Scripture Reading: Col. 2:10-13; Gen. 17:1, 9-14, 22-23
We have read Colossians 2:11: "In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ." This verse makes us realize one thing: Christians are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands. This is to say that one portion of the inheritance in Christ is the circumcision in Christ. In order that no one miss the meaning of circumcision, we should turn to Genesis 17 where the matter of circumcision was first mentioned in the Bible. If we understand what is there, we will understand Colossians 2:11.
Before speaking of circumcision, we need to know some history about Abraham. In Genesis 17, Abraham was ninety-nine years old (v. 1). Prior to this, before he was eighty-six years old, God promised Abraham that he would be granted a son. Not only would he have a son, but he would be a father of a nation as well. Abraham, knowing that he was becoming old and that Sarah was past the age of child-bearing, did not have the slightest hope. Therefore, Sarah suggested that he take Hagar as a concubine. They wanted to help God with their flesh, thinking that by so doing they could bring forth a son. Abraham took Sarah's word, and at the age of eight-six, he brought forth a son, Ishmael (16:16). In this situation, what did God do? God did not want man to act in this way. God did not want Abraham and Sarah to help by the flesh. Since they depended so much on the flesh, God left them in the cold. During a period of thirteen years, from eighty-six to ninety-nine years of age, there was nothing worth recording, that is, Abraham had no fellowship with God. Abraham, at the age of eighty-six, still had the strength to do something; by the age of ninety-nine, he had no more strength. There was no more hope. God brought him to such a point before He came to make a covenant with him, that all the males should be circumcised. One year after the making of the covenant, Sarah brought forth Isaac. First circumcision came; then Isaac came. Without circumcision, there could be no Isaac.
From this background we can understand why God instituted circumcision. What God did was contrary to Abraham's doing. At the age of eight-six, Abraham could still use the strength of the flesh and the method of man. At the age of ninety-nine, he had lost even the slightest hope in himself. If anything was to be done, it would have to be done by the Almighty God. The first time the term Almighty God is used in the Bible is in Genesis 17:1. By this time Abraham was able to realize that unless the Almighty God did something, man was totally powerless. This is the meaning of circumcision. Now let us look at the aspects of circumcision one by one.
Verse 14 says, "And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." You must remember that God cannot reckon those who are uncircumcised as His people, nor can He have any dealings with them. They cannot be reckoned as the descendants of Abraham, nor can the covenant of Abraham reach them.
Verse 12 says, "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations." Circumcision is to cut off a piece of skin from man. Please consider: when God sees that a man is born, why would He want to cut off a piece of skin from him? Is not the birth of the child the creation of God? Yes. Since God gave life to the child, why does He want man to do an additional work of cutting off a piece of skin? Why would God not cause the child to be born circumcised? Why is it necessary for man to do the circumcision? What does it mean that circumcision is to be done on the eighth day? We know that the eighth day is the day of the Lord's resurrection. Being circumcised on the eighth day means putting off the lusts of our flesh through the resurrection of Christ. The meaning of circumcision is to put off the lusts of the flesh.
Why did God not ordain man to be circumcised on the day of his birth, rather than on the eighth day? Here we see the difference between creation and redemption, the difference between the natural and the resurrected. We all understand the gospel. Does a man become a Christian by receiving spiritual life right after he is born? According to the Bible, a child born of even the best couple still needs regeneration. This is because a person born naturally only has the power of God's creation in him; he does not have the power of God's redemption in him. Man has been created by God, but man does not have the resurrection life, the life of God. The most adorable thing in the whole world is a newborn baby. A child that is just born is the most undefiled. However, on the eighth day, if he is not circumcised in Christ, he will be cut off.
Brothers and sisters, perhaps you are naturally very nice, meek, and without any entanglement of sin. Perhaps you feel that your morality is better than others. But if you are not circumcised, you are not one of God's people. If a newborn child needs to be circumcised, how much more do you and I need the same? Eight days after a child is born, he has to be circumcised. What about you and I, who have been on this earth for more than ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years? We do not know how much filth our hands have touched and how much mud our feet have touched. Even more we need to be circumcised on the eighth day! None of us can see God according to our natural condition. Without circumcision, regardless how many sermons we have heard, we will still eventually perish. According to man's natural condition, we are destined to perish.
Verse 12 says, "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." Who needs to be circumcised? Two kinds of people need circumcision: those who are born in the house and those bought with money. Whether born or bought, all have to be circumcised. Thank and praise God that we were both born of God and bought by God. We were not only bought by God, but also born of God.
First Peter 1:18 and 19 say, "Knowing that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold...but with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ." First Corinthians 6:20 says, "For you have been bought with a price." This tells us that we were bought by God.
