A Different Gospel
Galatians 1:6-10 NASB "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different Gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."
In a "politically correct" environment it is just not nice to talk this way. Today, Paul would no doubt be accused of embracing the very thing he was writing against. "Shut up, Paul - you're being legalistic and judgemental!" By a strange twist in thinking, the Galatian Christians would today be portrayed as virtuous for being inclusive, tolerant and accepting diversity. Paul, in turn, would be condemned for being narrow minded, judgemental and legalistic.
However, the truth remains that "The Way of Salvation", the Gospel, can be distorted and perverted. And contrary to "political correctness" our attitude should be the same as the Apostle Paul's.
Perverting the Gospel
Paul wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; "I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...." Rom.1:16
The Gospel or Good News is a message about God, Jesus Christ, and Salvation.
It is called, "The Gospel of God" in Rom. 1:1.
It is called, "The Gospel of Christ" in Gal. 1:7.
It is called, "The Gospel of Salvation" in Eph. 1:13.
The gospel is a message that can be clearly communicated. It is a message about the One True God and His love for the fallen human race (the gospel of God). It is a message about His giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus, as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins (the gospel of Christ). It is a message that if believed will result in the salvation of the believer's soul. (the gospel of salvation)
Any of these elements of the gospel can be perverted. The Apostle wrote to the Christians in Galatia that to "embrace" a distorted Gospel was to "abandon" Jesus Christ. Gal. 1:6. In other words, there is no salvation in a perverted Gospel.
Paul warned the church of Galatia not to receive this Gospel perversion. The distortion was the claim of Judaizers that a Gentile believer needed, among other things, to be circumcised according to Jewish law. Paul warned them: "if you recieve circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you." "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace." Gal. 5:2&4
Paul could have said to the Galatians, "Let's not make an issue out of this", but he didn't because he had faced the issue before as he writes in Gal. 2:5 "But we did not yeild in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you."
Embracing a distorted gospel is no trifling matter. It will result in Christ being of no benefit to you, being severed from Christ, and falling from grace,
Examples of a Distorted Gospel
The one true gospel is called "The Gospel of God", "The Gospel of Christ", and "The Gospel of Salvation". A perversion or distortion of any of these elements of the gospel makes the message null and void. There is no salvation in a perverted gospel.
Let me give you an example of perverting the first element of the Gospel.
Hindus believe that God has become incarnate on not just one but on many occasions. Some would say 330 million times according to the number of their gods. The Hindus beleive in a Trinity: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Kali, a popular goddess, would be an incarnation of Vishnu. No doubt many Hindus would say that Jesus is God incarnate, one of 330 million, and would say that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind. However, that "faith" in Jesus would not save them because they have perverted the Gospel of God (the one true God, eternal, creator of heaven and earth who eternally exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; not Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Any other distortion of the nature of God would likewise make the gospel linked to that pervsion null and void. "I am the Lord your God....You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:2-3 There is no salvation in a perverted Gospel of God.
The one true gospel is also called "The Gospel of Christ" because it is a message about the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Eternal Son, by Whom and for Whom all things were created. It is a message about His incarnation, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, His death, burial, bodily resurrection, ascention to heaven and His soon-coming return to rule and reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
A perversion or distortion of the Lord Jesus Christ makes any "gospel" attached to that perversion null and void. Here's an example:
There are people who call themselves "Christian" who deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are those who say that he was not conceived by the Holy Spirit, that he was just a man, a good man and God was with him but that He is not God. Strange as it may sound there are those who say that Jesus and Satan are brothers. There are some who say His resurrection from the dead was only a spiritual resurrection, that He did not bodily ascend into heaven. These are all distortions of the Glorious Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are distortions of the "Gospel of Christ" and the truth remains that there is no salvation in a perversion of the Gospel.
The gospel is a message(1)about the One True God and His love for the fallen human race. It is a message (2) about His giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus, as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. And it is a message (3) that if believed will result in the salvation of the believer's soul.
Distorting any of these elements of the gospel makes the message null and void. There is no salvation in a perverted Gospel. One cannot have salvation in Jesus and worship a false god. Likewise, trusting in a "Jesus" other than the true Jesus will not save anyone.
Furthermore, there is only one way to receive the benefits of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and be saved. Imitating the life of Jesus will not secure salvation. " it is ......not by works, so that no one can boast." Eph. 2:8-9
We are saved by grace, through faith. Read Romans 10:8-15. The message of the One True God and the Lord Jesus Christ must first be heard, then believed with the heart and confessed openly, then God saves by administering His grace and mercy. The mercy of God is when God does not give us what we really do deserve. The grace of God is when God gives us something (salvation) that we do not deserve.
Many people are trusting their church to save them. It will not.
Many are trusting someone else's faith, perhaps a parent's or "godparent's" faith to save them. It will not.
Many are trusting in a religious rite such as baptism or confirmation to save them. It will not.
Many are trusting that the reception of sacraments will save them. They will not.
Only God can save. Only God can grant saving grace.
"By grace are you saved through faith". Any other way is a perversion of the truth and will not save.
There is no salvation in a perverted Gospel.
