Galatians 5:4
Years ago I came across a tract entitled "Can a Saved Man Fall from Grace?" The author states: "Then, once he has been saved from his past sins, the newborn child of
God must maintain his saved state by walking in the light" (pp. 1314, italics added).
After quoting 1 John 1:7 he continues, "This is how a child of God stays saved. It is by walking in the light! One walks in the light by daily obedience to the truth-by regular worship, purity of life, love of the brethren, etc." (p. 14, italics added).
While I strongly disagree with the tract's explanation of what falling from grace is, I agree that genuine Christians can indeed fall from grace!
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* Note: The expression you have been alienated from Christ refers to a
break in fellowship. Believers who fall prey to legalism are like
husbands who were on good terms with their wives, but who aren't at
present. They became estranged because of something one of them said or
did. So, too, there is a break in fellowship between a believer and
Christ whenever we stop looking to Him alone for salvation and
assurance. See Bauer, Gingrich, and Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of
the NT, S.v. "katargeo," p. 417.
Written by Bob Wilkin © 1997
Published by Grace Evangelical Society, P.O. Box 167128, Irving, TX 75016-7128.
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are taken from THE HOLY
BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, ©1978, 1984 International Bible
Society.
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Last Updated: 12/20/1999 "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from
Christ; you have fallen away from grace." *
Christians Are Being Addressed
Paul indicates that he is writing to those who have received the Gospel
(1:9) and who have received the Spirit (3:2). In addition, he repeatedly
calls them "brothers" (e.g., 1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18).
The idea that those addressed in 5:4 were not genuine Christians is
unsupported by the text. Christians are being addressed. Falling from Grace Is Not Loss of Eternal Life
The tract I cited previously is right that genuine Christians are in
view, but wrong that falling away from grace refers to the loss of
eternal salvation. Before we turn to what the expression does mean, let's confirm that it can't be referring to loss of salvation. Paul taught that it was
impossible for Christians to lose their salvation. This is easily seen
in Rom 8:38-39. There Paul says that nothing present and nothing to come
can separate believers from the love of God which is in Christ. Whatever
Paul meant in Gal 5:4, he did not mean that Christians can lose their
salvation, since Scripture cannot contradict itself. Because Paul was not addressing the subject of eternal security in Galatians, we don't find explicit statements of eternal security in the book. (There are, however, implicit statements throughout the book. See, for example, 2:14-21; 3:1-14; 6:1-5.) Nonetheless, it is telling that we
don't find the opposite. Paul kept calling his readers "brothers" right
up to the last verse of the epistle. Nowhere did he say something such
as: "You once were Christians, but you are no longer," or, "If you seek
to be justified by the law, you will lose eternal life." Falling from Grace Is Loss of the Experience of Grace
What then did Paul mean? The word translated you have fallen away
(ekpipto) means to fall (as in withered flowers that fall to the
ground). In this context it is used figuratively and refers to the loss
of one's grip on grace as a principle to live by (cf. BGD, p. 244;
Donald K. Campbell, S.v. "Galatians," The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT
edition, p. 605). The believers in the churches of Galatia were being influenced by
legalistic teachers called Judaisers. These men were saying that while
salvation began by faith in Christ, one could not obtain final salvation
without obeying the Law of Moses. Christians lose their grip on grace whenever they fall prey to the teachings of legalism. If a Christian leaves a church that is clear on the Gospel and grace and joins one which is not, he will quickly lose
his grip on grace if he accepts the teaching at the new church.
That's why Paul told the Galatians to run, not walk, away from the
Judaisers (cf. 1:8-9). They were to stay away. They weren't to listen to
them.
Conclusion
Believers cease to experience God's grace whenever they attempt to be
justified by the works they do. Believers who fall prey to legalistic
cults and denominations are one example. For instance, statistics show
that three hundred Baptists in the U.S. convert to Mormonism every week.
Surely some of these wooed into Mormonism by friendly people at their
door who talk about family values are new or unstable believers.
Falling from grace is not always that dramatic. Many believers today
have been taught something which may seem harmless to them: that their
works are indispensable for their assurance of salvation. However, once
a believer accepts that teaching, he too has fallen from grace, for he
no longer looks to Christ alone for his assurance. God's grace is wonderful. Experiencing it is terrific. Losing one's grip on it is terrible. Don't fall from grace. It can and likely will happen if you immerse yourself in legalistic teaching or if you cease to read the Word and to fellowship at a church which is clear on the Gospel.
Nuggets of Truth
The Word of God makes no appeal to the unsaved for a betterment of life.
There is but one issue in this dispensation between God and the
unregenerate man, and that is neither character nor conduct; it is the
personal appeal of the Gospel of the grace of God. Until the unsaved
receive Christ, who is God's gift in grace, no other issue can be
raised. Men may moralise amongst themselves, and establish their
self-governments on principles of right conduct; but God is never
presented in the unfoldings of grace as seeking to reform sinners. Every
word regarding the quality of life is reserved for those who are already
rightly related to Him on the greater issues of salvation.
