I recently heard about a girl who was raised in a religion that added conditions to the gospel. “Believe in Jesus and you are God’s child,” her church said, “and when you speak in tongues, you’ll know you truly believe.” She did believe in her Savior, but no matter how hard she tried (and she tried hard), that mysterious gift never arrived. So she assumed she wasn’t saved. 

Thankfully, she met some Christians who believed in the no-strings-attached gospel. “Jesus alone saves,” they said. “Jesus alone makes us good enough for God,” they smiled. “Jesus is all you need,” they insisted. They encouraged her to put her hope in Christ alone. They told her that through faith she was already a child of God. As peace filled her heart and the Spirit lifted her burden, that young woman wept for joy.

Confronting false teaching can be hard, but its goal is joy through Jesus. Paul once wrote, “Rebuke [false teachers] sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). 

Is there someone in your life who has helped protect your faith through such a rebuke? If so, thank them for their courage today. Is there someone in your life who needs to be protected from false teaching? If so, take Paul’s words to heart and act. Their future faith will thank you.