What “Fallen From Grace” Really Means — Galatians 5

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say, time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, I'm going to pick right up again where we left off in our last program, and now that will be in Galatians chapter 5, verse 1. Roy's got it up on the board, and this is the third part of the second book, and you'd be surprised how many people out in television watch for that now. And it helps them to figure out a little quicker where we're at. Okay, all of you joining us on television, again in case you're just new and have never seen our program before, we're just an informal Bible study. We are not hooked up or connected with anybody. 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Okay, we're here for Bible study, not to sell anything, so back to Galatians chapter 5 verse 1. And we've just come out of the allegory in chapter 4 of Isaac and Ishmael. And Ishmael stood for the law and legalism, whereas Isaac was a picture of the freedom that we have in grace because of the promises of God. That's really what it all boils down to. God has promised that if we will believe what Christ has done, then we are His for eternity. In fact someone just came up, I guess Dr. Dick came up and said, well like even when the Lord in John chapter 17 said, those that thou hast given me are mine. Well yes that holds for us as well. We are literally God's gift to the Son in response for His obedience to the work of the cross. All right now then, these next couple three verses are going to shock a lot of people. They have in the past, and I'm sure they will again in the future if we continue on. Where Paul writes now to you and I, as well as to the Galatian believers, "...stand fast therefore in the liberty or the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Because it's been done away with, but yet people will just go to all lengths it seems to somehow pull it back into their lifestyle, because they just think they have to have some kind of a works religion in order to satisfy the ego. I don't know what else it would be, because when you're saved by grace there's no ego. There is no pride, because we deserve none of it, and I know I have to tell the Lord constantly, why has He seen fit to pour out such grace on Iris and I. I just feel as though He has blessed us so abundantly, but not because we deserve it, we don't deserve a nickel's worth of it. But it's all this liberty that we have in Christ because of what He has accomplished. Now I guess it's a good time to look at Colossians, another verse that I use quite often because I love it. It just rings like a bell. Colossians chapter 2, verses 13, 14 and 15, and you, well who are you writing to? Believers, you and I, not Jews, not somebody in some religious system, but you and I as members of the Body of Christ, and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, in other words as Gentiles, we were just as lost as anybody could be. And so you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He Christ has past tense quickened or made alive, that is spiritually, together with Him having forgiven all trespasses, how many? All of them, from start to finish they're all forgiven. Why? Next verse. Colossians chapter 2, verse 13, "...blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, and nailed it to his cross." Now isn't that a beautiful way of putting it? He took the Law, and all of its demands, and all of legalism, and all of its demands, and literally jerked it away, and nailed it to His cross. Picture it that way in your mind. As He hung there and was crucified for the sins of the world, the Law was crucified with Him. And it is now a dead system, and oh the human race is constantly pulling it back out of the grave. Have you ever fooled with something that's been dead for a while? It's not pretty, is it? Listen, this is the way we have to feel about legalism. It's just like trying to bring something back that's been dead. There's nothing beautiful about that at all. And this is what Paul is trying to hammer home. Why do you go back to that weak and beggarly stuff that's been done away with? It's been crucified, it's dead, and all that reminds me of Romans. My goodness, let's go back and look at a few other verses. It's been a long time since we were in Romans. Romans chapter 7, beginning with verse 4, I think we may use this verse a couple of tapings back. Romans chapter 7, verse 4, Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become dead to the Law, by the body, or the work of the cross, of Christ, and that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Now let�s read verse 5, and we�re going to skip it, but we can read it. For when we were in the flesh, that is in the old Adam, and we were spiritually dead, for when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, now you want to remember every time the Jew turned around, what did the Law do? It condemned him. I mean it�s just human nature to be a law breaker, and so the Law was constantly putting him down as guilty. And yet that�s the very thing that people want to somehow resurrect and bring back into their lifestyle. Oh, but he said when we were in that condition, the motions of sins, which were by the Law, they did work in our members to bring forth fruit, not unto God, but unto death. Now verse 6, but now as a result of our Gospel, we as believers are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held, that now we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. See how plain that is? I think it is anyway, that we�re not to be laboring under that old system of Law which is now crucified, as far as God is concerned, it�s dead, it�s gone, and oh we saw that especially in our letters to the Corinthians, oh you remember that veil that was never taken away for Israel? Because they could never understand that the Law was now finished and done, and that�s why they�re still trying to keep it today. But you and I know better, we know that the Law has been satisfied, it�s been crucified, it�s been put to death, and remember when I speak of the Law, I�m not just talking about the Ten Commandments and Temple Worship, I�m talking about anything that you can attach to as Legalism, and Legalism is anything that you can make up your mind that you�re going to do, and then go and do it. Now of course the first thing I�m reminded of, I remember Iris and I read a little book that took place back in I think, southwestern Missouri. In fact every time we go over the river on our way out east, we say, �Hey this is the river where that little fellow was the main character of the book we read.