DIG for Saturday the 1st of August……anything other than grace is a perversion of the gospel…..Galatians 1 v 6 and 7

Paul starts his epistle to the Galatians really quite strongly, wanting to warn them of the dangers of moving away from the gospel of grace.

Here Paul equates the gospel of grace to the gospel of Christ, telling us that Christ is the message of grace.

This is of course something that is confirmed in the gospel of John where we read that grace came in the form of Jesus (John 1 v 17).

Anything other than grace and Jesus is not the gospel, that is what Paul is driving at here; anything other than grace is not the good news and Paul warns the brothers and sisters to stay away from these other “gospels”.

He actually says that they are not other gospels, but that they are a perversion (Galatians 1 v 7).

To pervert means to change, turn or corrupt.

So what is he talking about here?

He is talking about religion and legalism; trying to come to God via law and your own performance.

We can say this because of what he wrote in Galatians 5 v 1.

Grace (or Christ) is freedom while law and legalism is the bondage to which some were returning.

Much of what is heard in church is a perversion of the true gospel, the gospel of grace or the gospel of Christ.

Any doctrine that asks you to adhere to religious performance instead of trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ is a perversion of the gospel and should be avoided.

Paul warned us to stay away from this; Paul advises us to stick with grace.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus Christ and thank you that He was indeed truth and grace”.

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 be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ

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DIG for Friday the 31st of July…..listen out for the words others speak over your life…..Proverbs 18 v 21

It was lovely when down in London to hear the people in churches I visited speaking out declarations of truth over their lives and their church.

We have started doing this at MGF recently, speaking out the truths we have learned after the message. This is a powerful Biblical principle that I never tire of hearing or teaching about.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18 v 21).

Every time you open your mouth and speak you are either speaking death or life over your life or over other people’s lives.

This should make us take responsibility over what we say to others, but this morning I was thinking it should also make us take responsibility over what others say to us.

We need to be ready to counter the lies and nonsense that other people say.

If someone says, “You are going to amount to nothing” we need to counter with words like, “God has a plan and purpose for my life and through Him I can do all things”.

If we are told, “Well, you have to expect to get ill, it is the season after all” we need to counter with words like, “No, by His stripes I am healed and no plague shall come nigh my dwelling”.

When people say, “But there is a downturn, we should expect things to get tough” we can speak out and say, “Jesus became poor so that I could become rich and above all things God wants me to prosper and be in health”.

It is not only your words that have a power over your life, the words of others has an effect too.

So it is vitally important to listen to what others say to you and over you.

Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people, avoid those who whine and whinge.

Seek out positivity and run a mile from negativity.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I realise the power of words and thank you for the positive effect of good encouraging words in my life”.

Proverbs 18 v 21…..Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof