FALLING FROM GRACE
Brother Wayne Roberson
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.
“Falling from Grace” is a condition that pertains to the believer's spiritual walk and does not affect or determine his position as a child of God who has been called, set apart and redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God.
In Paul's letter to the churches at Galatia he interrupts his qualifications and testimony to address the instability of the believers. In the sixth verse of the first chapter he says:
Notice that Paul refers to the call of God.
It is the call or calling of God that forms the foundation of our belief system and salvation. While He may choose to reveal Himself to an individual in various ways, it is only by the call of God that any of us can identify with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Consider:
Ephes. 1:18
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephes. 4:1
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to “walk worthy” of the calling with which you were called,
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
In, 2 Tim. 1:9 we are reminded that this calling is by the grace of God as apposed to merited favor:
I'll begin reading with verse 8,
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Paul later emphasizes this truth in verse 16 of Chapter 2:
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Understanding it is God who calls each of us, let us see what Paul says about our walk.
It is possible for us to answer the call of God, trusting in His grace and yet still return to depending on our works or keeping of the law to secure our salvation.
That is what some of the people of Galatia had done. They had stopped trusting in His grace. They had “fallen” from grace. They were still called and still His. But, they had put on the yoke of legalism. Paul calls them foolish for allowing themselves to be fooled or “bewitched” into thinking they needed to secure their relationship by the keeping of laws. In Galatians 3:1 we read:
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?
During a conversation with a lady of a particular denomination that does not
embrace this truth, I asked her, “So then the sacrifice of Christ on the cross
was insufficient?” She replied, “I suppose it was.” I thought, “what heresy”!
It is not until we see the calling of God and sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary as His provision and expression of His Grace that we can begin to realize the magnitude of His free gift of salvation by faith through grace.
Legalism robs the believer of intimate relationship with God because it mandates a merit system.
The Debater may say: “But if you are not faithful..you are not in”
My rebuttal: “If you are in...you will be faithful.”
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The significance of this is seen in:
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
Continuing to consider our walk....let us return to Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 1:
Ephes. 4:1
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
What does it mean to “walk worthy”?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Here James speaks of our witness or our being justified before man. This is our testimony spoken of in Matthew where we are commissioned to witness for Christ.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
What does it mean to “make your call and election sure”?
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, [26] to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
[27] Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. [28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. [29] Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, [30] since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Here in Romans Paul speaks of our justification before God.
In my opinion, the one who has been called, set apart and made right with God by faith, apart from the works of the law, if he attempts to add his works or “acts of obedience” or any activity to insure his salvation, this believer is guilty of falling from grace which Paul called foolishness.
If you are here today and you have never accepted the free pardon of sin, I urge you to yield to the calling of God unto Salvation.
The Scripture says:
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Come, today and simply pray acknowledging you are a sinner in need of a savior.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jude[24]
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
[25] To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your thoughts and comments are welcome. I will discuss with an open mind but I will not argue. If you raise your voice or demonstrate an attitude, the discussion is over.