Fall From Grace

~ Confusion Exists Concerning In Some Circles About “Falling From Grace” ~

The Scripture  ~  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.  And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.  You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.  For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:1-6). 

The Problem  ~  Some teach that if you do not live correctly as a Christian you can lose your eternal salvation! 

The Fallacies  ~  1.  What is the definition of “eternal” life?  Given the definition of eternal—one could not possibly lose their salvation!

Perhaps the most basic principle of hermeneutics (the art and science of interpretation Scripture) is that we must interpret a passage in harmony with the rest of Scripture. 

2.  Those who hold to this teaching (of losing salvation) are making Christianity a religion of works… of our doing!  The clear teaching of Scripture is that Christianity is about a relationship… with the One who has done it all for us—“It is finished!” was His statement on the Cross.

Another key principle of interpretation is to look at the context. 

3.  In the Galatians passage above Paul starts by saying “Christ has made us free” – he is speaking to believers.  Then he states that “Christ will profit you nothing” if you return to a religion of works.  He doesn’t say (or even infer) you no longer belong to Christ.

4.  In the book of Galatians Paul calls these same Galatians: “brethren” (9 times), “children of God” (3:26), “sons of God” (4:6), and “heirs of the promise” (3:29).  It is clear that the Apostle Paul considered those who had fallen from the current benefits of grace were still believers with eternal salvation in Paul’s mind. 

The Interpretation  ~  To fail to live by grace is to live by The Law.  But Christianity’s great unique message is that we cannot earn, or do anything to earn God’s favor—but Jesus Christ has done it all for us.   Our only thing to do is to “accept” His gift of salvation through putting our trust in His shed blood for us. 

Conclusion  ~  This passage is not about losing salvation—it’s about becoming entangled in the do’s and don’ts of The Law (or of legalism).  It’s about allowing Christ’s death for you to become meaningless during this life on earth!  This passage is not about keeping or losing salvation! 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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