John 3:6 says, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit," and 1 John 3:9 says, "Everyone who has been begotten of God..." These verses tells us that we are born of God.
We thank and praise God that although He did not make a covenant with us Gentiles, we all have the possibility of being circumcised. Exodus 12:48 says, "And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land." This tells us that a stranger can also be circumcised. Today, if there is anyone here who has not believed in the Lord, if you are willing to be circumcised, you can be the same as the people of God.
The significance of circumcision is to put off the lust of the flesh. No one can serve God by the flesh. The Lord said that the flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). Romans 8:7 says that the flesh is enmity against God. If we want to serve God, have a share of the covenant, and do the works of God, we must put off the flesh.
What is the meaning of the flesh? The flesh is what man has by his birth, what man has originally before he believes in the Lord. Whether it is good or bad, the flesh has to be circumcised because it is not subject to God, neither can it be. Even if the flesh does good, it still cannot please God. If we, who have believed in the Lord, want to please God, we have to be circumcised in the heart. The descendants of Abraham were circumcised in the body; we need to be circumcised in the heart. Being circumcised in the heart is not only found in the New Testament; it is found in the Old Testament as well.
Jeremiah 4:4 says, "Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, / And remove the foreskins of your heart." A filthy heart cannot see God. Brothers and sisters, let me ask you a most straightforward question: Are all your hearts clean and without any filthiness? Many people have pride, jealousy, and filthiness in their heart. Without cutting these off, they cannot see God. Someone with an unclean heart cannot see God. An unholy one cannot see God. Perhaps your outward behavior is quite good. Yet inwardly, you love the world, and in your heart you commit the sins which the immoral commit. Are you inwardly envious of others' houses, cattle, servants, or wives? If these are not put off from your heart, you cannot participate in God's covenant.
Jeremiah 9:25-26 says, "Behold, days are coming, declares Jehovah, when I will punish all those who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised...for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." All the nations are uncircumcised in their bodies. All those of the house of Israel are circumcised in their bodies, but uncircumcised in their hearts. These people will be cut off by God. Today we do not care for a circumcision in the past. We are concerned about are our hearts. Brothers and sisters, our hearts are most difficult to overcome. Outwardly we can deceive others, but inwardly we are rotten. The uncircumcised in heart cannot draw near to God. Today it is not a matter of how we are outwardly, but of how we are inwardly.
Deuteronomy 10:16 says, "Circumcise then the foreskin of your heart." The meaning here is to remove the filth of your heart.
Deuteronomy 30:6 says, "And Jehovah your God will circumcise your heart." This means the same as the foregoing verse, that is, to cut off the filth of the heart.
The foregoing verses of the Old Testament lay considerable stress on the circumcision of the heart. There is even more emphasis in the New Testament. Romans 2:28 and 29 are most apparent. They clearly tell us that circumcision is not outward in the flesh but inward of the heart. It is not in the letter but in the spirit. What God spoke to Abraham was only the circumcision of the flesh. Today God has gone a step further. Now all must be circumcised in the heart. Whoever is uncircumcised in the heart cannot participate in the covenant of Abraham. The apostle Paul wrote the book of Galatians to show us that we have a share in the covenant of Abraham. God's promise to Abraham was prior to the law. What we receive came before the law. If any pride or envy is in our hearts and if they are not put off, we have no share in the covenant of Abraham. Instead, we will be cut off.
When we talk about the meaning of circumcision, if we just stop here, we are preaching the law and not the gospel. Thank and praise God that we have the gospel; we have a way to put off the lust of our heart.
Colossians 2:11 says, "In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ." Hallelujah! We thank and praise God because this verse tells us that we were circumcised in Christ. If it said that we are to be circumcised, then it would be wrong and it would be the gospel of hell. God's Word says were. I hope that we would underscore the word were even more. It is not soon to be, but were. It is in Christ that we were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands. What does this mean? This is God's work! We do not know how filthy our hearts are! But on the day of Christ's death, all the filth was crucified on the cross and cut off. This is not the work of others' hands or the work of our own hands. It is Christ who enables us to put off the filth of the lust of the flesh. This is the gospel!
Brothers and sisters, according to your natural condition, you are filthy. If you say that you do not consider yourselves as being that bad, you are deceiving yourselves. What does 1 John 1:8 say? "If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Self-deceived ones are the biggest liars in the world. A big liar lies to others, but a bigger liar lies to himself. We are really dirty and full of sins. We think that by willing, by vowing, by a few more prayers, or perhaps by some more Bible reading, we will be all right. However, these things will not make us victorious. Perhaps you have not committed filthy sins up till now; therefore, you may feel that you are victorious. But let me tell you: you have not yet gained victory. Brothers and sisters, victory does not depend upon how you exercise your will or pray or how you read the Bible. Victory depends upon the fact that God crucified your filth on the day of Christ's death. This is the gospel! Today, will you believe it or not? Perhaps you do not feel any change or any peace. However, I ask you to just believe. As long as you believe, you are victorious.
