Well, we're continuing our study of the book of Galatians this morning in verses 6 to 10, and we talked last time about the false teachers who had come into the region of Galatia and were perverting the gospel of Christ. They were attempting to undermine Paul, his authority, his apostleship, and his message.

And the essence of their message was that, yes, Jesus is the Savior. We must believe in Jesus, his death, burial, and resurrection for our sins, but we must also keep the law of Moses, be circumcised, keep the feasts and Sabbaths, and so forth. It was a faith plus works message. And this is the most dangerous kind. Those religions of the world who do not believe Jesus, who reject that Jesus is God, is the only way to salvation, those errors are relatively easy to discern. 

But when Satan and his ministers design religions that include Jesus, that preach grace and faith for salvation, but then add to what Jesus did things necessary for salvation, this is the most subtle and dangerous error, especially for the church. Last time I proposed to you that verses 6 to 10 in our text this morning presents a particularly difficult challenge to the church, to each believer, to you and to me. 

It's not a difficult passage to interpret. Its meaning, I don't believe, is under any great controversy, but its application is a whole different story. It's a great challenge for us to apply this text, that is, to judge a man or a church by the message that he preaches by his gospel. Paul writes forcefully and clearly, repeating himself for emphasis, if anyone preaches another gospel, let him be anathema, or cursed.

Not let's wallow around in the muck and mire and see if we can find a nugget of truth in his teaching, not let's just agree to disagree on our gospel doctrine differences. Not everyone who utters the name of Jesus is okay in my book. No, if a man preaches another gospel, another Jesus, Paul says, let him be cursed to hell. So what do we do with that, my friends? 

Because discerning if a man adds something to Jesus' finished work on the cross, his death in my place for my sins, fully satisfying the wrath of God I deserve, if he adds one thing to the finished work of Christ, his one-time death, burial, and resurrection for the dead for salvation, or if he posits another means other than or in addition to faith, another means by which I must receive this grace, this gift of the imputation of my sins to Christ and his righteousness to me other than faith alone, then my brothers and sisters, this man is an agent of Satan. 

He is a false teacher. He preaches a false gospel, and he must be anathema to the church. Paul presents to us a challenge of utmost importance. The Galatians were failing this challenge. Peter and Barnabas had failed this challenge. Much of the church was being carried away with this perverse doctrine. And I have to tell you, it's no different today. 

We have the Galatian heresy rampant in churches that name the name of Christ in every one of our communities. They come in many flavors, but they all have one thing in common: they add to what Jesus has done as necessary for salvation, or they add to the means by which God has prescribed that we receive this gift of salvation. It's that simple, and yet so difficult to apply, to judge a man or a church by the message that they preach. 

All week I've been trying to find a kinder, gentler way to preach Galatians 1, 6 to 10. Here we are in this beautiful place on this wonderful morning, this Mother's Day morning, and I feel like Jude. You know, in Jude's letter he wrote, “Beloved, while I was very anxious, very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints, for certain men have crept in unnoticed.” 

Jude expresses his heart. The brother of Jesus says this, “I so much wanted to write encouraging things, wonderful truths about our common salvation. This is my heart's desire, to give you a good, uplifting letter about our salvation in Christ, but I found that it was necessary, I found that it was essential that I exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith, the Bible, the Word of God, which was once for all delivered to the saints.” 

Why? Because certain men have crept in into the church, false teachers, spots in your love feast, that word speaks of a rock just below the surface in a shipping channel, and the ship coming down that channel being ripped open and sinking. And they're in the church, in your communion services, he says, false teachers. I so with all my heart wanted to talk about our common salvation, but it is necessary because you do not see the false teachers, the extreme danger fellowshipping with you under the banner of Christ, and you must contend for the faith. 

I texted Mark this week and I said, “You know, I wish I could find a kinder, gentler way to preach this.” And he texted back and he said, “There is no kinder, gentler way, it says what it says, and I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit wrote it.” It's necessary, my friends, because if we as the believers in Jesus Christ, the church are not clear about the gospel itself, if we fail to mark out and note those who cause division not according to the doctrines of Christ, then no one will have the truth, the clear gospel to bring to the lost, and there's no hope of fruit and glory to God in the church as we are carried away and confused with an unclear message and not understanding the way to life. 

