Falling from Grace

Do you think it's possible to lose your salvation.

We often perceive our standing with God to be based on how well we keep his commandments coming up on the Bible study our Dr. James Boyce discusses the phrase falling from grace in Galatians 5, the Magna Carta of Christian freedom to the Bible study our radio and Internet broadcast with Dr. James Boyce preparing you to think and act quickly. Today's message is titled falling from grace and then it Dr. Boyce addresses issues of law and grace from Galatians 5 reminding us again. Legalism doesn't lead to holiness. Love does this chapter of relational services reference to grace has assumed that importance in some people's minds are beyond what it deserves an entirely apart from Paul's actual meaning of the phrase falling from grace, new international version says falling away from grace we perhaps know it better than the version of the King James Bible fallen from grace. Maybe that brace pop into your mind. Last time we were talking about standing and grace pointed out study as we were walking out of the Romans and said by our justification, we have been brought into a new relationship to God.

A relationship described as a grace relationship and that new relationship is secure permanent nothing and never move us out of our standing and grace that so and someone would say. How is it all in the book of Galatians can talk about falling from grace, doesn't that mean that you're going to lose your salvation.

The people think that way I grew up in an evangelical church in which there were a lot of people who thought that way very worried about losing their salvation even if they weren't worried about their own salvation. They were worried about other people losing their I recall a prayer meeting on one occasion where woman was there very weepy because she was having trouble with her daughter and the problem was that the daughter was going to movies consider the movies to be very sinful and she said this might hearing what should happen. The Lord Jesus Christ should return which is in the movie theater she meant by that is that if girl would be found there.

Obviously she wouldn't be taken when Jesus Christ retire and she moves her salvation. She'd perish the course is not what the phrase falling from grace and fallen from grace really means what happens when you fall from grace. Well, there's a sense in which when you fall into sin, you fall into grace. People say well you all and to send you fall out of grace but actually you fall into grace because God is gracious to us even when we sin, the phrase means.

Ask the question what happens when you fall from grace. The answer is you don't fall in the nothing what you fall into is legalism on the word you fall in the way of thinking that supposes that your standing before God depends upon how you obey his commandments and how faithful you are to do them and under them all and you fall away now it is in that way at all.

Legalism is some repudiation of the gospel and those who understand true grace stand and it now. That's what the book of Galatians is all about.

In order to understand we have to understand something about the book. It's one of the most significant documents of all religious history was a great cornerstone document of the Reformation. Martin Luther wrote the greatest of his commentaries on the book of Galatians C said that the book of Galatians was his Catherine von Bora asked the woman he was married to because is that I married to that book. Other people have said it's the Magna Carta of Christian freedom. So it is a great statement of our freedom in Jesus Christ. Starlet was born in crisis. Crisis was. That's when the gospel first began to be preached in the Roman province of Judea was preach largely to Jews because that was largely Jewish products, and so the early churches were largely Jewish any of the Jews rejected the gospel and continue to do so. But those early congregations were largely Jewish Gentiles, who were part of those congregations is more or less fit in. Then as the gospel began to spread as it had to because Christianity is a world religion, not an ethnic religion that came about that in Gentile areas of the world of the churches were largely Gentile, and so the question immediately arose, what is to be the relationship of those largely Gentile churches and those Gentile Christians to Judaism, and particularly to the law of Moses, which had been given to the Jews is Christianity to be understood largely as an extension of Judaism or Christianity to open its doors wide to all people regardless of their relationship to Judaism in the law of Moses or the put it into that particular questions of the day wasn't necessary for a Jewish believer to keep the law of Moses to be saved.

Given the law. Law is eternal as God is eternal wasn't necessary.

