A CIRCUMCISED HEART

    In dealing with man and his fleshly heart, Yahweh instructed him to enter into the covenant which He made with Abraham and His seed. The angel of Yahweh said to Abraham:  “In blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:17-18). 

   Paul said, “You are all the children of Yahweh by faith in Yahshua the Messiah. For as many of you as have been immersed in the Messiah have put on the Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Yahshua the Messiah. And if you be the Messiah’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs ac-cording to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29). 

   If a person decides to enter into this covenant, that individual is required to ratify the agreement he is making with Yahweh.  “And Elohim said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male...shall be circumcised...and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh an ever-lasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant’ ” (Genesis 17:9-14).

   The ratification of the covenant with Yahweh was called circumcision. Both circumcision and covenant have to do with cutting (Genesis 15). Yahweh declares to those who will make an agreement with Him, “Circum-cise your hearts, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deuteronomy 10:16). “Yahweh will delight in you, just as He delighted in your fathers, if you obey Yahweh your Elohim and keep His commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10). 

   True sanctification means putting away the flesh—the old person—and being renewed in the spirit of our minds—putting on a new, righteous person, created according to Elohim’s desires for those of His covenant (Ephesians 2). 

   The evolutionist teaches that we came from the water; but Yahshua teaches that unless a man is delivered through the water and by the spirit, he will, in no wise, enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh delivered to this earth for those of Messiah (John 3; 1 Corinthians 15; Hebrews 12; Revelation 21).

   “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Yahshua, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great Priest over the house of Elohim, let us draw near to Elohim with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:19-24). 

   One must enter into the “circumcision made without hands” through baptism or cleansing by Yahshua—the Seed—coming up out of the watery grave (see Acts 2:38-39). “That He might sanctify and cleanse it (the assembly) with the washing of water by the Word…” (Ephesians 5:26).  “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Supernal nature of Yahweh in bodily form. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all princepality and power: in Whom also you are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of the Messiah: buried with Him by immersion, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of Yahweh, Who has raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:9-12). 

   “So then faith comes by hearing the Word of Yahweh” (Romans 10:17).  Taking hold of those “words” will sanctify those in agreement with Yahweh.

   “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).  This written and living “Word” carries us along the ancient, but narrow pathway that leads us— those who are seeking truth—through the narrow gate that leads to life.

   A covenant and circumcision both have the sense of cutting—a cutting away of the fleshly heart (Ezekiel 36:26). We must not put our faith in man, but allow Yahweh to give us understanding. “Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

   What is the beginning of this knowledge? “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Does having knowledge of the “circumcision made with-out hands” nullify physical circumcision?  Will physical circumcision guarantee salvation? (Study for yourself Leviticus 12:1-3; Ezekiel 44:1-9; Acts 15:1; and Galatians 3.)

   Sincere seekers of the truth will be ear-marked both physically and spiritually.  The removal of the flesh and walking in Yahweh's  Spirit will be a necessity for gaining eternal life. “There is, therefore, no condemnation to them which are in the Messiah, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Yahshua the Messiah has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahweh sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, because of sin, to condemn sin in the flesh:  that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:1-6).

   A covenant must be ratified and an oath administered and adhered to before deliverance takes place (Exodus 24:7, Romans 10:9).  Does Yahweh give an oath and ratify a covenant?  (See Deuteronomy 29 and 30.) As Yahweh said in Isaiah 42:6, “I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” Please also read Luke 1:68-75.

   There is no creation message, no deliverance message without the “cutting” of the flesh. Abel offered “...fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. Yahweh looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor…” (Genesis 4:4-5). Why? Was Abel circumcised of flesh and heart? He made an offering of cut flesh because of his faith and obedience to Yahweh.

PURIFICATION THROUGH YAHSHUA

   Even though sanctification had been given and received by Adam and Abel, it had not been offered to all men. The origin of sanctification began with the offering of Isaac. It ended with the sacrifice of Yahshua at Calvary (Matthew 26; Hebrews 9). The purification of all creation will be accomplished through Him.

   Physical man must address, not only his flesh, but he also must address the issue of turning to the spiritual Rock that delivers him from himself: “...lead me to the Rock that is higher than I” (Psalms 61:2b). 

   “Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all immersed unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual food; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that went with them: and that Rock was the Messiah” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Matthew 16:18). The assembled house of Israel was gathered to this Rock, a “Rock of offence” (Romans 9:33). His purpose here was an offence to many because the core of Yahshua’s message was about Yahweh, and His coming Kingdom to this earth (John 14:23; Ezekiel 37:26-28; Revelation 21:1-8).

   In order for man to address the issue of membership into this Heavenly Kingdom, he must first understand Scripture. In Mark 12, we read the greatest of the commandments, which was that man had to love Yahweh with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself. Yet, once again, Romans 8:7 says that man’s flesh was not subject to the law, nor could it be, and that flesh was hatred against Yahweh. Flesh must be removed so that the covenant which Yahweh made with Israel in Deuteronomy 5 could be manifested.

   This covenant is what makes a sham of evolution because it addresses the inner man and not the physical man. This by-product of decay is ever facing physical death from the very moment of its birth, yet put within man is the Word of Yahweh. It points to something higher than man. The covenant law is contrary to man’s nature, but is something that can convert him, making wise the simple (Psalms 19:7). The conversion of man directs this decaying matter to a higher spiritual plane, thus enlightening man to the reality of something greater than himself. From Deuteronomy 4, we can understand Amos 3:2, which teaches us that Yahweh chose a peculiar people to carry this covenant law to the nations so that there could be no misunderstanding as to the reality of the Creator.

   In Deuteronomy 4:20, we read that Yahweh brought the people out of bondage, or out of Egypt, which represents sin. He brought them into an agreement with Himself so that they might become a priestly nation, a holy or separated people (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). Their purpose was to build a house in which Yahweh could dwell. The knowledge of Yahweh’s Name became great upon the earth (2 Samuel 7:1-26; 1 Peter 2:5). 

   The Redeemer came to rule over Yahweh’s house. “And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name, Yahshua. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and Yahweh Eloah shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

   Yahshua came to magnify His Father’s Name (John 17; Hebrews 2:12). Yahshua came to establish a new covenant with Israel through the power of the Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8 and 10).  The writing of the law is within man, instead of tablets of stone; the last becoming obsolete, growing old and passing away.

   As Paul wrote, Sinai revealed that physic-cal man was in bondage as a result of his physical nature (Galatians 4:24-25). The Law reveals man’s sinful nature (Romans 3:20). Yet this same Law teaches that the Creator can repair this dying clay through His Spirit and the placing of His instruction manual within our hearts and minds for the sole purpose of giving man eternity. Yahweh offered it to all men (Acts 10:34-43).

   This is the story of creation. Man was created for a reason (Romans 11:32-36). Yahweh created man’s nature, but He also provided a means to sanctify the whole of creation and not just the man of dust. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were, by nature, objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, Elohim, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Messiah, even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And Elohim raised us up with Messiah and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Messiah Yahshua, in order that in the coming ages, He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Messiah Yahshua” (Ephesians 2:1-10, and through the end of the chapter). 

   If we put into practice the principles that we’ve just read about, we will be sanctified and justified by the Spirit of Yahweh, in and through the name of Yahshua the Messiah (1 Corinthians 6:11; and Romans 11:26-36).

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