The Circumcision of the Believer

Vol 2 - No 14, October 16, 2005

Defeating the enemy by faith - Part 3:

We saw in the last study that before it could enter the promised land and gain victory over the enemy the corporate body Israel had to be chastised and tried 40 years in the wilderness, just as gold is refined and purified in a crucible of fire. The refining process was twofold: 1) the unbelievers had to die, Numbers 14:20 - 3520 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.

30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

and; 2) those still alive had to be circumcised, Joshua 5:2 - 102 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

. Only after being thus prepared could Israel enter the land and defeat the strong well fortified city of Jericho. This study will examine how Israel's experience applies to those of us living during this age of grace. In I Corinthians 10 the Apostle Paul observes that many (in Israel) were idolaters, verse 7, many were given to fornication, verse 8, many tempted Christ, verse 9 and many were destroyed because they murmured, verse 10, then he writes: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." - I Corinthians 10:11.

Just as those without faith in Israel had to die so our sinful nature has to die. But, whereas each individual Israelite without faith had to die in order to purify the corporate body of Israel, our body is that of Christ and the death of our sins was accomplished by Christ's finished work on the cross, ---- however we must reckon it as accomplished, as we learn: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:3 - 113 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 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.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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In previous studies (Vol 2, No 5& 6) we observed that circumcision teaches believers today the necessity to live lives separated from our sinful flesh, as by the Holy Spirit's inspiration Paul wrote: "And ye (believers today) are complete in him, which is the head of all principality: 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: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" - Colossians 2:10 - 1310 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 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:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

. What God's son in the Old Testament (the corporate body Israel) could not do because of the impossible weakness of the flesh believers today can thankfully claim in the perfect life, sacrificial death and resurrection of God's only begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For, He is the head of the Body of Christ of which believers today are members: "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." - Romans 12:55 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

. See also I Corinthians 12:12 & 27 and Ephesians 4:4 - 134 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

. Thus in our standing as members of Christ's body we have His perfection. Being in Christ, His death is our death and His resurrection is our resurrection.

However, as noted before, we are still living in these bodies which are prone to sin and thus Paul writes: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1 & 21 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

. In Ephesians 4:1 - 6:9 the Apostle Paul explains exactly what it is to walk worthy of our standing or position in Christ. He writes that we should live as having crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof: "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" - 4:2; "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" - 4:22; "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." - 4:23 & 24; "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." - 4:29; "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." - 4:31 & 32; "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks." - 5:3 & 4. The passage explains how husbands and wives are to treat each other and the relationship children should have with their parents and vice versa and even how we should be act the job as either supervisors and employees - 5:22 - 6:9.

This template for our manner of life as members of Christ's Body is recapped by Paul in Colossians: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" - Colossians 3:8 - 108 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

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Israel was prepared by the Word of God for victory at Jericho. The believer today is also prepared by the Word of God and the defensive and offensive weapons for our warfare are described in Ephesians 6:13 - 1813 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

. We are told to stand, having our "loins girt about with truth," Ephesians 6:1414 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

a and Jesus Christ is the Truth, John 14:66 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

; we are to put on the breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:14b and Jesus Christ is that righteousness, Jeremiah 23:66 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

, Romans 3:2222 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

, 26, 5:17, 18; we are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, Ephesians 6:1515 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

and Jesus Christ is that peace, John 14:2727 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

, 16:33; Romans 5:11 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

; and "Above all (our defensive weapons,) taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked," Ephesians 6:1616 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

and Jesus is the Author and Finisher of faith, Hebrews 12:22 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

; we are to put on the helmet of salvation, Ephesians 6:1717 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

a and Jesus Christ is salvation, Romans 1:1616 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

; we are to arm ourselves with the only offensive weapon in the arsenal, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:17b and Jesus Christ is the Word of God, John 1:11 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

, powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, Hebrews 4:1212 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

. And so Jesus Christ is all our battle armor and thus we are told to: "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," Romans 13:1414 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

, because: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." - Galatians 3:2727 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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Israel's battle was on the physical plane, entering the Promised Land and defeating Jericho. Ours is against spiritual wickedness in the heavens, as is indicated in the verses before the description of our armor: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." - Ephesians 6:10 - 1310 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

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