In light of the crime against God that preaching a false Gospel is, we need to examine what justification by faith alone means. Remember the words of Paul: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Gal.1:6-9).Many words have been written and many more have been preached on this issue. However, it should make every preacher and every person who evangelizes tremble when they read the words of Paul. Even in his day while he was still alive, even people who heard Paul preach the Gospel were turning away to a different gospel. Paul was simply amazed, and yet he knew the doctrines of depravity better than we do. Let us face up to the grim reality of this. It is likely that many people within the walls of the church each Sunday do not know and believe the true Gospel. It is also highly likely that many people that have come to faith (we thought) have turned away from the Gospel at some point. If they turned away from the Gospel when Paul preached it, who are we to think that people will not do it under our ministries?
We should also notice another point from verse 6. Paul said that the people were “deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different Gospel.” When people leave for a different gospel, which is really not another true Gospel, they are deserting God. Let us read and hear the words of Paul, which are really the God-breathed words of Scripture. When people leave the Gospel, they are deserting God. A false Gospel is all about a false god. The Gospel itself is about the true God and it is only through the true Gospel that we adhere to the true God. It is the true Gospel that sets out the glory of God in the face of Christ (II Cor. 4:4, 6). The true Gospel puts the glory of God on display and all who come to God through the Gospel see His glory in it. But those who reject the true Gospel not only reject the true Gospel, but they reject the glory of God as seen in the Gospel of glory. The Gospel is called, after all, the Gospel of God.
The Gospel of the glory of God is a Gospel of grace. Note that Paul wrote that God “called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.” Any Gospel that is not all about the grace of Christ is a different Gospel. Notice also that the grace of Christ is how God calls sinners. God saves “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph 1:6).
He saves so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:7-9). The Gospel of grace is so that God should show off the riches of His grace and so that no one can or may boast. There is no boasting allowed in the Gospel because it is all of the grace of God in order that all the glory would be His. Any other gospel detracts from this grace and the glory of God in allowing man some degree of boasting.
When you see some deserting the Gospel of grace “for a different gospel; which is really not another,” you can know that they are going to what they think is good news and yet is not a real Gospel. Instead of being angry with the people, let us learn to be amazed that they would leave such amazing grace. We should learn to pity people who have been and are being deceived. Let us learn to look at people in our churches and towns in a different way. We usually take people leaving as an insult toward ourselves and that may be true in some cases. However, if it is toward us, we should learn humility and meekness. Perhaps, gasp, we may need to repent of something ourselves. But if we are looking at the people apart from selfinterests, let us know that they are turning from God for a false gospel. Their souls are in danger of eternal damnation and that is far more important than our own feelings of importance. Ministers are to be shepherds of the sheep, but wolves are after the sheep of your Master. Those people at the very least are being deceived (Satan is the deceiver) and at worst are deserting God. The privilege and duty of ministers is to take the true Gospel of Christ to people again and again. Let us not grow weary of trying to snatch sheep from the jaws of wolves and lions. Can our work for the Master demand anything less of us?
A main reason that people leave is because “there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” This is why ministers must be clear about the Gospel on a regular basis. There are people on the radio, on TV, on tapes, in books and magazines, and quite possibly in our churches who are disturbing the sheep and distorting the Gospel of Christ. Right now there is a book that is a huge success along with a movie that is projected to be a huge success that is distorting the Gospel (the Da Vinci Code). What is the best way to protect the sheep? Preach the true Gospel so that the heresies of the book and movie will be seen. Preach the Gospel of the glory of God so that those with spiritual taste buds will simply know by tasting that the things taught in the book and the movie are false. We must understand that whatever else we do, the Gospel itself must be made clear. We must understand that if people are drawn away from the true Gospel, it is because someone has distorted the true Gospel and has put a false one in its place. It happened in Paul’s day and it is happening in our own day. Notice again, people “want” to distort. Our job is to want to preach the truth with a clarity that makes the Gospel harder for others to distort.
Now we must shift gears. The sheep are under constant attack and the shepherds must be protecting and defending the sheep with the truth of the Gospel. But how are we to view those who want to distort the Gospel and in fact are teaching a false Gospel? “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Gal. 1:8-9). Paul leaves us no doubt of what has to happen. People who do this may be in our churches. They may be ministers that we know. They may be ministers in our own denomination. But know this, a preacher and teacher of a false gospel is to be accursed. No matter how much we like another person, we must never allow a false Gospel to remain within our numbers very long. The ministers are to feed and protect the sheep that are bought by the very blood of Jesus Christ. Will we really be squeamish about dealing with people we like if they are slaughtering the sheep owned by Christ? If so, what does that say about us?
We must make a proper distinction that the text does. There are those who are misled and depart from the Gospel, but then there are those who want to distort the Gospel and so teach a different gospel, which is not a gospel at all. We must treat people differently depending on the case. People who are misled are those that we are to go after and try to persuade. We must warn them and plead with them not to desert God Himself by deserting the Gospel. We must strive over and over to declare the truth of the Gospel and show them their error. But for those who want to distort the Gospel and in fact do, we must notice that Paul has his strongest words against these people. These people may be very nice and charming. They may be very educated and cultured. They may be our strongest backers in some ways. They may be our best givers. But if they are wolves and are teaching a false gospel, they are accursed and we cannot allow them to continue teaching such things. “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them (Acts 20:27-30).
Pastors and shepherds must defend the flock as ministers of God and shepherds of the flock of Christ. They do this by declaring the whole counsel or purpose of God. They do this by being on guard for things that come in against themselves and against the church. They do this knowing that savage wolves will attempt to come in. These wolves come in appearing like sheep, and possibly like the nicest of people. But these people do not spare the flock, but speak perverse things that draw the sheep away from Christ. It is hard when very nice and tolerant people speak such soothing things to people, yet while appearing to be helpful, they are being the cause of people to desert God and the Gospel of grace. Those who defend the truth may have to appear mean and intolerant, but so be it. The sheep of the Master must be defended. Ministers must study for a deeper understanding of the Gospel and to remind themselves of the glory of God in the Gospel. The wolves draw people away with distortions and outright lies. We must do battle with the truth and of the glory of God in the Gospel applied with love. Our Master deserves nothing less than our all and those poor sheep of His must be defended with the Gospel of His glory itself.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment