DAILY DEVOTION, Sept. 13, 2021

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Paul continues to battle with false teachers who proclaim that you cannot be saved apart from obeying the Law of God. These teachers were called Judaizers.  Those who follow their teachings are in serious trouble.  Paul’s meaning is that any attempt to be justified by the law rejects salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Those once exposed to the gracious truth of the Gospel, who then turn their backs on Christ and seek to be justified by the law, are separated from Christ.

Can we ever lose our salvation? Paul’s words seem to say, “yes.”. To fall from grace implies that you once embraced grace. To be estranged from Christ means that you once had a relationship with Him. This is a clear warning to us not to add anything to faith as a requirement for salvation. Yes, we do add things to faith. We try to obey God’s enduring commandments. However, we dare not think that our salvation depends on how successful we are at obeying God. Disobedience to Christ does have consequences. Our earthly life does not go well, and we lose rewards in heaven. What we must never do is to think that our obedience must be added to faith to guarantee our salvation. This is a “beware” passage. Father in heaven, help me to see clearly the relationship between faith and good works. I want to cling to Jesus with true faith. Deliver me from confusing the issue by thinking my puny good works somehow strengthen my grip on salvation. Jesus is my Savior, period! In His name, Amen