Thoughts on Persevering as a Christian, from Galatians

I've been preaching through Galatians for the last few months, and have two months to go.  It's been amazing.  I've studied Galatians, but never studied it in depth like this.  Thus far, the churches have seen that Galatians really does lay out the basic tenets of Christianity:
     -That there is only one way to salvation: Christ and the Gospel (1:6-9)
     -That this Gospel is salvation by faith in Christ, and not works (2:16)
     -That the Holy Spirit comes upon us when we believe the Gospel (3:1-6)
     -That the Law is a curse on us as sinners, but Christ redeems us by His work (3:13-24), and
     -That we're adopted into God's family by Christ and His Spirit (3:26-4:7).

This is Christianity in its most basic form: Inclusive/exclusive (invitation to all to trust in Christ, but salvation only belongs to those who do), justified before God by faith in Christ (meaning not just affirmation of the facts, but a personal looking to Christ), indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, and adoption into God's family which isn't a reality unless one has Christ.
The best place to direct any new or prospective christian who asks where they can begin in the Bible is John, Acts, and Romans (in that order).  John is about Jesus' identity, Acts shows His Church on mission, and Romans explains what it means that we have Jesus.  But studying Galatians, everything that one needs to know about being saved by faith in Christ might be in there, so maybe we have a new go-to book!

Still, the whole point of Paul's letter isn't to lay out basic tenets before it is to deal with a heresy prevalent in the Galatian church: that one needs works in order to be considered a child of God.  None of us, including Paul (see Eph2:10, 2Tim3:17, and Titus2:14, 3:8, 3:14) would argue that good works aren't necessary for the Christian.  The issue is whether they make one a christian.  The answer to this question is emphatically 'NO'.  Christ makes a christian a christian.  Their being cleansed is one that happens by their looking to Christ, and their adoption into God's family is as well.  The Galatian christians had been led astray into the belief that Christ was not enough. 

This leads us to a very important question: Can a true Christian fall away from Christ? 
 This question has almost been an afterthought in 2013 Christianity, as most will emphatically say "YES", then cite passages from Jesus' 4-seed Parable (see Mark4), or from 1 Timothy, or Hebrews 6, 10. 
I'm at odds doctrinally with many of my close friends and family (people who I believe do love Jesus and believe the Bible) because of this issue.  I believe the Bible teaches that once one truly is drawn to Christ, they remain in Him, and don't fall away...and that if they do fall away, they weren't in Him to begin with.  Jesus Himself said that He came to give his sheep eternal life (see John6:40, 10:28) and that this eternal life is a present reality at the point when one believes in Him (Jn5:24, cf 3:15-17).  Therefore, if one trusts in Christ, they have eternal life NOW. 
If their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life "from before the foundation of the world" (Rev3:5, 13:8, 17:8) meaning that God saved them according to His purpose and grace He gave them in Christ 'before the world began' (2Tim1:9, Eph1:4-5), then they will come to faith in Christ, and they will remain in Him.  Those whom God "predestined, He also called, and those whom He called he justified, and those whom He justified, He also glorified" (Rom8:30). 
But what about all of those passages people cite about people falling away?  A careful reading of those passages reveals that these were people who never belonged to Jesus, and this is WHY they fell away finally.  Peter said that "whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved" (2Pet2:19), referring to people who have been led astray from the truth.  If something overcomes them so that they're enslaved, could they really have belonged to Jesus?  All the while, we hear promises like, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it" (Phil1:6), and "He who called you is faithful, He will surely (sanctify you and keep you blameless)" (1Thes5:23-24).  Finally, what could you say about the OTHER passages I just went through?  It all must make sense together, for Scripture can't be broken.  
Surely one must continue in the faith (see 1Cor15:2, Gal6:9, and Col1:23, for example).  I just believe that while I repent and continue in Christ, HE'S the One who keeps me, "for apart from (Him), (I) can do nothing" (Jn15:5). 
The issue is one of conversion, not continuation.  If they don't continue in faith, the question becomes, "were they really soundly converted in the first place?"  I think the answer is easy...if something led them from Christ, meaning that something was more attractive than Christ, then they must not have known Christ. 

This is Paul's dilemma in Galatians...the same Paul who said there's only one gospel also asked, "Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?" (3:1).  When Paul says, "I'm astonished you're so quickly deserting him who called you in the gospel" (1:6), and that "this persuasion is not FROM Him who calls you" (5:7), he's saying that he really doesn't understand HOW people could know Christ and then be led astray from him.  It doesn't make any sense..."I'm astonished you're deserting him..."  This is why Paul then says, "I'm afraid I may have labored over you in vain" (4:11).  Paul is wondering if his whole work was all for naught because perhaps these people truly don't know (and never knew) Christ.  Could these people truly have been in Christ, but have fallen out, even though Jesus said His true sheep won't? (see John10:27-28) 

The answer is 'no', because as Paul writes so emphatically with such cutting language, he then gives us hope: "I have confidence in the Lord that you'll take no other view than mine...you were called to freedom brothers" (5:10,13). 
Those who are brothers will listen to the Father.  Those who are sheep will listen to the Shepherd (Jn10:16, 27).  Those who love Jesus will keep Jesus' commands (Jn14:15). 
Paul knows, as he writes, that these people who received the Holy Spirit and were adopted into the family of God are in a phase of rebellion, but that they'll come back.  They're not like Hymenaeus or Philetus who have "swerved from the truth" (2Tim2:17-18).  Nor are they like Judas, whos betrayal fulfilled Scripture until he died.  Instead, they're like Peter, who was to deny Jesus three times and then return to Him....why did Peter return to Jesus?  It was because Jesus had prayed for Peter, "that your faith may not fail...so WHEN (not IF, but WHEN) you return, strengthen your brothers" (Luke22:31-34). 

In the same way, Jesus prayed for all of His sheep...that their faith wouldn't fail (John17:11), that they'd have joy in Him (17:13), that they'd be kept from the evil one (17:15), that they'd be sanctified in the truth (17:17), that they'd be united together (17:21), and that they'd know God's love for them and for Jesus (17:23-26). 

Martin Luther famously said that all of life should be a life of repentance...this is why Jesus said that the one who follows Him must daily take up his cross (see Luke9:23).  Those in Christ will do it, because they know that Jesus is worth it...He's captivated them, enraptured them, and shown Himself as glorious and worthy of praise.  This is why Paul is confident the Galatians will listen to Him and take heart: because "those in Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal5:24).