4-21-23 THE FIGHT) Galatians 1:6-10
Gal. 1:7 “but there be some that trouble you (false teachers), and would pervert (distort, corrupt, change) the gospel of Christ.”
1. All three phases of the Satanic policy of evil (SPOE) are against us, members of the church, body of Christ (CBOC). And Satan is attacking our “faithfulness” to the doctrine.
Phase 1: Satan attacks the message with “other gospels,” perversions of the gospel;, to corrupt the heart and the mind of the ambassador, so that he/she will change the message. Phase 2: Satan attacks the messenger with the goal of intimidation, injecting fear in him/her causing the messenger to shut up and miss the opportunities God has set before him/her. Phase 3: Satan upgrades his attack on the messenger hoping to discredit and discourage him/her. Causing the messenger to voluntarily quit the fight. Declaring: “It’s not worth it!”
2. While the ambassador is laboring with God, Satan is aiming at our sonship, in the particular area of our ambassadorship. He knows our ambassadorship carries a twofold message: 1. The gospel of God’s grace resulting in the salvation of the lost. 2. The mystery of the gospel of grace, impacting the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
3. Satan’s objective is to make the ambassador “unfaithful” in these three areas: the message, the opportunities, and the cause. We are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3) and faithful to the message, faithful to the opportunities, and faithful to the cause.
4. Paul highlights passages of scripture that identify Satan’s use of “other gospels” and perversions of the gospel, such as: (Read: 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 6:1-9). Satan’s goal is to use men (even Saints) to wittingly (knowingly), or unwittingly (unknowing) preach “other gospels, another gospel, which is not another,” perversions of the gospel “another Jesus, another spirit,” corrupt bibles. (Read: 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Gal. 1:6; 3:1).
Let’s look at the Galatian believers:
1. (vs 6) The Galatians were relatively new converts, and they were soon removed (separated, voluntarily withdrew) from the gospel of grace, unto another gospel which is not another. They were seduced by false teachers (Judaizers), who convinced them to believe a perversion (distortion, change) of the gospel. And they went back under the law of Moses. They went back to adding works of the law, 10 commandments, and circumcision to grace (Rom. 11:6). They became unfaithful ambassadors!
2. Faith in Christ was now not enough. They had become unfaithful messengers, they changed the message by telling others, as they had opportunity, that they needed to add works to faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to be saved (Rom. 11:6). They were indeed preaching a perversion, a misrepresentation of the gospel, which made them faithful ambassadors for Satan now! Satan rejoices when he sees a member of the body of Christ preaching a perversion of the gospel. This is because Satan knows that preaching a perversion of the gospel will keep the unsaved just that, unsaved. That is why Paul told Timothy to “charge some that they TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE” (1 Tim. 1:3).
There are “many gospels” (good news) in the Bible:
1. Gospel of the kingdom, Gospel of peace, The everlasting gospel, Gospel of the circumcision, Gospel of uncircumcision. These are all legitimate gospels. But they are all “other gospels.” God does not have two gospels in the dispensation of grace. God has only one gospel in the dispensation of grace whereby men can be saved. And that is the gospel of the grace of God. No other gospel, other then the gospel of the grace of God, has the power of God unto salvation.
Paul introduces the three parts of the gospel of the grace of God in Romans chapters 1-3. 1. First part of the gospel: Romans 1:18-32 – Wrathconsciousness: the need for salvation. 2. Second part of the gospel: Romans 2:1-3:20 – No one has a self defense plea that will successfully excuse them from being counted worthy of God’s wrath. 3. Third part of the gospel: Romans 3:21-26 – The glorious good news that God is offering pardon & justification freely offered to all men. *(Justification, sanctification & exaltation are all taught in Romans chps. 1-5).
God’s word says in Galatians in 1:7; there is “not another” (gospel) whereby men can be saved today. That includes the gospel of the Kingdom. That is “another gospel” for another dispensation. Matter of fact it is Israel’s gospel exclusively. And Israel’s program has been postponed until after the rapture of the church the body of Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18). But men don’t know this because they are in violation of 2 Timothy 2:15 which says “Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (Rom. 15:8 (Jesus preached the gospel of kingdom); (Acts 20:24; Rom. 15:16 Paul preached: gospel of grace)
(vs 7) “but there be some (Judaizers-legalizers-false teachers) that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” They produce a false, counterfeit gospel. The false teachers persuaded the Galatians the grace of God, and the finished work of Christ was not enough to save and bless them unless they added keeping mosaic law (works) to their faith. The Judaizers were not unscriptural, they were undispensational.
How is Satan working today? Paul said in Galatians 2:4: “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage (back under the law).” Yes, Satan is opposing God’s plan in this dispensation of God’s grace. Satan is the imitator, the counterfeiter. Satan is not fighting churches, No! He is joining them! Satan is transforming himself into an Angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15). His ministers are transformed (changed) into ministers of righteousness (their own righteousness), false apostles, deceitful workers. Folks, today there is a war of doctrine. The sound doctrine of Paul is under satanic attack, with false, mixed up, doctrine. Vain imaginations, and following every high thing (philosophy-human wisdom) that exalted itself against the knowledge of God. God wants to bring every thought of the believer back (from where? The flesh) to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-6.
The subtility (craftiness) of the false teachers changed the message. REMEMBER 2 Cor. 11:1-3 (Read). Satan beguiled Eve. He bewitched her, she was hoodwinked, bamboozled, lead astray. Eve’s mind was corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Satan corrupted in Eve’s mind what God had said. It was no longer clear in her mind. And Adam like a fool, listen to her and went along with her, and disobeyed a direct order from God which resulted in his court martial. Adam & his wife were cast out from the beauty and protection of the garden of Eden because of a departure from sound doctrine.
Vs 8-9. God’s word says, you better be careful who you listening to! “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (condemned). As we said before, so say I (Paul) now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you that you have received, let him be accursed (condemned). (Don’t eat from too many tables (including grace tables). Know who is in the kitchen doing the cooking.
Proverbs 11:4 says; “where no council is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
Job 38:1 “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, who is this that darkeneth council by words without knowledge?”
Paul says, “In the last days (of grace), there will be some: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses (religious system) and lead captive silly women laden with lusts, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, & never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:5-7).
In Closing: A perversion of the gospel does not deny that Jesus died on the cross, doesn’t deny the reality of Christ, and doesn’t deny salvation. A perversion (corruption) takes place when a gospel message says: God’s requirement that faith alone, through Christ alone isn’t enough! A perversion is the addition of works, the law (Rom. 6:14; 11:6). That’s how the Galatians got bewitched and removed from the grace of Christ. They added their own works to faith! Nobody can be saved today by faith and works. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Rom. 11:6: (Read): Anytime works is added to grace, grace is no more grace, you have destroyed grace. And if you add grace to works, you have destroyed the works. It has to be 100% grace, or 100% works, you cannot mix the two.
Gal. 2:21: (Read): Grace was frustrated and destroyed when the false teachers convinced the Galatians to add mosaic law, works to grace. They were soon removed from the grace of God. 3:1 Paul rebuked the Galatians, “Oh foolish Galatians, who have bewitched you that you should not obey the truth. Any message that adds works to grace, grace is frustrated, disappointed, grieved, and Christ has died in vain.
Paul would have you preach the gospel of the grace of God in truth (Col. 1:6), KEEP IT STRAIGHT & PURE, UNADULTERATED, instead of a perversion of the gospel.
Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, THAT YE STAND FAST IN ONE SPIRIT, WITH ONE MIND STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL. Amen.
Colman J. Gilliland 