Fallen from Grace | Why Every Christian should understand Galatians 5:1-4

Topic: Fallen from Grace | Why Every Christian should understand Galatians 5:1-4

Reading: Galatians 5:1-4

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Introduction and Overview

The essence of being a Christian is to receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ. So, to have fallen from grace is one of the worst things that can happen for a Christian. Falling away from grace should be the source of nightmares for those who profess Christ. And yet these words in Galatians 5:1-4 point to an issue in the modern church that causes people to fall from grace.

And they don’t even realise what is going on!

To be fallen from grace is to be separated from Jesus Christ. It means that anything that Jesus could offer you you cannot receive. The power of His death and resurrection, the freedom that you have in Christ Jesus, and the grace of God are simply not available to those who have fallen from grace.

And I am sure those in that position do not intend to be there. No Christian wants to be fallen from grace. But like the church in Galatia, most of the modern church is suffering from the same issues that Paul was trying to rectify in that church. And he was showing how deadly it was to take the path that leads to falling from grace. Galatians 5:1-4 gives us some of the most powerful teaching on falling away from grace. But it also shows us the reasons why this occurs, how it occurs, and what we need to do to return to grace.

So, let us examine these important facts and issues right now, because most of the modern church is caught up in the same problems Paul was showing the church in Galatians 5:1-4, and why they had fallen from grace.

Key points from reading:

Christ has set us free from the bondage and slavery of the law so that we can be truly free.
Accepting even just one point of the law means you have to keep all of the law.
Seeking to be justified under the law separates you from Christ and you have fallen from grace.

Discussion:

Scripture: Galatians 5:1 – Christ has set you free

This section begins with a statement of freedom. Christ has set you free so that you can be truly free. Not just free in some things, but in everything. As the scripture says in Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free.”
But freedom can be taken away. We can lose our freedoms if we are not careful. That is why the second half of this verse adds that we must, “…stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The desire f the devil is to drag us back into bondage. And one of the most effective forms of bondage the devil can use against Christians is to bring them back under the bondage and slavery of the law.
The law, in and of itself is good. It is holy and just. But it is a bondage and form of slavery nonetheless. Those who are under the law must keep the law. They cannot stray outside of the strict requirements of the law. If they do, then they commit sin because, “Sin is lawlessness” as it says in 1 John 3:4.
Now, if a person is convicted of a sin, then they have fallen from grace. Sinners are not living in the grace of God. God wants people who do not sin, and it is impossible to be free from sin when a person believes they must live under the law.
This is why Jesus came. First, to set us free from sin, and second, to remove the law which is the power of sin. The law gives sin it’s power because the law defines sin for the evil that it is (See: 1 Corinthians 15:56), and those who live under the power of sin have fallen from grace. But when Jesus sets us apart from the law and takes the law away, the law cannot be broken because we are no longer under it. And where there is no law, sin lies dead. (See Romans 7:8)
When we are set apart from sin, freed from the bondage of the law through Jesus Christ, then we can live in the grace of God and receive all of the promises of God in Jesus Christ. But when we choose to live under the law, we have fallen from grace and have returned to the power of the law and the sin that it defines.

Scripture: Galatians 5:2 – Rejecting Christ

This is one of the most damning verses in the Bible. In fact all of Galatians 5:1-4 is quite terrifying when we understand what it is saying. Those who fail to understand it and do what Paul is saying not to do have fallen from grace. And if they have fallen from grace, by their own choice, they are effectively rejecting Christ and His offer of true freedom.
What makes this situations even worse is that when a person chooses the law over Christ, they are blinded to the truth and cannot find the truth, as it says in the following verse:

14 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)

The Old Covenant, given by Moses, is the law. All of the law came through Moses, and as these words tell us, the law places a veil over the minds of those who live under it. Their minds are darkened to the truth of the freedom in Jesus Christ. And the only way a person can come out from under the darkness of this veil is to turn to Christ seeking the truth.
Now coming back to this verse in Galatians 5:2, Paul says that if the Galatians church were to take on circumcision, then Christ would be of no advantage to them. The Jews had a law to circumcise all male children on the eighth day after they were born. It was as a sign to show that they were descendants of Abraham because the act of circumcision began with him, and he was instructed by God to circumcise all of the males in his family and company.
But by accepting the rite of circumcision required under the law, Paul is saying that if they accept just this one law, then they must keep ALL of the law. Basically, no-one can “cherry pick” the law. It’s an all or nothing situation. Accept one law, and you must accept all 650-plus laws. This principle was also acknowledge by James when he wrote:

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (James 2:10)

And as Paul says in this verse in Galatians 5:2, when you accept the law, Christ will be of no advantage to you. You have pulled down the veil of the law and will not be able to see the fullness of the truth. The truth is not in the law. The truth is in Jesus Christ, who stated, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
And in this verse we should note that it is only by seeking Christ and the truth that is in Him, that we gain access to the Father. It is not through works of the law that we come to the Father, but by the grace of God through the truth in Jesus Christ. So, to accept the works of law as a means of justification is to become fallen from grace. And if we are fallen from grace, Christ will be of no advantage to us.

