FALLEN FROM GRACE
GALATIANS 5:1-6 NKJV
5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
I have to admit there are some chapters in the New Testament that I do not connect with. Don't get me wrong; these chapters are still God's inspired word. But sometimes, I have struggled to understand how these chapters apply to my life. Galatians 5 is not one of those chapters.
Galatians 5 is rich in truths we can easily grasp and apply to our lives.
As Paul is winding down his message to the churches of Galatia, he is encouraging these believers to stay with the liberty we have in Christ.
Paul warns them that if they become circumcised, Christ will not profit them. The reason being they would no longer be putting their faith in Jesus for right standing with God. Being circumcised meant they were depending on their ability to keep the Jewish Old Testament laws. And when you try to be justified, made right, by works, you have fallen from grace.
Fallen from grace is still a phrase used today. Typically, it means someone who has had a position of power or honor and has lost that place.
Used in the context of Paul's letter, fallen from grace carries a similar meaning. It applies to those who have been saved by grace but have abandoned their trust in Christ for salvation and have turned to works of the law. They have fallen away from grace.
Paul's message to the Galatians was that grace is enough. Being uncircumcised or circumcised, none of that matters. What matters is our faith in Christ. Faith in His word. Faith in what He did for us. Faith in the grace that belongs to us through Jesus.
APPLICATION:
There is something in our human makeup that wants to earn our way to God. We want to do something.
But the grace of the Lord Jesus says we do not earn a thing. We believe and receive. It's actually rather humbling. Humbling because we could not make things right with God on our own. So grace eliminates pride and fosters a true sense of gratitude. We don't ever want to step away from grace. We want more of God's grace in every area of our lives.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Father, for the grace that's mine through Jesus. I purpose to stay close to grace.