Circumcision

Circumcision But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not of the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God (Romans 2:29). The letter kills, but the Spirit edifies. The letter is the law. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7: 6). The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith – as it is written, the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Now faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (10:17). We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision avails anything, nor un-circumcision, but faith which works by love (Galatians 6:15). I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel (Galatians 1:6) There is no other gospel, Paul clarifies still in the ensuing verses, saying, which is not another. If anyone else comes with a gospel, and not the gospel, let him be accursed; because they would be offering false hope. Only Jesus gives life, the others give death. The only truth is the gospel of our salvation. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no man be justified. Rom 2:13 Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. We are justified by faith so quit trying to be perfect by efforts. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the flesh or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident, for the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith; but the man that does them, shall live in them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith (Galatians 3:11-14). Stand, fast therefore in the liberty wherein Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1-6. Behold I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ shall not profit you, or else he would be a debtor to the entire law. Christ shall become of no effect to those who seek to be justified by the law; they are fallen from grace. On the other hand, we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. In Jesus Christ neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything; all that matters is faith which works by love. This is what’s important, to walk in the Spirit and therefore, not fulfill the lust of the flesh; and if we live in the Spirit, we

shall also walk in the Spirit. Those led by the Spirit are not under the law. The flesh is under the law because it needs correction, but it cannot be tamed; therefore the only remedy is to walk in the Spirit. It is to be done away with; it is to be crucified. Why it needs to be annihilated? otherwise it will war against the Spirit. The flesh is at war against the Spirit and the Spirit is against the flesh for they are contrary. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; there is no law against these. Man shall not live by bread alone Man shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The problem is that man is living by everything but the word of God; and consequently, he is walking in the vanity of his mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in him, because of the blindness of his heart; which causes him to live in the flesh according to the dictates of his animal nature doing all sorts of evil without restraints; thinking only of self. (Ephesians 4:17-18). So, see how important the Word of God is? What happens? What happens is that one cannot live by the Word without first being baptized into Christ. A baptism in water is a mere symbol of being baptized in the Word. Jesus is the Word. The first thing we see Jesus doing in preparing for ministry is getting baptized. He had opposition from the baptizer of that time, John the Baptist. Some of us have oppositions but we tend to succumb to them. This means we are not ready to move forward with the Lord. Jesus insisted on being baptized. Once we make up our minds to follow the Lord we must not let anyone hinder that goal. This means, we must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, regardless of the opposition. When John saw that Jesus was determined to go through with His journey, He allowed him to be baptized. Jesus submitted to the authority of the day. This does not mean we are to submit to all authorities since some authorities are of the devil, to bring us into bondage. Jesus was prepared in mind and spirit to wholly follow the Lord. Are we? First, let us count the cost and see if we truly desire this journey, for it is not an easy road. It may mean forsaking certain friendships, family and careers. Are we willing to count the cost? It means putting God first, seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness. But that would not happen until one examines himself. It involves doing business with God. Come to Him and let Him know where we stand. Are we willing to allow the Holy Ghost to lead? One must give up control and surrender all to Him. That’s the tough part. We may need some help here for we have always being in control. Those that have not always been in control might have been under the control of someone else but against their will. It is important to know the difference. God would not coerce anyone to follow Him. He wants us to freely give up our wills. The problem is that sometimes we are in the mood to fully surrender, and the next day we change our minds. God is aware of this and He allows us to make up our minds. He knows when we mean business and when we are simply saying it because it sounds right. As said earlier, we may need some help from God in surrendering our wills. The Holy Ghost is always willing to assist us in everything that involves getting closer to God. We may need to spend lots of time in worship, prayer and fasting before being ready. Some of us need to go through some serious trials before

