Kept From Turning Away

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7 (New King James Version)

The truth of the Gospel is clear. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are the basis for salvation. There is no other way to Heaven. No other way to receive forgiveness of sin and become a child of God. Becoming a Christian is through faith alone, by grace alone, and in Christ alone. It was the foundational truth of Paul’s ministry and that which changed his life and the direction of his life profoundly. It is a doctrine that cannot be altered, added to, or substituted. Any distortion of that truth is presented with purposeful intent on the part of those who would seek to do nothing but lead others astray and God will hold them responsible.

Paul’s amazement is an appropriate response to what he has seen take place in the lives of fellow believers. He sees their turning away as desertion. Desertion of the very One who died for their sin and rose again. The very One who called them into His grace, into His family, and into His arms. The One who promised to never leave them or forsake them. It was a puzzlement to Paul for he knew what it was to be forgiven and to live in and by the grace of Christ. To step away from that into another realm of thinking and behavior was beyond words. They were exchanging the truth for a lie. What a tragic choice!

I am asking myself the question, “How does a person make such a decision?” I remember reading an article by a woman who had at one time been a member of Jim Jones’ church, The People‘s Temple. When asked how she could fall into such erroneous teaching she said any of us can be deceived and misled if we get away from what the Bible says. When we stop reading it for ourselves we are vulnerable to false teaching and distorted truth. Her words have stuck with me and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I need to stay in God’s Word for myself. It is not enough to attend church and hear the sermons and teachings of others. It is not enough to read numerous devotional books. It is not enough to attend women’s conferences and take in what others are saying. It is not enough to build a personal library full of great Christian material. All of those things are a blessing and advantageous but the bottom line is that there must be a searching of the Scriptures in the private moments each day. It is imperative that I regularly read God’s Word and see the truth for myself, holding to what it says without compromise. The Bible is infallible and must be my plum line for truth. All teaching must align with it…not the other way around.

Father, Your Word is the truth I hold in my hands and in my heart. Keep me focused on You and what You say to me each day. Amen.

Ancient Words - Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmTkXNpwzs&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.