FALLING FROM
GRACE
Grace is the unmerited, loving favor and graciousness of our
Creator. It is an important aspect of God’s character and nature, abounding and
overflowing outwardly in acts of mercy, compassion and liberal giving. The
apostle Peter called God “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5v10)
We are save through Christ by his redemptive blood. By grace
are we saved. Hence in our walk with God we walk by grace through faith in
Christ.
However, there is a tragic moment in our walk with God, that
is worse than the physical dead and that is falling from grace.
What
is falling from grace?
In Galatians
5:4: the scripture says “You have become
estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen
from grace.” In other word to fall from grace is to be separated from grace in
Christ. Hence a believer has falling from grace when he has lost the benefit of
grace in Christ Jesus. This can as well be known as backslidden. Here the heart
of the believer is divided; there is a question of his total commitment to the
cause of Christ. He now tries to justify his standing with other element other
than grace in Christ!
There is a slide in his devotion in the faith, the bible says they are neither hot or cold Revelation 3:15-17New International Version (NIV)
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish
you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are
lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do
not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. To them is
no longer about grace, other god, attraction or rather distraction has taken
over! Those things he abhor or rejected can now be slimly accommodated with a
wave of carefree ‘God understands’ just a little kiss it does not matter anymore,
prayerlessness slide devotion to the word, he says
‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing’
SIGNS OF FALLING
Unbelief is one sign that a believer has falling In 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 Paul warned the
believers in Corinth, reminding them about their unbelieving fathers in time
past, how they fail God in the wilderness inspite of God faithfulness leading
to their destruction. “… therefore let he that thinks he stand beware les he
falls”
Heart is divided. In Luke 21:34-36 the Lord warn his disciple on the danger of a divided heart
He says”
be careful or your heart will be weigh down with carousing,
drunkenness and anxieties of life…” so whenever a believers heart is divided, is a sign that he has falling
from grace, since there is no longer total commitment to the cause Christ.
Worldliness. Taking side with the world in our conduct, intuition,
dressing and association so as to please men rather than God is a sign of
falling from grace. In 2 timothy 4:10 Paul wept for the soul of one of
co-apostle in the faith named Demas who has departed from the faith, forsaking
the kingdom mandate ..’ having love the present world’ which might constitute covetousness,
love of money etc. Read Gen 13:10.
Letting Beseeching sins. There are beseeching sins which so easily entangle us like
lust, love of money, anger, unforgiving, hardness of heart etc. in Luke
22:1-6,20-23,47-48. The bible sighted the case of Judas Iscariot one the
apostle of Jesus who let his beseeching sins of covetousness to becloud his
apostleship calling to the extent of betraying his master “…then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of
the twelve. He went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard
and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus…and watched for an
opportunity to hand Jesus over to them…
COMING HOME
The down fall of a man is never the
end of his life. There is still grace to pick up the pieces of our broken calabash
and return to the POTTER of our soul!
Jeremiah 3:22 the bible admonished
us... “ return… and I will cure your backsliding” Indeed the Lord has not
finished with you, he still loves you like the father will always love to
accept his prodigal son “ …for this son of mine was dead and now he is alive,
lost but found” Luke 15:23. Though your sins may be as scarlet the Lord will
still forgive, for He remains faithful and merciful to pardoned. 1 john 2:9.
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