we realize we really do need to do this. Being baptized into Christ is very important in order to fulfill all righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own and that is why we need to die to self. We are crucified with Christ so that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us instead. This is something that needs to be revealed by the Spirit. It is possible as we become intimate in worship. Who can tell when there’s been enough worship? How can that be measured? The thing to remember is that worship cannot be overdone. The more there is the better. There is no such thing as too much worship. There is a song that says “I’m desperate for you: I’m lost without you.” That explains it. This is the one time when clinging is not bad. Most people do not like friends that tend to cling to them. The Lord does not mind that, in fact, He recommends it. The reason people may not like it is because they are not made to be clung to, only the Lord is made that way. As we come to Him, He imparts to us what is needed. Jesus said in John 16:14-15, He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine and shall show it unto you. Some ministers do like to impart what they have unto others. This is a delicate issue. Is the person ready for such impartation? What are the motives for wanting it? Will he/she be able to sustain it, or would he/she cast himself down at the request of the devil? This will be explained further. The act of imparting an anointing to another may be a dangerous thing. God is the one who calls and God is the one who equips. Yes, there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. A prophet in the office of a prophet may lay hands on someone but it should only be done under the unction of the Holy Spirit. All needs to be done by the Spirit and not by these people in such offices. The danger of imparting is that the person receiving has not really paid the necessary price. What is received cheaply will not be maintained. Maturity is required. There is a difference between natural maturity and spiritual maturity. Surrender me, one person cries. Some things one has to do for himself. There is no quick fix in this case. A vessel of honor must be tested as gold is tried in the fire. Get back in the oven, you are not cooked yet. When a cake is done, it is solid, nothing moves it as it was moved in its liquid stage. What Pleases God After the surrender and baptism, the heavens are opened and the Holy Ghost descends like a dove and lights upon the vessel (Matthew 3:15). The introduction of the Word, and the surrender and baptism attract the Holy Ghost. He lights upon us. He illuminates us and makes our way clear when there is confusion. He will actually fight the battle for us. We cannot go in our own strength. The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! The whole armor of God is the character of Jesus. God says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” to all who follow in these steps. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:27-28). All are welcomed! Hopefully the churches which keep women from preaching are reading this. Once that is done, it is possible to go on to the next level. Many become born-again, accept Christ as Lord but are not fully aware of the cost that lies ahead. Firstly, let me

emphasize that salvation is free. What has a price is discipleship; spiritual growth. We say yes to Christ because it makes sense, we know we need Him and there is no other way out. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is not a way, but the way. Yes Jesus, yes, yes yes! Later we begin to understand the meaning of that yes. God is pleased so He moves the believer to the next phase of conquest. Notice – the Holy Ghost is the one who moved Jesus to the next into the wilderness. We sometimes move ourselves and are not ready; then the tempter comes and we are unable to stand in the evil day. If ready, the Holy Ghost answers for us when the devil says, “if you are really a child of God, why don’t you_____. You can fill in the blank. If you are the son of God, why don’t you go and start an orphanage, or go to India and preach? It could be anything that sounds logical, a good work. He chooses a soft spot of yours, an area not yet surrendered, or just plain ignorance on your part. One can end up taking orders from the devil. Jesus never did. God is not leading in that direction! Although this may be true that is not the correct response to the devil. Satan wanted Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Command these stones that they be made bread. Jesus could have said, “I don’t take orders from you, you fool!” I only obey my Heavenly Father. This sounds like a good statement, and it is true. Yet the real issue here is that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit which cuts up the enemy when he attacks. Jesus used the Word and defeated him every time. It is written! See, we need to know what is written. It is very dangerous to walk without the Word! Such individual may end up doing the very thing he does not want to do as Paul describes in Romans 7. The devil would fight the church and accuse it of being legalistic when it is obeying the word. A man that knows the Word but stops exercising spiritual disciplines, such as praying, fasting, word study, evangelism, not forsaking the assembling together with the saints can end up in worse shape than when he was not saved. Knowing does not deliver, doing the right thing does deliver. Those that know the word but do not practice it deceive themselves into thinking they are right with God. Unless he is a doer of the word, he will forget what he knows (James 1:24). What ends up happening is that his behavior is incompatible with him. He becomes a hypocrite. It is a sad day when one is self deceived; when everyone know there is a problem except him. So a saint might have started on the right track, exercising his spiritual disciplines. Somewhere along the way comes a devil and accuse him of being legalistic. We are saved by grace, don’t put yourself under the law, he says. This may sound logical. If he listens, its because he is not fully developed spiritually. Strong meat belongs to those who are of full age, even to those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrew 5:14). Having two husbands constitutes adultery. Let us discuss Romans 7 because it is widely misunderstood. Paul puts it simply. If a woman is married to man and goes on to see another, she is unfaithful. It is ok to remarry once the old husband dies; but if the old husband lives, she is stuck with him If a Christian, having died to self, being crucified with Christ, crawls from the cross and begins living the old life again, he is committing spiritual adultery because he is returning to the old life. The old husband, the law is still alive. In the old life, the law was her husband; but in the new life, Jesus, grace, is the new husband. Jesus died on the cross, but it didn’t end there. He is alive and well. He has

