Galatians 3:4, 12 TPT “Have you endured so many trials and persecutions for nothing?
12 But keeping the law does not require faith, but self-effort. For the law teaches, “If you practice the principles of law, you must follow all of them.”
In those ancient days, circumcision was part of the law that marked them as Jews. So they practiced circumcision to identify themselves as a Jew. It was very painful if an adult got circumcised. Faith does not require “self-effort,” but it does require something.
What would modern-day spiritual circumcision look like? How would it look to you personally? How would you mark yourself as a “Christian” so others would know you are a “Christian?” What modern day act of circumcision would you use to identify yourself a “Christian?”
How would we know if we are moving back to law and away from faith? Verse four is the answer. When many Christians can no longer sustain the trials, tests, persecution, and tribulations of life, they will revert back to the law without even realizing they have. This is why many Christians feel like nothing goes right and most of their lives are in constant “help me, I need prayers,” rather than living as “more than conquerors in Christ.” It is because people under the law are living under a curse since they cannot fulfill the requirements of the law.
Galatians 3:10 TPT “It is obvious that no one achieves the righteousness of God by attempting to keep the law, for it is written: “The one who is in a right relationship with God will live by faith!”
People presume they have a relationship with God. Acknowledging God exists and acknowledging what HE did on the Cross does not establish a relationship. Even the demons acknowledge that God exists, but tremble in fear. Many people who are not Christians acknowledge that God exists. In fact, many Christians acknowledge God exists but do not believe in order to follow Jesus properly according to the Word of God.
In verse 10, it is quoted, “The one who is in a right relationship with God will live by faith!”
We must conclude, then, that most Christians only have a simple, basic level of faith in acknowledging and believing God’s existence and what HE has done at the Cross for their salvation. However, we must question whether we are in a right relationship with God because it is stated that one who lives in right in relationship with God lives in faith. Then, if we live in faith, does this faith not overcome the world? If our faith overcomes the world, then we should be progressively obtaining victory in each season from the grip of the enemy that plagues our marriages, children, finances, health, minds, and all other unresolved issues within our hearts. Does it not?
Or is our hope the equivalent of buying a lottery ticket, you hope you win one day? But the hope defined in the Bible is guaranteed to win in this life if you choose to live in the Kingdom of God rather than just be near it.
Additional Comments:
So in those ancient days, a Jew may ask another person to identify each other as a Jew, “Are you circumcised?”
In modern times, how do Christians identify themselves as Christians?
Are you a Christian?
“Yes, I’ve been baptized.”
Or we might say, “I pray!”
Circumcised Jews may identify themselves as Jews, but most did not know the Torah or had ever read it.
Today, although we have printing and Bibles everywhere, those who are baptized do not even know the whole Word of God.
Romans 9:8 NLT “This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.”
Then what is the true spiritual circumcision that “marks” a Christian?
Living with offense, unforgiveness, anger, lack of knowing the word, lack of prayer, not going to church, not tithing, not fellowship but living in isolation, drinking and smoking, living in sexual immorality, and living in any sin are all evidence of living at the edge or outside the kingdom of God.
In the Bible, many were healed and delivered, and then told that the kingdom of God is near. They were sick, living in poverty, and plagued with demons because they were not living in the kingdom but outside. God’s people were living outside His kingdom and were invited to enter as they experienced healing, deliverance, and breakthrough. But as told, many did not accept the invitation because they thought they were already in the kingdom and saved.
Senior Pastor Steve Kim