food and incense and prayers, do penance, give money. Then God will accept you.
It’s deep in the human heart, isn’t it? You ask people in the street, “Why should God accept you into heaven?”, and what do they say? They say, “I’ve lived a good life. I’ve been good. I’ve helped people.”
And the same tendencies are in the church. “Yes, we believe the gospel. But real Christians worship in this way or that way. Real Christians wear their best clothes on Sunday (or these days their worst clothes!). Real Christians attend church twice a Sunday. Real Christians speak in tongues.” It’s Gospel PLUS works; it’s a different gospel.
That’s what these false teachers were teaching. “Yes, believe in Jesus. But to be a Christian you need to obey God’s laws, you need to be circumcised.” It’s ‘gospel plus’ – gospel plus works.
How does Paul respond? After a very short standard opening to the letter, he rips straight in, no nice opening words of thanksgiving that you find in all his other letters. You don’t find that here. He opens up with vs.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.” Why is he so strong? Because the truth is at stake, the gospel is at stake, and it’s a matter of life and death. It’s the difference between heaven and hell for people.
Friends, some people are so eager to hear new teachings. They love it, it tickles their ears, and it’s not just new Christians who like it. But we need to be on our guard against false gospels that take our God-given freedom away, and try to enslave us with rules and to-do lists. Beware, it may sound good, it may make us feel good, to pay God back a bit, it may even come in the name of Jesus. But it can also take you to hell.
Paul’s first point is that we should guard against false gospels. But now, secondly, he says…
- Hold onto the True Gospel
Well, what is the true gospel? We can’t hold onto it if we don’t really understand it, can we?
(a) What is it?
Look at verses 3-4: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father.” The true gospel is pure grace. Do you know what grace is?
During the late 1800s, English evangelist Henry Moorhouse, made several trips to America to preach. On one of these occasions, he was taking a walk through a poor section of an American city, when he noticed a small boy coming out of a store with a jug of milk. The boy slipped and fell, breaking the jug, and spilling the milk all over the sidewalk.
Moorhouse rushed to the youngster’s side and found him unhurt but terrified. “My mum will whip me!” he cried. The preacher suggested that they try to put the jug back together. But they had nothing to glue the pieces together. The boy was getting more and more agitated and started to howl.
Finally, Moorhouse picked up the youngster, carried him to a nearby store, and purchased a new jug. Then he returned to the dairy store and had the jug washed and filled with fresh milk. With that done, he walked the boy home carrying the jug for him. When he came to the front porch of his home, Moorhouse handed him the jug and asked, “Now will your mum whip you?” A wide smile spread upon his tear- stained face, “Aw, no sir, ’cause it’s a lot better jug than we had before.”
What’s grace? It’s a free gift, undeserved. That’s what the boy received; a free gift undeserved. If a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that’s a wage. If a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that’s a prize. If a person gives long service or has high achievement and receives recognition for it, that’s an award.
But if a person is not capable of earning a wage, is unable to win a prize, and deserves no award, YET receives it anyway – that’s grace. Grace is getting what we do not deserve.
Paul says in verse 4, that Jesus gives Himself. How? Well, by dying a bloody death by crucifixion. Why? “For our sin”, says Paul. To pay for our forgiveness, to rescue us from this evil age.
You see, unless we understand our human predicament – how lost we are, how unable we are to save ourselves, how alienated we are from God because of our sin and rebellion – we won’t appreciate what God has done for us, we won’t appreciate the gift of grace.
We can’t save ourselves. We were slaves, in bondage to the evil of this world. Enslaved by our own self-centredness. But Jesus gives Himself – not gold, not silver, not heaven, nor angels – but Himself. He dies for the sin of the world, for your sin and mine. Martin Luther says, “These words are very thunderclaps from heaven against all kinds of righteousness.” It has nothing to do with how good you are, or what good things you’ve done. It’s a rescue operation.
It’s like swimming out in the surf and being caught in a huge rip. You’re helpless, at the mercy of the sea. But a lifesaver sees you and drags you into his sea rescue boat. When you get rescued you don’t say, “Oh what a lovely swim. Just as well I’m in good shape, otherwise I’d have died.” Neither would the lifesaver say, “I’ll rescue you if you can save yourself.” That would be ridiculous! But that’s how these Galatians were thinking, “Jesus died for my sin, but now I’ll get circumcised to pay God back. Now God will accept me.” It’s just stupid, dumb, and a faithless response. So Paul in chapter 3 calls them ‘foolish Galatians’.
