Ye Are Fallen From Grace

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE” (Galatians 5:1-4). 

Many sincere folks have misinterpreted this Scripture to conclude that a Believer can lose their salvation—this is a false teaching! “Falling from grace” does NOT mean falling away from God’s salvation and God’s promises. God made us a promise in the Bible, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). My part is to “call”, God’s part is to “save.” I cannot save myself, nor can you. Only God can save a person because only God can forgive sin. No priest or Pope can forgive (or absolve) anyone’s sins. Penance is simply NOT a Bible doctrine. I must go to Jesus and Him alone! 

Thanks be to God, I did this as a 13 year old youth and have been saved since that glorious day. Though I am still a sinner and often fall short of God’s perfect standards, I am still a child of God—safe and secure in the  everlasting arms of the Father. I CANNOT lose my salvation, there is no way! No amount of evil or wrongdoing can ever undo what God has eternally settled. I didn’t deserve to be saved in the first place, so my actions have no affect on my eternal salvation. 

Granted, this does not give us God's blessing or permission to live in sin, it just means that salvation starts and ends with God alone. The only thing God requires of us is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. What God starts He alone will finish. Thank God, Jesus washed my sins away and wrote my name in Heaven! God saved a vile, dirty, rotten, needy sinner like me from hellfire! God placed Jesus’ righteousness on my account, and placed all my sins on Jesus account! The Father declared me J-U-ST-I-F-I-E-D, Just-If-I’d never sinned! Now that’s a wonderful God!

Dangerous False Prophets Had Crept Into The Church At Galatia

What does the Apostle Paul mean here in Galatians 5:1-4? What is meant by the
phrase “fallen from grace?” In order to fully understand what Paul meant, we must
understand the purpose of the epistle of Galatians. The professed believers at Galatia had fallen victim to a false religion. And let me pause right here to say that there are MANY
FALSE RELIGIONS in the world today, right in our own neighborhoods. These “deceitful
workers” that appear as angels of light are two-fold the “children of Hell.” Not only
are they unsaved, but they subtly propagate damnable heresies to lead others into Hell
with them (the blind leading the blind). They are dangerous and must be exposed for
who they are—antichrists! They are wolves in sheep's clothing!

There were false religions in Paul’s day. One false religion in particular had crept into the church at Galatia. This false religion wanted to merge with the true believers in order to promote their own false religion. This was a false religion that taught “works” was necessary to be saved. They believed that a man needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. This was known as Judaism (the keeping of the ceremonial laws, etc). Listen here to Paul’s warning to the church at Galatia, “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, THAT THEY MAY GLORY IN YOUR FLESH” (Galatians 6:12,13). This false religion didn’t care about the Gospel, they only cared about promoting their own false teachings.

Jesus Is The ONLY Way To Heaven!

Having laid the groundwork, now let me explain what Paul meant when he said, “Ye are fallen from grace.” Paul was simply saying that Jesus is the only ticket to Heaven. If you miss Jesus, you will have missed your only bus ride to Heaven. If an unsaved person rejects Christ as Savior, then there is NO OTHER WAY to be saved. This is all that Paul was saying. Paul speaks strongly in Galatians 3:1-2, “O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so FOOLISH? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” 

Nobody likes to be called “foolish.” Paul’s strong words must have been a big surprise to these folks; nevertheless, they were much needed words. “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). I find myself quoting this verse often because many people do not want to hear the truth. We must learn to accept the truth, seek the truth and love the truth because God is truth.

The Gospel Is Easily Perverted, Just Add or Subtract

The Galatians had heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and yet we’re being entangled into this works religion mess. Paul was starting to wonder if these folks had really been saved in the first place. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST” (Galatians 1:6-7). The Gospel is easy to pervert, simply add something to it and it is corrupted. 

For example: If you add baptism to the Gospel, then you have added a “work” to God’s simple plan of salvation by grace through faith. No good deeds can save us and they absolutely cannot be added to salvation otherwise you will have perverted the truth of the Gospel. Baptismal regeneration perverts the Gospel of Christ. Some people have the false impression that they are saved, but they truly are NOT because of various misunderstandings concerning salvation. Adding or subtracting anything to simple Gospel of Christ is a sure road to Hell.

