THE PERFECTION MANDATE PART 3

THE PERFECTION MANDATE – PART 3

THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION

Genesis 17:9-14

In our last discussion (on this series), we concluded that God took Abraham through the process of ‘perfection’ in order to make him a distributor or conveyor of the eternal blessings He bestowed upon mankind (Gal. 3:13-14).

After what seemed like eternity (a period of about thirteen years in absolute darkness), God showed up!

This marked the beginning of another phase in Abraham’s life! God made a covenant of circumcision with him.

WHAT IS CIRCUMCISION?
It’s the surgical removal of the foreskin of a young boy or man. This is usually done as a religious rite or as a purely hygienic measure.

God began the process of perfection by giving Abraham the covenant of circumcision, as a means of ensuring that he put his absolute trust in God.
Because Abraham had been consecrated by God, every male descendant of his, must be circumcised, in order to manifest the trans-generational blessing that God had conferred on him…
God declared that every descendant of Abraham who would not be circumcised had broken His covenant, and therefore, would be cut off (Genesis 17:14; Exodus 4:24-26).
This physical circumcision was meant to inflict ‘pain’ and ‘weakness’ on Abraham and his descendants, and this would leave an indelible mark in their lives forever…Through this process, they would become more and more dependent on God and not themselves!
Furthermore, God told Joshua to circumcise the sons of Israel, who were born in the wilderness, and after they were healed, the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:2-9).

Some days after this occurrence, Joshua encountered the Lord in another dimension. He saw the Captain of the LORD’s army, who revealed divine strategies to him on how to penetrate the walls of Jericho… (Joshua 5:13-15).

However, God just used the circumcision of the flesh as a starting point, whereas the real circumcision is of the heart (Deut. 10:16). This is the only means through which we can attain perfection in the sight of God (Romans 2:25-29).

The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart! Perfection is not necessarily a function of what is physically seen, but it’s a function of the heart. Is your heart right towards God and men?

Furthermore, let’s look at Deut. 30:6 and Colossians 2:8-12.

Abraham caught this revelation and keyed perfectly into it. Even though he was physically circumcised (which could be done today, based on people’s discretion), he knew that God’s desire was a perfect heart! This man eventually became the father of faith, a friend of God, a reference point in Christianity!

Few days after Abraham and all the male adults and children in his household were circumcised, as he was sitting at the tent of the door (with optimism and expectation), he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold….he saw GOD! (Gen. 18:1-15.
When you experience a circumcision of the heart, you no longer see as the world sees…you no longer walk by sight, you rather walk by faith! (2 Cor. 5:7).
You fix your eyes on the unseen…for the things that are seen are temporal, the things that are not seen are eternal. You focus more on things that have eternal value. You discover the mysteries of the kingdom which are hidden from the ‘multitude’ (2 Cor. 4:18).

Abraham entertained the ‘three men’ and thereafter, the promise was re-emphasized.

Furthermore, God saw Abraham as a prophet and revealed His intention to Him (Genesis 18:17-19; Amos 3:7).

Abraham became an intercessor! He stood before the LORD in prayer, negotiating the destiny of a nation…Through the circumcision of the heart, he was no longer selfish (self-centred), he no longer engaged in self-centred prayer sessions, he started interceding for others! (Genesis 18:20-33).

The Bible referred to Abraham as the friend of God in three different places:
2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23.

You can also be a friend of God, if you choose to walk before Him with a perfect heart, through the circumcision of your heart…

The circumcision of the heart is what makes a constant walk with God possible.
Furthermore, circumcision of the heart is the beginning of the process through which Christ makes us priests and kings unto our God (Rev. 1:6; 5:10).

HOW DO I ATTAIN THIS CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART?
Deny yourself, pick up your cross daily and follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23).