No Other Gospel

Knowing the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is of the upmost importance. There are a lot of  "gospels" out there in the world today, but there is only one true Gospel and that is the one from Jesus Christ. If you're following an "added on" version or different "gospel". I'm hoping that this study of Galatians will reveal that to you.

Version: New American Standard

Galatians 1:6-9
6. 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 though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.

The word "gospel" comes from the Greek word "euangelion" which means good news. We get the words "evangelize" and "evangelist" from this word, meaning someone who preaches the gospel or preaches the good news.

In the case that you are reading this Bible Study today and you are thinking, "What...there are other "gospels"? The answer would be "yes", there are other "gospels" out there. Some lay in the guise of Christianity, others are blatant, but most are man's spin on religion or spirituality. All you have to do is look as far as the New York Times Best Seller list to find one or more perversions of the Gospel of Jesus.

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 Luke 16:17
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

The New International Version gives us a more clear understanding of these verses and these two words, when it says that "not the smallest letter; not the least stroke of a pen" . A jot and a tittle were letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning? Nothing written in the Bible should be changed, added on to, or taken away from. If it is, then it is not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The books of the Bible were conceived by the Holy Spirit, and compiled under His direction. Now we may not always understand what it all means, but we're not supposed to add or subtract from God's Word. Here is where it gets tricky, because I've heard one denomination call another denomination "false prophets" just because they didn't "agree" with what was being said. The key to knowing whether or not something is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or a false gospel is whether or not it is found in the Bible, and I do mean the "Holy Bible".

If you don't believe the Bible then it's really easy to get off track. We can't pick and choose what we believe from it. Like I said, we might not always understand, but we can't have a Bible Smorgasbord  where we reject the parts that don't seem to "fit" into our lifestyles and points of view. Too many religions and cults have found their origins in adding on to or subtracting from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The way I see it is this. Get your own Bible and read it. Become familiar with it. Study it. That way you won't be fooled by someone coming along and trying to tell you different. Pray for revelation and hearing from God. Ask Him to lead and guide you and to reveal if anything you are believing is not the true Gospel.

So back to the "other gospels". When I was working in the Freedom in Christ ministry and talking with people and going through their ideas, view points, and history, there were many who had fallen prey and victim to New Age Philosophy. The New Age theory is basically that you are master of your own universe and that you are a God in and of yourself. There is no One God (Jehovah), but "God" can be found in any natural or inanimate thing. The New Age has a habit of taking a little of the scriptures and incorporating them into their own teachings. That way it "sounds better" and is more palatable to those seeking "enlightenment" in their spiritual journey. But they "pervert" the true Gospel in a way to make it easier to follow, and to appeal to the masses of people searching. Nothing in the Bible suggests that what Jesus had to say was particularly "easy", on the contrary He said the way was narrow, and that many would look at the Gospel and then reject it because it seemed to be more than what they were willing to do and believe in.

Today, I'm encouraging you to seek God for His words concerning your beliefs. Lay them before God and ask for revelation if there is any thing that you are believing or practicing that is not Biblical or Truth.

Following the "traditions of men" can prevent us from following Jesus.

Version: NAS
Mark 7: 6-8
6. And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 7. 'But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' 8. "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

There is nothing or no person that can take the place of our Bible and the message of Jesus Christ. If what you are believing, worshiping, or practicing is not Christ centered, then get a Bible and start in the New Testament. Let it be the defining factor in all your beliefs.

Next time we'll take a look at what this particular "gospel" was that Paul was warning his converts about.

Love you all, thank you for reading and joining in in this study of Galatians. I love seeing your comments and thoughts. Please feel free to leave a message in the comments section. Remember, what you are thinking may be what someone else needs to hear.
God Bless You,

love,
Debra