Q4. Circumcision vs. the Spirit

[Eudora]

Galatians 5: 5-10 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Paul says it too: we ‘wait for the hope of righteousness’, through the Spirit by faith. Neither being circumcised or un-circumcised matters. What matters is that we are accepted by God on the grounds of trusting Yahushua. Trust and faithfulness, expressing our self through good deeds done in love.

In the New Testament and the Old, ‘love’ refers to works and not mere feelings, believe it or not. Verse six, refutes the idea that Christianity and Judaism elevate belief over action, creed over deed. Faith that is worked by love.

Circumcision had been the primary "mark of identity" for a believer in God. What is the evidence of the Spirit's presence in a believer's life according to verse 6?

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Good deeds, to those who benefit is a value to those who do them when they spring from love because it is our faith in action, presented in love by the Spirit of love who works in us. This is a progression of behavioral righteousness in action, when we are more concerned with the well being of others, at the cost of our own creature comforts. This is our sacrifice unto the Lord. He knows what is true and what isn’t.

The Galatians had been exposed again to legalism, that false principle that grants acceptance to people apart from putting their trust in Jesus, rather than relying solely on Him and accepting His love for us and the promise that He will do all the work that He intends to perform in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rather than our obedience to Him and the ‘whispers’ of the Holy Spirit, legalism is based on obedience to a set of rules that was never intended to save us, but only ground us in the view of our need for salvation’s promise through the blood of Christ Jesus rather than animals that were used in the interim until the perfect Lamb of God was revealed.

As a good co-shepherd would, Paul had no choice but to use the strongest possible language because he had been the man responsible for establishing these congregations on the path of truth. If not, these false teachings would have destroyed all of God’s work that He had worked through Paul. If Paul had brought any other gospel, it would have been an accursed thing.

We are identified now through the fruit of the Spirit of the Son of God. Because God could not be everywhere, His Spirit form can and this is our new identity as a Son of God. This is the power that He gave to those who have received Him

[linda bass]

The way the Holy Spirit has become the new "mark of the believer" is, He becomes present in the believer's life.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit's presense in a believer's life is, faith expressing itself through love.

[jahjanrod321@live.com]

Q4. (Galatians 5:5-6) Circumcision had been the primary "mark of identity" for a believer in God. In what way has the Spirit become the new "mark of identity" for the believer?

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Jn 4:24. When a person becomes save, The Holy Spirit takes up automatic residency in that new believer for the purpose guiding or teaching the believer to live holy unto God. God knows and understands man's frailty and that we need a manual or map to direct us or we are forever lost. We are God highest creation and he wants us to be spirit focussed base on faith.

What is the evidence of the Spirit's presence in a believer's life according to verse 6?

Expressing our faith in Jesus through love.

Faith Which Worketh By Love: Saving faith is a living faith in a living Saviour.

[Dew drenched]

Q4. (Galatians 5:5-6) Circumcision had been the primary “mark of identity” for a believer in God. In what way has the Spirit become the new “mark of identity” for the believer?

The Holy Spirit has given a new liberty in Christ, a new liberty for all believers. It is the liberty of a Love-service instead of a Law-bondage. We are not working in the flesh as debtors to the whole law, and finding ourselves outside of grace or fallen from grace. We live in the Spirit set free from the law and living in grace, enjoying the righteousness which we hoped for through faith.

What is the evidence of the Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life according to verse 6?

Faith which works by Love is the mark of the believer. It is a life of love-service, motivated by a faith in the saviour that sets us apart and marks us as true followers of Him. “See how they love one another”

[wifee]

4a) Since Christ and sending of his Spirit, the mark of identity Galation converts and believers, is the Spirit in us, we are justified through work of the cross. The only circumcision needed is of the heart by the Spirit. shown by how we treat those around us, believers or not.

b)Evidence is lives led by the Spirit,by faith pursuing actions of love,peace,mercy and hope, loving God and showing Christ’s love and care for others in how think and relate to the about world about us. Faith expressed through true love.

[RD35]

Faith in Christ is now the identity.

 

Circumcision of the Heart.  Living a sprit led faith in loving actions.  Acting in loving ways towards other in the Christian community.

[Thanking Joan]

The spirit has become the new mark of identity of the believer because it has made a sons of God a new creation in Jesus Christ.Our identity has been changed to heirs of God.

According to Vs 6 the presence of the Holy spirit is faith expressing itself through love.

