Photo by JAFAR AHMED on Unsplash

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of us have experienced “going under the knife.” It hurts to remove something causing pain, injury, or worse. A while back I had skin cancer cut from my nose. It hurt. But, now it’s gone. However, if I want to keep it away, I need to change some of my behavior. So, each day, no matter what, I put the SPF 100 on my face to ward off further damage.

In God’s Word, we hear about divine surgery God does to His people eHe He . “Circumcision” wasn’t done to remove a harmful growth … rather God commanded it to mark His chosen people as His own. But, like my surgery, the circumcision, a visible reminder of God’s grace, also required action to remain God’s child. Being circumcised wasn’t an end … rather, it was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to living, in thanks to God for His grace, as a child of God by fearing, loving, and trusting Him in all things … over and above all things.

Unfortunately, people came to see their “circumcision” and other actions they did as good works needed to earn God’s grace. By their logic, those who didn’t do these things weren’t worthy to receive God’s grace. This type of belief, formed in the minds of man by their own logic, is called “works righteousness” … being made right with God through personal effort. God told His people, through the Apostle Paul, this belief is wrong. Paul wrote, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy … human tradition … the spirits of the world …” rather hear God’s Word through His Son, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:8).

Paul continued, “In (Christ) also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.” (Colossians 2:11) Today, we’re still circumcised, however, it’s not a visible, physical circumcision. Rather, we’re spiritually circumcised in our baptisms. In baptism, the Spirit circumcises our hearts. The deadly disease we call “sin,” is rendered helpless against us through faith in Christ. In God’s promise to hear our confession of sins, the effects of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) are cut away. God’s Word says we’re “dead in our sins” … but through His Son Jesus’ sacrifice, He’s made us alive, “having forgiven us all our sins.” (Colossians 2:13)

However, this circumcision of the heart in our baptisms does more than simply give us faith and forgiveness of sin. The Holy Spirit begins to change our behavior – turning us away from sin and turning us toward God. Like a surgeon removes deadly cancer, God performs divine surgery, through the Holy Spirit, to cleanse us from sin and its effects. Then, compelled by the Spirit, we begin to hear God’s Word, allowing it guide and direct us. Guided and directed by the Holy Spirit, our desire to do God’s will grows and enlarges … as our desire to sin shrinks. Through this process, called “sanctification,” the Spirit gradually makes us holy children of God. The cancer of sin is removed and new life takes hold as never before. In faith, we let God do His divine surgery that we may live as He intended for us to live.

                                                                                    In Christ,

                                                                                    Pastor Jim