Welcome back! You made it through one of my rabbit-hole moments with the Lord when a particular verse is highlighted. Who knew it would be circumcision!?
Looks like we're going to stay on track with that for a few more verses.
If you didn't get a chance to join the conversation on the first part of this, GO HERE
If anything, you'll learn about the history of the medical procedure as we know it in the US and if it's applicable today.
One main point I do want to bring into this post as we continue through Galatians is-
What things have we made common or normal that are a lesser reality that we have access to as believers?
One thing I think we can agree upon is that Jesus' work on the cross was complete and required nothing of us. We couldn't add anything if we tried, we aren't holy and righteous apart from Him. He took our place to remove separation forever. That is the great exchange.
The Gospel is a gospel of grace- undeserved favor. We are given the ability to pursue relationship with God because of the righteousness of Christ. As Paul says, "It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20). While it is a common and normal belief in the current world that we live our lives for our own benefit and potential- the greater reality is that we have access to becoming a new creation in Christ and that reality is far far better and NORMAL for those of the kingdom.
Common vs Kingdom. That's where we landed in the last post.
Now continuing:
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 5:3-6
Forgive me for summarizing once again, but in case you're just joining-
The church that Paul is writing to was being led back into the belief by Judaizers that faith was not enough to receive salvation, but that God still expected men to be circumcised as prescribed by the law. The law was in place before the cross as a "trust" of God's promise as well as a revealer of the need of His promise. Once Jesus completed the work, the trust was no longer needed as the promise of grace was freely accessible. The law was not invalidated, but now possible to keep by the indwelling of the Spirit and life as a new creation.
These passages hit what is important to God. It's not circumcision or uncircumcision that puts anyone in right-standing with Him- that is ONLY Jesus. None of the traditions matter in relationship with God. Only faith working through love matters.
That's the motivation- love.
Loving God, pursuing Jesus, cultivates faith.
Circumcision, then, as it was being presented to these people was invalidating the power and work of the cross by adding something that didn't matter and effectively bringing that person underneath the very thing that had been superseded.
God looks at our hearts. He knows our motivations. Psalm 51:10 says:
Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
The motivation behind getting the men to be circumcised was getting them to assimilate to the previous dogma and culture from the past season. It was a blatant action that said, "the cross was NOT enough."
We must be careful in our current time to discern what choices we make that say that same thing. It is easy to be ensnared by common things.....because they're common. Common doesn't get questioned because it's the norm. Sometimes it's been the norm for so long that even when the context or time changes, people are unwilling to recognize what was true and worked for one season is no longer so. I'm suggesting there are areas in all of our lives to be aware of that we have a lot more identity in than we're aware of (or we've become ignorant and complacent to the pattern) and when times change, we need to have our eyes opened to being able to let go of the old way of things and step into the new. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in bondage to an infrastructure that is outdated and unable to support the future.
An old wine skin can't hold new wine, right? (Luke 5:37-39)
Can we fall away from grace?
I think so.
I don't think that falling away from grace is losing salvation. I do think that falling away from grace is stepping out of the favor of God. Grace is defined as just that- undeserved favor. Something we can't do anything for- it's just freely given and freely received. But the way in which that transaction takes place is only through Jesus.
You know that verse about buying without cost (Isaiah 55)? That's grace. You get things that someone else paid for. So, what happens when you fall out of grace? I would suggest that when you choose to step out from God's promise and provision, you can't actually buy the things because you're trying to do it out of your own volition instead of from Him.
That's why this circumcision thing was such a big deal. They weren't cutting a piece of themselves off to be marked a part of the family, they were actually cutting themselves off from the family.
Our decisions matter. The things we accept matter. Our motivations matter. Yet not one of those things matter in salvation, they matter in relationship. Circumcision or uncircumcision counts for nothing, just faith. Maybe faith leads you to say "yes" to something that faith leads me to say "no" to. That's also completely possible, I would say it's probable.
You remember at the beginning of this study we talked about all the different denominations and how not one is the right one?
This is the same discussion with different subject material.
You don't choose to be Lutheran, Evangelical, Catholic, Methodist, AG, etc because it's the RIGHT way to do things. You choose your church because God leads you to a people. And trust me, I know many people who have chosen churches because God has led them to a people NOT a religious tradition.
It makes you think, right? God, where are the places in my beliefs that I have accepted certain truths to be the ultimate truth where you already supplied grace? Where have I compromised the gospel?
Romans 2:29 speaks of the circumcised heart. A heart that has been set unto God. There was a time that we were not dwelling places for Holy Spirit. That time was so much less far removed for the people that Paul was communicating with. Circumcision marked a body. There was a sacrifice made to set a people apart. But now, circumcision of the heart was the desire of the Lord. Not a physical cut, but a spiritual one that removed a sin nature and replaced it with that of Jesus marking us as His to the very core.
Amen.
"After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people."Jeremiah 31:33
Lyns
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