Circumcision was a necessary
part of the old covenant under the law given by Moses (although it was
not "of Moses, but of the fathers", meaning
it was commanded of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel
before Moses was ever born)—John 7:22. It began with
Abraham in Genesis 17:9-14, and continued
until the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), when the new covenant
began.
We can see from Acts 15:1-29, as well as Paul's teachings in Romans 2:25-29 and Galatians 5:2,
6:12-16, etc... that physical circumcision (that of the
removing of the foreskin of the male member) is no longer
required of God for salvation.
But— There
is another
circumcision; one which God actually prefers, and is still
necessaryto become a part of his
household... in fact even in the Old Testament, it was
this circumcision that he really wanted all along. (Deuteronomy
10:16, Jeremiah 4:4) The apostle Paul wrote it this way:
"...circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter (of the law)..." (Romans 2:29). This
circumcision was commanded of God and illustrated by
"shadows of things to come" (Colossians 2:17) in the Old
Testament (see 1 Corinthians 10:11, Romans 15:4); but until
Jesus Christ was glorified (John 7:39, Acts 2:33), which was
evidenced by the outpouring of his Spirit on the day of Pentecost, 33
A.D.,
this "circumcision of the heart" had not
yet been fully revealed to the sons of men. It was part
of a mystery which had not been made known in other ages
to the sons of men, "as it is now revealed unto his
holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit". (Ephesians 3:5). We know that
circumcision (that of the heart, and not in the flesh) is still a
requirement of God for salvation, because the apostles of
Christ taught it in the New Testament, and the prophets spoke of it in
the Old. God told Abraham that the uncircumcised man
among them would be "cut off from among his people; he
hath broken my covenant." (Genesis 17:14). He also told
the prophet Ezekiel, "No stranger, uncircumcised
in heart... shall enter into my sanctuary." (Ezekiel 44:9).
If
we want to know the Lord, and see his power and
glory, we must enter into his sanctuary. Psalm
63:2
In
order to worship him in truth, we must enter into
his sanctuary.
Psalm
134:2, 150:1
When we need to
pray to the Lord, we must enter into his
sanctuary.
Isaiah 56:7,
Matthew 21:12,13,
Hebrews 6:19,20,
9:1-15
How can we get this circumcision
of the heart?
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5:
"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.".
Jesus knew that the flood of Noah's day was a baptism. The apostle
Peter confirmed that in 1 Peter 3:20,21. Through that
flood of water:
the world was destroyed,
Noah and his
family were saved,
and God made a
new covenant with him when he
came out of the ark,
(Genesis 9:11)
...and
gave him the "token" of that covenant—the rainbow
(Genesis 9:13). A rainbow, seen from heaven,
is a complete circle,
and was given to Noah and his generations as a shadow,
or type, of circumcision.
At the Red Sea (which was also a baptism—see 1 Corinthians
10:1,2),
the enemy of
Israel (Egypt, which represents the world and bondage to
sin) was destroyed,
Israel was saved,
God gave unto
them the pillar of cloud (sea and cloud—water and
Spirit), and took them to Mount Sinai and made a
covenant
with
them.
(Exodus 14-20)
At the Jordan river 40 years later,
Israel came
through the river (water),
entered into the
land of promise (Spirit),
and they were circumcised at Gilgal, where
God declared that he had rolled the reproach of Egypt off
of them.
(Joshua 3:1-5:9)
That is why Jesus
expected Nicodemus to understand about being born of water
and of the Spirit. And when it was evident
that he did not understand, Jesus replied,
"Art
thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these
things?".
(John 3:10)
When Jesus was glorified, and the New Testament
church was born, this birth of water
and Spirit which had been illustrated by types and
shadows in the Old Testament was revealed; first to his
apostles (Luke 24:45-49, John 20:21-23), and then by
their word to the world (Matthew 16:19, John 17:20); to the Jew
first, and then to the Gentile (Acts 13:46,
Romans 1:16).
It was first preached by Simon Peter on the day of
Pentecost, 33 A.D., saying,
"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..."
(Acts 2:38).
Paul the apostle taught in Colossians 2:11 that Christians
are "...circumcised with the circumcision made
without hands", and that this circumcision is for the
"...putting off [of] the body of the sins of the
flesh"
(remission
of sins) "by the circumcision of Christ"...
There
is a circumcision of Christ!
It is how we get our sins remitted
(Webster's
"remit"—"to release one from
the guilt or
penalty of: PARDON, FORGIVE").
It is the secret
that Jesus gave his apostles in
John 20:21-23;
that he opened
their understanding to in
Luke 24:45-49.
How can we get this circumcision of Christ? Let us keep
reading in the book of Colossians, for verse 11 is still not the
end of the sentence. Paul continues, "...Buried with
him in baptism..." (verse 12)…
That
is where it is.
New
Testament baptism is for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38, Luke
24:47, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21)
It is a baptism of
water and Spirit (Colossians 2:12, Titus 3:5, 1
Corinthians 6:11, 12:13); and it is how a man or woman
is circumcised
unto God by Christ Jesus and becomes a Christian.
In the 8th century B.C., the prophet Joel wrote, "...whosoever
shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered..."
(Joel
2:32),
which Paul quoted in Romans 10:13.
And the only way, after the New Testament had begun, that
we see anyone calling on
the name of the Lord for salvation, is by calling on his
name in water baptism.
"And
now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash
away thy sins,
calling on
the name of the Lord."
(Acts
22:16)…
And when the apostle Peter preached this baptism for the
first time, he said to the people, "SAVE yourselves
from this untoward generation. . .Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they
continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine...".
(Acts 2:40-42)
That is how they were
saved. And that is the only way that anyone can be saved. As
Paul wrote to Titus, "...according to his
mercy he saved us, by the WASHING of REGENERATION, and
RENEWING of the HOLY GHOST..." (Titus 3:5).
This
is the birth of water and Spirit.
This is the circumcision of
the heart.
This is the gospel of
Christ.
And as it is written,
"But if we (the
apostles of Christ), or
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we
have preached unto you,
let him be accursed."
(Galatians 1:8)
And,
"If there come any unto
you,
and bring not this doctrine
(the doctrine of Christ),
receive him not into your
house,
neither bid him God speed: For
he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil
deeds."
(2 John 1:10,11).
God Almighty is holy. We cannot come
unto him any way we choose. We must come HIS way if we will
find true salvation.
David
said it.
1
Chronicles 13:6-12,
15:11-13
Jesus
confirmed it.
John
4:24,
14:6,
Mark
16:16
The apostles
preached it.
Acts 2:38-42,
8:12-17,
9:17,18,
10:43-48,
16:14,15,30-34,
18:8,
19:1-6
"Having therefore,
brethren,
boldness to enter into the
holiest
(the sanctuary)
by the blood of Jesus, By a
new and living way…
Let us draw near with a true
heart
in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water."
(Hebrews 10:19-22)
-AMEN-
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