Trying to gain approval on the grounds of keeping the law is diametrically opposed to being justified by grace. Jesus came so that we could receive grace. In fact it is better to read this as "being alienated from the Messiah". In sticking to the Law the Jews were rejecting their only hope of salvation. Indeed, their whole identity was tied up around the hope for a Messiah who would vindicate them, yet when He came they rejected Him.
Paul declares that through faith we await the righteousness for which we hope. Now our inclination is to read this as meaning that we wait for Christ to make us morally righteous. Now this will happen. When Christ returns we will all be transformed in an instant. In the meantime we are being transformed from one degree of glory to the next. However, it may be more in line with Paul's thinking to take it as meaning we wait for the Christ to return and vindicate us.
Note that Paul says we eagerly wait by faith, and we do so through the Spirit. We tend to think that waiting for the return of Christ means what happens inbetween does not matter, but nothing could be further from the truth. We wait through the Spirit, He continues His ongoing work of transformation in our lives day by day, while we wait for the final fulfilment.
Verse 6 makes it clear that Paul is not actually arguing directly against circumcision, but against putting trust in the fact that one is circumcised, making something other than Christ the basis for our hope and justification. Faith expressing itself through love is the only thing that counts. So again we see the emphasis on practical outworking in our life, for faith will show itself through love.
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