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 1:6-7 TPT
“I am shocked over how quickly you have deserted the One who called you by his wonderful grace, and have believed instead a distorted version of the good news of Christ! That is absolutely not the gospel at all, but rather a false gospel promoted by some troublemakers among you who want to pervert the message of Christ!”
Galatians 1:6-7 ERV
“I am surprised that you are already turning away from God. He called you to follow him by his grace that comes through Christ. But now you are following a different message, which is really not the Good News at all. Some people are confusing you and want to change the Good News about Christ.”
Galatians 1:6-7 NIV
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Setting the Stage:
Yesterday, we saw how Paul opened his letter with a powerful declaration of grace and peace, followed by the reminder that Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age. Paul established the foundational truth of the gospel before addressing the issue or crisis he was concerned with.
In verses 6-7, Paul’s tone shifts dramatically. There’s no gradual buildup, no diplomatic language—Paul immediately expresses his shock and bewilderment. The Greek word used here indicates Paul was literally astounded by what was happening in Galatia.
Why was Paul so shocked? Because the Galatians weren’t just making a minor theological adjustment—they were abandoning the very foundation of their salvation. They were being convinced by false teachers that grace alone wasn’t enough, that they needed to add law-keeping to complete their salvation.
This wasn’t an academic or theological debate about secondary doctrines. This was an attack on the heart of the gospel itself. Paul knew that if grace is mixed with law, it’s no longer grace at all.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Danger of Quick Desertion: How Easily Some Abandon Grace.
Paul expresses amazement at “how quickly” the Galatians were deserting grace. The Greek word suggests is one that is also used to describe the process of defecting, like soldiers abandoning their post in the middle of battle.
How this applies to you:
— Grace requires constant vigilance to maintain in your own heart. It’s not an issue for God, but it can be an issue for us. Mainly because religious people see grace as “too good to be true,” and because it does not put enough spotlight on them and their performance.
— The Galatians had experienced genuine salvation by grace, yet they were quickly turning away. This shows that even mature believers can be susceptible to performance-based thinking if they’re not careful. This can happen to anyone.
— The phrase “so quickly” suggests this wasn’t a gradual drift but a sudden departure.
— Modern believers often desert grace when life gets difficult, thinking they need to earn God’s favor through increased religious activity rather than receiving His grace through faith-filled rest.
— The desertion Paul is talking about often happens when we lose sight of the simplicity of the gospel. We start adding requirements, conditions, and performance standards that God never established.
— I believe the speed of their desertion reveals how attractive law-based living can be to the human mind. Our flesh loves rules and regulations because it gives us something to do, something to control, something to boast about. It’s a pride issue.
2. Called by Grace: Your Divine Invitation.
Paul reminds them they were called “by his wonderful grace” (TPT) or “to live in the grace of Christ” (NIV). Their calling wasn’t based on their worthiness but on God’s gracious choice.
How this applies to you:
— Your calling from God is entirely grace-based. You didn’t earn it, deserve it, or qualify for it. God called you because He wanted to, not because you impressed Him with your credentials.
— The word “called” (Greek: kaleo) means to be invited with authority. God didn’t just suggest you follow Him—He authoritatively invited you into His family by grace.
— Many believers struggle with impostor syndrome in their faith, feeling like they don’t belong or aren’t worthy of God’s calling. But grace reminds us that worthiness was never the qualification—God’s choice was.
— Your calling is to live IN the grace of Christ, not just to receive grace for salvation. This means your entire Christian life is meant to be lived from a position of grace, not the law.
— When you remember that God called you by grace, it transforms how you approach ministry, relationships, and daily life. You serve from overflow, not obligation.
— The same grace that called you is the same grace that keeps you. You don’t graduate from grace to law-keeping—you go from grace to grace, faith to faith, and glory to glory.
— Understanding your grace-based calling liberates you from trying to earn what you’ve already been given. Your identity is secure because it’s based on God’s gracious choice, not your performance.
