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

>>The word "availeth," in our text comes from the Greek word "ischuo, [is-khoo'o] which means "avail, or forcefulness."

>>Therefore our text is saying neither circumcision nor uncircumcision are of any avail, i.e., of any account, or any benefit, or any profit, or any usefulness, "...but faith which worketh by love," is forceful, i.e., compelling, persuasive, powerful, convincing, satisfactory.

>>Those who walk by saving faith which is motivated by love are not only well pleasing unto the Lord, but they have a great reward as we see in GAL 6:15-16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

>>True saving faith is motivated with an eye on this precious reward.

HEB 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

>>This reward is not to those who serve the Lord by the letter of the law but in the spirit of the law as is evident by the context of our text.

GAL 5:1-4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

>>The reason for this becomes so apparent from COL 2:10-12 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

>>This is why preaching that we come under the covenant of circumcision is not of any avail, i.e., of any account, or any benefit, or any profit, or any usefulness, in fact it counts against us as Paul says in

GAL 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

>>What our text teaches is that if we are in Jesus Christ "...faith which worketh by love," i.e., obedience of faith which is motivated by love is forceful, i.e., compelling, persuasive, powerful, convincing, satisfactory.

MAT 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

>>A hearty desire to serve the Lord from a motive of love is very well pleasing in the eyes of the Father and has a great reward.

JOH 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

>>Jesus' disciples didn't catch the distinction between this exercise of saving faith and the world,

JOH 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

>>Jesus went on to explain how delighted the Father is with those who are exercised by the "...faith which worketh by love."

JOH 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

>>The apostle James tell us in JAM 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

>>What is effectual prayer which availeth much, i.e., which is so forceful?

JOH 15:7-10 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

>>"Faith which worketh by love," is first pure.

JAM 3:11-18 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

>>Notice our text says faith "worketh" by love, i.e., not with "bitter envying and strife in your hearts," which we all have by nature of the fall.

>>The exercise of saving faith is to mortify these. This is indispensable to receiving the promise

ROM 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

COL 3:5-8 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

>>The exercise of saving faith which worketh by love is to crucify that old man of sin under the second table of the law.

GAL 5:24-26 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

>>Satan loves to use the truth out of its context by teaching partial truths. He loves to teach the partial truth that it is only by the blood of Christ that we can be saved.

ROM 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

>>That is positively true! That is the Word of God! But if it is used out of its context with other truths it can be used to make a lie!

>>The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in us to cleans us from our sin is as essential as the blood to remove the guilt of sin.

JOH 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.

TIT 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

>>Salvation is two-fold: It consists of being justified in a legal sense, and then experiencing "...the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," through sanctification.

>>We owe our salvation not only to the Son, but to all three persons of the Trinity.

>>First, it was the Father who chose His elect unto salvation through the obedience and sacrifice of His Son as we see in 1PE 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

>>It was also the choosing of the Father to save us through the sanctification of the Spirit. Salvation is clearly two-fold.

2TH 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

>>God has saved me by "...the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," therefore it is the presence of His "fruit" in my life that furnishes the unquestionable evidence of my salvation.

GAL 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

>>Our text says, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

>>Certain men in the apostolic church taught ACT 15:1 Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

>>After much disputing about this matter Peter stood up and explained that the cleansing of the heart was not through circumcision but through faith.

ACT 15:8-9 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

>>"Faith which worketh by love," is motivated by love for God to cleanse their hearts.

1PE 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

>>There is no salvation without this cleansing of the heart.

JER 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

>>"Faith which worketh by love," delights in the will of God.

ROM 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

>>Those who have "Faith which worketh by love," long to spend eternity with a pure Saviour.

1JO 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

MAT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

>>"Faith which worketh by love," is an absolute prerequisite to entering that dwelling place where nothing that defileth can enter.

REV 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

>>Our text says, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."