The Challenge of Faith

The challenge of faith occurs when God calls you to do something seemingly strange. "LORD, you want me to do what?" is often the response to His command. Rather than question what God has called you to do, try responding in faith according to the example of Abraham, the man of faith. In this chapter, Abraham is given the sign of circumcision for the descendants that God has promised him. Abraham's response to God's revelation is reverence and obedience -- even though it was a strange and painful matter to obey. His example is a testimony to the spiritual circumcision which God had already performed on his heart. (Genesis 15:6)

Scripture Passage: Genesis 17:1-27

Main Thought: God gave circumcision as an outward sign of one's inner commitment to and belief in God's covenant with Abraham.

Abraham was commanded to walk before God that He might enjoy the blessings of the covenant.

Abraham was given the sign of circumcision for himself and his descendants who would take part in God's covenant.

So the essence of circumcision goes beyond the physical to the spiritual surgery performed by God to bring you into the faith of Abraham.

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.' Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.'" (Genesis 17:1-5,NKJV)

1. Abram was commanded to walk before God that He might enjoy the blessings of the covenant.

The LORD appeared and reaffirmed the promises He had already made to Abram. God's covenant provided to Abram:

material blessings -- including the land of Canaan in which he dwelled.

family blessings -- the promise to be multiplied exceedingly.

spiritual blessings -- communion with Almighty God

Abram would enjoy these blessings as he walked before God (v1). This speaks of living a life in the will and direction of God. Consider how a young child plays on a playground. While busily at the task of jumping, running, sliding, swinging, or playing in the dirt, the child will often look back to seek the assurance of Mother or Father. At especially joyful times, the child will cry out, "Look Mother!" or "Come closer Father and watch me!" Contrast that to the child that wanders away from the playground and gets lost in the woods. The wandering child does not enjoy the material blessing of the play area, the family bond of Mother and Father, or the spiritual blessings inherent in obeying one's parents. (Exodus 20:12) Abraham would have missed the blessing of the covenant had he been disobedient to this command.

Individuals in the body of Christ have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ our LORD. (Ephesians 1:3) While we have not been guaranteed the material blessings of Abraham, our LORD has promised that all our needs will be met according to His riches in glory. (Philippians 3:13,19) Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all your basic needs will be provided. (Matthew 6:33) If God has promised to meet all your needs as you walk before Him in truth, what more then do you need?

What does this "walk before God" kind of life entail? This speaks of the overall conduct of your life. Life should be lived to its fullest in the light of God's presence and truth. This is the kind of walk God requires of you. Whether you are driving to work, watching one of your children's ballgames, walking the dog, or just sitting alone on the porch, you are to conduct yourself before God -- for you are ever in the presence of the Almighty. "W.W.J.D.?" is the popular slogan worn by many youth today. It means, "What Would Jesus Do?" This takes on a whole new meaning if you consider "What Should I Do If Jesus Was Here With Me?". This is the "walk before Me" life of faith that God commands.

What does it mean to "be blameless"? This means the light of God's truth is to have its effect on your life. God should guide you in the path you should take. God should guide your thoughts, your words, your activities, your priorities. When you take a wrong turn in any of these areas, you should turn to God in humility and repentance. To be blameless means to put God first in your life. Knowing Him and living your life with Him and for Him should be your number one priority. All other aspects of life fall under this divine imperative.

"And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.'" (Genesis 17:9-14, NKJV)

2. Abraham was given the sign of circumcision for himself and his descendants who would take part in God's covenant.

God provided Abraham a sign of the remarkable covenant He made with this man of faith. The covenant God made with Abraham was one-sided -- God alone would fulfill it. It was given prior to circumcision indicating that circumcision is not the source of the covenant or of entering into the covenant. Rather, it is a sign of one's belief in the covenant. The covenant with Abraham represents the greatest promise in the Bible -- the promise of the "seed" through whom all the nations on earth would be blessed. This Messianic promise was fulfilled 2,000 years later in Jesus Christ. The sign of this covenant consists of a physical act, a spiritual act, and a spiritual reality in your life:

