Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

    

  

One of the big struggles in the early church was to break free from the idea, that we so often have, to DO certain things to win God's approval. In the Old Testament, faith, a relationship of Jew to God was demonstrated by the Jew in the form of keeping the Law. One aspect of that was the rite of circumcision for males, established right back with Abraham. It was almost like wearing a badge. If I wear the badge, I'm saved, I'm part of God's family. Well no, actually it was a heart matter, not merely a family or national or cultural matter. Relationship is all about what is on the inside, not about DOING particular things to win God's approval. Reading the Bible, ‘going to church' or whatever else it is that we do, come out of the relationship that we already have with God; they don't cause it.

 

So, says Paul, it's not a question of whether or not you have been circumcised (or do anything else for that matter), it's a case of living a life of faith, which is all about responding to God, and that is done within this relationship of love. God loves us and has sent Jesus to die for us. When we responded to Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit of love, and love is the key characteristic of our lives. Faith is responding to God, to what He says and does, and everything we do is a love response to His love for us. It's no longer performing to appease God (Jesus has done that), it's just about receiving His love by faith.