Written by Steve Robinson, a contemporary pastor and author.
Have you ever caught yourself drifting—slowly sliding away from the simple truth of Christ into a mindset of performance, shame, or self-effort? That’s what happened in Galatia. Paul’s heartbreak was that believers had embraced “a different gospel,” one that sounded spiritual but stripped away the power of Christ. The true gospel is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is not Christ plus works, Christ plus rules, or Christ plus our own strength. It is Christ alone. Paul makes it clear: grace is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The gospel saves us, yes—but it also changes us. It reshapes our desires, rewrites our story, and sets us free from shame, addiction, and fear. False gospels abound: religion that says you earn your place, works that trust in your goodness, broad roads that claim all paths lead to God, or hyper-grace that avoids repentance. Each one leaves us empty because they either add to or subtract from Jesus. The real gospel is Christ in us, living through us by His Spirit. The question is: where are you tempted to drift? Has your faith turned into striving, or loosened into apathy? The invitation today is to come back to the center—the cross, the empty tomb, and the Spirit who empowers new life.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2:20]
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