At school in science we did an experiment called a litmus test. Basically you would put a piece of special paper into water and see if it changes colour. Blue litmus paper turns red when the water is acidic. Red litmus paper turns blue under alkaline conditions. The litmus test gave you an idea about the nature of the water.
Over time the word “litmus test” also came to be applied to people.
Those who want to serve as politicians need to pass a “litmus test” of credibility.
People who want to be in a position of authority should pass a “litmus test” of integrity.
It is standard or a measure by which people are judged as to their suitability and effectiveness for a certain task.
So let me ask this question.
What sort of a “litmus test” does the church need to pass for it to be seen as being credible and having integrity?
Would it need to be over a certain size?
Would it be a church that has lots of young people?
Does credibility require a powerful worship experience?
Does credibility come when a majority of members are in small groups?
What does it take?
With these questions in mind let’s read
Galatians 1:1-10
We have read this passage because Paul wants the Galatian church to know that they are in trouble. And the way that Paul talks here makes it very clear that the Galatians are in big trouble. Usually, when Paul writes a letter to a church, he opens with a word of thanks.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. (Romans 1:8).
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. (Philippians 1:3-4).
Even to the Corinthians, which is a church that gave Paul so many problems and cause for concern, he writes
I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:4).
But that is not what Paul says to the Galatians.
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. (Galatians 1:6).
There is a true story of a man who was working in his garage. He was the kind of person who did not like to be interrupted while working on a project. Knowing this, his wife walked into the garage and stood quietly at his side for several minutes, waiting for the right time to speak. At last, her husband looked up, which was the signal that she was free to say what was on her mind. Very calmly, and without a trace of panic, she said, “The house is on fire”.
Sometimes we need to forget politeness and bluntly state the problem. The burning house was a time for blunt communication. The fact that the members of the church in Galatia were deserting the Gospel is a time for blunt communication. These churches were in serious eternal danger and, if left unchecked, there would be devastating results.
But what is it about this desertion that makes Paul so astonished?
The Galatians were moving the Gospel ... which is central to our relationship with God ... and they were replacing it with the burden of following the law.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:1-3)
For some unknown reason the Galatians had allowed false teachers to infiltrate their church and disrupt truth. These false teachers were saying, “Yes, Jesus died for us, but that is not enough. We must add to His death by also following the law of Moses and being circumcised so that we may truly be saved”. That is the false message. And it isn’t a small deviation. It is a completely different message.
Only Jesus and His works are able to make us right with God.
Our place in God’s family is only based on the willingness of Jesus to show us grace and compassion.
If at any point we think that we have made it on our own merits then we are in serious trouble because we are following a different Gospel.
“Don’t deviate from the message of the Gospel”. That is the clear message which Paul wants to bring across – and it seems simple enough doesn’t it.
So why don’t we listen?
It is so easy to fall into the trap of following a different Gospel.
There is the Gospel of materialism.
Despite the fact that the Bible calls us to a life of contentment, to be happy and satisfied with all that God has given us, we can fall into the trap of wanting more and more and more. As we do so we can slowly shut ourselves off to that which is most valuable.
There once was a boy who was playing with a very valuable vase. He put his hand into it and could not get it out. Despite help from his father the hand was stuck. They were thinking of breaking the valuable vase when the father said, “Let’s try one more time. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight and then pull.” To their astonishment the little fellow said, “O no, dad, I couldn’t put my fingers out like that because if I did I would drop my 50c piece.
How many of us hold onto the worthless materialism of the world ... and forget the liberation of the Gospel.
There is the Gospel of self.
Jesus tells us to deny ourselves to take up the cross and follow Him. That is a message which is so counter to our culture where self is number 1. If you don’t believe it all you need to do is watch the tv ... there you will find the gospel of this age being confined to a 30-second commercial.
And we are impacted. And we know it.
In a recent survey by Discipleship Journal Magazine, readers reported on the source of their greatest spiritual challenges. The top three were:-
1. Materialism
2. Pride
3. Self-centeredness
These are the elements which are the Gospel of this age. Those who responded to the survey noted that these temptations were greatest when they neglected their time with God and with reading the Bible.
