Galatians 1:6-9
Worship Devo with Mason Venhaus
Dive Deeper
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
Galatians 1:6-9
Behind the Scenes
The book of Galatians was written by Paul as a letter to the new Christians in Galatia. The Galatians were Gentiles who, through the teachings and ministry of Paul, were introduced to the redemptive love of the Lord. It is believed that Paul was one of the first, if not the first, missionary to the people of Galatia and that they revered and trusted him.
However, shortly after Paul left Galatia, men of Jewish origin entered the region and began preaching perverted doctrine to the new believers. They began to impress on the Galatians that salvation was tied to good works and religious rituals rather than freely given. They began to challenge and deny the biblical truths that had been preached by Paul and discredit Paul’s calling as a servant of the Lord. The Galatians were confused – who should they trust? Do they put their faith in these ritual-observant pharisees who preach that you can earn your way to heaven? Or should their faith lie in the radical Jew-slayer who overnight became a salvation-conveyor?
The Galatians were faced with a challenge – a challenge that you and I face even today. Which teachers were preaching the truth? In order to determine who they should believe, they had to go back to Biblical truths. Let’s walk through this process together.
On one side are the Pharisees. They attributed their authority to preach the Gospel to the fact that they were of Jewish heritage. They taught a works-based salvation, whereby if the Galatians followed the Old Testament law and performed good works, then they could get into heaven. To further enhance their authority, the false prophets went on to discredit Paul and his ministry through lies.
On the other side is Paul. Paul was directly called by the Lord in Acts 9 to preach the Gospel. Prior to his conversion, Paul (who was then named Saul) killed Jews for a living. But through a radical encounter with the Lord, he went from murdering people for their belief in God to preaching the gospel and converting them believers of God. That sounds like a divine intervention and calling to me! Additionally, we see that Paul did not worry about pleasing man – his goal in life was to bring glory and honor to God (Galatians 1:10). Finally, Paul preached a gospel of faith-based salvation, whereby acknowledgement of Jesus’s atonement for their sins resulted in eternal life.
With these facts at hand, how would you discern who to believe? Ephesians 2:8-9 reads “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast.” When we take the Galatians dilemma back to this biblical truth, there is no denying that the Pharisees who came to their land were teaching false gospel. Through his letter to the Galatians, Paul is attempting to warn them against these false teachings that they might look to the God for discernment, truth, and wisdom.
Make it Real
As we reflect on our theme for this week as God being the door to all truth – the door by which we can identify the lies, false teachings, and deception – I encourage you to reflect on Paul’s challenge to the Galatians. False prophets are not always easily identifiable. The pharisees in Galatia appeared reputable. They were of Jewish decent; they referenced God-fearing Old Testament believers like Moses and Abraham; they came from the Promised Land of Jerusalem – why would they not be trustworthy? However, when we hold their teachings to the truth of the Bible, we can see the fundamental flaw in their preaching: Salvation cannot be earned, it has to be accepted through faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing, but it is the gift of God.”
Are you able to identify false prophets or false teachings in your life today? They may be hidden behind educational degrees, prestigious job titles, or years of experience. Like the pharisees, false prophets today tend to use their fame, education, or prestige or conjure authority and support for lies teachings that go against biblical truth.
As such, we need to always take that which we are being taught back to the Bible; back to the Lord; back to the Door; and use that as our gauge for discerning the truth. Sometimes it means going against the grain; it might mean doing something or believing in something that does not make sense in the world’s eyes. But we are not called to be of this world. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Be on the lookout. Heed Paul’s words. Test the teachings against the Bible and stand firm against the false prophets and preaching of the enemy. Take your questions to the Door and allow the Lord to help you discern “what is good and acceptable and perfect” in His sight.
Kristen Krimmel
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Heavenly Father, I ask that you attune my mind to your Truths. I ask that you give me discernment as I navigate the information overload that is present in today’s world. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me to your Truths that I might live a life according to your will. Thank you for being the door by which I can determine good and evil.
In your name I pray – Amen!