Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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Last Sunday was the anniversary of a very important date in history. Do you know what it is? October 31, 1517 is the date which is recognized as the beginning of the Reformation. This was the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the castle church door in Wittenberg.
Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic monk, a professor of Bible with his Doctor of Theology degree. But in 1515 Luther had what he called the "Tower experience." He said that Romans 1:17 just jumped out of the Scriptures and brought him to God.
Romans 1:17 (NASB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
It convicted him that only faith in Christ could make one just before God. From that time on "Sola Fide" - justification by faith alone, and "Sola Scriptura" - the idea that the Scriptures are the only authority for sinful man in seeking salvation - became the main points in his theological system.
Luther challenged the theology of the religious leaders of his day - something nobody in their right mind would have ever dreamed of doing. Luther debated different religious leaders on two ideas that he had drawn from his studies of Scripture. For Luther there were some things in Scripture that were nonessentials and open to interpretation, but there were also non-negotiables in Scripture that left no room for error. The two ideas were: people are saved by faith (not by human effort), and Scripture (not the church) is the test of truth.
From the perspective of the Church leadership of Martin Luther's day, Luther was undermining their authority, and they would not stand for it. As a result, Luther was excommunicated by the Pope. The Pope did not stop with showing Luther the door; he declared to everyone that Luther was bound for hell. As if this were not enough, the Emperor ordered Luther, "the heretic," to appear before his throne.
Luther jumped at the opportunity to appear before Charles V with the hopes that the Emperor would see the light and experience a conversion. Luther kept his appointment and appeared at Worms, Germany, in April 1521. As Luther walked into the room, Charles V sat with his advisers on each side of him and Spanish troops dressed in their military uniforms. Many dignitaries filled the hall that day when Martin Luther walked into the room and saw the table before him filled with books, books which he had written.
When the stir settled, an official motioned towards Luther's books and demanded that Luther answer two questions. He was not allowed to teach, not allowed to argue his point, not allowed to address the Emperor - only answer the questions: "Had he written the books?" Secondly, "If so, was there a part of them he would now choose to recant?"
Luther had been duped, tricked, and deceived. He thought he was going to have a chance to share what he had learned from God's Word, but he found out that he had already been judged before he ever entered the room.
Luther's normally booming voice was quiet as he answered, "The books are all mine, and I have written more." Luther paused for a moment before he answered the second question. Luther finally spoke up: "This touches God and his Word. This affects the salvation of souls. I beg you, give me time." Charles gave him one day.
The next evening, Luther entered the room that was packed with power brokers. Once again he was only allowed to answer the questions that were presented to him. "Will you defend these books all together, or do you wish to recant some of what you have said?" Luther, after having spent much time in prayer and seeking God's counsel, spoke up. Luther said, "Some of the books even my opponents agree, contain edifying teaching." Naturally, he would not retract these. Luther continued. "Other writings attack the Pope and his teaching, yet to retract them would only encourage tyranny." Luther then admitted that some of his writings attacked individuals, and perhaps he did so too harshly. Even though his attacks were possibly too harsh, he refused to retract the writings, because the people he attacked defended the Pope's rule.
One of the power brokers attacked Luther. He lambasted Luther's arrogance in believing that an individual could call into doubt the traditions and teachings of the entire church. Finally, he asked, "You must give a simple, clear, proper answer to the question: Will you recant or not?"
In response to the attack, Luther spoke softly, but with no equivocation, no hesitation. Luther said, "Unless I can be instructed with evidence from the Holy Scriptures, I cannot and will not recant." Luther knew the weight of the words he had spoken, he knew the consequences he could suffer, and yet he spoke one final time - "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."
Martin Luther was not trying to make a name for himself. Luther knew that there were pillars of the Christian faith, and if for some reason these pillars were compromised, then the very foundation would be shaken. What is it that leads a person to take a stand against civil and religious authorities, knowing full well that their popularity with the powerful will take a nose-dive? What is it that empowers someone to risk it all for the sake of matters of doctrine?
Many in our relativistic society would say that Martin Luther was out of his mind for making such a big deal out of things that they would characterize as "personal preferences." After all, what we believe about God, salvation, and the Bible is personal, isn't it? Aren't those matters of faith left open to how we interpret the Bible or how we feel in our hearts about them?
Luther may have been out of his mind, but he was firmly rooted in the Word of God. He would not, he could not, turn away from the truths of God's Word - even when all of those around him pressed him to give up his beliefs. Luther believed there were more important matters than Church tradition, and that was Holy Scripture. Where tradition strays from Scripture's teaching, then tradition must give way and change. Remember his words: "This touches God and his Word. This affects the salvation of souls." Matters of faith, doctrine, and theology are the most important, most critical matters of all. If we distort the truths of God, then we miss everything.
