I preached from Galatians this morning, using Paul’s letter to warn about legalism and trying to relate to God through your own self efforts (law or religion).
Paul came from a history of law and legalism and could therefore see the danger it had for the born again believer living under the new covenant.
Paul instead (after meeting with the risen Christ) preached grace, preached about the grace of Jesus Christ.
This grace of Christ is what Paul called the gospel (Galatians 1 v 6).
The word gospel could be translated as good news, and the grace of Jesus Christ is indeed good news.
Anything other than the grace of Jesus Christ is not good news and is therefore not the gospel.
And this is what Paul tells us, that anything other than the grace of Christ is not the gospel, or even a gospel (Galatians 1 v 6 and 7).
Paul tells us that anything other than the grace of Jesus is a perversion of the Gospel (Galatians 1 v 7).
This word “pervert” means to corrupt, and this is what law, legalism and religion does to the Gospel.
Trying to relate to God through your own self-efforts (law, legalism and religion) is a perversion of the gospel and goes against the grace of Jesus Christ.
We can only (or should only) relate to God through what Jesus Christ has done and not through what we have done.
Our relationship with God depends upon the performance of Jesus and not upon our performance, I for one am glad about that!
Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that our relationship is dependent upon the finished work of Jesus Christ and nothing else”.
Galatians 1 v 6 and 7…..I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there would be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ
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