Covenant Of Abraham
Cometh this blessedness
then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say
that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned?
when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in
uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might
be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision
to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of
that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. (Rome 4 : 9 – 12)
These days, God had spoken to me
about covenant that He had made with Abraham, and this morning the verses
suddenly comes up as my devotional. It’s interesting that the verses spoke about
Abraham faith which God has reckoned as righteousness. If we dig deeper for the
verses, it said that Abraham’s faith was reckoned as a righteousness not after
he had circumcised but before that. And the interesting thing here is, word
circumcision which means peritome in Greek, which is metaphorically means : 1. Separation from unclean multitude and
consecrated for God. 2. The extinction of passions and removal of spiritual
impurity.
It said that, Abraham became the
Father Of Believer legally after he had circumcised, so circumcision is a
symbol of the covenant between God and Abraham. Not just that, circumcision is
a symbol that we are the descendants of Abraham. So it means, we have right to
receive the covenant which God had promised to Abraham. And what is the promise ?
God has promised to Abraham that, He will give them, Abraham descendants, nations and because of them nations will be blessed, so it means they become
the decider who will decide a nation fate. But who are they ? who are the
descendants of Abraham ? Israel ? Yes, they are Abraham biological descendants. But
bible said, Abraham descendants is they are who received circumcision,
absolutely what I mean is not physically circumcised, but spiritually
circumcised. We often hear that, Jesus call Israelite that they are physically
circumcised but spiritually not, right.
Maybe we are not direct line of
Abraham, or not even have his genetic, but if we are spiritually circumcised, which means we are separated from unclean multitude and consecrated
for God; we extinct our worldly desire and to remove our spiritual impurities,
and in the 12th verse said, walk in the same road as Abraham, that is
road of faith, or to simplify it I will just call it, live by faith just like
Abraham, in the strange land.
If, we want to inherit the covenant
that God had given to Abraham, so we need to pass the qualification as Abraham’s
Descendant, that is spiritually circumcised and live by faith just like Abraham obey God, he didn’t know what kind of place that God will lead
him to, but he simply obey and trust Him, and leave his oldman house. Everything
is full of uncertainty but he simply trust God and walk by faith, because in
God there is certainty, and God reckoned it as righteousness.
God’s promise to Abraham is so amazing,
and if we act like these verses said, to circumcise and live by faith like
Abraham, believe it the Covenant that God has made with Abraham will be
fulfilled in our life. God will take us higher and admirable, but remember in
the covenant there is condition, meet the condition so we can see His covenant
be fulfilled in our life. If you said you are child of Abraham spiritually, but
you don’t see anything that God has promised happen in you life, ask yourself,
are you meet the condition or not ? meet the condition that God wants, and you
will see, the blessing will come abundantly to you. Amen.