Welcome!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Today: “Another gospel” which is no gospel
Reading Passage: Gal 1
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! (Gal 1:6-9, NIV’84-emphasis added)
Paul was addressing the Galatian Church which was facing a teaching from the Judaizers who taught that gentiles who become Christians should follow the O.T practices of circumcision and other Jewish laws
While circumcision may have its own physical benefits, it was out of their legalistic mind that these Judaizers were insisting on such practices
Paul didn’t just keep quiet; he decided to pay the price to jump into the middle of this confusion and tell the truth of freedom in Christ, attacking these legalistic teachings
Even today, there are churches that insist on the Sabbath and other O.T teachings
In the Middle East, Church happens on Friday, being their weekly holiday
So there is worship going on in Churches in different parts of the world from Friday through Sunday, in one way or other. Praise be to God
The major problem with legalism is that it does not come from love, which is the basic factor for Christ and Christianity
“We did this; so you must also do this” is the basic attitude that causes problems with this kind of insistence
There are groups of Pentecostals who do not use jewellery; there are some who insist on wearing white dress only and some insist that men should not have moustache; some teach that believers should not go to hospital when they get sick
The basic question is: “What did Jesus say” or, “How would Jesus handle this”
Any time we insist that “they should do what we did”, it does not come from love
There are certain preachers who try to measure the faith of the believers by certain type of responses, like saying “Halleluiah” or clapping hands
When a preacher preaches the word received from the Lord power of the Holy Spirit, people will be touched and respond
There are also cultural differences in different parts of the world
What is “good” or O.K in certain places may not be O.K in certain other parts
But the basic the doctrines of the Bible do not change with places
Today, there are many churches and preachers who only preach half the gospel; some preach only blessings; some preach only the condemnation
26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.(Deu 11: 26, NIV)
The word of God is clear. We should preach abut Lord’s favor as well as vengeance
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61: 1b-2, NIV)
May God bless you as you stand for the whole truth and grace of the gospel
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to understand, obey and preach the whole truth of your word in love and grace. Amen