Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians. Let’s get into it.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.” ?? ??
Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.” ??
1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Galatians 1:8-9 TPT
“Even if we or a supernatural messenger from heaven should preach to you a different gospel than what we have already preached, let God’s curse be upon them! I’ll say it again: If anyone preaches a gospel contrary to the gospel that you received from us, let them be accursed!”
Galatians 1:8-9 ERV
“We told you the Good News. So if we or even an angel from heaven tells you something different than the Good News we told you, let whoever tells you that be condemned to hell! I said it before, and I will say it again: Anyone who tells you a Good News that is different from what you already accepted should be condemned to hell!”
Galatians 1:8-9 NIV
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
Setting the Stage:
In yesterday’s message, we discussed how shocked Paul was by the speed at which the believers in Galatia were abandoning the gospel of grace. Today, Paul takes his language to another level as the letter continues. Paul uses very strong language here. You can sense his passion as you read his words.
Paul makes one of his strongest statements when he says that even if he or an angel from heaven preached a different gospel, they should be cursed. Some versions translate the “cursed” language as being damned to hell. This reveals just how important and non-negotiable the pure gospel of grace truly is. There are no exceptions, no special messengers, no higher authorities when it comes to the gospel message.
Why did Paul use such strong language? It is because Paul understood that the gospel isn’t just information—it’s the very power of God for salvation. We are not debating a political topic or a social issue of the day. We are talking about ETERNAL LIFE, and when you corrupt the gospel, you rob people of the only message that can truly set them free from hell and bondage. Paul was passionate about this because God is passionate about it—eternal destinies and lying in the balance.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Gospel is Unchangeable: No Additions, Subtractions, or Alterations Allowed.
Paul’s declaration that even he couldn’t change the gospel reveals its divine origin and unchangeable nature. The gospel isn’t a human invention or idea that can be improved upon or updated over time (as some people think today). It’s God’s final word on salvation.
How this applies to you:
— The gospel of grace is true, complete, and perfect as it stands. Any attempt to add to it, subtract from it, or modify it corrupts its power and effectiveness, and it causes the confusion that satan loves.
— You don’t need the gospel plus something else. You don’t need Jesus plus your good works, Jesus plus your church attendance, Jesus plus your religious performance. Jesus IS the gospel, and Jesus is enough.
— The temptation to “improve” the gospel often comes from good intentions. People want to add what they consider to be “standards of holiness,” “standards of discipline,” or “behavioral requirements” to make salvation seem more worthy, valuable, or exclusive. However, God does not give us the right to change what He said. Whether we believe grace is TOO GOOD to be true, it is true, and it is God’s grace, not ours, to change.
— God’s grace is so complete that even the apostle Paul couldn’t add to it. If the man who wrote most of the New Testament couldn’t modify the gospel, what makes us think we can? Today, you have people who have studied the Bible for a few years, and they feel like they can modify or update “what it really means” to match our current society. We don’t get to change what God said.
— The gospel’s power lies in its simplicity: Jesus did it all, and faith receives it all. The moment you complicate this message, you are lessening its power.
— Modern trends, psychology, or contemporary wisdom cannot improve upon the eternal gospel. What was true 2,000 years ago remains true today.
— Today, we have two extremes. On the one end, we have “seeker-friendly” churches with no standards. They say, “Come as you are,” and we accept everyone. When asked about clear sin, they say, “Well, who am I to say what sin is?” That is clearly NOT what the Bible teaches, and they are attempting to subtract from what the gospel truly is. On the other end, you have churches with holiness standards that condemn everyone to hell but the people who attend their church, as if they are the only ones who are saved. They have added to the gospel of grace.
— Every generation faces the temptation to make the gospel more “relevant” or “acceptable” to their culture, but the gospel’s relevance comes from its unchanging truth, not from our modifications.
2. No Authority Can Override Grace: Not Even Angels.
Paul’s statement about angels is particularly striking. In Jewish culture, angels were considered the highest messengers of God. Yet Paul says even an angel preaching a different gospel should be cursed.
How this applies to you:
— No religious leader, no matter how respected, has the authority to change the gospel. Whether it’s a pastor, teacher, evangelist, or denominational leader, even if it’s the Pope—if they preach anything but salvation by grace, they’re preaching a false gospel.
— Supernatural experiences or angelic visitations cannot contradict the written gospel. If someone claims God or an angel gave them a “new revelation” that adds requirements to salvation, you can know it’s not from God. This is how we have some of the churches today that are Christian-like, but they have added another book to the Bible. They have the Bible PLUS the revelation received by such and such. Paul clearly teaches against this.
