Only One Gospel Is the Truth

Transcript

GR 2079
03/19/2017
Only One Gospel is the Truth
Galatians 1:8-10
Gil Rugh

We are in the book of Galatians together so if you would turn in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 1. We are reminded even though the Bible was written at a different time, ancient history as we look back, going back thousands of years, yet it is the Word of God. It is relevant, it is pertinent, it is up to date and what God has written is for our benefit. Paul wrote to Timothy and said “All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for instruction, for correction” and it is all for the purpose of what? That the man may be complete and equipped to do everything God would have him do. So we as God’s people come to the Word of God and find it in every area what God has to mold us, to shape us and to prepare us.

Galatians is a book that is very relevant. Some of the issues in it we might say, “Well, we don’t face the same issue but we do, dressed a little differently; the idea that there is objective truth outside of ourselves. That has always been something of an irritation to the unbelieving world and more of an irritation. The idea that people have the right to believe what they believe that is okay, that has gone on. The idea that you can say other beliefs are wrong then you are viewed as narrow, bigoted and how you can hold your own belief but you shouldn’t be judgmental on other people’s beliefs.

It is amazing how we think we are so liberal in environments and we have seen this on issues at university campuses where when speakers are coming that are going to say something that is contrary to what they like, they don’t want them to talk.

When we come to spiritual truths we are presenting truths in a world that is opposed to this truth; the idea that we would be so narrow and bigoted to say “This is truth. It stands as truth outside of us in the sense it is not truth because I believe it. It is not truth because it is meaningful to me. It is truth because it is God’s Word and whatever your response to it, attitude toward it or thinking about it, it is still truth.”

There is a word that Frances Schaeffer popularized years ago, true truth. And that is where we stand and that is what Paul is dealing with as he writes to the Galatians. A reminder, these churches in Galatia have to realize they are to be the pillar and support of the truth. Paul wrote that to Timothy in I Timothy 3:15. Jesus in His high priestly prayer in John 17:17 prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth, Your Word is truth.” That is the life changing truth.

The churches at Galatia were losing their hold on that and as it comes down to our day in a subtle way, they are dealing with those we call the Judaizers. We saw something of that issue with them at the Jerusalem Council. We looked back in Acts chapter 15. Judaizers were Jews who had professed faith in Christ. You can see here, they professed faith in Christ, they believe He is the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, He died, was raised from the dead but they also believed you have to keep the Mosaic Law.

So if we were going to talk about these kinds of people today we would not want to be viewed as arrogant or narrow or judgmental on them. We would want to talk like, “Well you know, we appreciate the Judaizers and it is good to know we share so much in common. We appreciate these men who believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Savior, who believe that He was truly God and truly man that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead.” We have so much in common with them. We want to express our appreciation for the things we agree on and also we share with them the same love for the Old Testament and we appreciate the fact that they recognize that the law given to Moses was the Word of God and we share that same conviction with them. There are so many things we agree on.

That is sort of the way people think we should function, as the church should be. There should be that kind of comfortable reminder of how much we share together in spite of our differences and then you read Paul in verse 6 of Galatians 1 and he says, “I am shocked, amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of God for a different Gospel.” It is not really a Gospel at all. “Only there are some who are disturbing you, causing confusion and unsettling you.” They want to distort the Gospel.

We say, wait a minute! This is pretty negative outside of the Christians that Paul would identify with the Judaizers, have to be the closest to him in theology. We agree on as far as we can tell the facts of the Gospel except the Judaizers believe in addition to the Gospel, you have to keep the law but at least they are not worshipping pagan gods and all those things but Paul says, “We have nothing in common.”

It is always a danger to the church that we don’t want to be viewed so narrow. We don’t want people to think we are judgmental and arrogant and we are the only ones right but we do believe only God is right and everyone who disagrees with God is wrong. I realize I am not God. You are not God but His Word stands outside of us and this is what it says and there is no middle ground. That is what Paul is dealing with here in this constant pressure on the church to move, be broader.

In some of the reading that I do, they are constantly attacking the fundamentalists and we have moved beyond the fundamentalism of past days that was so narrow. It was separtistic. It was held to this is what is right and everything else is wrong and now we want to move to a broader and appreciate other Christians who may not think just like we do.

