The Workings of the Law
In the Old Testament, we see a generation that lived covenant after covenant with God in order to fulfill the law which was given to Moses for them. After the fall of man, God wanted to show men how in dire need they were of a Savior. All commandments in the law were literally impossible to keep and yet, missing one of them immediately disqualified you from all of them ().
In Genesis 17, we are introduced to a man called Abram, who God called to be the father of nations (). His name was later changed by God to Abraham () so that he may fulfill the ultimate promise given by all sufficient God (). As a symbol of this promise, God instructed Abraham to circumcise all men in his household, a tradition that still continues today although not necessarily done in understanding. Every eight day old male-child born in his house going forward,whether related by blood or bought as a slave, would undergo this circumcision in the flesh () in order not to be cut off from the lineage of the promise by breaking this covenant.
By the law, everything was done to the level of the flesh. For example, the Spirit came upon prophets to prophecy but it would eventually leave them. Some even defiled themselves or surrendered to unbelief like Israel, regardless of how faithful God had been to them. Therefore a culture of sacrifice was birthed because mankind found itself in a position where it constantly had to offer a sacrifice for the sins committed. This refers to all the animal offerings to God and the bloodshed or stock offering given. It became a way of life because sin was that permanent resident in the hearts of men, one that couldn’t quite leave completely.
The Finished Work of Grace
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
In the fourth chapter of the book of Luke, it is no mistake that the text begins by highlighting that Jesus ‘was full of the Holy Spirit’ indicating that this was something flowing inwardly and manifesting outwardly. Make no mistake, Jesus did not ask of us anything that He did not primarily model. Some would argue He was fully God, but it took even more humility to be fully God and walk as man than the opposite. Satan tempts him and while doing so, we learn that he has knowledge concerning your promises in God and he is not only after your physical possessions, but he is primarily after your eternal life that is described in the scriptures. ().
Many believers think that Satan is out to get what they own in the material sense, but that is just an accessory especially when he knows that your heart is set on these belongings rather than the Kingdom of God. His primary intention is to prevent you from fully knowing and taking up the promises of God to you and your household that you may inherit eternal life. That is what he truly is after. In this dispensation, the Spirit of the Living God dwells in us. What this means is that God shifted from the Abrahamic covenant of circumcising the flesh as that is where sin was most present, to circumcising the heart that man could not only be enabled to walk blameless before God, but to be enabled by his spirit dwelling in us to do so ().
It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.
In dealing with man’s heart by placing His Spirit in its very core, God intends for the born again believer to undergo an inward change that permeates all that he is until what flows on the outside can only be a product of what happened on the inside. Understanding this dimension of salvation enables a believer to truly be transformed on the inside. A change from the inside is clearly beheld and has tangible bearing on the outward person. This is how grace is able to keep you () , not guard you, or totally eradicate tribulation but to keep you as you journey through life, continuously inheriting eternity because it is in your heart, not a far distant place for you to get to.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