No, Jesus is the Saviour, and He saves those who can’t save themselves. The whole thing is not about what we do for God. It’s about what God does for us through His Son Jesus Christ, and it’s called grace. That’s what the true gospel is all about.
(b) How can we test it?
Well, what test can we use to help us discern whether a gospel is true or not? Paul gives us a test in verse 10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Does it please men or give glory to God? That’s how we can test the true gospel against false ones.
The true gospel tells men, “You’re a sinner. You’re hopelessly lost. There is no way you can please God. You need to be rescued first.” That message is offensive. It’s all rather upsetting. It’s not nice. This gospel doesn’t please men, it gives glory to God.
But the false gospel tells people, “You’re okay, you’re basically a good person. The bad things you’ve done are not so bad.” Doesn’t that make you feel so much better? You see, it pleases men.
The true gospel says, “God has done it all. He takes the initiative. He gives Himself for your sin. He rescues you, cleanses you and makes you holy. The blood of Jesus does it all for you and me. It’s a free gift, you can’t earn it.” It glorifies God.
The false gospel says, “You can do it, work hard, be good, make yourself holy. Do this and do that, and God will love you and accept you.” We love self-help advice, don’t we? It pleases men.
The true gospel causes men to cry out to God, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.” That’s humbling, it’s not easy, we find it very hard. It goes against our nature. But, it gives glory to God.
The false gospel says, “God I thank you I’m not like other men, robbers, evil doers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice per week and give a tenth of all I get.” It feels good to be able to say this. It pleases men.
Friends, hold onto the true gospel. It’s God’s way. It’s approved by God, and lifts up the name of Jesus, the Saviour, who died for the sin of the world. By it we receive free grace, forgiveness and freedom! By it we are eternally saved. By it we have peace with God. Hold onto the true gospel!
Conclusion
Well, we’ve seen that we need to guard against false gospels. They are distortions of the truth and they can creep into a church so easily. And like Paul, we must draw a strong line. The true gospel is a gospel of grace from first to last. Hold on to this gospel. It’s a matter of life and death. It’s a matter of heaven and hell.
Listen to Jesus in John 8:31…
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
What is a Christian? Someone who has received the truth – the gospel of grace – the truth that has set him free.
Back in the 1800s an Englishman travelled to California in search of gold. After several months prospecting, he struck it rich and decided to return home to England. Stopping in New Orleans he came to a large crowd of people who had gathered for a slave auction. Slavery had been outlawed in England, so he was curious.
Just as he joined the crowd a beautiful young black girl was pushed up onto the platform and paraded for all to see. The miner heard the vile jokes and comments in the crowd. Men were laughing as their eyes remained fixed on the girl.
The bidding began. Within a minute it passed all normal prices for a black slave girl. In between bids the sleazy comments and laughter continued. The miner stood silent as anger welled up inside him. Finally, one man bid a price that was beyond the reach of any other, and the auctioneer called out, ‘Going once! Going twice!’
Just before the final call the miner yelled out a price, doubling the previous bid. The crowd laughed. Thinking the miner was only joking, the auctioneer called for the miner to show his money. So the miner opened his bag of gold. The auctioneer shook his head in disbelief and waved the girl over to him.
The girl walked down the steps of the platform, until she was eye to eye with the miner. Then she spat in his face and said through clenched teeth, “I hate you!”
Without a word the miner wiped his face, paid the auctioneer and took the girl by the hand. He went to a building down town, and left the girl standing outside. After a long time he returned with an official looking piece of paper. Stretching out his hand he said to the girl, “Here are your manumission papers, you’re free.”
The girl did not look up. He tried again, “Here are your papers. They say that you are free.”
“I hate you,” said the girl, “why are you making fun of me?”
“No, listen,” said the miner, “These are your freedom papers. You are a free person.”
The girl looked at the papers, looked at the miner and said, “You just bought me, and now you’re setting me free?”
“That’s why I bought you,” he replied, “I bought you to set you free.” The young girl fell to her knees in front of the miner, tears streaming down her face. “You bought me to set me free. You bought me to set me free!”
The miner said nothing. Clutching his muddy boots, the girl looked up at the miner and said, “All I want to do is to serve you. You bought me to set me free.”
Friend, has Jesus set you free?
Have you received the truth, the true gospel of forgiveness and grace?
There is no other way to be saved. There is no stairway to heaven. No way to climb, drag or pull yourself up to God. That’s the counterfeit, false gospel. Only Jesus can save you. He is the only hope we have, and He invites you to humble yourself, to admit your sin and accept His death as full payment for your sin.
There is no better invitation. No other way to freedom. No other way to peace with God.
Amen.