7 You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth? 8 Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. 9 A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough. 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

REFLECTIONS

Written by George Mihas

Paul says to the Galatian Christians: “You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?” (v7).

There are so many voices in the world today, and they all claim to have the truth. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim they have the ultimate truth. Muslims believe they have the truth. The Catholic and Orthodox churches believe they are the true church, so their doctrine is the truth.

What truth do we believe? As believers in Jesus Christ, we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). He is the Lord who died for us on the cross, God’s perfect sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). We can't add to, or subtract from, what he did on the cross.

Paul also warns them with an analogy: “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough” (v9). False doctrine spreads through the whole assembly, like yeast through bread. There are false doctrines people spread today like:

• “Jesus was just a prophet.”

• “Jesus is a created being – he is really the archangel Michael.”

• “God wants you to be rich. If you give me more money, God will bless you.”

• “You can't pray directly to God. You’re a sinner, so you need the help of the saints.”

… and so on.

The key truth God’s word tells us to hold onto, to protect us from false doctrine, is: We have been saved by grace through faith. It is God’s gift to us, “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:9). We can do nothing but embrace God’s mercy towards us and cling to the cross of Christ.

All praise to God!

Finally, Paul says: “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be” (v10). There is a serious warning here to the one who distorts God’s Word and takes advantage of the flock: God will not be mocked. But if we stick to the Bible, we will not be swayed or confused or easily taken advantage of.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.