Gentile as well as a Jew keep the law of Moses to be saved about his relationship to the covenant people was expressed by circumcision wasn't necessary for a Gentile mail to be circumcised and reeking of men and women wasn't necessary for them to observe the dietary laws of Judaism order the faithful Christian that they have to eat kosher food. Now that was the battle that was fought out very significant thing is I said it was the first great crisis of the Christian Church of the book of Galatians is a record that was played out in the Roman province of Galatia but also reflects things were going on in Jerusalem and also in Antioch in Syria for which Paul and the other missionaries set out on their quest of the Gentile churches visited Galatia on his first missionary journey preach the gospel, there is the always hang out with the gospel of grace. Paul stressed again and again that nobody was ever saver can ever be saved by works because our works are never good enough and our works condemn us, and therefore the only way anybody is ever saved you were Gentile, is by the grace of God and through accepting what he has done for us in Jesus Christ upon the cross, we are saved by faith apart from human works.

Even the faith is a gift of God, as he said when he was writing to the Ephesians.

Now that Galatians believe that many of them were converted churches were established for this Roman province but after Paul had left in order to go on to other places legalizing Jewish Christians after put that word." Considered themselves to be came from Jerusalem into the province of Galatia and they began to teach the Galatian Christians in these largely Gentile churches of the apostle Paul was wrong. He had come preaching a message of grace. But that isn't the true gospel message of true religion is a message of the law, you have to keep the law to be saved far as Paul was concerned he wasn't really an apostle, he just was an evangelist of Ghana got his gospel wrong and he went around preaching things that would please the Gentiles. In order to advance his own career. So they came with the true message and they were beginning to proclaim it in that form.

Now, as we read this book, we discover that they had made three important accusation for charges against Paul. First is that it was no true apostle second is that because he was no true apostle's gospel was no true gospel their charge was because his gospel was no true gospel. The gospel he was preaching when actually lead to loose living Galatians is his answer to those three charges answers a first charge that is no true apostle in chapters 1 to answers. The second charge that his gospel is no true gospel chapters 3 and four and answers the charge that the gospel he did preach leads to loose living in chapters 5 and six. Now that's what we want to look at look at each one of them. They charge that he was no true apostle. Of course, was something that would seem to carry a lot of weight because as I said the legal answers could point out that Paul and I traveled around with Jesus during the days of his earthly ministry.

The way the other apostles had the true apostles or disciples of Jesus and then he pointed them apostles, and sent them in all the world. The apostle Paul was not one of the 12. Matter fact he had gotten his gospel secondhand wasn't real gospel of these 12 apostles was something entirely different. I Paul begins to answer that in these first two chapters as I said it because it in a number of ways, chiefly by retelling the story of his life. First of all, he argues in the introduction that he had not been trying to please man with this false gospel showing himself to be a false apostle the way they had said he had because they gospel that he proclaimed is not calculated to please man begins to restate it in those opening verses of those opening verses contain some of the strongest language of all the Bible. Paul says even if we are an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. What is anathema may end up in hell is what Paul is saying is what Paul says in those opening verses, then I suppose maybe even with a smile on his left of you can imagine smiling after having said something like that. He asked this question, am I now trying to win the approval of men part of God's people are trying to please men don't pronounce anathemas upon, and that's what Paul was doing so he begins that way and secondly he does in these opening chapters is to admit that the gospel he had been preaching was not something he received from the other apostles, but he turns that negative implication into a positive thing because he says that the very mark of an apostle also doesn't get his message from Banta gets his message directly from God, and he said that's what I have not talked about that some link showing that he really didn't even have an opportunity to do it because after his conversion in Damascus Holy Spirit directed him to go into Syria and he was there in Syria utterly cut off from Christianity for the space of three years.

God himself taught him the truth of the gospel as he studied the Old Testament the word of God.

By the time he finally got to Jerusalem.

Those three years later, it was there only for a brief time anyway. The gospel was already formed in his mind and he was already preaching… I can response the third thing he said is that on every occasion when he was with the other apostles as he was with Peter for 15 days he went up to Jerusalem after the first three years later, the time of the Council in Jerusalem.

On every occasion when he was with them. Both he and his gospel were formed by the other apostles is as I was particularly true of the Council of Jerusalem.

The Council of Jerusalem was debating this very issue in the Gentiles have to come under the restrictions of the Jewish ceremonial law.

