Fallen From Grace, Evans Olang

Galatians 5:1-4, “1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,  and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

In my study time on Galatians 5, I paused on vs. 4 and started working my way backwards to get a grasp as to what Paul wanted us to understand. Some  have suggested that vs. 4 is one of the strong passages to show that it is possible for one to lose their salvation. I do not believe that is what Paul is addressing here. 

John 3 Study: The New Birth 8of10, Evans Olang

John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The greatest sin is unbelief. This is the sin that finally condemns. Anyone who dies in unbelief, their fate is sealed. The downfall of the Israelites was not because they were not religious enough; it is because they counted on their own righteousness. They lacked the true knowledge that would lead them to Christ for their justification by faith to secure righteousness. They had fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

I see a direct correlation between John 3 and Romans 10. Here is Paul’s analysis and cry to God for men like Nicodemus and his people, “1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”, Romans 10:1-4. Unbelief was their downfall; their only hope was the righteousness of Christ to be received by faith.

What Must I Do To Be Saved? Part 2of2, Evans Olang

Matthew 19:16-22, “16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

It’s an interesting conversation going on between Jesus and the rich young ruler and I love the manner in which Jesus asks questions. He answered him with a question, “Why do you call me good?” I believe Jesus wanted to challenge this man to see far beyond the natural Man, to a supernatural God. He was no ordinary Man and could not be in the same level with this man to be called good. If he called Him good, was he refereeing to Jesus as God? Jesus response, “there is none good but God” and Jesus was God therefore He was good.

What Must I Do To Be Saved? Part 1of2, Evans Olang

Matthew 19:16-22,”16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

I am a firm believer of going out of my way to speak to the lost about the gospel. There is nothing wrong witnessing with our lifestyle which is important, I just believe we live in a time where people are not searching to know the truth and therefore we have to go out of our way and awaken them to their need of a Savior. For the last 20 years I have been a Christian, I have never encountered with anyone who came to me to ask how they can be saved or the hope that is in me. The bible says in John 3:19, “and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness, rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. This is one of the reasons people are not seeking to be saved, they love darkness and they don’t want the light to expose it so they will not ask.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 7of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

God forgave David and he truly appreciated it as demonstrated by his sacrifice to the Lord. He refused to offer God what cost him nothing. It cost God a lot to bring him out of his sin, he also understood that it will cost him a lot to live for Him. Isaiah’s lips were touched with alive coal of fire and his sins departed, he then heard the Lord say, “who shall go for us”, Isaiah was quick to say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. In other words, if you could do this for me by giving the very best, I will do anything for You. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” and because of that, I will serve You for the rest of my life. I will be a living witness of Your saving grace. I will stand like Isaiah and say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. I will offer sacrifices that will cost me. I will not give you what cost me nothing. I will delight to do thy will. The gratitude I may not express in words, I will express in works. I will give you what is RIGHT not what is LEFT. I HAVE SEEN THE COST TO APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICE.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 6of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

The bible says James 4:6. “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble”. The humble will submit to the righteousness of God. Watch this, 2Samuel 24:17, “Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel striking the people, and said, “SURELY I HAVE SINNED, AND I HAVE DONE WICKEDLY; BUT THESE SHEEP, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? LET YOUR HAND, I PRAY, BE AGAINST ME…” David was not justifying himself neither was he seeing that he was being rubbed the wrong way, he saw God serving justice over what he did and he understood that he deserved justice and that humbled him.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 5of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

If you continue to ready 2Samuel 24, youdiscover how God plagued David by killing 70 thousand people, while God sent His Son to this world to die for over 6 billion people. If 70 thousand people had to die for someone to be redeemed, we can conclude the sin was not petty. If a judge is to pass a sentence that requires the offender to pay 70 thousand dollars as his fines, we can conclude it wasn’t a petty crime. Romans 5:8 “God demonstrated his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”. Christ was the ultimate sacrifice to pay for the fine for law breakers. If the sacrifice was this great, the law broken must be big. D.L. Moody said, “FOR GOD TO CREATE, HE ONLY HAD TO SPEAK; TO REDEEM, CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER (PLAGUED)”. Quick death is less painful compared to suffering before dying. Christ suffered greatly, crushed before dying and that was His demonstration of His love to us. Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for my transgression, He was bruised for my iniquities”. His sacrifice was not a painless death but a painful death and once again, that was the demonstration of His love.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 4of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

In the case of David in 2Samuel 24, David sinned by numbering people, he goes before God and asks for forgiveness. I would imagine God easily forgiving him, but not quite yet. I’m in no way saying God wasn’t going to forgive him, I’m saying that God had to first show him THE SERIOUSNESS OF HIS SIN AND THE COST TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 3of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

God upholds his laws, Psalms 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”. Charles Finney said, “God’s righteousness and perfect purity of character are revealed in His law”. The law was designed to call to attention the state of the heart which is the real value in God’s sight” No one is saved by the law, the bible says, Romans 3:20 “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified”, the law is just the mirror. I have never seen a mirror clean anyone. Charles Finney also said, “Ever more the Law must prepare the way for the Gospel. To overlook this in instructing souls is almost certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the church with false converts…Time will make this plain.” And the bible continues to highlight the purpose of the law, Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the LAW was our school master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith”. To quote CharlesSpurgeon, “The law cuts into the core of the evil, it reveals the seat of the malady, and informs us that the leprosy lies deep within. Oh how the man abhors himself when he sees all his rivers of water turned blood, and loathsomeness creeping over all his being”.