For it is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. Let's look at our text, Galatians 1, we'll start in verse 1. Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever, amen. 

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 the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than that we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we've 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. I've given you four points on your outline. Some who trouble you, a perverted gospel, anathema, and do I please men? 

While Paul is stunned, he's upset, he's distraught, he writes, it's an extraordinary thing that you would turn from him who called you in the grace of God, the gospel which I brought to you, which you received, to another, a heteros, a different kind of gospel, which he says is not another. Turning away here is the translation of a word that was used of a turncoat, one who moves from one position to another. 

And Paul uses the present tense, meaning that this was an ongoing process. Had he used the perfect tense, it would have meant that they had been won over by the position of the Judaizers. But the present tense indicates that there's not yet a finality to this process. But the influence of the false teachers was having an effect on the believers, and that's the key to understanding this letter to the Galatians. 

The false gospel was having an influence on the clear thinking of the believers. They were turning away from the gospel of grace to another message. My brothers and sisters, if a man studies and preaches and teaches through the word of God, verse by verse, book by book, it becomes quickly apparent that one of the great concerns of God is false teachers, is a false message. And it's always been and remains today an ever-present threat to the church. 

Error and lies come in a thousand forms, but there is only one truth. And God has sent prophets, apostles, teachers to His people from Genesis to Revelation, bringing the clear good news message that God is a Savior, that He's full of mercy, that He's willing to forgive those who come to Him in faith. But also in every one of these messengers from God, in these many books that we hold in our hands in the Bible, in His word, there is a constant warning against false teachers, a false message, being carried away with the teachings of men who pervert the gospel. 

In 2 Peter 2.1, he says, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you.” This is a promise, as sure as John 3.16. There will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction, secretly, deceptively, in the pulpits of churches, claiming the name of Christ but denying the Lord who bought them, denying Him by teaching a false gospel of faith plus works. 

And here's the great tragedy, my friends, 2 Peter 2.2, “and many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” Many will follow their destructive ways. How many? Well just today, this day in our world, there are 1.4 billion deceived and being led down the primrose path to destruction in just one sect that claims the name of Christ. 

We read Jude in our introduction. Listen to his description of false teachers in the church under the name of Christ. He says, “These speak evil of whatever they do not know, and whatever they know naturally like brute beasts, and these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the air of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feast, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots. Raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” 

Strong words for those who preach salvation in Christ by God's grace, by faith, but also by baptism, by the Lord's table, by sacraments, by law keeping as necessary for salvation. And strong words from a man who wanted to encourage you with our common salvation. Paul was concerned about the false teachers he knew would come to the church in Ephesus, where he'd spent so much time grounding the believers in truth. 

Let's look at Acts 20. Acts 20 at verse 17. Acts 20, 17, from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You know from the first day that I came to Asia in what manner I always lived among you. Serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And see now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God will see my face no more.” 

He's not going to see them again. What's his final words to his beloved people, the elders of the church in Ephesus? “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. 

For I know this," what do you know, Paul? "I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” 

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. There will be false teachers. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul tells us that Satan does his best work from the pulpits as his ministers masquerade as ministers of righteousness preaching another Jesus. 

In 2nd Corinthians 11:3 he says, “I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received or a different gospel which you have not accepted you may well put up with it.” 

In verse 13 he says, “Such are false apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ and no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their works.” 

Did you know that there's another Jesus? Many, in fact. Jesus exists in many religions denominations but this Jesus cannot save. He's insufficient. He did not accomplish our salvation at the cross. Some deny that Jesus is God. Some deny that Jesus is man. The Muslim Jesus was just another prophet. The Mormon Jesus was the brother of Satan. The Jehovah's Jesus cannot save. He is not God. Another Jesus. Paul is fearful that the church would be deceived. If some ministers of Satan come and preach another Jesus, another gospel, we may well put up with it. 

We may well exalt that man, let him into the church, seek some truth through his teaching instead of running him out of the church marking him out as a heretic and warning the brethren as Paul calls us to do in Romans 16:17. This is what Paul did. This is what Jesus did. It's what Jude did. But it seems that the church today is content to put up with it in the name of tolerance and love and not offending. But Paul said the gospel itself is offensive, a stumbling block to carnal men and particularly to false teachers sent to deceive. 