Paul says as he gives his account if I loose version of events in the 15th chapter of acts. Paul says as he gives his account that there was a time during which he and Barnabas almost single-handedly defended the cause of Gentile freedom in the end, after it had all been debated out. Everybody had their say presented their point of view the other apostles confirmed what he and Barnabas had been preaching the way he says it is these apostles Peter and James and John gave Barnabas and myself. The right hand of fellowship and they said, go to the Gentiles, and God bless you. So they reaffirmed his teaching, and finally the very end of chapter 2 he gives a little account a little. Did yet something that happened in Antioch when Peter came to visit Peter course was the one through whom God opened up the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles in the first place. Recall the incident of Peter on the roof of Simon the tanner's house and job on how God gave them a vision not to call unclean anything the Guardian called clean and then messengers came from Cornelius the centurion that he understood.

This is what God was teaching Emily went to the house of Cornelius and preach the gospel to these Gentiles, Peter the rabbit Jew would never even crossed the threshold of a Gentile home before that, but he followed the leading of God and preach the gospel of the Gentiles, received the Holy Spirit church was established in that house and that's one of the things Peter argued what he was there with the Council of Jerusalem, but when he got up to Antioch. Peter began the waiver happened was that Sweeney went up to investigate what was happening among the Gentiles.

It was obvious that these Gentiles were Christians. God was blessing of his word. They were preaching Jesus Christ and so Peter joined in with them and when they said have a bite to eat with us. Peter didn't hold his Jewish scruples in the ways that dominate their food.

Then some of these legalistic brothers came up from Jerusalem to see what was going on and Peter saw the Jews coming in the one door he got nervous because Barry was sitting with the Gentiles. What would they say when they got back to Jerusalem, Peter the Jew eating unclean food so Peter got up and excused himself from the Gentile table and he went over and sat with the Jews and was beginning a little schism within the church in Antioch and Paul recognize what was happening, stood up and according to this account. He opposed Peter to his face. He accused him of being a hypocrite. What he said is this you are a Jew and you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, well then why do you force Gentiles to follow Jewish custom, let's say errors that when they truth of the gospel was on the line. He stood firm.

Even when Peter waiver.

Now it is Paul's great achievement in these first two chapters of the letter, he presents the true gospel and he shows how he stood firm, both in Jerusalem, at the Council and in Antioch in the incident involving Peter, but he does so without in any way disparaging the apostleship of the others because what he saying is this is one gospel and the others as well as myself a been preaching at from the beginning and will continue preaching up to the end. Salvation is by grace through faith and not by works, so that's why he answers the first accusation of the second charge is the heart of the book and it has to do with the true gospel.

Paul was not a true apostle is evident that he wasn't preaching the true gospel and if he was apostle when the gospel he preached was true and right and it is his duty to expound now what he did here is two things, probably his opponents had been arguing that because the law is God's law because the law is eternal and its effects.

Just as God is eternal God doesn't change.

Therefore the law has eternal validity and it was the way of salvation once it continues to be the way of salvation today. I would've said. For example, Jesus himself kept the law would argue that the apostles kept the law who then was Paul to dismiss the law and say it wasn't important for salvation wasn't the issue issue wasn't whether the law should be Labors in Jesus Christ to keep the law or not lawbreakers as a matter of fact, they keep it in a better way. Those were not Christians and are trying to do it in their own strength because they keep it in the spirit and not in the letter they do it internally as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit within the issue isn't whether Christians keep the law. The issue is are you saved by keeping the law. And Paul said that's what they are guilty of him wrongly teach now. He answers that as I said in two ways.

First of all, he appeals to the Galatians on personal experience. They had become Christians during the time of his preaching to them on his first missionary journey and in that third chapter of the letter where he begins the section he asks a test question of him. He said Wagner Christiansen, when you heard the gospel preached and responded God blessed you by sending the Holy Spirit as a matter of fact even did miracles in your midst, I want to ask you the question, how did that happen among you did it happen by your obeying the law of Moses, which is what legalizes teaching is necessary or didn't happen by your believing the gospel of God's grace which I preached to you have to answer by believing the gospel because the legalizes hadn't even come at that stage in their religious experience while in St. Paul.

