Preaching Daily - July 18

Today's Devotional Insight...

What we can see immediately in this first chapter of Galatians, and at the end of verse 9 in particular (“If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” —anathema, damned), is that this letter, and in this conference focused on this letter, and the 500-year-old Reformation enflamed by this letter, and the Christian faith that stands or falls with this letter — what you can see is that the Christian faith, and that Reformation, and this conference, and this letter deal with matters on which your eternal destiny hangs. “If anyone brings you another gospel, let him be damned!”

“Every day, people in your church and your family are being lured away from Christ as their supreme treasure.”

And therefore, this letter and this conference and the Reformation and Christianity should echo in us with unparalleled seriousness.

– Unparalleled seriousness in joy at the grace and peace that is ours in verse 3, and the deliverance from evil and destruction that is ours in verse 4, and the soul-satisfying glory of God in verse 5.

– Unparalleled seriousness of astonishment (like we see in verse 6) that we or our children or friends would turn away from this grace to a gospel that is no gospel.

– Unparalleled seriousness of anger at anyone who, like those in verse 7, distort the gospel and destroy human souls — let them be accursed.

Eternity at Stake

Just think of it. Accursed. Whose curse? Paul’s? Paul’s curse is as nothing compared to God’s curse. Paul says in Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” But now we have a group, purporting to come from James in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:12), who are directing the Galatians away from the all-sufficient, curse-removing substitution of Christ. So Paul says, Cursed — damned — be those who lead people away from the curse-removing gospel of Christ. Damned be the damners.

This is happening to people in your church and your family. They are being exposed to kinds of “gospel” — which are no gospel — every day. They are being lured away from Christ as their supreme treasure and away from grace. And they need to hear from you a very serious word.

To read the full article, "No Other Gospel – Exposition of Galatians 1 by John Piper, click here.

Today’s Pastoral Resource...

Spice

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