Scripture: Galatians 5:3

To make sure that we all understand the seriousness of this matter, Paul re-emphasise this point again. He tells us clearly that if anyone seeks to follow under just one, single law, then they are bound to keep all of the law. They have slid back into bondage and slavery to sin when they seek to be righteous under the law. They have fallen from grace.
In the situation of the Galatians, the issue they had was circumcision. They were beginning to accept the teachings of Jewish ministers who were saying that they must be circumcised and follow the law to be the people of God.
But they were wrong! A great discussion about this exact issue was taken by Paul and Barnabas to the Apostles and Elders in the early church, which you should read in Acts 15. Two of the verses describes the position perfectly.

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1)

And;

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5)

After much discussion, the Apostles and Elders reached a decision stating that the new Gentile churches do not need to follow the precepts of the law. They recognised that in Jesus Christ, we are set free from the law and that the law was a great burden, since no person was able to keep it.
Instead, we come to Christ under a New Covenant that is not a covenant of law, but of grace and freedom from the law.
Now, consider the modern church. How much of the church is being forced by it’s leaders to follow the law. Don’t get me wrong here, they don’t follow all of it, but they “cherry pick” the things that are beneficial to them, and forget the rest. Have you been taught to tithe because the law says you have to tithe? Do you abstain from certain foods or drinks because the law says not to eat of them? Do you fast because it was a requirement under the law? Do you keep the Sabbath because the law says to do so?
All of these, and many other laws, are common in the church today. But many of the laws cannot be kept because it is impossible to do so. All of the laws of sacrifices and offerings in the Temple cannot be kept because there is no Temple in Jerusalem any more. Do you think that if God wanted the Temple worship to continue on He would have allowed the Temple to be destroyed in 70 A.D. and never to be rebuilt again since? The Temple was the focal point for worshipping God under the law. And because it no longer exists, the fullness of the law is impossible to keep.
The truth that is in Jesus Christ is that righteousness comes by faith. It is not achieved by keeping the works of the law. It is received through faith in the working of God in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who seek to follow just one law are required to follow it all. But if we seek to be found in God through grace, then we must accept that Jesus Christ has set us free from the law so that we can receive God’s grace. And conversely, those who seek to be righteous under the law have rejected God’s grace and have fallen from grace. This is emphasised even more powerfully in the next verse.

Scripture: Galatians 5:4 – Fallen from grace

Look at the words of this final verse in this section, and take them to heart.

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

When you seek to follow just one law, and therefore are required to follow all of them, you have fallen from grace. You have cut yourself off from Christ and severed yourself from the grace of God.
The whole point of becoming a Christian and seeking God through Jesus Christ is to be with them both, the Father and the Son. So, taking an action to deliberately cut yourself off from God is a position to be avoided at all costs. The last thing we as Christians would want to do is to sever ourselves from Christ.
And yet by seeking to follow the law that is exactly what we would do. Those who do so have fallen from grace.
So, what are we to do? Turn around. Repent. Seek Christ according to the way of freedom that comes from Him. Listen to what Jesus said in the scriptures and follow that path. Do not get entangled in the law and reject anyone who would put you under the law. Come to Christ seeking and asking Him to lift the veil of the law so you can see clearly what He wants. The law will not be of advantage to you. Following the precepts of the law as a Christian means you have fallen from grace. There is no advantage, no value, and no grace in following the law. Seek Christ instead.

Prayer Points:

Pray and ask God to show you the truth of these things. Ask for Him to reveal to you His purpose in Jesus Christ that is not based upon the law but is based in grace.
Pray for the strength to resist the urges of those who would force you back under the law, without realising that to do so means you have fallen from grace.
And pray for the revelation of the truth that comes only in Jesus Christ to find the fullness of His truth, to understand it, and to apply it in your life, apart from the law so that you can grow and mature in Jesus Christ.