If that's the way God worked among you at first. Why do you turn away from out and move back to legalism because by doing that what you're really doing is falling away from grace are you so foolish. He says after beginning with the spirit, which are now trying to attain your goal by human effort certainly does pin these middle chapters of the letter is to argue his case from Scripture that is what you would expect them to do was stalking as an apostle, explaining the gospel. But if what he is teaching the gospel can't be substantiated from Scripture. Obviously it's a false gospel.

In other words, he goes to the very book to which the legalizes were appealing to show that the way of salvation is by grace through faith and not by keeping the law is an interesting kind of argument here. He focuses on Abraham as his chief example and obviously saw because Abraham was the father of the Jewish people so they can show that Abraham is saved by faith within. Obviously all the Jews need to be saved by faith because Abraham was their father.

And the thing focuses on Abraham but he doesn't in the kind of alternating way. He poses this question is that by faith or is it by works and then he begins to talk about the way of faith that he talks about the way it works. Many talks about faith only talks about works he goes back and forth that way six times or six different points to his argument. I just briefly here they are. First of all, Abraham was saved by faith. Paul quotes Galatians 15 six.

We know that because of our studies of Romans. It's the same way he presented the gospel. There, the text says that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

So was justified. Paul says, by faith." Another text in its Genesis 12 three which shows that what was true of Abraham has to be true for the Gentiles to because the blessing of Abraham in that verse. His promise to the Gentiles of the Gentiles are Jews, so they are natural descendents from Abraham if they're going to become heirs of the covenant of the promised it has to be by faith again that the only way they can possibly be identified with Abraham and his gospel.

Second point is, this law can only bring a curse on says you want to follow the law will listen to what the law says losses curse. Is everyone a dozen continue to do everything written in its book of Deuteronomy 27, 26 want to live by law what the law will live longer pronounce a curse upon you because you don't keep it perfectly. Are we saved were saved by Jesus, who bore that curse you to us in our place by his crucifixion. Third point covenant of salvation was established by God's promise to Abraham apart from works obviously wasn't by law because the law hadn't been given in Abraham's time didn't come in the 430 years later. Fourth point law was given not to save anyone, but rather expose transgressions of the law isn't a bad thing law would save us if we could keep Mitch or to put it in proper language. If we could keep it and had kept that we would need saving but we haven't That we do need saving. Therefore when God did send the laws he did 430 years after Abraham's time, he did it not the safest, but in order to show us that we need saving other words, to reveal Santa in order that we might come to the Savior is that's what's wrong with the legalizes argument when you presented the way I did a moment ago.

It sounds right dozen of the laws eternal God doesn't change law doesn't change. Therefore the laws is binding today as it ever was. Therefore, you have to keep the law to be saved. The problem with that argument is the starting point. God never gave the law in order for people to be saved in the first place reason he gave the law.

The first places to show that were sinners and the Jewish legalizes it missed the whole point is that they really understood the law. They understand that they actually needed Savior and the Savior was Jesus Christ.

Paul's fifth point is that faith alone makes the sons of God and God's heirs six point is that the law keeps us in the position of slaves and that the very thing we need to be delivered from the very end of the section he makes an impassioned plea Galatians not to be bound by the slavery of the law brings rather to be delivered from it and the ends the section with an allegory in which Sarah Abraham's wife Isaac in Jerusalem stand for salvation by the grace of God, Hagar and Ishmael, Abraham son by Hagar and Mount Sinai. Stanford law observance point is that we need to be delivered. The one in order to be saved in the other way out.

That's a second defense.

The third point is what he handles in the final chapters send gifts the accusation that is gospel of grace actually leads to loose living because it abolishes restraints against sin Jews at the law. They were very proud of their lawn because they tried to keep her they were very proud of their morality down on the Gentiles. They said the Gentiles are an immoral bunch of course it was absolutely true. So they said we would perhaps think ourselves what's going to happen if we don't insist that the Gentiles keep the law.

