29/10/2015 - THE IMPORTANCE OF CIRCUMCISION

• 
• 
• 
• 

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30.6

The children of Israel were circumcised in the flesh, an act that was ordered by the Lord for that time, before Jesus’ coming. This process was similar to the type of circumcision that is done today in our interior self, when we are converted (Jo 1.12; Ep 1.13). However, that process was temporary, while ours is eternal. If we consider the spiritual battles that we face against the forces of darkness, the ancient ritual is useless, but the most recent one is obligatory, or else we will not be successful in the battle against evil.

Our struggle is not in the flesh, but it is spiritual, and every temptation we defeat, we place the enemy before the Lord’s feet. Everyone who is called to be saved, and thus, is a member of the Body of Christ, must be in the proper conditions to represent the Most High. We are the agents of Heaven, who lead the people to take possession of the Land of Promises, and therefore, we need this internal mark.

We will only be able to love the Lord with all our heart and soul if we are circumcised interiorly. Now, to love God is to keep His commandments, which should be the greatest objective of our lives once we are saved. Only in such a way we will be able to fulfill what has been ordered and enjoy the love of the Father. You do not see or feel when the work is fulfilled, but by faith, you should believe that it has been done.

The Lord knew about this importance, because if He had not done so, we would not be able to love Him, and consequently, we would not be loved by God or by Jesus (Jo 14.21). Therefore, we would not be able to enjoy the life that the Father has for His children. Now, this is everything that we need for all situations to be in our favor, in order for us to enjoy of good health in the body and soul (3 Jo 1.2). Circumcision is an intrinsic part of our salvation.

The circumcision used to be done in the bodies of the male Israelites, but today, this process is done in the spirit of all who are saved by Jesus. In the Israelites there used to be a mark that distinguished them as servants of God. In our case, we receive the status of His sons and daughters. When people were captivated in battle, it was only necessary to verify their bodies in order to discover if there were Hebrews or not in their midst. Today, due to this seal, we are recognized, both by angels or demons, as those who are the people of God’s exclusive property (1 Peter 2.9).

This work is done by the Lord, but since everything that He does and orders us to do must be received by faith, we must believe that we have received this mark and act with the full certainty that we can love Him and live according to the conditions that are revealed by the Scriptures. Everyone who is saved already has this seal, and therefore, there is no reason to tremble before any trial.

Believe that you have received faith in the process of salvation, and therefore, you can love God – to keep his commandments – as well as being loved by Christ and the Father. Besides, you have the conditions to enjoy the life that He gives, which includes deliverance from evil, freedom from any addiction or sin, as well as the complete fulfillment of faith in Jesus.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares