Circumcision is of the heart ...

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The physically uncircumcised man, by keeping the law, will judge you to be the transgressor of the law, even though you have the letter and circumcision! For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the letter. This person’s praise is not from people but from God. -Romans 2:27-29 NET

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In most of this chapter in Romans Paul has been addressing the whole dynamic of what it means to be a spiritual person. Is it merely following your conscience or a law written on our hearts? Or is it about following the traditions and obeying laws penned in antiquity? His thoughts have been homogenized down to the command that Abraham was given to live a circumcised life. In these few sentences the apostle tells us that there are two types of circumcision.

The first form of circumcision is external and can be plainly seen in the mirror. The Jews reveled in this identification. David called the giant Goliath an uncircumcised Philistine. This sort of circumcision separates people based on external identifications. In contrast Paul speaks of the circumcision of the heart that is done by the Spirit of God. This is the circumcision that unites and welcomes all to fellowship. It is the sign of a true Jew and one who is spiritually born anew.

Help us Lord to remember today that we are of the circumcision that worships you and rejoices in Christ Jesus.

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