Would Paul disqualify the "sainthood" of a believer who reverts to adherence to the law as the source of justification? This episode addresses that question, tying together the principal theme of Galatians with Galatians 5:4. While Paul would not disqualify a believer for reverting to the law to justify or sanctify him, he clearly states that spiritual loss abounds for any Christian who seeks "to be perfected by the flesh." (Gal. 3:3) The work of sanctification stalls when believers rely on their works instead of Christ. Paul contends that Christ would be of no benefit to the Galatians if they received circumcision. (Gal. 5:2) Reliance on works of the law are tantamount to "dead works," and the author of Hebrews maintained that "repentance from dead works" was foundational to the Christian faith. (Hebrews 6:1) The ongoing repudiation of the works of the flesh (works of the law) makes room for the Spirit of grace to cultivate truly good works that naturally flow from abiding in Christ. If a believer loses his grasp on grace (the literal meaning of "fallen from grace") because he chooses to revert to works of the law as the means of sanctification, then he inevitably cuts himself off of the perfecting grace available to him. Peter sums up the potential transforming effect of grace, "God's divine power has given to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." (2 Pet. 1:3) So while the legalistic believer hasn't lost his salvation, his stubborn refusal to access the divine power (grace), preferring his own work, seriously limits his growth in sanctification.
