Why does the Almighty require circumcision of the heart/mind in order to receive salvation? No one will be saved who has not answered that question and has not then fulfilled God’s requirement. The book of Ephesians delves deeply into the question as well as the answer. The Apostle Paul wrote that epistle (letter) to a Gentile congregation. Ephesians 2:1-3 begins to reveal why we must be spiritually circumcised: “And you (church members) has He (God) quickened who WERE DEAD in trespasses and sins when you walked (lived) according to the COURSE OF THIS WORLD in obedience to the prince of the power of the air, the SPIRIT (Satan) that now works in those who disobey God.” Paul then reminds them (and us) that we were all in that condition in the PAST because of the lust of the flesh and mind. Because we had embraced Satan’s nature we became his slaves and the subjects of God’s wrath, Adam and Eve being prime examples of those Truths.

Notice that it is Satan–the “prince of the power of the air” that surrounds us–who has filled the world with his hatred and hostility toward God and against everyone who exhibits His godly characteristics-His Very Elect saints. Into everyone else the devil has infused “the (sinful) course of this world” by saturating with his character everything that man must deal with in his earthly walk. He has great hatred toward all of mankind, especially God’s tiny church. We come into contact with the devil’s worldly course early on in life and, if we are not protected and taught by true saints during our early lives we absorb what the world has to offer because we do not know such a force exists. This explains the “natural” words, thoughts and acts of those in this world who reflect the devil’s nature.

That universal Satanic character is referred to as “human nature,” which it is not. It is Satan’s nature that we all embrace early on in this life. Unless that nature is removed through justification and true conversion, it remains as our nature until death. As a result of Satan and the world’s influence on human lives, man embraces Satan’s nature and believes that it is his own by inheritance. Thanks to a priest named Augustine, churchman now has an individual to blame for his (man’s) sins. The man’s name was Adam. Read Original Sin. Key word–Original. Because Satan’s nature attacks the human being during childhood, it is believed to be human nature which he has received at the time of conception. Read Human Nature. Key word–Nature. It is not; it is Satan’s nature which each of us unwittingly embraced.

Every aspect of Satan’s nature must be circumcised out of our hearts/minds in order to attain the righteousness of the New Covenant. For this to take place one must “hunger and thirst” for that righteousness. Everything else pertaining to this life must be relegated to a lower status in our lives. This Truth is spoken by Jesus in Matthew 5:6 where He proclaims that “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” with righteousness. The negative formula is this: no hunger and thirst for righteousness=no righteousness=no salvation.

What the church world does not realize is that RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST BE THE ONLY THING FOR WHICH THE BELIEVER HUNGERS AND THIRSTS (seeks and yearns for). For those who obey God, everything else they need, and even desire, will be given to them: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (needs and wants) will be given to you” (Mat. 6:33). As the prophets, apostles and Jesus Himself spoke and wrote, the vast majority of those who call themselves by God’s name do not hunger and thirst for righteousness, but rather for what they can get from the Lord. Satan has deceived man into believing that holiness is not a option for mankind, even for the most religious among them. Church people focus on what they can get FROM God, not what they can DO FOR Him (obey Him). God knows the heart of every one of us and reacts accordingly.

During Christ’s short ministry multitudes of people would follow Him for days. Then He would stop and speak to them, heal their sick, deliver those with demonic spirits and occasionally feed them. But notice that He spoke to them in PARABLES SO THAT THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING. Why? BECAUSE HE KNEW THEIR MINDS. HE KNEW THAT THEY WERE FOLLOWING HIM, NOT TO HEAR HIS WORDS SO THAT THEY COULD LEARN HOW TO PLEASE HIM, BUT RATHER TO BE HEALED, DELIVERED, FED, ETC. Read Matthew 13:3-13 (also 31,35,53; 22:1). Not once in all of those messages did Jesus invite the people to follow Him or even to believe Him. Why? BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN HIS MESSAGE, BUT ONLY IN WHAT THEY COULD RECEIVE FROM HIM. The modern (Laodicean) church is no different from the multitudes of old. Salvation is their only focus. And Satan has deceived them into believing that they already have it. The suggestion that they should actually obey His Word is met with derision. I have been told that doing so is impossible due to Adam’s sin gene transferal miracle.

Notice what the circumcision of the heart must accomplish in order to attain the righteousness of the New Covenant without which we cannot be saved. Paul explains why we must be spiritually circumcised in Ephesians 2:11-15. This is one of the most important statements found in the Holy Scriptures. Please read it with an open heart in that it is God speaking through His righteous servant. “Therefore remember that in times past you were (spiritual) Gentiles … and were WITHOUT CHRIST, WERE ALIENS FROM ISRAEL, ALIENS FROM THE (OLD AND NEW) COVENANTS, HAVING NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD.” Paul goes on to remind them that they HAD BEEN FAR OFF FROM GOD. This perfectly describes the church masses who not only have not been spiritually circumcised, but believe that they have done all they need to do, are saved, born again and are one with the Lord. Jesus describes them in His letter to the Laodicean (modern day) church in Revelation 3:14-22. Unless we are delivered from the things that Satan has instilled in us from childhood, we will continue to embrace and manifest his nature. As such we cannot attain GOD’S DIVINE NATURE WHICH WE MUST MANIFEST IN ORDER TO JOIN HIM AND JESUS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. The modern-day church with her “just show up, pay up, ‘fess up and prepare to go up” philosophy has no chance of joining the Savior when He returns to earth to call His Very Elect Saints to meet Him in the air. Read The Three Resurrections. Key word–Three. Note that resurrection number one is what the church calls the “rapture.” Read about that deception using the key word–Rapture.

The key to the circumcision mandate is to bring about in us a total “change of heart” from Satan’s nature to THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD WHICH IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE NEW COVENANT. Such a change will allow us to enter the eternal Kingdom of God where we will live forever with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Father.

In summary, the righteousness of the New Covenant involves recognizing that all evil in this world comes from God’s arch enemy and the enemy of all who walk as His Son walked on this earth. Salvation-seekers must also recognize that Satan’s nature must be circumcised out of man’s heart/mind by God’s Holy Spirit. Once that has been accomplished we must, through Bible study, prayer and fasting, walk the walk of Christ (1 Jn. 2:6/ Rev. 3:21) in order to develop the DIVINE NATURE OF GOD, without which no man will see Him. This can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. L.J.