So often we would rather let men go to hell than risk offending them with the truth. It's our world, our culture, the mindset that has been formed through the influence of Satan's system. But you see my brothers and sisters, a perverted gospel is no gospel at all. It's not good news. Look at verse 6 in our text. “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 the gospel of Christ.” 

We're turning away from him when we turn to another gospel. The word gospel means good news, but you see another gospel, a different gospel, a perverted gospel is not good news. It's not another way. It's only a path to perdition. When a church says, “Keep the law to be saved,” that's not good news. If there could have been a law given which could have brought life, then God would have given that law, Paul says.

Listen to the words of the Apostle of Love, the beloved John. In 2nd John 1:9, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” 

Do not receive him into your house nor greet him. We may not be able to physically meet many of the false teachers of our world or of the past, but we surely can let them into our house on our television, on our phone, on our bookshelf, on our computer. Remember, the challenge is to judge a man by the gospel that he preaches. How a man can be saved, how a man can be made right with God. At this very foundational basic point, we must separate ourselves from a false way to heaven. 

Let me give you an example. Let's say you're moving to a new town and you're looking for a good Bible-believing, preaching church for your family. We hear this quite often, people call and ask, where's a good church or where can I find a church in this city or that church? Let's say you go and visit a church in that area and when the man comes to the pulpit to preach, he lays out the following doctrines as truth. 

You know, he gives some nice quotes on love and service, he says some flowery things and tells a nice story, but in the course of his sermon, he tells you these doctrines are true: Purgatory, where our remaining sins at death are expiated through the fire and punishment after death; prayers for the dead to get them out of purgatory; the damnation of unbaptized infants and adults; salvation through sacraments; the sinlessness of Mary in her rightful place as co-mediatrix with Christ; transubstantiation, that is that the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ and consuming his body and blood is necessary for salvation. 

Now how would you respond to such a sermon, to such a man? Would you go ahead and start membership classes in this church for your family? In the car ride home, would you tell your children, “Well he said a lot of good things, there was some truth in there?” These are just a short list of the teachings of the one they call St. Augustine. And yet we hear Augustine quoted again and again on Christian radio, in books and sermons from pulpits of gospel preaching, churches across our land. 

I wonder what Paul would say in light of our text. It's not a hard thing to understand the words before us. It's not a hard thing to see that that message is a false gospel that diminishes the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice in our place. But my friends, it's a great challenge to apply them. 

Even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we've said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. You feel the gravity of those words. This is no trivial matter. 

My dad, when he was 62 and dying of cancer, he went to first Friday masses every week to gain indulgences so he wouldn't have to spend so much time in purgatory. Do you think he believed Jesus? Oh, he'd have told you he believed Jesus. He went to church all his life, was faithful, he believed. He believed a false gospel. 

Listen to Weiss' comments on this word accursed. The word accursed is from anathema. It's a word used of a person or thing set apart and devoted to destruction. Hence, in a spiritual sense, it denotes one who is alienated from God by sin. It cannot refer here to ecclesiastical excommunication, for angels are included, and as Haddon Robinson said, I'm not sure how you excommunicate an angel. 

The epistles of Paul attach to the word the idea of spiritual death. It's used in Romans 9:3 where Paul says that he could wish himself accursed from Christ for his brethren's sake, associates it with the further idea of separation from Christ and destruction for all eternity. Paul says if a man preaches any other gospel, anything other or added to the pure gospel of Christ's salvation by God's grace through faith in what Christ did alone is anathema. 

That the man or the church that preaches such a gospel should be forever cursed to hell, separated from God, and the true church should not have fellowship with him, should not receive him or his teaching. So what is the true gospel? How do we understand the truth in contrast to error? 

Perhaps the clearest place that the gospel is articulated is 1 Corinthians 15, you can look at that with me if you'd like, 1 Corinthians 15:1. Paul says, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received. Here's Paul's explanation of the clear gospel, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 

This is the gospel, this is the good news, and we know from other passages that the means by which we can be credited the merits of Christ, that our sins can be imputed to him on the cross and his righteousness imputed to us, the only means is faith. You see, the many and varied religions of man, some Christian, some otherwise, all depend on the same basic idea. Man has some goodness in him, and if he can through right or ritual or suffering or service do enough good to make up for the bad he has done, then he can work his way to righteousness and thus to heaven. 

