Falling for Other Gospels

 

John 17:17 (NKJV): "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

If one is not sanctified by truth, they will fall for another gospel! 

Galatians 1:6-10 (NKJV):  "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert [distort] the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed [anathema]. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" (bracketed words added). 

Paul was addressing what the Judaizers were trying to do to the new Christians. The Judaizers allowed that faith in Jesus was important for salvation, but they believed that it was inadequate and/or not complete. They claimed that one had to add observance of the law to faith in order to be fully or completely saved. This "other gospel" may have taken other forms since then, but it is alive and well today, and many have fallen for it. 

One of the most important lessons that we are to learn from the Old Covenant is that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, not one thing we can do to be saved except to have faith in the finished work of Jesus. Listen to me, Jesus finished it! He paid the price, the total price, for us. It was complete; you can’t re-complete what is already complete. You can only believe in, trust in, and accept what has already been finished. 

We receive by faith what has been fully completed by Jesus the Messiah. We then, out of love, appreciation, and obedience, do our part, which is to go forth witnessing to others about what Jesus had completed for us. Our public witness includes water baptism, which tells others that we have, by faith and faith alone, believed in Jesus the Messiah and His finished work on Calvary.         

To add anything that man can do as a requirement to being saved, beyond believing on Jesus and what He did, is akin to the Jews telling the Gentiles that they had to be circumcised. It is another gospel. It is legalism! If you have been guilty of this or anything similar, then Jesus graciously waits to forgive you and to assure you that what He did for you is totally sufficient. Only believe! Only believe!