SPF 155: Some Other Gospel

July 9, 2020

Something is in the air among Christians lately. The Gospel is being minimized, water down, and neglected. There is only one Gospel and it is the power of God for the salvation of those who believe. Today we are going to look at a few threats to the Gospel and how it really is the saving grace we all need right now and forever.

Enjoying the SPF Podcast?

Consider supporting the podcast in one of these ways:

Give $5 monthly on Patreon to the SPF Podcast and get access to extra resources. Learn more at patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful.com
Try Audible for a month for FREE and get TWO FREE audiobooks that you can keep forever! When you try Audible (even if you do not sign up), the SPF Podcast is directly supported. More info here: https://amzn.to/2CZLh41
Check out my Amazon Storefront – it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
Love taking care of your family? Try Earthley Wellness Products for your skin, body, hair, and herbal remedies! https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/

Summer Favorites from Earthley!

Read about my top five favorites from Earthley and support SPF while you shop (affiliate links):

http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/blog/summer-wellness

Some Other Gospel

Galatians 1:6-9

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— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble 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 the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 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.

The Gospel

The Good News of atonement through Jesus Christ
The Power of God for our salvation
Delivers us from the evil age
Transforms us

To those who promote or teach another gospel: anathema

Let them be accursed = devoted to destruction, eternally condemned

Why used “anathema”?

First because it destroys the nature of atonement.
Second, it’s serious because souls are at stake.
Third because there is only one Gospel and it’s the gospel of Jesus Christ – any thing extra or added is a distortion and absolutely troubling.

False Teachers, some other Gospel = troubling or agitating

Jesus is the solution. Souls are at stake. Anything extra muddles the truth and potency of the truth.

Scripture is clear that humanity’s only hope is found in the Gospel of Christ and is far reaching to change a person, a culture, a nation, a world. It is more than just a pass to heaven. It indeed atones for our sins, grants us justification before God, but it also works in us sanctification which is conforming to the light and life of Christ.

I think two reasons we can minimize the gospel and really trouble ourselves by potentially turning to another gospel is

Trusting in our hearts
And being fooled by Satan

Our hearts can be troublesome because Jeremiah 17:9 says:

The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

Two things about our hearts – it is desperately sick – another translation says desperately wicked. And it is deceitful. Here we learn that the human heart is the root cause of wickedness in this world. A wicked heart causes us to do wicked things and therefore there is wickedness in this world.

Dr. D Blair Smith of Table Talk magazine said, “if there is going to be any lasting spiritual remedy for humanity, it must address the root problem – our desperately wicked hearts.”

“Scripture never says a cleansed heart cannot sin. Just look at David. But unlike a wicked heart that doesn’t know it’s own sickness, the heart cleansed by the blood of Christ knows it need to – and wants to – grow in the grace of Christ. The Christian knows there are no inherent resources for this growth but only comes as we receive good teaching from the Word of God and the Spirit writes that very Word on our hearts.” Dr. D Blair Smith

Hebrews 8:10 says

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.”

Another reason the gospel is minimized is because of Satan.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

I think Satan is crafting deception, making it look like light – but selling a false gospel to Christians in the form of things like behavior reform or moralistic therapeutic deism.

“We must get our bearings in God’s Word before we try to discern what is good or false everywhere. When we don’t, ignorance is compounded by ignorance, darkness by darkness. Of all the many and varied times in history when Christians shone brightly – this is our our time to walk as children children of light, refusing to partner with the disobedient, but instead exposing the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). We have the light of Christ – who is the Word of God. We live by THAT powerful word, not empty ones.” – Abigail Dodds

Satan may masquerade as an angel of light but he is darkness and what does darkness have to do with the light? Whatever the issue, whatever the problem, whatever the need – know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ atones, justifies, and transforms.

One of the pastors at our church said “There is only one Gospel and we have no right to mess with it. Our problem is that we no longer know what the Gospel is.”

Colossians 3 gives us a look at the transforming work of the Gospel.