The Main Thing

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in 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 them be under God’s curse!

Galatians 1:6-8

One of my favorite books in the New Testament is Galatians written to believers scattered in churches throughout Galatia which is modern-day Turkey. The Apostle Paul introduces himself, indicating his authority which was assigned by Christ rather than man. He reminds the church of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for our sins and His promise that one day we will all be rescued. In the beginning, the Apostle Paul addresses how the believers in the Galatia churches abandoned the faith of the gospel that once transformed their lives. The gospel the believers are turning to is a false gospel. There are some that are attempting to throw the believers into confusion by perverting the gospel of Christ. Yet let these that preach a different gospel be under God’s curse. Paul reminds the believers that He is not trying to win the approval of man. He is not seeking to please man. If he was, he would not be an actual and genuine servant of Christ. 

Last August 2023, I visited a few friends in the South, specifically in the states of Georgia and Tennessee. There was a place I wanted to see in Chattanooga—the former campus of Tennessee Temple University. This Bible college and seminary once had thousands of students in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Unfortunately, the school no longer exists because the seminary began adopting new philosophies and programs that were inconsistent with its original mission and purpose. It had been a gospel-focused seminary with the goal of preparing pastors, but over the decades, its focus shifted. It became a liberal arts college and changed its stance on key biblical issues. When I visited the campus, I found only abandoned buildings and dorms—remnants of a school that once housed nearly 5,000 students each semester. It’s a sad reminder of what can happen when a seminary shifts away from its biblical foundations.

When you look at Revelations 2, you find 7 churches Jesus is addressing. The first is Ephesus and it is a church that was once fervent and passionate about the gospel. Yet at some point of their ministry, God was displeased with their departure from their first love. Do you know the status of the church at Ephesus today? It does not exist. Somewhere along the line the church disappeared and it never regrouped together again. The reality is that this happens often with many churches throughout history. The churches were established on fire for the Lord, preaching the gospel, but somewhere along the line they lost their passion and focus as a result. 

Paul is warning the churches in the Galatia region to not fall into the trap of the false gospel that is being taught. Their issue in that period of time was legalism where one attempted to mix salvation as faith + works. Today, the false gospel comes in many forms. The faith + works false gospel still exists in many churches throughout Christianity and it must be rooted out. However another aspect of a false gospel has appeared in more recent times and it is known as the prosperity gospel. It is also known to many theologians as the “Word of Faith” movement and prominent figures include Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, etc. Some may even refer to Joel Osteen or Steven Furtick as the new-age versions of the prosperity gospel. Essentially in summary, the prosperity gospel is when our faith in Christ leads us to material blessings of wealth and success. Furtick has often faced allegations of taking Scripture out of context to be used as a “motivational” speech that builds one’s self-esteem instead of expository preaching which uncovers the meaning of the text and the intent of the author’s writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. An example of a prosperity gospel would include statements such as "If you have enough faith and give generously to God, He will bless you with financial wealth, physical health, and overall success in life." It focuses on how a believer can “use” God rather than the opposite. It focuses on self, rather than on the Savior. Unfortunately this false teaching is slowly creeping into the church and we must be cautious about it. 

Lately, another element of false gospel has come alongside the church through politics. I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state. This is a Baptist distinctive and one that all Baptists must proudly stand on. It is the words of the third President of the United States who wrote unto the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 that there ought to be a wall of separation between the church and the state. Essentially it was a promise that no state-sponsored religion would come about in the United States nor would there be oppression of those that practice their faith from the government. Yet I get bothered when certain prominent evangelicals and churches invite well-known politicians that are clearly not Christ-like or perhaps not even a Christian to speak at their services. Sunday service is about the Lord only. This is dangerous for it brings this false concept and idea that the only hope to our nation is determined who is elected into the White House or Congress. Whether it is the Democratic Party or the GOP in power, ultimately it is only God that can bring revival to our nation and it will not happen through the White House but through the church house (better yet House Church!) 

Then there is another form of false gospel that has always existed throughout history and it is the false gospel that Paul is describing which is legalism. I grew up in a Uber-fundamentalist church where one’s action(s) determined the spirituality of an individual. For instance, we were told the spiritual ones wouldn’t go to a movie theater or listen to contemporary music (including Christian). While they preached the gospel, this additional “rules” unfortunately gave a false pretense of what it meant to be spiritually growing. This is wrong as well and I just preached from Galatians 6 about this. The reality is that the gospel doesn’t just begin or end when we first become a believer, it continues in our life through what we call “sanctification” where through the gospel we are growing in the faith.

Ultimately we must keep the main thing the main thing. I pray that our church continues to move forward with the expository preaching of the gospel every opportunity we have. That our mission remains focused on the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and the Great Commandments in Matthew 22. That we never lose our passion and fire to see the lost come to Christ by faith alone. That we would not judge or add “rules” to determine one’s spirituality. That we would be honest that the Christian race is not an easy race but only through Christ we can overcome all trials and temptations and one day all the difficulties we face will be erased when we are reunited with our Savior in the eternal kingdom of Heaven. The gospel is Jesus Christ and faith in Him alone, let us never waver from that! Onward we shall move forward~

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. 2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

Proverbs 18:1-2

Unfriendly people are selfish and will always begin quarrels with others for they are not using sound or sober judgment. They find no pleasure in understanding but love to air out their own opinions and thoughts in foolish ways. The foolish will bring strife because of their mouths. They are a snare to their lives. Gossip hurts people and will go down to the inner most parts of one’s body. 

When we answer before listening, that is only what fools do. In a court lawsuit, the first person always seems like he or she is right until there is a cross-examination. Therefore it is important to listen to the whole matter first before answering.