Go! And Guard the True Gospel - Galatians 1:6–9
Galatians 1:6–9 (NLT): “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.
I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.”
Introduction: “The Counterfeit Gospel”
There is an old story about a bank teller who could spot counterfeit money without ever studying fakes. How? She handled genuine notes every day. She knew their texture, their weight, their design — so that when something false came across her hands, it felt wrong.
In the same way, the more we handle the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more quickly we will recognise a counterfeit gospel when we hear it.
Paul writes to the Galatian churches — a group of believers who had started well but had begun to drift. They had received the true Gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone, but false teachers had come along preaching a different message — one that added human effort, ritual, and law-keeping to the free gift of salvation.
Paul’s tone is urgent, even shocked. He says, “I am astonished!” He is not just surprised — the Greek word thaumazo means “to marvel, to be amazed in disbelief.” Paul cannot believe that believers who had tasted the grace of God could so quickly trade it for a lie.
1. The Shock of Turning Away from the True Gospel (v.6)
“I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ…”
Paul’s concern isn’t merely that they were leaving him — but that they were turning away from God Himself. The Gospel is not just a set of ideas; it is the invitation of a Person — the God who calls us “through the loving mercy of Christ.”
The Greek word for “turning away” here is metatithesthe, which means to transfer allegiance. It’s used of soldiers who change sides in battle or politicians who betray their cause. Paul says, in effect, “You’re deserting your King.”
John 14:6 (NLT): “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”
To turn from the true Gospel is to turn from Jesus Himself. There is no alternative path, no version 2.0 of salvation. Only Christ saves — by grace, through faith, not by works.
Imagine being gifted a priceless diamond, and someone later convinces you to exchange it for a plastic toy. You would be foolish to do so. Yet that’s what happens when someone trades the Gospel of grace for one of human effort.
John Piper: “The Gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It’s a help-available announcement.”
Piper’s words capture Paul’s passion. The Gospel is not about what we do for God but what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Any “gospel” that shifts the focus from divine mercy to human merit is not good news at all — it’s slavery disguised as salvation.
2. The Danger of a Distorted Gospel (v.7)
“You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.”
The word “different” (heteros) means of another kind. Paul says this “different gospel” is not just another version — it’s something completely foreign. It may pretend to be Good News, but it’s spiritual poison wrapped in religious packaging.
The false teachers in Galatia were the Judaizers — they insisted that Gentile believers must obey Jewish laws, including circumcision, to be truly saved. But Paul declares that such teaching destroys grace.
Salvation is not Jesus plus something. It is Jesus plus nothing.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
The Greek word charis (grace) means “unearned favour.” To add works to grace is to nullify it. It’s like adding muddy water to pure spring water — the result is no longer pure.
Tim Keller: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
Keller reminds us that any “gospel” that downplays sin or human helplessness undercuts the cross. The true Gospel humbles the proud and lifts the broken. It tells us we can’t save ourselves, but Christ has done it all.
Application for Today
In our generation, there are modern distortions of the Gospel everywhere:
The prosperity gospel says, “Believe in Jesus, and you’ll be rich.”
The moral gospel says, “Be good, and God will love you.”
The universal gospel says, “Everyone goes to heaven anyway.”
But Paul says, “That’s not the Gospel at all.”
3. The Curse of Preaching Another Gospel (vv.8–9)
“Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you… If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.”
The word “curse” (anathema) means devoted to destruction. Paul repeats it twice to stress the seriousness. This is not about minor theological differences — this is about eternal life and death.
Even if an angel from heaven appeared with a new message, Paul says, reject it. Truth is not determined by charisma, culture, or even supernatural spectacle — but by faithfulness to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3–4 (NLT): “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted… You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach…”
Paul knew that spiritual deception often comes clothed in beauty. Satan doesn’t show up in red horns and a pitchfork; he appears as “an angel of light” (v.14). That’s why discernment is essential.
Charles Stanley: “Obedience to God is the proof that we truly love Him, not merely that we admire His teachings.”
Stanley’s insight reminds us that real faith is not about being impressed by Jesus — it’s about surrendering to Him as Lord. The true Gospel produces transformed lives, not just informed minds.
4. The Gospel We Must Guard
So what is the true Gospel we are called to guard and proclaim?
It is the message that:
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came into this world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).
He lived the sinless life we could not live.
He died the death we deserved on the cross, bearing our sin and our shame.
He was buried, and on the third day, He rose again in power and glory.
And all who repent and trust in Him are forgiven, justified, and made new.
This is the unchanging message of salvation.
As Romans 1:16 (NLT) declares: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.”
The Greek word for “power” is dunamis — the explosive power of God to transform a sinner into a saint. Nothing else can do that.
The Lifeboat
Imagine a shipwrecked sailor clinging to debris in the open sea. A lifeboat arrives, but instead of climbing in, he insists on swimming halfway to prove his worth. That’s foolishness! The lifeboat was sent because he couldn’t save himself.
That’s the Gospel: Jesus is the only lifeboat. You don’t earn your rescue — you simply climb in.
R.T. Kendall: “The moment you add anything to grace, you’ve destroyed it.”
Grace cannot be improved. It can only be received.
5. A Call to Repentance and Faith
Friend, the Gospel demands a response.
To repent (Greek: metanoia) means to change your mind — to turn from sin and self-reliance, and turn toward Jesus as Lord.
Jesus died not merely to make us better people, but to make dead people alive.
He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins (Isaiah 53:5).
He took our place on the cross, bearing the wrath we deserved, so that we might receive His righteousness.
Romans 10:9–10 (NLT) says: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That’s the true Gospel — simple, yet infinitely powerful.
6. A Charge to Believers: Guard and Proclaim
Church, the world doesn’t need a new gospel. It needs the true Gospel — preached with conviction, compassion, and clarity.
We must be people of the Word, saturated with truth, discerning the real from the counterfeit.
Jude 3 (NLT): “Defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”
Like soldiers entrusted with a sacred message, we must not dilute or distort the Gospel for the sake of comfort, popularity, or cultural acceptance.
As Max Lucado once said: “Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.”
Grace is not licence to sin — it is liberty to live for Christ.
Conclusion: Go! And Guard the True Gospel
Paul’s message to the Galatians still echoes today:
Don’t drift. Don’t dilute. Don’t desert the Gospel of grace.
Stand firm in Christ. Guard the truth. Proclaim it boldly.
Because there is no other name, no other message, no other hope.
Jesus alone saves.
Invitation to Salvation:
If today you realise you’ve been trusting in your own efforts, your goodness, or religion instead of Jesus Christ, then now is the time to turn to Him.
Cry out to God in repentance. Receive His mercy. Trust in His Son who died and rose for you.
Pray:
“Lord Jesus, I confess I have sinned against You. I cannot save myself. Thank You for dying on the cross in my place and rising again. I turn from my sin and trust You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me new by Your Spirit. Amen.”
If you’ve prayed that sincerely, you’ve stepped from death to life.
Now walk in the freedom of the true Gospel.
Benediction:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ guard your heart from deception,
May the love of God draw you deeper into His truth,
And may the fellowship of the Holy Spirit empower you
to go — and guard the true Gospel — until the day He returns.
Amen.
