The War for the Gospel is already Here

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—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble 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 the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 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. 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. – Galatians 1:6-10

One of the central tenants of the Christian faith is the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that there is only one way that leads to salvation and that is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Authentic biblical Christianity claims to have an exclusive monopoly on the truth and the exclusive passage to God. The fact for us Christians is this that if Jesus Christ is not the only way to heaven then He is no way to heaven. This truth is the foundation stone of Christianity.

Due to this fact, the Gospel is of utmost importance to every church, to every ministry and to every believer. There is no wiggle room here, no margin for error. There is a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the Gospel of Christ. Paul tells us that all the Lord’s bondservants must fight the good fight to maintain the purity of the Gospel, and this fight is more than just a good fight, it is the most noble of fights. Are you ready for battle?

In these verses above Paul is fighting for the heart and the soul of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul had virtually spent his entire ministry fighting to uphold the integrity of the Gospel. He fought against Gnosticism, secular philosophy, Eastern Mysticism, Asceticism, those who denied the resurrection, and in this case against Judaizers who sought to add works to salvation. All of these attacks on the Gospel are still just as present as they were in Paul’s time, but I want us to see the severity of how Paul refutes these false teachings that were creeping into the Church. There are many theological debates that are very secondary to the major doctrines of the Christian faith, but this is not one of them. The Gospel of grace alone, faith alone, in Christ alone is a hill that we must plant our flag on as Christians.

Paul in hearing of the Galatian’s desertion of the Gospel writes to them this fiery epistle. In this letter, Paul minces no words and he breathes holy fire. He is doing everything in his power to disarm the perverters of the Gospel before they lead precious souls to Hell. He is shocked that the Galatians have fallen so quickly and so easily for the false gospel that was being perpetrated there.

The Galatians had deserted the one true Gospel, and may I say so have many other churches today. Please note that to desert the Gospel is to desert God Himself. Many of us understand desertion as going AWOL. My friends there are many who have gone AWOL on the saving Gospel of Christ, and in doing so have aligned themselves with the enemy. To abandon God and His Gospel is to be a defector of the worst kind.

There are only two types of gospels. There is a true Gospel and a false gospel; a Gospel that saves and a gospel that damns. There is a gospel of Divine accomplishment and a gospel of human achievement. Many today have replaced the former with the latter. I want you to truly understand that any theology or doctrine that tells you that grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is not enough for salvation it is a counterfeit gospel, a fake message, a sham salvation, and a perverted gospel that damns those who follow it. You see there is only ONE way to Heaven, and this is the exclusivity of Christ in salvation.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus – 1 Tim 2:5

Beloved, to desert the gospel is to be removed from the only way of salvation. To tamper with the Gospel is to trouble the Church. There are many such adversaries who trouble the Church today. They gladly acknowledge a place for the cross, grace, and faith in salvation, but they claim that it is not enough to be right with God; and in doing so they render the cross to no effect.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. – Galatians 2:21

My friends there are many today behind pulpits and in churches who are seeking to be men pleasers. We must understand that the Gospel is the fork in the road for every person. Will your allegiance be with man or with God? We are to preach and tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We are to uphold the standard as truth bearers in Christ and fight to maintain the purity and simplicity of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you ready for battle? The war for the Gospel is already here.