Monday, 16 May 2016
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4
The words of Paul in today’s verse expand on the thoughts of the previous two verses. If one attempts to be justified by acts of the law, then the result is:
1) Christ will profit you nothing
2) You are a debtor to keep the whole law
Explaining it, so that even the dull can understand, he says that such an attempt to be justified by the law causes a person to “become estranged from Christ.” This means that His fulfilled work, and thus the grace of Christ, is voided in such a person. Works and grace are mutually exclusive. If someone is working in order to please God, then God’s grace has no meaning to them. The relationship of grace is voided by the works and a separation (an estrangement) between the parties is the result.
As this is so, then it shows that this pursuer of the law has “fallen from grace.” The word translated here for “have fallen from” is used in various ways. As a nautical term, it means, “to wander off course,” or to be “cast ashore.” One is no longer on the right route or even in the right ship. They are completely separated from the truth.
Understanding this, one would think that Christians would cling to the cross of Christ. It would seem that all followers of Jesus would be so grateful of God’s grace that they would write about it, sing about it, and cling to it. And yet, how many people simply forget what happened when they called out to Him at the beginning? Instead of trusting in grace, they trust in the lies of the devil. In so doing, they reject the only path to God which can bring about peace and harmony.
Life application: Whatever you add to the work of Christ will be counted as an offense against God. One cannot merit grace, and they cannot earn their place in heaven.
Lord God, it was grace that saved me the day I trusted in Jesus. So why should I think that something I do can keep on saving me now? If that were true, then my restoration with You wasn’t really grace at all! I trusted grace then, and I will trust grace now. What Jesus did is sufficient to save and it is sufficient to keep on saving. Thank You, O God, for the work of Jesus my Lord. Amen.