The Deadly Danger of Desertion | Galatians 1:6-7

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. — Galatians 1:6-7

CALL OUT: Shout out today to Jay Fehr from Melbourne, FL. Thanks for your support and partnership in the Gospel.

The other day, I was outside and heard a young father yelling a warning call to his three young children who had strayed into a busy street. The call of this father sent a chill up my spine. It was startling and appropriate. This father's only concern was the safety of his children. And it's with a call that this that Paul begins this letter.

"What are you doing?!" screams Paul, seeing that the churches in this region have strayed into a dangerous street.

This brings attention to a vital point in the spiritual journey. Sometimes, we need someone to grab us by the facemask, look us right in the eye, and exclaim, "What are you doing?!" Being on either end of these moments is challenging. But they are necessary sometimes, which means if you are a believer, you must learn how to give and receive it.

Right here, Paul is giving it to the Galatians. But don't forget he also received it. Jesus Christ himself got right in his grill on that Damascus Road, dropped him to the ground, and blinded him because he opposed the Gospel. And here, over a decade later, he is doing the same, mainly because he has been there—dragged away by a similar apostasy.

Another word for apostasy is the word Paul uses here, "desertion." It is the act of deserting a belief that one previously held.

But as we will see all the way through the letter, their apostasy was a "desertion of addition." In other words, they had deserted the Gospel by adding something to the Gospel. Here's the equation:

Gospel +/- Anything = Apostasy.

Apostasy happens every day. It's happening in churches, colleges, and companies at alarming speeds. They add and subtract to the Gospel to "enhance" it or "adjust" it to make it more relevant. Many are dragged away by this and never return to the purity of the Gospel alone.

In fact, I bet you know someone who has been dragged away by apostasy. Someone who has deserted the Gospel by addition or subtraction, which is tragic because the Gospel is God's story, and it needs no help from us. None!

Given our current times, we need to test everything we hear. We need to sharpen our senses when it comes to the Gospel. We need to listen to teachings with more care. We must ensure that the Gospel we believe in is the untarnished Story of God. This means we need to know the genuine Gospel so well we can recognize even the smallest alterations or deviations, which prevents us from being swayed into dangerous situations and equips us to warn others against doing the same.

#GuardTheGospel #StayTrueToTheGospel #AvoidApostasy #KnowTheGenuine #SpreadTheWarning

ASK THIS:

Reflect on a time when you felt tempted to add or subtract from the Gospel to make it more appealing or relevant. How did you handle this temptation, and what did you learn from the experience?
In what ways can you deepen your understanding of the authentic Gospel so that you are better equipped to recognize and resist false teachings or distortions? How can you encourage others to do the same?

DO THIS: Know the genuine Gospel well.

PRAY THIS: Father, help me to cling steadfastly to the purity of your Gospel, guarding against any temptation to alter or dilute its truth. Grant me discernment and wisdom to recognize and reject any distortions, and empower me to boldly proclaim the unadulterated message of salvation to others. Amen.

PLAY THIS: The Gospel.