Cutting

Good morning,

You may wonder at the title of today's blog.   One of the meanings of this word, in today's culture, is to cut the skin either repeatedly or ritualistically, because of deep, mental disease and spiritual desperation.  It is often young people who do this, as an outward expression of their internal agony.

Two other, different types of cutting are mentioned in Galatians 6:11-14, today's text.  One is cutting of the flesh; the other is cutting of the carnal human nature.

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (NIV)

In verse 11, Paul points out the importance of his last words by writing them in his own handwriting. He had an illness of or an injury to his eyes (perhaps from the Damascus Road encounter?). Therefore, he dictated his letters to the early churches, for the most part, to a servant or scribe.  But, he was so concerned that the Galatians "get" his point about the Judaizers that, at the end, he wrote in his own, large handwriting.

At the end of verse 13, he emphasizes the motivation of the Judaizers - - - they want to be able to boast about bringing the Galatians into line with Jewish laws and traditions. (I want to explore that more in tomorrow's post.) If you are not familiar with God's Old Testament command of circumcision, it is commanded to Abraham for the people of God in Genesis 17:9-14.

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

(NIV)

In The Message version, vs. 13b is stated like this:  "That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant."

This command was part of what is called the Abrahamic Covenant.  However, when Christ came, He fulfilled all the old covenants and established a new covenant, which did not require the marking of circumcision in the body of male believers.  Rather, the new covenant was "marked" by circumcision of the heart.

What is this New Testament "circumcision of the heart"?  Actually, it is not a strictly New Testament concept.  There are several Old and New Testament verses which speak of "circumcision of the heart".  Here are three:

Don’t you see: It’s not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It’s the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.

Romans 2:28-29

16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

Deuteronomy 10:16

6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live!

Deuteronomy 30:6

After Christ's ascension/departure in physical form from the earth, the Holy Spirit came to believers on the Day of Pentecost.  When a person receives Jesus as his or her personal Lord and Savior, he or she figuratively "cuts the heart" to allow the Holy Spirit to enter.  And, the Holy Spirit is a mark, a "cut" if you will, on each person's heart to indicate both His everlasting presence as well as the believer's eternal belonging to Jesus Christ.  This was not the case in the Old Testament.  The Holy Spirit did not dwell with each Jewish person, whether circumcised in the flesh or not.  The Spirit of God descended on those He chose for His specific purposes.  The ever-present Holy Spirit in the heart of every follower of Jesus Christ is His mark of ownership.

And, what does the Holy Spirit's mark and presence produce in the heart and life of each believer? Well, if that believer will allow the Spirit to do His transformative work, what is produced is stated in Deuteronomy 30:6.  This yielding by each person produces an all-consuming love for the Savior, down deep in the soul.  The Spirit produces, as Paul said in Gal. 6:14, a willing, daily crucifixion of one's will to the Cross of Jesus Christ, a daily dying to Self.  Further, this love for Christ produces the "fruits of the Spirit", listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

I think about those dear ones who, in agony of spirit, cut their flesh.  I long to say to them that the only answer to their extreme pain of the soul is found in Jesus Christ.  Only He can touch the human heart and radically change a life.  When His Spirit cuts you, marks you - - - you are never the same.

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that you marked my heart all those years ago.  I am utterly unworthy of such grace!  All of us are.  Regardless of that fact, You made a way through Jesus for us to be at peace with You and with ourselves.  The only cutting needed is the cutting of the heart. Please enable and empower us who know You to share the good news of your gospel with those who are hurting, wandering far from You, lost and unable to see Your glorious Light, available to them through Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.