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Double Damn

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Galatians 1:6-9 I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel.7 Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!9 As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

The idiom “damn” has a long and complex history, evolving from its original meaning of condemnation to its modern use in expressions of anger, or indifference. Its origins trace back to Latin, Old French, and Middle English, eventually becoming a part of the English language’s vocabulary. Legally and theologically it meant “to pronounce guilty” and a theological meaning of “to condemn to eternal punishment.” In the passage above Paul is doubly cursing anyone that preaches or teaches another Gospel than the one he and the Apostles had delivered. It was such a serious offense that he was double damning them to eternal separation from God, and all that is good. Revelation 21:8 calls it the second death: But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)—[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.

There is much talk of a Zombie Apocalypse but truth be known they’re already here. The living dead are those who have no knowledge of the true Gospel, or the Full Gospel. Some even partake of the different gospels Paul referenced. What false gospels are there?

  1. Mormon Gospel – the Mormons call their Book of Mormon, another gospel.
  2. Do-it-yourself, self-help gospel
  3. Prosperity gospel
  4. Hyper-Grace or Cheap Grace gospel
  5. Good People go to Heaven gospel
  6. Optional Jesus gospel
  7. Social gospel
  8. New Age spirituality gospel

The story is told of a man who is convinced he is dead. His wife and kids are exasperated. They keep telling him he’s not dead. But he continues to insist he’s dead. They try telling him, “Look, you’re not dead; you’re walking and talking and breathing; how can you be dead?” But he continues to insist he is dead. The family finally takes him to a doctor. The doctor pulls out some medical books to demonstrate to the man that dead men do not bleed. After some time, the man admits that dead men do not bleed. The doctor then takes the man’s hand and a needle and pokes the end of his finger. The man starts bleeding. He looks at his finger and says, “What do you know? DEAD MEN DO BLEED!”

There are certain symptoms associated with people who are truly raised from spiritual death. Unfortunately the “living dead” have a difficult time admitting it. The scary thing is many of these “corpses” go to church or at least to buildings that have the title outside. There are even “corpses” posing as shepherds of God’s people, instructing them in churches, seminaries, and colleges around the world. Question is, How do you survive the zombie apocalypse? How do you survive being infected or bitten by a zombie?

  1. Test yourself to see if you are still walking by faith, and trust. If you are not being stretched and challenged to be comformed to the total image of Jesus could be you’ve already been infected. Take a finger and quickly shove it in to your eye. If you feel no pain – you might be a zombie.
  2. Ask yourself, Am I still gathering with other believers to worship Jesus and fellowship (to co-share the testimony of Who Jesus is in your life). If you’ve ceased gathering – check for a pulse. The decay has already begun.
  3. Test your hearing. Ask yourself, Am I spending time communing with Jesus and the Spirit in the Word and Prayer. If you find yourself just reading a book called the Bible without any interaction with the Godhead chances are you are beginning to resemble the cast of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. Place your hands on the side of your head to see if your ears are still attached. You might be a zombie.
  4. Look at your hands and feet. Ask, Am I investing in the lives of others through serving and sharing who He is to me? (Some call this the ministry, missions and evangelism). If you are not involved in any of these the zombie virus has taken hold and you might need to begin searching for missing limbs. Most likely you have joined the zombie apocalypse.

The Proof

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2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 We ought and indeed are obligated [as those in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of every one of you each toward the others is increasing and abounds.4 And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches (assemblies) of God for your steadfastness (your unflinching endurance and patience) and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up. 5 This is positive proof of the just and right judgment of God to the end that you may be deemed deserving of His kingdom [a plain token of His fair verdict which designs that you should be made and counted worthy of the kingdom of God], for the sake of which you are also suffering.

Two things really stand out in this passage: growing faith and suffering. Growing faith will cause you to overflow with thanksgiving especially when you consider those who have suffered along with you. Growing faith will even cause you to overflow with thanks for those who have caused you to suffer. The Christian worldview in the West thinks it a strange thing to suffer for Jesus. Often the idea is dismissed when comparing themselves with other saints who live under oppressive regimes. Regimes and governments that are anti-Christ, and antagonistic to Jesus and all who follow Him. We fail to realize that Jesus and any, and all who chose to follow Jesus were under probably the most religious system the world has ever known. They believed in similar things. They participated in worship, prayer, fasting, tithing, Bible reading, and teaching. Yet, many were anti-Christ, and antagonistic to many of the things Jesus taught. He was considered extreme, and because of this He was rejected. Rest assured if they reject Him, they will reject Him in you – if you are growing in faith.

1 Corinthians 1:23 states: We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom;2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.

Paul only preached Jesus crucified? If you take the time to consider that thought: preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified – it should cause you to question, Is that all he preached? Chapter 2 makes a similar claim: For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. Think about it. All he taught, day in and day out, was the crucifixion of Jesus. But is that what Paul meant by that phrase? Absolutely not. Paul’s message was based on the crucified life Jesus lived. From the day Jesus was conceived, to the time He could understand the whispers and the gossip of the villagers surrounding His virgin birth – Jesus was living the crucified life. In fact you could easily surmise He was crucified, everyday, as He sought to do the will of the Father; to obey Him without compromise. Now imagine, in the midst of all these things, and much more, not only your faith growing and increasing, but your love. Paul commended the Thessalonians for both their faith growing, and their love increasing, and abounding. If these early followers of Jesus did it surely Jesus had done it before them.

Paul added that all of these things taken together was proof that you were worthy of entering the Kingdom of God. In an age of sloppy, and cheap grace, this statement is startling. Salvation is free, but I have been freed to grow in faith, thanksgiving, love, and suffering. Cheap Grace adherents would be incredulous over this statement. Rather than a statement of fact it would be turned into a question: I have been freed to grow in faith, thanksgiving, love, and suffering? Another way to think about this is by asking, Are you growing through suffering? Are you growing through sacrificial obedience, surrender, and love? Now that is preaching Christ crucified. That is knowing Christ crucified. Are you knowing Him?