Bad News: Fallen from Grace

Galatians 5:2–6 ESV

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

1. The Law’s Requirement (5:3)

Galatians 5:3 ESV

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

Keep the Whole Law

Galatians 3:10 (ESV)

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

Deuteronomy 27:26 (ESV)

“ ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Deuteronomy 28:1 (ESV)

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

Problem today: we do not think we are really that bad. We do not take sin that seriously.

There is no absolute moral truth (58%); • people are basically good (69%) [Barna’s American Worldview Inventory 2020 #8: Views of Sin and Salvation]

Martin Luther: “Therefore, this presumption of righteousness is a huge and horrible monster. To break and crush it, God needs a large and powerful hammer, that is, the law, which is the hammer of death, the thunder of hell, and the lightning of divine wrath. To what purpose? To attack the presumption of righteousness, which is a rebellious, stubborn, and stiff necked beast.”

James 2:10 ESV

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

2. The Law’s Effect (5:2, 4)

No Need for Jesus (v.2)

Galatians 5:2 ESV

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

Severed from Jesus (v.4a)

Galatians 5:4 (ESV)

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law . . .

“severed” = “cut off” “alienated”

Fallen from Grace (v.4b)

Galatians 5:4 (ESV)

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Illustration: sphere of grace vs. sphere of law

The inevitable question that is asked: “Can we lose our salvation?”

“You who are seeking to be justified by law are severed from Christ—you are deprived of grace.” “You are not in grace.”

First and foremost: He is talking about the Judaizers here.

The term also carries with it imagery of a boat: “to be cast ashore” “suffer shipwreck.”

Ship illustration

3. Grace’s Requirement (5:5-6)

Faith Working through Love

Galatians 5:5–6 (ESV)

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Observations:

(1) “by faith”

(2) “we ourselves” (not those Judaizers)

(3) “hope”

Hebrews 6:19 (ESV)

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

(4) “righteousness”

The fullness of salvation, which occurs when Jesus returns

Note it is “through the Spirit”:

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Illustration of seal

4. The Law’s Teachers (5:7-12)

Hindrance to Truth (v.7)

Galatians 5:7 ESV

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Review “truth”

Spread Heresy (v.8-9)

Galatians 5:8–9 ESV

This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

2 Timothy 4:1–4 ESV

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Heresy sounds good:

“I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is . . . The biggest one is God . . . I mean, He lost His top-ranking, most anointed angel; the first man He ever created. . . . Now, the reason you don’t think of God as a failure is He never said He’s a failure. And you’re not a failure till you say you’re a one.” ~Kenneth Copeland

“Words are containers for power. They carry creative or destructive power, positive or negative power. And so we need to be speaking right things over our lives and about our futures if we expect to have good things happen. Because what you say today is what you’ll probably end up having tomorrow.” ~Joyce Meyer

Recall Joel Osteen’s story about getting a new house.

“Let us put an end to this Christian chatter that ‘all the Jews are lost’ and can’t be in the will of God until they convert to Christianity.” ~John Hagee

“Because you came from God you are gods—you’re not just human.” ~Creflo Dollar

“a little leaven”

Cause Trouble (v.10)

Galatians 5:10 ESV

I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.

stir, agitate, disturb

Illustration of boat in stormy seas

Deserve Punishment (v.12)

Galatians 5:12 ESV

I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Matthew 23:13 ESV

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:33 ESV

You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

What This Means for Us

1. As a church, we will not allow a false gospel to invade. 2. We have two choices to be right with God: (1) follow the Law or (2) accept grace