The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-13, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 1992 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

We were members here until about five years ago when we moved to Utah. In an adult Sunday school class in our church back there, we were going through the Book of Galatians. In chapter five, which I was teaching a couple of weeks ago, we came to Galatians 5:2 and 5:4, which talk about the consequences of accepting circumcision or coming under the Jewish law, or doing anything legalistic. Paul writes in verse two that “Christ is of no benefit to you that were severed from Christ,” verse 4, “you are fallen from grace.” I got into quite a discussion with a fellow in the class about whether this meant you could lose your salvation, which was the position he took-in fact, he got so upset that he got up and left. I just wanted to ask how you would have dealt with that situation? What would you suggest to me?

Answer

First of all, again, you’re back to context, and I think what he’s saying here--Galatians five--he’s writing to believers and yet he knows that in the wings are the Judaizers, those people who went around saying “we’re Christians, but we believe before you can enter into Christ, you have to keep the mosaic law and go through the physical rite of circumcision.” So, this is adding law to grace, and Paul’s viewpoint is always if you add law to grace, you nullify grace. I mean, that’s clear in Romans 3 and Romans 4. As soon as you add any law to grace, you’ve nullified grace. As soon as you say, “Yes, salvation is by grace if you do this and if you do that,” and there is some kind of temporal action that you can do, like keep mosaic ceremonies and get yourself circumcised, and that’s part of salvation, you have now nullified grace.

So, what he is saying is, if you are receiving circumcision, believing that this is contributing to your salvation, then Christ is of no benefit to you. In other words, you have now forfeited a salvation purely and only by grace and you’ve clouded the issue by your works. You are now saying, “Yes, it is grace plus my works and that negates the only means of salvation, which is grace.” In verse four, you are really severed from Christ…if you’re seeking to be justified by law, you have now fallen from the grace principle. He doesn’t mean you were saved and now you’ve been lost; you have fallen away from the only means of salvation, which is the principle of grace.

Circumcision was a very important symbol, but it was not a means of salvation. But, those Judaizers were trying to make it a means of salvation. Does that cover it?

Question (continued)

I was wondering if you thought those verses had any relevance to believers once they’re saved, and if so, what that was.

Answer (continued)

Well, if you say that, then you’re going to say that Christ is of no benefit to a believer. And, in verse four, that he has been severed from Christ. If I’m going to say this is going to be applied to a believer, now I’m going to have to say the believer somehow lost his salvation. But, I don’t want to presuppose that you can’t lose your salvation and read it into the text. What I want to say is, Paul has been preaching through this entire book: salvation by grace. I mean, back in chapter 3, he said, “Look, you began in this Spirit; you can’t be perfected by your flesh.” I mean, being justified by the Spirit through grace, you’re not going to be perfected by the law through works. The principle of comparing grace to law goes through this whole book. And I think all he’s saying here is, “Look, Christ set us free to be free. Keep standing firm. Don’t let somebody come along and tell you your works are going to save you, because if you get into that, you’re going to fall away from the grace principle, which is the only thing that can truly save, and you’re going to be cut off from Christ. I think to go beyond that is to read anything into the text.

Obviously, it has some implications. You could say, “Well, for a Christian, if I try to live in the flesh, I’ll get cut off from the power of Christ,” but I don’t think that’s what this is saying.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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