A Different Gospel?

There are new teachings in the church today that are attempting to undercut the very heart of the Gospel. These new "doctrines" (a term which, I am sure, would be offensive to many who espouse them) are no more than a man centered theology. One without power, conviction, or, in the end, hope that God is truly that different then us. If we are pretty decent people and not deeply depraved, then what need do we have of God? Why did Jesus come and die, was He just a divinely inspired role model for how we are to give our lives away? That seems a bit extreme; if He wanted to be a role model He could have just come and given his entire life to feeding the poor, healing the sick, and consoling the widows. But no, He came to live like we would not live, die like we should have died, and rise like we could not rise!

Paul's words in the first chapter of Galatians resound as a warning to those who come in the name of Jesus bearing a "different gospel" and to those who listen and take their teaching to heart. "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. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1: 6-9).

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, speaking of the church in his day said the following:
"There has sprung up in the Church of Christ an idea that there are many things taught in the Bible which are not essential; that we may alter them just a little to suit our convenience: that provided we are right in the fundamentals, the other things are of no concern.... But this know, that the slightest violation of the divine law will bring judgments down upon the Church, and has brought judgments, and is even at this day withholding God's hand from blessing us.... The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.... Until we come back to that the Church will have to suffer.... Our victories of the Church have not been like the victories of olden times. Why is this? My theory to account for it is this. In the first place, the absence of the Holy Spirit in great measure from us. But if you come to the root of it to know the reason, my fuller answer is this: the Church has forsaken her original purity, and therefore, she has lost her power."

Why is the church lacking for power or potency? Because, we lack conviction, which is rooted in a right understanding of the Cross of Christ, fired and refined by the Word of God, and sealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. But, many who say "Lord, Lord" will give up these truths in search of a weaker, watered down theology, one which will not offend the masses! But what then is forsaken? Simply the very words of Jesus: “Go and tell... what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7: 22-23).

However, if we will love the Cross, cherish and search the Word of God, and truly open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, then these words of Jesus are for us, "You will see greater things than these.... Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1: 50-51).