Friday, March 18, 2011
A Counterfeit Gospel
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel. —Galatians 1:6
I watched a very famous preacher being interviewed awhile ago on television. When the topic of sin came up, the preacher said, “I never talk about sin. I never use the word ‘sin,’ because people already know they are sinners. I am not here to beat people down. I just want to lift them up.” However, I don’t think that most people know they are sinners. And our job is not just to lift people up; it is to point them to Christ. So we have to use the word “sin.”
There is a counterfeit gospel. The apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6). Just because someone uses the term “gospel” doesn’t mean he or she is referring to the genuine gospel. Even if someone claims they are preaching the gospel, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the real gospel. For the gospel to be genuine, certain things must be in place. And one of those things is the acknowledgement that everyone has sinned. As 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
The only solution for our sin being removed is the cross. If the cross is not proclaimed, then it is not the gospel. Any proper presentation of the gospel includes the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Whenever there is the genuine, there also will be the counterfeit. And the devil has his fake version of just about everything—even the gospel.
Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
Even believers sometimes doubt...
-
Have you ever doubted the Bible? Have you ever had questions about how the Bible came into being? Have you wondered about the historical reliability of the Bible? Listen. Don't feel bad about that. Let us help you. Here is a great resource that will bolster your faith and help you to defend your beliefs. This book is called Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible. It is written by Greg's friend, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, who is the pastor of the famed Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois.
You can have your own copy of Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. 