Daily Worship, Spirit and Word July 2, 2024
Part Two - How is a person included in the covenant of Christ Jesus? It is not the circumcised foreskin of the male child as with Abraham’s covenant. It is the circumcision of the heart which includes anyone in this covenant. The circumcision of the heart is produced by faith, hope and love. We believe that God loves us. We respond to God’s love by trusting Him. We place our hope in what God has said. God‘s promises give us hope. When our heart is circumcised, the love of God is being shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit, which is given to us.
The new covenant command that Jesus, The Lawgiver, gave us is simply, “love one another as I have loved you therefore love one another.” A circumcised heart is one that produces the love of God and shares that love with all of the family of God. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:35, NKJV)
Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Guess what! God cares what men see when they look at you. God wants them to see that you are full of love. Your outward appearance is not what God looks at, but it is what God changes so that men will know that you are His disciples.
The Holy Spirit transforms the heart. The Holy Spirit transforms the mind. Therefore the Holy Spirit transforms the body. If I think differently, then I act differently. My outward appearance is impacted by what I believe. People around us are influenced by our outward appearance. Does that mean I do things to please them simply to get their approval? God forbid. We live from our hearts, but we live in the Earth. We live from our hearts, but we speak with our mouths. If my life and words do not reflect my heart felt beliefs, then I am living a lie. I know what I believe. The question is, do I live what I believe? This is not to say my actions are the final word on who I am. This is to say that we are to live according to our faith in God, according to His word, and according to Love.