The Only Gospel Galatians 1:1-10 · Join the Journey

The Only Gospel

Galatians 1:1-10

Imagine baking a cake and accidentally using salt instead of sugar. You can follow the recipe perfectly, but one wrong ingredient changes everything.

A few years ago, my brother Richard and I decided we were going to make a cheesecake. I love cheesecake, so we were pretty excited about it. We gathered all the ingredients and got ready to start, but there was one problem—we didn't have any raw eggs. All we had were hard-boiled eggs.

Now, most people would stop right there and go buy eggs. Not us. We figured, "A recipe just says it needs eggs. These are eggs. What's the difference?"

So we peeled those hard-boiled eggs, tossed them into the mixture, and baked our cheesecake.

As you can imagine, it was terrible.

Everything else was right. We had the cream cheese, the sugar, the crust, and the right pan. But one wrong ingredient ruined the whole thing.

That's exactly what false teachers do with the gospel. They don't usually reject all of Christianity. They don't throw out Jesus completely. Instead, they add something to Him. They say, "Jesus is good, but you also need this." The problem is that once you add something to the gospel, you've changed the gospel. A message that is mostly right but adds the wrong ingredient is no longer the true gospel.

Today we are starting our summer series. This summer we are going to dig into the book of Galatians. We will break from the book of John and pick back up later on.

Paul writes this letter to many churches that were in the region of Galatia. Churches that he and Barnabas had helped start on his first missionary journey. In the cities like Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch.

Paul probably writes this letter after the council of Jerusalem where the elders discussed and wrote to the Gentile believers. Those believers that weren’t Jewish in nationality.

This is important for the context of this letter, because even after the elders had sent letter there seems that there were still those who were throwing people into confusion about the same things they had written to them about.

Even Peter who spoke up at that council seems to be in the wrong and Paul is going to call all them out. And remind them and us the freedom we have in Christ.

Galatians comes right after 2 Corinthians and before the book of Ephesians.

Galatians 1:1-5

Galatians 1:1–5

This may seem like a typical greeting to a letter. But these first couple of verses pack a lot of important ground work for the rest of Paul’s letter.

Right from the beginning Paul addresses a challenge to his authority. Some people were claiming Paul wasn't a real apostle.

So Paul reminds them that his calling wasn't from men or through men. His authority came directly from Jesus Christ Himself.

That's important because the gospel Paul preached wasn't his opinion. It was a message he received from Christ.

A apostle is someone who God has given authority and the right to speak for Him to His church as His representative. The apostles were the 12 guys that Jesus established to start the church. Judas had been selected to be one of the 12 but ended up betraying Jesus and then took his own life. So, after Jesus ascended, the other 11 selected Matthias to replace Judas, and in doing so give us the requirements for an apostle.

Acts 1:21-22

Acts 1:21–22

Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

The apostles were to be eyewitness of all that Jesus did and taught from the time of Jesus’ baptism until his resurrection and ascension. The apostle’s testimony would be the teaching the church was built on. The early church was devoted to their teaching. So, it essential for the apostles to be eyewitness. To everything Jesus did and taught, including his death, resurrection and ascension.

We have their eyewitness account recorded for us in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This is the gospel, the good news of Jesus.

Side note. Many today try to use the title of apostle today. But the apostles were firsthand eye witness to Jesus.

Paul’s calling, sending and credentials were directly from the risen Jesus.

Paul not only reminds them of his authority as an apostle but he also reminds them of the true gospel. The gospel is that Jesus willing gave himself for our sins and to rescue us from this evil age. This was all of this was to the glory of God.

It’s so important to remind the Galatians of the true gospel because they had been confused and pulled away by different gospel, which is no gospel at all.

Galatians 1:6-7

Galatians 1:6–7

Notice Paul doesn't start like he does in most of his letters with thanksgiving. Normally Paul says, "I thank God for you." Here he skips right past that and says, "I am astonished."

