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We live in an age where strong conviction is often discouraged. You can hold to what you believe as strongly as you like, but if you challenge what I believe, then I may label you an intolerant bigot. Somehow the idea that there might actually be true truth has gotten lost in the shuffle. Paul was clear on the importance of the truth, especially in respect to the gospel. The gospel is worthy of indignant defense because it is all of God!
Paul’s meaning in verse 8 is, ‘look, if I lost it and I came to you preaching a different message, or if an angel comes from heaven and preaches a different version of the gospel, (these things won’t happen, but if they did): eternal condemnation – that’s what I am calling for!’ Paul was really strong in his conviction!
Verse 9 reinforces this statement. If anyone comes preaching a different message from the truth the Galatians received (which is exactly what was happening), then that person should be eternally condemned.
Some of us cannot help but want to neutralise any conviction we meet. ‘Steady on, Paul, no need to be so strong!’ we might argue. However, as far as Paul is concerned, if someone is trying to add law to God’s grace, then eternal condemnation is what they deserve. He could not get any stronger!
The gospel is totally about God’s grace. It has nothing to do with what we could do or will do. It is all about God’s loving, self-giving grace. That’s the gospel.
Martin Luther wrote,
I personally would like to keep both the righteousness of grace as that which justifies and the righteousness of the Law as the basis for God’s attitude toward me. But, as Paul says here, confusing these means perverting the Gospel of Christ. (Luther’s Works, vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, p. 54.)
If you try to add law to the gospel, do you get more godliness? No, you actually get less. We will see that in chapter 5. If we add law and self-effort to the gospel, we will throttle the grace out of the gospel. In essence, Paul is saying, ‘No way! Don’t go there! It will strangle; it will squash; it will kill.’ How great must be the grace of God!
Reflection
If you were a Galatian, how would you feel to have an apostle fighting to protect you from false teaching? How important is the truth of the gospel for you?
Scripture
About this Plan
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to Christians who were tempted to add good works to the gospel. Although we might not want to admit it, adding to the gospel is a great temptation for us too. So be encouraged as Peter Mead takes us through these devotions, be reminded that Christ is everything, and that the gospel is all we need for our lives now in Jesus.
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