I have not yet seen a Rocky movie that I didn’t like. Perhaps it is the boxing, the music, or the characters in the story, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. Most people debate their favorite, and I would admit that Rocky IV is my personal favorite. I think it is the snow training and the Americana woven throughout the story. Hey, I suppose I could also consider it a Christmas movie too. Anyway, I digress. All of the Rocky movies share the same plot line. One fight at the beginning. A motivational training montage in the middle. An epic fight at the end.
We love to cheer for the underdog. What I think we can also glean from this story is the need for focused training in the face of opposition. Let’s use this example as a platform to discuss a more weighty matter. In our sermon this past week, I pointed out that as believers, we are all contending to advance the Gospel and must also acknowledge the challenger who opposes our advance.
In order to resist the attack of the Devil (Ephesians 6:10-12), we must prepare, train, and fight. The story of the Galatian church is an example of well-intentioned believers who did not guard the integrity of the Gospel and were led astray. Before you throw stones at the Galatians, recognize the purity of their intention yet the immaturity of their faith. This lack of maturity resulted in a pliable faith that was manipulated by false teachers who distorted the gospel message of grace through faith in Christ.
We can and should learn from this lesson. As believers, we must strive for maturity in our faith to better understand the simple gospel message. We must prayerfully be on guard against false teachers. And we must work to avoid the temptation to add anything to the purity of the gospel.
Often it can be the most well-intentioned believer who gravitates to a path of legalism. This may have started by creating boundaries to avoid drift and inadvertently may create the drift they were trying to avoid by emphasizing works and conduct to gain right standing with God. This temptation is real. It is dangerous. It is deadly.
Jesus, plus anything else, is a path to heresy. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus for good works. That is it. Your training may not look anything like a Rocky movie montage, but it should be filled with the daily pursuit of God in His Word, daily reliance on the Spirit through prayer, and daily elevation of Christ in what you do and say. In so doing, we can better guard the Good News and make His name known to the world.