DON’T DISTORT THE GOSPEL

When we find ourselves surrounded by competing ideas about the gospel, it can be dangerously easy to believe something that sounds right but isn’t true. Paul reminds us in Galatians that every belief in God shapes how we respond to life’s circumstances, and if we don’t know the true gospel, we can’t guard ourselves against counterfeit truths. To believe the true gospel is to recognize that we cannot save ourselves, that salvation is a gift freely given, and that it comes from no one other than Jesus Christ.    

THE TRUE GOSPEL CANNOT BE CHANGED

In Galatians 1:6–7, Paul was shocked to discover that soon after Jesus’ death, false teachers were already twisting the gospel to suit their own agendas. Even today, thousands of years later, the same problem persists. The one true gospel is simple and unchanging: Jesus Christ died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and rose again that those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior would have eternal life. Salvation is not earned by our efforts but freely given by Jesus alone. No additions and no shortcuts! If we believe otherwise, we look down on the power of Christ’s resurrection. God doesn’t leave us defenseless against counterfeit gospels — He has given us His Word to discern the truth and to help us stand firm.  

THE TRUE GOSPEL IS FROM GOD

Paul made it clear that the gospel he preached was not from man, but a revelation he received directly from Jesus (Galatians 1:11-12). Once a zealot for Judaism and a persecutor of Christians, Paul’s life was transformed when God revealed His Son to him and set him apart to preach to the Gentiles. His story shows that the true gospel is God-given, not man-made. Paul reminds us that the gospel is centered on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection alone (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), and that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-10). We must guard this truth and stand firm in the true gospel of grace.

THE TRUE GOSPEL TRANSFORMS

In Romans 1:16, Paul declares that in witnessing the gospel’s truth, he was unashamed, obligated, and eager to share the good news to others. Paul’s transformation was so radical that people who once feared him now glorified God because of him (Galatians 1:22-24). True transformation is more than attending church or reading Scripture: it’s a surrendered heart, devoted to pleasing Christ in every way. The evidence of our faith isn’t just in our belief; it is also seen in our behavior. Is there evidence of the gospel’s transformative power in your life? May we live for the true gospel, guarding its truth and reflecting its power so that others may see the life-changing work of Jesus Christ in and through our lives.