Deserting the gospel for another

I

find it so easy to look at the people in the Bible—the Israelites, the early church, etc.—and think I'm so much better than them. I wouldn't start worshiping a golden calf while Moses is on the mountain, I wouldn't complain about manna when there was nothing else to eat, I wouldn't turn from the true gospel so quickly as the Galatians did.

But am I really so much better than they? I don't think so.

Galatians 1:6-10

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.

Each of us needs to consider what we are being told by spiritual leaders, church leaders, and friends. We need to place what those people are telling us against the standard of scripture and determine if what we are being told is true. We need to be like the Bereans, who searched the scriptures to see if what they were being told was true.

The gospel plus or minus anything is "a gospel contrary to the one you received." A gospel that springs from a hero other than Christ is "a gospel contrary to the one you recived."

The gospel (the "good news") is that Christ, the only begotten son of God, took on human flesh, died on the cross and rose again three days later so all those who believe in him will be saved from the penalty of their sins. Any gospel that is less than that (say a gospel that does not call for repentance or "faith alone") or any gospel that requires more than that (say a gospel that requires another man to sanctify you or requires you to follow extra-biblical codes of conduct) is "a gospel contrary to the one you received."

And according to Paul, those who spread gospel-minus or gospel-plus are to be accursed. That is the same as saying, "let that person go to hell." This is a serious thing!

May God grant us all the grace to recognize a gospel that is not the gospel delivered to the saints. And may God grant us all the grace to reject that gospel and to join Paul in the condemnation of those who spread that false gospel.