But the Bible says that all men born in Adam are rotten and evil to their core on the inside, that we do not become sinners by committing sinful acts, but we commit sinful acts outwardly because we are sinners on the inside. That is our old man, this body is controlled by indwelling sin so that we continually work sin out through our members. 

So the answer of every works-righteous man-centered religion is to do good and do good to become good. But this cannot work, because we cannot be good. There is none righteous, no, not one, not even you, not even me. We cannot keep the law of God, we cannot earn our own righteousness because no man is righteous. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 

Rather, God's answer for salvation from our sins and our sinful condition is to provide a substitute to die in our place for our sins, to take the wrath that we deserve and to impute his righteousness to us through faith. Turn over to Romans 3 with me. Look at a more expanded passage concerning this, Romans 3:19. After that section of Paul's condemnation of all men, he talks about the pagan men in Romans 1:18 to 32, he talks about the religious men in Romans 2, he gets down to chapter 3, he condemns all men born in Adam. 

There's none righteous, no, not one, no one does good. In verse 19 he says, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” 

Keep your finger here. Did you know that from Adam until Moses there was no law? The law entered so that sin would abound. The law was given to show us our sin and lead us to faith in Christ. By the law is the knowledge of sin. Now look at verse 21, the contrast. “But now, but now, the righteousness of God,” not my righteousness, “the righteousness of God.” Remember in Matthew 5:48 Jesus said you must be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect in order to enter the kingdom. 

The righteousness of God, how? Apart from the law. That would seem to me to say not including the law. The righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. There's no salvation by good works. God has another plan, one that actually accomplishes salvation, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law. Now we see here that this eliminates all faith plus works religions including that of the Judaizers. 

How can we be righteous, fit for heaven? Only by receiving the righteousness of God. But how? Verse 22, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” Here's the means. Here's the way to receive the righteousness of God as a grace gift by amputation. Through faith. Faith is the means. Through faith in Jesus Christ. The only means. Sacraments are not means. Sufferings not means. 

Penances not means. Giving to the poor, religious acts, rites, rituals will never bring salvation. Faith is God's only means. Faith in Jesus and what he accomplished by himself on the cross. My faith doesn't save me, Jesus saves me. But the way that I receive his righteousness is by faith in Christ. But who's this for? Look at the next verse. “To all and on all who believe.” For there's no difference. Isn't that good news? 

There's no difference. You know, the rich man doesn't get to go to heaven. The religious man doesn't get to go to heaven. Matter of fact, good people don't go to heaven. There's no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God has confined all under sin, Romans 11:32, in order that he might have mercy on all. Remember in Romans 9 he said, “I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy?” In Romans 11:32 he says, “I have chosen in my sovereignty to have mercy on all.” 

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation.” That word means a full satisfactory payment. He paid the full debt. How? By His blood, through death. Through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously omitted. He did not pass over any sins at the cross. 

Otherwise His righteousness would not have been demonstrated at the cross, the very purpose given by Paul here. “To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just, punishing all sin, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” That's the gospel. That's the good news, my friends. 

There's only one way that God could remain just, punishing all sins, and be the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, and that was by providing a sinless substitute to take the penalty that I deserve, to die in my place for my sins and make a way for me to be righteous by faith. Where's boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, if it were works we could boast. No, the law of faith. 

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. You see, a man is justified by faith, but not faith plus works. Not faith plus anything. Not faith, no, faith apart from the deeds of the law. Paul explains further, chapter 4, let's look at 4:1. Just because this is so good. “What then shall we say that Abraham our father is found according to the flesh?” What did Abraham find about all this? 

“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” He has nothing to boast about before God. “For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” God gave him his very own righteousness. “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt.” If it's works, it's no longer grace. 

But to him who does not work for his salvation, to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly. I'm so thankful for that word right there. He justifies the ungodly, the ones who know they're sinners. His faith is accounted for righteousness. Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. 

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” So when a man says that we must believe Jesus and trust that he died for us, but we also must do good works or keep the law, then this is a false gospel. He's a false teacher. We should avoid him and warn the church about him. 

