A Study on Galatians 1:6
In our last episode, we saw why Paul was astonished — the churches were quickly drifting from the foundation that had been laid for them. Today, I want us to look at the implication of such a drift.
Paul said that they were deserting him who called them.
Please note this carefully: when a person turns to another gospel, or rejects the gospel, he is not merely rejecting a message. He is not simply rejecting an ideology or a religion. He is rejecting God. This is because the gospel is not just news — it is the only reliable and true story of God's mission towards humanity. Any faith or story that claims to be divine but is not consistent with this gospel is false, and is actually anti-Christian.
It's Not Just the Cults We Should Worry About
I know that at this point, many of you are thinking I am simply referring to the false religions and cults that are everywhere. Those are certainly included. But I am more concerned about our evangelical churches — churches that genuine believers would approve of — that have, unknown to them, rejected God because they deny aspects of the true gospel.
It Doesn't Have to Be Intentional
Here is something critical to understand: when Paul said that these churches were deserting God, it was not an intentional action. They had not become atheists by profession. They still believed in God. They had not become lukewarm or stopped their church activities.
On the contrary, the very act at the centre of the controversy was motivated by a sincere desire and zeal to please God. They were no longer confident in Christ's finished work alone for their salvation. And they weren't seeking a convenient, easy faith either. They had been bewitched into believing that circumcision was necessary for salvation — and were willing to go through the horrifying pain of being circumcised as adults just to be accepted by God.
That is not laziness. That is not rebellion. That was sincere devotion.
And yet, Paul says that very act was taking them away from God.
The Weight of This Warning
I hope you can see the seriousness of this matter. When the true gospel is rejected, we are not merely rejecting a message. No matter how sincere, zealous, or faithful you may think you are — rejecting the true gospel is rejecting God himself.
For those of us who preach and teach, this is a solemn warning. James 3 warns us against a careless ambition to teach, because the judgment for teachers is far stricter.
Consider this: many of the cults that exist today did not set out to damn people to hell. Many of them — including Islam — began with people who truly believed they had genuine experiences with God. They trusted their zeal and experiences above the plain truth of Scripture. Today, billions of souls stand to perish on account of the teachings that came from those beginnings.
The counterfeit gospels spreading today are leading many people away from God. My prayer is that we are not responsible for that — and that we are not ourselves being deceived by it.
Foundation Matters
Every true relationship with God is not built on sincerity. It must be founded on the true gospel. That is why we do not follow a preacher simply because he appears sincere or passionate. We must always ask: What does the truth say? What does the gospel declare?
May the Lord help us to remain rooted in the true gospel in our generation, in Jesus' name. Amen.