[JoanG]

The mark of the New Christians is the indwelling spirit that Jesus gave to us when we were baptized into the faith. This Spirit is to help us to soften our hearts to the love that Jesus gives to us freely as his adopted brothers and sisters. It helps us to get over past habits and to form better and grace filled habits. It allows us the freedom to become who we are to be through God's grace. We are more able to follow the path that God puts us on to be everything that God wants us to be. But the real evidence of all of this is the love that is not only in our lives but also the love that radiates from us. We are to shine love to the whole world. We are to be the love of Christ here today.

[lighthouse2014]

Q4. (Galatians 5:5-6) Circumcision had been the primary “mark of identity” for a believer in God. In what way has the Spirit become the new “mark of identity” for the believer? What is the evidence of the Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life according to verse 6?

Circumcision had been the identity of the covenant made between God and Abraham and later by the Israelite's, thus true believers in God. After Messiah came the mark of identity for the believer was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

The evidence of the spirit's presence in a believer according to verse 6 is a faith expressing itself through actions of love.   

[Lionwolf]

Q4. (Galatians 5:5-6) Circumcision had been the primary "mark of identity" for a believer in God. In what way has the Spirit become the new "mark of identity" for the believer? What is the evidence of the Spirit's presence in a believer's life according to verse 6?

The new mark of identity is our spirit led faith. This means our life is focused on love and belief in Jesus. This is shown by loving one another.

 

 

 

[Annie343]

SPIRIT NOW THE MARK OF IDENTITY: it is not about a biological relationship but spiritual realities; knowing we are children of freedom and acting like it: spiritual vitality evident; understand that all of God's benefits come to us by faith; being part of the body of believers; given hope of righteousness through the Spirit of God; assurance of salvation noted; being obedient to the Word and walking in a spirit-led life with love and faith

EVIDENCE OF SPIRIT'S PRESENCE: it is the fullness of blessings by grace seen; seeing a powerful testimony of the power of justification by faith; reverent worship and adhering to the purpose of spiritual disciplines, obedience and self-sacrificing love for others; love having been poured out in our hearts (realizing the victory of salvation); love is seen as the fulfillment of the law and lives show it; motivated to live right; having faith that reaches the heart and being controlled  in our affections; provision of hope in God's love that sent His Son is our basis of love (we love Him because He has loved us); witness of God's Spirit of knowing we are the children of God; not in fear of meeting the law's demands; obedience to God's Word

[Jonathan Edwards]

It is faith of the justified person which produces a transformed life, not physical circumcision. Physical circumcision has no power for anything in this life.

It is due to the Holy Spirit that we can live lives characterized with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Self effort in attempt to obey the law excludes sanctifying grace.

Depending on the Holy Spirit with eagerness for practical righteousness is crucial.   Depending on self will, positive metaphysical or theosophical methods--are all in vain.    Movements such as Religious Science, Christian Science and New Thoughts are not preaching what is underscored in this Epistle

Having faith in Chrust is what Paul is referring to.  It is a dynamic faith wrought by the Holy Spirit that enables the Christian to bear fruit.

 

[Krissi]

I'm not certain that circumcision was the primary mark of identity for a male believer in God. It's my understanding that the practice was forced on captured slaves by Egyptians and so became a mark of slavery, not faith. Today, it's done in Jewish and Muslim cultures, but not most Christian cultures (except in America) and some parts of Africa. Most European and Asian men are not circumcised. 

But, in these passages about the Galatian church at the time of Paul's writing, the Jews of that time certainly thought of circumcision as the primary rite which separated themselves from gentiles: this was a deeply ingrained cultural assumption. To them, Jew v non-Jew was equivalent to circumcised v non-circumcised.

The problem with Jewish law is that is has to be outward. You have to see or do it. Too, you have to be able to see it done by others. Circumcision is obviously something that physically changes the body and so can be seen -- much like tattoos which are so voguish today -- but a circumcision of the heart cannot be seen. There's no "mark" or behavioural demand, but rather an inner change.

Though the mark of godly circumcision is invisible it is real when the presence of the Holy Spirit comes into the lives of new believers. It's difficult to discern this "evidence" of the Christian identity unless the person overly displays the sort of love about which Paul is writing: faith expressed as love.

It's simply a fact that seculars (non-Christians) love, too. Our Christian love has to be demonstrably different or more intense than that of seculars. Perhaps this happened in the First Century, but I'm not so sure that Christians, today, can be identified or set apart from seculars and Jews by their love toward others.