So in one sense the book of Galatians, his letter is almost 2,000 years old. It is written about Judaizers. We may not be having a conflict with those who are trying to wed the Mosaic Law to the Gospel that we preach. We live in a world that wants to wed other things to that Gospel. So the basic issue is the same and they want to be considered and accepted as Christians with us and the danger in this – we talk about that we do have a lot in common. It is not what we have in common. It is what we disagree on. What we don’t share in common that is the issue.

So Paul has already made clear in verses 6 and 7 as we have moved abruptly if you will into the body of this letter after the first five verses which are an introduction which just established his authority as an apostle appointed by God and the message that he had received, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then he is right into it. “I don’t know what to say to you Galatian believers, the churches in Galatia that I was used of God to establish. That in a relatively short time you have turned away from the Gospel, deserted Christ and become identified with those who have unsettled the churches and are distorting the Gospel.”

So in verses 8-10 he doesn’t soften things. It’s not like well you start out with something that gets their attention and now you back off a little bit. He is going to carry it even further. We not only don’t have any overlap here. The line is drawn. Those who are teaching what you in the churches have begun to accept are what leads people to an eternal hell and those teaching it are under the curse of God, condemned to hell right at the front. So this is intolerant, judgmental but again if this is the standard of truth there can be no variation.

Now you note the Galatians are held responsible for knowing the truth. That is true throughout Scripture beginning to end. God gives His Word. People are accountable to that Word whether they believe it or not. The unbeliever will be judged by it. We as believers will be held accountable. Well, Lord I really never got into it that much. That is an act of rebellion. We are to take it in. We are to absorb it. We are to know it so well that we have our lives conformed to it that we are sensitive to anything that is contrary to it. That doesn’t mean that in every verse we see everything exactly correct but we recognize distortions of the Word, the twisting of the Word, the undermining of the truth of the Word and it just permeates the Old Testament with false prophets but our focusing on the New Testament epistles. In just about every one you have to deal with the issues of this kind of corruption.

Let’s look at verse 8: “But even if we” because of what we just read in verses 6 and 7 even if we are making clear here the truth that God has given stands. It is not true because I preach it. It is true because it is God’s truth. So “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.” Paul’s point here, what I gave to you was the Word from God. He is going to emphasize that as we move on in this chapter. Now if I would change and start to teach you something different then I would be a liar and a deceiver. If an angel comes from heaven, the point is not than an angel would teach another but you can go to the extreme. This truth stands. “Heaven and earth will pass away. My Words will not pass away.”

So we don’t have to wonder. Well, you know this person is persuasive or even if he said an angel spoke to me last night. It doesn’t matter. This is truth, unchanging truth, and settled truth. That is what gives us stability as a church. The church at Corinth in verse 7 “Some are disturbing you, unsettling you bringing confusion.” That is what happens when people in the church start to be influenced by teaching that is contrary to truth. That’s what gives us stability. We are anchored. I can come here and say, “This is true but I know a lot of people who think differently about the Gospel but I know the truth. Not because I am special in that sense but because the truth is the truth.” He said, “Even if an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached.” It may be that some of these Judaizers were connecting this to the ministry of angels.

Over in chapter 3 of Galatians, look at verse 19: “Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator.” So angels were involved in the giving of the law at Mount Sinai.

Come back to Acts 7:53, the book of Acts chapter 7 and Stephen refers to this. In Acts chapter 7, verse 53 he talks about the law. “You who received the law as ordained by angels and did not keep it.” So while the Old Testament doesn’t delve into this we are told when God was communicating and giving the law to Moses on Mount Sinai angels were intermediaries just like we are finding out in the book of Revelation that the Word comes from the Father through Christ, through angels who gives it to John. So angels are involved in that way.

Come over to Hebrews chapter 2, same thing. “For if the Word spoken through angels proved unalterable and every transgression and disobedience received the penalty,” referring to the Mosaic Law. So again the angels were involved there. Now whether Paul is bringing that in “even if an angel preached a different gospel” not that those angels did but the idea to fall back on the authority of the Mosaic Law because angels were involved and they are obviously beings that are used of God as His messengers wouldn’t change it. There is only one Gospel.

On your way back to Galatians stop at Colossians and we will go to chapter 2. The issue in the church at Colossae, Colossae remember from our study of the seven churches in Revelation is going further west from the churches in Galatia. It would be in our modern day Turkey, all of these but you are moving further west from the churches in Galatia. There were similar problems going on there, the church at Colossae; a mixture of a law with the Gospel of grace. Verse 8 of Colossians 2: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy, empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” And again you will note that the mixture he says is coming in is not according to Christ. That is what he said to the Galatians, “You are distorting the Gospel, the truth concerning Christ.” Then he tells, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. You are made complete in Him.”

