Watch Those That Trouble You
This is not just an interpretation by some but it is actually a true meaning of these words in the original language. So we see that some were perverting the gospel of grace and peace. What were they doing to pervert this gospel of grace and peace? What is a perverted gospel? It is anything that does not tell you, you get what you do not deserve and also anything that tells you, you are going to get something you do deserve, that is the perversion of the gospel. Read that sentence carefully as it contains something that needs to be grasped and understood. Remember also that Paul never calls the gospel anything but grace and peace. These two terms are very significant in order for us to understand the base meaning of the gospel and what Paul preached.
How many things do we have to be told for it to be another gospel? Just one thing that tells you that you must qualify by any deed or action you have to do to be under the gospel of grace and peace. That’s all it takes to pervert the gospel. Some may say God will take His hand of protection off you if you do not perform properly. That’s perverting the gospel. It is not difficult to preach a perverted gospel. Just put your TV on to a Christian station and it will not be long before you see this perversion preached hour after hour. A perverted gospel is also much more popular to the hearers than the true gospel of grace and peace as well.
The perversion of the gospel is legalism disguised as being a follower of Jesus Christ. When anyone places you under rules and regulations or they tell you that the Law of Moses has to be kept, it is bringing you back under legalism and that is rampant today in, I think it is safe to say, in every denomination out there. If Paul was telling them 2000 years ago that doing that was a perversion of the gospel, is it not the proper thing to do to call it a perversion today because the same thing is going on?
Are we to water it down and call it something else because the vast majority do not call it a perversion? No, I think it has to be called by its proper name and it has to be told like it is. It’s not very popular to say these things but what else can you call it? Maybe someone can help me out here and tell me what other name we can use if the same thing that was done in Paul’s day is still done today. A perversion is a perversion, whether two thousand years ago or in this day and age.
I am not saying these things to upset anyone but if it is not called the gospel of grace and peace, then it is a perversion. Remember also that you cannot call it the gospel of grace and peace and at the same time say we have to do something or perform or whatever else we are told we have to do to get or keep this redemption we have in Christ.
Again, if anyone is telling you that rules and regulations are necessary for you to follow in order to gain favor or be right with God, then Paul would do the same today as then…….he would be telling them “some are troubling you by preaching a perverted gospel”. In this post I am not using my own words but simply using the words Paul used to warn the Galatians. I have read Galatians over and over again so many times now and these things are just getting clearer and clearer as the days go by. I am also reading/listening to several teachers on this and it is quite plain they are all saying the same thing….watch those that trouble you……be careful to who and what you listen to.