Paul gives the warning
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. (Galatians 1:6).
Don’t desert the One who called you by the grace of Christ.
That warning is just as much for us as it is for those who are in the early church. No matter what Gospel this world preaches we need to make sure that our identity and focus is on Jesus Christ and what He has done.
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died on behalf of sinners. Jesus dies for people like you and me who constantly mess up their lives and need a fresh start each day. The message of the Gospel is a message of hope to hopeless sinners who struggle with anger, impatience, lust, greed, improper priorities, immoral thoughts and ungodly deeds.
In the Gospel we are told that Jesus took our place – he was a substitute for us. We should have been the ones who suffered the wrath and anger of God. We should have been pronounced guilt. Yet Jesus volunteered to take our place and pay for our sin.
The Gospel is an offer of free grace – it is the gift of eternal life from God Himself.
Not because we earned it.
Not because we deserved it.
Not because we were great people who had heaps to offer.
Not because we had all these gifts which were needed by God.
But only because Jesus poured out His blood for us to set us free from sin and death.
The Gospel is the only message which gives hope ... so if someone comes with a different message, ignore them.
If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say it again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you have accepted, let him be eternally condemned. (Galatians 1:8-9)
It isn’t a popular thing to say things like this. Because another concept of our age ... another pop-culture gospel ... is tolerance. I have my views and you have your views and we should respect the views of each other. In some respects that is true. But, sometimes, God has the last say.
God makes it very clear that we need to take personal accountability for our actions.
But not a lot of people always think that way. In fact it has become very trendy to rename actions in the past which were called “sin”.
Road rage ... that is a popular one. I don’t have an anger problem, I have road rage. I’m not impatient, other people just keep getting in my way.
I was reading a story on the net about a big problem in America called “air rage”. Apparently it is the number one job hazard for flight attendants and there is a campaign encouraging people to hop onto a web site so that people would know where to go to deal with this rage.
What is all this? Basically it is an unwillingness to take personal accountability for your own actions. “I am more important than anyone else, and what I want I want right now, and I don’t want to wait, and I don’t want to obey the rules, and I don’t want to be expected to care for anyone else’s rights or comforts or dignity, or safety”.
But something else is going on here as well. It’s another Gospel.
“I want to be god, and I want to be treated as god, because I am my only god, and if I don’t get what I want when I want it, I’m going to throw an adult tantrum and someone is going to get hurt!”
It might not be the popular thing to do ... but we need to be people who speak out.
Not just speaking our opinions.
But giving people a clear understanding of what it means to be in this world.
And giving people a clear picture of what it means to be in relationship with God.
The main task of the church is to be faithful to the Gospel and trust in the power of the Gospel. Have a look at verse 10.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10).
Obviously for Paul pleasing people is much lower on his list of priorities than serving Christ. And there is a good reason for that.
If we are in the business of pleasing people then we rob Christ of His glory.
Sometimes we need to be unpopular.
Sometimes we need to defend the Word before our neighbours and friends and family.
Sometimes we need to put our discomfort aside and be honest about the fact that people are on their way to hell unless they repent.
If all we do is keep on being quiet about the Gospel then who are we really pleasing – people or God?
Not only that. It is also true to say that nobody is really helped when we become people pleasers. The fact of the matter is that the Gospel is confronting.
It makes judgements about those who will have eternal life and those who won’t.
It is pretty specific about sin and the separation from God which sin causes.
It pronounces a sentence of eternal damnation on those who don’t repent.
That is not a popular message, but that is the message which this world needs to hear.
Does that mean we all need to become rude and arrogant? Not at all. The apostle who wrote these words in Galatians is the same apostle who says in 1 Corinthians 9:20-23.
To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I become like one under the law … To those not having the law I become like those not having the law … To the weak I become weak … I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:20-23)
Becoming like someone is an issue of building relationships. But not bringing the Gospel into that context is an issue of compromise. That is why our church ... our believing community ... has a core-value which drives us back to the Word.
WORD FOCUSSED
To reflect the transforming power of God’s Word in our own lives as we continually grow in spiritual maturity and holiness.
Because it is only the Word of God makes real transformation possible ... it is the litmus test of the church.