— People say to me, “But Rick, I have expereinced this and my expereince validates what I beleive.” The gospel is the standard by which all other messages are judged. You don’t judge the gospel by your experiences—you judge your experiences by the gospel. If your experience does not line up with the Bible, then it was not from God, period. The Spirit of God will never lead you contrary to the Word of God.
— Religious tradition, no matter how ancient or respected, cannot override the clear message of grace. If tradition adds works to salvation, tradition is wrong, not the gospel.
— Popular opinion, even among believers, cannot change gospel truth. If the majority of Christians in your circle believe you must earn God’s favor through performance, the majority is wrong if it contradicts the clear message of grace. If the majority of society believes you can have a Godly same-sex marriage, for example. The fact that the majority of society believes it does not make it right. God’s system is not a democracy. We are not basing the gospel on a popular vote.
— God’s Word is the final authority on the gospel. Angels, visions, dreams, and prophecies must all align with the written Word, or they are not from God. No exceptions!
3. The Repetition Reveals the Urgency: Why Paul Said It Twice.
Paul doesn’t just make this statement once—he repeats it for emphasis: “I said it before, and I will say it again.” This repetition shows the critical importance of the message.
How this applies to you:
— When God repeats something in His Word, it’s because He wants to make sure we don’t miss it. The repetition here emphasizes that gospel purity is non-negotiable.
— Paul’s repetition shows this wasn’t emotional venting. It was a deliberate reiteration. He wanted to make absolutely sure the Galatians understood the seriousness of the issue.
— Sometimes, the most important truths need to be stated multiple times before they sink in. My mother repeated many things to me over and over that she wanted to sink in. Paul even said this in Philippians, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, for me it is not grievous, but for you it is safe” (Phil 3:1). There is safety in repetition.
— The repetition also shows Paul’s love for the Galatians. He cared too much about their freedom to let them drift into bondage without a clear warning.
— The repetition serves as a double witness to the truth. In Jewish law, two witnesses established a matter—Paul is providing that double witness for gospel purity.
— Paul’s urgency should create urgency in you. If the apostle felt the need to emphasize this point so strongly, you should take it just as seriously in your own life and ministry.
4. Gospel Authority Transcends Human Credentials: The Message Matters More Than the Messenger.
Paul’s willingness to put himself under the same standard reveals that the gospel’s authority doesn’t come from who preaches it but from God Himself.
How this applies to you:
— The truth of the gospel doesn’t depend on the messenger’s credentials, education, or reputation. A simple believer preaching pure grace has more authority than a famous preacher who is distorting the gospel. It does not matter how big your church is or how famous you are; if you are preaching another gospel, Paul says you are cursed.
— Paul, despite his apostolic authority, submitted himself to the gospel rather than making the gospel submit to him. This shows true spiritual leadership—leaders serve the truth, not the other way around.
— You should evaluate every message by its content, not by the speaker’s fame or position.
— The gospel’s power doesn’t increase or decrease based on who preaches it. Whether it comes from a seasoned minister or a brand-new Christian, the message of grace carries the same transforming power.
— Your confidence should be in the message itself, not in human messengers. People may disappoint you, but the gospel never will.
— This principle protects you from hero worship (on one end) and rejecting a message because you don’t like the messenger (on the other end). Judge the message by Scripture, not by your feelings about the messenger.
— Paul’s example shows that true authority comes from alignment with truth, not from position or title. The moment anyone, including Paul, departed from gospel truth, they forfeited their authority.
I’ll close with this thought: No angel, no apostle, no authority can improve upon what Jesus accomplished. The gospel is complete, perfect, and unchangeable. Your job isn’t to add to it—your job is to believe it, receive it, and walk in it. This is THE GRACE LIFE!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for the unchangeable gospel of grace that has set me free.
I declare that no person, no angel, no authority can add to what Jesus accomplished for me.
I reject every false gospel that tells me I must earn what You have freely given through Christ.
I will stand for the purity of the grace message, even when it costs me relationships or popularity.
I recognize that the gospel’s power lies in its simplicity: Jesus did it all, and my faith receives it all.
I will not be deceived by teaching that sounds spiritual but adds requirements to Your finished work.
My security rests in the unchangeable gospel, not in my performance or anyone’s approval.
I am living THE GRACE LIFE, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
