We are accustomed to hearing, ‘Once saved, always saved.’ The statement may or may not be true depending on who does the saving. It is most certainly true where God does the saving. Those He has chosen from eternity, and given to His Son the LORD Jesus, then called by His Spirit, He keeps. The keeping is not in us, but in the saving power and grace of God, and His faithfulness to those sinners that He has chosen. However, for any to think that God will save and keep them based on their believing and persevering, are greatly deceived. The Scriptures are clear, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy,” Romans 9:16.

And again, the words of our LORD Jesus Christ in John 10:28-30, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”

That being the case, what happened to the Galatians that would cause them to be so soon turned away?

First of all, this was not addressed to any one congregation, as Galatia was an entire region made up of numerous congregations of which some were being drawn aside into legalism, and away from the singular, solitary Gospel of the LORD Jesus, that without mixture gives all the glory to God in the LORD Jesus alone for salvation.

Secondly, these were primarily Jewish congregants who after hearing of Christ as the fulfillment of the Law, were being drawn away by Jewish legalizers, to at least adhere to a part of the Law for salvation. This is why Paul addressed throughout with urgency the soul danger of turning again from the Gospel to another ‘gospel,’ but quickly adds, ‘Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ,” Galatians 1:7.

The grace of Christ is revealed in the Gospel preached without mixture, 1 Corinthians 5:8. The grace of Christ is revealed in the heart of those that God the Father has chosen from eternity, and Christ has redeemed, and those can never turn away completely from the Gospel because it is God who has saved them and therefore keeps them. As urgent as the alarm in the apostle Paul’s heart in hearing of the defection of some (literally ‘shock,’ or ‘astonishment’) yet his hope and confidence was that those who were the LORD’S would not go away. Galatians 5:10- “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.”

What is clear is that although those who are the LORD’S cannot ever fall away into perdition, yet they may be soon shaken, disturbed and troubled by some who preach up the Law and personal obedience to the Law as the rule to either gain or maintain salvation. However, the Spirit of God will always draw the redeemed one’s back to Christ, apart from whom, there is no salvation.