So Soon Removed
Galatians 1:6
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"
I heard someone say one time that no work has stayed true to the fundamentals for more than ten years after the one who built it into a great ministry stepped down or passed away. I don't know if that statistic is true, but I have watched several great works in my lifetime go liberal. You would think that because of the teachings of these great men that they would continue to stand for truth, but rarely do they.
The Apostle Paul marveled at how quickly the Christians in Galatia left what was taught them. Can you imagine, these people heard the great Apostle Paul teach them in person, yet they quickly strayed from truth once he was gone. This reminds me of the children of Israel who in forty days strayed from truth when Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai receiving the ten commandments from God. What this tells me is that the greatest of people can quickly stray if they don't keep their priorities straight. It doesn't matter whose work you have been under, if you don't keep your priorities right, you could become like the Christians in Galatia who quickly strayed from truth. Let me give you some observations on why people are so soon removed from truth.
First, the Word of God is the final authority. You will notice that the people in the verse above went to another gospel. In other words, they left the true Gospel which was the Word of God for another authority. Everyone must keep the Word of God as their final authority. Personalities must never be the final authority, for at best they are still sinners. The Word of God never changes, and that is why you must stay true to God's Word and not to personalities or even institutions.
Second, troubles cause perversion from truth. Verse 7 says, "...there be some that trouble you,..." If you are not careful, troubled times will cause you to take your eyes off truth and place it on something else. When churches are without a pastor, they must be careful about allowing their troubled time to cause them to leave truth. The Devil knows what he is doing when he sends you through troubled times, this is why you must be extra careful during these times not to pervert truth.
Third, perversion leads to change. When you take your eyes off truth, you are bound to change who you are and what you do. Most of the time change happens to try and stop the troubled times; however, just because times are tough does not mean that you should allow them to change what you are supposed to do. You don't follow truth because it makes things easier, you follow truth because it is the right thing to do.
Fourth, change is offered by someone you know. Verse 8 says, "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." Notice, they allowed someone who preached to change what they believe. People don't listen to preachers they don't know. You listen to preachers you know and enjoy. Christian, just because you know someone doesn't mean that what they say is always true. Everything that anyone says should be backed up by the Word of God if it is to be true.
Whenever anyone tries to change God's Word for whatever reason, we ought to be loyal to truth. God's Word should be your final authority on what you base every decision. Be careful about being so soon removed from truth. Don't be guilty of one day looking back and wondering how you were so soon removed. Stay focused on the Word of God and you will have a better chance of never allowing any person to change what you believe.