3. A Different Gospel: The Seduction of False Teaching.
Paul identifies what the Galatians were turning to as a “different gospel—which is really no gospel at all.” He’s exposing the lie that there can be multiple valid versions of the gospel.
How this applies to you:
— Any gospel that adds human works to divine grace is not the gospel at all. It’s a perversion, a distortion, a lie dressed up in religious language.
— The “different gospel” in Galatia wasn’t denying Jesus. Their problem was adding requirements to what Jesus had already accomplished. This is often how false teaching works: it doesn’t reject Christ outright but adds conditions to His finished work. Satan’s lies always have some truth in them, which is how he tricks people.
— Today, “different gospels” include any teaching that says grace alone isn’t enough: you must also follow certain rules, perform specific rituals, maintain particular standards, or achieve certain levels of holiness to be truly saved or blessed.
— The phrase “really no gospel at all” reveals that there’s only one true gospel. Paul isn’t saying the Galatians had a inferior version—he’s saying they had abandoned the gospel entirely.
— False gospels often sound more spiritual than the true gospel because they appeal to human pride and the desire to contribute to our salvation. But anything that diminishes the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice is ultimately demonic.
— You must develop discernment to recognize when teaching strays from pure grace. Ask yourself: Does this message emphasize what God has done, or what I must do? Does it point to Christ’s performance or my performance?
— The simplicity of the gospel is its power: Jesus did it all, and faith in Him is all that’s
required. Any addition to this simple message is a subtraction from its power.
— The more you rely on YOU, and what you do, the more you make Jesus irrelevant for salvation and for living.
4. Protecting the Purity of the Gospel Message.
Paul identifies that some were “throwing you into confusion” and “trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” He’s showing us the serious responsibility we have to guard the truth of grace.
How this applies to you:
— Confusion is often the first sign that the pure gospel is being compromised. When teaching leaves you uncertain about God’s love or questioning your security in Christ, it’s time to examine what’s being taught.
— The gospel of grace is simple and clear: Jesus did it all, and faith receives it all. Any teaching that complicates this truth or adds conditions is moving away from the biblical gospel.
— You have a responsibility to test every teaching against the standard of grace. Does it point you to your performance or to Christ’s performance? Does it create confidence or confusion about your standing with God?
— False teaching often presents itself as “deeper truth” or “higher spirituality,” making grace seem elementary. But the gospel of grace is not a kindergarten truth you graduate from—it’s the foundation upon which you build your entire life upon.
— Pure gospel teaching produces freedom, peace, and assurance. If teaching produces bondage, anxiety, or insecurity about your relationship with God, it’s missing the mark of grace.
— Your protection against deception is a deep, personal understanding of what Jesus accomplished for you. The more you know about grace, the more quickly you’ll recognize anything that tries to add to or subtract from Christ’s finished work.
— You must be willing to stand for the purity of the gospel, even when it means rejecting teaching that sounds spiritual but undermines the free gift of God’s grace.
I’ll close with this thought: Paul’s shock over the Galatians’ quick desertion of grace should serve as a warning to us. The appeal of performance-based religion is strong because it feeds our pride and gives us a sense of control. But grace is not just the way we’re saved—it’s the way we live. Any teaching that adds to Christ’s finished work is not the gospel at all, no matter how spiritual it sounds.
The gospel is simple: Jesus did it all, faith receives it all, and grace sustains it all. It’s all about HIM!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for calling me by Your wonderful grace, not because I deserved it but because You chose me.
I declare that I will never desert the grace that called me and sustains me daily.
I reject every “different gospel” that tries to add human works to Your finished work in Christ.
I recognize that any teaching that makes me question Your love or doubt my security in Christ is not from You.
I embrace the simplicity of the true gospel: Jesus did it all, and my faith receives it all.
I will not be confused by those who want to complicate the message of Christ.
I stand firm in the grace that saved me and continue to live by the grace that sustains me.
My life is ALL ABOUT YOU!
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!
