Circumcision of the Heart
The Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament to the Romans declaring that he was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee.
Paul (then called Saul) was a very educated Hebrew Pharisee who served the law to the utmost extent with a vast knowledge and passion for the law and a tough right hand to enforce it. He was circumcised the eighth day of his life and followed the Law of Moses to the precise degree. He understood the depth and meaning of being a Jew and what God had commanded of every male Jew “To be circumcised.” It was a symbol to the Jew that circumcision set them apart from the gentiles. They were strong in their belief of righteousness, as circumcision was an act of their courage and faith in the Jehovah God of Israel.
In Acts Chapter 9, as Saul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples for preaching this “Jesus” and the new word from Jesus that the disciples were teaching…. God had to knock Saul to the ground off of his horse and temporarily blind him to get Saul’s attention, Saul said “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Saul was astonished and went trembling into Damascus as that was his destination to carry a letter to have the authority to persecute any who were not obeying the law.
The Bible soon declares that Saul was renamed Paul and became a believer that Jesus had come to the Jews to set them free from the bondage of the law and was actually God in the flesh…their Savior. Paul then preached throughout the land a new revelation of “Circumcision”. How the Lord had revealed to him that it was now a circumcision of the heart through the Holy Spirit. God would replace our cold stony hearts with a new heart of understanding.
Today, we, as Christians, comprehend the "circumcision of the heart", as God has given us an inward understanding that the heart of man is to be a Godly Pure Heart not just an outward appearing. Jesus came to give us a New Heart, not of the law but of a free will to love one another. This is the purest of pure…to have a make over of our hardened hearts. Only through a walk and faith in the Lord Jesus can we have a Circumcision of the Heart to do what is right and just and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Written by:
Glenna Williamson
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