Derek Thomas

And we need to ask ourselves every day, are you passionate about the purity of the gospel?

Paul is passionate here about ensuring that the gospel is pure.

And then a third thing from this section.

And it's a personal imprecation of those who advance a different gospel.

And do you notice what he says in verse 8?

Even if we are an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

And then he repeats it again in verse 9.

Let him be accursed.

Let him be accursed.

Anathematized, that's the word he uses.

It's the strongest possible word.

It's not that Paul just simply wants to wrap them on the knuckles and say, stop that.

No, he wants to anathematize them.

He wants them under the ban of God's holiness.

He wants them driven as far away from God's grace and God's love and God's embrace as it's possible to be.

This is very strong language.

This is Paul, yes, a young man, yes, full of zeal, full of passion.

And let me pause and say, where did that passion go?

You had it once when you were young, when you were first converted in those first few years, and you were on fire for the gospel, and the fires have waned a little, and we've grown lukewarm.

And you remember what Jesus says to the Laodicean church about growing lukewarm, that He will vomit them out of His mouth.