Galatians 5:1-6
1: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
2: Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3: And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
4: You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5: For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Paul told the Galatians that Christ hadn’t set them free so they could go back into bondage under the Law. No, He set us free so we could be free from trying to earn salvation through works, instead of by grace through faith. He encouraged them to stand firm against those who would try and bring them into a yoke of slavery through the Law.
Paul very bluntly said if you were circumcised, then Christ would be of no benefit to you. No benefit! If you keep a part of the Law, you are obligated to keep the entire Law. You are severed from Christ if you try to justify yourselves by the Law. You are fallen from grace. Those are heavy words, but it was necessary for him to be completely clear about this.
It's not that being circumcised is wrong in and of itself, but when done as a practice of the Jewish Law to try to earn righteousness with God, a person has crossed the line from grace to works. They will have to keep the entire Law to be justified, which of course was proven to be impossible for anyone other than Christ Himself. You can’t add a little bit of Law just in case that might help your standing with God. No, it’s all or nothing.
Either the blood of Jesus was powerful enough to cleanse you of your sin, or it wasn’t. Of course it was, but if you turn to the Law for justification, it is apparent that you don’t really believe what Christ did was enough. You’ve nullified His grace in your life. You’ve opposed His extended hand of salvation, pushed Christ away, while reaching for something else which won’t save you at all. Something which has already been tried and proven not to work in the heart of mankind.
Paul says we wait by the Spirit, not the flesh, for the hope—the fulfillment—of our righteousness. Whether you are circumcised or not means nothing to God in regards to righteousness. Only faith, which works by love means something. Your faith in Christ is expressed through love. Love is evidence of your faith because love is the commandment Jesus gave (John 13:34). He said if we love Him, we will keep His commandment (John 14:15), and we love Him because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).
2: Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3: And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
4: You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5: For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
***
Paul told the Galatians that Christ hadn’t set them free so they could go back into bondage under the Law. No, He set us free so we could be free from trying to earn salvation through works, instead of by grace through faith. He encouraged them to stand firm against those who would try and bring them into a yoke of slavery through the Law.
Paul very bluntly said if you were circumcised, then Christ would be of no benefit to you. No benefit! If you keep a part of the Law, you are obligated to keep the entire Law. You are severed from Christ if you try to justify yourselves by the Law. You are fallen from grace. Those are heavy words, but it was necessary for him to be completely clear about this.
It's not that being circumcised is wrong in and of itself, but when done as a practice of the Jewish Law to try to earn righteousness with God, a person has crossed the line from grace to works. They will have to keep the entire Law to be justified, which of course was proven to be impossible for anyone other than Christ Himself. You can’t add a little bit of Law just in case that might help your standing with God. No, it’s all or nothing.
Either the blood of Jesus was powerful enough to cleanse you of your sin, or it wasn’t. Of course it was, but if you turn to the Law for justification, it is apparent that you don’t really believe what Christ did was enough. You’ve nullified His grace in your life. You’ve opposed His extended hand of salvation, pushed Christ away, while reaching for something else which won’t save you at all. Something which has already been tried and proven not to work in the heart of mankind.
Paul says we wait by the Spirit, not the flesh, for the hope—the fulfillment—of our righteousness. Whether you are circumcised or not means nothing to God in regards to righteousness. Only faith, which works by love means something. Your faith in Christ is expressed through love. Love is evidence of your faith because love is the commandment Jesus gave (John 13:34). He said if we love Him, we will keep His commandment (John 14:15), and we love Him because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).
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