Circumcision by the Spirit
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Circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham
Gen 17:10 Gen 17:11 Gen 17:13 Gen 17:14 Acts 7:8
Nobody can come into God's presence unless they are circumcised in heart
Lev 26:41 Jer 9:26 Ezek 44:7 Ezek 44:9 Acts 7:51
'Circumcision of the heart' is equivalent to 'death of the old man' and 'Baptism in fire'.
Moses almost broke God's Covenant by not circumcising his own son
God wanted the Israelites to be circumcised in heart before they could enter the promised land
The Israelites had to cut off the flesh to enter the promised land
God put his Law in their Hearts
If the Israelites had remained circumcised in heart, they wouldn't have been taken into captivity hundreds of years later
Jesus and John the Baptist were both circumcised
Jesus was also Baptized in Water
Matthew 3:13-17 Mat 12:18 Mark 1:9-11 Luke 3:21-23 Luke 4:18 John 1:32-4 Acts 10:38
The Holy Spirit was poured out on the circumcised believers first
Subsequently, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the uncircumcised believers (the Gentiles)
The Apostles accepted that the Gentiles did not need to be physically circumcised
The Gentiles are effectively circumcised in heart when they are baptized into Christ
The flesh refers to our sinful nature. Death of the old man, circumcision of the heart and baptism in fire are the means by which god deals with our flesh. This is symbolized by our burial with Christ in Baptism.
Circumcision by the Spirit and Baptism in Fire by the Spirit are very similar.
What then is the value of circumcision?
Abraham is the father of all believers
We no longer have to sacrifice bulls and goats to pay for our sins because Jesus became the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins once and for all
He rose from the grave so that we too might have eternal life in him
He has put his Spirit in our hearts
John 7:39 Acts 15:8 Rom 2:29 Rom 5:5 Rom 8:27 2Cor 1:22 2Cor 3:3 Gal 4:6
The reason Jesus came was so that we might be baptized with the Holy Spirit
Mat 3:11 Mark 1:8 Luke 3:16 John 1:29-34
This New covenant is symbolized by Baptism in water
Circumcision of the Heart by the Spirit is equivalent to Baptism by the Spirit
However, Jews still need to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior and be baptized or they remain under the Old Covenant