� But I�ll never forget, and Iris and I just saw it at the same time as we were reading the book. The little fellow was about 12 or 14 years old, and he�d been kind of a little rascal, and he said, �Well I guess if I really want to please Mama, I�d better go and join the Church.� Now we say that with a smile, but listen. How many adults today don�t come to that same place, and say, �Well I guess maybe it�s time I quit sowing my wild oats, and I�d better settle down, and I�d better go join a Church.� What is that? That�s Legalism. That�s doing something that you can make up your mind, and this is what I�m going to do. Others will say, �Well I guess maybe I should go and get baptized.� Same thing, it�s still something that you can do, it�s a works religion, it�s Legalism, and you could just as well take your sacrifices to some kind of an imaginary temple some place, because you�re not going to accomplish the same end. Now let�s move on to Galatians chapter 5, and let�s read it together. Galatians 5. Galatians 5. Now verse 2. Galatians 5. Galatians 5. Now he always emphasizes his apostleship, we saw that in the Corinthian letters. Galatians 5. Now remember, if you be circumcised for salvation, Christ shall profit you nothing. Now you always have to remember in the context, what was the point of legalism that these Galatian believers were being subjected to? Well it was circumcision, because that was the main point of legalism in Judaism. So circumcision was the big point then, but today we've got other things. Circumcision is not the point today that will lead people astray. But here this was the crowning teaching that they were being subjected to, and Paul says if you're going to practice Jewish rite of circumcision as a part of salvation, then my Gospel, how that Christ died and rose from the dead, will profit you nothing. Now I've shaken people up over the years. I know I have, by saying, but don't just limit it to circumcision. Put anything in there that a man or a woman can do, and they're going to claim that by doing that they are somehow or other inheriting salvation. I don't care what it is. You know I've had people say, unless I speak in tongues I can't be saved. Well let's just put it in there, and with no malice toward anyone, but let's just put it in here. Now I've got you thinking, haven't I? I've got you thinking, haven't I? Let's use another word, baptism. I say unto you that if you be baptized as a part of salvation, this is what I have to do in order to be saved. And if you're going to tell God, I have to be baptized in order to be saved, then God says, sorry I'll have nothing to do with you. It profits you nothing. Now that's strong language, I know it is, but listen that's what the Book is talking about. I've already used one example. If you say, well I'm going to go join a church, and you're expecting that to somehow be part of your salvation, then immediately you cancel the work of the cross. That's what the Book says. It's not my idea. I mean that would be great, I wish I could tell people, go join a church and you'll make it. Oh that would be real fine. I remember an old neighbor of mine years ago, we were talking across the fence, and one of the local pastors had come out and told him, if he'd just come in and join his church and give $5 a year, he'd go to heaven when he died. And the old boy said, now even I know better than that. Well thank God there are still people a little smarter than some of these others. But listen, the world is full of these crazy ideas, but they reject the simplicity of the Gospel. Now let's look at our next verse, and that's verse 3. I testify again to every man that is circumcised, in other words if you're going to use this legalistic right of circumcision as a part of your salvation, plus my Gospel is what you're doing, then that man is a debtor to do the whole Law. How many men down through human history have ever done it? Only one, and that was Christ Himself. No one has ever been able to keep the whole Law, it's impossible. So what are they barking up? A wrong tree. You cannot somehow or other gain salvation by doing something, and you're not going to gain salvation by saying, yes I believe that Christ died for me, but I've got to do this, and I've got to do that, and I've got to walk that aisle, or I've got to walk that aisle. Then Christ profits you nothing. Why? Because God is a jealous God, that's why. God is jealous of what He has accomplished on our behalf, and what is that? That at the cross He finished every single demand of God on a sinful person, and He would take all that guilt away from that person the moment he believed that Christ died and rose from the dead. Now listen, when you really analyze it, isn't it logical? When God has done so much, when God gave the best that all of heaven and the Godhead itself contained, and sent Him to earth, and put Him through the rigors of 33 years of life among sinful men, and He went to the cross, suffered and died, and then through the power of God arose from the dead, and then we say, but that's not enough. No wonder God gets upset. No wonder God can consign unbelievers. I had a call this morning again, and how can God send good people to such a horrible place? I said, look, you wouldn't ask that question if you had a concept of how much God gave to save sinful men. See it's those who cannot understand the work of the cross, and how much God