“Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God.”—Matthew 5:8
The covenant of circumcision was
given to Abram in Genesis 17:9-14. God
said that any man who did not carry this sign of the covenant in his flesh was
to be cut off from his people. This
placed a great importance on the act of circumcision. Paul wrote in Romans 4:3-13 that Abraham had
already been justified by faith before he was circumcised. Abram’s faith in God and His promise saved
him, at least thirteen years, before He commanded Abram to be circumcised.
Down through the centuries, the Jews
turned their focus to the outward act of circumcision instead of the inward act
of faith as the reason for salvation.
This was a source of contention between Jesus and the religious
leaders. They emphasized all the outward
acts the Lord had commanded and were totally disregarding the condition of
their hearts. Jesus said that if an
individual would cleanse their heart, their actions would inevitably change
too.
The condition of a person’s flesh is
not the important thing. It does not matter if that flesh is circumcised or
not. It is the condition of the heart
that matters to God, whether you are a male or female. Today many people do not have an issue with
being circumcised; however, they do have differences of water baptism, church
membership, and other outward acts that some preach are necessary for
salvation.
Your faith in the love of God, as
expressed through Jesus on the Cross and in His resurrection is the only thing
that God demands for your justification.
Religious rites mean nothing when it comes to salvation. You can rejoice today that the only thing
that counts with God is your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and
your relationship with Him.
Today purify your heart of any contaminant
that would emphasize outward acts as a means of pleasing God. A spirit of legalism will always focus on
outward acts instead of the condition of the heart.
Prayer—Father
I ask you to shine the flood light of your Word on anything that is of
legalism. I repent of those things that
are an outward sign of anything that is not pleasing to You, in Jesus Name.
Amen.
