Today's Devotional

October 20, 2003

Subject:  No Other Gospel 

Galatians 1:6 - 7 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."

The Gospel.  What is it?  Well the Merriam-Webster dictionary says this is the primary meaning, "the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation."  That's pretty good even for a secular book.  It pretty much concurs with the bible's definition for the term.  However, if you contrast that message with the message that seems to come out of many ministries these days, you simply end up with, quite frankly, a different gospel or as the verse above says, another gospel.

Here's one that I've been encountering lately.  "The Prosperity Gospel."  There are ministries that have been built around the belief that we are to live in a state of excess or economic bliss.  Well where did that come from; out of a demonic cult or doctrine?  No this comes simply from handling the word of God improperly.  

Here's the verse that is used:

3 John 1:2 - "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

If you read that verse in context, you'll find that it was a part of a salutation in a letter that John wrote to a fellow church brother.  John was basically saying, "Hey I hope things are going as well for you in other ways as they are for you spiritually."  I think it's a huge stretch to use that as a foundation for saying that we should all be wealthy and comfortable.  As a matter of fact, later in that passage John's telling the church brother to support the people in ministry because they don't ask for anything from the unbelievers when they're ministering to them.  He used the passage to say "give" and today it's used by some to say "get."

Their battle cry goes on to say, "well you have to have money to do God's work."  Well that's only true if the work that He's called you to do requires money.  See we want to do God's work on our terms and within our economy, but He's busy trying to get us to see that we as believers need to live according to His economy.  Might that require money?  At times, but many of the things that He's called us to, don't require a cent.  It only requires a willing, pure and contrite heart.

Paul said there was only one thing he wanted to know from the church, that they were talking about Jesus Christ who was crucified for us. (1 Cor 2:2).  It wasn't how big your church was or how many members you had or not even how He had granted you such wealth and status in the community.  No, the gospel that Paul preached is the gospel that we should be about today.  Jesus Christ -- Crucified!!! 

Anything else is another gospel and like Paul said, which really isn't another.

Carlen