“And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” vs12

You have to be more than circumcised; you have to have faith to be saved. You are not a child of Abraham physically; it is because you have faith, whether you are circumcised (Jew) or not (Gentile). None of this matters. All that matters is a new heart circumcised by the Spirit. It is not the outward religious code; it is the inward working of the heart - true faith - that shows itself in love.

Let us judge ourselves before God by these things. “Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited as righteousness [vs9].” Don’t stop with the ceremony - “Oh, I give. I fast. I pray. I am not like others.” Move into the spirit - “I believe on the Son of God, and love is the result.” Move to a gospel based standing, instead of works based! Take no pride in the flesh - I’m American, I’m African, I’m Gentile, I’m philosopher, I’m rich - and make your whole identity in Christ by the Spirit [Rom 2:28]. Do not look upon ANYTHING but faith in Christ.

This leads to loving people. We are no longer big shots who are better than others, but we’ve obtained mercy. No longer are we standing by what we do (I’ve been circumcised and obey God), but we believe upon Him and rely upon Him fully.

Likewise, the spirit of defeat is gone. “In what context was righteousness credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.” No longer do we look upon ourselves, and say, “I’m not as good as so and so,” but we look up to Christ, receive justification by faith, and ACKNOWLEDGE OURSELVES the sons of God [Gal 4:7]. So what, if I’m not great like someone else? I have access to God, and He helps me, loves me, and uses me. I can go to Him and get all that I need. “So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them [vs11].” I’m not the least bit unaccepted or unworthy. I have everything, just like every other believer.

We are loved in Christ before the foundation of the world, and that love doesn’t increase or diminish by what we do. Our works DO NOT make us more acceptable!

Hear the gospel, children of God. Get off your high horse, O believer. Stop looking down upon yourself in unbelief, dear saint. We are accepted by God before we do anything. “And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.” Abraham was pleasing before circumcision. You are pleasing before you tell the preacher, “I want to be baptised”, before you tell the wife, “I’m sorry,” and before you tell the poor, “I give you half my good and restore to all whom I’m robbed [Luke 19:6, 8].”

The gospel makes us acceptable by faith alone, and then we do good works. Whenever works are lacking, let us go to the gospel first, lest we trust in externals, when the gospel is in the heart. Do not be deceived by deeds first. Do not trust in circumcision, but trust in the Living God who raises the dead.