PRÉCIS ON THE FOOLISH AMERICANS: WARNING TO THE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS WHO HONOR THE LAW RATHER THAN THE LAWGIVER

SCRIPTURE. “You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing].” – GALATIANS 5:4, AMP

KEY TERM: “FALLEN.” ‘Ekpipto’ [ἐξεπέσατε]: “To drop away or be driven from one’s proper course;’ to lose, become insufficient; to become of little or no effect.” NOTE: “The Greek verb ἐκπίπτω (‘ekpipto’) primarily conveys the idea of falling out or away from a place, position, or condition. It can denote a physical falling, such as leaves falling from a tree, or a metaphorical falling, such as losing one’s position or failing in some respect. ‘In the New Testament, it is often used to describe a spiritual or moral decline, such as falling away from grace or truth.’”

QUOTATION. ““Now this Bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, ‘Thou must die.’ Donne then elucidates upon that phrase, saying, ‘Perchance, he for whom this Bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him.” ― JASINDA WILDER,Falling Away, 2015; edited

COMMENTARY. ‘Christ is become of no effect unto you.’  Or, ‘Ye are abolished from Christ!’ or as others by an ‘hypallage’ [an unnatural transposition] read the words, ‘Christ is abolished unto you,’ for by their seeking for justification by their own works, it was ‘all one to them as if there was no Christ, and no righteousness in Hm, and no salvation by Him; they had nothing to do with him, nor he with them.

‘Whosoever of you are justified by the law.’ That is, who sought to be justified by their obedience to the law [God’s or mans!], or who thought they were, and trusted in themselves that they were righteous; for otherwise, by the deeds of the law, no flesh living can be justified.

‘Ye are fallen from grace.’ That is, either from that grace which they professed to have; for there might be some in these churches, as in others, who were only nominal Christians, and formal professors; who had declared they saw themselves lost and undone sinners, destitute of a righteousness, and professed to believe in Christ alone for righteousness and strength, but now trusted in themselves, and in the works of the law: Or from the scheme of grace in the whole of man’s salvation, which will admit of no mixture of works. ‘Either it is one or the other, it cannot be both!’” – JOHN GILL, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 1746-1763; edited

DK’S TAKE. The original meaning and application of this powerful passage is of course with reference to Paul’s severe warning to the Jews who still desired spiritual justification by God’s Law. ‘An abomination’ in the Apostle’s view since it nullified Christ’s agonizing Work at the Cross.

But by easy doctrinal extension, this is no different than the effort by Trump Christian Nationalists to supplant the True Christ with the Anti-Christ, who promises to wield his new laws in Draconian fashion to “Make America Great Again.” By violating virtually every Biblical and Constitutional Principle to achieve it.

This is, beloved, IDOLATRY at its very height. Indeed, this is ‘The Spirit of Judas!’  The Lord therefore instructs Paul in no uncertain terms to tell such “believers” that they are now become fully Apostate, forever “abolished from Christ!” in the words of Mr. Gill. But for those who can still hear and heed this severest of Divine Reproof, there is still a little time to make amends with the Messiah and return to Him.

That, or dare to shame Him further, and perish forever.