Introduction
Who can tell me what’s on the screen up there, Or what I’m holding in my hand? It’s a plumb line like the one mentioned in the Isaiah text we just read:
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;Isaiah 28:16-17a
The plumb line helps a builder to establish a true line square to the earth’s surface or straight up and down.
It’s a very simple tool and it hasn’t changed much since Isaiah’s time--sure we moderns have lasers to do the same thing over great distances and they’re not affected by the wind. But the simple device works great and you’ll find one at virtually any site where they’re laying brick. When I helped my dad lay a block foundation we didn’t have one so we made one with a string and a heavy nut--it works just as well. The point is the plumb line hasn’t changed much because the fact of gravity hasn’t changed much
The same is true of the Gospel message. It doesn’t change much--in fact it doesn’t change at all. There is one standard for all time, and that standard is the main thing that this letter to the Galatians is about. Here right after the Greeting the Apostle Paul makes his bottom line clear. The military writing coaches would be so proud, Bottom Line Up Front:
Proposition: Any other Gospel doesn’t measure up to the plumb line of righteousness.
Interrogative: In what ways are other messages lacking
Transition: Paul names four explicitly right up front the first is that they are...
1. Confusing
v. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
The confusion I’m thinking of is not that the things people exchange for the gospel are hard to understand-- although sometimes they are, but rather the confusion that Paul displays in verse 6 of why anyone would want to believe a message other than the true Gospel? It really is good news: Jesus died to pay the price for your sins, the debt has been cleared, simply put your trust in what he has done and eternal life is yours. What else could you want?
In the case of the Galatian churches, why would they exchange this good news for the bad news that there are other hurdles you have to clear to meet God’s expectations?
We can ask the same for virtually every form of false teaching and even false religions. Why would people trade the message of Salvation by God’s grace alone for a scheme that requires following a list of rules, or another which requires a new accounting for each misstep after the date of salvation?
On the other hand, why would you turn away from the glorious freedom from sin found in the law of the spirit to be bound again with the depressing chains of sin through the lie that says it doesn’t matter how you live once you believe in Jesus?
ILLUSTRATION: Raise your hand if you have kids who are at the "trading their stuff" stage? You people have an idea how Paul was feeling. "How could you trade your retainer for a garter snake?" "How could you trade your sneakers for a pudding snack pack?" "How could you trade your birthright for a bowl of soup?"
Paul is saying this "other gospel" your following, I don’t understand that. It’s confusing. Beyond that Paul says it’s a...
2. Counterfeit
v. 7a which is really no gospel at all.
Gospel as we learned last week, means "Good News." Paul says this new message or really any message at all other than the true message he brought to them it’s not really Good News. It’s not a gospel. It’s a counterfeit
Like all counterfeits it mimics the original. It begins with part of the true message, but in this particular case it adds something else too. The purveyors of this other gospel understand that personal change is a result of Salvation, but rather than let that transformation be the work of the Spirit they want new Christians to work externally to change themselves according to a cultural or social agenda.
Folks, the counterfeiters still do the same thing. In the modern world sometimes they tie it to some claim of the name of Christ sometimes they don’t even do that. Instead compassion and tolerance and do good-feel good behavior is substituted for the blood-bought transformation that Christ offers.
Counterfeits are wrapped in the bright colors of good intentions, often marked with a spiritual appearance of religious duty, but nothing’s really changed in 2000 years, As Paul noted in another of his letters to the Colosians (2:23):
"Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
They lack value for real change. Why? Because they are counterfeit.
Paul goes on to say that any other Gospel is...
3. Condemned
vv. 8-9 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
Here is the real problem of another gospel, it’s not only a bad idea, it not only lacks power because it’s a fake, it’s dangerousness dangerous as anything could be. In our sensitive English translation we loose some of the heat in these two sentences. The more direct translation is "if anyone comes with another gospel let him be damned! Even if I or an angel brings another message we’ll be damned!"
And the follow up is, "And if you believe it you’ll be damned too." This isn’t a curse word it’s using the word in it’s proper sense--literally damned, separated from God eternally punished. The message is condemned and those who believe it are too. In the same way that whoever accepts a counterfeit bill is left "holding the bag," whoever accepts a counterfeit gospel is condemned with the one who passed them the goods.
ILLUSTRATION: I fear that those who followed Jim Jones to their deaths in Guyana or those who took their own lives in anticipation of visitors from the comet Hale-Bopp were not excused by their sincerity. This is why the plumb line of the gospel is so important. This is why Paul is worked up in his letter. This is life or death--more than that eternal life and death.
Of course there is hope, or Paul wouldn’t be writing this letter. He’s saying if you’ve been fooled come back home to where the real good news is, because those who trust in a counterfeit Gospel are condemned.
Finally Paul gives us some insight into the motive of the false teachers and exposes that any other Gospel is...
4. Corrupt
v. 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
What we have once again is a contrast, like we saw last week between Paul and his heretical rivals. Paul asks "am I trying to please men?" The implication is that this is exactly what the false teachers are doing, they are operating not out of a sincere desire to please God, nor even to help people, but strictly out of pride.
Peter Has similarly harsh words for these corrupt teachers (2 Peter 2:1-3, 13-14):
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up...
"They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! "
The source of false teaching is corruption. These teachers want to make a name for themselves, to be looked upon as wise, or worse they use their position to exploit others.
You want to know one way I’ve found to recognize false teaching? If every time you hear someone speak, they’re on the same topic and that topic isn’t salvation by faith in the cross of Christ, than it’s probably some false teaching they’ve gotten wrapped up in. They may think of it as a special revelation they have that they need to share, but in reality what’s happening is their pride is driving them to show others how insightful they are and it’s heresy. Even if it didn’t start as heresy it begins to crowd out the message of the gospel until it becomes heresy.
Conclusion
And now it comes down to you and I. How do we measure up to the Plumb line of the gospel?
Are you trusting in Christ alone for salvation and allowing His spirit to transform you from the inside out?
Or have you sought salvation by conforming to an external pattern in hopes that you could be "good enough" to gain eternal life?
Perhaps you’ve bought the modern, church-free gospel, the gospel of good people, the gospel of being nice to others as the way to justify your life.
Maybe it’s been some other deception but today measured against God’ plumb line it’s become clear to you that what you’ve believed hasn’t measured up.
Today, we have a special offer you can trade in all counterfeits for the real thing...real life in Jesus Christ.
