In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ – Colossians 2:11.

The earliest reference to circumcision is found in Genesis 17:10-14 where God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself and all other males of his household including his slaves.   According to this account, circumcision is one of the ways God re-established His covenant with Abraham.  Circumcision was not merely a surgical procedure, it was above all a symbol of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Israel was not the only nation practicing circumcision in the ancient Near East. In fact, the Egyptians, Midianites, Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, and Phoenicians considered it a common custom, but for Israel circumcision symbolized the physical and spiritual continuity of the Israelite generations.  When Israel renewed the covenant with God at the end of the wilderness wandering, Moses summoned the Jews to be circumcised in the foreskin of their hearts; it was to love God and bring their willfulness to an end.

This Scripture denotes circumcision as a cutting off or removal of the believer’s flesh or sinful nature is broken or removed by Jesus Christ. Jesus can only remove the sinful nature when we allow Him. Jesus will never go against our will; if we desire to continue in sin, then He will allow it.  This is the reason why there are so many professing Christians practicing sin. We can either practice godliness or sinfulness; whatever we practice is what we will be good at. We as a people had sinned against God and the only way we could be reunited with Him was through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus died for us to be free from sin (What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein – Romans 6:1-2)?

Sugar-coated messages are sending a lot of professing Christians to hell because they have ministers saying God loves them no matter what they do which is true, but God has given Christians a manual to live by and we’re to follow the instructions in the manual called the Bible. The Bible have instructed the Christian or believer not to serve sin (Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin – Romans 6:6).  How would one know if he or she is sinning? They wouldn’t know if they don’t read their Bibles, but because they don’t know will not excuse them from God’s discipline.

God has given us a way to escape the wrath that is going to come on the earth. Jesus is our answer, but we must do more than accept salvation, we have to submit to God’s written Word, and our hearts have to be circumcised; those whose heart has been circumcised is willing to submit to the Word of God. When the heart has been circumcised it’s not hard or frustrating to submit to God or His Word.  “Bless me” messages will not give one entrance into heaven. God blesses those who submit to Him and His Son, He blesses all of His creation whether they know it or accept that it is He that is blessing them.  Although He’s blessing them does not mean they will enter heaven.  None but the righteous shall enter (But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death – Revelation 21:7).

Serving God is not hard, and it’s rewarding for this life and for the world to come. God hasn’t given us instructions we cannot follow, it depends on whether we are willing to follow the instructions. Our prayers should be God make my heart desire what You desire, make my heart love what You love, and hate what You hate. When we continue to pray this prayer, our hearts will begin to be circumcised.

If we want our prayers to be answered we must live according to God’s instructions, the Bible states those that who pray and practice sin are an abomination to Him, so if the prayer is an abomination that means He will not answer the prayer (He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination (Proverbs 28:9). (The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is His delight – Proverbs 15:8.).

God nor His Word changes, if we want to get an answer to prayer, then we must live according to God’s Word. We can’t be part-time believers, God wants us to serve Him in spirit and in truth. The only way one can do that is to allow the Spirit of Christ to take residence in their heart, then the heart will be circumcised.