You should take note that the victory is in Christ and not in you. What is in you is still old. The victory is only in Him. You need to join yourselves to Him. He is the vine, and you are the branches. He is the Head, and you are the members. It is of God that you are in Christ. On the cross, Christ not only redeemed you and gave you eternal life, He also crucified the evil I on the cross. In Him, everything has been accomplished. This is the gospel!
God is not doing anything for you today. He has accomplished everything in Christ. If from today on you do not look at yourself anymore but only at Him, then you will say, "God! I thank and praise You!" This is the gospel! Do not be mistaken! It is not that you must crucify yourself. Nowhere in the New Testament does it tell you to crucify yourself. Instead, the Bible says you have been crucified, you have been circumcised, and everything has been accomplished. Brothers and sisters, the question today is whether or not you believe. Can you say that you have been circumcised on the day of Christ's crucifixion? If you believe, this fact will become your experience.
You may look at yourself and ask why you are still the same, when the gospel you heard says that you have been circumcised. At this moment, Satan will come to tempt. He will say that you are just the same as you have always been and have not changed at all. He will say that the words God said about your circumcision are probably not true! Unconsciously, your faith begins to waver! Many think that, in order to overcome temptation and be above any contamination of sins, it is best if God can give them a proof in their hearts, so that they can feel that they are much better than they were before. However, let me tell you that there is no better proof than the Word of God. If you believe the Word of God, that is the proof. The biggest proof is what God has said, more than whether you become better or feel better! Therefore, brothers and sisters, God's Word says that we have been circumcised in Christ with a circumcision not made with hands. If you believe it, that is good enough. Many will not believe the Word of God without first seeing a change in themselves. This is a big mistake. It is not faith. When you begin to waver in the midst of your daily problems, you should believe that the Word of God is still true. Regardless of your experience, it does not make the Word of God untrue, nor does it make it more true. If you think that what you have heard today is right and that you have really been circumcised because you are a little more patient, or if you think that you have really been circumcised once you have overcome temptation, then let me tell you that this is not faith. It is symptom watching; it is an introspection of your own experience. If this is the case, you will surely fail. It is my experience that whether I feel good or bad, if I believe the Word of God, I can be as firm as a mountain. My feet are upon a rock, and nothing can move me.
If you consider that you are all right and still have some self-confidence, you will stumble. If you truly believe God's Word, considering whatever God says of you to be true, the inexhaustible power of God will be manifested in you, enabling you to overcome temptations and sins that were previously insurmountable. You will realize that this is not your work but the work of God. You will see all the filth fall away, even as a piece of skin falls away from those who are circumcised in the flesh.
God has accomplished everything in Christ. Whether you feel it or not is not the question. What is important is believing that you are circumcised because God said you have been circumcised in Christ. There is no need to hold on to anything. God cares for the faithfulness of His Word more than your desire for victory. Just take care of believing, and God will take care of success. Many young believers want to hold on to victory by their own strength, but once temptation comes, they fail. Satan then tells you that even after believing you are still the same as you were formerly. Once you consider that this is right, you will be discouraged. If there is a hero of faith who, from the time he believes to the time he experiences, will stand still and hold fast to the attitude that "God said, and it is so," then God will gain the glory. In all the circumstances which are contrary to the Word of God, if you still believe in the Word of God, God will gain the glory. Although there is a cloud above you, the sun above the cloud is still there. Although the circumstance is dark, God's Word is still true. If you believe in God's Word in any circumstance, no cloud can be above your head; your sun will be real. Not believing in God's Word is the biggest sin in the whole world.
Brothers and sisters, today the gospel preached and the message delivered are that you can be victorious. If you cannot be victorious, it is because of your lack of faith. If you still have lust, it is not that Christ has not accomplished salvation, but it is that you do not want it; you refuse to open to it and do not believe. The fact is that you still harbor filth. Christ has accomplished salvation. If there is a sinner who is not saved, it is not because Christ has not saved him or not shed His blood to redeem him. It is because the sinner is unwilling to believe. If you go home and are not able to manifest the Word of God, then your understanding is merely mental; you do not really have faith. If you are seeking, are willing, and believe the Word of God, glorious days will soon be here. While walking on the earth, you will only see the sun; there will be no clouds. May God give us faith. May we all believe the Word of God today. When we believe, we will immediately obtain.