Then verse 11: “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.” That’s why in the Old Testament, God said to the prophets to Israel “You need your heart circumcised.” They thought physical circumcision assured their salvation. We are the physical descendants of Abraham. We have all the promises. Not if you don’t have a circumcised heart where God has removed the sin. That is the picture. Spiritual baptism, I take it along with circumcision in verse 12. Then verse 13: “You were dead in your transgressions and uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him having forgiven all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us.”

All the law could do was condemn because no one kept it. He is taking it out of the way. The end of verse 14: “Having nailed it to the cross.” So all our offenses, all our guilt like when Christ was crucified and Pilate had nailed “King of the Jews” because of the Roman perspective this is why I am crucifying Him. He claims to be an alternative king, not recognized by Caesar. So here, all the offenses that made us guilty have been nailed to Christ’s cross. That is why He is dying. “He bore our sins in His body on the tree” as Peter said. So “He cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us.”

Come down to verse 16: “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – they were a shadow.” You see this Judaizing teaching had infiltrated in and it was being mixed in again and no matter where you go it seems they are confused whether you are in Gentile parts of the world like Galatia and Ephesus this Judaizing teaching and it seems to have a hold because well, angels gave the law and “all Scripture is God breathed” and the law is Scripture and so what we have is the law now added to the finished work of Christ and we’ve got a complete package. So you have to keep the law and trust Christ and it seems to be the same issue here.

In verse 18 of Colossians 2: “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self- abasement (and note) and the worship of angels.” So again here you have angels involved in the honoring of angels. Paul said, “It doesn’t matter if an angel gives a different Gospel he is anathema.” That is the confidence in the truth that we have.

That is why these charismatic circles where you have these men standing up and claiming that God spoke to them or an angel appeared to them and all that. True believers should never be confused by that because here is the Word of God. It is what the argument is at the church of Colossae if you still here, verse 20: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world.” We are going to see that expression, “The elementary principles” in the book of Galatians; the ABC’s which are a way of looking at the Old Testament law. That was something preliminary that served a purpose. Its purpose was realized and fulfilled with the coming of Christ. Paul will get into that in the book of Galatians.

“So why are you going back and submitting yourselves to decrees? Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.” That appears in verse 23 “to have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion, self-abasement, severe treatment of the body but are of no value against fleshly indulgence;” so this mixture that we have to be so careful of. This is what Paul is dealing with. It doesn’t matter where it comes from.

Come back to Galatians chapter 1. The standard is the Gospel that has been preached. There is only one Gospel, the Gospel that Paul preached; the Gospel that Paul preached when he visited the churches of Galatia, the Gospel that brought them salvation. I mean all you have to do is stop and think, “How was I saved?” “Well I was saved when Paul came and preached the Gospel and I believed it.” “Well then where does the law come in?” “Well it makes sense that the law is a part of God’s plan and those teachers were pretty convincing. They even talked about the role angels had in this and I don’t think angels would make a mistake.” “Then you weren’t really saved” which is the argument of the Judaizers.

We have it in the form today most clearly with Roman Catholicism. Salvation is never complete. It is not done. That is why the church holds them in its power because they say you need the sacraments. They can only be distributed by the authoritative representatives of the church.

So yes, you are saved by grace through faith but not alone. They turn Galatians on its head. They say anyone who teaches that salvation is by faith alone is anathema. Paul says, “Anyone who teaches that salvation is in any other way but by faith alone is anathema” and yet we have hundreds of millions of people following that teaching. The issues, the way the devil works are the same.

Come back to Acts chapter 13, Acts chapter 13. This is where Paul is on his first missionary journey and he goes to Galatia and you see what Paul preaches when he comes to Galatia. We don’t have time to look at everything but in verse 14 he goes up into Pisidia and Antioch, the law was read, the prophets were read. It was his pattern to go into the synagogues, even these Gentile cities because there was a point of contact because he could explain from the Old Testament Scriptures how Christ was the fulfillment but soon when he said that the law could not save, there was trouble in these places.

He reiterates what goes on and you come down where he presents verse 28: “They found no ground (he’s been presenting to them, bringing them along from Old Testament Scriptures to Christ’s coming and) they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him.” You see in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophet “they took him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; He appeared to witnesses.” Then you come down to verse 38 for time, “Therefore let it be known to you brethren that through Him forgiveness is sins is proclaimed to you and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things from which you could not be freed through the law of Moses.” That is the key. Why would you turn around now and go back to the law of Moses that could not set you free? But everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness of sins. This is the message that he preaches. Now there is confusion.

Come over to chapter 16. We have the Council at Jerusalem in chapter 15. In chapter 16 we are on the second missionary journey and this may be something that the Judaizers bring up with Paul as well. In chapter 16, verse 1, Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. These are Galatian cities again. He is revisiting them. Remember on his second missionary journey he met a man named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer but his father was a Greek. Evidently Timothy was saved on Paul’s first trip here, on his first journey because Paul does refer to him as his son in the faith. Now he is well spoken of, verse 2 by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.

So in these regions Timothy’s testimony among believers has become clear. So Paul wanted this man to go with him, he wanted to become his traveling companion so he took Him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in these parts they knew his father was a Greek so….wait a minute. Why would Paul do this? Later he won’t circumcise Titus because he doesn’t want to confuse things but here for Paul, it is his willingness to become all things to all people. Timothy is not taking a stand denying his Jewishness and his connection to Judaism so Paul is comfortable having him circumcised. It has nothing to do with him being saved.

You can see how these things people grab onto. When people are ready to attack you, they always will grab on to anything and adjust it and twist it so it adds fuel to the fire. You have this issue going on all the time but for Paul the Gospel he preached is clear and there is no reason for misunderstanding on these issues. Come back to Galatians. We don’t have time to look at all the other passages.

So there is only one Gospel. Now that doesn’t mean that Paul was opposed to Jewish men being circumcised. He was not opposed to Jews eating certain food or not eating other food. He dealt with this in the letter to the Romans. What he was opposed to was this being required of people. The Jews that want to not eat pork, don’t eat pork. That is fine. But you can’t require Gentiles or other Jews to follow this any longer. The law is not enforced. You still have liberty but you can’t impose your liberty on someone else to require what? Well you should have a ham sandwich. Don’t you understand freedom in Christ? I don’t have to have a ham sandwich. That’s fine. I don’t want a ham sandwich. I know I am saved by grace apart from ham sandwiches but I still don’t want a ham sandwich. Okay, don’t eat a ham sandwich. It’s when you bring them together as necessary or part of our sanctification as Paul will make.

Back in Galatians. “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accused.” Strong expression but it is background in the Old Testament where things could be called haram, something devoted to God, often to be destroyed. That’s the picture here. It is used in the New Testament, this word ‘anathema’ and that is just the word. The Greek word is anathema. So if you are anathema, if you read the Greek word, the Greek word is anathema. The word just carries over into English.

Back up to Romans chapter 9 to see clearly what it means, Romans chapter 9, verse 3. Paul is talking about his concern for Israel and their salvation. He is greatly burdened for them and he says in verse 3: “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for the sake of my brethren.” If that would do it, I would be willing to be cursed to hell if it could bring about their salvation. Not saying he could, but obviously he is expressing the depths of his love for them but only Christ could take their place and bear their curse due to them and He did but Paul here you can see, I was willing to be condemned myself to hell if Israel could be saved. You know like we might say, “If I could for the salvation of my children, I would be willing to go to hell.” Something of your love is what is being expressed.

Come over to I Corinthians chapter 12, I Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3. This is in the context of exercising spiritual gifts and speaking in tongues and so on. “Therefore I make known to you (I Corinthians 12:3) that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is anathema, accursed.’” Anyone who would say that about Christ is obviously not being moved by the Spirit and evidently in some of this ecstatic speaking or tongue speaking things were being said and obviously it wasn’t the Spirit of God moving these people in what they said. So again the meaning of accursed is clear.

While you are in I Corinthians stop at chapter 16 verse 22: “If anyone does not love the Lord he is to be anathema” (accursed.) There is sort of a play on the sound of words here because then you have Maranatha, anathema, Maranatha and the contrast. Anyone who “does not love the Lord he is to be accursed.” Come Lord Jesus, come Lord. So those are the two alternatives and if you don’t love the Lord you are cursed. You are on your way to an eternal hell, doomed to hell.

