King James Bible
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
Paul warns that relying on law-keeping for righteousness nullifies Christ's saving work in one's life. The Greek term implies being severed or separated from Christ's power, as His sacrifice becomes meaningless if one seeks justification elsewhere. This addresses the Galatian believers who were turning to Jewish law observance, particularly circumcision, as necessary for salvation. Paul identifies the specific error: attempting to achieve right standing with God through human effort rather than faith. The stark consequence is departing from God's unmerited favor system to a merit-based one. This doesn't mean losing salvation permanently, but rather abandoning the principle of grace-based righteousness for a futile works-based approach.