Martin Luther was not the first to take his stand in such matters as these. Over 1400 years before Luther stepped onto the scene, there was a man named Paul of Tarsus who took his stand. Today, we are going to continue our study of Paul's letter to the Galatians, and his battle for truth.
Beginning in verse 6, Paul lets the Galatians know the purpose of the letter. He rebukes them for having turned away from the gospel of grace to a different gospel:
Galatians 1:6 (NASB) I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
Of all the letters Paul has written to the churches, this is the only letter where he does not have something positive to say about the particular church he's addressing.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul spent the bulk of his message showing the Corinthians how some in that body were immoral, self seeking, inconsiderate of others, misusing the gifts of the Spirit, and causing other brothers and sisters to stumble, because of the way they abused their liberties. And yet, despite all of this, he still tries to encourage them at the beginning of the letter so as to soften his impending rebuke:
1 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB) to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
1 Corinthians 1:4 (NASB) I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,
And yet, as we come to the letter he writes to the Galatians, Paul immediately launches into his rebuke after his opening verses describing the grace of Jesus Christ.
There are those who have suggested that maybe Paul is being too harsh or too insensitive to the problems at Galatia, and that he should have eased his way into this problem. And yet, it should go without saying that though Paul is writing this letter, it is the Holy Spirit who is inspiring it. These are the words of the Lord.
Paul says, "I am amazed" - Immediately following his paean of praise to God in Galatians 1:5, "To whom be the glory forevermore. Amen", we find the words, "I am amazed." There is an astonishing leap from this word of praise to one of amazement.
The word "amazed" is from the Greek word thaumazo, which was characteristically used when the object of perception was extremely unusual. For instance, it is the word used to describe Pilate's surprise that Jesus was already dead, in Mark 15:44 - for most victims of crucifixion lingered a good bit longer than Jesus had. It is also the word used in Acts 3:12 to describe the multitude's reaction to Peter's healing of the lame beggar. Because Paul used this word to describe his reaction to what he had heard of the Galatians, we know that what they were doing was quite unlike what he had expected.
Why was Paul amazed? On his third missionary journey he told the Ephesian elders that it would happen:
Acts 20:29-30 (NASB) "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
In his letters to Timothy, he referred to the fact that men would depart the faith:
1 Timothy 4:1 (NASB) But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
So, why was he surprised to hear that some who had responded to his message had turned aside? The answer is in the verse, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you..." Part of his shock resulted from the quickness with which the event took place. He says that his marveling is because they were being removed "so quickly." This letter was written before the events of Acts 20 and before he wrote to Timothy. This letter was written even before the counsel at Jerusalem took place in which the Judaizers were condemned. This may have been the first time Paul had to deal with this issue - and he was shocked!
Paul is not trying to be mean or harsh to the Galatians. He is doing the only thing that can be done in such circumstances. It would hardly seem appropriate for me to yank my granddaughter about by her hair. Yet, suppose that my granddaughter was about to step into the street in front of a speeding car. This would be no time for a casual talk about cars and streets. Neither would there be any alternative other than to grab her as quickly as I could and yank with all my might in the hope of preventing injury or death. In a time of crisis, severe action is not only appropriate, it is mandatory. The severity of Paul's words alerts us to the seriousness of the situation in the Galatian churches.
As Christians, we need to express a sense of shock more often. The evangelical world is often more polite than it ought to be. Very rarely do we say to one another, "I am shocked to hear you say what you are saying. Your actions and attitudes make me deeply concerned for you." Gentleness, not delicacy, is the fruit of the Spirit. Face-saving politeness is not advocated anywhere in Scripture. Paul's sense of shock regarding the activities of the Galatians, whom he loved very much, should arrest our attention.
Notice what Paul doesn't say in verse 6:
Galatians 1:6 (NASB) I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
He doesn't say, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting the gospel of Christ." He says, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ..." Who called them and us by the grace of Christ? God did! Paul is saying that they are rejecting God. He does not say, "You have deserted a theory about the truth," or, "You have changed your political affiliation." What he says is, "You have deserted the God who called you by the grace of Christ." The point is, a departure from truth is a departure from God.
The present tense of the verb deserting tells us that the Galatian Christians had not yet decisively carried out their desertion. They were just starting to turn around and leave.
