For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Gal. 6:15

The epistle to the Galatians is compact. In it is condensed many gracious thoughts and admonitions to the child of God and the Church in particular. It commences discussing the attempt to remove the brethren from Him that called them unto another gospel, which is not another. There is no other good news to the sin sick soul than the gospel of the grace of God, which is sometimes called the gospel of the kingdom. That gospel is the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ. That is the gospel of peace. That same gospel is called the gospel of the circumcision and the gospel of the uncircumcision in the epistle to the Galatians. That description is unique to the Galatian epistle. Circumcision was a token of the covenant betwixt God and Abraham. Before long the token became a ritual and the ritual became a tradition and before long and with little recognition the covenant became an extraneous issue to many. I suppose that one can become circumcised but one cannot get in Christ Jesus. There is no advantage of circumcision, nor is there any disadvantage to uncircumcision. There is no way one can fully explain the advantages of being elect in Christ Jesus.

There most certainly is a walk under consideration in the Galatian scripture. It is not the walk of the unruly. It is the walk of the Spirit. It is the walk of the new creature. Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Only those that are born again are candidates be buried with Christ by baptism into death. These are they that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so these also should walk in newness of life. These are the new creatures that are blessed to walk in the steps of faith. These are they that walk in the Spirit. By walking in the Spirit one shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. What is the result of walking according to the new creature? Peace will be on them. From whence come wars and fighting's among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Let us put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Let us be renewed in the spirit of our mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. This will only come by the mercies of God. This is all of grace. This shall come upon none other than the Israel of God.

For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. There were some known as Israel because they took that name as a label. There is also the Israel that is the Israel of God. So it is today. There are those that claim to be the Kingdom of God the Lord's Church and use the name Primitive Baptist, but are they the Israel of God? Do they give God the glory? Are they counting on the mercies and grace of God for their sufficiency or are they behaving like the kingdoms of this world? Does the peace of God rule in their hearts; or have they brokered their own peace and partake in the fellowship of the unfruitful works of darkness. Have they forsaken the old paths and said in their hearts we will NOT walk in the good way where they will find rest for their souls? The walk of the new creature among the congregation of the living can likewise be thought of only as a token of God's grace to his children in this world. Let's pray that we likewise don't convert that walk of faith into a ritual and a tradition and let the deep things of the covenant become an extraneous issue and thereby bear the Primitive Baptist name only. Elder Marty Hoogasian 10/8/03