"The Abrahamic Covenant of circumcision".

Now here is a very important point The Covenant of circumcision IS to be an EVERLASTING covenant THROUGHOUT the generations!!!

When is everlasting not everlasting?

Why do we not keep circumcision today? Or should we be?

Genesis17: 9-13 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your DECENDANTS AFTER you THROUGHOUT their generations. 17:10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your DESCENDANTS after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 17:11 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a SIGN of the COVENANT between Me and you. 17:12 "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 17:13 "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an EVERLASTING covenant.

Genesis 17:7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an EVERLASTING covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

Note also the words "to be God to you and your descendants after you"

Galatians 3:29 "If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise".

Well that scripture includes us! No doubt about that!!

The Circumcision Covenant establishes that God IS "GOD TO US" (Genesis 17:7 above)

And here’s a severe warning if we don’t keep it…

Genesis 17:14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

Wow! That pretty conclusive.

SO HOW CAN WE "NOT" KEEP AN EVERLASTING COVENANT!!!

God says:

1. We are to keep it; we are Abraham’s heirs.
2. It is an everlasting covenant.
3. God tells us to keep it to establish he is, "GOD to us".(Genesis 17:7)
4. There is a severe warning if you break it! You’ll be cut off from God’s people.!!!

SOME MAY JUSTIFY TO THEMSELVES AND CONVINCE OTHERS……

If you LOVE God and want to PLEASE him then surely you are going to obey his Commandments on circumcision, "faith without works is dead", it is everlasting Covenant! The Bible says it, that settles it!

Here’s what Paul says about it:

Galatians 5:2 "Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, CHRIST WILL PROFIT YOU NOTHING".

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 7:19 Circumcision is NOTHING and uncircumcision is NOTHING.

WHAT!!!! YOU HERETIC PAUL.!!!

If you LOVE God and want to PLEASE him then surely you are going to obey his commandments on circumcision, "faith without works is dead", it is everlasting covenant! The Bible says it, that settles it!

BUT: let’s not make conclusions on half the picture and see what the Bible really says in context.

Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also CIRCUMCISED with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the FLESH, by the circumcision of Christ, 2:12 buried with Him in BAPTISM, in which you also were raised with Him through FAITH in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.

What is in the "OLD Testament CONCEALED" is in the "NEW REVEALED"!!!

The cutting off of the flesh and casting it away (foreskin), is revealed here though baptism, as dying to the flesh, cutting ourselves off from sin, and throwing it away.

("To live by the Spirit" covered in a later message).

Interestingly the flesh nature can only be done away with by entering by FAITH into CHRIST.

The power of these verses is that all the 3 KEY elements of the Abrahamic Covenant, the "condition" (FAITH) the "promise" (Father of many nations) and the "sign" (Circumcision) are fulfill IN Christ.

1. We die to the sinful flesh, *sign
2. Through Faith in Christ, *condition
3. To become heirs/ descendants of Abraham. And "You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus.(Gal 3:26) *promise

So we see a clear example of that in the Old Testament having the SHADOW and Christ bringing the TRUTH to the shadow.

The shadow: cutting off of the flesh is of works (an external act), the REVEALED TRUTH of cutting off and dying to the flesh nature is by FAITH. (In the heart "internal act") (IN and BY CHRIST).

To go back after a Born again experience and circumcise ourselves is to deny that Jesus has cast away our sin.

Thus Paul rightly says;

Gal 5:2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

In essence he’s saying you are totally missing the whole point, you’re not understanding that what CHRIST has done for you.

Jesus brought the TRUTH to the shadow of circumcision.

The flesh circumcision was an outward act.

Christ reveals the Truth, which it is an inward act that HE provides, through faith IN HIM.

These things are but a shadow, the substance (Truth) is Christ.

Do we pay attention to a shadow or the real thing?

To go back to those shadows is to deny that the substance (THE TRUTH: JESUS) has come.

So we don’t keep the outward SIGN of that Covenant anymore for it is fulfilled "IN Christ" and indeed it is still everlasting for the circumcision of the heart continues today.

Recap:

Circumcision:

We are to keep it; we are Abraham’s heirs.

It is an everlasting covenant.

God tells us to keep it to establish he is, "GOD to us".(Genesis 17:7)

There is a severe warning if you break it! You’ll be cut off from God’s people.!!!

However the revealed TRUTH is:

The circumcision of the foreskin was a shadow.(external)

Christ is the fulfilling and TRUTH of the shadow.(internal )

When we are "IN HIM" we do fulfill the truth of shadow and keep it requirements.

To go back and try to fulfill and adhere to the shadow requirements (foreskin circumcision) Christ profits you nothing!

And again to try to fulfill the requirements of the shadow (foreskin circumcision) even with the best of intentions and out of an act of love toward God. "Faith without works is dead". Is to deny what Christ has fulfilled for us. INDEED Christ profits you nothing. For one has undermined and negated the work-or power of the Cross.

