Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Jan 1, 2024 - Deserting Jesus”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsDeserting Jesus
Reading: Galatians 1:1-9
Paul writes to the churches of Galatia because they are being influenced by teachers who want them to keep the Law of Moses along with Jesus’ teachings. In essence, Gentiles must become Jews to be right with God. Galatians is Paul’s fierce rejection of this idea. His greeting here is cut short by his desire to get to the matter at hand. “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”(Gal 1:6). These are sharp words. By accepting this teaching—and its hope of salvation through law-keeping and personal perfection—the Galatians are “deserting” Jesus. They have deserted him not by rejecting his morality or disavowing faith in him, but by turning to a different gospel.
Realizing that his language could be subject to misunderstanding, he quickly adds, “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ”(Gal 1:7). There are not multiple gospels, each as good as the next, for us to choose from. These teachers are distorting the true gospel. “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”(Gal 1:8). No matter who preaches it (even if an angel or apostle), we must not listen to those who would contradict or add to the message the apostles preached. If we want to be saved by Jesus, we must be saved his way.
What we teach matters, particularly because teaching leads to action. If these Galatians accept this teaching and start keeping the Law of Moses, they are deserting Jesus. This text impresses us with our deep need to evaluate modern teaching by comparing it against the original teaching of the apostles. The stakes could not be higher.
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One Thing to Think About: Am I as serious about the purity of the message as Paul is?
One Thing to Pray For: Teachers who will help me remain true to the apostolic message