Come back to Galatians. Strong language; this letter read in the church you would have some of these teachers probably sitting in these churches. Some of the people who have become their followers and now you read this letter. “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we preached he is to be accursed to hell.” You have the people sitting there with these teachers and people who have begun to become followers and accepting that teaching. That is pretty blunt, probably what we would think of as well we just want to drive people out. Paul wants to drive people out. The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth. That doesn’t mean we don’t welcome unbelievers but we don’t welcome people who want to teach anything contrary to the truth. We want to protect the flock from being confused by error.

So he repeats in verse 9. You think you just sort of you know after it is out of his mouth he thinks well, maybe that was a little too strong. “As we have said before, so I say again now. If any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you have received he is to be anathema, anathema, accursed, condemned to hell.” There is no flexibility here. There is only one Gospel. This is the truth. An attack on the Gospel is an attack on the person and work of Christ. He is going to get into this down in chapter 2. Look at verse 21: “I do not nullify the grace of God. For if righteousness comes thru the law then Christ died needlessly.” You don’t have to think these things through. What does it mean if the law is necessary for salvation? Was that just a variation on what we preach the Gospel? Paul said it is not a variation at all, it is saying Christ made a terrible mistake. God made a terrible mistake. Christ didn’t have to die. His death is worthless. Whoa!

A number of years ago we had a book written, Evangelicals and Catholics Together. Do you think Paul could have written a book Evangelicals and Judaizers Together? How does the church get so confused? Well we don’t want the world to think…...I don’t care what the world thinks about me. Do you care what the world thinks about you? Is it a standard for our church what the world thinks about us? Sometimes I hear people say, “why does Indian Hills have such a bad reputation?” Why? I didn’t encourage you to pick a particular political candidate. I don’t encourage you to vote one way or the other. We talk about the truth. That is very offensive. And we believe the truth of God says, “Anyone who does not believe this truth is condemned to hell,” Protestant, Catholic or any other religion. That is awfully narrow. You sound like the old time fundamentalists. In the sense we believe this is truth and yes, it is offensive to God for someone to say His Son died needlessly. Well I don’t think that’s what they mean by it. It doesn’t matter what they think. This is it. You add something to the Gospel you have said Christ died needlessly.

It is the Ten Commandments, its part of the Mosaic Law; it’s the sacraments that the church has developed. You add anything to God’s grace mediated by faith, you are saying the death of Christ is worthless. It is not a variation of the Gospel. It is not we are close on so many things. I mean how can you talk about we are close. For those who believe this, their sins are forgiven, they are going to heaven. For those who believe this, they are condemned and going to hell. We don’t talk about how close we are, how much we have in common. The church gets corrupted by that. We are concerned with what people think. We want to soften our image before the world.

Come back to Galatians. When you alter this Gospel, you not only say Christ died needlessly when you add to it or take away from it, you also lead others away from the only hope of salvation. Look in chapter 2, verse 16, still in Galatians. Paul is saying, verse 15: “We are Jews by nature, not sinners from among the Gentiles.” In other words we as Jews and the Judaizers come in you know we are a step ahead of you Gentiles because God chose us as a nation, He gave us the law but Paul says, “Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified, declared righteous by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we (talking about from verse 15,we Jews) even we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law since by the works of the law no flesh will be justified.” So this is a serious matter. You have corrupted the Gospel in such a way you are really saying the death of Christ is worthless and you are leading people away from the only Gospel that can save them. The church has to realize the seriousness of the responsibility given to us. The truth has been entrusted to us as believers as God has gathered us together in local churches and we are to stand for this truth. We are to defend it. We are to die for it if need be. Paul is not acting as a judge on his own authority. This is the standard we measure everything by this.

Here is what one commentator wrote: “Of course we live in an age in which it is considered very narrow minded and intolerant to have any clear and strong opinions of one’s own let alone to disagree sharply with anyone else. As for actually desiring false teachers to fall under the curse of God and be treated as such by the church the very idea is to many inconceivable but I venture to say that if we cared more for the glory of Christ and for the good of the souls of men we too would not be able to bear the corruption of the Gospel of grace.” But I have something sad to tell you. This man remained entangled in a church that was not faithful to the Gospel and by the end of his life he was denying things like an eternal hell.

So you want to be careful what you allow yourself to be exposed to. Here he writes in commenting on this at one stage of his life but when he was challenged on the importance of coming out and disassociating from those who were corrupt, he thought he could stay in and have an impact but by the time he was done he was writing, attacking the idea of an eternal hell. Things like that.

