FALL FROM GRACE
Does it mean … ??
· “to sin and get on the wrong side of God.”
· “…the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience.”
Paul said it best in Galatians:
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4).
It is critical that we understand what this means and how it applies to us today. Falling from grace is one of the most important bible teachings.
“ye are fallen from grace” … what does that mean?
How does that apply to your salvation?
How does one recognize it when it happens?
Let’s look at the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians.
What caused him to write it? What was his hope in writing it?
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6).
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” (Galatians 3:1).
The newly converted Galatians where listening to False Teachers, known as Judaizers, who were Jews who had converted to Christianity. These False Teachers were convincing these new Galatian converts that Old Testament customs were still binding, and that their new found faith would not be complete unless they kept these Jewish customs and laws.
False Teachings
Paul wrote Galatians to refute this doctrine, and referred to it and any other teaching that would pervert the true gospel as “another gospel.” He stated … “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. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9).
How Does One Fall from Grace?
Is that a bad thing? Is this the unforgivable sin?
To fall from grace is to fall headlong into the error of the False Teachers of Galatia; and that was and is to believe that our righteousness can be secured and maintained through a mixture of law and grace. These False Teachers taught that both were needed to maintain a walk with Christ. It was a good thing to be saved, and your repentance in Jesus did that; however, they taught that in order to continue in your salvation, (i.e. be “more saved,” or “better saved”), you must follow the Mosaic law, or man’s discipleship laws. Of course, we know that is not true. The truth is, “Christ came to fulfill the law and free us from works:
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).
The “handwriting of ordinances” referred to here is the Mosaic law. These are “works”. For the Christian, how do we define “law?” It can be defined as, a set of rules, a routine, or pattern of works that man uses as a means of obtaining righteousness or sanctification. With this in mind anything can become law to us — including man made accepted religious practice such as corporate prayer, Bible reading, fasting, attending church, etc. Simply put, when we place our faith in the things that we do, rather than what Christ has done for us, we fall from grace. Scripture makes it clear that we are saved by grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesian 2:8-9).
Since we have not been saved through or by our works, we must not suppose that we can live for Jesus by our works. While our works are a demonstration of our faith and love, we must not conclude that these things justify us. Once again, Paul makes this abundantly clear when he wrote to the church in Rome, and of course to the Galatians:
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no fresh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
How does one avoid the danger of falling from grace? The key to doing this is to live the Christian life. We all know how, right? After all, we are God’s people, and of course we know how to live for Him, right?
Are YOU Living for Jesus? Where Is Your Faith?
The question is, where is your faith – your trust? Is it in what you do, or in what Christ has done? Paul speaks again: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Colossians 2:6). What is he saying here? Simply that in the very same way that we came into Christ, which was by grace through faith, this is to be the very same way we are to live for Him … by grace through faith.
He continues … “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:20-21).
The way to live for the Lord, and remain free from the danger of a “fall from grace,” is to live each day by faith in Christ. To do otherwise is to set aside the grace of God, which is the spiritual equivalent of falling from it. As the Scripture explains, if we could be justified through our works or the law, then Christ’s death on the Cross was meaningless; and we know this is not the case.
So where do you stand? Are you living under law or under grace? To attempt to do both is to cancel out grace. If one falls from grace, do they lose their salvation?
Jesus warned at his crucifixion that one could be forgiven of rejecting Him while He was here on earth, but that once the spirit came they could NOT be forgiven if they rejected Jesus then. Mark 3:28-29 and John 3:18
IF you accept Jesus – but do NOT accept his teaching – then you do NOT believe in Jesus. You do NOT trust Jesus. You are trusting, (i.e believing) in your works – NOT His.
Jesus saves thru GRACE alone.
NOT by a mixture of man-works and grace.
Ephesians 2:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, … That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Mark 3:29 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world cto condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:27 John [the Baptist] answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Acts 4:24 they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou artGod, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
