A TEACHING THAT IS WORTHY OF A CURSE
A TEACHING THAT IS WORTHY OF A CURSE
In Galatians 1:8, Paul makes a very strong statement.
“if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!”
Paul is saying there is a teaching that is worthy of a curse. It makes you wonder what this teaching could be. Unfortunately, many preachers are teaching the gospel Paul is preaching against. They teach rules, precepts, orders, patterns, and things like that. The idea is that if you follow these rules and patterns, then you will be walking in the Spirit of God. What is taught is from the angle of “Do this, but don’t do that. Then you will be blessed.” That puts the end result before God’s way to get to the end result. It’s like saying, “Live in a nice house, and then the house will be built.” The horse must pull the cart. The cart doesn’t push the horse. It works the opposite way compared to what is being taught. If you walk in the Spirit, God will lead you in His will and do His works through you.
Galatians 2:16 “… a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Paul isn’t teaching what some have called “easy grace” or “seeker friendly” gospel. He’s not saying, “Go ahead and sin. You are a sinner saved by grace. Works no longer have a place in your life.” He goes on to say this in Galatians 2:19-21:
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.”
Righteousness doesn’t come through the law, but it still comes. Where does it come from? In Galatians 5:6, Paul continues:
“What matters is faith expressing itself through love.”
and verse 14 says: “The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
And verse 16 says: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Paul goes on to even more carefully define the acts of the flesh versus the acts of the Spirit in verse 19-22.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
So faith expresses itself in love. And love doesn’t do the acts of the flesh. Love fulfills the law. But love can only come through faith, not human effort. And faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word (rhema) of God. The Word of God, Christ, authors faith in our hearts when the Father speaks the Word to us in leading, teaching, and correcting. But we must listen and we must yield ourselves to God’s grace to the point of obedience, and obedience yields righteousness, and righteousness leads to holiness. Righteousness is the Grace of God doing God’s will through you in a moment in time. Holiness is a permanent change in what you are.
Ask God to answer these questions.
- What is the false doctrine Paul is talking about when he says anyone who teaches it should be accursed?
- Is there something wrong with rules, precepts, orders, patterns, and things like that?
- Why is it wrong to say “Do this, but don’t do that. Then you will be blessed?”
- What does it mean that righteousness doesn’t come through the law?
- How does God do His works through you?
Bonus questions:
- Are good works a gift from us to God or a gift from God to us?
- How is the truth different from what some have called “easy grace” or “seeker friendly” gospel?
- What does it mean that we must yield ourselves to God’s grace to the point of obedience?
- How does righteousness lead to holiness?
- What does it mean that faith expresses itself in love?
YOU ARE SLAVES OF THE ONE WHOM YOU OBEY