Ye Are Fallen From Grace

From: Salvation Assured By: Algernon James Pollock

• 4 min. read • grade level: 9

(Galatians 5:4⁴Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)). We may be asked, What about falling from grace? This is a much misunderstood passage of Scripture, not because it is difficult of understanding if carefully considered, but because those who believe in the possibility of a true child of God perishing forever, twist this Scripture in the vain attempt to prove their theory. Many think that falling from grace means a good Christian falling into sinful ways. For instance that prize fighter, who got soundly converted to God, and who went on well and happily for a long time, one day got intoxicated, and in his drunken frenzy knocked a man down, and found himself within the four walls of a prison cell, ruefully lamenting that he had " fallen from grace." " Fallen from grace " really describes a believer, who failing in his apprehension of the grace of God as set forth in the Gospel, falls from that grace by descending to law-keeping in a mistaken effort to perfect himself in the flesh (Gal. 3:3³Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3)). Thank God, however, he does not fall out of the grasp of God's grace.

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Gal. 5:4, 5⁴Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. ⁵For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Galatians 5:4‑5)).

This sets forth the condition of true believers, who have been saved, and have received the gift of God's Holy Spirit, but who, listening to Judaizing teachers, were in danger of putting themselves under law in order to perfect their salvation. This was in effect the complete undermining of the gospel of the grace of God, which had been the means of their salvation. The Apostle Paul denounced in no unmeasured terms this snare of the devil, for Christianity and Judaism, law and grace, could no more mix than oil and water.

Listen to the solemn anathema, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED." (Gal. 1:8⁸But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8)). And this anathema is twice repeated, showing how very serious the situation was, and how great was their danger in listening to these Judaizing teachers.

What About Enduring To The End?

Those, who fasten on Scriptures they think will support their teaching, that a true Christian can fall away and perish after all, generally do so in a haphazard way without the least attention to the context of the passage. The way this Scripture is twisted to suit this theory is a glaring example of this. We read, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matt. 24:13¹³But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)).

Examine this Scripture, and you will see it does not describe the case of an individual believer, enduring to the end of his earthly pilgrimage, and thereby making sure of his salvation. It is here not a question of eternal salvation.

The careful reader will note that the Lord is giving instruction to godly Jews in view of a day still future, viz., the time of the great tribulation, such as will not have been since the beginning of the world (Matt. 24:21²¹For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)). The setting of the passage is placed in Palestine. The time, the Great Tribulation, which will not break forth till after the Church of God is raptured to the Father's house on high. (1 Cor. 15:52⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)). The tribulation will be so severe and its onset so sudden, that one on the housetop may not enter his home to snatch a few necessities for his flight. One in the field must not return back to take his clothes. Flight, instant flight, would be their only chance of escape. This tribulation will be so severe that the love of many will wax cold. For this time of such terrible strain, the Lord exhorts them to endure to the end, and holds out the promise of salvation from their earthly perils. He tells them deliverance will come. The Lord will interfere at this juncture. He will come from Heaven followed by His celestial armies. Out of His mouth will proceed a sharp sword, whereby to smite the nations. This will take place at the great battle of Armageddon, as prophesied in Rev. 19:11-21,¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹²His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ¹³And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. ¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ¹⁸That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. ¹⁹And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21) and mentioned by name in Rev. 16:16¹⁶And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16).

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