Why?

Because the gospel itself is at stake. Nothing made Paul more concerned than people abandoning the grace of God.

They had been confused by people trying to twist and pervert the gospel. Paul will address these details and specifically how they were twisting the gospel in the coming chapters. And how they were trying to lay a yoke of slavery of works on their necks. This throws the Galatians into confusion. This became even more confusing because Peter himself had acted hypocritically.

But Paul is astonished how quickly they have deserted the true gospel of Jesus. And before we assume we'd never do that; we should remember that every generation faces its own version of the same temptation.

False gospels always have one thing in common: they tell us that Jesus is not enough.

The false teachers in Galatia said:

"Jesus plus Jewish law."

Today people say:

"Jesus plus success."

"Jesus plus political ideology."

"Jesus plus personal happiness."

"Jesus plus good works."

"Jesus plus being a good person."

Every false gospel adds something to Jesus or takes something away from Jesus.

The true gospel says that Jesus lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, rose again, and offers salvation by grace through faith alone.

Today, the prosperity gospel says Jesus died to make you healthy, wealthy, and successful. But Jesus did not promise earthly comfort. He promised forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

The works-based gospel says Jesus gets you started but your performance finishes the job. But Scripture says we are saved by grace through faith—not by works.

Culture's gospel says truth changes based on our feelings. The gospel says truth is found in Jesus Christ whether we like it or not.

Paul tells Timothy

2 Timothy 4:3-4

2 Timothy 4:3–4

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

As true as this was for Timothy it is for us today. And many of these false teachers have platform right in your pockets. So how do we guard our hearts and minds against these confusing teachings?

Paul gives us some insight back in Galatians.

Galatians 1:8-9

Galatians 1:8–9

Paul says that if he or an agnel from heaven should preach another gospel let them be under God’s curse.

I find it interesting that Muhammed 600 years after Jesus, claimed that the angel Gabriel came and tormented him and gave him the Quran.

Joseph Smith said that the angel Moroni instructed him where to find the book of Mormon.

Whether those claims were genuine or not isn't the point. Paul's point is that no claimed revelation—whether from a preacher, an angel, or anyone else—has authority to change the gospel that has already been revealed in Christ.

But no matter, Paul says even if he or anyone else preaches a different gospel let them be cursed.

How do you know if you've started believing a different gospel?

1. What are you trusting in for your salvation?

If your answer starts with:

"I go to church."

"I'm a good person."

"I was baptized as a child."

"My family is Christian."

Then you're trusting in something other than Christ.

2. What voice shapes your thinking?

Are you spending more time listening to influencers than Scripture?

More time scrolling than studying?

More time consuming opinions than God's Word?

3. Who are you trying to please?

Every day we choose whose approval matters most.

The approval of coworkers.

Friends.

Family.

Culture.

Or God.

So how do we guard our heart and minds against this? We must know the true gospel of Christ.

Here at Journey Church we grow in scripture. We grow by studying the Bible together, increasing our desire to know the inspired and inerrant Word of God and humbly obeying its truth in everyday life.

One goal that we have as a church that we would be Bereans. That we would examine scripture daily. This is what the Bereans did in Acts 17.

Acts 17:11-12

Acts 17:11–12

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The Bereans heard what Paul said, but they verified it with the truth.

It was a litmus test.

A litmus test is a simple test used to determine whether something is genuine. Scientists can take a small strip of paper, place it in a substance, and immediately learn something important about what they're examining.

In the same way, God's Word is our spiritual litmus test.

Every sermon.

Every podcast.

Every YouTube preacher.

Every TikTok clip.

Every book.

Every opinion.

Every cultural movement.

Every teaching gets tested against Scripture.

Not the other way around.

We don't test Scripture against culture.

We don't test Scripture against our feelings.

We don't test Scripture against what is popular.

We test everything else against Scripture.

They examined scripture daily to make sure that what Paul taught was true.