The deserters are people whom Paul had evangelized and led to Christ in Galatia. This is a serious charge. No human failing is more universally despised, perhaps, than desertion. Everyone despises turncoats, traitors, people whose loyalty is properly and rightfully expected. Parents who desert their children, spouses who desert their mates, team members who desert the team, leaders who desert their followers, and soldiers who desert the ranks are routinely and universally despised. This is a terrible judgment to lay at anyone's doorstep. Yet, Paul says, "You deserted Him, the one who called you by the grace of Christ." That phrase, "the grace of Christ," directs us back to Galatians 1:4, where Paul says that Jesus "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age." This group had deserted their gracious God, who became man so that he might suffer on our behalf and thereby rescue us from sin. They had deserted the grace of Christ by which they were called.
"Him Who Called You" - There is placed in this verse one of the greatest foundational truths in all of Scripture - God calls men to Himself. How many times have you heard people say, "I remember when I found the Lord." I've got news for you - you didn't find Him. He came for you and me, He called you and me, and He has saved all of those whom He has called. The Greek word translate "called" in our text is kaleo. Paul uses this same word in:
Romans 8:30 (NASB) and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Here we see that all He called, He justified and glorified. What does this tell us about the call of God? It is irresistible!
John 6:44 (NASB) "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
The word "draw" is the Greek word helkuo. If we check out the 8 uses of this word in the New Testament, we see that it means: "to draw by irresistible superiority. When God calls, men come. And God calls all whom He as chosen to have eternal life:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB) But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Acts 13:48 (NASB) And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Who was it that believed? It was those who God had appointed to eternal life. God appoints and God calls, and when He does, men respond.
God chose to save you and me. God called, and you answered. God didn't set the bar and announce to humanity, "If you can clear this bar, then I will let you in to Heaven." God didn't find the market value on Heaven and announce to the world, "If you can pay the price, then I will allow you admittance into Heaven." God chose us to be saved. God is the initiator and the completer of salvation.
Paul says that these Galatians were deserting God for a "different gospel." The word "different" is the Greek word heteros, which means: "another of a different kind." He goes on to say:
Galatians 1:7 (NASB) which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
The word "another" here is the Greek word allos, which means:"another of the same kind." Thus, It is as if Paul writes, "They brought you a completely different gospel. They claim it is just an alternative gospel of the same kind, but it isn't at all. It is all together different."
The word "gospel" is the translation of the Greek noun euangelion, which means: "good news." The Greek verb euangelizo means: "to bring or announce good news." Both words are derived from the noun angelos, which means: "messenger." In Classical Greek, a euangelos was one who brought a message of victory or other political or personal news that caused joy. The noun euangelion became a technical term for the message of victory, though it was also used for a political or private message that brought joy.
Both the noun and the verb are used so extensively in the New Testament that it developed a distinctly Christian flavor. As the angel told the shepherds:
Luke 2:10-11 (NASB) And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news [euaggelizo] of a great joy which shall be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The gospel announces the only genuine salvation and victory over sin and death. This means that the gospel of Christ is not a warning of hellfire and damnation. That is bad news. The good news is that God has done something to make it possible for guilty, hell-deserving sinners to escape that condemnation. The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the price of sin for man so that man can escape judgment.
Paul says, "...there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ." Paul doesn't identify who these people were, but it's obvious they were Jewish converts who professed Christ. These were Jews who had come to adopt the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. They were the Judiazers. It wasn't folks outside the church who had led them astray, but teachers within the church who denied the message of salvation by grace through faith alone.
"The most destructive dangers to the church have never been atheism, pagan religions, or cults that openly deny Scripture, but rather, supposedly Christian movements that accept so much biblical truth that their unscriptural doctrines seem relatively insignificant and harmless. But a single drop of poison in a large container can make all the water lethal. And a single false idea that in any way undercuts God's grace poisons the whole system of belief." (MacArthur, John. Galatians, pg. 14)
Paul goes on to say that they want to "distort the gospel of Christ." The doctrine that they are accepting is a "distortion" of the gospel of Christ. That word "distort" is very interesting. It means: "to reverse the very character or reverse the very essence of." It is only used 3 times in the New Testament - once here and in 2 other places. In Acts 2:20 it is used to describe the sun turning (that's our word) to darkness. It's used in James 4:9 to say your laughter will be turned to mourning. In both of those cases, they're talking about an exact opposite - a total reversal: From the sun to darkness; from laughter to mourning. That's what they've done to the Gospel. That's what it means to distort the Gospel. It is to change the very essence, the very core, of the Gospel. Thus, Paul is saying that the "good news" is being changed into its opposite: "bad news."