If a man says that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus but that God gives us that faith through the waters of baptism, then that man is a false teacher. When a man says that the Lord is really present in the communion bread and wine and that participating in the Lord's Supper is a means of grace and necessary for our salvation, then that man, that church, is false, heretical, teaching another gospel, which is not another. 

The question for you and for me, my brother, my sister, and Christ, when it comes to the very difficult application of this text, of this truth, when it comes to the challenge of judging a man by the gospel that he preaches, is this. What do I really believe? And who is it that I'm trying to please? 

I labored over this message all week. I thought a couple times about just switching it up and preaching a nice, fluffy, encouraging Mother's Day and everybody be happy and they'd go out the door and say, “Good sermon.” But I kept coming back to 2nd Timothy 4. I will be judged, not by you, for the words I've spoken from this pulpit. 

I will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father and give account. And when I go to a text, and we just happen to be in Galatians 1, 6 to 10, I am so constrained by those words to try to the best of my ability by the grace of God to say what God says, that I can't do anything else. 

Now I might mess it up and I might be wrong and I'm open to that, but that's my heart. So what do I really believe? Paul says, “Do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Do I believe the gospel? Do I believe what God says? 

If you believe anything but Jesus, if you add anything to that, if you give another means to acquire that righteousness other than faith, then you're gonna end up in hell? Do I believe that? Do I have loved ones that don't believe that? The gospel is foolishness to the world and a stumbling block to religious men, but it is the power of God unto righteousness for those who believe. 

What do I believe? Do I believe what God says, that the only way for man to be saved is by hearing that gospel truth about Jesus and responding in faith? Do I believe that adding anything to Jesus as necessary for salvation is a false gospel and suggesting any other means but faith for receiving the righteousness of God is a damning heresy? Do I believe that? 

If I do, then what does that mean for my loved ones who believe and trust in these churches that add works to faith? What does it mean for the lost that God brings into my life if I'm unwilling to risk offending them with the gospel truth for the sake of tolerance and unity? It means they'll perish. If no one is willing to make the truth clear to them to speak the truth in love, they will perish. 

God has told me in His Word to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He has told me to reason from the scriptures, to persuade men, to beg, beseech, implore men to be reconciled to God. He's told me to warn the brethren, to mark and note those who teach a gospel contrary to the doctrines of Christ, to avoid them, to not receive them or welcome them or participate in their evil deeds. 

The question I ask myself is, who am I trying to please? Do I please men, or do I please God? Do I believe God, or do I believe my own fears, my own emotions, the wisdom of the world, the lukewarm church in our time? Paul wrote, “We believe, therefore we speak.” Paul says, “If I still please men, then I wouldn't be a bondservant of Christ.” This is our choice. 

My brothers and sisters, this is our privilege, this is our obligation, this is our duty, this is our life, this is why we're here. To share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet, clearly, plainly, with all its implications, the gospel truth, so that men might understand and know and believe. To keep making clear the gospel to the lost and to the saved, to point my brothers and sisters back to the clear gospel when they're being carried away as Paul did with Peter. 

Do you think it was easy for Paul to stand up before the whole church and withstand Peter, the Apostle, to his face? He said he was not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, so I withstood him to his face. And my friends, most of all, we need to seek to please our Father, to bring glory to Him, to believe Him, to tell the world of His greatness, of His love, and His grace found in the person and work of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 

This is our great privilege. We have the words of reconciliation. Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you. We thank you for the clarity, the simplicity, the gospel of Christ. Let this be the dividing point in our minds, in our hearts, in our lives, in our church. Let us contend for the faith. Let us be appointed to defend the gospel. Let us understand the gravity of what it means if the gospel gets confused, gets cloudy. 

Thank you that you've left us here, that the world may know that Jesus is the Christ. Thank you that you've made us your ambassadors, your witnesses, and you've given to us the gospel, the words of reconciliation, that we might share that good news with everyone we meet, and know that you are able, you are willing to make that work in their lives, to bring them to Christ and salvation forever. 

Thank you that you've done that for us. Thank you for the faithful witnesses who came to us and told us the truth. Thank you for the salvation that we have in Christ. It's in his name we pray. Amen.