Someone may say, "God just wants you to be happy."

Sounds good.

But is it biblical?

Someone may say, "As long as you're sincere, it doesn't matter what you believe."

Sounds loving.

But is it biblical?

Someone may say, "You have to earn God's favor."

Sounds religious.

But is it biblical?

The question is not, "Does it sound good?"

The question is, "Does it agree with God's Word?"

That's exactly what the Galatians failed to do. They listened to persuasive teachers. They listened to respected leaders. They listened to people who sounded spiritual.

But they stopped testing those messages against the truth of the gospel. And when they stopped testing, confusion followed.

Friends, one of the reasons false teaching spreads so easily today is because many Christians don't know their Bibles well enough to recognize it.

If you only open your Bible on Sunday morning, you're going to struggle to spot a counterfeit gospel on Monday afternoon. The best defense against false teaching is not becoming an expert on every false religion. The best defense is becoming deeply familiar with the truth.

We must Daily be in God’s word. We have the apostles teaching right here in our hands. The bible. And if you don’t have a copy take one from the back table.

Read it, study it, examine it with others and obey it!

Friends I expect you to test everything you hear with the bible, even my teaching. Test what I teach. And if I’m wrong or say something different from God’s word, in love come and correct me.

I know that I am held to a higher standard because I teach others. I need not only your prayers but your accountability. I don’t want to confuse anyone, or lead anyone astray. And I don’t want to be under God’s curse.

But I am just a man, I make mistakes all the time. So love me enough to check me and correct me.

You can only do that though if you know the true gospel yourself. Read it, study it, examine it with others and obey it. If you are looking for other Jesus followers to examine scripture with Life Groups are a great place to find them.

False gospels always tell us that Jesus is not enough. And one of the motives of false teachers is them being people pleasers rather than God pleasers.

Galatians 1:10

Paul makes this point by pointing to himself. He asks, am I trying to win the approval of people or God? Friends if you try to please people you are not a servant of Christ. The quickest way to change the gospel is to start caring more about being accepted by people than being faithful to God.

Here at Journey Church we want to live lives that are pleasing to God not people. We do that by:

Every day we joyfully give God the best of everything we are and everything we have. We trust that Jesus is all we need, being transformed by who He is and what He has done.

• Everyday- not just Sundays. But everyday.

• We joyfully- not reluctantly or our of guilt but joyfully.

• Give God the best- not the leftovers but the first fruits.

• Of everything we are- our time and our talents.

• And everything we have- our treasures.

Friends we can only live lives that are pleasing to God if we trust that Jesus is all we need and if we are being transformed by him.

Church, there is only one gospel.

Not Jesus plus works.

Not Jesus plus success.

Not Jesus plus politics.

Not Jesus plus religion.

Just Jesus.

Jesus lived the life we could not live.

Jesus died the death we deserved.

Jesus rose from the grave.

Jesus alone saves.

And that gospel is worth guarding, believing, and proclaiming.

Watch out for false gospels and false teachers. Know and obey the only gospel. The true gospel of Christ

The great danger in Galatians isn't that people rejected Jesus completely. The danger is that they slowly drifted from Him.

Most people don't wake up one morning and decide to abandon the gospel.

They simply start trusting something else. Their morality. Their success. Their feelings. Their politics. Their religion. And before long Jesus is no longer enough.

Maybe today you've never trusted Christ. You've been trying to earn God's acceptance. Trying to be good enough. Trying to clean yourself up.

Friend, you can't save yourself. Jesus already did what you could never do. He gave Himself for your sins. He died in your place. He rose again. Turn from your sin and trust Him today. Come meet Jesus in baptism.

Or maybe you're a Christian who has drifted. You've started trusting something besides Christ. You've been listening to voices that have confused you. The answer isn't to try harder. The answer is to return to Jesus.

Return to the true gospel. Return to the freedom found in Christ alone.