-by Lewis Sperry Chafer, taken from Grace (Zondervan, 1969)
IS OBEDIENCE OPTIONAL?
In one sense the question, "Is obedience optional," is merely a
variation of the question Paul asks in Rom 6:1 (KJV), "Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound?" It is a question I have heard often.
Of course, we should not be surprised when people who do not believe in
eternal security ask this question. According to such people, good works
are necessary to gain and maintain one's salvation. If one's obedience
falls below some vague standard, then salvation is lost unless and until
the person confesses and repents and gets back on track.
However, when we hear someone who believes in eternal security ask this
question, we are naturally surprised. If someone believes that once
anyone is saved he will always remain saved, then how could he possibly
wonder if ongoing obedience is necessary in order to go to heaven?
Earlier this year I presented a seminar in a leading evangelical church.
There I received variations of the question, "Is obedience optional,"
from a young man just entering the pastorate. He believed in eternal
security, yet he kept asking me questions, such as: "Can a person who
believes in Christ and is an alcoholic go to heaven?" "Can one who
believes and is an adulterer go to heaven?" "A homosexual?" "A
murderer?" Receiving that kind of question from one who believes in eternal
security causes me to be both saddened and amazed. Modern Reformed
thought has garbled the Gospel so badly that it is a wonder anyone ever
gets saved under such preaching.
Obedience Optional for Salvation
If when one asks, "Is obedience optional?" he means, "Is obedience
optional in order to go to heaven?" The answer is a resounding yes.
Otherwise no one would be saved. No one! Think about it. If disobedience excludes one from heaven, then only those who are never disobedient would get in. And, according to verses like 1 John 1:8, 10, there is no Christian alive who is completely
obedient in his or her Christian walk. Some will object that what they mean is that habitual disobedience excludes one from heaven, not occasional disobedience.
If believers never arrive at a point where they can truthfully say that
they are without sin, then they are habitual sinners. There is no such
thing as a believer who avoids habitual sin. Some may further object that Scripture says that murderers, adulterers, homosexuals and the like will not inherit the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-11; Gal 5:19-21). Thus while all believers sin habitually in the sense that they sin daily, true believers never habitually commit big sins.
This argument doesn't hold up under scrutiny either. For one thing the
vice lists of 1 Cor 6:9-11 and Gal 5:19-21 contain sins which many don't
think of as "big sins." Those lists include, for example, the sins of
strife, envy, jealousy, covetousness, hatred, and selfish ambitions. I
have never had anyone ask me if a covetous or jealous or selfish person
could get into the kingdom. Instead they ask about sins on the list like
murder, drunkenness, and homosexuality. Why? The answer is because it is
easier to feel smug about one's performance in external areas than it is
in matters of the heart. For another thing, the verses in question do not concern heavenly entrance. Rather, they concern heavenly inheritance. That is a big
difference. Space doesn't allow more than a statement of conclusions
here. Inheritance refers to what parents leave their children. A true child
may be disinherited. In fact, I had a relative (who has since died) who
was disinherited by her parents because of her disobedience. Yet she
remained a child in the family, attended family get-togethers, etc.
Believers whose lives are characterized by things like covetousness,
jealousy, murder, and the like will not inherit in the sense that they
will not rule with Christ. (2 Timothy 2:12).
Obedience Not Optional for Christlikeness
If when one asks, "Is obedience optional," he means, "Is obedience
optional in order to grow in the Christian life?" the answer is a
resounding "No." Many things are conditioned upon ongoing obedience for the Christian.
They include: progressive sanctification, present blessings, eternal
rewards, being praised by the Lord Jesus at His Judgment Seat, and
feeling not ashamed of ourselves at His Judgment Seat.
I marvel at those who charge us in the Free Grace camp of teaching that
obedience is optional in the Christian life. That is a ridiculous
charge. We strongly and repeatedly teach that God commands us to obey
Him and that many blessings come with obedience.
Conclusion
At the bottom of this question is a fear that those who know with
certainty that they are eternally secure will go out and live like the
devil. However, that is just not so. Grace permits the possibility of abuse, yes. However, grace in no way encourages disobedience. God's grace in eternal salvation does not cancel the biblical teaching that "whatever a man sows, that he will
also reap" (Gal 6:7). A believer who walks in darkness will stumble and
fall and hurt himself every time. There is no such thing as sinning with
impunity. Sin never pays. In addition, grace promotes obedience because of the gratitude it engenders. Those who understand and accept God's grace are filled with a
strong feeling of gratitude for what the Lord has done for them. This
gratitude prompts us to loving obedience. Jesus said, "If you love Me,
keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Similarly John wrote, "We love Him
because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). The beauty of God's saving grace is that while obedience is not required to gain or keep it, yet that very grace powerfully motivates those who have received it to loving obedience!