Well all these so-called Gentile churches are going to become hotbeds of the morality and there is going to the destruction of anything pertaining to true religion in those churches.

Now that's what Paul answers what he says is that this is not true, and obviously had not been true, and it isn't true, and the reason it isn't true, is that when God saves us by grace, he doesn't lead us away from law into nothing leads us to his Jesus Christ because he leads us to Jesus Christ and joins us to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We begin the function. Both in our thinking and desires and actions as Christ people or to put it another language when we believe in Jesus Christ because God has done that work of regeneration in our hearts were not the same people we were before God is made us spiritually alive and that new life expresses itself a new desires and so we hunger and thirst after righteousness, which is what Jesus said would be true of his people in the Beatitudes from the sermon on the Mount is with the key text say in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or on circumcision has any value.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love again.

You, my brothers, were called to be free, but don't use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature rather, serve one another again. So I say live by the Spirit you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature and again the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law saying according to these verses life by the power of the Holy Spirit is entirely different from either legalism or lawlessness.

Legalism imposes an outward calm, but it can do anything to change the heart lawlessness is going to anything you please Mr. Anthony says no after live a righteous life with its done by the work of the Holy Spirit from within. It involves an internal transformation now at that point I'd like to go back to the beginning of chapter 5 the first, which is at once both the Highpoint and the key to understanding the entire letter says it is for freedom that Christ to set us free. Stand firm and and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery of the first part of that first half is a summation of the four chapters of the bond before second part of it.

Stand firm, and so on is the challenge from which the rest of the letter flows what Paul is saying is this, he saying do not fall from grace and legalism rather stand in grace. Now why we conclude by giving you three reasons. First of all, legalism does not believe the holy living. That's the way we think and think if we got a problem that we have to do is pass a lot somewhere government operates.

But it doesn't actually do that is true that laws will sometimes restrain the most outward noxious expressions of an unruly sinful spirit so people will say well we better not do that because we might get caught but it doesn't actually produce holy living. We say well you got a problem pass a law. Heavy penalties with impose a fine send criminals to jail. Throw away the key, but our own experience in our society should teaches very well that doesn't change the heart with the problem. The problem is at the heart is unregenerate in its deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked may be able to restrain it a bit by law and that's one reason God gave the Old Testament law. But what is needed is a transformation that goes far deeper than that. Jesus express that in his own day. You know what he was talking even about these dietary laws. He said it's not the thing that goes into a man's mouth at the files and that's what comes out out of the heart all kinds of evil proceeds change the heart is what's necessary if you're going to have holy living things wrong with legalism is that legalism produces bondage as it doesn't produce what its defenders say they say well you obey the law. You have a holy life free map but it doesn't actually operate that way. Don't you know people who are always trying to live by rules and listen up one little standard after another night trying to do this and trying to do that not free people are actually very unhappy people are press sad grim burden discouraged. Paul says that to live this way is to be burdened again by a yoke of slavery in his day. The Jews referred to Jill becoming a Jew who is taking on the yoke of the law regarded as a great privilege to take on the yoke of the law, but that was actually a very heavy burden is a recognized yoke of courses instrument that's put on the neck of animals to harness them for work so they say. That's what the law has become for us it's a heavy yoke and represents his heavy work we have and how Peter talked about it at the Council when they were debating whether the Jews should impose law, upon the Gentiles. He said why do you want to tempt God by imposing the law, upon the Gentiles look it's a yoke that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. Peter confessed that he didn't lead to freedom actually was bondage in the those who were Jews along with them had actually experienced slavery because of the laws, demands value, say where it is true holiness come from answer of course is a true holiness is the product of the Christian's new nature and is produced in him or her by the love of Jesus Christ drawing us to please the one we love them illustrate that by a story. One of my predecessors here attends church was Donna Gray Barnhouse and early in his ministry. He had a counseling session with a young man he came to see Barnhouse because he said he was in love with a girl that he had had a very simple pasty been in the military and had to live in Europe. In a very simple way had proclivities to promiscuity and he was afraid that if he would propose that the girl and marry her. His past habits might lead them back in the Latin of that with the case he would wound her hurt her and he wondered what he should do a Barnhouse counsel them to be open with the woman to tell her something of his past life because he said you're going to be living your lives together. There should be any barriers to tell her something of what you've done.

