Can the grace of God depart from a Christian? Can a Christian fall from grace? Please refer to the verse below and shed some light.

Galatians 5:4 “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
As with many things in scripture, the first thing to do is zoom out and grab some context.


  For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:1-6)


First, Paul is talking about the circumcision party of the Jews and how they are making the grace of God meaningless by their adherence to the old law. You can see that in the previous sentence he is using hyperbole to make a point, so it makes sense to take this phrase as well in that tone.

Second, the greek word εκπιπτω (ekpipto) which here is translated as "to fall away" is also used in the phrase "to run aground" (as in a ship at sea) (Acts 27:26) or "lose your balance" (2 Peter 3:17). The idea is that you are falling away from the vertical line you once held, not that you are being severed from something.

This is just a cursory examination of this particular verse and it's context. The arguments for and against the preservation of salvation are many and varied.

For a more in depth answer, I recommend wikipedia: Perseverance of the Saints