Some interesting reasoning in your post, as is frequently the case.
Where do you see the quoted in Scripture?
Romans 4:4 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for
we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10
How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
It sounds like Abraham believed God at certain times and God reckoned that believing as a righteous response, even before Abraham does anything physically. It sounds like God's present classification of a person as righteous or unrighteous does not depend on that person's past behaviour/works, but upon God's perception of their present state as either believing or unbelieving. So, Abraham, despite any past wickedness was considered righteous by God in those moments when he believed God. When believing God, Abraham became a "blessed man, to whom God imputes righteousness without works".
So, Abraham was living in Ur, and God called him to leave Ur and go to Canaan. Abraham believed God even before he left Ur, and God regarded Abraham, while Abraham was believing Him, to be righteous by faith. And Abraham believed God when He was told to circumcise all his household males, and was regarded as righteous while in belief.
But we can ask, what would have happened if Abraham had refused to leave Haran, would his righteousness by faith have continued to be in effect? Or what if Abraham had argued, "Lord, I believe all your promises to give me and my descendants a land, and to bless those who bless me and curse those who curse you, but his circumcision thing I don't see any need for. I am righteous by faith, without works. So, I'm going to vote "No", on the circumcision thing." How do people here think God would have evaluated Abraham in terms of righteous vs. unrighteous, if that had been Abraham's response to God's expectation of circumcision?
So, I would infer from Rom. 4, that faith made Jews righteous, and obedience re circumcision sealed the covenant with between God and Jews such that intervening sins through unbelief were covered and God continued to extend the offer of mercy to the sinning circumcised Jewish nation with a patience He did not extend sinning Gentile nations. So Gid destroyed Edom, but preserved Jacob, despite Jacob's sins being worse than Edom's.
The expectation of water baptism into Jesus name, seems to me to be the Christian antitype of OT circumcision.
Mar 11:30 The baptism of John, was
it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
Jhn 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all
men come to him.
Jhn 4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
Jhn 4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost...
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Act 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Act 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought
us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide
there. And she constrained us.
Act 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed
their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Act 18:8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
Act 19:5 When they heard
this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Rom 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.
1Co 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
Col 2:12 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.
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto
even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
When I became a believer, I sensed a calling to undergo baptism, and sought out someone to baptise me in Jesus name. It was a seal of my commitment to follow Jesus. I wonder about the mindset of believers in the gospel who refuse to be baptised into Jesus. Are they undermining the righteousness they had by faith before they refused baptism?
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