CIRCUMCISION
The Jewish male child was suppose to be circumcised on the eighth day after the
the childs birth.
It was suppose to put the Jewish people up one on all the other nations.
It put them close to God and priveledged.
Then the Israelites turned away form God and the circumcision no longer made a
difference.
Romans 2:25 says; For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but
if you are a breaker of the law your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
Paul was telling the Jewish people that they might as well have not been circum-
cised.
If they were disobediant in the law then they were no better than any of the other
nations.
Paul meant that they had to have a heart for God and live by God's laws.
To be obediant to the Lord when He called them and lived in the Lords ways.
Galatians 5:3 says; And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised.
That he is debtor to keep the whole law.
Paul tells the people any one who is circumcised to seek Gods approval, they
had an obligation to live by all the laws.
The thing is none of us then or now should have to be told to honor God and His
laws.
God knows that not one has been born on this earth, except for Jesus, can live
one hundred percent by the law, or one hundred percent of the time.
We have all fallen short of the kingdom of God.
We must go to the Lord in prayer daily, and seek His wisdom also His will for our
life.
Romans 2:26 says; Therefore if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous re-
quirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumci-
sion?
Paul is telling the people that it doesn't mean anything if you are looking for out-
ward appearances.
What really matters is what is in his or her hearts.
If you have a heart for God and live for Him, love your fellow man, and have com-
passion for those who have needs or are hurting, these are the things God
looks for in us.
Acts 10:34 says; Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I preceive
that God shows no partiality."
God doesn"t care where we live, color of our skin, how much schooling we have,
or what language we speak.
God looks into our hearts.
God has a plan for each of our lives.
He will supply all of our needs to fulfill the plan for our life.
God will educate us, give us the tools we will need, and what we need to live our
daily life.
God is our all in all.
Romans 2:27 says; And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the
law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a
transgressor of the law?
Paul is telling the Jewish people they had no right to judge any one.
They had the outward appearance, but their hearts did not belong to God.
The Gentiles on the other hand did not have the outward appearance but their
hearts belonged to God.
They lived by the law and went out and told others about Jesus Christ and salva-
tion.
Matthew 12:41 says; The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement with this
generation and condemn it, becaue they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and indeed a greater than Jonah is here
When Jesus speaks of the men of Nineveh of the Gentiles.
Jesus said there is a greater one than Johah preaching, He was speaking of Him-
self, the Son of God.
The Gentiles were listening and taking it all in.
They learned the laws, repented, and gave their hearts to God and served Him.
Romans 2:28 says; For he is not a Jew who is one ourwardly, nor is circumci-
sion that which is ourward in the flesh
Paul is explaining that circumcision is of no value by itself.
God is looking for the man that the ourward sighns match the inward signs of the
heart.
If your heart isn't right God will not recognize you.
If your heart stops beating you have no life.
In the same manner if your heart isn't filled with Godly things, God will not recog-
nize you as His own and you are walking dead.
We must have a heart filled with Godly things to have a relationship with the
Lord.
Galatians 6:15 says; For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
avails anything, but a new creation
With the New Covenant, circumcision makes no difference.
What does matter is if you ask Jesus into your heart knowing that Jesus Christ is
Gods only Son.
When you ask Jesus to be Lord of your life you become a new creation.
You will turn from your sins and start living your life in the ways of the Lord.
Romans 2:29 says; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that
of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter whose praise is not from man but
from God.
Paul is showing the people through the old testament to the new covenant.
The prophets from the old tell of the thing in the new.
Both saying that the change on the inside, inward circumcision, is necessary to
be born again.
The Holy Spirit helps to change us from the inside out.
Our values change, no longer interested in our past sinful ways.
God condemns outward appearance if it doesn't come from the heart.
1 Peter 3:4 says; rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incor-
ruptible beauty of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the
sight of God.
Inner qualities are talking about things of the heart, and Spirit.
The beauty within does not fade like cloths, makeup amd jewelry.
Peter is also encouraging wives to have a quiet soothing spirit.
To not be demanding, nag, or loud for these are not good qualities.
A quiet, soothing spirit is very good in Gods eyes.
Philippians 3:3 says; For we are the circumcision, who worship God in Spirit,
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Paul is teaching the true meaning of circumcision.
We worship God, rejoice in Christ and have no confidence in what we do in the
flesh.
In the Old testament circumcision was a ritual.
God does not want the ritual.
God wants the curcumcision of the heart so we will follow in the ways of the Lord.
Deutoronomy 30:6 says; And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and
the heart of your decendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul, that you may live.
God has always seen the inward circumcision of the heart more important than
any outward sign.
You can dress right, go to all the right places, know all the laws, give to the poor,
and so on.
But if your heart is not right than all those things are futile.
You will not enter the Kingdom of God.
My friends remember it is what is in your heart that will give you entry to Gods
Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 4:5 says; Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord
comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal
the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.
Once again we are being told not to judge.
We think we know the good from the evil.
But we can't see into the hearts of our brothers and sisters, or the bum laying in
the alley.
We might all be a little surprised at what our own hearts are hiding.
Something you thought you lost long ago.
A grudge or unforgiveness.
So we all better be careful pointing fingers at all unless we are standing in front of
a mirror.
Jesus Christ will be the judge.
The scriptures I used in this lesson are: Romans 2:25-29, Galatians 5:3, 6:15,
Acts 10:34, Matthew 12:41, 1 Peter 3:4, Philippians 3:3, Deutoronomy
30:6
1 Corinthians 4:5.
My prayer is that all who read this lesson, the Lord gave me, will read all of the
scriptures. If you are having trouble understanding go a couple of verses be-
fore and a couple of verses after it will give you a better understanding. One
thing that I pray you will never forget is that the heart is what God looks at, not
what shows on the outside. I pray for a pure heart for all people.
God bless you and your family, may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
