DEFEND THE GOSPEL WITH YOUR LIFE

As Christians, we might know the gospel well. We sit in Sunday services, memorize Scripture, or serve faithfully in our ministries. But when the gospel is under attack, how do we react in the face of opposition? In Galatians, Paul reminds us that to defend the gospel, we must first examine ourselves. Thoughts like compromise can be blanketed under good intentions or fearsome circumstances, but once we compromise the gospel, we choose to prioritize comfort over God’s truth. Without a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, our defense will waver.    

THE COMPROMISE OF CEPHAS

In Galatians 2:14, Paul didn’t hesitate to confront Cephas (Peter) when he succumbed to social pressure. When the Judaizers insisted that the Gentiles were to convert to the customs of Judaism for salvation, not only did Peter stay silent, but his withdrawal caused his fellow Jews to be led astray by a false gospel. In our own lives, we might find instances to rationalize our compromises with God. But in our every compromise, we don’t just disobey God — we make known to Him that we hold our self-interest of greater importance than glorifying the saving power of the gospel.  

THE CLARITY OF THE GOSPEL

When we live in a society that expects us to earn our worth, we might find ourselves overcompensating for and overcomplicating the gospel. It can be difficult to believe that a solution can be so simple, but the message of the good news is both clear and straightforward: there are no other ways to enter the kingdom of heaven except through Christ alone. In Galatians 2:15-16, Paul not only emphasized this point once, but three times in the passage! Salvation is not found in our efforts, or the law, or in ourselves, but in our faith in Christ and what He has done. Jesus paid for our sin, justified us by His righteousness, and reconciled us with the Father — this is the gospel of grace.

THE CONVICTION OF THE BELIEVER

If we truly believe in the transformative power of the gospel, then we must start by living our lives for God (Galatians 2:19). Just as Paul did not hesitate to publicly rebuke the Judaizers that they can’t earn their way to heaven by tradition, what have we done to redirect people to Christ? The clearest evidence of our conviction is how we live our lives. Do we nurture and encourage others to know the gospel? Our lives should reflect the truth of Christ and showing others through our words and actions that the gospel is powerful, life-changing, and worth defending.