Galatians 1 is
Paul’s passionate defense of the true gospel of grace. He confronts a
dangerous problem in the church: believers were turning away from the gospel of
Christ and adding human requirements to salvation. Paul reminds them
that the gospel comes from God alone, not from human approval or
tradition.
1.
There Is Only One True Gospel
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon
from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.” v:6–7
Paul is shocked
because the Galatians were abandoning grace for a distorted gospel.
Any message that adds works to faith, or replaces Christ with rules, is
not good news at all.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone.
2.
False Gospels
Bring Serious Consequences
“If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel to you… let him be accursed.”
v:8–9
Paul speaks
strongly because the gospel is not a
suggestion — it is the way of life.
Even spiritual-sounding messages can be false if they shift trust away from
Christ.
Truth is not determined by popularity,
charisma, or experience — but by God’s Word.
3.
The Gospel Comes from
God, Not Man
“The gospel which was preached by me is not
according to man… but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” v:11–12
Paul did not
invent the gospel, nor did he receive it to please people.
His authority came from Jesus Himself.
When
God calls, approval from people becomes secondary.
4.
A Changed Life Is
Evidence of God’s Grace
Paul recalls his
past as a persecutor of the church — and how God radically changed him. v:13–16
No
one is too far gone for grace
God
doesn’t call the qualified — He qualifies the called
Grace doesn’t just forgive — it transforms.
Let us ask ourselves:
Am I living by grace — or trying to earn what God already gave?
It warns us to be
discerning in what we hear and believe. Not every message that sounds spiritual
leads to freedom. The true gospel humbles us, frees us, and fixes our eyes on
Christ alone.
·
When grace is
removed, Christianity becomes heavy.
·
When grace is
restored, faith becomes alive.