If You Reject Jesus As Savior, Then You Are 'Fallen From Grace'

If you have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, look no further. You must simply believe the Gospel, making the decision to trust Christ as Savior, asking Him to forgive you of all your sins. If you have heard the Gospel of Christ but it hasn’t affected you, I feel sorry for you. If you refuse to call upon the name of the Lord, you are fallen from grace (you have rejected your only way to salvation). If you have called on the Lord, but are also trusting in good works to get you into Heaven, then you are not truly trusting Christ. I’ve actually met some people who have told me that they are trusting "faith and works" to get them into Heaven. No sir! You won’t get into Heaven any other way than through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

If You Add Works to Faith, then You are ‘Fallen from Grace’

Notice again the Words which we just read in Galatians chapter three, “This only would learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the WORKS of the law, or by the hearing of FAITH?” Do you see? Salvation cannot be by works, only by faith. If the Galatians had fallen prey the false belief that circumcision was necessary for salvation, then it would have revealed beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were NOT saved. I often am concerned myself about the salvation of other professed believers. You’d be surprised just how many people think they’re genuinely saved simply because they made a commitment to Christ at a crusade or turned over a new leaf at a revival meeting. 

Let me tell you, your sins are the big issue my friend. Have your sins been dealt with? Have you gone to God as a dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinner and BELIEVED the Good News of Christ crucified on the cross, buried and bodily resurrected the third day for salvation? That is THE GOSPEL! That is the GOOD NEWS! Believe it friend and you have eternal life! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” 

Jesus Christ alone can forgive and save you? The phrase “fallen from grace” simply means that you have refused the saving power of the Gospel. It means you have been deceived and given a phony life insurance policy! I don’t know about you, but I have “all saints insurance” with Jesus Christ. It’s a free policy paid-in-full by Jesus Christ Himself. God the Father is my agent! Amen! Anybody can have this eternal life insurance. There's no deductible, no premium and no hidden costs. Are you insured with the heavenly Father? Don’t miss your only bus to Heaven, simply BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ now as your personal Savior. Please don't delay, because today could be the last day of your earthly life! Life is short, Hell is hot, and eternity is a long time!

A Believer Can Never ‘Fall From Grace’

Also, let me make clear that you only need to be saved once and can NEVER fall from grace. As I’ve mentioned before, we didn’t deserve salvation in the first place and we never will deserve it. If we cannot do good works to earn Heaven in the first place, then we cannot do bad works to lose it! We are kept saved by God’s power and promise. Our part is only to believe on Jesus Christ. Once saved always saved (OSAS)! That’s the Gospel truth! The Holy Bible teaches that a person must be “born-again,” NOT “born-again and again and again.” We are born physically into this world one time and we can only be born of God one time. If you are born ONCE you die TWICE; but if you are born TWICE you die ONCE! We become a “new creature” in Christ when God’s Holy Spirit unites with our spirit (which was once dead in trespasses and sins, but is now made alive unto God - Ephesians 2:1-2).

A Christian Believer Always Falls IN GRACE, Never FROM GRACE

Remember, a believer who sins (and we ALL do every day), only falls IN GRACE, never FROM GRACE. Romans 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The unsaved person is still under the curse of God's LAW, condemned already. Ah, but the dear saint of God is under God's free GRACE. All of the false prophets today, like Paul Washer, Ray Comfort and John MacArthur, who require turning away from sinful behavior to receive the free gift of God, are not teaching GRACE! Anything other than grace alone is NOT grace!

Romans 11:6a, “And if by grace, then is it no more  of works: otherwise grace is no more grace...” The moment that anyone adds the slightest addition to the Gospel of grace, it ceases to be grace. If you think that the life you are living on earth can affect your eternal life, then you don't get grace!!! As Jonah rightly pondered in the belly of the whale in Jonah 2:9b, “SALVATION IS OF THE LORD.” No believer can ever fall from grace, it is impossible. When we sin (and we ALL still do because we are human), we fall IN GRACE! Once a person has eternal life, which is the free gift of God, you can NEVER lose it!!!