Sayings

The idiom ‘Fall from Grace’ is often the media's way of announcing the downfall of a politician, celebrity, or public servant. In actual fact, the idiom comes from where the apostle Paul uses the phrase "fallen away from grace." Some think that when a person has "fallen from grace," it means that they have lost their salvation, but that's not necessarily what Paul meant. He is issuing a warning to Christians to not enslave themselves again to the law.

The whole passage reads from the Message, “I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.”

But let’s wind back a moment; what is grace? Fred Beuchner always seems to hit the nail on the head with his descriptions. He says, “Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There's no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks or bring about your own birth.

The grace of God means something like: "Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you." (originally published in Wishful Thinking)

There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it.”

So is to fall from Grace simply to reject the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Heavenly Father, we come to You humbly receive Your grace. We ask that You open our hearts to receive Your transformative power. Help us to turn away from our ungracious ways and be filled with the light of Your love. Fill us with hope and courage to overcome our struggles and renew our spirit. Grant us the knowledge and strength to grow in graciousness and bless others.

We thank You, Christ Jesus, for Your infinite mercy and grace. We know that through You, all things are possible. May we always be kept by Your grace. Amen.