Galatians 6:15 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
■》(see notes on 5:6:
Galatians 5:6 "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
“For” justifies the importance given faith in verse 5. In Christianity one does not profit spiritually either by being circumcised or uncircumcised. “Faith which worketh by love” means “faith that is produced by love.” Faith is a man’s response to God who loves him, and this divine love that produces faith results in his justification.
“Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision” (6:15). Nothing done or not done in the flesh, even religious ceremony, makes any difference in one’s relationship to God. What is external is immaterial and worthless, unless it reflects genuine internal righteousness (Rom. 2:25-29).
Circumcision is of the flesh. This then, makes no difference either way, because Christianity is of the spirit. Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ.
“Faith which worketh by love”: Saving faith proves its genuine character by works of love. The person who lives by faith is internally motivated by love for God and Christ (Matt. 22:37-40), which supernaturally issues forth in reverent worship, genuine obedience, and self-sacrificing love for others.
Romans 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:" "But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God."
We see in all this that Christianity has very little to do with the flesh. The only thing it does have to do with it is that we must cut away the flesh that the spirit might live. For us to be in a position that we desire to be with Christ, we must crucify our flesh and live in the spirit.).
“A new creature”: The new birth (see notes on John 3:3:
John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
This statement made to Nicodemus was not just for him but for everyone who wants to see the kingdom of God. We know that Verily, verily means that this is beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Jesus answers a question that Nicodemus does not even ask. He read Nicodemus’ heart and came to the very core of his problem, i.e., the need for spiritual transformation or regeneration produced by the Holy Spirit. New birth is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the believer.
Chapter (1:12-13), indicates that “born again’ also carries the idea “to become children of God” through trust in the name of the incarnate Word.
This statement to a rational man is very difficult to understand. This is really speaking of a drastic change that takes place within a person. The word repent means to turn away from the old life to a new life. This is what this is saying here.
Jesus is telling Nicodemus that to acquire the Kingdom of God is much deeper than just believing in the miracles He did. He is telling Nicodemus that this is drastic, like birth. The change has to be total. You must become a new creature.
“He cannot see the kingdom of God”: In context, this is primarily a reference to participation in the millennial kingdom at the end of the age, fervently anticipated by the Pharisees and other Jews. Since the Pharisee were supernaturalists, they naturally and eagerly expected the coming prophesied resurrection of the saints and institution of the messianic kingdom (Isa. 11:1-16, Dan. 12:2).
Their problem was that they thought that mere physical lineage and keeping of religious externals qualified them for entrance into the kingdom rather than the needed spiritual transformation which Jesus emphasized. The coming of the kingdom at the end of the age can be described as the “regeneration” of the word (Matt. 19:28), but regeneration of the individual is required before the end of the world in order to enter the kingdom.
Nicodemus is caught up in things that you can figure out with your mind. He is fully aware of what physical birth is, as you will see in the next verse.
And 2 Cor. 5:17:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”: What Paul particularizes (in verse 16), he generalizes (in verse 17). Paul could no longer think of Christ in purely carnal terms, because of the universal truth that has been applied to him personally. That is, when a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” (John 3:3; 15:5; Rom. 8:1, 9; Gal. 6:14-15), and perceives Christ in a new way.
“In Christ”: These two words comprise a brief but most profound statement of the inexhaustible significance of the believer’s redemption, which includes the following:
1. The believer’s security in Christ, who bore in His body God’s judgment against sin;
2. The believer’s acceptance in Him with whom God alone is well pleased;
3. The believer’s future assurance in Him who is the resurrection to eternal life and the sole guarantor of the believer’s inheritance in heaven;
4. The believer’s participation in the divine nature of Christ, the everlasting Word (2 Peter 1:4).
“New creature”: This describes something that is created at a qualitatively new level of excellence. It refers to regeneration or the new birth (John 3:3; Eph. 2:1-3; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 5:4). This expression encompasses the Christian’s forgiveness of sins paid for in Christ’s substitutionary death (Gal. 6:15; Eph. 4:24).
“Old things are passed away”: The aorist tense indicates a decisive break with the old life, at the moment of salvation. After a person is regenerate, old value systems, priorities, beliefs, loves, and plans are gone. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him.
“Behold, all things are become new”: (Literally, “new things have come to be”): Paul changes to the perfect tense to stress the abiding results of the Christians union with Christ (Isa. 43:18-19; 66:17; Eph. 4:24; Rev. 21:4-5). The Greek grammar indicates that this newness is a continuing condition of fact.
The believer’s new spiritual perception of everything is a constant reality for him, and he now lives for eternity, not temporal things. James identifies this transformation as the faith that produces works (Eph. 2:10; James 2:14-25).
God does not make new things. He takes the old and changes it. We know that before we are born of the water and the Spirit, we are flesh man. We are living to please the flesh. The new life we get in Jesus allows that flesh man to die and the new spirit man to live. We are born, again, unto God.
John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
When we are baptized, it symbolizes being buried in a watery grave. We leave that old person in the watery grave. The person, who comes up out of the water, is a new creature in Christ.
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
When we become that new creature in Christ, the slate is wiped clean. We start all over again. We are not condemned for the sin that Christ has forgiven. We are clean, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Romans 8:1 "[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
We must however, walk in this salvation that the Lord purchased for us. We no longer live, but Christ liveth in us....
~end of notes).
In God’s sight “neither” the external “circumcision” of the flesh “nor” its omission (“uncircumcision”) “availeth” (profits). Only being divinely transformed into “a new creature” (creation), this is, a morally new and different person, benefits one spiritually.
Nothing in the flesh means anything. We will discard this house of flesh and receive our spiritual body. The thing that does matter is that we are born again. We are a new creature in Christ. Christ liveth in us. This world is not our home. We are a stranger in this land. Our home is in heaven with Jesus.
■》In Christ the barrier between the circumcised and uncircumcised is overcome:
Eph 2:11-13 See also Ro 4:9-12; 1Co 12:13; Col 3:11
■》spiritual circumcision:
On its own, the physical sign of circumcision is no guarantee of finding favour in the sight of God. It was intended to be the outward sign of inward consecration and should be accompanied by repentance, faith and obedience. Paul stresses that circumcision confers no special privileges upon individuals; it is faith in God, rather than any outward sign, that ensures that believers stand in a right relationship to God.
■》newness:
Through Jesus Christ, God has made possible a new relationship between himself and sinful humanity. This involves the renewal of human nature and eventually a renewal of creation itself.
☆ Screenshots: King James Study Bible
