We’ve all heard the term “fallen from grace”. It’s a popular saying in the church and even in the world as well. But what does it mean?
A better question might be, have you fallen from grace?
We’re going to answer these questions and more in this blog post. Chances are, your idea of falling from grace is likely quite different than what the Bible actually says about it.
I’ll give you a hint; it has nothing to do with “living in sin”.
Fallen from Grace in the Bible
There’s only one instance in the Bible where the term “fallen from grace” is used. It’s in Galatians 5:4 (emphasis added):
“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.“
As is the case with all Scripture, context is everything. Let’s go over what the book of Galatians is about and what Paul, the writer of Galatians, was trying to communicate to the people of Galatia.
What is the Book of Galatians About?
The book of Galatians was written by the Apostle Paul to the people of Galatia. Apparently, the Galatians were turning away from the Gospel of Christ and were turning to a different gospel.
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
As you read through the book of Galatians, you will learn that this “different gospel” was a message that was tempting the Galatians to turn away from simple faith in Christ (the Gospel of Christ) to trusting in their own works (the law). We can see this in Galatians 2:15-16 (emphasis added):
“We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
Throughout the book of Galatians we see Paul imploring the Galatians not to turn away from the Gospel and simple faith in Christ to this other “gospel” that the religious Jews were trying to persuade them to believe.
Why was Paul so adamant about not turning from faith in Christ to the law? Because to turn to the law, or to trust in our own works or performance, is to set aside the grace of God!
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Paul’s whole point is that to trust in keeping the law or to trust in our own works or performance is to set aside the grace of God. This is a huge deal and as we break down the meaning of grace, you will understand why.
What is Grace?
To understand what it means to be “fallen from grace” and to “set aside the grace of God”, we need to understand what grace is. The simplest definition of grace is “unmerited favor”. Unmerited favor means that the favor given is not merited to earned. It’s completely disconnected from the individual’s performance. Favor that is unmerited is completely free and has no strings attached. Let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9 to get a better picture of God’s grace.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
As you can see from the verse above, we are saved by grace (unmerited favor) through faith. It’s not of ourselves, it’s not a salvation that we produced or maintain by our works. On the contrary, it’s a free gift from God so that no one can boast. All we do to receive it is believe. Romans 3:21-24 (emphasis added) portrays these truths as well:
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
As you can see, to “fall from grace” or to “set aside the grace of God” is a big deal. God’s grace (unmerited favor) is what gives us our salvation. It’s the only way God saves us. So, to set his grace aside and to trust in our own works and performance is in opposition to His grace (Galatians 2:20-21).
Now that we can see and understand what grace actually is and the context of the book of Galatians, let’s focus on what it means to fall from grace.
Fallen from Grace in Galatians 5:4
As we’ve already covered, the book of Galatians was written to implore believers in Galatia not to turn away from faith in Christ and the Gospel of Grace (Acts:20:24) to the law and their own works.
We also now understand that God’s grace is His unmerited favor and that salvation comes by God’s grace as a free gift that cannot be earned or merited.
So now let’s look at Galatians 5:4 with a fresh understanding of these truths. I’ve included Galatians 5:1-5 so that you can see the entire context of the verse.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
As we can see from the portion of Scripture above, to fall from grace is to turn away from God’s grace and the free gift of righteousness that we have received in Christ (Romans 5:17) and to trust in our own works and performance instead. This is trusting in our own righteousness (Romans 10:3-4) and is not trusting in God’s grace.
Have You Fallen From Grace? (And How to Recover)
The whole point of the book of Galatians is to encourage believers not to turn away from simple faith in Christ. We seem to have a tendency to want to perform for God and either earn our salvation or at least maintain it by our works. But, that’s not the Gospel. We are saved by grace through faith (in Christ), period. There’s nothing we can add to God’s grace and the free gift of salvation.
If you are trusting in your own works and performance in order to stay in right-standing with God, it’s possible that you are, in a sense, setting aside the grace of God and possibly “falling from grace”. But, don’t let that scare you. If you have believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus, then you are saved and secure (Romans 10:9).
If you think you are falling from grace and trusting in your own works, you just need to start renewing your mind to God’s grace and the Gospel of Christ. Begin to understand and accept that you are saved and secure because of Christ and Christ alone and that God is not counting your sins against you (Romans 4:7-8, 2 Cor. 5:19). I would recommend reading the books of Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians to start. Ask God to open your eyes to His grace and the Gospel. Remember, you are completely righteous and justified because of the blood of Christ and what He did for you (Romans 5:8-9). Your works and performance don’t change that truth (Romans 4:5-6).
So, relax. And rest in the finished work of Christ.