Paul says the result is that they are "disturbed." They're filled with fear and anxiety. That word "disturbed" is a word that's used in the Gospels to describe the disciples when they were on the boat, and the storm hit, and they thought they were going to die. They were filled with fear and anxiety. It's a word that's used to describe how King Herod responded when he heard that Jesus, the baby King, had been born. He was filled with anger and rage. This means that the "bad news" which the Galatians are being moved to accept is generating fearful apprehension in their minds. The root of the word translated "disturbing" (v. 7) is one that describes the opposite of what the word translated "peace" (v. 3) means. These teachers were distorting the good news of Christ. What is this bad news? It is the blasphemy that men are responsible to bring their salvation about through their obedience to God's demands.
So here's the problem. This wrong message is throwing many of these believers into confusion. It is causing some of them to question their own salvation. It is causing some of them to wonder about some of their converts. Are they really saved since they put their faith in Christ, or do we have to go back and re-evangelize them with this other message, which includes Christ plus the law?
It also raises questions about Paul's apostleship. Well, if Paul didn't give us the right message about our eternal salvation, can we trust anything else he says? Confusion would be an understatement. But if these people could question the gospel, then they certainly would have been susceptible to other false teachings, and they never would grow up in their faith in Christ.
Can a single false idea really do such harm? Just one? Absolutely! The Apostle Paul is adamant that there is only one way to salvation and it is through the grace of Almighty God exhibited on Calvary's cross. The false teachers of Galatia had come in after Paul had left and began to try and discredit Paul and his teaching. By undermining Paul's authority, they could then attack his theology.
They have changed the gospel of grace into a gospel that acknowledges the grace of God, but also requires good words by the individuals. Whenever someone thinks that one has to contribute something, however small, to one's salvation, he is perverting the gospel of Christ; he is trying to rob God of some of His glory.
Why would anyone want to pervert the gospel of Christ? It is hard for us to understand sometimes, but there is something about the message of the true gospel that is deeply offensive to human nature. To understand this, we should first understand what the true gospel is. Paul states his gospel most succinctly in:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NASB) Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
The gospel is the good news that "Christ died for our sins." Believing the gospel is trusting in the substitutionary death and payment of Christ for our sins.
C.H. Spurgeon described the gospel this way:
The gospel is that Jesus Christ suffered in the place of all sinners who trust Him as their Saviour; that He endured what they ought to have endured and made atonement to God for all the sins that they would ever commit; and if you thus trust Him, you are saved. The simple act of relying upon Jesus as your Substitute and Saviour puts away your guilt and sin forever. [Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 53, Sermon "Rule of Grace," pp 500-502, Pilgrim Publications, Pasadena TX]
In order to be saved, a person must realize that they are a sinner without hope. Second, they must recognize that they can do nothing at all to avoid the wages of their sin. Third, they must understand that Christ paid all the penalty for their sin through His atoning sacrifice, enduring what they should endure. Fourth, the sinner must trust Jesus and Jesus alone as his Substitute for his sins.
What is there in that message that would make anyone want to pervert the gospel of Christ? What is there in that that is offensive to human nature? First, the gospel offends our pride. It tells us we need a Savior, and that we cannot save ourselves. It gives no credit to us at all for our salvation; it is all the work of Jesus for us. Second, the gospel offends our wisdom. It saves us by something many consider foolish - God becoming man and dying a humiliating, disgraceful death on our behalf.
Galatians 1:8 (NASB) But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Now Paul is speaking in hyperbole, which means he speaks in exaggeration. He knows that an angel in heaven could not possibly bring a false gospel any more than the other apostles would bring a false gospel, but in so stating it this way he drives home the point that no one, either in heaven or on earth can avoid punishment if they tamper with what Christ accomplished on the cross and secured through His resurrection.
Galatians 1:9 (NASB) As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
Paul repeats himself here, changing only the subject of the conditional clause, but the change is not insignificant. Whereas verse 8 was an impossible hypothetical condition, verse 9 is a distinct possibility. What an angel from heaven would never actually do, some people in Galatia were, in fact, doing. Whoever they are, let them be accursed.
God is not in the business of repeating Himself just to make a thicker book of His Word. If it is repeated, it is important. And, what Paul had just written is very critically important - that is why he turned right around and said it again.
The word "accursed" originally meant: "something dedicated" (Liddell-Scott, Greek English Lexicon), but as it was used day by day it began to be used only of that which was dedicated to evil. And then, it came to be used to indicate the end of things that were dedicated to evil - that is, destruction.
