Circumcision of the Heart

How many of us made a New Year’s Resolution for 2019? Maybe it was to lose weight, start an exercise program, eat healthy foods, be a better spouse, a better parent, etc. Aside from those noble resolutions, how many of us resolved to seek God more this year and allow Him to circumcise our hearts?

God had told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and said, “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10-14). Circumcision would be an external expression of a spiritual circumcision of the heart, bringing blessings to the nation of Israel, if they did not forget God and serve other gods.

God spoke through Moses to the Israelites in the wilderness, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear (honor and respect) the LORD your God, to walk in ALL His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good“ (Deuteronomy 10:12-16). Instead, their hearts became hardened towards God as they worshipped idols and no longer performed circumcisions. Thus, God caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until the older generation died.

The older generation had failed in following God’s commandments, but He is a God of love and is faithful to His Word, so when the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promise Land with the new generation, the LORD immediately commanded Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives, and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time” (Joshua 5:2).

Physical circumcision was spiritually significant because it signified the Jews separating themselves from the old sin-life so they could serve and worship God with clean and pure hearts. Although Gentiles were not part of the original Abrahamic Covenant, God made a new covenant with us through the blood of Jesus Christ. And in receiving Christ as our Savior, God calls us to surrender to circumcision of our hearts.

The Apostle Paul tells us, “…circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision is uncircumcision” (Romans 2:25-29). Paul goes on to say that circumcision is a matter of the heart, by God’s Spirit. It is not by the letter of the law. For if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is worthless. In other words, the law says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Yet the uncircumcised heart condones cursing and uses God’s name in vain.

The Law can never be enough to cover an uncircumcised heart that refuses to recognize sin and acknowledge truth. The person with a circumcised heart knows truth and is convicted of sin. The flesh no longer controls them, because they have surrendered their heart and will to God and His commandments.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites tried to combine idol worship with worshipping God. This angered God for He had said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6). They forgot God and all that He had done for them and chose to serve other gods. Is America any different? We see the blatant and willful disregard for God as people worship celebrities, live in fornication, chase after pleasures of every kind, seek power, money, materialism, the supernatural, and so much more.

Whatever owns our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). The Apostle Paul said that since creation, people have known God but have not glorified Him nor given thanks to Him. Rather they have exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and serve created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

How can a person know if he or she worships the things of this world more than God? One must examine their heart to see what they value most, because that which is valued the most becomes an idol that is worshipped.

The dictionary defines “worship” as reverence and adoration for something or someone. The Bible defines “worship” as an extreme expression of love for God. God tells us that we are to love the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our might (Deuteronomy 6:5). When we do, we rejoice in spending time with the Lord in prayer and studying His Word, for our love and passion for God and His Word should be greater than the love we have for a spouse, children, or anything else that captures the human heart.

All humans arrive in this world with a sin nature. Jesus told the Pharisees of their inability to keep the Law of God, because they were spiritually bankrupt. It was faith and not physical circumcision that would make them a child of God. Fortunately, because of God’s great love for us, He provided rebirth through the blood of Jesus Christ to set us free from our old sin nature. That freedom is empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the hearts of the redeemed. If we belong to Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to His promise (Galatians 3:29).

If we are truly in Christ, we have been circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Our old self, once ruled by the flesh, was put off when we were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which we were then raised with Him through our faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead (Colossians 2:11-12).

As we begin 2019, it is important to discern between God’s truth and the world’s version of truth. If we allow the Spirit of God and His Word to lead, guide, and direct our steps, He will lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

God will not take a back seat to the things of this world for He says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). It is impossible to love both God and the world.

Jesus said, “If anyone love Me, he will keep My Word…”(John 14:23-24). Therefore, we are to treasure His Word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). For God’s Word is the scalpel that can daily circumcise the human heart, revealing those things that will keep us from living for Him. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that we need, will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). Therefore, we should each ask this question of ourselves,  “Whom and what will I be seeking and serving in 2019?”

PRAYER: FATHER, I desire to begin 2019 with You as my first priority. Help me to be faithful in praying and reading Your Word each day. May Your Word be a sharp scalpel that will reveal and circumcise those areas of my heart that are not surrendered to Your will and purposes. In Jesus name, amen.