(Galatians 5:6 KJV) For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. After teaching for chapters about The Law (which came through Moses) and Grace (which came through Jesus), and about circumcision, where many Gentile believers were being asked to have their penis’ cut in order to be right with God, Paul gives a statement that seems to clarify all his teaching.
Paul tells us that once we are IN Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. In other words, ceremonial Laws are no longer our focus. As New Testament, Born-Again, Spirit-filled believers, the Apostle Paul teaches us that our focus should be on living a life of faith, and he tells us that our faith works by love. I only gave you one verse today, because I have several things to say about it.
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s seek to glean a few golden nuggets:
1. As New Testament, Born-Again, Spirit-filled believers, external ceremonial Laws or rules should no longer be our focus.
2. The focus of the Born-Again believer is to be led of the Holy Spirit, to pursue what He leads us to do by faith, and to maintain our love walk with God and man.
3. If you don’t acknowledge and embrace the Love of God towards you, your faith will not work, because you will inevitably make a mistake and think you have disqualified yourself from God’s best.
4. Acknowledging and embracing the Love of God towards you is vital to your faith-walk, because receiving God’s love in your heart is what opens you up to His Grace.
5. Your faith will be strong when you are convinced that God loves you and that He wants to use you by His Grace, not because you are so good.
6. If you attempt to live by faith without embracing God’s love in your heart, you will attempt to live by faith with your head. Many people attempt to live by faith mentally, without God’s love in their heart. These people spent lots of time praying for things, making confessions, declaring this-and-that, but to no avail, because faith does not work from your head, faith works from your heart.
7. Love is who God is, and Grace is how God deals with us. When we settle the fact that God loves us and that He wants to bless us by His Grace, we are then able to access that Grace by faith.
*** I have more to say about this, so we will stop here for today and continue with this verse tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your love, Your Grace, and my requirement to live by faith, while established in love towards You and others. I am a New Testament, Born-Again, Spirit-filled believer, and I don’t live my life focused on ceremonial Laws that were external and that could not bring about internal change. The focus of my life now is to be led of Your Holy Spirit daily. Your Spirit leads me, He speaks to me, and He reveals Your will to me. As I hear, I say. As I see, I do. As You lead me, I go. And I do all of this, because I am convinced that You love me. You love me. You love me. You love me. Thank You Father for loving me in spite of my faults, flaws and failures. You love me with an everlasting love. You love me, because love is not something You have, or something You do, Love is who you are! I receive and embrace Your love in my heart. I know You want to use me and bless me, because You are so good, not because I am. I don’t attempt to live by faith with my head. I live by faith with my heart. My heart is convinced that You love me. And it is Your love, emanating from my heart, that enables me to live by faith. My faith works because I am convinced that You love me. Your love in my heart helps shield and protect me from the condemnation satan attempts to put me in when I make a mistake, and since I am able to resist condemnation, I am able to maintain my confidence in You. So Father, I enter this day with fearless confidence, knowing that You love me, that You want to use me for Your glory, and that You want to bless me by Grace, not because I am so good. By faith I access Your Grace and I perform Your will in the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
