Monday, January 22, 2018

(01/22/2018) A Circumcision of Hearts





Today, another reply is made on circumcision and the conditions for covenant relationship with GOD.  The blood of circumcision speaks to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as well as to the gift of rebirth following death, burial, and resurrection of ones inborn spirit.  While circumcision is spoken of as an outward sign of commitment in covenant, circumcision remains hidden and secret.  Few go about making a public display of their circumcision; and Jewish men are thought to be circumcised on the basis of their sacred practice.  Correctly understood, the power and purpose of ones circumcision must operate primarily within their spirit imparted from GOD, not merely within their own feelings and thoughts.  One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” forum who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shared) posted the following:


This is my covenant that I’m making between me and you and your descendants after you every man child shall be circumcised. Why do people?

Object to God’s will and have dirty uncircumcised sons?


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,  And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.  If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:  And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.  And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.  And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.  And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.  And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good:  for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:  If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.  (Deuteronomy 30:  1-10, King James Version, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  There Must Be Rebirth (01/21/2018); Circumcision of Infant Boys (12/11/2017); The Flesh, Then Beyond (05/23/2017); Ye Are Abraham’s Seed (07/10/2015); Circumcision and Promise? (07/16/2013); The Bible and Stupid People (07/17/2013); Accomplished in Christ (01/16/2013); The Need to Purify Heaven (01/17/2013) 


“Anonymous”, the things of GOD that serve and supply created beings and living creatures in accordance with their own peculiar makeup and substance (we say, the flesh) are very different from the things of GOD that reveal the character, content, and personhood of divinity (we say, the Spirit).  For example, in Scripture, the periods following Abraham’s day when circumcision seems to be discontinued or forgotten (e.g., the 40 years before Israel crossed Jordan into the Promised Land) often are explained by the army having to be available to respond to immediate threats, and being prevented from two to three weeks for recovery from circumcision.  The active presence who is the GODhead (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) becomes knowable, known, accessible and approachable through exchanges and interactions among their inseparable, sacred substance.  Included are faith, forbearance, forgiveness, gratitude, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, righteousness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.  In the course of Creation, GOD imparted to mankind sacred content from his own person (we say, breath, life essence, spirit, Word).

As an aspect of mankind asserting dominion in the earth, many have contended against GOD, displayed defiance, and rebelled against divine law.  Sin opposes the continued existence of divine law, the Law Giver, and the fullness of divine order.  Sin favors chaos, flux and non-existence; and promotes return to the conditions in effect before the founding of heaven and earth.  While sin is not a living entity or object created by divinity, the operations of sin may dominate awareness and self-will within the living. 

To the extent circumcision represents covenant agreement it also represents sacred law.  More than this, it pertains to judgment, inheritance, and participation in a personal relationship with divinity.  Those operating under sin routinely condemn divinity as restricting freedom (i.e., choice; conscience; free-will) and violating “natural” law.  The race of Adam maintains a continuing complaint that Deity is capable of overthrowing the independence and integrity of being within the living; and the sovereign will of GOD is capable of dismissing, manipulating, and suppressing ones self-will.  The demonstrations of blessings and curses that establish decision-making and self-direction are not understood as they are, in fact, expressions of divine commitment  and sacred love.  Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:

(1.)  Romans 4:  8-10, King James Version (KJV):  8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.  9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.  10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

(2.)  Romans 3:  29-31, KJV:  29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:  30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.  31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid:  yea, we establish the law.

There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (3.)  Galatians 5:  12-17, KJV:   12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.  13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:  and these are contrary the one to the other:  so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.



THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

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