“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” – Acts 7:51 Paul explains about hypocritical Jews that true Jewish circumcision was an inward circumcision of the heart. Their flesh circumcision was not sufficient for righteousness even though it was an outward obedience to the commandment. “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.” – Romans 2:29 UNDER GRACE, there is a CIRCUMCISION without THE LAW and it is the WORK of GOD, not of man so that our flesh cannot glory. Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Colossians 2:11 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: Colossians 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. This circumcision is not part of Israel’s covenants. It is not physical. Neither was it the inner circumcision of the heart which was commanded to serve the Lord “with all thy heart and soul” (Deut 10:12).
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, Deuteronomy 10:13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? This mystery circumcision describes an operation of God, not of ourselves, lest any should boast. It is God circumcising us from the body of the sins of our flesh. This doctrinal separation was a part of our crucified identification with Christ (Gal 2:20, Rom 6:3-4). Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. Glory of God’s Operation It is only when God separated us from the body of the sins of the flesh that he could rightly declare us righteous in Christ. When our own body is cut off, then we are free to live in Christ without the sins of the flesh weighing us down. This great mystery where we reckon our flesh dead and alive unto God describes a truth that has been performed already upon you by God the moment you believe. Like many grace truths, we learn about it after studying the mystery of Christ. It is not the flesh circumcision that avails, neither is it the obedience of our heart to a covenant. While we were still sinners Christ died for us and when we put our faith in his finished work we are cut off from the old man. Glory to God! Yes indeed to GOD ALONE ALL THE GLORY!!!!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
February 2023
Categories |