risen! There are many things we need to learn about this new life. Once married to Jesus, we are to bring fruit unto God. We are to walk in newness of life. This means, we need to have the character of Christ, who did no sin. Once enlightened, it is possible to tempt the Lord. A non-believer is incapable of doing this. I suspect that many tempt the Lord without realizing it, or unintentionally. Once born-again and walking in victory, people tend to relax from doing the necessary spiritual disciplines; not that salvation comes through these but one must remain strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might; living by every Word of God. What could happen otherwise? The idea is to be totally dependent upon the Lord for everything. It is easy for a man to think he is self sufficient, once he has a few victories under his belt. Pride comes before a fall. A little leaven leavens the entire lump. This opens up a door to the enemy. The ultimate problem here is the tendency of man towards idolatry. Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall thou serve. All this can be prevented if one would live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. What else would there be to live by? Satan must have said to himself, hm, that didn’t work so let me see what else I can tempt Jesus with. He does not give up too easily we have noticed. He decides to use the Word against Jesus. The nerve! Oh yeah, Jesus is using the Word against me, I can fight back cuz I know the Word. He proceeds to tempt Jesus further by asking Him to throw Himself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone. What would happen if we throw ourselves into ministry and do not know the level of Word we need to know in order to withstand the attacks of the enemy? We can read the Word, but we can know the Word, two different things. Understanding spiritual things and comparing spiritual things with spiritual. We need to have a discerning spirit. What is written down on paper is not always that simple to decipher. One may think it means one thing and yet it means another. Pray first, understand. Allow the Spirit to break it down. One may know the letter of the Word but not the Spirit of the Word. The letter kills, but the Spirit edifies. This is why the baptism into Christ is so important. Being completely dipped, saturated in the Word and in the Spirit is an utmost requirement. Meditate on it for a while. After that, read it again and again. Why are there so many churches in defeat? There are dead churches. Some pastors do not have the victory, how come? Could it be because they cast themselves down at the request of the devil? It sounded like a good idea and it was. A good idea is not always what God is wanting of us. Perhaps it was not the time. Yes many have the calling, but not all are ready or prepared yet. So if the devil tells someone to cast himself down, should he keep his cool and answer, “No, that won’t be necessary; or I don’t need to.” One could get indignant and say, “I DON’T THINK SO! Again, one must quote the Word. Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God! Do people know that they are tempting the Lord? God have mercy. It can be complicated. The Bible does say that God would give His angels charge over one who dwells in the secret place of the almighty; to the one who made the Lord his habitation. Fact is that if a person makes the Lord his habitation, he would know the Lord and not be deceived into thinking he can cast himself down at

the request of the enemy. That was a trap. We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices and cunning craftiness. He lies in wait to deceive. Don’t Cry Wolf Yet Some would have a spiritual victory and think they are ready. Perhaps the person answered correctly, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God! The devil pretends to leave and lets the minister start the ministry or whatever. He saves his trump card and goes for the kill. This is what I see happening too often nowadays. Once the ministry is going strong he returns and shows him a vision of all the kingdoms of the world and he in a high mountain and says, all these will I give you if you would fall down and worship me. If there is an area of lust for power the devil will come in through it. It is us that allow the enemy in. We need to allow God to have control over our will in order to be safe. It may not be an obvious flaw initially but Satan allows it to grow until the person is hooked by his own stupidity. Many preachers are caught up with wanting to have a mega church. This is another sign of not being ready. Money is not the only deterrent, sometimes is the pride of being well known worldwide. Jesus said to go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. Ok so they go. In the process, however, some get off focus and direct their efforts in the wrong way. It is a turn off when so much emphasis is made on what is being accomplished for Jesus. The preachers that demonstrate the amount of people being healed by his ministry is often not giving the glory to God; although he may say often, to God be the glory. That becomes a cliché and doesn’t often come from the heart. People like this have thrown themselves down too soon. We need a discerning spirit to be able to tell the difference. The correct response would be, “get thee hence Satan: for it is written, thou shall worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall thou serve.” There must be times of renewal and long times of worship. Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. Worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. Sing unto the Lord a new song. We need to spend long times in His presence, and fear before Him. Just singing a song does not constitute worship. Worship involves being broken before Him with a contrite heart. It requires transparency on our part. Can one be honest before the Lord; may as well, He knows everything. Notice that after that Satan left. Why did he leave? He left because Jesus ordered him to do so. So why didn’t Jesus order Satan to leave the minute he appeared? Good question. Jesus cooperated with the Spirit who led Him into the wilderness to be tempted. Would we cooperate with the Spirit if He leads us into our enemy we don’t want to see again? After a series of temptations, it’s almost as if Jesus had it with the devil when he had the audacity to ask him to worship him. Get away from here, you fool! Jesus’ mind was made up; He knew whom he was going to worship. Have that kind of resolve? The minister of God shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Ministry follows. Once the Word is first place the obvious takes place. Follow Jesus and He will make us fishers of men. He understands mankind. Man needs Jesus and he knows it. Once Jesus is revealed, man runs to Him in repentance, though not all. Not all wish to be redeemed just yet; for they prefer to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a moment. They do not want to repent, even though the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Why should we follow Jesus? He wants to heal all manner of sickness and diseases we may have. He would like to make us free from any oppression. He starts by teaching us the ways of the Kingdom. (Matthew 4: 23-24). He is redeemer and deliverer. For this came He into this world, to destroy the works of the enemy.