Physical act of circumcision: On the eighth day of one's life, the foreskin of a male child is to be removed. Whenever one decided to live with the Israelites and join with them, the man was to be circumcised. This physical act has importance for without it one could not enjoy the Passover meal (Exodus 12:48) and would be cut off from society (Genesis 17:14). God thought it important enough that He was ready to kill Moses if he failed to circumcise his son. (Exodus 4:24-26)

Spiritual act of circumcision: An eight-day old child is incapable of performing this ritual. So who authorizes it on behalf of the child? The parents are the ones who decide to obey this covenant. All of Abraham's descendants were given this sign as an indication of their belief in God's covenant. It shows that one is born into a family of faith -- the faith of Abraham. Such a child will be nurtured in the training and instruction of the LORD, the Creator of all things. So the physical act has a spiritual side as well. This, in fact, is the reason God was ready to kill Moses over this issue. Moses was disobeying God's express command concerning the circumcision of his son. Apparently, Moses and his wife disagreed on its necessity and Moses went along with her rather than obey God. Since God had called Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt, He needed Moses to obey what He said when He said it. Imagine the results if Moses had compromised with Pharaoh!

Spiritual reality of circumcision: Very clearly, the physical act -- apart from faith in God and His promise of a Savior -- did nothing for an individual except identify him with the Hebrew people and, later, the nation of Israel. God says more than once that one must be circumcised in one's heart: through Moses (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6), through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:4), and through the Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:11-12). Those who are circumcised in the flesh but not the heart are condemned by God. In this sense, it is used to represent those who are stubbornly rebellious against God. The Apostle Paul -- who was born of Abraham and the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, a Jew who knew what it means to be Jewish -- writes, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God" (Romans 2:28-29, NIV). A circumcision of the heart involves a cutting off of the foreskin of stubborn rebellion and turning your heart wholeheartedly to God -- letting nothing hinder your love for your Creator or His priority over your life.

A true Jew is one who is a fellow believer with Abraham. True circumcision is done inwardly to one's heart -- the expression of your mind, your emotions, and your will. The heart expresses the inner self. One must circumcise the inner self -- cut it off if you will -- and invite the LORD to reign within you. One who believes in the LORD and His promised Savior, who is Jesus Christ, is a true Jew and truly circumcised in the heart.

3. So the essence of circumcision goes beyond the physical to the spiritual surgery performed by God to bring you into the faith of Abraham.

Abraham's circumcision came AFTER the promise by God, AFTER his faith in God, and AFTER the covenant was given to him by God. Circumcision, then, is not the agent or the cause of entering into the God's covenant with Abraham. Abraham exercised faith and, as a result, obeyed God's command to be circumcised. The covenant was given unilaterally and unconditionally by God. The sign was an opportunity for Abraham to demonstrate faith -- that he would take part in the blessings of God's covenant.

To the Jewish leaders of His day, Jesus Christ stated, "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56, NIV). Abraham had faith in God and His promised Savior, who is Jesus Christ. You can have the same faith of Abraham if you place your faith in God and the fulfilled promise, our Savior Jesus Christ. Abraham looked forward in faith and today we look back in faith. In either case, we share the faith of Abraham, become a true Jew, and are truly circumcised through faith in the LORD Jesus Christ.

Reflect on YOUR life: Circumcision of the flesh was given to Abraham and his physical descendants. Circumcision of the heart was commanded for all people. As Moses wrote, "Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome" (Deuteronomy 10:16-17, NKJV). You need heart surgery -- you need to circumcise "self" and ask the LORD Jesus Christ to rule in your heart. Is there anything in your life which hinders your love for the LORD Jesus Christ -- bitterness, envy, despair, pride, unbelief? Circumcise it! What is it that keeps your Creator from having priority over your time, your treasure, your family, your marriage, your talents? Circumcise it! Get rid of it! And walk before God that you might begin to enjoy the fullness of God's blessings to you in Christ!