The Gospel Changes Everything

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. – Galatians 1:11-12

When you take a look at all of the different religions and belief systems in the world, Christianity stands out as different than the rest. Why? Because of one thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel has the power to change everything, because it is directly from the Lord. No human came up with Christianity, rather it is based on Christ Himself, and therefore the gospel is the tool that has been used by God to change the lives of so many people throughout history.

As Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, he explains to the to them where the true Gospel comes from, saying, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ,” (Galatians 1:11-12). The Gospel is not something a person made up. The Gospel is something God set down. As Charles Spurgeon said, “The Gospel is perfect in all of its parts and perfect as a whole. It is a crime to add to it, treason to alter it, and a felony to take from it.”

For the first several years after Jesus’ resurrection the earliest Christians became known for how different they were from the world. What was it that made them so radically different? There is only one explanation. It was the story of the Gospel that they heard, that they believed, and that they preached. It is the only Gospel that turned the world upside down two- thousand years ago and the only one that can still do it today. 

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of the gospel and the impact it's made on history. Let other people see that I'm different because I've received the gospel and surrendered my life to you. Amen.