Cursed! The Loving Warning. | Galatians 1:6-7

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. — Galatians 1:8-9

CALL OUT: Shout out today to Shaun Bonnell from Grand Rapids, MI. Thanks for hosting me for Men's Corner this week what a great event with so many great men.

This is one of the harshest statements in the entire New Testament.

Paul is intensifying his argument, which is focused entirely on the importance of the Gospel message. First, he clarifies that anyone who adds to or subtracts from the message of God will be condemned to the fires of hell because it's God's message, not ours. Second, he clarifies that any messenger who does this, that is, Paul or even an angel (for example, a fallen angel like Satan), is also not exempt from the fires of hell.

This statement sounds harsh, but it's 100% appropriate.

Let me explain.

A genuinely loving person will warn others that things they hear or do will lead to lasting harm. This may require assertive language. Some people will avoid this, fearing it might come across as unloving. But it's not unloving. Sometimes, it's the most loving thing we can say and do.

Many believers let people they love, like their children, parents, and friends, continue down a path of destruction for two reasons. Either they are not sure about the message of the Gospel, so they don't know how to communicate it. Or they find themselves overly concerned with being interpreted as unloving, pushing a person away, thus saying nothing.

And my response to this is two-fold. First, if you don't know how to communicate the Gospel message meaningfully, given a specific situation, figure out how to do it. The Gospel is God's way to everlasting life and applies to everyone, every time, and in every situation. Second, if you are overly worried about saying something unloving, just broaden your perspective. Consider what is more unloving—saying something that stings now or saying nothing and letting a person you love spend eternity in the fires of hell.

This is the genius of this harsh but appropriate text. Paul intimately knows the Gospel and precisely how to present it to legalists because he was a legalist. Paul is also willing to speak a harsh word because the ultimate end is infinitely harsher.

So today, I would like to urge you. If someone in your life is making eternally harmful decisions, first get to know the Gospel message and second communicate it before it's too late.

#GuardTheGospel #SpeakTruthInLove #EternalWarning #PaulineWisdom #ShareTheGoodNews

ASK THIS:

How can we ensure that we fully understand and effectively communicate the Gospel message to those we care about who may be veering off course?
Reflect on a time when you had to confront a loved one about a harmful decision. What lessons did you learn about balancing truth and love in that situation, and how can you apply those lessons going forward?

DO THIS: Know it. Communicate it. It's loving.

PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the wisdom and courage to boldly share your Gospel message with love and clarity, even in difficult situations, so that I may help lead others to the path of eternal life. Strengthen my resolve to guard the truth and speak it in love, following the example set by Paul in his firm yet compassionate warning. Amen.

PLAY THIS: God Really Loves Us.