I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:6-7 (ESV)

 

According to the Apostle Paul, a distorted gospel is no gospel at all. It is without power or effect. Worse, it verges on heresy and deception. The gospel is twisted when we alter its message to make it about us rather than Jesus. This is both an old and new problem. What happened to the Galatians may happen to us if we are not cautious and watchful.

Our witness to the gospel is compromised when we over-adapt to our prevalent culture of consumerism and materialism. This happens when we choose to pursue selfish interests over scriptural truths. That makes us idolaters of ourselves rather than worshippers of God. We shall lose our prophetic edge if we do not call for change or challenge the present quo. If we base our Christian life on a consumerist gospel, we will end up raising church members rather than followers of Jesus.

Jesus is central to the gospel.

Our Christian life, both personal and corporate, is only as strong and healthy as the gospel we believe and proclaim. A distorted church usually coincides with a distorted gospel. But a church that centres on Jesus will thrive and flourish. It may not be measured in numbers, but rather in the character and actions of each son and daughter of God. This is because when we fully embrace the gospel and choose to walk in the truth, we transform our warped perspective into a biblical way of life.