literally gave up on our behalf, and then when it's spurned, He has every right that you can imagine to consign people to a lost eternity. That's why. Now I hate to see people lost, and I hate to think of a loved one as being lost, but I can't make excuses for them, because I know that God suffered to such an extent for the salvation of everyone, that when they spurn it, there's nothing else God can do. His hands are tied. He can't come back and say, I'll give you a second chance. That's why it's appointed on a man once to die, and after that to what? The judgment. And we better take what Scripture says, and believe it. Now verse 4, and boy this just keeps piling it on, doesn't it? It doesn't get any better, it just keeps getting worse. Christ is become of what? No effect. Think about that. Here we go through all of these rigmaroles to somehow earn salvation, and we've done this, and we've dotted that I, and we've crossed this T, and we've walked this isle, or that isle, and we've shaken this preacher's hand, or that deacons hand, or whatever the case may be, and oh we think we've done all that's required. So we've never had any faith in the Gospel, and what's the end result? For Christ is become of no effect. Now that's sad isn't it? But it's so true. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, or legalism, or works. That all means the same thing so far as Paul is talking. Okay let's go back to Romans chapter 3. I guess that's where we were this morning on the Inspiration Network, wasn't it George? Romans chapter 3, let's look at it again. Romans chapter 3, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. But here's the next verse. This is why I came back here. Being justified freely, without a cause, by His grace, but what did grace supply? The redemption. So we're justified freely by His grace through the redemption, or the process of buying us back. That is in Christ Jesus. Now I'm going to skip verse 25 because that great big word, propitiation, I haven't got time to explain it. But anyhow, come down to verse 26. To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness, that He, Christ, might be just, or fair, and He's also going to be the justifier, or the one who will declare that sinner justified, and He's going to be the justifier of him who speaks in tongues, joins the Church, gets baptized, and all these other things, to Him that believeth. Now I'm not an easy believer, and I never teach easy believism, but what I do maintain is that when we totally believe that Romans 3.23 is speaking about us, that we're sinners, by virtue of our being sons of Adam, and when we believe that, and that the work of the cross has done everything, and we believe that with all our heart, what does God do? He justifies us, He saves us, He declares us righteous, He places us into the Body, He sanctifies, He glorifies, He forgives, He has His own system of baptism. That's the Holy Spirit who places us into the Body of Christ, all because we simply believe the Gospel. Now see there's no legalism tied to that, that's grace. Now let's come back to Galatians chapter 5. I thought I was going to finish the book of Galatians today, I really had high hopes. Galatians 5, verse 4, "...Christ is become of no effect of you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, or by works, or by legalism, that all is synonymous, you are fallen from grace." Now I know a lot of people think that they've been in and they fell out. No, that's not what Paul is talking about. You haven't been in and fell out, but what he's really referring to is that if you're going to put all these attachments and all these amendments on the Gospel, then you have literally turned your back on grace, and you're saying, thanks but no thanks, I'll work for it, I'll take my chances, and then you're not in grace. Grace is when we just simply throw ourselves at His feet. Grace says there's nothing that I merit. Grace says there's nothing I can do. You know again I've said this over and over, and I share it with people whenever I have an opportunity. Israel on the shores of the Red Sea, you all remember it. Here they were, the Red Sea in front of them, forbidding mountains on this side, and almost the same on the left, and who was behind them? The Egyptian army. They're trapped, no place to go. Did God scream at Moses, tell the people to do something? What did He say? Stand still. And why? God would evidence His power. And as Israel by faith stood still, and didn't try to frantically find some driftwood to float across, they just stood still, by faith waited for the grace of God to open the Red Sea. And listen, that's where we are today. We are up against impossible odds of escaping. We are surrounded by the enemy, and it's a formidable Red Sea in front of us. And what does God say? Hurry up and do something? No, God says the same thing today. Do nothing but believe. Believe the Gospel, believe the plan of salvation, and then God opens everything up. God breaks the chains of satanic power. God makes us a whole new person. Now I guess we've got half a minute or so left. Verse 5. Ephesians 1.5 Now I don't want to have somebody misconstrue the word hope. Hope in Scripture does not mean that I hope it rains tomorrow, because we could use some. No, that's not the hope of Scripture. The hope of Scripture is believing in an absolute fact or truth, and that is that the Gospel is true, it's secure, and when we've believed it, we can claim all the promises that God has given in His Word. It's not something that I hope I can get there. We know that we have eternal life, and so this whole idea through the Spirit is not just the hope of righteousness, but it is that bonafide assurance that when we believe the Gospel, the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us. It literally became that clothing of righteousness that Adam and Eve experienced back in Genesis, that Isaiah experienced in Isaiah 61, 10, and that Romans 3 talks about. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, OK 74552.