You don’t want to think. “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Oh we would never do that. Our church would never be open to that. I would never be. You have to be very careful. We don’t want to underestimate the devil. And we allow ourselves to be exposed to things and then we begin to be softened by it and then pretty soon we find ourselves adjusting to it. We have to be careful with the truth.

Come back to Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men or of God?” Now here in light of what he has just said can you talk like this because you want to please other people? There is no attempt to please men here. We sometimes think well if we soften the Gospel. That doesn’t mean every person we see we have to run up and be rude and hit them in the face but we cannot let it alone. The Gospel is the Gospel. If you are pronouncing those who disagree with the truth of God’s Word you are not making friends with them. People think we are narrow. We are. We are so narrow we think every other religion, every other idea, every other teaching except what God has taught in His Word is wrong. It is a road to hell.

Now think about that. There is only one way. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” Oh, what does that mean? Those protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, you mean they are all wrong and going to hell? Well could it be any clearer? Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone as the One who died to pay the penalty for your sin and was raised from the dead and trusting nothing else? Well I think it is important that I go and partake of the sacraments. Condemned to hell. I think it is important that I keep the Ten Commandments, also condemned to hell.

No wonder people think we are arrogant, we are narrow. We shouldn’t be arrogant because we don’t speak of this because we are better people than them. We are just like them but the Gospel, Romans 1:16 is “The power of God for salvation to everyone who” tries harder. No, “to everyone who believes.” That’s it and that just strikes at the heart of people. We want to do it our way. You know the song that Sinatra popularized, “I did it my way.” And you know we are offended. Tell people, “Your way will not get you to heaven, it is a road to hell.” Jesus said what?

Come back to Matthew 7, verse 13: “Enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide, the way is broad that leads to destruction. There are many who enter through it. The gate is small, the way is narrow that leads to life. There are few who find it.” Then he immediately warns them. “Beware of the false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing.” There is a narrow way. It is wide enough for everyone who wants to come but narrow enough to exclude everyone who won’t come God’s way. I mean how gracious God is! I made a way for everyone to come but let me be clear I am also saying it is the only way. Well, that is what Paul is saying and in every generation the church battles it and over time the church gets softer, loses its hold. That is why we constantly have the rollover and churches that one day stood for the truth now compromise the truth.

Back to Galatians 1:10. “Am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? If I were trying to please men I would not be a slave of God, a slave of Christ.” You see the contrast. I have to decide where my loyalty is. As Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters.” If I try to please men then I wouldn’t be a slave of Christ because a slave devotes his life to pleasing his master but if I am trying to please men then I can’t please Christ. That’s what happens. The idea if we adjust, if we do this, then we will have more inroads into the world. The world will recognize our scholarship; will recognize that we have a social program that they can appreciate. No, because as soon as you tell them “I am here to tell you there is one way.” All of a sudden, oh, you had ulterior motives; oh you are not really doing this for this. It is, I have ulterior motives. The only reason for me to be here is to tell you what? There is a way to heaven. There is a way for you to be forgiven. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to bring you salvation.

You know we keep our focus. It will be clear. That is why we spend so much time studying the Word of God, going back through it because as soon as we lose our hold on it we begin to drift. Where does it stop?

Come over to I Timothy, just same sample verses. You see it permeates the Scripture and I realize you here tonight are aware of this but I Timothy, this letter to Timothy. He’s at Ephesus, one of the churches in Asia Minor, further west of the Galatian churches and in verse 3 he tells Timothy, reminds him why he was left behind at Ephesus. “I urge you upon my departure from Macedonia remain on at Ephesus so you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines. Not to pay attention to myths, endless speculations.” The church at Ephesus had these kinds of teachers. Yes, in the church. How did they get there? Timothy, you’ve got to clean this up.

Down in verse 15 he will say, “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Paul doesn’t say that because he sees himself less and I was the worst of them but I found mercy. That is the message.

Down in chapter 2 he said that great statement in verse 4: “God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” So a narrow way but made for everyone.

Verse 15 of chapter 3 is where is says, “The church is the household of God, the pillar and support of the truth.” But then we are reminded in chapter 4, verse 1: “The Spirit explicitly says ‘that in the latter time some will fall away from the faith paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” He goes on to give examples and sometimes it looks like these people are more dedicated, more severe, more willing to give up things. Paul says in pointing out these things to the brethren “you will be a good slave, good servant of Christ Jesus. Nourished on the words of the faith and of sound doctrine.” The end of verse 7: “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” Don’t give your ears to fables, of lies and things that aren’t in accord with the truth.

