Galatians 5:3-4
“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 THE LAW; you have FALLEN FROM GRACE.”
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What does it mean to fall from grace? Here’s a better question: Can a believer fall from grace? This is a subject that has been much discussed in the Church and caused no little confusion. 😕
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Fall From Grace.
Most of you, I’m sure, have heard a (fiery?) sermon or two on the topic. You may have been told that falling from grace means a person has sinned and fallen out of fellowship with God. But if that person confessed their sin and was forgiven, they would be restored.
However…..if it was a really bad sin, they could be in danger of losing their salvation and even go to hell! 😲 Sound about right?
THANK GOD, Nothing could be further from the truth! 🙌🏻 💖
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Can believers fall from grace? Surprisingly, the answer is, “Yes.” 😓 So, if you can’t lose your salvation or fall out of fellowship with God, what does it mean to fall from grace and how does it happen? Is it by committing sin? Not living a holy life? Not going to Church? Not reading your Bible and praying enough? None of the above.
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According to Galatians 5:4, this is falling from grace:
“You, WHO ATTEMPT TO BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW; you are fallen from grace.”
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Justified By Faith.
Church, we are justified BY FAITH, not by the Law. Our right standing is ETERNAL, not temporal, which means it can NEVER EVER be revoked. Period. Full stop.
It doesn’t matter what you think, what you say, or what you do. Your performance didn’t make you righteous; your performance cannot make you UNrighteous.
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Do you still sin? Yes.
Are you still righteous before God? Yes.
Do your actions negate your right standing? No.
Did Jesus do a perfect work in saving you? Yes, yes, YES!!! 🙌🏻
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Think about it: If you say you believe John 3:16, which tells us that we have everlasting (eternal) life when we believe in Christ, yet you think a “really bad sin” can cause you to lose your salvation, then you don’t really believe in ETERNAL LIFE. 🤨
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If you can lose it by ANY means, THEN IT ISN’T ETERNAL. It is temporal. I hope you understand you are implying that Jesus told a lie. 🤭
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(Law demands; Grace supplies.)
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Supply Vs. Demand.
Simply put, Law demands, Grace supplies. The two are diametrically opposed. Believe it or not, you can make a “law” out of anything, even good Christian practices like prayer, Bible reading, Bible study, praise, living a holy life, going to church, etc. How? By telling people they must do these things in order to be acceptable to God.
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Unfortunately, this conveys the wrong idea that God is angry or displeased with your congregation if they fail to perform; that their right standing with Abba is based upon their performance. That is PURE, UNADULTERATED SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS and a lie from the pit of hell. 😡
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License To Sin?
If we tell people that their sins for their entire life are put away, does that mean we are giving them a license go ahead and sin all they want? Nah. People sin quite well without one.
Does this truth mean God has gone soft on sin? Wash your mouth out with soap! 😲 Of course not.
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Church, just look at the cross and you have your answer to the “soft on sin” question. God did not spare His own Son. He allowed Jesus to die for your sins instead of killing you, suffering THE MOST HORRIFIC DEATH IN HISTORY. Soft on sin? IT DOESN’T GET ANY MORE HARD CORE!!!
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As the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
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We all hate sin. Sin destroys. It is no respecter of persons. Sin has consequences. If you engage in a destructive lifestyle even after you have come to faith in Christ, you may die as a result but you will still go to heaven. You’ll just get there faster.
The book of Proverbs is full of sound advice on living a wise and godly life. Follow its wisdom and you will be blessed with a long life.
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Unintended Consequence.
The two systems, Law and Grace, as I said above, are diametrically opposed. THEY CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT. The unfortunate and unintended consequence of mixing the two covenants is that those who try to obey the law end up under its curses. 😲
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Either you obey the whole law…..PERFECTLY…..in thought, word, and deed for your entire life, making ZERO MISTAKES…..OR…..(more likely), you break even one, have even the tiniest wrong thought, and you end up under ALL the curses of Deuteronomy 28. Go and read them sometime. It’s an exhaustive and frightening list! 😲
You see, where the Law is concerned, there is no middle ground, no wiggle room, no give or take. There is no “Do your best and He forgives the rest.” Uh, uh. It’s ALL…..or nothing at all.
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If you think that sounds really bad, guess what? It’s even worse for the preacher or teacher of that system. According to Galatians chapter 1:6-10, they are under a double curse. YIKES! 😲
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Law Vs. Grace
Law is based on self-righteousness.
Law is based on self-righteousness.
Grace is based on knowing that “of myself I can do NOTHING.
Law focuses on “ME.”
Law focuses on “ME.”
Grace is focused on “JESUS.”
Law CONDEMNS.
Law CONDEMNS.
Grace says, “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION.”
The law says, “Do good, get good; do bad get bad.”
The law says, “Do good, get good; do bad get bad.”
Grace says, “CHRIST ALONE IS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
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RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A GIFT YOU RECEIVE, not an ACTION you perform.
We cannot obey the law to be acceptable to God because, try as we might, we always fail. That’s why we need a Savior: JESUS! We don’t need the “Map,” the Law, because we have the Map Maker IN us, leading us.
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A Different Gospel?
I submit to you that this gospel that Paul preached is not the same one being widely taught in churches today. What you hear most often from pulpits today is, “Do good, get good: Do bad, get bad.” That is NOT the gospel. 😡
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The pure UNADULTERATED GOSPEL is this: We get the good we don’t deserve because of Another Who Took the bad we do deserve: OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! HALLELUJAH!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
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The law was given by Moses, a servant, which implies a distance. Grace and truth CAME by Jesus Christ, THE SON. It’s not about you or I at all; it’s about JESUS!
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–Condemnatory Preaching.
If you are a believer, you may have heard someone preaching in a way that condemns you. Church, I don’t care if the speaker has a PhD or they’re an angel from heaven. If it causes you to feel like you have fallen short of some standard, feel shame, or is pointing AT you and TO YOUR PERFORMANCE…..or the lack thereof…..in order for you to be acceptable or pleasing to God, you are hearing the Law. IT IS NOT FROM JESUS: It is from the devil, who loves to accuse you…..and he’s using the Law to do it.
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Pointing AT you instead of TO JESUS is putting you under the condemnation. Might as well just feed you little doses of arsenic. It’s just as deadly. 😓
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Peace With God.
Church, Jesus is not condemning you. Our accuser, the devil, is doing it…..and he is getting a lot of help from other believers, even from the pulpit itself. Well believe this: Jesus Christ took ALL your shame, ALL your judgment; ALL YOUR PUNISHMENT. ALL. You are forever right with God. The Bible says, “We HAVE…..not trying to get it…..we HAVE…..present tense…..PEACE WITH GOD.
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The war is over. 🙌🏻💖
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God would be unjust TO JESUS if He punished you for your sins. His death was far and above an OVERPAYMENT for all of them. HE CLEANSED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE and did a perfectly complete work. That’s why He could cry out with a LOUD voice from the cross, “FINISHED!” AMEN.
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Trying to obey the law, that’s how believers fall from grace.
Emmaus Road Ministries 
👍👍👍
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