Paul does not say this of those who were deserting the gospel. Rather, he says it of the teachers, the leaders who were preaching this false message. Paul is right in line with a point of view that runs throughout the Scriptures. Jesus said that anyone who leads little ones astray would be better off tying a millstone around his neck and casting himself into the sea. Teachers incur a stricter judgment. No matter who these teachers may be, whatever their names, their degrees or their background, teachers who deny the freedom, the grace and peace that come from the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, deserve devotion to destruction.
If we do not have the gospel correct, then we are not giving the right message to the world. And the wrong message kills. Like the message a Pharmacist gives to his clients coming in to fill a prescription, if he gives the wrong message as to how to take that medicine, or the wrong prescription, it doesn't make any difference how sincere he or his clients are, it will have devastating effects.
Unfortunately, many preachers are doing just that today. They are teaching another gospel, and
you may very well have come under their hearing. Let me cite just three examples:
Some churches teach that though we are saved by grace, only our past sins have been covered by
the blood of Christ. So, we can lose our salvation if we sin afterwards. Such teaching implies that
we have to do good works to retain our salvation. Effectively, it is a gospel of grace plus works.
The Bible teaches that "the Lord hath laid on him (Jesus, that is) the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).
If we are saved, all our past, present, and future sins have been atoned for. Nothing can cause us
to lose our salvation.
Some preachers say that for one to be saved, one must be baptized in water. What they are
advocating is really similar to what the false teachers in Galatia were insisting. They have merely
substituted water baptism for circumcision.
That water baptism does not save people is illustrated in the Bible by the salvation of Cornelius and his family, which is recorded in Acts 10. There, God shows us that they were saved before they were baptized in water. This corresponds to Romans 4:10, where the Bible teaches that Abraham was saved before he was circumcised.
Perhaps the most insidious grace-plus-works gospel that is being widely preached today is presented by those who claim that Christ went to the cross and paid for the sins of everyone in the whole world. To be saved, however, you must do your part and claim that salvation by accepting or receiving Christ. Well, if that's the case, then you can boast that somehow you were smarter than the next person, who also heard the gospel but rejected it.
That's not what the Bible teaches. God declares unequivocally that those who come to Him do so because they have been chosen and called.
The idea that Christ paid for the sins of every human being, moreover, is at odds with God's justice. It was to satisfy God's justice that Christ died for those He came to save. By the same token, had He died for everyone, then God could not send anyone to the lake of fire. Otherwise, it would mean punishing the unbelievers twice.
That's not a very tolerant message. That doesn't sell well in our culture. And sometimes it's hard just to process. We meet religious people who seem (and are) very good people. They're very kind; they're very loving; they're very gentle. They seem to be very committed to God - very religious. They seem to understand and affirm the historical facts of the gospel; they just add these few things to it. And we want to say, "I think they're okay I mean, they've got to be okay with God."
But that's not what Paul says. Paul says if a person has added one single religious hoop that is necessary for salvation, let that person be damned by God. That's because it totally eradicates the essential message of grace. As a matter of fact, the language is so strong that Paul comes back in verse 10 and says:
Galatians 1:10 (NASB) For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
It's interesting in a book where Paul will talk about what it means to be free, that he identifies himself as a slave - a slave to Christ.
It's easy to read between the lines and realize that false teachers were accusing Paul of being a man pleaser. Paul showed up in Galatia and said all you have to do is receive this gift by grace in order to experience the salvation of God. Paul's teachers were saying, "You know, Paul told you that, because that's what you wanted to hear. He was just doing that to be a man pleaser. But to really be saved, you also have to do this and this and this." So Paul is responding to that and saying, "Listen, do I sound like a man pleaser now?" Because the language he uses is so very strong.
The implications of this text for our day are very important. The text is a radical and forthright denial of a pluralism which says that we are all on different roads to heaven but our destination is the same. There are popular forms of this universalism and there are technical, scholarly forms of it, but there is no Biblical universalism -- that is, no Biblical teaching that a person can go on rejecting the gospel of Christ and still be saved. There are other religions besides Christianity, and there are other leaders besides Jesus Christ, but there is no other gospel, no other good news of salvation.
I would hope that every one of us would agree that our church needs to be a church soundly committed to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does this mean in very practical terms?
We must realize how important it is to be a protector as well as a proclaimer of the message of grace. We live in a culture where people say it's loving and it's tolerant to just allow people to define the Gospel however they want. But I believe that is the most unloving thing you could ever do. To allow someone to believe something that we know is not true, knowing in the end they will be damned by God, is as unloving as we could possibly be.
The most loving thing we can do is, with gentleness and kindness, proclaim the gospel of grace. It is totally a work of God and His grace, with no human merit added. Those people who have believed a different gospel need to be told the truth - not reaffirmed that what they believe is right if it is, in fact, in error.
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