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Falling from Grace is Personal
Falling from Grace is Personal
Being wrong is more than being wrong about things. Being right is also more than being right about things. Let’s take it personally.
• “You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.” (CSB’17 Galatians 5:4)
This is such a plain statement that is ignored by those who say the exact opposite: “You cannot fall from grace.” Beware of those who speak with a serpent’s tongue (Gen.3:3-4).
What does falling from grace mean? From the perspective of the Galatian churches (1:1), it shows how they were wrongly trying to be justified. They abandoned the method of God and the person of that method – Christ. There are some things you can’t be wrong about, and this is one.
How did this happen? They took their eyes off Jesus by being deceived:
• “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” “I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?” (CSB’17 Galatians 3:1-2)
When did this happen? We have been going backwards from the end of the letter to the middle and now to the beginning.
• “I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him (i.e. God the Father) who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — ” (CSB’17 Galatians 1:6).
Did you notice the commonality in all three descriptions of their fall from grace? The actions are more than wrongfully turning to Law, and more than a doctrinal misinterpretation of the gospel. Ultimately the issue is one they didn’t see. Their actions were a turning away from a relationship with “Divine Persons”. Falling from grace comes when we turn away from God the Father, Jesus who is our grace, and the Holy Spirit. God takes it personally and so shall we!
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