Actually her understanding of your weakness will help you to stand against it. He said he told him the story he said some time ago I heard about another couple were very much in the same situation that you're describing the reason he tells this is for the response of the young man after he had finished he said here was that pop all the man had had background similar to yours be met more mature Christian woman. They got married. He confessed to her.

At one point something about his past, she replied to them like that.

She said not John. I I understand what you're saying but I want you to know this. I've been a Christian a long time and I know my Bible and I knew something about the sentiments and every one of us.

I know that it's quite possible for anyone to fall into the great sin and you may die may come in your life when you slip back into that kind of behavior that is characterize your life in the past but here I want you to know this. When that happens I know what will happen. The devil will come to you and say well you said now there's no use trying to be a Christian.

You ruined it all. You might as well the one sent in a bubble you mustn't tell me because it will hurt me. I want you to know this.

I try to serve Jesus Christ and I want you to know that there's full pardon and forgiveness in advance for any sin you may commit when Barnhouse was telling that story. Manny was talking to had his face down in his hands. He was obviously very move but this point he raised his hand in the book Barnhouse of the IM. He said my God, if anything, whatever keep a man straight. That's it.

You say that's the way God leads us to holiness, not by the rigors of the law by the love of Jesus Christ working itself out with them. Suppose this moment in the story and then something else, a procedure that said well that's what your life is been like. I'm glad you finally told me that know it before, but now that I know what I just wanted to let you know that if ever anything like that happens again. I got hanky-panky is going on. Well, I really liked your habit when you get home see this rolling pin hit you over the head with a rare find out about anything like that if she had responded that way he will probably use doing so. So that's what she wants to play the game well that's the case I'll just be careful and don't get caught. I'll do anything I want is a legalism is a legal holiness, but love does.

That's the way the Lord Jesus Christ leads us. The Bible says God demonstrates his love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us that God loves you always been exceedingly gracious to you. These proved it by sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die in your place. You know that if you really understand that then you will determine in your heart never violate the wonder of such a great love.

Love you have for Christ as well is the love that he has for you, will enable you both to stand in grace and grow in holiness for the praise of the glory of his grace, and not your works. Let's pray our father, we thank you for the teaching of this most important book what it means to fall from grace of the legalism and how we, by contrast, or to stand in grace, obeying you, not because law has imposed upon us as a yoke because we love you and want to please you in every way we can teach us what that means not merely in our minds. But practically in the way we live day by day so that others might say those who profess your name they really do love Jesus Christ, you are listening to Bible study hour with the Bible teaching of Dr. James Boyce listener supported ministry of the alliance of confessing Evangelicals. The alliance exists to promote a biblical understanding and worldview. Drawing upon the insight and wisdom of reformed theologians from decades and even centuries gone by. We seek to provide Christian teaching that will equip believers to understand and meet the challenges and opportunities of our time and place. Alliance broadcasting includes the Bible study hour with Dr. James Boyce every last word with Bible teacher, Dr. Philip Reich and and Dr. Barnhouse in the Bible featuring Donald Barnhouse. For more information on the alliance including a free introductory package for first-time callers or to make a contribution. Please call toll-free 1-800-488-1888. Again, that's 1-800-488-1888. You can also write the alliance at Box 2000, Philadelphia PA 19103 or you can visit us online@alliancenets.org for Canadian gifts mail those 2237 Ruse Hills Dr., Scarborough, ON. In one scene, two line 9 ask for your free resource catalog between books, audio commentaries, booklets, videos, and a wealth of other materials from outstanding reformed teachers in the village of thank you again for your continued support and for listening to Bible study