Come on over to 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter. He is soon facing execution and he reminds Timothy of the importance of keeping the fire burning. You know concern. We have had a long ministry together that we cooled down and Paul is concerned about this but Timothy and he tells him in chapter 1 verse 6 to “Kindle afresh the gift that God which is in you… God has not given you the spirit of timidity.” You know we go through the truth a lot. We fight battles. We lose friends, we divide families and we just get to a point I just want to, you know relax a little. I don’t want to deny the truth but I don’t want to necessarily dive into another battle here. God hasn’t given us the spirit of timidity, cowardess. We can back off.

Verse 8: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner. Join with me in suffering for the Gospel.” Paul realizes the pressure on Timothy and that danger. Don’t back up Timothy. You have to move forward. You have to be willing to join with me in suffering for the Gospel.

Paul didn’t know any other way. When you stand for the Gospel you will suffer for the Gospel. The enemy will attack in one way or another. His goal is to destroy. His goal is to undermine the truth. “God has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” And “It is according to His purpose and grace” in verse 9.

Verse 13: “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me.” Verse 14: “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” Now note this terrible statement: “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me.” Evidently that is referring to those who were from the region of Asia and the churches in Asia like the seven churches who were in Rome where Paul was imprisoned who could have stepped up and stood with him but they decided to fade into the woodwork and they all turned away from him and he mentioned some of the more prominent, Phygelus and Hermogenes but the house of Onesiphorus stood firm.

You know sometimes we just look for ways not to get into conflict. No I don’t want to have to stand there. I don’t want to oppose former friends. Well nothing new. You understand why Paul had to tell Timothy to stand firm because he is already experiencing those that could have stood with him, not standing.

Chapter 2 opens up “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others. Suffer hardship with me.” Paul is not calling Timothy to adjust so you might have a more effective ministry and a little easier way. He didn’t see the next generation will have it easier. If the next generation has it easier it will be because they have compromised the truth. “Consider what I say. The Lord will give you understanding.”

You have to be careful about getting entangled in the things of this life. That is one of the things that distract us, pull us away and we have less time for the things of the Lord, less interest in the things of the Lord. We are busy about many things and along the way we lose our tight hold on the truth and we could go on and on.

What did Jude write? “I was going to write to you, encourage you about our common salvation but I felt the necessity to write because certain men have crept in unnoticed.” And they are corrupting. Paul told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light.” He comes in and catches us in unexpected ways. You say, “I wouldn’t get caught off guard.” We do. And the battles go on.

So the truth of the Gospel has been entrusted to us. We have the Spirit. We have the truth. We have to know it so well our first reaction is when we are confronted with error in one form or another from whatever source that doesn’t sound right. That is not what the Bible says. That is not what the Bible says. That is not what the Bible says how I should approach this. This is not what the Bible says about my salvation. This is not what the Bible says about my walk. It is just in our mind. You know it just so fills us that is our first reaction. You know it is like a new kid driving. He starts to drive and he wonders how you steer and you know we get it right. After you do it for a while it becomes almost mechanical. You just get in and you do it. That’s the way it ought to be in one sense. Don’t misunderstand that illustration but it’s so much a part of us I immediately recognize, that’s not Biblical. That’s not the Biblical way to handle this. That’s not what God said in His Word. That is not consistent with the Gospel and we are there.

How does the church get confused? Somehow they don’t respond that way. This is what is going on in the churches in Galatia. They should have recognized that just like that. Those teachers should have been shut down before they had an opportunity to say very much. But the church at Galatia listened and when they listened some things began to make sense and some things began to make sense and pretty soon people are getting confused and then the churches are unsettled. So the importance of the Gospel and our responsibility.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord. You have entrusted Your Word to us, individual believers brought together in local churches, entrusted with the greatest of treasures, Your very Word, given the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds. Lord we have no excuse when we stand to give an account to You for not taking it seriously, for not pouring our lives into the Word, filling our minds and hearts with the Word, being very careful to be faithful to the Word. Not adding anything to it. Not taking away from it but consumed with the desire to have it be the molding and shaping influence in our lives. Pray that we as a church will be faithful to this truth and that we will constantly be a testimony to the truth of the Gospel. We pray that You will use that Gospel as we give it forth to touch many hearts and lives that they might come to the Savior. Again thank You for Your grace, Your blessings, the salvation we have in the One who loved us and died for you. We praise You in Christ’s name, amen.