The Only Gospel
A Sermon on Galatians 1:8
Originally preached Dec. 3, 1961
Scripture
8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Sermon Description
Opening his sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reads from Galatians 1:8. Within, the apostle ridicules the early church for believing another gospel, a gospel from man. But Paul makes himself clear: whoever teaches a different gospel from what Christ revealed, be it an angel or man, let that person be accursed. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that even today, false gospels are preached by men all over the contemporary world. The Bible is put on a shelf, and people forget its sound doctrine. The Christian message is adapted to fit man’s view of the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the perilous problem with this practice. When man changes the Christian Gospel, or creates his own, he removes God from the picture. With God gone, man must rely on himself for his salvation and redemption. But, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, the truth of the Bible has revealed that man will never be enough. It is not man who can save his soul but the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the true Gospel. The beauty of the Christian Gospel is that Christ comes to us in our sin, and He offers whoever believes upon Him unmeasurable grace and eternal life.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul uses strong language to condemn false teachings that contradict the true gospel.
- False teachings have no authority and are based only on human opinion. The true gospel was revealed to Paul directly by Jesus Christ.
- False teachings are not actually "good news" and provide no hope of salvation. They leave salvation up to human effort which always fails.
- False teachings should be condemned because they deny the most glorious aspects of the true gospel - that salvation is entirely by God's grace through faith in Christ.
- The true gospel is that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins so we can be delivered from sin and condemnation. This is according to God's eternal plan and will.
- False teachings dismiss the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ as unnecessary. But only Christ can deliver us from sin and the world.
- False teachings jeopardize people's eternal souls by leading them to hell under the guise of telling them to just "live a good life."
- There is only one way of salvation - faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Lloyd-Jones on False Gospels and Authority in Christianity
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main problem facing people in the world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the state and condition of the world—its crisis, trouble, and confusion—as the main problem facing people. He emphasizes that despite this widespread problem, people persistently refuse to consider the message of the Bible, which he claims "explains the world and its condition" and "explains any one of us to ourselves." More importantly, he argues that the Bible "alone gives us any hope of deliverance and release and emancipation."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones quote from Galatians 1:8-9 in his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones quotes Galatians 1:8-9 because it addresses the issue of false teachings and competing "gospels." The passage states: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." He uses this text to address the modern confusion about what Christianity actually teaches, arguing that there is only one true gospel message. The text provides apostolic authority for rejecting alternative versions of Christianity that contradict the original message delivered by the apostles.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the current problem with religious teaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies a serious problem of confusion in religious teaching. He notes that "all sorts and kinds of things are being said in the name of Christianity and in the name of the Christian church," leaving modern people bewildered about what to believe. He cites examples of religious leaders denying core Christian doctrines while still claiming to represent Christianity—denying the Trinity, rejecting the God of the Old Testament, dismissing Christ's virgin birth, deity, miracles, atoning death, and resurrection. This confusion prevents people from understanding the true gospel message.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what is the basis of true Christian authority?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, true Christian authority is based on divine revelation rather than human opinion. He explains that the apostle Paul's authority came "not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father." He emphasizes that Paul received his gospel "by the revelation of Jesus Christ" rather than through his own reasoning or study. Lloyd-Jones contrasts this with modern religious teachers who base their teachings on "human opinion and upon human reason" with "modern knowledge and modern discovery" as their ultimate standard.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say that alternative "gospels" are not actually gospels at all?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that alternative "gospels" are not truly gospels because:
- They contain "no good news" in them
- They offer nothing new that distinguishes them from Greek philosophy or humanism
- They "leave it all to us" by making salvation dependent on human effort rather than divine grace
- They place an impossible burden on people to save themselves
- They deny or ignore the "most glorious aspects of the true gospel"—namely that "salvation is entirely of God" through Christ's sacrifice
He states that such teachings "damn people to eternal perdition" by giving them false hope in their own ability to save themselves.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach is the true gospel message?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the true gospel message centers on:
- Salvation that is "entirely of God" through His grace, not human works
- God's eternal plan to redeem humanity through Christ
- The incarnation of God's Son who "gave himself for our sins"
- Christ's atoning death on the cross bearing our punishment and guilt
- Immediate deliverance from sin upon belief in Christ
- A new nature that makes believers "children of God"
- The hope of Christ's return and eternal life in "new heavens and a new earth"
He emphasizes that "there is only one way of salvation... to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the whole world."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view modern statements that heaven is not just for Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly condemns the statement that "heaven is not confined to Christians only" and that people who don't believe in God but live good lives will go to heaven. He asks what authority such statements have, asserting they have "no authority whatsoever" but are "based only upon human reason, human opinion." He considers such teaching blasphemous because it renders Christ's sacrifice unnecessary and dismisses "the most glorious revelation of the love of God." He argues that this teaching jeopardizes souls by giving false assurance and leading people away from the only true path to salvation.
What distinction does Dr. Lloyd-Jones make between human philosophy and true Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that true Christianity is fundamentally different from human philosophy because:
- Christianity is based on divine revelation, not human reasoning
- Christianity teaches salvation by grace through faith, not by good works
- Christianity centers on Christ's atoning sacrifice, which no philosophy offers
- Christianity provides a solution to human inability and moral failure
- Christianity offers supernatural deliverance, not just ethical advice
He challenges his audience to examine what passes as Christian gospel today and asks, "what is the difference between it and Greek philosophy?" He argues that modern "humanistic" versions of Christianity that emphasize good works without faith in Christ are essentially no different from secular philosophical systems.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.