Scripture I'm reflecting on: Galatians 5:4
For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.
What are the first images that come to your mind when you think of someone who has "fallen from grace?" A sinner? Maybe someone who committed a crime or cheated on their girlfriend. Someone who lost their faith? Maybe someone who has converted to a different faith or given up believing in God.
Paul was not speaking to any of these possibilities. Paul was talking about people who were doing "good", doing "right". Huh? How does this make sense?
Paul goes on to further explain that when we do good for the purpose of earning brownie points with God, we are falling from grace. He further explains in later verses that we stay in grace simply through faith in Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Jesus, we are in God's grace. When we are in God's grace, we do "good" because it is what we are called to do, not with the intention of "earning points" with Christ.
Reflection:
I struggle mightily with this concept, which made it appealing to post on here. As I reflect on this passage, I have to admit that when I really want something, when there's something I'm really praying about....I tend to go out of my way to do good things in order to "better my chances." If I help someone out today, I'll better my chances of having that prayer answered. If I read a few extra pages in the Bible tonight, I'm sure God will come through for me. How wrong this thinking is......
We can do all the good deeds we want. We can read the Bible a hundred times through. We can donate large amounts of money to charities, missionaries, churches, etc. None of this is bad. However, if we do not have trust, if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ, all of this is really moot. All of this is worthless in our efforts to be in God's grace.
This is a scary verse for me to face. I find myself looking back on prayers I view as unanswered wondering if this mentality I had was the cause. I find myself wondering if things I thought God had put on my heart were really there because of this mentality, this "fall from grace." I even spent an hour before writing this wondering if what Paul was saying was logical. I tried to justify the notion that "A good deed is a good deed, is it that big of a deal if the intention had some personal benefit involved?" Doesn't seem all that crazy at first thought.
Thankfully I came to my senses. Of course its a big deal. Your intention, your motivation, your heart, means everything to God. Which person do you think will find more of God's grace. A CEO who donates $5 million dollars to charity, partially motivated by the alluring tax incentive he gets, or a minimum wage worker who decides to take $5 out of their grocery allowance for the week to donate to an organization they see doing good things? Good deeds aren't like a magic lamp. We don't get a prayer answered, or in other words, we don't earn "one wish" for doing something good. If it was like this, if by donating to a charity, helping someone in need, or reading through the Bible earned us "answered prayers"....... "wishes".......then everyone would do "good". But that's not how it works, and consequently, not everyone does "good." We are given the opportunity to separate ourselves as Christians by doing truly selfless acts, selfless good deeds, selfless acts of faith...to keep ourselves in God's grace.
Is there anything in your life right now causing you to think you are gaining God's approval? If you thought of anything besides faith, let it go. Clean it our of your thoughts. There's nothing wrong with being proud of the good things you have done, but we know from this verse there is something wrong with believing that the good things we done will help our approval rating with God. A lot of things in life work this way. Drive good, get better insurance rates. Help people, win humanitarian awards. Practice hard, win games. Be friendly, make influential friends. Don't be tempted to think God works this way. The way to God is much simpler....through Jesus Christ.
Final Thought:
Take it from my personal experience, do not fall into the trap of doing good things in order to gain favor or have a prayer answered. I can't count how many times in the last week that I've wondered, what good deed did I forget? What act did I neglect performing that caused my prayer not to be answered? What did I forget to do that caused me not to hear God properly?
Stupid thoughts. I have no doubt good deeds make God smile, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, when they are done with the intention of gaining favor with him. Do good because you are good, because you are in God's grace. Paul makes it very clear, you are not in God's grace when you are performing good deeds for personal benefit.
Father, I am sorry for trying to earn my way to You.
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