Fallen from Grace
What do you suppose it means to "fall from grace?" Have you heard that phrase before? In what context? Have you ever given that phrase a second thought or is it just some cliché perhaps you hear or even sometimes say? Here's a quesiton: Is it biblical?
It may or may not surprise you, but it IS biblical! It is in Galatians 5:4, "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (NIV, emphasis added). But did it surprise you how "fallen away from grace" was used? Most people do not know, but this is the only time this phrase is mentioned in the whole Bible, and as used here, it refers to going back to the law! Attempting to gain God's favor by observing the law and receiving God's favor by grace are mutually exclusive.
Romans 7:6 says, "But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter" (NASB). There are many other places in the Bible where it mentions phrases similar to these. In any case, it is clear that the Apostle Paul wants us to know what Jesus wants us to know: Jesus has sufficient, abundant, grace for all of us (cf. Rom 5:17) and to go back and try to rely on the law or otherwise choose to try and keep the law is wrong--we have been released from the law. The law was there to point the way to Christ. It is like going on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and when you finally get there, you continue to look at the map in the car instead of getting out to view it personally!
God's grace is enough. Attempting to use anything else to "get to God" will not work. If you use the law to merit a right standing with God, you have fallen away from grace, says the Word of God. And it is not that we should ignore the law and do what we please, it says to serve in the newness of the Spirit. Only when we keep in step with the Spirit could we really fulfill the law anyway, for Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Keep the grace, God would want it that way.
It may or may not surprise you, but it IS biblical! It is in Galatians 5:4, "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (NIV, emphasis added). But did it surprise you how "fallen away from grace" was used? Most people do not know, but this is the only time this phrase is mentioned in the whole Bible, and as used here, it refers to going back to the law! Attempting to gain God's favor by observing the law and receiving God's favor by grace are mutually exclusive.
Romans 7:6 says, "But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter" (NASB). There are many other places in the Bible where it mentions phrases similar to these. In any case, it is clear that the Apostle Paul wants us to know what Jesus wants us to know: Jesus has sufficient, abundant, grace for all of us (cf. Rom 5:17) and to go back and try to rely on the law or otherwise choose to try and keep the law is wrong--we have been released from the law. The law was there to point the way to Christ. It is like going on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and when you finally get there, you continue to look at the map in the car instead of getting out to view it personally!
God's grace is enough. Attempting to use anything else to "get to God" will not work. If you use the law to merit a right standing with God, you have fallen away from grace, says the Word of God. And it is not that we should ignore the law and do what we please, it says to serve in the newness of the Spirit. Only when we keep in step with the Spirit could we really fulfill the law anyway, for Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Keep the grace, God would want it that way.
posted by Robert at
8:10 PM
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