FLASH BACK ON ALL RECAPS:

1) Recap: The Old Covenant IS specifically the 10 Commandments, we are told it is 2 Cor 3:6

In Galatians speaking of the Old Covenant:

The Old is of the FLESH [Gal 4:23] (Works)

The New is of the SPIRIT [Gal 4:29] (Faith).
We are Biblically commanded to "cast out the Old Covenant" [Gal 4:30],

It is put aside "IN" Christ. [2 Corinthians 3:vs11,13,&14].
Those holding onto the Old Covenant -10 Commandments- will persecute those of the New Covenant. [Gal 4:29]

There is a New Covenant coming that is NOT like the Old Covenant of Moses.[Jeremiah 31:31]

In Romans Paul speaks of the Old Covenant / Moral Law in this manner:

But now we have been delivered from the law (Old Covenant) In Christ. [Romans 7:6]

We are delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by. [Romans 7:6]

We die to the Old Covenant so to bear fruit for God [Romans7:4]
It likened to Adultery to combine the Old & the New. [Romans 7:3]

The New Covenant is NOT "like" the Old. [Jeremiah 31:31-32]

It is NOT the same but now on our hearts because it would have the same fruit.

Changing the location from tablets of stone, to the heart, doesn’t make it adultery.

The changing of location doesn’t make it adultery! (Same wife, different bed)

Changing of the Covenants does make it adultery (Different wife, while alive to the other).

How can the content of New be exactly the same as the Old Covenant, the Old is fading (3:7 & 3:13), has no glory (3:9 & 3:10) whereas the New is Permanent (3:11) and is MORE glorious (3:9 & 3:11).[2 Corinthians 3]

Again if the Covenant is the SAME then how can it be adultery to join the two together? (Romans 7:1-4)

It is not adultery if one partner dies.

That is why we are to die to the Mosaic Covenant. (Which the Bible specifies, specifically as the Ten Commandments) Why?

So we can serve in the "New Way" of the Spirit NOT in the way of the "written code"(law) "Romans 7:6

2) ) Recap

The Bible says the Law was ADDED because of transgressions. Then it was added! [Gal3:19]

The Bible says the law made sin abound. Then that is what it does. [Romans 5:20]

The Bible says the law makes known to us what sin is. Then it is so. [Romans 7:7]

The Bible says the law is in charge to bring people to Christ. Then that is what it does.[Gal 3:24]

The Bible says the law is NOT for the righteous, then it is indeed so. [1 Tim 1:8]

The Bible says the law leaves us helpless in need of a Saviour. It is so. [Romans 8:2-3]

The Bible says the law brings death, then that is what it does. [Romans 8:2] [2 Cor 3:7]

The Bible says that the law is put aside "IN CHRIST" then that is what happens. [2 Cor 3:14]

The Bible says we are to cast out the bondwoman (10 Commandments), then it is to be done. [Gal 4:30]

The Bible say after faith has come you are not under the law, then that is indeed so. [Gal 3:25]

The Bible says Christian’s are dead to the law, then that is what you are. [Romans 7:4]

When the Bible says Christ is the end of the Law for Believers. It is indeed so. [Romans 10:4]

When the Bible says the law was added UNTIL Christ. Then that is indeed so. [Gal 3:19]

When the Bible says the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in me through Christ, then it is so.

When the Bible says the law incl. (10 Commandments) is fulfilled IN me not BY me, then that is indeed so. [Romans 8:4]

3) Recap:

In Christ’s own words: the whole law is dependent on 2 laws outside of the 10 commandments. Matt 22:40

The Ten Commandments are not pre-existent or eternal they were give through Moses (Duet 5:3)

And Specifically the Ten Commandments was not given BEFORE Moses (Duet 5:3)

"The Law" came though Moses (John 1:17 & Romans 5:13-14)

Sin was BEFORE the Law. (Romans 5:13)

Sin was not accounted UNTIL Moses. (Romans 5:14)

The Law was added 430 later and is UNTIL Christ (Gal 3:19)

Was made known for the first time through Moses [Nehemiah 9:13-14]

God’s own words describe that he gave his Covenant to Moses. [Jeremiah 31:32]

Before Moses, The Bibles silence on the forefathers keeping the Sabbath is in harmony with all scripture.

The modern day Ceremonial / Moral law Doctrine does not stand up to the Biblical test and is in conflict with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Why? A=(All the above Scriptures)

4) Recap

Circumcision:

Are we to keep it; we are Abraham’s heirs.

It is an everlasting covenant.

God tells us to keep it to establish that he is, "GOD to us". (Genesis 17:7)

There is a severe warning if you break it! You’ll be cut off from God’s people.!!!

However the TRUTH is:

The circumcision of the foreskin was a shadow.

Christ is the fulfilling and TRUTH of the shadow.

When we are "IN HIM" we do fulfill the truth of shadow and keep it requirements.

To go back and try to fulfill and adhere to the shadow requirements (foreskin circumcision) Christ profits you nothing!

And again to try to fulfill the requirements of the shadow (foreskin circumcision) even with the best of intentions and out of an act of love toward God. "Faith without works is dead". It is to deny what Christ has fulfilled for us. INDEED Christ profits you nothing. For one has undermined and negated the work of the Cross.

Which leads us into some other text about shadows and the Sabbath.

My next post

Truth is not a Church or denomination

Truth is not a thing

Truth is a Person and HIS name is Jesus Christ the Son of God.

< Back | Next >